EQUITATION 271 



may be instantly called into requisition witliont waiting to get 

 the wires up and connections made. Driving with a careless rein 

 or continually jabbing not only lets tlie driver but the horse 

 off his guard, and both must be called to attention by taking in 

 hand, before communication can be established. Delays of even 

 tliis long may be disastrous. 



Hands of the right sort are capable of such delicate manipu- 

 lation as to constantly feel and be felt by the mouth, without 

 maintaining a drag, which destroys all sensibility in both. Such 

 hands convey to the mouth graduated pressure, from the lightest 

 touch to the most compelling pull if occasion demands, and all 

 with a firmness that is convincing. 



Relation of Hands' and Mouth. — Mouths are the product of 

 hands, therefore reciprocal in every respect. The heavy, rough 

 hand is productive of a hard, unresponsive mouth and destruc- 

 tion of any other kind ; while tlie light, impressionable hand can 

 be> relied upon to create or preserve a most sensitive mouth. There 

 are features of this- relationship between hands and mouths which 

 can neither be described nor prescribed. They are best learned 

 by contact, the one with the other ; only one who has experienced 

 the intimacy of such a fine system of communication has any 

 conception of all that it means. With many the possession of 

 good hands is intuitive ; they can neither tell why or how they 

 do as they do; others are heavy handed in spite of tliemselves, 

 and are fully conscious of their offence and its attendant bad 

 result. Of course, practice has much to do Avith this ; one accus- 

 tomed to driving trotters will find himself in trouble with the 

 lighter mouth and different bitting arrangement of the actor; 

 while he who has had his schooling with the latter class of liorses 

 may be incapable of taking a strong enough hold to steady and 

 support the horse at speed. 



The bit is the instrument by means of which communication 

 between the hands of the driver and the mouth of the horse is car- 

 ried on. An impulse arising in the mind of the driver is repre- 

 sented in a manipulation of the reins, so as to bring the pressure 

 of the bit on the structures of the mouth with which it is in 

 contact in such a manner as to suggest a corresponding notion 

 in the mind of the horse, which, if he be well schooled, he imme- 



