226 HANDS AND LEGS (AIDS). 



one hand with the little finger separating them (Fig. 167), it is 

 almost impossible for the rider to turn the horse by a direct 

 pull of the reins ; because he can shorten either rein only to an 

 extent equal to the thickness of his little finger, say, three- 

 quarters of an inch, which would evidently be insufficient to 

 make a horse turn his head. Hence, the pressure on the 

 opposite side of the neck has to be used as an indication for 

 turning. Thus, if the cavalryman wants his horse to go to the 

 right, he presses the near rein on the near side of the neck, by 

 carrying his bridle hand more or less to the right, and vice 

 versa. His horse, if well trained, will obey in an admirable 

 manner and even in the excitement of " action," this feeble 

 signal, combined, as it should be, with an indication from the 

 leg. A free-going horse, bitted and trained for ordinary riding, 

 would almost to a certainty fail to answer such a signal, if he 

 were excited, as for instance by the music of the hounds ; 

 partly because he had not been specially educated for that 

 kind of work, and also because he is not afraid to go boldly up 

 to his bit. It is evident that a horse would be useless in 

 the ranks, if he were to go up to his bridle in the free manner 

 desirable in a hunter or chaser. 



The impossibility of turning a horse only by a direct pull of 

 the reins when they are held in one hand in military style, can 

 be easily demonstrated by trying to do so, when driving a 

 horse in single harness, in which case the terret rings will 

 prevent any pressure on the opposite side of the neck. When 

 the reins are held as in Fig. 160, it will of course be much 

 easier to turn the animal with one hand than when the reins 

 are separated only by the little finger. The readiness with 

 which horses can be made to understand indications of the 

 reins, is proved by the fact that young horses in many breeding 

 districts when wearing a halter and ridden bare-back, can be 

 guided in any direction by the single rope held by their rider, 

 who uses a direct pull on the month to tijrn them to one 



