104 HACKS AND HUNTERS 



the reins, whereas if the arms are extended and the 

 forearm is more or less in a line with the reins, all the 

 give and take has to come from the shoulder, the 

 whole arm instead of just the wrist has to be moved, 

 and unconsciously the rider occasionally rests his weight 

 on the reins and the horse's mouth. 



In order to maintain the correct angle of the fore- 

 arm, the hands, when hacking, should be held about 

 half-way between the right knee and the waist, and 

 about at a level with the waist-line. (See illustration 

 facing page 36.) Horses differ very much in the way 

 they should be ridden, and some require more leverage 

 on the bit than others in order to make them step high 

 or "act up," in which case the hands may be raised 

 slightly higher. (See illustration facing page 86.) 

 Holding the hands extremely high, however, has no 

 advantage and lays one open to the accusation of 

 "putting on airs" or "showing off." 



For hunting or jumping the reins should be held 

 shorter than for hacking, and the hands should be 

 placed forward so that they come at least over the 

 rider's knee, and should be held as low as possible. 



Most of the detailed directions I have ever read in 

 books as to the proper way of holding the reins are so 

 varied and obtuse that there is small wonder that 

 beginners are all at sea as to which is correct. It 

 seems that, as Ruskin says: "It is far more difficult 

 to be simple than it is to be complicated." Most in- 

 structions on the subject are frightfully complicated, 

 whereas in reality the thing is extremely simple. 



I find that it is quite unnecessary to know the 

 numerous recommended ways of holding the reins — 

 instructions which make the average book on riding 

 look like a labyrinth of meaningless rules. One can 



