38 LETTERS TO YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 



remember anyone ever telling me why it was there, probably 

 it was provided by a kind Providence to show where the mouth- 

 piece should rest, like that little hollow below your knee, 

 which was made to show the tailor where to put the top 

 button of your breeches. The snaffle lies just above the bit, 

 but quite half an inch below the angle of the lips, and never 

 so high as to wrinkle them at all. Now, nature has provided 

 another guide, that is, the groove behind the chin, in which 

 the curb-chain is obviously made to rest, neither above nor 

 below it. The curb-chain should be so loose that the leverage 

 is not applied to the horse's mouth till the pull of the reins 

 brings the leg of the bit almost horizontal. If you look round 

 these points you will have a comfortable ride, the horse will 

 go pleasantly and the proper functions of the bridle be correctly 

 performed. The groom, however, will fail to appreciate any of 

 these niceties and will discourage you from practising them. 

 But do not forget that most grooms are bad riders, from the 

 fine horseman's point of view. Now, this bundle of leather 

 called reins is very difficult to hold properly and effectively. 

 You feel at first like playing the harp. When I was first 

 starting to ride, one of the finest horsemen I ever knew showed 

 me how to hold the reins for nagging, bending and schooling 

 a horse, and I always hold them so for all purposes. If you 

 do not like it, do not do it. Suppose you bend the arms at 

 the elbows as if you were running, fists doubled, all knuckles 

 to the front. Put the snaffle reins between the first and 

 second fingers, one in either hand ; put the curb reins between 

 the third and little fingers, also one in each hand. Now turn 

 the hands inwards till the backs are upwards, and pass the ends 

 of the reins under the thumbs. If you press with the thumbs 

 the reins are fast and will not be drawn through your fingers 

 when the horse pokes out his nose. If you want to ride him 

 on the snaffle you hold the little fingers forward, thus lengthen- 

 ing the curb reins ; if you want to " feel " his mouth with the 

 curb reins, you bend the wrist and bring the little fingers 

 back, thus tightening the curb rein. If you want to shorten 

 all the reins at once to take a pull at the horse, divide the 

 hands apart and let the reins slip, and you shorten them 

 automatically as much as you like. On reading this over it 

 seems most fearfully involved, but bear with me and try 



