396 THE TROTTING-UORSE OF AMERICA. 



is clumsy and bad. I do not know whether many people 

 take hold of tl e reins as I do, or not. Perhaps not. Sim. 

 Iloagland is the only one who takes hold precisely as 1 do, 

 BO far as I have observed. When we have been jogging 

 horses together at early morning, 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 between the little finger 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 who have small hands, it may be dropped 

 altogether. A firm grasp on each rein, with the backs of 

 the hands up, and without any wrap, is thus obtained. It 

 is a great point in driving to be able to shift the reach — 

 that is, the length of the hold you take — without for an 

 instant letting go of the horse's head. With this way of 

 holding the reins, it is easily done. If I want to shorten 

 the hold on the left-hand rein (the near rein), I take hold of 

 that rein just behind the left hand with the thumb and 

 forefinger of the right hand, and steady it. This is very 

 easily done ; and it does not interfere at all with the command 

 of the off rein with the right hand. The near rein being 

 thus steadied behind the left hand, I slide that hand forward 

 on the rein, which is kept over the little finger, under the 

 other three fingers, and cv^er the thumb all the time, and 

 then shut the grasp again on the new reach. A shift with 

 the right hand is made just in the same way, by taking 

 hold and steadying the rein behind that hanjl with the 

 thud and forefinger of the left hand. 



