MANAGEMENT OF THE REINS. 223 



3. The steadier the bit remains in the mouth, the more 

 accurately will the horse under ordinary conditions obey its 

 indications, and the less inclined will he be to resent its 

 presence between his lips. Hence we should as a rule keep 

 our hands steady, without any irritating sawing or " niggling " 

 at the reins. If, however, the animal bears too much on the 

 bit as a defence against our attempted control, we may draw 

 the bit through the mouth, so as to prevent him from thwart- 

 ing our wishes. Even in turning the horse, we should 

 be careful not to shift the bit in his mouth, to avoid doing 

 which, we should preserve a uniform tension of the reins on 

 both sides of the bit, although the pull of the reins will not 

 be in the same direction. Here we shall be greatly aided by 

 bringing the opposite hand across the body, so as to apply 

 its rein to the neck ; for not only will the friction between 

 the rein and the skin help to keep the bit in position, but 

 the pressure of the rein on the neck will be an additional 

 indication for the horse to turn. 



4. In order that the rider may be able to use his hands with 

 precision, no disconcerting movements should be communi- 

 cated to his arms by his body, which can be kept steady in 

 the best manner by a firm grip of the knees on the flaps 

 of the saddle, and by keeping the feet from going too far 

 forward. In fact, correct manipulation of the reins is im- 

 possible without a good seat. 



5. The amount of hold which a horse takes of his bridle 

 should not be much in excess of that which is necessary for 

 the rider to keep in touch with him ; because the more the 

 animal bears on the bit, the more weight will he put on his 

 forehand. I have previously alluded to the general advis- 

 ability of keeping a horse light in front. These remarks of 

 course refer to ordinary riding, and not to the crouching seat 

 of race riding. 



6. If we wish the animal we are riding to maintain a steady 



