102 Modern Riding and Horse Education 



you will see half a dozen riders holding their reins 

 in half a dozen different ways; most of them being 

 self-taught, they will pick them up without thinking 

 why they do so in any particular manner, but some 

 ways certainly have advantages over others. In 

 the British Army there must be one method for the 

 sake of uniformity, and this method has changed 

 twice in the last eight years. As held at present, in 

 one hand, the reins pass upwards through the hand 

 and form a cascade of leather between the fore- 

 finger and thumb : when held in two hands the 

 thumb holds the reins in position. 



The road coachman has to have the strongest 

 possible hold on the reins for obvious reasons, and 

 how does he do it? He grasps the edge of the reins, 

 and his main hold is with the third and little fingers, 

 in which practice can develop the maximum gripping 

 power, because owing to their having shorter joints 

 than the other fingers there is no room for the reins 

 to get turned on the flat, and the thumb is left free. 

 Many steeplechase jockeys cross their reins, and 

 claim that it saves them from a fall if the horse 

 pecks, as the portion of the reins between their hands 

 meets the withers and prevents their shooting for- 

 ward. 



