TANDEM-DRIVING. 153 



but a tandem leader has nothing but the reins to balance him 

 when the traces are slack. The method I have described will 

 soon give him confidence, however, and it will also get him 

 used to the reins touching his quarters. He should be backed 

 and turned round, and in this manner taught immediately to 

 answer to the bridle. After this has been carefully done for a 

 few days the horses can be put to with safety. It will then be 

 a certainty that both will go perfectly straight ahead without 

 any difficulty ; they will not be frightened and alarmed, nor have 

 their tempers upset at the commencement of their training for 

 tandem-work, and I consider this of more importance than any- 

 thing. However, there are exceptions to every rule, and there- 

 fore it is impossible to lay down any special one as the means 

 of teaching a leader what is expected of him. At the present 

 moment I have a leader who never improved in the least by 

 this method, and therefore it was of no use continuing it, as it 

 seemed only to irritate him. Horses have different tempera- 

 ments, as men and women have ; it stands to reason that the 

 same treatment will not apply to all, therefore a great deal must 

 be left to the intelligence of those who are handling them, 

 With the leader I am speaking of, the only way was to get a 

 steady wheeler and put the leader to at once. It so happened 

 that this suited him, as he soon fell into his work, and he is 

 improving every day. To my mind, at all times, it is far more 

 important to have a very trustworthy wheeler than a trustworthy 

 leader. Provided the latter is not an inveterate kicker or jibber, 

 I don't think it much matters what he does. The two vices I 

 have named are extremely awkward in both animals ; but, 

 although bad in a leader, they are absolutely fatal in a wheeler. 

 If a wheeler shows temper, it is merely a question of time before 

 he demoralises the leader, and then the team will be a most 

 dangerous one ; whereas, if a steady animal is in the shafts, and 

 the leader is the one to show temper, in all probability he will 

 not demoralise the wheeler. It is difficult to say why, but I 

 think the solution can be found in the fact that when a horse 

 can see what his companion is doing it is of no consequence to 



