The Sport of Our <J[ncestors 



suffer two coachmen to drive the same horses ; either each 

 man should drive his own ground double, or he should go 

 the journey throughout and return the next day. It cannot 

 be expected that horses can do well in the hands of two 

 coachmen, even allowing them equal merits ; and for these 

 plain reasons : — they not only feel the effect of change of 

 hands, which ruffles them, but they know not what to be 

 at in their work ; one man makes his play, as it is called, 

 over one part of the ground, the other over another part. 

 The system also destroys the pride a coachman takes in 

 seeing his stock look well ; and, if anything goes wrong, a 

 wrangle is sure to be the consequence. As it is ascertained 

 that no horse can run at the top of his speed more than seven 

 or eight miles without injury, it is much better that a coach- 

 man should work his ground double — this is, with the same 

 team down and up — if the hour suits, than that another man 

 should touch them.^ 



Some persons object to two sweats a day, but it is non- 

 sense ; how does the race-horse run his heats ? and how 

 many sweats does a roadster or a hunter get on the same 

 day ? In very fast work, it is better for cattle to run five 

 miles in and out, with an hour or two of rest between being 

 taken from one coach and put to the other, than nine miles 

 straight on end. 



A wonderful change has taken place in the English 



^ So material, indeed, is this point considered by one of our best judges of 

 road coach-work, that he denies the possibility of any coach keeping its exact 

 time over a long distance of ground, unless each man drives his own horses, 

 with short stages for each team. 



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