590 HISTORY OF THE 



passage in which he explains his meaning, when 

 speaking of a slack rein. 



" Now, in my own defence, I will name one of 

 those very fine parts in riding a race, as it is 

 thrown in my face, to this time, as a very great 

 fault in my riding, viz., my riding with a loose 

 rein. The Duke of Bedford was near taking me 

 off his horses, saying, the people teased him be- 

 cause I rode his horses with a loose rein, and de- 

 sired me to hold my horse fast in his running. I 

 am sorry his Grace was thus troubled, as it puts a 

 horse's frame all wrong ; and his speed slackened 

 where the horse has that sort of management to his 

 mouth. My reins appeared loose, but my horse 

 had only proper liberty, and mostly running in the 

 best of attitudes. It's usual, when grooms are 

 talking and giving orders to their riders, to hold 

 the horse fast in his running ; and where a horse 

 is intended to make play, their orders mostly are, 

 to hold the horse fast by the head, and let him 

 come, or come along with him ; but it is very 

 much against a horse to hold him fast, or let him 

 bear on his rein in his running ; it makes him run 

 with his mouth more open, and pulls his head 

 more in or up. This causes him, at times, to 

 run in a fretting, jumping attitude, with his fore 

 legs more open ; sometimes it causes him to run 

 stag-necked ; this makes the horse point his fore 

 legs, otherwise called straight-legged ; sometimes 

 it makes the horse run with his neck more down. 



