CH. XIV SHORTENING THE REINS 32 1 



ciently ; it will depend largely upon how the leaders 

 and wheelers are working in relation to each other. 



In a well-assorted team, the leaders should be 

 somewhat more free than the wheelers, and their 

 reins will be therefore a little tighter than those of 

 the wheelers, so that a general tightening of all the 

 reins will be sufficient to shorten the lead-reins. 

 Should the wheelers be pulling and the leaders, in 

 consequence, have slack reins, it may be necessary 

 to take up the lead-reins a little. 



Even with very light-mouthed horses, however, 

 all the reins should be tight enough to enable the 

 coachman to ' feel ' the horses' mouths all the time. 



The horses should always be 'in their bridles,' 

 or, in other words, up to their bits ; else they will 

 not instantly feel, as they should, the slightest in- 

 dication from the hand. This is not at all incom- 

 patible with slight pressure, and constitutes that 

 lightness of hand which is so desirable. 



As a general principle, after the reins are once 

 adjusted to the proper place in the left hand, they 

 should remain there unmoved and held tigJitly in 

 the bend of the third and fourth fingers, as if they 

 were fastened togetJier at that point, in front of which 

 all the fino-erino- must be done. 



The reason for pushing in any or all of the reins 



from the front is, that when the right hand is in 



that position it is just where it is needed to make 



any movement, or to do any fingering ; while be- 



21 



