HANDS. 163 



joints (namely, those which connect the lower jaw to 

 the head, and the head to the neck, and the joints of 

 the neck themselves) free from all rigidity and bears 

 lightly on the bit, he is what is called "well in hand," 

 in which state every horsewoman should endeavour to 

 keep her mount, as it is the beatc ideal one that admits 

 of full control by the rider and of perfect freedom of 

 movement on the part of the horse. Having the 

 horse well in hand, the rider should be careful to keep 

 the reins at one tinaltered length for the particular 

 rate of speed at which she is going. If she desires to 

 increase it, she should give her horse a signal which 

 he understands, and should lengthen the reins as may 

 be required. If she Welshes to go slow^er, she should 

 proportionately shorten them ; but she should always 

 preserve uniformity of speed at any pace by keeping a 

 fixed length of reins. Nothing is worse for a horse's 

 mouth than the constant "give and take " (in Ireland 

 they call it "niggling" at a horse's mouth) which is 

 practised by almost every bad rider. This fact is so 

 w^ell recognised by our jockeys that "Keep your hands 

 steady " is the chief order which competent trainers of 

 racehorses give to their lads. When a rider keeps 

 shifting the position of her hands, her bewildered 

 animal will be unable to know at what speed she wants 

 him to travel. All this reads very simple, but some- 

 times we find that horses, especially w^hen excited by 

 hounds, insist on going at their own pace. If- the 

 coast is clear in front, and the horseman in advance 

 has got safely over and away from the fence to which 



II* 



