Hints on Driving Horses (Harness, Carriage, Etc). Captain C. Morley Knight
tion>
HINTS ON DRIVING.
CURRICLE.
HINTS ON
DRIVING
BY
CAPTAIN C. MORLEY KNIGHT
ILLUSTRATED BY
G. H. A. WHITE
CONTENTS.
V. DRIVING FOUR HORSES—POSITION OF COACHMAN
VIII. FOUR-IN-HAND. STARTING—PULLING UP—TURNING
IX. FOUR-IN-HAND. VARIOUS USEFUL HINTS—WHAT SPARE ARTICLES TO CARRY, ETC.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
2. SINGLE HARNESS—POSITION OF THE HANDS
3. SINGLE HARNESS—RIGHT HAND IN WRONG POSITION
5. SHORTENING REINS BY SLIDING LEFT HAND UP TO RIGHT
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