RIDING AND TRAINING. 2 I 



CHAPTER VL HANDS AND LEGS. 



THE WALK THE TROT THE GALLOP. 



IN riding with the double bridle, the reins should 

 be carried in one hand, and the other hand will 

 assist. By custom, derived from military horseman- 

 ship, the left is the bridle hand, but the rider must 

 be able to use the right with equal skill. There are 

 various ways prescribed for holding the reins, but 

 I prefer the following. In the left hand : the little 

 finger dividing the curb reins (the left rein under- 

 most), the middle finger dividing the snaffle reins 

 (the left rein undermost), both sets carried up 

 through the hand, clasped by the thumb against the 

 fore-finger, and the loose ends falling over the 

 knuckles. The hand should be held directly in 

 front of the body, the little finger towards the 

 ground, the thumb pointing between the ears of the 

 horse. The right hand should be carried upon the 

 loose ends of the reins, ready to give assistance to 

 the bridle hand. 



To shift the reins into the right hand, it will be 



