16 DRIVING. 



desirability of avoiding such mishaps as flicking a gentleman 

 under the ear, or sending the dirty end of the whip round some- 

 one's face, when the object in view has simply been to touch a 

 leader. In the first place, the coachman must remember that 

 he cannot hit his leaders too quietly. He should manage to do 

 so in such a way that the wheel-horses may not be aware that 

 he is using his whip at all. Not a sound must be heard, and it 

 is specially desirable not to hit the wheel-horses on the nose 

 instead of just dropping the point of the whip on the leaders' 

 hocks. The upper cut by which we mean making the point 

 of the whip go upwards from under the bar is the correct 

 way of hitting a leader. Many a time I have seen a beginner 

 smack his leader all down the back, with the result that, much 

 to the astonishment of the owner of the whip, it flies off the 

 horse's back straight across his own face. 



In hitting a wheeler, unless he is a most arrant slug and 

 warranted not to kick, the whip should be applied in front of 

 the pad. This will obviate a difficulty in which coachmen not 

 seldom get themselves placed, arising from the fact that in 

 hitting a horse behind the pad he is apt to flick his tail and get 

 a double thong tight in under it. 



I once saw a gentleman in that predicament ; the result 

 being that there were two large holes in the front boot of his 

 coach, one young lady on the roof fainted, the greater part of 

 the harness was broken, and his load had to be taken on to the 

 racecourse to which he was driving by the assistance of two 

 other coaches, his own coach having to be led ignominiously 

 home. 



Before leaving the subject of driving I would add, that in 

 the remarks made with regard to the driving of one horse, the 

 turn of the wrist either way is equally applicable to drivers with 

 four horses ; and it is even more important to learn to go from the 

 right to the left of the road or from the left to the right without 

 the assistance of the right hand. In making the horses incline 

 or turn to the right, the thumb disappears from view, the back 

 of the hand and knuckles show, and the little finger is upper- 



