PARK RIDING. 37 



the power of the hand over the horse. You can 

 animate, enliven, soothe, chastise, correct, and 

 punish, all with delicacy ; and by the trembling 

 of the fingers you can excite the horse, or quiet 

 him. If the hand cannot foil the endeavours of 

 the horse, he will beat you, and be encouraged to 

 repeat his tricks whenever he pleases. 



To slack or ease the hand, is to slacken the 

 bridle. To drop the hand, is to give the horse 

 his head. The curb keeps his head down. The 

 snaffle keeps it up. To keep a horse in hand, is 

 to feel his mouth when likely to be frightened. 



Adams says: "Horse's mouths, like musical 

 instruments, when wrongly or roughly handled, 

 are soon put out of tune, and require the masterly 

 touches of a professor to put them to rights. 

 Hence, ladies' horses whose mouths are made 

 light, and which, if they have not sufficient skill 

 to keep them so, and wish to ride safely and plea- 

 santly, should have them occasionally ridden by 

 a master, not to suppose their grooms equal to 

 that business." 



