The Stable Handbook 



I am not writing for rich people, but still most 

 of my readers could afford to have lessons, and 

 I think that everyone should learn to drive four 

 horses from one of our best coachmen. It is 

 unlikely that the knowledge will ever be of much 

 practical use, but in handling a team the whole art 

 and science of coachmanship becomes apparent to 

 us, and you will drive the one horse or the pair 

 much better for the knowledge. But if you can- 

 not learn to drive four horses you can find some- 

 one to teach you how to drive a pair, and some- 

 times best of all a tandem. There is nothing to 

 be compared to tandem as an exercise in the higher 

 skill of coachmanship. It has the advantage of 

 being within the reach of anyone. I have heard 

 people say that it is more difficult to drive a tandem 

 than a team of four horses. The truth is that it 

 is not difficult to drive a tandem at all if the horses 

 will go straight forward, and if they will not it is 

 impossible. Of course horses that will go straight 

 for some people will not do so for others. But I 

 contend that any man or woman who can drive at 

 all can drive a tandem if they have the right sort 

 of animals and can use a whip. If they will do 

 this they must incidentally learn a great deal 

 about driving, and gain great skill and nicety of 

 touch. The usefulness of tandem driving lies in 

 the fact that it makes us realise what a delicate 

 instrument a horse's mouth is. Driving a hansom 

 cab would probably have the same effect. I once 



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