HOLDING DOUBLE REINS. 



163 



outside, as is the usual and best method, and at such a length 

 that little or no pressure is put on them when the hands are 

 carried in the ordinary way, although these reins can be 

 drawn tightly, if the hands are rotated inwards and the 

 little fingers closed on the palms of the hands. If we desire 

 to have an equal bearing on both the curb and snaffle 

 reins, it is immaterial which of them we have on the outside 



Fig. 163. Double reins crossed in both hands with the ring (third) 

 fingers between them. 



or we may use them as one rein passing between the little 

 finger and ring finger. If the snaffle is to be the predominant 

 rein, as it should be for all ordinary purposes, it will of course 

 be on the inside and the curb reins more or less slack, as in 

 frontispiece. 



When holding double reins as in Fig. 161, if we wish to 

 obtain a better grip of the reins, we may " cross " them as 

 we did with the single reins (Fig. 158), and will then hold 



n* 



