HIDING. 221 



to counteract the effect of tlieir hands getting up, 

 which is nearly always the practice with bad riders, 

 unless, indeed, in the case I have mentioned, of the 

 gentleman who keeps hi^ hand on the horse's withers, 

 I recommend martingals, because with one it matters 

 little where the hands are ; they cannot affect the 

 horse's mouth so far as respects the elevating or 

 lowering of the head. All they can do is to use 

 such force in pulling the reins that the horse cannot 

 (and I should say would show his good sense if he 

 refused to) advance. Probably the rider would take 

 such " hint direct," and moderate his pull at the 

 reins. 



Hands may be considered the refinement of horse- 

 manship, without which no man has any pretensions 

 to the character of a horseman ; he may ride boldlv, 

 and may sit fast ; this he would learn, if as a boy, he 

 bad been kicked a few times off a jackass. This does 

 not make him a horseman. The difference between 

 riders, I hold to be — the one sits on the back of a 

 horse, crossing a country in such form and style as 



