150 THE AMERICAN HORSEWOMAN. 



must be held Avith their backs toward the 

 horse's head, and each rehi, as it ascends from 

 the bit, must be passed between the third and 

 fourth fingers of its appropriate hand, carried 

 across the inner surface of the third, second, 

 and first fingers, and then be drawn over the 

 outside (or side next to the thumb) of the first 

 finger, against which it must be held by firm 

 pressure of the thumb. The thumbs must be 

 held opposite each other and uppermost, the fin- 

 ger-nails toward the body, and the back of the 

 wrists must be rounded a little outw^ardly, so 

 as to make a slight bend of the closed hand 

 toward the body. The little fingers must be 

 held down and nearly in a horizontal line w^ith 

 the tips of the elbows ; and the hands be kept 

 as low as possible, without resting upon the 

 knees, and be about four inches distant from 

 the body, and from four to six inches apart. 

 (Fig. 25.) 



This arrangement of hands and reins may 

 be termed the " original position " when a snaf- 

 fle-rein is held in each hand, of wdiich all the 

 others are variations. In this position, — the 

 reins being held just short enough to feel the 

 horse's mouth, — if the hands be now slightly 

 relaxed by turning the nails and thumbs to- 

 ward the body, the latter being, at the same 



