DRIVING A PAIR
So much depends upon the comfort of the horse in his harness that
it is well worth the owner's time and attention to learn how the
harness should be put on, how the horses should be put to, and then
to see that both are done properly.
The collar goes on first, and where horses are worked hard, and
regularly, as in a road coach or on a driving tour, it is well to
put the collars on, and leave them on a few moments before the rest
of the harnessing is done. The collar thus gets warm against the
neck, and there is that much less danger of rubbing and chafing the
skin, and making a bad start. The usual custom is to put the collar
on with the hames attached. It is better to fasten the hames about
the collar after the collar is on the horse, thus avoiding the
tendency to squeeze the collar on over his head. After the saddle
is on, the crupper under the tail, and the saddle-girth loosely
buckled to keep the saddle in place, then is the time to tighten up
the hames. The traces are crossed over the back of each horse with
the outside trace on top. The bridle is then put on, and the reins
drawn through the pad-terrets, and the outside or draught rein
buckled to the bit, the inside or coupling rein fastened to the
nose-band underneath by passing the billet through the loop, but
without buckling it. Then take the rein, double it, pass the bight
of it through the terret, with the loop over the bearing-rein hook.
The horses are now ready to be led out by the nose-band, not by
the bit, and put to. Bring the horses up from behind alongside
the pole, rather than toward the pole, when they must be turned,
and pushed up to the pole. Once there, fasten them to the pole,
and buckle the pole-strap at the end hole, the near horse first,
then the off horse. Next fasten the traces, the outside one always
first. This seems awkward, and like doing things upside down. The
reason for it, however, is all-sufficient. If the inside trace is
put on first, the horse may, often does, in fact, edge out from the
pole at the touch of something on the pole side of him, and there
is a struggle to get him back so that the outside trace may be put
on. This may upset the other horse, and trouble follows.
Here, and at all other times, remember that in dealing with horses,
under every and all conditions, a stitch in time saves at least
eighteen. Therefore put the outside trace on first, then the inside
trace, then proceed to pole up your horses, that is to say, put
your pole-pieces through the kidney-link from the inside out,
and tighten them up to what you consider the proper length. This
adjustment is a very nice one, and can only be done accurately
by one who, when driving, notes carefully the effect upon pole,
pole-pieces, and collars, of a hole more or less. The horses should
not carry the pole, through being poled too tight; neither should
the pole go bobbing about, through being poled too loose. Over
rough roads, horses should be poled up rather loosely, to give play
to the pole; otherwise, every jar will swing and bump the whole
vehicle. In park driving, or driving over smooth roads, they may be
poled up more closely.
The more compact are horses, vehicle, and coachman acting together
as one, the more easily and smoothly everything goes; but this is
not to be interpreted as approval of poling up horses so tight
that they are carrying the pole, and are cramped and impeded.
Pole-pieces of leather, or chains, are a matter of custom. No
vehicle has chains where the coachman drives; while a mail-phaeton,
or lady's phaeton, where the master or mistress drives, usually
has chains rather than leather. An authority to be depended upon
always in such matters, writes: "Pole chains should be used only
on a carriage driven by the master or mistress, such as a coach,
mail-phaeton, or lady's phaeton; never on a carriage driven by a
coachman, such as a landau, coupé, or Victoria, when straps should
be used. This is a custom based upon the fact that the working
originals of coaches and mail-phaetons had chains; an adherence to
it marks the difference between well turned out and badly turned
out vehicles." Both breastplates and pole-pieces should go, the
former round both collar and hames, and the latter round the collar
and through the kidney-link ring and not through the ring alone;
otherwise the small strap at the top of the collar holding the
hames together is the only safeguard, and should this break, away
goes your pole, and probably your horses. But this precaution is
only necessary in heavy work. The breastplate holds even if the
hame-strap breaks, and to put the pole-straps around the collar
chafes the horse's neck.
After the horses are poled up and their traces fastened, the
coupling-reins are fastened to the bits. Certain writers on the
subject advise buckling the coupling-reins first of all. The writer
has no criticism to pass upon this, except that experience shows
that fastening two horses together by the head, and then going to
their heels for the traces, often works badly. As long as they are
fastened together by their collars to the pole it is not a matter
of much moment anyway. It is a matter for one's own judgment and
experience rather than of fixed law. All the other matters of
precedence and procedure in harnessing have a rational sanction
which makes them imperative.
The reins are buckled together on the off side and, as in the
case of each single rein, the bight of them passed through the
off pad-terret of the off horse and looped over the bearing-rein
hook. Your pair is now ready for your inspection; this done, and
as you are about to take the reins, the bearing-reins are put on
their hooks. In the case of green or nervous horses it is well to
start them off first, fastening the bearing-reins as they move off,
and thus avoid jibbing, backing, and even rearing in the stable.
Take the reins in the right hand with the middle finger between
them, see that the buckles of both reins are the same length from
your hand, pull both reins out some ten inches, then give the off
rein a few inches more, get your whip in your hand, mount to your
seat, sit down, put your reins in your left hand with the index
and middle finger between them, and you will find yourself with
both reins of about the same length and of about the right length.
Another measure of the proper length of the reins before mounting
is to hold the reins in the left hand, step back until you are on
a line with the horse's hocks, holding the left hand close to the
body. When seated the reins will be of the right length (Plate
XXIX.).
Always ask if everything is right before you feel the mouths of the
horses. The groom may be just putting on a last touch, or he may be
looking the other way, as you give the signal to start, and there
follows a lame foot, or even a knock-down; and so much depends upon
a fair start that it is worth some pains to get it.
The whip should be held at the place where the ferrule goes round
the handle, as all good whip-makers make their whips to balance at
that point (Plate XXIX.). The knees and feet should be together;
the feet not poked out as though you were standing on them, nor
tucked under you as though you were ashamed of them. You will
balance better if you sit straight with your back hollowed in at
the small of it. To lengthen or shorten the reins put the right
hand on the reins in front of the left with the little and fourth
finger on the right hand or off rein, leaving the left hand or near
rein between the fourth and middle fingers, and the thumb and index
finger over the same--the near rein (Plate XXIX.). You may shorten
the reins now, by just so much, as you place the right hand in
front of the left, by sliding the left hand up to the right, and
taking your grip again. It is best to do this gradually, taking
in a little of the reins at a time, rather than by taking ten or
twelve inches at a time. Whether it be the left or the right hand
that is in front, the hand in front should for the time being hold
the reins. Never, under any circumstances, get the thumb under the
near rein nor the little finger under the off rein, a very common
and faulty practice. The reason being that in such a situation your
right hand is hampered in moving quickly, by having the thumb under
the rein, your left hand likewise by having the little finger under
instead of on top of the rein. As all these movements should be
made mechanically, without looking at the reins, the fingers should
be so placed and kept that there is no mixing up in the process.
The right hand indeed should do its fingering of the reins as
quickly and accurately as a practised pianoforte player picks out
and strikes his notes.
In stopping, place the right hand on the reins from eight to ten
inches in front of the left, as described above, press the right
hand in toward the body while raising the left hand. If this is
not enough, hold the reins in the right hand, pass the left in
front, and take in more rein, the right coming forward again to
the front place. In an emergency, it is always safest to pull the
reins through from behind with the right hand (Plate XXIX.). To the
inexperienced this is quicker and safer, whether with two reins or
four. In driving a pair of "roadsters," so called, they are put
to with their heads far apart, and bitted with plain snaffle-bits.
Such a pair must be driven with two hands, one rein in each hand,
in order to keep an even pressure upon their mouths.
Before you have gone very far along a straight road you will
notice, unless you are driving a thoroughly made, mannered, and
properly put together pair, that one horse does more work than
the other, or that one horse seems to be in front of the other.
This is caused by the formation of the horses, the length of the
traces, the coupling-reins. Traces stretch with wear, and when
this has become apparent, the shorter traces should be used on the
inside; if they are on the outside, it is easy to see that this
will put the pull on the collar where it should not be, and gall
the shoulders. The lazier or shorter horse should be in shorter
traces. As to the coupling-reins, this is, strange to say and
to see, a part of the harness that many drivers of horses never
examine, and never alter, any more than they think of trying to
change the diameter of their wheels. As a matter of fact, the
coupling-reins are the key to the problem of driving a pair or a
four comfortably.
[Illustration: PLATE XXIX.--DRIVING A PAIR]
If you will examine a pair of two-horse reins, you will notice that
they are just like the two reins for one horse--one rein goes on
the outside of the bit of one horse, and one goes on the outside
of the bit of the other horse. These are called the draught-reins.
But there is a marked difference, for on each of these reins is
buckled another rein, called the coupling-rein; the one on the
left rein goes over and is buckled on the inside of the bit of the
right-hand horse, and the coupling-rein of the right rein goes
over and is buckled on the inside of the bit of the left-hand or
near horse. In buckling these coupling-reins to the bits, if one
horse is more up-headed than the other, let his coupling-rein be
on top, so that he will not annoy the other horse by jerking up
the other's coupling-rein. The adjustment of these reins should be
suited to the conformation and disposition of the horses, and it is
in this adjustment that the experienced whip makes himself and his
horses comfortable, by making them go together, and go level. No
two horses suit each other exactly as to length of body or neck, or
the way of carrying the head, and yet you may see dozens of pairs
of reins where the coupling-rein buckles have apparently never
been changed! The buckles of the coupling-reins should be near
enough to the hand in pair or four driving--say eighteen inches--to
enable one to change the couplings from the driving-cushion. In
most harnesses there are two or three holes in the billet that
buckles to the bit, so that the length may be changed also at the
bit. There are arguments for and against this practice of having
holes in the billet. It is said that this makes it easy to change
a coupling from the ground; on the other hand, an ignorant groom
may make the change there unknown to the coachman, and thus cause
confusion. Take your choice!
The object of these two inside, or coupling, reins is to hold the
horses together, at the head, of course, and they should be so
adjusted that an even pressure is brought to bear on both sides
of the horses' mouths, so that they will go straight, and do each
his share of the work. If horses were all alike, it would be easy
enough to buckle these coupling-reins in the same hole on each
draught-rein, and your horses would be level. But suppose we have
two horses, one of which, the near horse, carries his head higher
than the other and out farther than the other. If these two are to
go level, the near horse must have his reins longer than those of
his mate. Up and down the draught-reins are punched some fifteen
holes in four-in-hand harness, fewer in pair-horse harness, and an
inch apart, and the coupling-reins can be buckled longer or shorter
by buckling up and down these reins. In the case we are describing,
we must of course let out the coupling-rein of the up-headed, near
side horse, say three holes, and (remember that the near side
coupling-rein is the one buckled on to the off side draught-rein
and _vice versa_) take up the near side coupling-rein the same
number.
It must be remembered in this operation, however, that the
shortening of the coupling-rein brings the horses' heads nearer
together, and if they were going properly, parallel to the pole,
and at the right distance apart, before one coupling-rein was
shortened, then, if this relative position to one another is to be
maintained, the other coupling-rein must be let out an equal number
of holes.
[Illustration]
"When the horses are working exactly alike, the reins are as
shown by the heavy lines; _A_ and _B_ are the two sides of the
off horse's bit, and _C_ and _D_ the two sides of the near
horse's bit. The two outside or draught reins run straight to the
coachman's hand, viz. _AM_ and _DN_. The coupling-reins are _CM_
and _BN_, buckled to the draught-reins _M_ and _N_. If the off
horse bends his neck so as to bring his head nearer to his body,
both the reins which run to his bit will be too slack, and he will
run forward and do more than his share of the work, while the near
horse is held back. To prevent this the off horse's coupling-rein
to _BN_ is shortened by running it up the draught-rein to _N'_,
the last hole, until it comes just tight to the bit; but this
obviously leaves the off draught-rein _AM_ as slack as it was
before, so that the coachman has to draw his hand back to bring
it to bear upon the bit at _A'_. In so doing he draws back the
coupling-rein _CM_ and pulls the head of the near horse to the
inside. To prevent this the coupling-rein _CM_ must be let out
on its draught-rein exactly as much as the other coupling-rein
has been taken up, which is equivalent to pulling back the
draught-rein, whereupon the coupling-reins will have the positions
shown by the dotted lines with the buckle of _C_ rein in the
first hole, and all the reins will act evenly upon both horses,
notwithstanding that the mouth and bit of the off horse is nearer
to the coachman's hand than that of the near horse."--FAIRMAN
ROGERS, "A Manual of Coaching."
The most common fault in adjusting coupling-reins, next to that
of having one horse in advance of the other, is that of having
the horses coupled too closely, or too loosely, together; in the
first case the horses must go awkwardly, with their heads too close
together, with a tendency to make them stumble, and in the other,
with their heads yawing apart, and not under proper control. Some
horses are greatly irritated by being made to go on one side of
the bit only, and often enough a pair going all sorts of ways will
settle down and go well enough where their coupling-reins are so
adjusted that they can go level, with an equal pressure of the bit
on both sides of the mouth.
The matter of bearing-reins has been discussed already, but it is
worth repeating over and over again, especially in the case of
pair-horse driving, that bearing-reins should never be omitted.
The pole-end, or his mate's bridle, offer various opportunities
to a nervous horse who throws his head about to catch his bit or
some part of his bridle, and tear it off or break it; and a bitless
and bridleless horse is an equine anarchist, beyond human power of
judging or controlling. Where you have whiffletrees in front of
you, it is easy to see which horse is doing too much or too little
work; but when in heavy harness, with traces fixed to roller-bolts,
the traces and reins must tell the story. The object in this form
of driving is, of course, to make both horses do an equal amount of
work, uphill and down, and to keep them going at an even pace.
In determining which horse to put on the near side and which on
the off side, several things should be taken into consideration.
First, in this country we turn to the right, and as most roads are
made with a crown in the centre rather than absolutely level, the
off horse or horse on the right-hand side has a little more work to
do, in that he must do most of the pulling, when the carriage turns
off to the right, and must then be pulled back again. Therefore the
bigger or stronger horse of the two may go on that side. Second,
if one of the horses is more nervous or more inclined to shy than
the other, he is better off on the off side, where he is less in
contact with passing horses, vehicles, automobiles, and the like.
So far as the matter of punishment with the whip is concerned, in
pair-horse driving it is as easy to get at one as the other, though
some people prefer to have the less amenable animal of the pair
on the off side and under their hand. It is much better for the
horses, if other things are equal, to change them about, so that
they go one day on one side and another day on the other. Horses,
particularly in the city, where the tendency is to pole them up
tightly,--too tightly,--so that they may be easily handled in the
crowded streets, are apt to get into bad habits if driven always
on the same side. They get one-sided mouths, hit themselves, but
apparently brighten up, as though refreshed, when changed about.
It is generally accepted as an axiom, that horses should be as
close to their work as possible. As a matter of fact, this makes
little difference to the draught of the vehicle; but it does
undoubtedly make a very great difference in backing, starting,
turning, and the general management of the horses by the coachman,
and on that account it is well to have your horses as close to the
vehicle, and to your hand, as possible.
Before going into details as to the handling of the reins, one
very important error should be noticed at the start. Driving is
not knowledge of how to hold the reins, how to give the "offices"
to make "points," etc., but real driving is the knowledge and
practical experience of all those things which come before you
get up on to your vehicle at all. The writer was seated beside
the driver of an omnibus in London some ten years ago, at a time
when everything pertaining to the handling of horses in harness
was a keen interest. The heavy buss with its load of passengers
was stopped and started and guided through the heavy traffic
of Piccadilly without fuss or trouble and without jar to the
passengers. When I complimented the Jehu on his work, he replied,
"Well, you see, sir, there's plenty of drivers about, but there's
not many of us coachmen left!" That is the gist of the matter. A
coachman is one who, through knowledge, and experience, and natural
ability, keeps his horses, passengers, and himself comfortable and
safe while doing the best attainable work with least effort to all
concerned. The driver is a mere steerer of horses by artificial
shortening and lengthening of reins that he has been taught.
[Illustration: PLATE XXX.--DRIVING A PAIR]
It would be a trifling task to write a book on driving for those
who only wish to become drivers; but it is no small matter even to
hint at the variety of knowledge necessary to one who wishes to
become even a moderately good coachman. Now that we have arrived
at this subject of the handling and fingering of the reins, it
must not be overlooked that this is literally the superficial part
of the business, and if it is built upon a foundation of complete
ignorance of the horse, his house, his harness, his history,
and his physical make-up, it will always remain superficial and
unsatisfactory. On the other hand, once these fundamental matters
have been studied and understood, the handling of the reins becomes
all-important to the coachman. First of all, spare no pains to
get your reins in your left hand at the proper length, and once
there they should be kept there. All the nicety of driving depends
upon this. If the reins must be lengthened and shortened every few
minutes, none of the directions to follow can be of much use. Such
give and take as there must be between hand and bits should come
wholly from the gentle give and take of the wrist. When the reins
are to be shortened for going down hill, and lengthened again going
up, the two methods for this operation have been described in the
chapter on driving one horse. With a nicely bitted pair, the turn
to the left and the turn to the right may be made by turning the
hand as directed in the same chapter. Where more power is required,
the turn to the left may be made by looping or making "points" to
left or right as may be required. The point to the left is made by
taking the upper or near rein with the thumb and index finger or
with the little and fourth fingers of the right hand, pulling it
back a few inches, according to the angle of the turn, and placing
the bight of the rein under the thumb (see Plate XXX.). Close the
thumb down on the reins and hold it there until your horses have
fully responded, then lift the thumb and this near rein slips back
into place of itself. Be careful to keep your point under the
thumb until the turn is made, otherwise--and a common fault--the
slackening of this rein will land you in the middle of the turn
with the horses going exactly the other way. By thus looping your
rein the left hand is kept steadily in its place, and the right
hand is entirely free to be used in case the other horse is too
quick or too sluggish. If the off horse is inclined to go round too
fast and shove his mate over, the right hand is there to put on his
rein and restrain him. If, on the other hand, he is too sluggish,
and does not obey quickly enough, your right hand is there to touch
him up with the whip and make him do what is required of him. In
turning to the right, the under rein or off rein may be looped in
the same way, but this time under the index finger, rather than
the thumb, though the thumb may be used, and the turn made to the
right in the same fashion and with the same methods as before.
Although the making of points and opposition and so on are usually
for four and tandem driving, it is much neater and quieter to use
these methods on a much smaller scale for your pair. It is quieter
and less conspicuous than pulling the reins and gets one in, and
keeps one in, the valuable habit of fingering the reins accurately,
quietly, and mechanically, leaving the eyes and attention for other
and more important matters.
Whenever a loop is taken or any other indication attempted of what
you want your horses to do, avoid confusion by giving a variety of
signals at one and the same time. For example, in taking a loop, if
you allow your left hand to slide forward to receive it under the
thumb instead of letting the right hand bring it back, you slacken
your reins and your horses start forward just when they should be
well in hand. If a horse feels this tightening of the rein from the
point you are making and then feels the pressure lessen, he will
whip back again; hence the necessity for holding your point until
the horses have responded fully. It is much better to hold a point
too long than to let it go before its work is done. In pulling
reins toward you, do not draw the rein to one side, thus drawing
the hands apart, but pull directly toward the body--straight
back, in short. Never let your right hand get so far away from
the left that it cannot be used instantly when wanted. If you are
a beginner, get a steady pair and keep at this fingering of the
reins; the starting, with pressure of the right hand in front of
the left just enough to feel their mouths; the stopping, with right
hand properly grasping the reins; the points to the left and the
right, and the shortening of the reins, until these matters are
done quickly and automatically without the necessity of looking
at your hands at all. And though this be a treatise on driving,
let us be frank and say that a good teacher is better than any
book. Sit beside a good coachman as often as you can and watch him
like a lynx. Get a good coachman to sit beside you and tell you
and explain to you; then go back to your book again, and you will
get much more out of it than before. A brilliant Frenchman has
said that he studied books while he was waiting to study men. The
book-learning is far more valuable when supplemented by practice.
On the other hand, it is only the very ignorant in these days
who do not make what use they can of other men's experience and
practice, by studying up in books any subject in which they are
interested.
To read a good book on driving helps your teacher even more than
it helps you, in that you have at least some inkling of the
elementary principles of what he is to teach you. Even with one
horse these manœuvres may be gone through with, and every turn, and
start, and stop, made with the same nicety and care, as though one
were driving his drag at a meet of the coaching-club.
Mr. Underhill's sumptuous book is entitled "Driving for Pleasure."
There is an amusing chapter to be written on Driving for
Punishment, with illustrations from life, if one cared to write
it. The distortions of face, hands, and body, through trying to
do simple things in an awkward and roundabout way; the mixing up
of whip, hands, and reins, through not having toiled sufficiently
over the elementary stages of the art of driving; the brake on or
off when it should not be, and a complete loss of head, the horses
any way, and their owner in roseate confusion, are phases of the
driving for punishment one often sees. And be it said, driving is
a punishment indeed, when bad bitting, ill-fitting harness, horses
badly put to, and awkward handling of reins, whip, and brake, are
of one and the same combination.