218 THE PERFECT HORSE. 



and make another spurt : and the value of this way of 

 driving is, that the horse is not likely to break when 

 thus called upon ; while a high-strung, generous horse, 

 if called upon for a final effort with a whip, is as likely 

 to break the moment it falls on him as not. I have won 

 many a very close heat by practising this movement ; 

 and therefore I have no hesitation in recommending it. 

 It is not difficult to acquire ; and the horse soon comes 

 to know what it means. 



*' Let us come now to the way of taking hold of the 

 reins. A wrap around the hand, such as running-horse 

 riders take, is clumsy and bad. I do not know whether 

 many people take hold of the reins as I do, or not. 

 Perhaps not. Sim. Hoagland is the only one who takes 

 hold precisely as I do, so far as I have observed. When 

 we have been jogging horses together at early morn- 

 ing, we have often talked over these matters ; and, 

 whether our way was the best way or not, we could 

 never see any other that suited us half as well. 



" I will try to explain how I hold the reins. I could 

 show it in two seconds. Take, first, the right-hand rein. 

 This, coming from the bit, passes betwen the little fin- 

 ger and the third finger, over the little finger, then 

 under the other three fingers, and up over the thumb. 

 The left-hand rein is held in the left hand exactly in the 

 same way ; but the bight of the slack of the reins is 

 also held between the thumb and forefinger of the left 

 hand. This gives more substance in that hand ; but, 

 if it is found inconvenient to have it there by those 



