ON HUNTING. 39 



again. If you want all the reins in one hand, just open the 

 left and lay the reins in the right across the palm of the left, 

 close the thumb and all is tight and cannot slip. Would 

 we were together with four straps and I would show you 

 and you would grasp it in a second. The idea is, you can 

 apply snaffle or curb, together or separately at will, also 

 shorten the reins in an instant. I know of no other way of 

 shortening the reins which enables you to do it so quickly 

 as this, and not in the process let go your horse's head. A 

 plain snaffle with a single wide rein is a good thing for begin- 

 ners, as there is not much to think about. In Ireland almost 

 all horses are ridden in plain snaffles. In England one sees 

 them but seldom. All racehorses are ridden in plain snaffles ; 

 the reason being that racehorses are taught to go " up into 

 their bridles," that is, to pull or. at any rate, bear considerably 

 on the reins. The jockey on 1he fiat is perched up on the top 

 of the saddle, certainly not in it, and maintains his balance 

 largely by the support from the reins, which is exactly 

 what we should try to avoid in ordinary riding. The 

 racehorse is trained to go with his weight on his forehand to 

 give his powerful quarters their full propelling advantage 

 for the attainment of speed. The hunter or hack has his 

 centre of gravity further back, well balanced between fore- 

 hand and hind quarters, so that he may have poise to enable 

 him to jump carefully and at short notice. The steeple- 

 chase horse is also almost always ridden in a snaffle bridle, 

 but, again, his forte is speed primarily, and his fences are taken 

 in different form from the deliberate style of a careful 

 hunter, which may have to jump a dozen different fences 

 successively. 



There are bridles in scores and bits in dozens all guaran- 

 teed to effect a cure on the most confirmed offenders in 

 the way of boring, pulling and so on, but the need for 

 their use will not arise with you unless you buy a horse 

 with these faults. About the most common article of 

 equipment, not being a necessity, is the martingale. It 

 consists of a strap which loops on to the girths under the 

 horse and coming up between his forelegs, divides and goes 

 to each rein, either the snaffle or curb reins, and is attached 

 to each with a biggish ring, through which the reins run easily. 



