118 ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP 



on his mouth which fixes his attention on what he is 

 doing, and if he resists, the closing of the fingers brings 

 all the muscles of the rider's body into play. Out 

 hunting, and when training a horse, I have found the 

 horizontal position the better, whilst when riding a 

 trained hack, the vertical position gives the most 

 satisfactory results, as it is the more conducive to 

 light handling of the reins and a supple carriage of the 

 head and neck, especially if the reins are long and 

 the wrists pressed against the rider's body. So far as the 

 rider's position is concerned, the vertical position of the 

 knuckles with the thumbs pointing towards the horse's 

 ears is more conducive to an upright carriage of the 

 body and head, as the elbows are brought close to the 

 sides, causing him to press out his chest. 



