A four-in-hand is a carriage drawn by a team of four horses having the reins rigged in such a way that it can be driven by a single driver. The stagecoach and the tallyho are usually four-in-hand coaches.
Before the four-in-hand rigging was developed, two drivers were needed to handle four horses. However, with a four-in-hand, the solo driver could handle all four horses by holding all the reins in one hand, thus the name.
The four-in-hand knot used to tie neckwear may have developed from a knot used in the rigging of the reins.
