THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 31 



should be taken by the instructor that this is done coolly and grace- 

 fully, without hurry or " fumbling." A great deal of trouble in this 

 way may be saved by the instructor teaching the lady how to take 

 up her reins on foot. Thus, take an ordinary double bridle, let a lad 

 hold the upper part of the head-stall in one hand, and the bits in the 

 other, and stand opposite the pupil. Hang both reins over your left 

 arm just as they would rest on the neck of the horse, the curb rein 

 underneath, the bridoon rein above. Let the pupil then take hold of 

 both reins at the end with the right hand ; place the second finger of 

 the left hand between the bridoon reins with the nearside rein upper- 

 most, and the little finger of the same hand between the curb reins, 

 the near-side curb rein uppermost. Let her then place both bridoon 

 and bit reins perfectly flat over the middle joint of the forefinger of 

 the left hand, and drop the end of the rems over the knuckles, then 

 close the thumb firmly down on them. She will find then both bit 

 and bridoon reins equally divided, and an equal facility of causing 

 them to act on the horse's mouth, according to the direction in which 

 she turns the wrist of her left or bridle hand proper, or assists it 

 with her right hand, accordmg to the aids hereafter to be described. 

 The mode of holding the reins above laid down is called in the 

 French school " Mode de Paysanne," or civilian method. The 

 military fashion, which is far more elegant, but not so well adapted 

 at first for a beginner, is as follows. 



The pupil takes the end of the bridoon reins between the finger 

 and thumb of the right hand, and passes them over the full of the 

 left, or, to render the explanation still more simple, passes all the 

 fingers of the left hand between them, the off side rein above, and 

 the near side one below ; the buckle piece on the knuckle of the 

 forefinger, the rest of the rein hanging loosely down. Let the lady 

 then take the bit or curb reins between the finger and thumb of the 

 right hand, and pass the little finger of the left between them, the 

 near side rein uppermost. With the right hand then let her draw 

 the reins through the left, until — keeping the left hand perfectly 

 quiet — she has a light, almost imperceptible, feeling on the horse's 

 mouth. Let her then turn the bit reins over the middle joint of the 

 forefinger of the left hand, and close the thumb down closely and 



