DRIVING, RIDING, HUNTING, RACE-RIDING 397 



a large heel minimises this danger. The reins should 

 not be narrow, for broad ones are easier to hold without 

 getting the fingers cramped ; and the leather should be 

 supple, yet stiff. A horse should never be ridden without a 

 nose-band, when only a snaffle is used, for if he chooses to 

 open his mouth he can render the snafEe of little effect. 

 Many grooms appear to think nose-bands are only for 

 ornament, and buckle them far too loose to be of any 

 service, but if the horse is only able to open his mouth a very 

 little the nose-band will be of great use. Considerable addi- 

 tional power is gained by the use of a properly adjusted 

 martingale, which is generally put on far too short, when 

 there is a danger of pulling the horse into a fence. A short 

 martingale may be all very well for a rearer, but it does not 

 do for riding over a country. The right way is to hold the 

 horse's head well up, and then so adjust the length of the 

 martingale that the rings just reach the throat behind the 

 angle of the jaws. This is short enough to give great power 

 in steadying and controlling the animal, while it does not 

 fidget or interfere with its comfort in any way. 



Some horses have a habit of throwing back their heads so 

 far that the rider receives a serious blow in the face. If the 

 reins are merely passed through two leather- covered metal 

 rings, fastened together and placed under the jaws, the head 

 can be prevented from reaching the rider's face ; but a 

 preferable plan is to use a standing martingale, usually 

 termed a " Cheshire Martingale," which terminates in two 

 branching chains with spring-hooks, which are snapped on 

 to the rings of the bit. This does not interfere with jump- 

 ing, for a horse drops his head as the leap is made, but it 

 effectually prevents any tossing of the head ; and the first 

 time the horse tries to do so he gets such a wrench to his 

 mouth as much disconcerts him, and very often cures him of 

 the habit altogether. 



When galloping after hounds the rider should stand up in 

 his stirrups, so that he can give-and-take to the swing of the 

 horse as he passes over uneven ground. It adds greatly to 

 the fatigue of the horse if the rider remains sitting down all 

 the time. It is soon enough to sit down when a short 



