EQUITATION 



283 



hand, and renders almost impossible a continuous, dragging 

 pull. 



Gloves permit of both a better grip and more easy manipu- 

 lation of the reins, but they should be a size too large and un- 

 buttoned to allow the greatest freedom of the fingers and wrist. 



Riding, — Holding the Reins. — The usual method of holding 

 the reins of a curb and snafile riding bridle is to take the near 

 snaffle rein over the little finger of the left hand, the near curb 

 rein between tlie little and ring fingers, then pass the oif curb rein 

 between the ring and middle fingers and the off snaffle rein 



Fig. 151. — The two-hand grip. 



between the middle and index fingere, the ends of all four reins 

 coming out of the hand over tlie index finger and clasped by the 

 thumb (Fig. 152). Either curb or snaffle reins can be taken up 

 independently by tlie right hand back of the left, or the right hand 

 may be dropped in front of the left, the little finger bet^veen the 

 off curb and snaffle reins in case a two-hand grip is desired (Fig. 

 153). The hands may be separated and their position on the 

 reins changed by running the reins through the fingers as the 

 hands are dra^vn apart. 



The single rein from the plain snaffle bridle is usually simply 

 crossed through the hands. 



