CH., XIV POSITION OF HAND AND ARM 301 



While reins should not be glassy or slippery, it is 

 a mistake to have them sticky with wax ; it will be 

 difficult to shift them slightly, as may be required. 

 The more experienced the coachman, the less he 

 will care for sticky reins ; just as a beginner on 

 horseback likes a sticky saddle, while nothing is 

 more disagreeable to an old horseman. 



The normal position of the arm is nearly hori- 

 zontal, the hand slightly lower than the elbow, 

 opposite to the centre of the body, and about four 

 inches away from it. The hand must be slightly 

 bent at the wrist toward the body, so that the 

 knuckles point straight to the front. This gives a 

 lightness to the hand, from the play of the wrist, 

 which cannot possibly be had if the hand is held 

 out straight. The lead-rein will, in this position, 

 run nearly over the knuckle. The back of the 

 hand must be vertical, neither turned up nor down ; 

 it is then ready to be rotated on the wrist as may 

 be required. 



If the hand is held much higher than about the 

 height of the waistcoat pocket, there will be no 

 room to raise it further in making a sudden stop ; 

 if it is too low it will be difficult to keep it in the 

 middle line of the body, and the right hand will 

 have too far to go to take hold of a rein in front of 

 the left ; if it is tight up against the body, there will 

 be no room to draw it back in stopping or in short- 

 ening all the reins together ; if it is much further 

 forward than four inches, it will be too far from the 



