MOUNTED INSTRUCTION 2i5 



to reach the bridles. This also permits of better inspection of the bits 

 for cleanHness. 



A pair of horses should then be harnessed by the instructor "by 

 detail," Par. 411. He should give the command and explain thoroughly 

 the method of placing each part of the harness on the horses. 



After placing" the saddle on the horse the collar strap is fastened. 

 This should be done immediately to prevent the collar sliding up behind 

 the horse's head, should the animal lower his head. The back strap is 

 then turned back with the right hand, the cincha strap lowered with 

 the left and the cincha passed over to the off side with the right hand. 

 The driver then goes to the ofif side of the horse, sees that the cincha is 

 properly lowered, comes back to the rear of the horse, grasps the crup- 

 per with the right hand and the horse's tail with the left, raises the 

 tail and passes the crupper under the tail, and buckles the crupper. 

 The saddle should be evenly buckled on both sides, that is in corre- 

 sponding holes. 



While standing in the rear of the horse the driver should glance 

 along the horse's back through the cantle arch and see that the saddle is 

 correctly placed. He then steps up on the near side and completes the 

 saddling as in Par. 228. 



In putting the trace toggles through the hame tugs the toggles 

 should be run through the loop from the inside out. While the trace 

 chains of the two traces for each horse are required to be hooked in the 

 same corresponding link, it is better to have all four trace chains of the 

 pair hooked in the same corresponding link. This will prevent any 

 injury to the horse from pulling with traces of unequal length, in case 

 the four traces become mixed when hung on the harness peg. 



When using the old model bridle, after passing the ofT rein through 

 the lead rein roller the driver should make a twist in the reins by pas- 

 sing the bight through the loop in the reins, the reins having been 

 drawn through the roller sufficiently to permit the bight to be passed 

 through the loop so formed. This will prevent the reins slipping back 

 through the roller. Tying a knot in the bight is objectionable because 

 it is hard to undo and often results in having to cut the reins to get them 

 out of the roller. 



Before coupling the pair is placed in the passageway in the rear of 

 the stalls. Unless this is done the chain or wire supporting the kicking 

 bar will prevent the pair from being led or backed out of the stall. 

 While Par. 411 prescribes that the hook at the end of the coupling rein 

 be attached to the right pommel ring of the near saddle, this hook 

 should be placed with the collar strap hook on the "D" ring on the 

 pommel of the near saddle. This ring is securely fastened by a rivet 

 through the pommel arch and can not easily be pulled out, while the 

 pommel ring is fastened to the side bar by two wood screws which are 

 easily displaced. It should be explained that snapping of the coupling 

 rein strap into the "D" ring instead of into the right pommel ring is 

 distinctly at variance with the drill regulations. When leading the 

 pair the driver should always be on the near side. 



