59 



The outside rein has many duties to perform and varies greatly in 

 tension and position, It is instrumental in making 1 the horses mouth 

 sensible to the impressions of the bit and in creating the desirable act- 

 ivity of the same, by alternately taking and giving, that is pulling and 

 letting loose. It is the means of preventing a false or crooked position 

 of the head or flexion of the neck, by counteracting the effects of the in- 

 side rein. It elevates the neck and is used as an aid of weight in guid- 

 ance, by its pressure against the neck, A very important office of the 

 outside rein lies in its action upon the hindhand ; a pull of the rein 

 away from the neck, thai is backward-sidewise, will have in conse- 

 quence the movement of the hindhand in the opposite direction. 



One rein must not be pulled, without the resistance of the other suf- 

 ficiently, to prevent the shifting of the bit in the mouth. 



The aids of legs control the hindhand of the horse by pressing 

 either combinedly upon the flanks and by so doing cause the forward 

 motion, or by moving the hindhand sidewise, making it recede from 

 the pressure of a single leg. 



The centrifugal force tends, during the act of turning, to throw 

 the hindhand out from the centre of the circle, on part of which the 

 horse turns, thus depriving it of the support of its hind legs and the 

 danger of slipping and falling, which is caused thereby, increases 

 with the speed. 



In order to secure the equilibrium of horse and rider and the safe 

 execution of any turn, we must create a centripetal basis or pivot by 

 approaching the centre of the curve, on which the horse turns, with 

 the inside hind leg, doing so in an increased measure, the shorter and 

 the quicker the turn is to be executed. The outside, leg of the rider 

 is for this purpose applied behind the saddle girth and thus we 

 compel the hindhand to describe a narrower circle, than the forehand, 

 assisting the function of the leg by that of the outside rein in the man. 

 ner described above. 



The tension required for the aids of reins increases with the speed 

 and the maintenance of the tempo or rythm, is dependent xipon the 

 urging aids of the riders inside leg applied upon the girth, 



Before all turns, the gait should be shortened without altering the 

 tempo, that is by causing the steps, or strides to be higher and shorter 

 through a more forcible application and more frequent repetition of the 

 aids of legs and an increased tension of the reins. 



All turns should be executed gradually, that is, on a curve of at 

 least the length of a horse, or three paces, because too short, abrupt or 

 violent a turn would be apt to sprain and injure the horse and eventu- 

 ally throw it. 



We will adopt the following formula for the simple turning of the 

 horse : The inside rein commences to turn, the outside rein governs 

 the radius of the circle, on part of which we turn, the inside leg urges 

 the horse during the act of turning and the outside leg prevents the 

 croup from falling out and establishes the centripetal basis in the turn. 



