The coachman must be a steady, sober, good-tempered, and respectable man, his office being in most cases a very responsible one; many masters, either from want of energy, or through ignorance, leaving so much to his management. He not only has the entire control of the carriage and horses, buying the oats, hay, straw, etc, but very frequently selects and purchases the horses, so that, unless a conscientious man, he has it in his power to subject his master to serious loss and inconvenience. He must have had considerable experience in driving, to drive quietly and steadily without allowing the horses to jerk or snatch, which is most disagreeable and uncomfortable to those in the carriage, and thoroughly understand their management in the stable. No man, however willing, can attend properly to more than two horses and the carriage, and if the carriage be out on an average three hours a day he will find he has but little time to spare if properly turned out. The great inconvenience of having only one servant is, that on the carriage coming in wet and dirty, if it be not at once washed before the mud dries on, it will not only take much longer to clean, but the paint and varnish suffer by the mud being allowed to dry on, while if this be done at once the horses are standing quite unattended to, at the risk of taking cold, getting cracked heels, etc.

In case of accident or illness, however, disabling one horse, three or more are generally kept, in which case a helper is indispensable, and the wet carriage and horses can then receive proper and immediate attention.

The coachman generally has rooms over the stable to protect the property, and to be on the spot in case of accident or illness to the horses, so that he lives rent free; in addition to which his average wages will be 2l. per week including his livery, stable dress, coals, candles, etc.; those of a helper will vary from 15s. to 1l. according to his age, and the locality. Where a coachman has but one horse and carriage to drive and attend to, a younger and less experienced man will answer the purpose, particularly in the country. In this case, as his time will not be fully occupied in the stable, he may be expected and required to make himself useful about the house, etc. His wages, too, will average 10s. or I2s. a week less than those of a superior coachman.

The Groom

There are several descriptions and classes of grooms employed in private stables. With the stud-groom, for the breaking and training of thoroughbred horses, we have here nothing to do. The most important is the groom for the training and management of hunters. For this purpose he must be very steady, respectable, and intelligent, and have had considerable experience; for as the hunter, to carry a man well and safely to hounds must be very fit, it follows that the groom must understand not only how to prepare him, but when he is fit.

The preparation required for a hunter is such as to enable him to cany a certain weight through deep ground for some hours, often at a great pace, hence his wind must be clear, his flesh hard and firm, he must be full of power and muscle to perform the severe and long-continued exertion so often required of him.

No groom can, without considerable experience, do this, as he must understand how to feed and treat the various habits and constitutions of the different horses that come under his charge, the quantity of corn, etc, and the amount of work best suited for each horse, and how to treat the various accidents, blows, strains, thorns, cuts, etc, to which all hunters are liable.

A hunting-groom cannot properly attend to more than three hunters without help. In studs of five or six he should have two helpers under him, and in large studs one man to every three hunters, his own time will be fully taken up in a general superintendence of the helpers, attending to the horses that are ill, or have met with accidents, etc, and perhaps riding second horses for his master when hunting.

A good hunting-groom is a very valuable servant, so much depending upon him as to the safety, comfort, and style in which a man is carried to hounds. He cannot of course make a good or fast horse out of a bad or slow one, but by proper care, attention, and exercise he can very much improve him, and a fair moderate horse fit to go will generally beat a really good one only half prepared.

His average wages, including extras, will amount to from 30s. to 35s. per week, but in his case, as in that of any first-rate trustworthy servant, a few additional pounds a year is money very well and economically laid out.

Another class of groom is one that is rarely expected either to ride or drive. His duties are to feed, dress, and attend to the horses generally, and clean a chaise and harness, etc. He should be active, respectful, and obliging; two horses with a chaise and harness will be as much as he can properly attend to; and should he be expected occasionally to drive or ride he will need a helper; nothing tends so much to spoil a servant and make him idle and careless in his work as giving him more than he can fairly and properly do. When a groom is required to help in the stable, and ride behind his master and family, I know of no one so useful and fitted for the purpose as a good steady lad out of a racing stable, and who has grown too heavy for that work, as he is sure to be a good stableman, and to ride well and smartly.

After these come the nondescript class, part groom, part cowman and gardener, who are more useful than smart or ornamental. They cannot be called grooms, they simply just feed and "look after" the horse, or pony and carriage, and are for the most part young fellows who are either too lazy or too loutish to try to improve or take any pride or interest in their work.