=The Hip-strap= should be of such length that the breech-strap will be a little below the point of the buttocks, or about 12 or 15 inches below the top of the dock. =The Loin-straps= should be adjusted so that the wheel-traces, when in draught, will be straight and without downward pull on the loops that support them. The loin-straps of swing-and lead-horses should raise the traces about six inches above the stifle-joint when in draught. In this position the line of the traces from front to rear will be straight, and the loops of the loin-straps will support the traces without drawing them up. =The Side-straps= should be so adjusted that when the horse is sitting back (stopping the carriage) no strain comes on the collar; the action should be performed by the horse sitting back into the breeching and thereby checking the momentum of the carriage by means of the side-straps, martingale, and neck-yoke. This is the most important adjustment of all. =The Traces.=--The length of the traces must depend in a great measure on the size of the horse and his stride. For the wheel-team the rule is to allow about 14 inches from single-tree to hindquarters, and for swing-and lead-teams one yard from nose to croup when in draught. The traces should be adjusted so that the line of traction will be unbroken from the single-tree to the collars of the leaders, and this rule will regulate, in some measure, the length of the loin-straps, the matching of the horses, and arrangement of the pairs as wheel, swing, and lead pair; this should be such as to make the waste of force as small as possible. All front trace-chains are permanently fastened to the traces, and have a toggle at the end. All rear trace-chains have a ring at one end and a hook at the other; the hook is passed through the D ring at the end of the trace, and hooked back into any desired link. By this means the length of the trace is adjusted, and the rear trace-chain need not be removed except for cleaning. CARE OF CARRIAGES. In garrison carriages must be kept in the gun-sheds. In the field they should be parked, if possible, on dry ground, furrows being cut, if necessary, to prevent the accumulation of water around them. They should be covered with the paulins. Every carriage should be carefully examined each day after marching into camp, and every defect and damage then noted and corrected as soon as possible. Everything in the way of cleaning, adjustment, etc., should be looked to, so that the carriages may be ready as soon as possible to turn out again in perfect order.