164 HOW TO HOLD THE REINS. 



RESPECTIVE MERITS OF ONE-HANDED AND TWO- 

 HANDED RIDING. 



Sensible people ride with one hand only when they are 

 obliged to do so ; because, even with the quietest animal, both 

 hands may be needed at any moment for control or 

 guidance. Besides, an even feeling on the reins when they 

 are held in one hand, can be maintained only by keeping 

 the hand in the median line of the horse's body, which is 

 naturally a more or less irksome task for the rider. Any 

 continued deviation of the hand from this central line will give 

 a one-sided feeling to the mouth. The three great objections 

 to one-handed riding, as far as control is concerned, are : that 

 by its adoption, the available strength of the rider is reduced 

 by nearly one-half ; that the rider has to rely almost entirely 

 on reversed indications for turning the animal to the right 

 or to the left ; and that, while keeping an even feeling on 

 the reins, he is unable to draw his hand further back than 

 the front of his body, which fact naturally obliges him to hold 

 his reins shorter than he need do if he had both hands on 

 them. Cavalry men and polo players have of course to ride 

 with one hand ; for the other hand will be occupied by, 

 respectively, a weapon and a polo stick. In pigsticking in 

 India, the right hand will have to be free to use the spear. 

 The Boers in South Africa habitually ride with one hand ; 

 because, when on horseback, they are accustomed to carry in 

 the right hand a rifle, which they rest on the right thigh. 



MILITARY METHOD OF HOLDING THE REINS. 

 According to The Cavalry Regulations^ the reins are held 

 in the left hand ; are divided by the little finger ; and are 

 brought up through the hand between the fore finger and 

 thumb (Fig. 167). Thus, the hold on the reins is chiefly 

 maintained by the lateral pressure of the fingers and by the 



