Riding and Driving for Women :: PART II DRIVING

PART II DRIVING

Before stepping into the trap, the horsewoman should make it a habit to inspect the horse, harness, and trap, and see that everything is as it should be: that the horse is properly put to, that the bit is right, that the girths are neither too tight nor too loose, that the traces are neither too long nor too short, and if there is a stop on the shaft that it is just back of the tug. Be sure also that the trap is properly turned out, that the rubbers are in, that there is no accumulation of dust, that the nuts on the wheels are tight, and that every detail has been properly attended to. Not only is this a wise precaution to use with hired traps, but it shows your own coachman that you know what you are about, and it keeps him up to his work. Having made this inspection, which ought really to be done at a glance,—except that a careful examination should always be made of the horse’s head to be sure that the curb chain is neither too loose nor too tight, the bit not too far up nor too far down, and the mouthpiece the width of the horse’s mouth—neither too wide nor too narrow—and that the check or bearing rein, if one is used, is not too tight,—the next thing is to step into the trap. If you are driving a lady’s trap, such as a George IV, a Peters’, or a basket phaeton, the groom who has driven the trap up from the stable should, before getting out, have left the reins across the middle of the dash with the end of the reins on the seat, and the whip to the left of the reins, leaning against the seat and pointing to the rear. The groom should then stand at the horse’s head. You should step into the trap with the left foot, putting the right foot on the step, then sit down, and at the same time gather the reins in the left hand and the whip in the right.

George IV Phaeton
Note that the horse is too large for the trap

Inspection of the Harness

Getting Length of the Reins

If you are driving a runabout or a cart, or any other than a distinctly lady’s trap, the groom should leave the whip in the socket and should pass the reins doubled through the off terret of the pad from rear to front in such a way that the buckle end of the reins will hang even with the loop. You should go to the off-side of the horse and draw the reins through the terret with the left hand; then take the reins in the right hand, the near rein under the forefinger and the off rein under the third finger, with the ends coming out between the thumb and forefinger. Then you take the reins just beyond the right hand in the left, the near rein between the thumb and forefinger and the off rein between the second and third fingers, the ends passing down the palm of the hand and out by the little finger. Then step back until you are opposite the dash, letting the reins slip through both hands, and then, with the right hand, pull them through the left a little more until they are at the length which they will be when you are in the seat, and very lightly feel the horse’s mouth. Then take the whip out of the socket with the right hand and transfer the reins to the right hand in the same position as I have described above, and step into the trap. Take hold of the dash with the right hand, and put the right foot on the step and step into the trap with the left foot, and if necessary assist yourself by placing the left hand on the seat when you are in the act of stepping in. Sit down on the driving seat and take the reins in the left hand in the position described above, keeping the whip in the right hand. So far, exactly the same things are done whether you are driving a pair or a single horse. With a pair you should not have the whip laid across the horses’ backs, as you would in driving four.

Stepping into the Trap

For ladies’ traps I prefer the square, almost level driving cushion to the slanting one, as it is more comfortable and gives a woman a more distinctive appearance. For country traps, and particularly for high carts, a slanting cushion may be more suitable.

“Orthodox” Position of Reins and Whip

When driving, it is most important that a woman should sit correctly. She should hold herself erect, without stiffness; her feet should be together and her knees slightly bent. She should neither sit with her knees straight nor, what is worse, be perched on the edge of the seat with her feet back; she should never while driving loll against the back of the seat, and she should look as though she were driving and not as if she were being driven.

“Modern” Position of Reins with Loop

There are only two correct ways to hold the reins when driving, and so many people hold them incorrectly that I will describe them in detail. The two reins should always be held in the left hand, the near rein between the thumb and forefinger, the off rein between the second and third fingers, and the ends passing down and out by the little finger. The reins should be gripped by the fingers holding the edges of the reins against the cushion of the hand, and should not be held by squeezing the flat surfaces of the reins between the fingers, and they should be held tightly enough so that they will not slip, but not so tightly as to cramp and tire the fingers. Holding the reins in this way, well down into the fingers and as close to the knuckles as possible, insures a firm grip and makes it easy to guide to the right or the left by merely turning the back of the hand down or up. The left upper arm should be vertical, the left forearm horizontal, the hand turned in at the wrist, and held about six or eight inches in front of the body. The right hand should be held in a corresponding position about four or five inches from the left hand.

The whip should be balanced in the palm of the right hand, passing between the thumb and forefinger so as to leave all the fingers free to grasp the reins if need be. It should be carried at an angle of forty-five degrees, and point toward the left and front. The lash of the whip, for single and pair horse driving, should always be free.

The theory of correct driving is that the left hand is to hold the reins, the right hand to hold the whip and to assist the left hand in shortening the reins and in turning and stopping. The method of holding the reins in the left hand, and keeping the right hand only to assist the left, as I have described, is that laid down by nearly all the recognized authorities on driving,[1] and for convenience I will call it the orthodox method.

Correct Position for Shortening Reins

A variation on this method has, however, been introduced recently, and is now generally adopted by many of the best whips, both in England and this country, and is almost universally used in the show ring, where it is considered the correct form. For convenience I shall refer to this as the modern method. In this method, while the reins are held in the left hand as I have described, the off rein is allowed to slip through the second and third fingers about five or six inches, and is held in the right hand, passing under the little finger and coming out between the first and second fingers. The right hand is held about three or four inches from the left and symmetrically to it; the portion of the reins between the right and left hand is slightly loose. The whip is held in the right hand exactly as I have described, so that the forefinger of the right hand is extended and the other three fingers closed on the rein, the third finger and little finger holding it tightly and the second finger loosely. The reins are habitually held in this way, and the horse is guided to the right by pulling with the right hand on the off rein, and is guided to the left by turning the back of the left hand up and, if necessary, moving the right hand slightly forward and the left hand slightly back, so as to loosen the off rein and tighten the near rein. If, however, when driving in this way any occasion arises for using the whip, the off rein must be first shortened in the left hand by pushing it through the second and third fingers from the front with the right hand. The right hand then lets go of the off rein and the whip is used as I have described. This method of driving is now taught by the best professionals. It looks smarter than the other method, and when the reins are held in this way the horse is under better control, and can be turned more quickly and at a proper angle, and with less apparent movement of the hand, and with well-trained and properly bitted horses it is probably the best method to adopt. But with green or ill-trained horses it is not an advisable method, because it takes a little longer to shorten the reins than the orthodox method, where the right hand is free and can immediately be placed in front of the left. Whether both hands are on the reins or not, the reins should always measure the same length and should never be allowed to slip through the fingers. The horse’s head should always be kept straight, and to do this the hands must be held level.

The whip must always be held in the right hand; the horse must never be touched with the whip while the right hand is on the reins. The whip should be used sparingly, and it is much more likely to be too much used than too little. It is used more in driving a pair than in driving a single horse, as one horse often lags behind the other and it may be necessary to use it on him to keep him up, though this should be done rather by proper bitting than by the use of the whip. Before using a whip, however, for punishment, be sure you hold the reins firmly in the left hand and that the horse is well gathered, otherwise he will start forward when you whip him and may get away from you. In fact, it is most important always to gather the reins well in the left hand before even touching your horse with the whip, as otherwise you will have the horse going in a series of jumps, which is not only very bad form but uncomfortable for every one in the trap.

I cannot insist too strongly on the necessity of having both reins securely held in the left hand and the horse well gathered before using the whip, for if you touch the horse with the whip with the off rein in the right hand, you are sure to slacken that rein and thus cause the horse to turn to the left. Moreover, if the horse starts, you are not in a position to control him.

To pull horses up and to stop them, you must first see that the reins are held evenly in the left hand; then place the right hand as far in front of the left as may be necessary. If you know that the horse has a hard mouth and does not stop readily, the right hand must be a foot or even more in front of the left, while with a horse that is light mouthed and stops quickly it should be only a few inches. The right hand is placed over both reins—some separate the reins by the third and little fingers, others put the little finger on top of both reins—and the left hand is raised and carried forward, at the same time the right hand is brought back so as to bring the left hand above and directly over the right. The horse should not, of course, be reined in with any sudden jerk, but only by a gentle and gradually increasing pressure, which is accomplished much more easily by this method of laying the right hand on the reins than it could be by pulling the reins with the arms or body.

Pulling Up

Nothing looks worse or is such bad form, in stopping horses, as to pull the reins in toward the body, as is so often done by those who do not understand driving. Not only does this look badly, but it is dangerous, for it leaves the driver with no control whatever over the horses as soon as her hands come up to her body. There is no way by which she can take up any more slack except by leaning so far back that she looks as if she were falling over backward. In the correct method of stopping, which I have described, if not enough slack has been taken up at first, more can be taken by simply slipping the right hand further along the reins and carrying the left hand higher and more to the front, and throughout the whole operation the two hands should not be carried further to the rear than they were when you began. While this is, and always has been, the correct method of pulling up, it is astonishing how few remember to use it, even in classes in the show ring, where driving counts. Another great advantage of this method is that it is very similar to that used in pulling up a tandem or a four, and it is best to acquire the habit of correct driving for a single horse and for a pair, which will not have to be altered when you take up driving four-in-hand and tandem.

If you wish to turn to the left, when driving with what I have called the orthodox method, you should take the near rein in the right hand between the second and third fingers a few inches in front of the left hand and pull gently with the right hand, keeping the left hand as it was or advancing it slightly so as to loosen the off rein; then, as the horse is completing the turn, gradually relax the hold with the right hand, and when the turn is finished let go with the right hand.

In turning to the right the off rein should be gathered in the right hand under the little finger, a few inches in front of the left, and the horse pulled to the right by the right hand similarly to the way I have described for turning to the left.

In both the “orthodox” and “modern” methods, to shorten the reins in order to keep horses under better control or to slow them down, the reins must first be evenly held in the left hand; then the right hand is placed in front of the left, the off rein under the little finger, the near rein between the first and second fingers, and the reins are then grasped firmly in the right hand and drawn back and pushed through the left hand. It is bad form, in shortening the reins, to take the reins behind the left hand and pull them through with the right, though through carelessness many do it. If there is occasion to shorten the reins more than a few inches, instead of pushing through, let go with the left hand and again grasp the reins with the left hand in front of the right, and then, if necessary, continue to pull in hand over hand.

If in the act of turning a corner, or making any turn, there should be occasion to use the whip, as sometimes happens, particularly in pair driving, a “point” may be taken on the rein on the side toward which the turn is being made: thus, if turning to the left, take the near rein in the right hand between the first and second fingers and loosen the hold of the left thumb on the near rein for a moment, carry the right hand up to the left hand, and then place the thumb on the rein so as to form a loop, then let go with the right hand. This leaves the right hand free to use the whip, and holds the near rein sufficiently to keep the horse turning. If there is too much pressure, relax the left thumb and let the loop slip a little. Similarly, in turning to the right, grasp the off rein under the little finger of the right hand and push it back, letting it slip between the second and third fingers of the left hand until a loop is formed to the rear of the fingers, then close the left thumb on this loop and let go with the right hand, which is then free as before. This loop, if too much rein has been taken up, can be allowed to slip through the fingers of the left hand as much as may be necessary. In making a turn it is not under any circumstances advisable to use the whip while either rein is in the right hand; it is much better not to use the whip until the turn is completed.

Styles of Ladies’ Traps, Country and Town

Basket Phaeton

George IV Basket Phaeton

Cut-under Lady’s Trap

George IV Phaeton

Peters’ Phaeton

Runabout

To lengthen the reins, do not let them slip through the left hand, but take them in the right hand, the off rein under the little finger, and the near rein between the second and third fingers immediately in front of the left hand; then close the fingers of the right hand on the reins, relax the fingers of the left hand, and pull the reins through the left hand with the right as far as may be necessary. Letting the reins slip through the left hand without the assistance of the right, as I described, is bad form, and is unsafe, because they may not slip evenly and they might well slip too much. Besides that, in driving spirited horses it is most important to have an even pressure on the bits and to feel their mouths all the time. If the reins are allowed to go, even for a moment, as they would be in letting them slip through the left hand without the assistance of the right, the horses would know it and be very apt to start and even to run.

All that I have said above with regard to the management of the reins, applies equally to the driving of a pair or of a single horse. It does not apply to the driving of roadsters or trotting horses, as they are differently trained and driven in an entirely different method.

In learning to drive, unless one is being taught by a professional or other experienced whip, I would rather advise beginning with the “orthodox” method, and thus learning thoroughly the correct fundamental principles of driving, which are the same in both methods. The “modern” is simply a variation on the “orthodox,” and the danger of beginning with the “modern” method is that with the off rein held in the right hand, as I have described on page 199, the beginner may fall into the very incorrect, though common, method of holding a rein in each hand, and so not have the right hand constantly in readiness to assist the left in shortening the reins, in pulling up, in turning, and in the use of the whip.

The reins should never under any circumstances be held separately, one in each hand, for, obviously, if they are, the right hand cannot assist the left, the whip cannot be used, the horses can only be pulled up to the extent of the distance of the two hands in front of the body, and it is impossible to keep an even pressure on both reins; one hand will always pull more than the other. Holding a rein in each hand violates the first and fundamental principle of correct driving—that the two reins must at all times be held firmly in the left hand.

It is needless to add that the horse must never, under any circumstances, be struck with the reins.

When starting, the horses should first be gathered well in hand, and then, at the moment of starting, given their heads by carrying the hands forward. Many drivers make the mistake of trying to start the horses by pulling them back instead of giving them their heads.

Starting

If you are driving in the afternoon, and there is any chance of your being out after dark, you should always be sure that the lamps are on the trap and that they have new candles; also, in country driving, be sure at all times that there are tools under the seat, including a wrench, a hoof pick, and matches.

In using the whip never strike a horse in front of the pad, or on his belly or legs, but always on his quarters, and do not use the whip unnecessarily or keep up a constant tapping on the horse. “Tapping” is a very bad habit, into which many people fall, and it completely spoils a horse, as he becomes so accustomed to the whip that it produces no effect on him unless used with violence, which should seldom, if ever, be necessary. If your horse is lazy, instead of constantly tapping him, give him one vigorous lash, and accompany it by a decisive tone of the voice. A few repetitions of this will, almost always, cure his laziness, and presently the voice alone will be sufficient. “Tapping” will only make the horse more confirmed in his laziness.

In driving, if your horse shies, you should never whip him; you must keep control of him by a firm hold of the reins, and if possible drive him quietly up to the object that he is afraid of and make him pass it, and if practicable make him pass it two or three times until he has forgotten his fear. You must have the right hand in readiness to pull hard on the rein opposite to the side toward which he is shying, so as to avoid his overturning the trap, which, incidentally, is another demonstration of the importance of using the correct method.

If your horse rears, give him his head immediately by loosening the reins, and urge him forward with voice or whip, or both if necessary. If he becomes uncontrollable and rears over backward, spring out of the trap on the side opposite to that on which his legs are, keeping a firm hold of the reins, and, as quickly as you can, sit on his head. Do not let him attempt to get up until he is clear of the trap.

In driving, particularly with a single horse, the greatest danger is from kicking, for once your horse begins to kick you are in great danger in any kind of a trap, except a breaking cart, where the distance between the driver and the horse is so great that he can kick freely without touching the body of the cart. Of course no woman should knowingly drive a kicking horse, and if there is any question about it she should always take the precaution to use a kicking strap. A kicking strap cannot, however, be used in the show ring, but generally its use on other occasions is advisable. A kicking strap, fitting tightly when the horse is standing, of course effectually prevents a horse from kicking, as he cannot kick without first raising his quarters. The kicking strap, to be of real service, must be very strong. Bad accidents have happened through the kicking strap breaking, and a horse in the act of raising his quarters to kick has great power.

In driving green horses single, it is much safer to use a high cart than any kind of a four-wheel trap. With a cart, the horse cannot, of course, cramp the wheel, and in a high cart there is much less danger from his kicking.

Pulling Reins Through Terret after Pulling Up

To get out of a trap when you have no groom, first lay the whip on the seat pointing toward the back of the trap, then place the reins in the right hand, taking them up enough to feel the horse’s mouth. Grasp the dash with the right hand and step out of the trap backward, with the right foot on the step, the left foot coming first to the ground; then step forward until opposite the pad and put the reins through the off terret in the position described on page 197.

When, however, a servant is in attendance, he should, as soon as you pull up, stand at the horse’s head; you then simply drop the reins with the left hand so that they lie over the dash; either lay the whip, as above described, to the left of the reins pointing to the rear, or else place it in the socket; then step out of the trap, facing forward, the left foot on the step. The servant then steps into the trap on the same side on which you have stepped out.

If the horse will not stand, it is quite correct to step out forward, keeping the reins in the left hand, and then to hand them to the servant when you have reached the ground, having first laid the whip on the seat pointing to the rear.

If you are driving a phaeton with a servant on the rumble, he should jump out as you begin to pull up and run to the horse’s head. If, however, your horse is very nervous and will not stand, it is quite correct to have the servant stay on the rumble, and then, after you have pulled up, to pass the reins back to him on your left side. Then place the whip in the socket and step out, facing forward.

1. “Driving As I Have Found It,” by Frank Swales, pp. 94–100; “How To Drive,” by Captain Morley-Knight, pp. 24–28.

As this book is limited in its scope to riding and driving for women, I shall not attempt to discuss four-in-hand and tandem driving in detail, and for a very exhaustive work on four-in-hand driving, would refer the reader to “A Manual of Coaching,” by Fairman Rogers (Philadelphia, J.B. Lippincott Co., 1900), and to “Driving for Pleasure,” by Frank Underhill (D. Appleton, 1897).

One of the best short books on the technique of driving is “Hints on Driving,” by Captain C. Morley-Knight, R.A. (George Bell & Sons, London, 1895). Chapter VI of that book describes in detail the method of holding and shortening the reins in four-in-hand driving, and chapter X the same problem in tandem driving. Like other English authorities, he, however, gives quite a different position for the right hand in tandem driving from that in four-in-hand driving, while the chief American writers, and nearly all the best whips of my acquaintance, advocate and use substantially the same position of the right hand in both.

A Perfectly Appointed Road Coach with Postilion (London-Brighton, 1907)

Position of Four-in-Hand and Tandem Reins in Left Hand

1. Near lead rein
2. Off lead rein
3. Near wheel rein
4. Off wheel rein

View larger image.

Before beginning to drive either tandem or four-in-hand, it is absolutely essential that you become proficient in handling the whip, and I would strongly advise learning to “catch a thong,” by daily practice, either outside on the ground, or, better still, on the box of the coach or driving seat of the cart, of course without the horses. By so doing one can concentrate one’s mind upon the thong without being distracted with the management of the reins and the movement of the horses. The best and clearest description which I have found in any work is in chapter XX of “The Private Stable,” by James A. Garland (Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 1903), and in describing how to catch a double thong I cannot do better than to quote what he says on pages 546 and 547:

Four-in-Hand Harness

“Hold the whip horizontally in front of you with the end of the thong held between the handle of the whip and your fingers. Face a wall or the side of a building and with the quill end of the whip describe a letter “S” backward. Begin with the lower tail of the letter, following its form to the upper end. Don’t move the arm, keep the elbow easily by the side, and direct the movement of the whip by turning the wrist. Continue to increase the speed until the thong falls in place. At first a short downward movement at the end will facilitate the accomplishment of this somewhat difficult feat.
“Another method is to catch the thong over the head instead of in front or to the side. This is done virtually by the same movement, the imaginary letter “S” being horizontally overhead instead of vertically in front or to one side.
“Still another method involves a new movement. Hold the whip with the right hand against the waist and the quill end well around to the left and on a line with the top of the head. Carry the stick at this angle around to the right until in a line with the right shoulder. In so doing raise the right hand gradually. Now drop the quill end of the whip until it is on a line with the handle. This last movement should be executed quickly so that the end of the stick strikes the thong on the right-hand side of the stick.
“When the thong is caught, it is wound around the stick in opposite directions. The lower end should be unwound with the right hand, the whip being held between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. The end of the thong should be rewound in the same direction as the upper part and held in place by the right hand. The loop should be about two feet and a half long and caught on the quill part of the stick.”

Not until you are proficient enough to catch the thong with certainty should you attempt to drive either four-in-hand or tandem, and you will find, the moment that you take the reins in your hands and start to drive, that it will be far more difficult to catch the thong than when you could give it your undivided attention. Moreover, it is vastly more difficult to catch the thong in a wind, or under trees or other obstacles, than when learning in the stable, and constant practice is required to keep one’s hand in.

Winding Lash After Catching Thong

1. Near lead rein
2. Off lead rein
3. Near wheel rein
4. Off wheel rein

View larger image.

I shall not attempt to describe how the horses should be put to a coach or a tandem, for to do so would be to go far beyond the scope of this book, so I shall assume that the coach or cart, as the case may be, is correctly appointed and the horses properly put to.

Photograph by the National News Association

Measuring the Reins
Note correct tailor costume

To quote further from Mr. Garland’s work:

“In taking up the reins stand about two feet from the pad of the off wheeler. Remove the reins from the pad terret or trace tug and allow them to fall to the ground.
“First take up the near lead rein with the left hand, placing the little, second, and middle fingers under the rein. Drop the left hand to the side, allowing the reins to slip through the fingers. Tighten the fingers over the rein at this point. Now raise the left hand and place the little and second fingers under the off lead rein. Drop the hand to the side as before. The parts where the reins are joined should hang evenly in front of the left hand. The reins may be adjusted by taking the rein that is to be drawn out between the middle and index fingers of the right hand. The reins should now be transferred into the right hand, separated by the middle finger.
“Take up the wheel reins in the left hand, separating them with the middle finger, the near wheel rein on top. Drop the left hand to the side as described in the preceding paragraph. Now raise the hand and adjust the reins, with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, so that the buckles on the wheel reins hang evenly.
“Pass the lead reins into the left hand, the near rein over the index finger and the off lead rein under the index finger and on top of the near wheel rein.
“When taking up the reins, draw each in turn gently through the terrets, tight enough merely to ‘feel’ the bit without causing the horse to flex his neck or make any backward movement.
“Step back to the wheelers’ hocks, and, keeping the left hand against the body, take the reins with the right hand in the same order as they are in the left hand. With the right hand close in front of the left one, draw the reins through the fingers of the left hand as far as the right arm can be extended, and then remove the right hand.
“As soon as this is done, take the whip in the right hand from the foot-board (if a tandem), or from the backs of the wheelers (if a four-in-hand), and transfer the reins into the right hand in the same order as they were held in the left hand. The reins are now to one side and out of your way in mounting.
“Place your left foot on the hub, your right on the roller-bolt, then the left foot on the body step, and the right one on the foot-board. Take your seat as soon as possible and transfer the reins back into the left hand in the original order.”

A reference to the accompanying sketches on pages 219 and 222 will show the positions of the hands and reins quite clearly.

The correct position of the feet, legs, body, arms, and hands are the same as already described on page 198 in the notes on driving a single horse or a pair.

Lady’s Four-in-Hand
Note correct position of reins and hands

To start a four-in-hand, the horses should, before starting, be well up in their collars, so that the traces are taut. The leaders’ reins should be shortened by grasping them in the right hand, separated by the middle finger, about a foot in front of the left hand and replacing them in the left by carrying the right hand behind the left. Take off the brake as quietly as possible, then advance the right hand, put the little and second fingers over the two off reins with the middle and index fingers so placed over the two near reins that the latter may be grasped. When you are sure that the four horses are feeling the bit and they are well together, drop and advance the hands, and at the same time give the horses a signal; at the same moment the grooms let go their heads, and the horses should all start together. Once the horses are in motion together, bring the left hand up into its position near the centre of the waist, and, removing the right hand from the reins, hold it slightly in advance of the left. To quote again from Mr. Garland:

“To shorten or lengthen the lead reins, place the middle finger of the right hand between the lead reins directly or at some little distance in front of the left hand, depending upon how much the lead reins are to be taken up or lengthened. If you wish to lengthen them, tighten the fingers of the right hand and draw the reins out to the desired distance. Should you wish to shorten the lead reins, take them out of the left hand, and in putting them back bring the left hand behind the right one. Do not advance the left hand.
“To lengthen or shorten the wheel reins, place the right hand under the lead reins and grasp the wheel reins in the same manner as described for taking up the lead reins. The wheel reins can now be either pushed back or drawn through the fingers of the left hand.
“TO STRAIGHTEN THE TEAM

“Should the leaders work over to the right of the wheelers, grasp the two reins, which are between the second and middle fingers of the left hand, between the middle and index fingers of the right hand. Draw these reins (the off lead and the near wheel) out a little, and it will be seen that it has the effect of bringing the team into line. Should the leaders work over to the left of the wheelers, instead of drawing the centre reins out, work them a little further back through the fingers of the left hand.
“STOPPING

“When it is desired to stop the team, raise the left hand, and, placing the right hand over the reins, twelve inches in front of the left hand, as described in a preceding paragraph, press the reins in toward the body with the right hand.
“TURNING

“To turn to the right, shorten the leaders’ reins so that the lead bars hang slack, and place the little, second, and middle fingers over the off lead rein about five inches in front of the left hand (depending upon how sharp a turn you desire to make). Draw the off lead rein back over the forefinger of the left hand, first raising the left thumb. Whenever you think you have shortened the rein sufficiently, drop the thumb on the loop thus made.

Lady’s Four-in-Hand Turning to the Right
Note position of hands

“Place the right hand over the off reins and be ready to grasp the off wheel rein from the inside with the little and second fingers, should the off wheeler fail to follow the off leader in making the turn. At the same time place the middle finger of the right hand between the near wheel and the near lead rein with the forefinger over the latter, and thus be ready to exert opposition should the horses on the near side turn too quickly. By placing the middle finger between the lead reins they may be operated separately or together.
“It will be seen that the wheelers may be drawn back together at any time in making the turn. As soon as the turn has been completed, lift the left thumb and let out the loop of the off lead rein; then, after giving the leaders more rein, let the hands resume the position shown on page 238.
“To turn to the left, shorten the leaders’ rein so that the lead bars hang slack, and place the little, second, and middle fingers over the near lead rein about five inches in front of the left hand (depending upon how sharp a turn you wish to make). Draw the near lead rein back over the forefinger of the left hand, first raising the thumb. Whenever you think you have shortened the rein sufficiently, drop the thumb on the loop thus made. Grasp the off lead rein with the little and second fingers of the right hand and insert the middle finger between the off and near wheel reins. The near wheeler may be made to follow the near leader by tightening the near wheel rein with the middle and forefingers. Opposition may be exerted on each or both off reins, or the wheelers may be drawn back together. When the turn has been made, drop the loop and, after giving the leaders more rein, allow the hands to resume the position shown on page 238.
“TURNING ACUTE ANGLES

“In turning an acute angle to the right, take up the leaders as has been previously described. Then with the right hand reach over the lead reins, and, grasping the near wheel rein with the little, second, and middle fingers, bring it up to the left of the lead rein and back over the index finger of the left hand, dropping the rein down in front of and around the thumb, in such a manner that the rein will be held in place by the fleshy part of the thumb near the wrist. Now make a ten-inch loop with the off lead rein, holding the loop in place with the thumb, and, reaching under the lead reins, make, in a similar manner, a point with the off wheel rein. After the turn is made, first drop the points, then the opposition over the thumb, and finally let out your leaders.
“In turning an acute angle to the left, first take up the leaders, then place the right hand under the off lead rein, and push back toward the body the off wheel rein through the fingers of the left hand, and make the two points with the near lead and wheel reins. After the turn has been made, draw out the off wheel rein with the right hand until the buckles on the hand pieces are even. Then let out the off wheel rein and the two points as described in preceding paragraph.
“In turning a right angle, as from an avenue into a street, make the point, i.e., loop, over the forefinger when the leaders’ forefeet have reached the corner.
“In going downhill, take up your leaders so that the lead bars hang slack, and then shorten all four reins.
“If your reins become misplaced, keep your team going, unless approaching or on a sharp decline. Under the latter conditions, have the servants run to the horses’ heads and bring them to a stop as quickly as possible. It is much easier to readjust the reins when the horses are going than to try to stop them. Find the lead reins and take them in the right hand with the middle finger between them, then with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand place the wheel reins in their proper position, and when this is accomplished return the lead reins to the left hand. Remember the off rein belongs on top of the near ones.”

High Tandem Cart

What has been said and quoted above relates more particularly to four-in-hand driving, but the principles of tandem driving are the same, except that it must be borne in mind that to drive tandem requires far lighter hands and more quickness and skill on the part of the driver than it does to drive a four. There is, of course, nothing to steady the tandem leader and, in cases where in driving a four-in-hand it would be necessary to make and hold a point—as, for instance, in turning a corner—with a tandem it will often only be necessary to touch the leader’s rein. Remember, also, that the wheeler is only too apt to turn the moment he sees the leader turn, and it is often necessary to steady the wheeler by a pressure on the opposition rein, and, if he has a hard mouth or a sluggish one, it may even be necessary to make an opposition point to prevent him from making too sharp a turn. Except for the fact that a four-in-hand requires far more strength, tandem is the more difficult of the two. It is, however, peculiarly well suited for a woman because of her light hands and quickness, and there is no reason why women should not excel in this form of driving. Indeed, in the show ring, there have been far fewer accidents with women driving tandem than with men.

As most of the current works on four-in-hand and tandem driving were written before the days of automobiles, added caution is now needed, particularly with respect to the tandem. No woman should, under any circumstances, attempt to drive horses tandem unless they are thoroughly accustomed to automobiles, and it is necessary nowadays to be very much more on the alert than it was before the evil days of gasolene.

Tandem from Bay Shore, Long Island, Show, 1911

While with a well-trained tandem there will seldom be occasion for much whip work, at the same time, even with the best-trained horses, there will be occasions when the leader can only be controlled by the prompt and skilful use of the whip. With green horses it is quite impossible to control the leader without being prepared to use the whip at any moment. The ability to catch the thong comes into play far more frequently with a tandem than with a four-in-hand, and it is even more essential with a tandem, for the thong is more easily caught in the wheels of a cart, and particularly of a gig, than a coach.

With regard to the kind of cart to which the tandem should be driven, it is to be noted that, for several years past in the show ring, tandems have been generally shown to gigs, and very few tandems have been shown to carts even in country shows. This may result in giving the general impression that the gig is the correct vehicle to which to drive a tandem, which is far from being the case. No recognized authority holds that it is the correct vehicle, and, for road driving, a gig is thoroughly unsuited to a tandem. While a gig is more comfortable and balances better than a wrongly adjusted tandem cart, yet a gig is much too low for the driver either to have proper control of his leader or to be able to see obstacles in front of the leader. Moreover, a gig, having a much smaller body than a tandem cart and also short shafts, gives an appearance of wrong proportion to the tandem, and, especially from a distance, an effect of something lacking. This is particularly the case with horses over fifteen hands two. If a gig is used, it is important that the lead traces should be as short as possible, so as to make the whole appearance more compact.

Correct Tandem Harness for Show Ring

For road work, and particularly for country driving, a tandem cart is not only correct, but is a more practical and suitable vehicle than a gig, particularly with large horses. The driver is well up above the horses, which gives far better control; she is able to see well ahead of the leader, and there is also the advantage of being out of the dust and in a position where one can better see other vehicles, both in meeting and passing them. Whatever kind of vehicle is used, the tugs should be so adjusted that the vehicle is in balance when the shafts are in position. While this is not so important with a gig or a cart whose body is hung on springs independent of the shafts, it is absolutely essential with a tandem cart, or any other cart, where the body is not balanced independently. I wish to lay great emphasis on this point because very few grooms know anything about it, and it is the most common thing in the world to find a horse put to a cart with the girth strapped so tightly that there is no play to the shafts. This is entirely wrong. If English tugs are used, as they should be with a tandem cart, the girth should be so loose that the shafts not only play in the tug, but the tug plays in the girth, and this will usually be done by letting out the girth from four to five holes beyond where it would be if it were tight.

With regard to balance, the body of a tandem cart is made to slide on runners, and the position of the body is regulated by a screw with a handle which comes up under the driving cushion. This handle may be turned so as to throw the body backward or forward, according to the number of persons who are to sit in the cart; thus, if a groom is to sit on the back seat, the body of the cart should naturally be much farther forward than if the back seat were empty, and, for the same reason, if there is the additional weight in front of another person besides the driver, the body of the cart should be moved farther back than if the driver were alone. The proper position of the body of the cart—so that it will be in balance—can only be learned by experiment, for it varies, of course, with the angle of the shafts and the weight of the load to be carried.

While the tandem cart is correct for tandem driving under all circumstances, for country use there are several forms of light high carts which are quite correct and much easier for the horses in hilly country or on heavy roads. While the bodies of these carts are not adjustable, balance can be secured by raising or lowering the tugs in the girths so as to raise or lower the shafts, and by adjusting the position of the people in the cart. In all high carts the weight should be thrown forward in going uphill and back in going downhill. It is an interesting fact that a horse can pull a heavier load uphill the more weight, within reasonable limits, he has on his back.

Correct Position of Hands Driving Four-in-Hand or Tandem
Right hand ready to assist left
View larger image.

In tandem driving, when going downhill, the leader’s reins should be shortened; if the hill is long, they should be grasped in the right hand a few inches in front of the left, separated by the middle finger, released from the left hand for a moment, then carried back with the right hand behind the left and grasped again in the left, and held there until the bottom of the hill is reached. If, however, the hill is only a short one, they may be simply taken up in the right hand and held there for a moment. The leader should, of course, not be pulling at all when going downhill; on the other hand, his traces should not be so loose as to give him any chance of getting his feet over. In travelling on the level, the leader’s traces should be only moderately taut. The tendency with beginners is to let the leader do too much work; this not only tires the leader, but it gets the wheeler in the bad habit of letting the leader pull not only the cart but the wheeler as well, and, in general, the leader should rather be reserved for uphill work. On the level most of the work, and downhill all of it, should be done by the wheeler.

While tandem driving originated in driving one’s hunter in the lead to the meet so that there was no attempt at having the horses match, nowadays matched pairs are commonly shown in the ring tandem, so that it may be said that there are three different classes of tandem horses: First, matched pairs; second, a large wheeler with a small, showy leader; and third, two horses of the hunter type, not necessarily matched, for a sporting tandem and for country work. It is a mistake to suppose that tandems are merely ornamental; on the contrary, it is one of the most practical ways of harnessing two horses, and the only really practical way of harnessing two horses to a cart. Horses generally enjoy being driven tandem because it means freedom for them both, and they can exert their strength to great advantage. Indeed, on the Continent nearly all the heavy trucking is done with very high two-wheeled vehicles drawn by two, three, or even four horses tandem.

Those who are in favor of putting a harness on their hunter will find that one of the best ways of exercising a hunter is by driving him in the lead of a tandem, as there he may be given much less pulling than if he is driven single. If you have a long-tailed hunter, do not, however, drive him in the lead. No long-tailed horse should ever be driven in the lead of a tandem, save in the exceptional case of showing a sporting tandem in the ring. The sporting tandem, as shown in the ring, is made up of any kind of a wheeler and the hunter in the lead with his saddle on. The riding bridle is carried in the cart.

Of late years there has been a great outcry against the practice of docking which, in my opinion, has arisen through ignorance and prejudice, and has been raised by people who do not at all realize the dangers of driving long-tailed horses, especially in a four or tandem.

The arguments used against docking are first that it is cruel and second that it prevents a horse from brushing off the flies. Neither of these objections is well founded. The operation, when properly done by a competent man, causes almost no pain to the horse, is done very quickly, and has no after ill effects. With regard to brushing off flies, this argument would be quite good if horses were left out in the fields without anything on them, but to use it with regard to the driving horses of persons of means is perfectly ridiculous. When a horse is harnessed he cannot possibly use his tail to brush off the flies. When he is standing in a properly appointed stable, he is always covered in summer with a sheet and in winter with a blanket, and there are no flies in winter. When he is turned out in summer he is always covered with a sheet.

Docking is not, as its opponents assert, a senseless fashion, but is founded on reason. A long-tailed horse, particularly if driven in a low four-wheeled trap, is almost sure, however careful the driver may be, to get his tail over at least one of the reins. If he does, it is a matter of great difficulty to release the rein, and if the horse is high-spirited or in any way vicious, as long as his tail is over the rein the driver has absolutely no control over him. He is in a position to kick, which he is almost sure to do, or to run, or to do anything he pleases, and he nearly always does something which he should not do. The opponents of docking are not persons who have driven high-spirited horses or who know anything about either tandem or four-in-hand driving. The danger, when a horse gets his tail over the rein, is multiplied a hundred-fold when he is the leader of a tandem, for in that case the driver is absolutely helpless; there is nothing that he can do but either jump out of the trap and run to the leader’s head or wait until such time as the leader may see fit to let the rein go. In the meantime the leader may be kicking, turning, pulling to one side, running away, upsetting the cart, or doing any one of a thousand things which the driver cannot in any way prevent. In pair driving it is also a very serious thing if either horse puts his tail over a rein. The result is that immediately control is lost not only over him but over the other horse as well, for half of the control over the other is had through the coupling rein which is buckled to the rein caught in the tail. Many most serious accidents have been caused by long-tailed horses catching the reins. I do not therefore consider it safe for a woman to drive a long-tailed horse of any spirit.

Of course roadsters or trotting horses never should have their tails docked, nor should thoroughbreds or polo ponies, and many hunters do not. But when a woman drives any of these long-tailed horses, she is taking risks which she had better avoid.

With regard to the looks of a horse, to my mind no driving horse with any kind of a formal trap looks smart with a long tail any more than he does with a long mane, or forelock, or with the hair about his fetlocks untrimmed. I am not talking about a horse in the state of nature, but of a horse harnessed to a properly appointed trap.

With regard to saddle horses, I think also that a horse of the park, hack, or combination type looks far better with his tail docked.

It might be said that a trotting horse is quite as apt to get his tail over the rein as any other driving horse, but this assertion loses sight of the very different way in which a trotting horse is driven, and of the fact that in a trotting wagon the driver sits so near that he can reach down and lift the horse’s tail over, and that trotting horses are carefully trained not to start under these circumstances.

Trotting horses are in a class by themselves, and it is more reasonable to say that the tails of trotting horses should be docked than that the tails of other driving horses should be long.

With regard to the mane, every driving horse should have his mane thinned out by pulling, so that it may not look shaggy. Most ponies look best with their manes closely hogged. If this gives a ewe-necked effect the mane may be cut in a curve, short at the head and withers and longer in the middle. The forelock on all driving horses should be cut entirely away.

The harness should be of black patent-leather with square wire buckles. Crests, monograms, or initials should be small and inconspicuous: for a single horse, placed on the standing martingale; for a pair, on the breast plates.

Loin straps, which are part of the appointments of a victoria or other trap driven by a servant, should not be used for ladies’ traps driven by a lady. Pole chains with oval links are permissible or pole pieces, when the owner drives; chains are never permissible on any trap driven by a servant. The chains should fasten at the pole and no extra links should be allowed to hang.

Perfectly Appointed Lady’s Pair

Phaetons for use in the country have been shown of late, built on the lines of the George IV and finished in natural wood, and with them russet harness instead of black patent-leather is very smart, and, if the trap is a light one, Dutch collars may be used instead of Kay collars. All formal ladies’ traps finished in dark colors should also be lined with the owner’s colors, either black, dark blue, dark green, or maroon, and the servants’ liveries should match the lining. Country traps of a light color should be lined in light colors, and it looks smarter for the lining to match the country livery, although gray liveries may be worn with any light lining. Ladies’ traps may also be lined in leather instead of cloth and in the same colors, and it is most important that the trimming of the lining should be strictly in keeping and very plain. The driving cushion should always be covered with the same material as the lining. The mat in the bottom of the trap should, of course, match the lining.

Lady’s Single Basket Phaeton

The running gear of all ladies’ traps should be finished in dark colors with inconspicuous striping, and the striping should be in keeping with the lining; that is, if the lining is other than black, the striping should be of the same color. All light colors for the striping, such as primrose, light red, and light green, should be confined to sporting traps and runabouts; light hues do not seem appropriate to formal ladies’ traps.

Western Style of Gig Horse

With all formal ladies’ traps, plain square lamps are more appropriate, and round lamps belong rather with sporting vehicles. Illustrations of a number of smartly appointed ladies’ traps will be found on page 209.

The owner’s rain coat and storm gloves should be carried folded in the hood. The rubbers, comprising the rubber apron and groom’s rain coat and cover for his hat, should be folded and placed under the seat of the rumble.

Regulate the pace by the distance that you have to go, and, whatever the distance, keep going at a steady pace—from seven to nine miles an hour is a good average—and it is a great mistake in long driving to go sometimes very fast and then try to balance it by going very slowly. In the old coaching days, when long distances were covered and the horses had to be kept in good condition, the general principle was to keep the horses going at about the same gait uphill and down, and this applies quite as much with a pair or a single horse. It is easier for a horse, and tires him less, to keep a steady gait than to walk up and down hill and then go very fast on the flat.

The most important thing about driving horses, especially for distance driving, is to find by experience their natural fast gait and then to keep them to it, and never to urge your horses beyond their natural gait, as nothing tires them so quickly. On the other hand, it tires a high-spirited horse almost as much to keep holding him back from his natural gait. Horses, after they have been driven a bit, know better than their drivers how to cover the ground, and they generally had much better be left to pick out their own gait than be forced to what the driver thinks is the gait they should take. So, in going up or down hill, if a horse shows a natural inclination to trot up even a steep hill, let him trot if he wants to; it will tire him less than holding him back.

Driving a Pair to a George IV Phaeton

It is also a great mistake, which many drivers make, to walk horses down every hill they come to. Unless a hill is very steep, it is far easier to keep up a steady even trot, and if you have a heavy trap and find it straining your horse, drive him in the soft part of the road, which will hold back the trap. In going up or down very steep hills, it is easier for the horses to zigzag from side to side, though of course at a walk, as a hill as steep as that cannot be undertaken at a trot.

Start your horses slowly and let them gradually warm up to the work before them, and drive them slowly, or even walk them, for the last mile or two, so as to cool them before they go to the stable. As in riding, follow the old adage, “Walk the first mile out and the last mile in.”

When you are bringing your trap up to the house or to the curb, so as to get out yourself, or to let some one else out, you should rein in your horses gradually; keep them going at a gradually diminishing trot, until just before you are at the point at which you are to stop, and then stop them quietly but firmly. Do not attempt to dash up to the stopping place and then throw the horses back on their haunches, but do not bring your horses down to a walk twenty feet sooner than you need to and then creep up to the stopping place. Follow the same general principle when you are coming to a corner or entering a gate. That is, keep your horses well in hand and slow them down before you make the turn, but it it is very bad style to bring your horses down to a walk, or anything approaching a walk, before turning a corner and to make the turn at the walk. When going at a trot you should not make a turn at the walk unless you wish to turn the trap entirely around and go in the opposite direction, or unless you have to make a turn of more than a right angle.

In going up driveways, as in approaching a country house, be sure to keep your trap in the middle of the road, and to keep your horses up to their gait, always with your horses well in hand. Needless to say, it looks very badly to cut in on the grass on either side or to look as if you were cutting W’s.

It must be borne in mind when you are driving into a country place, that many of them have their drives so arranged that there is a turn to the stable near the entrance gate. Be sure that your horses are well in hand, and that you are prepared to turn them to the other side, as they are sure to see the stable turn and very apt to try to take it.

When you come to a hill, remember that your horses in going up need to stretch their heads out in order to exert their full strength. You should, therefore, give them their heads as much as they want, provided always that you keep them in hand. In going downhill, on the other hand, the horses should always be reined in, though, as I have said, not enough to bring them down to a walk unless the hill is very steep; they should, however, be kept well in hand in going down as there is then the greatest danger of stumbling.

Basket Phaeton
Note position of groom and livery

If you are driving a trap with a brake, with which some basket phaetons are equipped, as are all traps for use in hilly countries except runabouts, do not use the brake too freely. It is much better for the horses to accustom themselves to hold the trap back than it is to have them pulling it downhill. If your horses become accustomed to having the brake on at every hill you go down, you will find great difficulty in holding them when you drive them without a brake. The brake should be reserved for use in going down very steep hills and for emergencies, such as having the horses get away from you when going down a moderate hill; but the brake should never be used, in single or pair horse driving, in pulling up.

The rule of the road in this country is “keep to the right,” but why this rule has ever been adopted, instead of the English rule of keeping to the left, I have never heard explained. A little reflection will show one that the English rule of keeping to the left is the naturally correct and sensible rule, and that the whole theory of correct driving is based upon it. Thus, the driver sits on the right side of the trap in order to be able to avoid hitting a trap passing in the opposite direction, as he is on the side where he can best watch his own trap and the trap that might strike him. So the whip is held in the right hand, pointing toward the left in order not to engage with the whip of a passing vehicle, and the reins are held in the left hand that the whip may be held in the right.

Similarly, I may add, in riding, a man rides on the woman’s right, in order that he may have the point of danger, the middle of the road, when, if the riders are going to collide with persons or vehicles coming in the opposite direction, he will be the one to suffer the collision. That keeping to the left would be the common-sense way is quite clearly shown by the fact that many automobiles are now made with the chauffeur’s seat on the left, so that, keeping to the right, he may see and not collide with vehicles coming in the opposite direction. However, this rule of keeping to the right is established in this country, as it is in many of the Continental countries, and probably will never be changed. All vehicles, riders, etc., coming in the opposite direction, therefore, must be passed on the right, and on crowded roads, particularly in parks and on the streets or avenues of the city, the driver should habitually keep to the right of the middle of the road. If you are driving slowly, wherever you may be, you should keep to the extreme right in order that vehicles going faster may be able to pass you on the left. In passing any other vehicle or rider going in the same direction you should keep him on your right.

For driving in the show ring, the park, or any crowded thoroughfare, the whip should be used to indicate to those behind you what you are going to do. It is held up straight to show that you are slackening speed or that you intend to stop. It is carried to the right of the trap and twirled from left to right to indicate that you are turning to the right, and it is kept to the left and twirled from right to left if you are turning to the left. You should not only give these signals yourself, but you should always observe the driver ahead of you to see what signals he may give, and be sure when you are driving in any crowded place to keep your horses absolutely under control so that they may be stopped in a moment if need be. This is particularly important in driving in the city, where conformity with traffic regulations makes sudden stops necessary.

For all formal occasions, when you are driving any kind of a phaeton with a rumble, you should always have a servant on the rumble. For any formal occasion, where it is correct to drive a trap with a rumble, it is incorrect not to have the servant. It is better form, even for country driving, if you take a servant, to have him on the rumble, where he should always be if there is a rumble. It is not correct, where you have a rumble, to have the servant at your side. If the horses are pulling too hard, it is quite permissible to pass the reins back to the servant, or he may even drive them from the rumble, where he can control them quite as well as he could if he were sitting beside you.

For this reason the reins are made longer for a woman than for a man.

While, except for four-in-hand, there is no prescribed formal costume required for driving, at the same time there are certain general principles which women should always observe, not only for formal occasions, such as the show ring or park, but whenever they take the ribbons.

For formal ladies’ traps, such as phaetons, it is perfectly permissible to wear a large hat of the prevailing fashion and an afternoon or calling gown. Where the owner is driving a trap of this kind on a formal occasion, the costume should not be tailor-made, and her costume should produce the effect that she is out for a pleasure drive. With sporting traps and carts of all kinds, on the other hand, the costume should be strictly tailor-made and the hat small and not inclined to blow off. This is particularly so for tandem driving, and in that case the general effect should be mannish, and particular care should be taken to have everything securely fastened so that undivided attention may be given to the horses and reins. For driving tandem, or for any kind of a sporting vehicle or cart in the country, a plain sailor is the most appropriate as well as one of the easiest to keep on, and veils, as well as other feminine adornments, look quite out of place. The hair, of course, should be neatly and securely done, and boots or low shoes are much more appropriate than high-heeled slippers with open-work stockings.

It is always correct, under any circumstances, to carry a lap robe, and while in the show ring it may remain on the seat on the left side of the driver. For other occasions it is better to spread it over the knees to keep off the dust. If it is spread, be sure that it is neatly tucked in about the feet, but to do this requires some knack, and the best way to arrange the robe is to have it come over the feet so that the heels will rest upon it, and then to have the right end placed under you so as to entirely cover the lower part of your knee. If you are driving alone both sides should be adjusted in the same way, but, of course, if you have a companion the robe should cover you both.

For tandem a driving apron is permissible, but is not required, instead of a robe, and for four-in-hand driving it is required.

The costume for four-in-hand driving, as worn by the members of the New York Ladies’ Coaching Club, is a rough gray beaver top hat with a double-breasted dark-blue melton driving coat. Under the coat is worn a plain tailor-made cloth suit of any smart material, such as a check or a stripe. Some members wear spats, which are very smart. Heavy tan driving gloves are worn, and the driving apron is laid across the knees and strapped around the waist over the driving coat.

For the show ring heavy white driving gloves or tan driving gloves are equally correct, as they are for other occasions. When driving ladies’ traps, if you are wearing a gown with short sleeves and therefore are wearing long gloves, they should be slipped off the hands and folded back so that only the arms are covered and then driving gloves should be slipped on the hands. When driving a George IV, where a card-case is part of the appointments, it is a good idea to fold a fresh pair of gloves in the card-case.

For all formal occasions, such as the show ring and park and town driving, the servant should wear a groom’s dress livery, consisting of a single-breasted long coat with six buttons in front and two rows of three buttons in the back. The coat should come to five inches above the knee and should always be kept buttoned. It should be of the color which the family may have adopted—black, dark blue, dark green, maroon, or gray, etc. The coat collar should be of the same material as the coat and the cuffs should be plain without buttons. Under the coat a waistcoat should always be worn, of some striped material, a small strip showing inside the collar. A plain white Ascot tie and standing collar should be worn, but no cuffs, and the coat sleeves should be very long, coming well down to the hand. The breeches must be white—of buckskin or breeches cloth. Stiff-legged top boots should be worn, with tops of tan or buff, or of some color which matches or goes well with the color of the coat. The boots must always be of calf and never of patent or varnished leather. A silk top hat should be worn, with a narrow silk band. In this country it is improper to use cockades except for officers of the army and navy and other officials. The gloves should be tan, but white buckskin gloves are correct for park or town driving.

Correct Groom’s Livery

For country wear, particularly in summer, this full-dress livery is too hot and looks out of place, so that an undress livery should be worn. The best style of undress livery is a morning or cutaway coat with three buttons in front and two in the back, cut like any morning coat, but a little higher in the neck, and breeches and leggings of the same material, or perhaps leather puttee leggings. This livery is made of covert cloth or whip-cord, and the color may be any shade of gray or any shade of tan. If the livery is gray, it is smarter to wear black leggings rather than tan, and when the leggings are black, black shoes should always be worn, and russet shoes with tan leggings. The hat to wear with this livery should be the same shape as a top hat, of black felt for a gray livery, or of brown felt to match the tan livery, or a straw hat of the same shape may be worn, black to go with the dark livery or straw color with any livery. Tan gloves are correct with undress livery. A sack coat is sometimes used instead of a cutaway, but I think the latter very much smarter, and if a sack coat is worn a top hat should not be worn, but rather a square derby.

In the illustration on the opposite page are shown the various types of driving bits, and I shall not attempt to describe them in detail any more than I did with respect to the riding bits. They are fully treated in many of the standard works on the subject and a detailed description of them would not belong in this book.

For single horse driving either the Liverpool or Ashleigh is correct for all occasions, except for the show ring and park driving with ladies’ traps, such as the George IV or Peters’ phaeton, where the Buxton is the correct bit for single horses as well as pairs, and except also for gigs where a gig bit is correct. Gig bits, however, should not be used with other traps than gigs. For pair horse driving the Buxton is correct for the show ring and park driving and may be used for informal occasions, though personally I think it rather poor form for country driving with any kind of trap. The Buxton, however, not having a hole to correspond with the “half cheek” of the Liverpool or Ashleigh, is, unless you use the “full cheek,” rather a severe bit for any but a skilled driver with light hands. For pair driving a pivoted bit should always be used. The Liverpool is not so suitable for pair driving as the Ashleigh or other elbow bits, because even when the bars are pivoted they do not turn freely, so that the two inside bars are usually pulling at an angle on the bit, and do not give an even pull on the horses’ mouths.

1. Coaching

2. Buxton

3. Ashleigh

4. Liverpool

Bits

If your horse has a very light mouth, and you have not acquired very light hands, it may be better to drive with the reins in the full cheek. If, however, you have acquired light hands, the reins had better be in the half cheek of the Liverpool or Ashleigh, or in the middle bar of the Buxton, as this gives much more control and “feel” of the horse’s mouth. In fact, no competent whip with light hands, particularly no woman, will want to drive a horse, however light his mouth, in the full cheek. If your horse’s mouth is rather hard and there is danger of his running away, it is better to have the reins in the first hole of the bar of the Liverpool or Ashleigh, but if you drive him this way you must keep a very light hand, as it makes the pressure of the curb chain too severe, and you may make his mouth hard by a constant pressure of chain. If you are unfortunate enough to have to drive a puller, it will probably be necessary to put the reins in the second hole of the bar, and even to twist the curb chain, and to use a special form of bit with a long port or other device intended to stop a pulling horse. No woman, however, should have a pulling horse in her stable.

In pair driving the bitting is most important. It is the rarest thing in the world to find two horses who are not only well matched in appearance but have the same dispositions and require the same bitting. In fact, there is an old saying, “There is always one to a pair.” By correct bitting and a proper adjustment of the coupling reins the differences in the dispositions of the two horses can be equalized, and they can be made to go well together. This is a point which is very frequently neglected by inexperienced drivers, and few coachmen really understand it, so that you must learn it yourself and see that your coachman has your horses properly bitted and coupled.

The general principle, of course, is that the slow horse of the pair should have the reins in the cheek or half cheek, while the fast horse should have them in the half cheek, or the first, or even the second, hole in the bar, and it may be found necessary to put a severe bit on the fast horse and a plain bit on the slow one. Similarly, if one horse has a light mouth and the other a hard one, the bits and the coupling reins must be regulated and the curb chains adjusted accordingly. It is impossible to lay down any fixed rules to follow. It is all a matter of experiment with the particular pair of horses that you are driving.

Of equal importance with the proper adjustment of the bits and of the reins in the cheek or bar is the adjustment of the coupling reins. These are the two shorter inside reins by which the near horse is coupled with the off rein and the off horse with the near rein. The coupling reins should be so adjusted that the pressure on the reins of each horse will be the same; that is, the off horse should have the same pressure from the off rein as he has from the near coupling rein, and the near horse should have the same pressure from the near rein as from the off coupling rein.

If it happens that the two horses go absolutely together and have the same mouths and the same dispositions, which, as I have said, is almost never the case, then the coupling reins will be buckled in the same hole on each rein. If the two horses have different mouths or different dispositions, the buckles will have to be shifted accordingly. That is, for instance, if the near horse has more life or a harder mouth, the off coupling rein must be taken up so that there will be more pressure on him than on the off horse. The coupling reins are also adjusted for the purpose of bringing the two horses nearer together, and for keeping their heads together or apart as may be necessary.

The two horses of a pair should have their bodies and heads straight and parallel to the pole, but it will be found that some horses are inclined to carry their heads to one side or the other, and the coupling reins should be taken up or loosened accordingly. For example, if the near horse carries his head to the near side, the off coupling rein must be taken up, which compels him to straighten his head.

If you have two horses that seem to be perfectly matched, but the off horse carries his head a little out to the front and has a light mouth, and the near horse carries his head close to his chest and has a hard mouth, to get them to pull together and keep them well in the traces the coupling rein of the off horse should be two or three holes shorter than that of the near, and consequently the off coupling rein will be let out and the near coupling rein taken in, and in such case the off horse, if he has a light mouth, should be driven in the cheek and the hard-mouthed near horse down in the bar.

A common fault of coachmen and grooms lies in buckling both coupling reins too tightly, which makes the horses carry their heads in toward the pole instead of going away straight. This looks very badly, makes the horses’ mouths hard, and either keeps the horses going diagonally or causes them to carry their heads crooked.

If horses have acquired, through wrong coupling, the habit of turning their heads in toward the pole, or their quarters out from it, it is sometimes a good plan to change their positions instead of always driving them on the same side. Then, on the other hand, horses sometimes get into the habit of leaning in against the pole. This is a difficult habit to break, but by changing their positions or by adjusting the bits and the coupling reins, and steady and careful driving, this habit can be broken.

Bearing reins are required in the appointments for ladies’ traps except for runabouts and pony carts, and I believe generally in their use with nearly every kind of trap, and with single horses as well as with pairs. It is only the abuse of bearing reins, and not the use, which has led to the outcry so generally made against them by persons ignorant of the principles and practice of driving.

Proper Adjustment of Bearing Reins

Bearing reins should be just tight enough to keep the horse’s head up in its natural position. When so adjusted they prevent a horse from putting his head down and getting the bit in his teeth; they prevent him from putting his tongue over the bit and do a great deal toward preventing him from kicking.

Bearing reins are particularly necessary in pair driving, for however well matched two horses may be in general appearance, they seldom carry their heads naturally at just the same height. In that case the horse who naturally carries his head high should have his bearing rein quite loose and the other quite tight, so that their heads may be at the same height. Nothing looks worse than to see two horses in a pair carrying their heads one low and one high. Most of the best authorities on driving also say, and I have no doubt that it is true, that bearing reins keep a tired horse up and make his going easy; they also keep him from nodding.

Of course, many thoughtless grooms draw the bearing reins altogether too tight, so as to force the horse’s head up and make him almost ewe-necked. This naturally frets a horse, especially when he is standing still. The bearing reins should be fastened to a bridoon and not to the bit, as, if fastened to the bit, they raise it too high and are apt to spoil the “feel” of the horse’s mouth.

For runabouts, at all times, bearing reins should be dispensed with, and they may be dispensed with for informal country driving in any kind of carriage, especially with a single horse. When bearing reins are used they should generally be loosened if the horses are to stand for any length of time.

The overhead check-rein should never be used, except with roadsters or trotting horses.

The use of silver-plated instead of brass-plated harness for formal occasions, such as the show ring and park, is optional, but brass-plated harness is more suitable than silver-plated for informal occasions and for country driving.

The correct appointments for a woman’s trap in the show ring are given in a separate chapter, page 245. For other occasions the buckles, etc., may be either square or round, according to the owner’s fancy. Square buckles are more appropriate for formal occasions and perhaps for four-wheel traps; round buckles are rather for carts and sporting vehicles. There should be as little metal about the harness as practicable, and the ornaments should be confined to crests, engravings, or initials, which should be small and inconspicuous and placed only on the winkers, rosettes, face pieces, standing martingale, and pad. Breechings may be used for heavy traps, but are not suitable for light traps such as runabouts or for carts. They sometimes make a nervous horse kick, and in such cases they should, of course, be dispensed with. Kicking straps, as I have said elsewhere, should generally be used for a kicking horse both with four-wheel traps and with carts.

Single Phaeton Harness
May be used with runabout, when breeching need not be used, and Dutch collar may be used instead of Kay collar

The harness should be made of the best quality of leather and hand sewn, and should always be kept soft and pliable, and never allowed to become hard or mildewed.

Russet harness is perfectly correct for informal country driving and with runabouts or any kind of light country trap, whether two or four wheeled, particularly with traps finished in natural wood.

For all heavy traps, whether four or two wheeled, collars and harness should be used, and it is essential that the collar should fit the horse. In fact, it is most important that each horse in the stable should have his own collar, which should be carefully fitted to him by a competent harness-maker. Collars come in standard sizes, varying from 19 to 22 inches, and are made to fit by altering the stuffing. The Kay collar is the type generally used.

The weight of the harness is in proportion to the weight of the trap; for heavy traps, such as phaetons or dog-carts, the heaviest harness should be used, while with runabouts, basket phaetons, and light carts, lighter harness is correct.

For country use, and especially in summer with all kinds of light country traps, such as runabouts, Hempstead carts, and breaking carts, a Dutch collar is quite correct and is much more comfortable and cooler for the horse than a collar and hames. The Dutch collar, however, should not be used with any kind of a heavy or formal trap, as it is not so well adapted for pulling, nor does it look well with them.

The lining of the collar should be black for all except sporting carts, where russet lining looks very smart, though almost too sporty for a woman.

Single Road Harness
Note the light Dutch collar

Driving reins for a woman should be thinner and lighter than for a man, and should be very pliable for the same reasons, as I have explained on page 145, that apply to riding reins.

The general principle to be observed in driving, as well as in riding, is to have as little harness on the horse as practicable, and, above all things, not to have the harness overloaded with ornaments.

For country use, and for all informal occasions, it is not necessary to use patent-leather harness, as it scratches and becomes shabby very quickly. Plain black pigskin is therefore more appropriate and perfectly correct for such occasions. For rainy weather special harness should be used, as the rain injures the leather and tarnishes the metal of the regular harness, and entails a great deal of unnecessary work on the grooms. Rainy weather harness has all the buckles covered and is made of oiled leather.

When the owner is in deep mourning, everything about the harness should be black, all of the bright metal should be covered with black leather. It looks quite inappropriate to see the servants with wide crape bands but the harness with all the bright metal showing and colored rosettes and saddle cloths; or, what is even worse, colored saddle cloths and black rosettes. While it is not necessary to use black harness when the owner is in mourning, all colors should certainly be avoided in the rosettes and saddle cloths, and the servants should be put in mourning also.

What I have just said in the chapter on harness for single horses applies generally to harness for a pair.

Kay collars should be used for pairs with all traps, except that Dutch collars may be used for a pair with runabouts or any other light country trap. There is a very light station trap, finished in natural wood, with which russet harness with Dutch collars, for a pair, looks very smart and may be used in the country.

Double Road Harness
Note the yoke

The horses may be coupled to the pole with either pole chains or pole pieces; the former with oval links are correct when the owner drives, but are never permissible in any trap driven by a servant. The chains should fasten at the pole and no extra links should be allowed to hang. The pole chains, if used, should be of burnished steel and not of brass. Oddly enough, for some reason which has never been explained, pole chains and pole pieces are regarded as belonging to the trap and not to the harness.

English Phaeton Pair Harness
Note the loin straps, which are correct only when servant is driving

Loin straps should be used with a lady’s trap only when a servant drives.

The winkers should be square when square buckles are used, but round winkers may be used, as well as round buckles with sporting traps, for which they are quite appropriate.

Metal rosettes should be used with a single harness and may be used with pair harness, or for ladies’ traps. Silk rosettes may be used of any color the owner may fancy, and should match the liveries. In the show ring and park flower rosettes are worn, but with pairs fancy rosettes are worn on the near side of the near horse and the off side of the off horse; that is, one on each horse on the outside, while on the inside the rosettes should be plain metal.

A Hempstead Cart

Double harness should fit the horses just as single harness does, except that the belly-bands should be looser, so as to admit two or three fingers between them and the girths.

A whip with a lash should always be used, except with roadsters or trotting horses, when a straight whip is correct. The whip should be of a length proportionate to the trap and the distance of the horse from the driver. The same kind of whip should be used for driving a single horse as for a pair. The shaft should be straight and may be of any color the owner fancies, and may be mounted in gold, silver, or brass. The best whips in general use are made of holly. For a woman’s use a whip should be lighter and more slender than for a man’s. A heavy whip is very tiring to the hand, and quite unnecessary for the kind of horse that a woman drives. The handle of the whip may be covered with leather or plain, and, if leather covered, may be of any color which goes well with the shaft. While colored snappers are used, plain white is always correct, and I consider it much smarter.

The lash of the whip should always be kept white and very pliable, and, of course, should be pipe-clayed when necessary.

For a phaeton or breaking cart, where the horse is quite a long distance from the driver, a much longer whip should be used than for a runabout or a Hempstead cart.

Gymkhana games may be held either independently or in connection with private or country club shows, and I would suggest as a programme for such a combination the following events:

CLASSES
1.	Ladies’ Single Harness Class.
	Appointments (town or country)	40 per cent
	Horse	60 per cent
2.	Ladies’ Harness Pairs.
	Appointments and counting the same.
3.	Ladies’ Hunters.
	(Ladies to ride.)
4.	Sporting Tandems.
	(Ladies to drive.)
5.	Pairs of Hunters.
	(Pairs made up of a gentleman and a lady, riding their own horses.)
6.	Ladies’ Driving Competition.
	Driving to count	100 per cent
7.	Ladies’ Saddle Horses.
	Horses to count	40 per cent
	Riding	40 per cent
	Appointments	20 per cent
GYMKHANA EVENTS
8.	Egg and Spoon Race for Ladies.
9.	Music Stall Ride.
10.	Affinity Race.
11.	Potato Race.
12.	Drag Hunt Contest.

NOTES

Classes 3 and 5: Hunters to be shown over jumps, which may be merely post and rail, brush, in and out, or any combination of these, performance over jumps only to count.

Event No. 8: Starters will be handed a large wooden spoon and an egg. The spoon must be carried in one hand, with the egg in the bowl, twice around the course. Any one dropping the egg must return to the starting point for another, and whoever first completes the two rounds of the course with an unbroken egg held throughout in the spoon wins the race.

Event No. 9: There must be a fence or wall down the middle of the course. The stalls are made with poles, which are attached at one end to the fence and at the other end to stakes driven in the ground. At the start there should be one less stall than there are contestants, and the length of the fence should be such that at the start there will be no fence lapping over. The stalls should be between three and four feet wide and all stalls on the same side of the fence.

The contestants start mounted; when the music plays they ride in single file around the fence in a ring until the music stops; the riders then dash for the stalls and the rider who is left over is out of the contest. Before the music starts again one stall is removed, and the performance is repeated until there are only two contestants left for one stall, and then whoever of these gets it wins the event. The horses may be ridden into the stalls backward, forward, or any way in which they can get in. In other words, it is the old game of “Going to Jerusalem.”

Event No. 10: The contestants are in pairs, a man and a woman, each with his pony. All the contestants start dismounted. At the starting signal the man first puts the woman up, then mounts himself; they join hands and dash madly down the field and race twice around the course, holding hands. The pair to reach the finish first win the race. If desired, jumps may be introduced.

Event No. 11: The contestants may be all men, all women, or both. The contestants start mounted at one end of the course, each of them having a spear; at the other end of the course are six or eight potatoes for each contestant, those of each contestant being placed together in a row and opposite his place in line at the start. The contestants must pick up the potatoes, one at a time, with the spear, ride back to the starting point, and drop each potato in a basket. The one who first picks up all his potatoes, carries them on his spear, and drops them all in the basket, wins the race. If a contestant drops a potato on the way back to the starting point he must pick up that potato with his spear without dismounting.

(Newsboy) A Prize-Winning Runabout Entry

Event No. 12: This event, if my memory serves me right, was originated by Mr. F.M. Lowry, M.F.H., of the Harkaway Hunt, McDonald, Pennsylvania, and it can take place only in a hunting country or where one or more packs of hounds are available; it can, of course, only be tried where the grounds are large. A drag is laid over the country, taking as many fences as may be desired, but without flags or other indications of the course. The finish should be at the grand stand. Each hound wears a ribbon of a distinctive color and each rider draws by lot a card with the corresponding color of that worn by a hound. The riders all follow the hounds, and the holder of the color of the hound which first arrives at the finish is awarded the cup, provided that the hound has followed the full course. There need be no contest between the riders as to who shall be first at the finish.

Judge’s Stand in Open Air Show

Of course the above programme is for an open-air or summer show, but all the classes and many of the events may be used in-doors in a ring. To take the place of the events which must necessarily be omitted for an in-door show, I would suggest a costume ride. The style of costume may be left to the choice of the riders, or some particular period or type may be adopted. The riders go through the evolutions of a drill to music.

By courtesy of “The Rider and Driver”

Gymkhana Games at Country Show

Another suitable event for an in-door show is tandem riding which has become deservedly popular. The horse one rides is saddled and the reins and all appointments are the same as for ordinary riding, with the exception that the bridle has the usual D’s similar to those of the wheeler of the tandem, through which the reins of the leader pass. The leader has a harness which consists of a pad with terrets and a driving bridle without winkers and whatever form of bit may best suit the individual horse. The reins are of white buckskin, the size of light driving tandem lead reins. There should be about a half a horse’s length between the two horses. The best and most practical way of holding the reins I have found to be as follows: Treat the curb and snaffle reins of the horse you are riding as if they were one rein and separate them both by the middle and third fingers; that is to say, the near curb is laid on top of the near snaffle rein and they both pass between the middle and third fingers. The off snaffle is laid on top of the off curb rein and they pass between the first and middle fingers. The ends come up between the thumb and forefinger. The near lead rein passes under the middle finger and up through the hand, coming out between the third and fourth fingers. The off lead rein passes down between the third and fourth fingers and passes out under the middle finger. An ordinary light driving whip is held in the usual way for driving in the right hand, and the right hand is held in readiness to assist the left and particularly to turn the leader. Horses, with a little training, are easily ridden or driven in this way and can be taught to jump and go through complicated evolutions. This tandem riding is a suitable event for winter entertainments in clubs and riding-schools.

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