82 HOESES AND EIDING. 



In riding with a martingale, if the reins are sewn 

 on to the bit, the ends in the hand must be made to 

 buckle, or you cannot get the martingale on. If the 

 reins are buckled on to the bit then there wiU have 

 to be something on the reins between the martingale 

 rings and the buckles, otherwise the buckles will get 

 caught in the rings and the horse will get his head 

 fast. These are called stops, and are often sewn on 

 to the rein. But the better way is to cut out two 

 pieces of stiff leather about the size and shape of a 

 crown-piece (see fig. 11), and cut a hole, b b, through 



Fig. 11. 



each of them, which will admit the rein, and then 

 cut one half of them, c, through at right angles to the 

 hole for. the reins ; these can be slipped on to any 

 reins after the martingale is put on, and will do for 

 any bridle. They must be stiff, or they might come 

 off in riding. It is better to use them, both for sewn 

 and buckled reins. 



Instead of a martingale use is sometimes made 

 of a simple ring, which the reins are passed through 

 before putting them over the horse's neck. This is 



