i66 



HORSEMANSHIP. 



landed once more on the ground and is in his stride. The 

 stitching of the reins to the bit has aheady been recom- 

 mended, but, when they are buckled on, the buckles should 

 be guarded by a sliding piece of leather, longer than the 

 diameter of the martingale ring, to prevent the rings sliding 

 down on to the buckles and catching. ]Many very serious 

 accidents have been caused by the neglect of this pre- 

 caution ; the ring remains fixed in the buckle, the horse 



WITHOUT ATTACHMENT. 



finds his head imprisoned in a one-sided manner — for it is 

 seldom that both rings get caught — loses control over \{\m- 

 self, and gallops into the first ditch, upsetting both himself 

 and his rider. 



A noseband exercises a marvellous effect on some head- 

 strong pullers. A very hard-mouthed, excitable ex-steeple- 

 chaser I used to ride with the Pytchley, though almost 



