ijo DRIVING. 



therefore be accomplished as soon as possible ; if it cannot be 

 done by the plan above mentioned, which, however, rarely fails, 

 the coach must be stopped, care being taken not to pull at the 

 captive rein. 1 



Gloves really comfortable to drive in are very difficult 

 things to get. They should be quite two or three sizes larger 

 than worn in ordinary dress, stout and strong without being too 

 thick. They should be worn in walking about for some time 

 before using them for driving. I read in a recently published 

 book on coaching that they should never have any resin put on 

 them, and that the fingers should be short ; but my last advice 

 to any beginners who have taken the trouble to wade through 

 my remarks is, when your gloves are new, put a little, not too 

 much, glove paste, not resin, on them, and when you buy them 

 get them with the fingers pretty nearly an inch too long. They 

 will come back to your hand, and fit easily, whereas if you buy 

 your gloves with short fingers your hands will always be cramped, 

 and the ends of your fingers will soon make holes through them 

 and be always cold. 



The best way to keep your hands warm is, not to swing your 

 arms about and beat your chest ; but take your left first, which 

 is generally the coldest, loosen the reins a little, holding them 

 safe in front with your right, and * twiddle ' the fingers of 

 the left hand on the reins. Circulation will at once return. 

 If, however, you take your hand off your reins to beat it. always 

 beat it on your thigh or downwards, never up to your shoulder. 

 Scotch worsted gloves are the best for wet weather, better than 

 all thread manufacture ; for everyday work a good dogskin is 

 preferable to all others. 



Shoes of more than moderate thickness are the best to drive 

 in. A thin shoe or boot will make your feet ache, as it does not 

 give sufficient protection against the pressure which must always 

 to a certain extent be going on against the footboard. A good 



1 When a man gets down to take the rein from under the leader's tail he 

 should take hold of the horse's tail and lift it off the rein, and should not try to 

 pull the rein from under the tail. B. 



