SKIDS AND BREAKS. 117 



had to be thrown on to every particle of the harness, 

 when the experienced eye of a good coachman could 

 at once detect anvthino; wronar. It must be remem- 

 bered that in those days there was no break ; and the 

 iron shoe or skid is a very clumsy contrivance com- 

 pared with a break. It necessitated a coachman or 

 guard descending from his seat to apply it, and also 

 the stoppage of the coach and the consequent delay. 

 This being the case, it was rarely used except on very 

 severe hills. Although very many wheel-horses are 

 spoilt by the too frequent use of the break, yet an 

 immense number of accidents are averted by its being 

 used, and had this apparatus been in use during the 

 days of coaching, it would have proved an inestimable 

 boon. In fact, with a heavily-laden carriage of any 

 kind, it acts as a safety-valve does to a steam-engine, 

 as it provides an element of security, owing to the 

 ease with which it can be applied and removed. 



If coach-horses were ever to run away with a 

 coach, which is rarely the case, owing to the weight 

 of the vehicle behind them, a pow'erful break applied 

 by a strong man immediately renders their progress 

 at any great speed a matter of exceeding difficult}-. 

 I cannot say to what extent it increases the labours 

 of draught or retards progression, but I should suppose 

 that it would treble or quadruple the load. Accidents 

 however, are not always to be avoided by stopping 

 a vehicle, an axle may break or a wheel come off 

 on a level road, or when ascending a hill which could 

 not be prevented by the use of a break. There is 

 one predicament in which a carriage may be where 

 a break forms an important factor in preventing an 

 accident, this is when a pole breaks on descending 

 a hill, in which case there is only one thing to do, 



