Horse-drawn vehicles are the foundation of modern transportation. These vehicles produced many innovations used today, such as the spring. Other than observing a horse put to a carriage, there are proper ways to identify these vehicles and their unique characteristics. One style of driving, called "four-in-hand", required the training of four-horses and exercising them well in order to pull large, heavy coaches with many passengers or freight. These vehicles, designed for working horses, gave way to many styles of sporting vehicles and pleasure vehicles. And in turn, as it became fashionable for a lady to drive in public, the distinctions among carriages were drawn even further between which carriages were suitable for a lady and which carriages were suitable for a gentleman. Just as there were many types of carriages and types of coaches, there were also various ways to hold the reins, types of a harness, and variety of breeds to choose from for putting to a coach or carriage. Come explore the type, use, design, and industry of coaches and carriages.

Acknowledgements 6
Foreword 7

How to Identify a Horse Drawn Carriage 8

The Axel 10

Springs 12

The C-Spring 14

The Wheel 16

Forecarriage 18

Two-Wheel Vehicles 20

Carriage Tops 24

Carriage Lamps 26

The Breaks 28

The Phaeton Family 30

The Jenny Lind 32

The Curricle 34

The Hansom Cab 36

Park Drag 38

Road Coach 40

The Chariot 42

The Dress Chariot 44

The Coat of Arms 46

The Royal Mail Coach 48

Evolution of the American Coach Body 50

The Concord Coach 52

The American Sleigh 56

The Mitchell 58

Trotting Racing 60

The Kladruber 62

The Morgan 64

The Bridle 66

The Driving Bit 68

The Bearing Rein 70

Evolution of the Harness 72

The Harness 1 74

The Harness 2 75

Pair Harness 2 Full Collar 76

Pair Harness 3 Breast Collar 77

Driving 78

National Reining Styles 80

Whips 82

Signals 83

Tandem 84

Postilion Driving 86

Coaching and the Four-in-Hand 88

The Ladies Four-in-Hand Driving Club 90

Livery 92

Glossary 94