100 ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP 



that the horse can arch his loins, bring the hind legs well 

 under, and make his spring in the trot. 



With regard to holding the reins,* the officers of the 

 French Cavalry School at Saumur have all the reins in 

 the left hand with the curb reins in the centre. They 

 keep the left hand perfectly steady near the body, and 

 place the right hand on the right bridoon rein in front of 

 it, feeling the curb reins with " the end of the fingers," 

 which can also pick them up and grip them to collect 

 the horse, and at times they separate the bridoon reins. 

 Personally, I like to have the bridoon reins in the 

 centre, f 



Others ride with the curb reins on the little finger of 

 the left hand, and the bridoon reins in each hand 

 between the second and third fingers, with the ends 

 passing between the thumbs and first fingers. Person- 

 ally, I have found this a good method when training a 

 horse. If the curb reins are thus separated by the little 

 finger, the bridoon reins should be held shorter than 

 them, so that the right hand can place itself below the 

 left hand and take up the curb reins, the right one 

 between the first and second fingers, and the left rein 

 under the little finger, and finger very lightly each rein 

 alternately so as to produce the diagonal effect in the 

 passage, the left hand being kept fixed near the body 

 with the bridoon reins stretched. 



In the Spanish trot the right hand should be placed 

 in a similar way on the bridoon reins, separated by the 



* I give various ways of holding the reins as it is good for 

 the " hands " to vary the fingers which connect rider and horse, 

 providing the horse will work on the curb bit. 



t In High School work we shoTild avoid drawing the curb 

 rein towards the body ; the hands should either grip the reins 

 without moving or, when necesasry, rise vertically with the 

 knuckles towards the ground. 



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