THE HORSE. 207 



" There is an excellent way of handling reins not 

 generally adopted ; this is, when you want to take a 

 pull at your horses, to open the fingers of the right 

 hand and put the reins into them ; then pass the left 

 hand, with the fingers open, in front of the right 

 hand, and receive the reins into it again ; then you 

 get extra power over your team without disturbing 

 their mouths. Independently of appearances, a firm 

 seat on a box is very necessary for safety to a coach- 

 man and his passengers, or a little thing will displace 

 him. I once was by the side of a coachman on the 

 box of a mail when he was chucked off, merely by 

 one of his hind wheels striking lightly against the 

 post of a gateway, and a bad accident was like to 

 have been the consequence. 



"He who has made a good beginning has half 

 finished his work, and this applies to driving coach 

 horses. Harness them well, and they are much easier 

 driven. It is also with coachhorses as it is with man- 

 kind — the physical strength is in the governed, there- 

 fore we must humour them a little. When startina- a 

 coach, do not pull at their heads, but feel their mouths 

 lightly, or they may both throw themselves down, or 

 break through their harness. If old horses, and the 

 stage commences with a hill to go down, let them 

 feel their legs for two hundred yards before they are 

 put to their usual pace. When in turn point your 

 leaders well, that is, take proper ground for them to 

 make their turn, and let your wheelers follow them. 

 As wheel horses are always in a hurry to make the 

 turn, shoot them out to the contrary side just as you 

 have pointed your leaders ; for example, if your turn 



