60 IX THE HIDING-SCHOOL. 



up through the hand, and holding them by the 

 thumb. Mr. Mead, in his 'Horsemanship for 

 Women,' mentions this hold, but prefers taking 

 the curb on the ring finger, and the snaffle out- 

 side the little finger, and between the forefinger 

 and middle finger. This hold is used in the 

 British army, and it is convenient in school, 

 because if it be desirable to drop the curb in 

 order to ride with the snaffle only, you can do it 

 by dropping your ring finger, and, if your horse 

 be moderately quiet, can knot the curb rein and 

 let it lie on his neck. Besides, it makes the 

 snaffle a little tighter than the curb, and that is 

 held to be a good thing in England. An Eng- 

 lish soldier is prone to accuse American cavalry- 

 men of riding too much on the curb, and by the 

 way, I have heard English soldiers assert that 

 they were taught the second method, but it was 

 a riding master formerly in the Queen's service 

 who told me that the third was preferred. 



" M. de Bussigny, in his little ' Handbook for 

 Horsewomen,' gives the preference to crossing 

 the reins, the curb coming outside the little 

 finger and between the ring and middle finger, 

 and the snaffle between the little and ring fin- 



