The Use and Misuse of the Hands lot 



for racing". The cowboy and the polo player, who 

 are obliged to follow this practice, rely to a great 

 extent when turning on shifting the balance of the 

 body, and on the knowledge which their animals 

 possess of the game that is going forward. It is not 

 easy for the polo player to apply pressure to a horse's 

 mouth on the side to which he intends to turn, if the 

 desired movement is more than can be communicated 

 by turning the wrist. The indication applied is gen- 

 erally a pressure of the rein on the opposite side of 

 the neck. This means pressure on the wrong side 

 of the mouth as well, and is apt, if too sharply ap- 

 plied, to bend the animal's head away from the di- 

 rection he is to take — an unsound situation, but diffi- 

 cult of remedy. I have been told that in some parts 

 of America cowpunchers frequently ride young 

 horses with the reins crossed behind the bit, so that 

 when they are pressed against the neck the pull 

 comes on the correct side of the mouth. This of 

 course means that if the horse is ever to be ridden 

 with two hands, he must be trained again. 



There is not sufficient justification for the stress 

 some writers lay on the manner in which the reins 

 should be held in the hand. Go out hunting, and 



