TANDEM-DRIVING. 149 



items connected therewith, and will, in fact, describe what I 

 may call a well-appointed turn-out, and well-broken team. 



It is of no consequence whether ponies or horses be used ; 

 for my own part, I prefer the former, as they are quicker, and I 

 think they are more suited for tandem-work ; horses, being so 

 much longer in the body, are apt to give the tandem a somewhat 

 long, straggling, and narrow appearance. The length of the two 

 horses is too much in comparison with, or in proportion to, the 

 length and size the tandem cart could possibly be. How- 

 ever, this is merely a matter of taste, and of course the same 

 rules will apply to both. Still, as I personally prefer the ap- 

 pearance of a ponies-tandem, I intend to mention them in the 

 few lines I write. 



In the first place, it is a great mistake to have too light a 

 cart, for sufficient weight is required to balance the ponies ; six 

 hundredweight is the weight of the cart I have always found 

 them go best in. The proper height is also very important; for 

 ponies of fourteen hands, wheels four feet ten inches in diameter 

 is not too much. This will bring the driving seat about five 

 feet four from the ground. Some people prefer a very slanting 

 driving-box, but I like one with only a moderate slant. Of 

 course, this is a matter of opinion, and I think the driver should 

 always decide which he finds most comfortable. Whether driv- 

 ing one, two, or four horses, it is of the first importance to sit 

 firmly on the box-seat; standing up or leaning against an acutely 

 sloped cushion, the coachman is liable, if a horse pecks, to be 

 plucked right off the vehicle, and deposited on his head in the 

 road. The slant of my own driving-box and cushion together 

 is four and a half inches in front and nine and a half at the 

 back. I have always found a wide cart far pleasanter to drive 

 than a narrow one, as it runs much smoother, and is also much 

 more comfortable ; for constantly in a tandem cart one wishes 

 to take four people, and it is a great mistake to have to sit too 

 close ; for the driver it is especially inconvenient. Then, again, 

 long distances are often covered, and one requires to take a 

 good many things, for a tandem-cart should never be without 



