io6 One Hand and Two Legs. 



ing not to be able to use your whip or crop, or to 

 button your glove, or to take off your hat, and at 

 the same time to turn a corner or avoid a team. 

 I have often ridden with people who so entirely 

 relied upon both hands, that they had to draw 

 rein for so simple a thing as the use of their 

 handkerchief, lest their horse should fly the track 

 while their right hand was so engaged. And 

 while I am to a certain extent an advocate for 

 the use of two hands, I cannot agree with the 

 habit of the day of so constantly employing two 

 that the horse and rider both lose the power of 

 doing satisfactory work with one. 



By all means teach Nelly to guide by the neck. 

 When you have done this, you may resort to both 

 hands again whenever you desire. And the habit 

 of using both hands is certainly more apt to keep 

 your shoulders, and hence your seat straight. 

 But a horse who cannot be guided with one hand 

 under all but the most exceptional conditions is 

 not fit for saddle work on the road. In the more 

 intricate paces of the School, indeed, the soldier 

 uses but one hand ; and though often more deli- 

 cate hints can be imparted to a horse's mind by 

 two, yet all except the greatest performances of 

 the manege can be accomplished with one, and a 

 horse who is unable to rehearse perfectly all the 

 road gaits and movements with the indications of 

 one hand and two heels is sadly lacking in the 

 knowledge he should boast. 



