SHORTENING THE REINS. 165 



SHORTENING THE REINS WHEN HELD IN ONE HAND. 

 If the reins are held, for instance, in the right hand, take 

 them in the left hand, slip the right forward as in Fig. 166, 

 and having got the required length, close the fingers of the 

 right hand on the reins and let go the left. Or take the 

 slack of the reins in the left hand and draw them through 

 the right, until they become short enough. Double reins are 

 shortened in the same manner, except that the reins on each 



P'ig. 165. Double reins in left hand : one crossed, the other hooked 

 up on middle finger. 



side are kept apart by the appropriate fingers of the re- 

 spective hands, 



SHORTENING THE REINS WHEN HELD IN BOTH HANDS. 



Supposing that single reins are held as in Fig. 157, and that 

 we want to shorten them, for instance with the right hand, 

 we pass the off rein " crossed " over the near rein into the 

 left hand, and placing the off rein between the little 

 finger and the ring finger of the right hand, we slide the right 

 hand forward on the off rein until we obtain the required 



