296 HAND ON THE REINS CH. XIV 



bar will tear the post, or else the bar or the trace 

 will be broken. 



Having got fairly on the road, a few minutes are 

 spent in noticing how the team is going, and, if it is 

 a strange team, what are its peculiarities ; the places 

 of the reins in the hand can then be determined, 

 and that having been done, the reins should be kept 

 in the left hand as far as possible unchanged, with 

 the right hand always free. 



The rigJit Jiand s/iould not remain on the reins 

 an instant longer than the time required to make 

 a change of some kind. 



For example, in making a point with a lead-rein, 

 it should be done promptly, taking enough rein and 

 not to much, and, after putting the point in its 

 proper place, the right hand should be taken off 

 immediately ; or, if an inclination is to be made to 

 the off side of the road, the two points must be 

 made, or the reins shortened, for that side, but the 

 right hand should not be put on the reins and kept 

 there, since this action is likely to pull the reins a 

 little out of the left hand, and the moment the rio-ht 

 hand is taken off, the horses will run over to the left, 

 and all the beauty of the movement will be spoiled. 



It seems hardly possible that there should be a 

 difference of opinion as to whether or not the reins 

 should be kept in the left hand in an unchanged 

 position ; an unchanged position must not be under- 

 stood to mean that a dead pull should be kept upon 

 the horses' mouths ; the whole hand can give readily 



