152 DRIVING. 



than horses. I think the wheeler should be a long low animal, 

 with short legs, and yet very compact, with plenty of bone, 

 strong hind quarters, and good girth. Nothing is worse than a 

 narrow-chested horse going close in front. In the choice of a 

 wheeler, it should always be borne in mind that he is required 

 for single harness, and therefore it is indispensable that he 

 should be even-gaited, a straight goer, and a big-strided 

 animal, sooner than one with short, quick action. The latter 

 is slow, and takes far too much out of himself to be able 

 to go any distance. On the other hand, the leader can be 

 of lighter build than the wheeler, he should ; to my mind, be 

 the same height on no account taller ; if any difference exists 

 between them in this respect, let him be a trifle the smaller. 

 He should carry himself well, and be a good mover all round, 

 and very free. Of course the stamp of leader varies according 

 to the particular work that is expected of him. If the country 

 is very hilly, with heavy roads, a stronger class of animal is re- 

 quired, with fair but not high action ; a showy mover would be 

 knocked to pieces in no time in this particular country, and 

 would wear himself out. Therefore, it is well that a tandem - 

 driver should have two leaders, one for hard work and hilly 

 work, and the other for a flat country and shorter journeys. 

 The latter animal can be as showy as possible, with high free 

 action, but plenty of pace. 



Great care should be taken in breaking in, or rather train- 

 ing, the horses or ponies to tandem-work. Let us assume both 

 horses are broken to single harness : it is merely tandem- work 

 they know nothing about. The wheeler will, therefore, fall in 

 quietly to what is required of him, but the leader needs some 

 training. Nine times out of ten I have found the best course 

 to pursue is to put the bridle and long reins on the leader and 

 drive him in this manner, walking behind him. This will 

 gently accustom him to the fact that occasionally he will only 

 feel reins, and have no weight behind to steady him. It is 

 astonishing how strange this seems to tandem leaders at first ; 

 of course with four horses the two leaders balance each other, 



