84 THEORY OF MOUTHING. 



by it we can not alone exercise the horse ; but can also 

 " mouth " him at the same time. Besides, by it we can 

 regulate and control the animal's movements in a manner 

 unattainable in any other way. By this style of riding and 

 by the use of the long reins on foot, the proper distribution 

 of weight can be maintained when turning or circling the 

 horse. I may here explain that when turning or circling a 

 horse to the right (in the direction in which the hands of a 

 watch move), the right rein or right leg is the inward rein 

 or inward leg, and the left rein or left leg, the outward rein 

 or outward leg ; and vice versa. 



Apart from the turn on the centre, which I have just 

 described and which preserves as far as possible the natural 

 distribution of weight between the fore and hind legs, the 

 turn may be made on the forehand or on the haunches, 

 either as a suppling exercise, or as a movement necessary 

 on certain occasions to which I shall refer later on. 



REINING-BACK. 



Combined ability to comprehend and willingness to obey 

 the application of the appropriate aids for reining-back, are 

 useful in all horses, both as an end and as a means. Even 

 on the racecourse, it is well for a jockey to be able at times 

 to rein his horse back at the start, instead of having to turn 

 round, go back, and come up again, in doing which he 

 might easily lose a good position. Also, among a crowd of 

 horses in the hunting field, when waiting for one's turn 

 to go through a gate or at the only practicable part of a 

 fence, a like command over a horse is to be appreciated. 

 Reining-back is, however, even still more valuable as a 

 means of teaching the horse to obey the aids. There are 

 two forms of the rein-back : one, in which the preponder- 

 ance of weight is placed on the hind legs ; the other, in 

 which it is put on the forehand. We see the former when 



