226 



initials " "W. A. C. B." I consider it so excellent I reproduce it as 

 follows : — 



A well-matched, well-put-together, and let us certainly add a well-driven 

 pair of horses, is one of those things which, if not exactly a joy for ever, is 

 at least pleasing to the eye until the spectator sees something he likes 

 better. A stepping harness horse is a beautiful thing to look at, but is an 

 expensive luxury. It is not merely costly to buy, but it is also costly to 

 keep up. Two horses at least must be kept to perform the work of one, for 

 they must never experience the sensation of fatigue. 



A very common phrase of stable Anglo-Saxon is that a man is driving two 

 horses, but not a pair. Colour is a mere matter of taste ; some like them to 

 match ; others prefer a contrast— a chestnut and a roan, a bay and a grey, 

 or a black and some light colour. But in action and shape they must match. 

 Nothing looks worse than to see one horse stepping up to his nose while 

 his companion strides along like a match trotter. A squarely built Norfolk 

 horse alongside a lighter blood-like companion is a very bad combination, 

 while a short-necked horse and a long necked one not only look ugly 

 together but are uncomfortable to drive into the bargain. And how much 

 of one's comfort on the box depends upon proper harnessing ! It is time- 

 honoured advice that the coachman should, before mounting to his seat, look 

 round to see that the harness is all right, and the practice is to be recom- 

 mended, as if you start from hotel yards on a busy day you may find that 

 in the rush and hurry one or both of the coupling reins have been left 

 unfastened, a throat lash is perhaps hanging down, or possibly the pole 

 pieces or pole chains have been overlooked. In the matter of putting things 

 right, the beginner must leave himself in the hands of some experienced 

 person. It is positively annoying to see how some horses in the Park are 

 bitted together. Heads fastened up by a tight gag bearing rein ; the driving 

 rein is on the bottom bar ; pole pieces are swinging about so loosely as to 

 let the horses come dangerously near the carriage when they have to hold 

 back, or else are pulled so tight as to deprive the wretched animals of all 

 liberty. Coupling reins are often wrong, and then, of course, the task of 

 driving becomes needlessly difficult. 



Too much attention cannot be paid to the bitting of horses ; and now 

 that the Queen has directed bearing reins to be dispensed with in her own 

 stables, that piece of harness may be legarded as virtually out of fashion ; 

 and when it is given up increased attention will have to be paid to bitting 

 and coupling, because when a horse's movements are no longer crippled by 

 a too tight bearing rein it will be of paramount importance that the bit be of 

 that pattern in which the horse will go most kindly ; that the curb chain be 

 not tight enough to make the horse fight, nor so loose as to be useless. 



In the streets of London, as well as on country roads, one sees a vast 

 amount of bad driving ; and, to begin at the beginning, great mistakes 

 are constantly made in the manner in which horses are started. At the 

 funeral of the late Mr. Braidwood, the head of the London Fire Brigade, 

 who was killed at the disastrous Tooley-street fire, the horses which drew 

 the engine which served as a hearse were with the greatest difficulty 

 induced to travel at a slow pace. In the course of their work they were so 

 accustomed to starting almost before the men were on the engine, and to 

 begin at once at their best pace, that they could not understand being made 



