32 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 



firmly on them. The reins will then be precisely in the form in 

 which a dragoon's reins are arranged when he is riding a finished 

 horse at a field day or elsewhere. This method is therefore called the 

 " mode militaire." But inasmuch as only a highly-finished horse can 

 be ridden on the bit rein alone by an equally finished rider, in order 

 to assist the latter, and to prevent the horse imduly feeling the action 

 of the curb on his mouth, it is necessary that the rider should draw 

 up the bridoon reins so as to obtain an equal feeling upon both bit 

 and bridoon. Nothing can be more simple than to do this, as the 

 rider has only with the right hand to take hold of the bridoon rein 

 ■ on the left or near side of the buckle or centre, and draw it up until 

 the part passing under the lower edge of the hand is of equal length 

 with the bit reins. She then closes her left thumb on both reins, 

 and shortens the right bridoon rein until it is of equal length with 

 the others. The rider has then an equal feeling of all four reins. 

 She should then hold the ends with her right hand, and let th.e reins 

 slip through the left until both hands are drawn back close to her 

 waist, the wrists slightly rounded outwards, the back towards the 

 horse's head, and the elbows drawn slightly back behind the waist. 



The instructor having placed the pupil's hands, should then pro- 

 ceed to correct her general position. The figure should be weU 

 drawn up from the waist, shoulders perfectly square and well thrown 

 back, head and neck erect, the upper part of the arm hanging 

 almost perpendicular from the shoulder, the elbows well back, so that 

 a thin rod would pass between them and the waist ; the obvious 

 reason for this position of the hands and elbows being that, if they 

 are allowed to go forward, the whole flexibility of the waist — upon 

 which depends the comfort, grace, and security of the pupil's riding 

 — is destroyed, and the Hthe figure of the fair rider becomes rigid 

 and wooden in appearance, and stiff in action. 



The upper part of the figure being thus placed, the master's 

 attention should be directed to the position of the feet and legs. 

 That of the right leg I have already described. The left leg, with 

 the knee well bent, should be placed firmly against the third crutch, 

 the heel well sunk, the toe raised from the instep, the foot at first 

 well home in the stirrup. By well stretching down the heel the rider 



