CARRIAGES. 167 



colour is immaterial. Nothing looks worse than a 

 good carriage and a bad horse ; the good workman- 

 ship of the former attracts attention to the want of 

 good quality in the latter. A large carriage drawn 

 by a small horse is equally out of keeping, as is 

 also the reverse : the whole affair is out of balance! 

 But it is a very common occurrence to see horses 

 harnessed to a carriage which is far too large and 

 heavy for their powers. Such is not economy, 

 either, inasmuch as the horse under these con- 

 ditions must wear out sooner. 



A carriage is not kept in good order without 

 great care and labour. We will consider how this 

 may be expended to the best advantage. 



In the first place, as I have before remarked, the 

 coach-house must be dry and suitable. The carriage 

 itself must also be dry. The reader may remark, 

 ' What on earth do you mean by the carriage being 

 dry V I refer to the painting and varnishing when 

 a carriage is handed over from the builder, for 

 carriages are far too often brought into use before 

 they are fit to be used. All paint and varnish 

 should be allowed a reasonable time to dry and 

 harden thoroughly before being exposed to wear. 

 Where this is not done the lustre of the varnish 

 soon goes, and then the varnish itself follows suit, 

 and the result is that the paint, being unprotected, 



