226 Modern Riding and Horse Education 



long rein can be attached. The metal nose-band was 

 introduced to facilitate control of the horse by jerk- 

 ing the rein and hurting the bridge of his nose. Al- 

 though it can doubtless be used by an experienced 

 man without giving unnecessary pain, it is a very 

 severe instrument. At Saumur I saw some sixty 

 horses led into the school wearing cavessons. The 

 reins were certainly only held by grooms, but nearly 

 every horse flinched occasionally from touches with 

 the iron nose-band, whilst they were simply being 

 walked and trotted round. This brought out the 

 severity of the appliance, as the nose-bands were 

 covered with felt and fitted closely round the nose 

 to make them as mild as possible. 



The French use the single rein and cavesson with 

 an iron nose-band for exercising on the longe and 

 teaching jumping; they claim that its use is more 

 than justified by the fact that the horse is under com- 

 plete control without tampering with and perhaps 

 spoiling his mouth. The Austrians have discarded 

 it, and, when longeing is necessary, buckle the rein 

 to a ring in the center of a short connecting-strap 

 fastened to the rings of the snaffle. In conjunction 

 with this, side reins attached to the D's on the saddle 



