DRIVING, RIDING, HUNTING, RACE-RIDING 385 



Mr. Winans is so expert in the management of horses 

 that such testimony is a valuable hint. 



The saddle carries the back-band, shaft-tugs, and belly- 

 band ; but neither it, nor the pad in double harness, must 

 be permitted to press on the horse's spine. 



The traces should take a slight rise from the bar to the 

 hame-pull, and there is a loss of power if instead they 

 inclme downwards. If this is unavoidable, in the case of 

 a small horse the evil can be diminished by lengthening the 

 traces as far as possible. 



Winkers are quite superfluous, but it is hard to resist 

 fashion ! Army horses are never driven in them, and no 

 more are omnibus horses in the streets of London, yet 

 neither of these classes meet with any undue share of 

 accidents in consequence of the absence of blinkers. 



Double Harness. 



In adjusting the reins for double harness the hand-reins 

 go to the outsides, the hand-rein on which the buckle is 

 being always the near rein, and thus the buckle points 

 to the right. The horses' heads should not be pulled either 

 in or out, but be level, the horses running parallel to the 

 pole. A young horse should always be started with the 

 reins fastened to the cheek of the bit, and there should be 

 plenty of length to the inside reins at first. These matters 

 can be adjusted if necessary as soon as it is seen how the 

 horses go. 



When regulating the harness, first adjust the traces 

 to the proper length, seeing that each horse is suffi- 

 ciently far, but not too far away from the splinter-bar, 

 when he is made to stand up into his collar as when 

 in draught. Secondly, adjust the pole-straps. The pad 

 must be placed just at the junction of the withers and the 

 back, sufficient length being given to the croup-strap to 

 enable it to do so ; and the girth-strap should hang straight 

 down when the horse is made to stand up into its collar, or 

 if it inclines at all it should be backwards. The outer girth- 

 strap should be quite loose to allow free play to the traces. 



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