Turning Six Head or More on a Stage Coach

from the most excellent historical text,
Knights of the Whip, Stage Coach Days in Oregon
by Gary and Gloria Meier copyright 1987,
published by Timeline Publishing ISBN 0-9619379-0-4

As an example of the driver’s art in the subtle use of reins and brake, here is the procedure for making a right turn. The team has been trotting along brickly, each horse feeling the freedom of movement in their loosely hitched harness. A cross road is coming up into which the jehu wishes to make a right turn. From 75 to 100 yards before reaching the corner he begins working the reins through his fingers, adjusting each line in relation to the others just as it should be at the exact time of making the turn. At this point no horse would feel any change in pressure on the bit in his mouth. In fact, if a passenger were watching the jehu’s hands he would not notice the manipulation of the reins, so subtle were they made. The driver’s right foot is resting lightly on the brake lever.

The lead team would have to continue straight ahead until it was past the center of the intersection before starting the turn. Otherwise, the side-pulling effect against the pole (the fixed tongue of the coach, running forward between the spans of horses) would turn the swing (second) span too soon. Then, while the leaders were being turned to the right, the swing horses had to be held straight ahead by reigning slightly to the left until they too had passed the center of the intersection. As the swing team was turned to the right, the wheelers (third span) had to be pressed a litrle to the left, for if they were turned too early the coach would cut the corner and possibly overturn.

When the leaders reach the turn, at a precisely calculated spot, the driver’s foot presses down lightly on the brake. There is the slightest sound of the brake block scraping against the wheel rim. Instantly the horse would be alert for the reining that would always follow the sound of brake against wheel. At almost the same time the horses alert to the brake, they feel for the first time the pressure on their bits as planned and arranged by the driver moments before. The jehu, again, has not moved his hands, they still rest on his knees. What has happened is that the brake has slowed the motion of the coach just enough to tighten the reins and put the properr tension on the individual bits of the entire team—exactly as intended by the whip. As soon as the turn is completed the brake pressue is released, the reins regain some slack, and the team resumes the easy trotting pace.

Passengers sitting on the box with the driver commonly gave all credit for such a turn to the horses, assuming that they had been over the route so often that they knew every turn by habit. Even watching the driver closely, the passengers would not see the jehu had anything at all to do with the maneuver; his hands remained apparently motionless. Perhaps it was observed that he had applied slight pressure to his brake— “he probably wanted to slow down or something.”

To stop the team, the pressure on the reins was slightly firmer than in reining for other purposes and was equal for all horses. The driver still made no hand movement, but applied more brake to let the team know what was expected of it.

These light reining techniques, in addition to being less fatiguing to the whipster, were for the protection of the horse’s mouths. The stage horses worked in ther traces every day. Their mouths were sensitive and if regularly subjected to hard bit pressure would become calloused and insensitive. Such a horse was said to be “cold mouthed” and was hard to control. But the experienced jehu, with his light touch on the reins, kept the teams mouths so “sweet,” as it was called, that they would quickly respond to line pressure that was as light as a breeze. Instant responsiveness in the team was a great source of pride to the stage driver and great care taken with the loyal and beautiful creatures by jehu and hostlers promoted excellent relationships between animal and man.