The Use and Misuse of the Hands 95 



we interfere with him the better in jumping; nor 

 should we do so in going over rough ground. 

 Should the reader have ever, like me, had the de- 

 lightful experience of galloping after a mob of 

 horses in Australia, over ground like a rabbit-war- 

 ren, and come through it in perfect safety, he will 

 know how well a horse can look after himself under 

 the circumstances. Very little guidance is necessary, 

 picking your ground is impossible, and the Austral- 

 ian takes care to warn you about non-interference 

 with the animal's head. I am told that the ranch- 

 men of Western U. S. A. and the Argentine w^hen 

 galloping believe in the maxim *' the rougher the 

 ground the slacker the rein." 



Unless the rider has shoulder-joints, elbows, and 

 wrists which can move in unison like well-oiled 

 machinery, and unless he can preserve an even and 

 gentle pressure on the horse's mouth when neces- 

 sary, he cannot have good hands. The upper arms 

 should hang easily down from the shoulders: this 

 not only gives more power to the rider than if the 

 elbows were raised and to the front, but allows 

 of more head-room being given to the horse if he 

 needs it, as it enables the rider to '* open his 



