In placing horses in a team, we speak of near and off horses. The term
of “near” is probably a borrowed one. In a waggon, the near horse is
the one which is nearest the driver, who always walks with the horses
to his right hand; and the other, running abreast of him, is called
the off or far horse, because he is the farthest from the driver. This
term indeed does not refer to coaching so well as to waggoning, as the
coachman does not walk by the side of his horses; but many of the terms
of coachmanship are drawn from the same source, and the expression
“near” horse seems to be among the number.
The word “near” having been thus made use of in its original
acceptation, has, in some counties, gradually superseded the word left,
in contradistinction to right; as we hear occasionally of the “near
side of the road,” the “near wheel of a carriage,” the “near leg of a
horse;” in short, it is substituted for the word left. Or the term may
have arisen intermediately from this: that on the first introduction
of carriages into this country there was no driving on the box, but on
the saddle, and that hence the term “near” was used to distinguish the
saddle-horse, and the term “off,” of course, the other horse. These
terms were afterwards applied to the road, where, in meeting carriages,
according to the adage, “If you go to the left, you are sure to go
right;--if you go to the right you are wrong.”
Wheel-horses have the hardest place, as they are at work up hill and
down. Nevertheless, if favour be shown, it must be to the leaders,
because a tired wheeler may be dragged home; but, in the road phrase,
if a leader cuts it, you are planted. It is a rule always to put the
freest leader on the near side, as he is better in hand than on the
other. If a leader be weak, and cannot take his bar, the wheeler that
follows him must be tied up, and this will place him by the side of
his partner. Leaders should be fast trotters for fast coaches; for,
if they gallop, the bars are never at rest, and consequently much of
the draught is lost in the angles described. To a coach-horse in fast
work, wind is almost as essential as to a hunter. Many high-blowers,
however, keep their time very well, with a little attention on the
part of the driver. If he see them distressed, he ought to keep them
off their collar, and let them only carry their harness for a hundred
yards or so, when they will recover, if their condition be good. They
work best as night-horses; and, if driven in the heat of the sun, they
ought to be out of the throat-lash. Indeed, a leader should never be
throat-lashed in very hot weather, if he can be driven without it. Many
horses pull, and are unpleasant in it, but go temperately out of it.
In coach-horses, temper is much to be regarded. Some contend that a
horse should never know his place,--should go either wheeler or leader,
and on either side. If, however, a horse working constantly in a coach
prefer any place, he should have it, and he will generally pay for the
indulgence. Some horses, indeed, care not where they are put--working
equally well or ill in all places. As to the mode of putting young
horses in harness, the best way is to put one, for the first time, with
only one other, which ought to be steady, good-collared, and quick. A
great deal of room should be given his head, and he should be driven at
the cheek of an easy bit, with his pole-piece rather slack. There is
great want of judgment in throat-lashing a young horse--either wheeler
or leader.
Many horses go perfectly quiet as leaders, that would never go as
wheelers, because they will not bear being confined by the pole-piece.
All ought to have their sides frequently changed, particularly young
ones. As to horses’ mouths, some will not bear a curb-chain at all,
while the bars and chins of others are so hard, that it is difficult to
make an impression upon them; the latter being most prevalent.
It is difficult, however, to handle a coach-horse, particularly a
leader, whose mouth is very tender. A snaffle is not safe, as, in case
of his dropping or bolting, it has not sufficient power to catch him up
quickly, at such a distance from the driver’s hand. Fora gig-horse, it
may occasionally answer. The usual plan then is to “cheek him,” as it
is technically called, that is, to put his coupling-rein to the cheek
instead of the bottom of the bit. Should this be severe for him, and he
swing his head too much towards his partner, his draught-rein should
be put down to the bit, which will bring him straight. He should have
liberty in his bearing-rein, and his curb-chain should not be tight. A
check-rein to a nose-martingale is often of service in this case, as
it keeps his head steady, and makes him face his work. Such horses in
general work more pleasantly out of the throat-lash.
Horses with very hard mouths require the bit with double port, the
Chiffney bit, or the plan of putting the curb-chain over the tongue
instead of under the chin, which in some prevents what is termed a dead
mouth. Letting out the head of the bridle in the middle of a stage,
has also considerable effect, as causing the bit and curb-chain to
take hold in a fresh place. A check-rein likewise is sometimes put to
the middle link of the curb-chain, to retain the bit in the middle of
the mouth, and to keep it alive, as it is termed. In hard pullers,
moreover, putting the bearing-rein to the _top_, and the coupling-rein
to the lowest loop in the bit, creates a counter-action, not only
making the bit more severe, but keeping the mouth in play. A hard
puller is generally safest, and more in place before the bars than at
wheel; for, with a good pair of wheel-horses, leaders are soon checked,
and he pulls less with a free than with a slack partner.
A coach-horse, if obedient to the hand, cannot well carry his head too
high, while a horse that goes with his head down has a mean appearance
in harness. The horse, however, that carries his head higher than his
partner, should have his coupling-rein uppermost. A coach-horse should
not be broken in a fast coach, as in fast work there is no time to
try his temper, and to humour him. By being put at first into quick
work, many horses get into a habit of cantering, and never trot well
afterwards.
A kicking wheel-horse should be put on the near side, where he is less
liable to be touched by any thing that might annoy him; for, on the off
side, throwing the reins on his back, or touching his tail when getting
any thing out of the boot, may set him off, and cause mischief.--A
kicking leader should have a ring on the reins, for many accidents
arise by a leader’s getting a rein under his tail, owing to the want of
this. With first-rate coachmen, however, this precaution is the less
essential, that they generally have their horses better in hand. With
horses very fresh in condition it sometimes happens, especially in a
turn, that a wheeler kicks over his trace, and an accident is sometimes
the consequence. A light hip-strap prevents this, by taking the trace
up with him when he rises. In London, this is particularly useful;
for, when horses are turning short, or in a crowd, they frequently
have their traces slack, and therefore more easily kicked over. The
hip-strap looks slow, but it is safe.