Hints on Driving Horses (Harness, Carriage, Etc). Captain C. Morley Knight

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      HINTS ON DRIVING.

      CURRICLE.

      HINTS ON

      DRIVING

      BY

      CAPTAIN C. MORLEY KNIGHT

      ILLUSTRATED BY

      G. H. A. WHITE

      CONTENTS.

       INTRODUCTION

       CHAP. I. HARNESS

       II. DRIVING—SINGLE HARNESS

       III. DRIVING—DOUBLE HARNESS

       IV. CURRICLE AND CAPE-CART

       V. DRIVING FOUR HORSES—POSITION OF COACHMAN

       VI. FOUR HORSES—THE REINS

       VII. FOUR-IN-HAND—THE WHIP

       VIII. FOUR-IN-HAND. STARTING—PULLING UP—TURNING

       IX. FOUR-IN-HAND. VARIOUS USEFUL HINTS—WHAT SPARE ARTICLES TO CARRY, ETC.

       X. TANDEM DRIVING

       XI. TANDEM HARNESS

       XII. BREAKING TO HARNESS

      LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

       CURRICLE

       1. SINGLE HARNESS ON HORSE

       2. SINGLE HARNESS—POSITION OF THE HANDS

       3. SINGLE HARNESS—RIGHT HAND IN WRONG POSITION

       4. SHORTENING REINS

       5. SHORTENING REINS BY SLIDING LEFT HAND UP TO RIGHT

       6. DOG-CART

       7. DOUBLE HARNESS ON HORSE

       8. COUPLING REINS PROPERLY FITTED—HORSES’ HEADS STRAIGHT

       9. COUPLING REINS OF EQUAL LENGTH

       10. OFF-SIDE COUPLING REIN FITTED FOR HORSE WHICH POKES HIS NOSE, NEAR COUPLING REIN FITTED FOR HORSE WHICH CARRIES HEAD IN CHEST

       11. POLE FITTED WITH SPRING FOR CURRICLE

       12. CURRICLE BAR AND ROLLER BOLTS

       13. CAPE-CART HARNESS

       14. SPRINGING A HILL

       15. PRACTISING DRIVING WITH THE WEIGHTS

       16. FOUR WEIGHTS AND PULLEYS FOR PRACTISING DRIVING

       17. FOUR IN HAND—HOW TO HOLD REINS

       18. STEADYING TEAM WITH RIGHT HAND

       19. HOW LOOP SHOULD BE TAKEN UP

       20. LOOPING NEAR-LEAD REIN UNDER THUMB

       21. LOOPING OFF-LEAD REIN UNDER THUMB

       22. LOOPING OFF-LEAD REIN UNDER FIRST FINGER

       23. RIGHT HAND ON OFF-SIDE REINS TO PREVENT WHEELERS CUTTING CORNER

       24. OPPOSITION POINT TO THE RIGHT

       25. OPPOSITION POINT TO THE LEFT

       26. RESULT OF HOLDING WHIP IN WRONG POSITION

       27. PREPARING TO CATCH THONG

       28. THONG CAUGHT UP BEFORE LOOP HAS BEEN TAKEN OFF

       29. TAKING OFF LOOP

       30. SECURING LASH BY TWISTING IT ROUND HANDLE OF WHIP

       31. BRINGING BACK THONG OF WHIP AFTER HITTING A LEADER

       32. TAKING LEADERS’ REINS OUT OF LEFT HAND WITH RIGHT HAND

       33. RIGHT HAND ASSISTING LEFT (ON THREE REINS ONLY)

       34. TANDEM WITHOUT BARS

       35. TANDEM—POSITION OF RIGHT HAND ON REINS

       36. TANDEM—TURNING TO THE LEFT

       37. TANDEM—TURNING TO THE RIGHT

       38. TANDEM WITH BARS

       39. LONGEING WITH LONG REINS

       40. A BREAK BY HOLLAND AND HOLLAND

      FIG. 1.—SINGLE HARNESS ON HORSE.

      HINTS ON DRIVING.

      INTRODUCTION.

      IN the following pages an attempt has been made to explain to beginners the rudimentary principles and niceties of driving.

      In most treatises on this subject the minute details have been entirely omitted, the writer taking for granted that the reader has previously acquired some practical knowledge of harnessing and driving.

      It is of course impossible to describe in a short essay every method of handling the ribbons, for well-known authorities even of the present day differ on so many points, that to discuss all would take too long. Nevertheless, as nothing has been considered too trifling to be explained, it is hoped that these hints may be especially useful to those who may not have been able to obtain any previous experience, and have not a thoroughly competent tutor at hand to teach them.

      The difficulties which have to be overcome are so numerous that they cannot all be discussed in detail, for one of the greatest charms of driving consists in the ever-varying and complicated problems which are being constantly placed before the driver to solve—problems which must be solved at once without hesitation—and in no sport or pastime does the old saw, “He who hesitates is lost,” more frequently prove true than in that of driving. Thus, though it happens that the same result may be obtained in a variety of ways by the