A FEW HINTS 199 



hook up the other on the middle finger, and let it 

 loose, or draw it up to a greater or less extent." 



This may be, probably is a better plan than 

 the one I have previously described, and for this 

 reason. There is perhaps a slightly greater 

 tendency, when what for want of a name I will 

 call the mihtary style is used, to keep the 

 knuckles in a vertical position. This should be 

 avoided as it makes the pressure of the reins un- 

 even, those on the off side coming up higher on the 

 horse's neck than those on the near side, as will 

 be readily seen, when the description of holding 

 the reins is studied. If the knuckles are held 

 quite vertical the off reins will be at least 3^ 

 inches higher than the near ones at the rider's 

 hands. 



I do not care for Capt. Hayes' plan of hooking 

 up the rein the rider does not require, or fancies 

 he does not require which is not always quite 

 the same thing. I prefer to knot it up short and 

 let it hang on the horse's neck. It is very easily 

 picked up if wanted. 



There is a line in some old doggerel which goes — 



His knees close to his horse's sides, his elbows to his own. 



There is nothing uglier than to see a man 

 sticking his elbows out at one angle and his toes at 

 another, and as the Yorkshire adage has it 

 setting his back up like a cat eating raw paste. 

 But how many men one sees with their elbows 

 sticking out as if they did not belong to them 



