FOUR-IN-HAND. STARTING—PULLING UP—TURNING.
[Sidenote: Looking round before starting.] BEFORE starting have a good
look round and see that the horses are properly put in, that the harness
is correctly put on and fitted, and more especially that the bits are
rightly adjusted and the reins put in the correct places. Take care also
that the pole-pin is in its place. It is never safe to trust entirely to
the servants or ostlers.
[Sidenote: Lead reins should never be buckled.] The lead reins should
never under any circumstances be buckled together; the reason of this is
that if the main bar gets broken, the leaders will be able to pull the
reins through and get clear away. On road coaches it is customary to
leave both lead and wheel reins unbuckled.
[Sidenote: Preparing to start—taking up reins.] Place the whip neatly
caught up in the socket, if not already there. Standing alongside of the
off wheeler’s quarters, with the right hand take hold of the leaders’
reins without touching the horses’ mouths, and place them in the left
hand, the forefinger between them; next take hold of the wheelers’
reins, placing the middle finger of the left hand between them, without
pulling them so tight as to feel their mouths.
Then with the right hand pull out the off-side reins twelve to eighteen
inches, and see that the splicing on the lead reins and the buckles of
the couplings in the wheel reins are about the same distance from the
left hand. The reins will then be about level when you are seated on the
box.
[Sidenote: Transferring reins to right hand before mounting box.] Having
done this, transfer the four reins to the right hand, but one finger
lower down than they are held in the left; the first finger will then be
free to hold on to the footboard whilst climbing up.
[Sidenote: Mounting box seat.] In order to help yourself on to the box,
catch hold of the lamp wire with the left hand, place the left foot on
the pipe box of the wheel, the right foot on the roller of the splinter
bar; then the left foot can be raised on to the step and the right foot
on to the footboard.
[Sidenote: Sit down at once when mounted.] Now sit down on the seat at
once; otherwise if the horses start off suddenly you may be pitched off.
Immediately transfer the reins from the right hand back to the left, by
passing the fingers of the left hand just in front of the fingers of the
right, the forefinger of the left hand being opposite the middle finger
of the right. Then adjust any rein not found to be correct. It is always
advisable to have a rug [Sidenote: Rug or apron necessary.] or apron
over your knees, as not only does it look untidy to be without one, but
it also saves your trousers immensely, as the reins are sure to touch
them to a certain extent and wear them out, especially in damp weather.
As soon as you have arranged the reins satisfactorily in the left hand,
being especially careful not to have them too long, take the whip out of
the socket and keep it in [Sidenote: Caution to passengers before
starting horses.] the right hand. Before starting always give the
caution, “Sit fast,” or ask if “All right behind?” as many a man has
been jerked off from not knowing that the coach was going to start.
[Sidenote: To start horses.] To start, feel all the horses’ mouths, and,
if necessary, give them the word to go, dropping the hand to them at
once until the coach is fairly off. Nothing tends more to make horses
jib than holding on to their heads at the moment of starting. [Sidenote:
Wheelers start the coach.] The wheelers ought to start the coach, and
this can be effected by touching them with the whip if they require a
hint. Do not, however, on any account hit a wheeler which is inclined to
jib, but make the others get the coach moving.
To be able to start horses well is perhaps the most difficult thing
which the young driver has to learn. The knack can only be acquired by
experience, and no absolute rules can be laid down for his guidance, as
no two teams are alike in temper and disposition.
Before starting have the rugs taken off quietly, not snatched off, and,
as soon as you are ready, make the grooms stand well clear of the
horses’ heads. Then start them as quietly as possible, devoting all your
skill to getting the coach under weigh at once, without pulling at the
horses’ heads, as nothing irritates horses so much, or is more apt to
make them jib, than jerking their mouths, or having to pull up and start
afresh. As soon as they are well started, you can bring your hand back a
little and feel their mouths properly. Then if you find that the horses
are not going straight you must re-adjust the reins as quickly as
possible; this is a most difficult thing for a beginner to do neatly. It
is a good plan to start with the near-wheel rein rather shorter than the
off, as that is the most difficult rein to shorten in a hurry.
[Sidenote: Whip should be in the hand, ready for use at start.] It is
never safe to start the coach without having the whip in the right hand
ready for immediate use. The whip is to the driver what the leg is to
the rider, _i.e._, it keeps the horses up to their bits.
As soon as the horses are going straight take the right hand off the
reins, at the same time keeping it close by ready for any emergency.
[Sidenote: Left hand must give and take.] A great deal of the neatness
in driving depends on what may be termed the give and take of the left
hand. That is, it can be allowed to go forward or be lowered a little,
or be pulled back close to the body; for instance, in order to pull
across the road to the right, the right hand should pull the off side
reins, while the left hand at the same time moves slightly to the front
so as to slack off the near-side reins. In this way both hands do their
share of the work, and an exaggerated movement of the right hand is
rendered unnecessary. Much can also be done by turning the back of the
left hand either up or down. The principal effect of this is to shorten
or lengthen the near-lead rein, and so pull the leaders more or less
across the road.
[Sidenote: Pulling up.] When you want to pull up, shorten all the four
reins by passing the left hand up to the right, or else by pulling all
the four reins through from behind as before explained; then having the
right forefinger on the near-lead rein, the middle finger on the near
wheel, and the lower fingers of the right hand on the off reins (see
fig. 35), pull both hands back towards the body, and if necessary lean
back a little. It is not easy to pull up exactly square, as one wheeler
will very often hang back much more than the other. This can be
regulated by pulling rather harder with the middle finger to keep the
wheelers to the left, or by pressing strongly with the lower part of the
hand, in order to keep them to the right.
Should the horses be getting the better of you, and you find that you
cannot stop them, it will be found a great assistance to place the right
leg over all the four reins, as you may then be able to stop them by the
extra power and leverage you gain by the position of the leg.
Having pulled up at the end of a stage, professional coachmen always
throw the reins down with both hands outside the wheelers.
[Sidenote: When turning round, go slow.] With plenty of room a coach can
be turned round at a considerable pace, but for this a wide sweep must
be taken.
Unless there is at least twenty yards, remember to go very slowly;
otherwise the [Sidenote: Coach may lock and upset.] coach may lock, and
then nothing can save it from overturning except the breaking of the
pole.
In any case great care must be taken to keep the wheelers well out and
the leaders’ bars very slack. To do this it is well to put on the
opposition point, and take a large loop in the leaders’ reins.
[Sidenote: Turning in narrow road.] If it is necessary to turn in a very
narrow road, it is generally better to take the leaders out, but it can
also be done in the following manner:—
[Sidenote: Backing coach to enable turn to be made.] Pull off to the
left side of the road as far as possible, and then pull up to a walk;
slant the horses across the road to the right by advancing a little, and
then halt, pulling strongly on the near reins so as to get the pole
across to the left; shorten up all the reins, and with the little finger
of the right hand on the off-side reins, and the middle finger on the
near-wheel rein, pull back the horses, backing the coach as far as
circumstances will admit. When again halted the coach ought to be at
right angles to the road. The leaders must now be brought right round to
the right, and in order to do this it is usual to shake the off-lead
rein a little before taking up the loop, otherwise the leaders may come
back on to the pole.
The wheelers must be brought round after the leaders, care being taken
not to bring them round too quickly, so as to lock the fore-carriage.
Turning to the left is done in a similar manner. With unsteady horses it
is safer to take out the leaders, as they are apt to be hit by the bars,
or come back on the pole.
[Sidenote: Pull of right hand should be towards centre of body.] Always
pull the reins that you take up with the right hand towards the centre
of the body, and on no account let your hands move across to the side to
which you want the horses to go. This rather appears to be the natural
tendency, but it must be overcome. [Sidenote: Turning corner without
looping.] It is often unnecessary to loop when going round a gentle
curve, and it may be sufficient to pull the lead rein with the right
hand, and then, while still retaining a slight bight in it, to catch
hold of the wheel rein on the same side just below; by this means you
pull both the reins on the same side, but with greater force on the lead
rein than on the wheel. This plan may also be adopted for slanting
across the road.
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