CH. XVI COACH-HORSES 385 



an incorrigible puller should be sold, given away, 

 or shot, rather than be put in a team. A horse may 

 pull, from some cause which may be removed ; if 

 he can be cured, very well ; but a regular puller 

 spoils all the pleasure of driving, worries the other 

 horses, and makes impossible any fine handling of 

 the team. 



Some coachmen advocate having the leaders taller 

 than the wheelers, but it is not generally a symmet- 

 rical arrangement, especially as the leaders, when 

 seen from the front, will, from the perspective, 

 always look the larger. 



It is the general practice to put the smaller horses 

 on the lead, where they certainly look the best. In 

 any case, the heavier horses should be at the wheel ; 

 they have to control the coach in going down-hill, 

 and in turns, where the leaders are held back ; and 

 they may be considerably coarser than the leaders 

 without hurting the appearance of the team. At 

 races, when a coach is on the grass, a pair of 

 wheelers that can do more than their share in start- 

 ing the coach on the soft ground, will add to the 

 coachman's comfort and perhaps save a balking 

 match. 



Undoubtedly, the leaders should be the freest ; 

 it is disagreeable to have the wheelers free and the 

 leaders slack, 'floating leaders,' as a well-known 

 coaching man calls them. 



Of the two leaders, the lazier should be on the 

 off side, because it is more easy to get at him with 



