HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP. 51 



the left, if it be required to shorten the left equally, by 

 management, you may bring the two thumbs together again 

 without loosening the left rein; — I say, by management, you 

 may do so, but the chances are that the longest rein is inva- 

 riably thus slackened previously to being shortened, and con- 

 sequently the bearing on the horse's mouth disturbed ; but 

 supposing it possible to manage this by an inch at a time, it 

 is quite impossible to manage it at a greater distance. If, 

 therefore, you have to shorten both reins a foot, you cannot 

 effect it without twenty-four operations. This is not at all an 

 unlikely occurrence in riding unruly horses ; for such horses 

 are commanded by being made to bend or collect themselves : 

 their most frequent defence is jerking their heads away and 

 extending themselves ; and the facility of adjusting the length 

 of your reins to the degree in which they extend or collect 

 themselves, makes the difference of whether you can ride 

 such horses or not. If, in riding a half-broken, hot, or violent 

 horse, he jerks his head down, so as to draw one rein six 



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