MANAGEMENT OF THE REINS— STARTING TO TROT. 235 



day's ride. The hand is held as with the single rein, with the 

 thumb pointing to the horse's ears ; in turning, however, there is 

 much less power of bearing on either side of the bit by raising 

 the thumb or lowering the little finger, because the distance be- 

 tween the snaffle-reins is only half what it was, and therefore the 

 mode of turning by pressure upon the neck is doubly desirable; 

 and hence its general adoption in those cases where double-reined 

 bridles are used, as in the field and on the road. Sometimes, to 

 obviate this objection, the snaffle-reins are placed as in the single- 

 reined bridle, outside the little finger, and then the curb is hooked 

 over the ring-finger, between the snaffle-reins, so as to allow of the 

 full manipulation of the mouth by the hand, without bearing upon 

 the neck. But the objection to this is, that the curb cannot be 

 shortened without releasing the snaffle ; and therefore the horse 

 must either be ridden on the curb alone while this process is be- 

 ing effected, or his head must be loosed altogether; whereas, in 

 the other mode, his mouth is still under the control of the snaffle 

 all the time that the curb is being let out or taken in. 



The attainment of " good hands," by which is to be under- 

 stood a light and delicate handling of the reins, is, or ought to 

 be, the aim of every rider. The most delicate mouth in the world 

 is soon spoilt by bearing heavily on it, as is too often done by 

 grooms, and, indeed, by the average run of our horsemen. So 

 also in hunting, if the horse is not allowed his head in making his 

 effort, he will be almost sure to fail in exactly doing what he 

 meant, and will hit timber, if he is put at that class of fence, 

 or will drop his hind legs into the ditch, if there is one. Bad 

 riders use the reins as a means of balancing themselves in the 

 saddle, and this is especially done in the himting-field, where they 

 would be utterly unable to maintain their seats without the aid thus 

 afforded to the proper grip and balance. Every one in learning to 

 ride ought to be taught to go through all the paces, and to jump 

 the bar without any reins in his hand ; and when he finds he is 

 able to do without them, he will learn to use them only in the way 

 for which they are intended. 



MODES OF STARTING THE HORSE INTO HIS VARIOUS 

 PACES. 



To make A horse start off in a quick walk, when he is not 

 inclined to do so, either from beiDg too fresh or too raw, is by no 

 means an easy task. I have often ridden one for several days in 

 succession, before I could make him settle down to a fair walk, 

 and even then the slightest excitement would upset all my apparent 

 previous progress. This is especially true of those horses pos- 

 sessed of such elastic joints, that they could "jog" at a rate much 

 slower than they could walk. Here restraint by the bridle is out 



