119


prevent  them  running  back,  then  back  the  horse  until  you  can
put  the  outside  trace,  which  must  always  be  done  first,  on  to
the  roller-bolt ;  next  take  the  inside  trace  off  his  back,  where  it
has  been  laid,  and  reaching  over  behind  his  quarters  slip
it  on  as  quickly  as  you  can ;  then  pole  up  to  the  desired
length  of  chain,  the  hook  of  which  must  be  pointed  down-
wards, into  the  proper  link.  For  town  or  park  driving,  horses
may  be  poled  up  mode-
rately short,  but  for  fast
work,  long  journeys,  or
road-coaches,  the  pole-
chains  must  have  plenty
of  play  in  them,  or  else
sore  withers  and  nume-
rous other  ailments  will
ensue.        The    wheelers


Excitable  leaders


must  now  be  coupled  Next  back  your  leaders  into  their  places;
they  had  better  be  already  coupled,  and  it  is  quite  as  safe,  if
not  safer,  to  run  their  reins  through  the  wheelers'  tenets  before
their  traces  are  put  on.  With  excitable  leaders  this  is  some-
times absolutely  indispensable.  Some  people  lap  their  leaders*
traces,  which  means  that  one  leader's  inside  trace  laps  round
the  other  leader's,  and  then  returns  to  the  cockeye  of  his
own  bar  ;  others  cross  their  traces,  which  is  a  modification
of  the  last  plan,  and  means  that  the  inside  traces  merely  cross
each  other  and  are  then  fastened  to  their  companion's  bar ;
others  connect  the  leading  bars  with  two  or  three  short  links  of


I20  DRIVING.
