24 MODERN HORSEMANSHIP. 



CHAPTER III.— RIDING IN THE SNAFFIE. 



THE WALK— THE HALT— CHANGES OF DLKECTLON— 

 THE TROT. 



The beginner should use the snaffle reins only, and 

 he should take one in each hand, held at equal 

 lengths, so that his seat and shoulders will be square. 

 The rein should be grasped by the whole hand, the 

 loose end coming out past the forefinger and held 

 against it by the thumb, the hands held just above 

 the pommel of the saddle, the nails downward, and 

 the thumbs pointing forwards, and the reins with 

 such lengths that, with the head of the horse in a 

 natural position — i.e. neither poking down towards 

 the ground nor raised skywards — he can just feel 

 the mouth. To start the horse into a walk, the 

 rider will quietly close his legs against the sides of 

 the horse, and draw the reins very gently towards 

 his body : when he feels the impulse from the croup, 

 he should release the tensions upon the reins suf- 

 ficiently to let the horse advance quietly, and then 

 find with what tensions the horse moves freely and 

 steadily after he has released the pressure of his 



