32 2 SHORTENING THE REINS CH. XIV 



hind the left hand, it is out of the way and has to 

 be brought forward to be of use. 



The fingering to be good, must be very quick ; 

 a single second lost may mar it. 



In driving at night, it is more difficult to select a 

 rein behind the hand than to find it in front. 



When, however, all the reins are to be shortened 

 together, they may be taken between the first and 

 second fingers of the right hand behind the left, and 

 the left slipped forward on the reins to its new 

 place. It would be difficult to do this from the 

 front, especially if a good deal of shortening is 

 necessary, because the reins are too flexible to be 

 pushed readily, and they separate when they get a 

 short distance from the left hand, so that the right 

 hand cannot take hold of them altogether. 



As examples that authorities do not always agree 

 as to what is proper, the following extracts are 

 given : — 



Corbett (p. 249) says : ' But I have seen what is 

 ' even worse. I once beheld a gentleman perform- 

 ' ing in Hyde Park, who, finding himself seriously 

 ' incommoded with the slack of his reins, stretched 

 ' out his right hand over the left, seizing the reins 

 ' in front of it, and then, like sailors hauling a rope 

 ' hand over hand, proceeded to pass his left hand 

 ' to the front and take hold of them in front of the 

 1 right hand. I have frequently seen this manoeuvre 

 ' practised by coachmen driving one or a pair, but 

 ' only this once did I see the trick played on a 



