CH. XIX CHANGES 459 



Changes. — Just before arriving at the change, the 

 ends of the reins must be unbuckled ; if the device 

 described on p. 273 is adopted, it is necessary only 

 to pull them apart. 



If the passenger on the box-seat is accustomed to 

 coaching, he will quietly pull up the ends of the reins 

 and unbuckle them, when the change is in sight, or 

 when the guard sounds the call for the change, and 

 if this passenger happens to be a lady, there is a 

 manifest reason for having the reins scrupulously 

 clean, so that they will not soil her gloves. It may 

 be also said that the tongue of the buckle should 

 play loosely, the hole of the rein should be large, 

 and the keeper, or loop, should be large and far back 

 from the buckle, or too much time will be consumed 

 in unbuckling- and buckling. 



The coach should pull up at the change-place 

 easily but promptly, and care must be taken that the 

 leaders do not stop too soon, as they almost always 

 want to do. 



The coachman throws the reins on the horses' 

 backs, the off reins to the off side, and the near to 

 the near side. With a little care they may be so 

 thrown that they will lie in a fold across the back, 

 and the ends will not fall in the mud. The reins 

 must not be thrown down, however, until the coach- 

 man sees that some one is at the horses' heads. 



The coachman then puts on the brake, without 

 noise, but as hard as possible (see p. 328), and gets 

 down, taking his whip in his hand ; if he wants to 



