i66 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



The reins should be broad, of the best of 

 leather and not too thick. About fths of an 

 inch is a good breadth. It used to be the fashion 

 at one time to have the curb rein a little narrower 

 than the snaffle, and it was urged that this 

 enabled the rider to distinguish more readily 

 which rein he was using. Both reins should 

 be of the same width, and the man who cannot 

 distinguish between the feel of a snaffle and a curb 

 in a horse's mouth had better not use a double 

 reined bridle. It is a good plan to have the ends 

 of the reins laced to prevent them slipping in the 

 hand. It makes rather a bigger ' handful ' it is 

 true, but not sufficient to be of any importance. 

 The reins should not be too long as they are apt 

 to get in the way. There should be a buckle and 

 strap at the end of each rein, so that the reins 

 may be put through the rings of the martingale 

 if necessary. In many bridles the buckle is only 

 found on the snaffle rein but that is a mistake, 

 for occasionally it is advisable to attach the 

 martingale to the curb rein. All reins and 

 headstalls should be sewn on to the bits. Buckles 

 and spring hooks look bad ; they are an incen- 

 tive to idleness, inasmuch as the bits, when easily 

 detached, are thrown into a bucket and left till 

 some convenient season to be cleaned, which is 

 not conducive to their well-being ; and moreover 

 they are apt to get fastened on to the martingale 

 rings. If buckles or spring hooks are used it is 

 imperative that ' stops ' should be put on the 

 reins to prevent the martingale rings getting over 



