ACCIDENTS AND PRECAUTIONS. lol 



— or " on his shoulders," as the term is. In thi.-^ 

 case, if he have well-placed shoulders, good legs, 

 and sound feet, free from corns and thrushes ; good 

 natural courage to induce him to " run up to his 

 bit,'"* and a good mouth, there will be very little 

 danger of his falling down in a gig ; but accidents 

 from vice must depend upon other circumstances. 

 These accidents, however, are often the result not 

 of real vice, or even of ill-temper, but of want of 

 knowledge in his owner of putting him properly 

 into his harness, as well as of driving him after- 

 wards. 



Innumerable accidents to horses in gigs arise 

 from some part of the harness pinching him, parti- 

 cularly about his withers or back, when he will en- 

 deavour to kick himself out of it, to rid himself of 

 the torment. Indeed we have more than once seen 

 a road coach-horse, in regular work, set a-kickini^ 

 merely from a twisted trace, rubbing edgeways 

 aojainst the outside of his thiMi. 



We consider mares objectionable in single har- 

 ness, for reasons which are obvious ; and few of 

 them are to be trusted at certain periods of the 

 year, particularly in the case of a rein getting under 

 the tail. When driven, the precaution of the safety 

 rein should not be omitted. We are also of opinion 

 that numerous accidents from gigs would be pre- 

 vented, if horses intended for them were to be 

 broken in to them, in bridles without winkers, as a 

 great portion of the horses on the Continent are 

 driven. The not knowing what they have behind 

 them is a natural cause of alarm, and would by 

 this means be obviated. 



