MILITARY METHOD. 169 



attempt to pull against, and are thus easily controlled with 

 one hand. 



MILITARY METHOD OF HOLDING THE REINS. 

 According to The Cavalry Regulations, the reins are held 

 in the left hand ; are divided by the little ringer ; and are 

 brought up through the hand between the fore finger and 

 thumb (Fig. 167). Thus, the hold on the reins is chiefly 

 maintained by the lateral pressure of the fingers and by the 

 downward pressure of the thumb on them. As the muscles 

 which draw the fingers laterally together (the adductor muscles 

 of the fingers) are far weaker than the muscles which cause 



Fig. 167. Reins held in one hand in military fashion. 



the hand to become clenched (the flexor muscles of the 

 fingers); it follows that the military method of holding the 

 reins is much less secure and a good deal more tiring than 

 the "crossed" one-handed plan (Fig. 160), which also has the 

 advantage of utilising the friction between the opposing sur- 

 faces of leather. Besides, with only the little finger separating 

 the reins, one rein can be made shorter than the other rein, 

 only by about three quarters of an inch, so that the direct 

 lateral indication of the rein is practically nil. The only good 

 point about our military method of holding the reins, as far as 

 I can see, is that it enables the rider to readily shorten the 

 reins with the fore finger and thumb of the right hand, the 

 other fingers of which are occupied with the sabre or lance. 



