Hints on Horsemanship, to a Nephew and Niece / or, Common Sense and Common Errors in Common Riding

urn to the right, and left.-The hunting hand.-The rough-rider's hand.-Fixing the hands.-Use of both bridles at once.-Shortening the reins when held, one in each hand

3), with the tips of the four fingers of the left hand between the reins at the centre, the first and fourth fingers detached to f

EINS AT F

se. The bearing on the mouth, however lightly, must still be felt; and if the horse, in attempting to stare about, as colts and ill-ridden horses will, should throw his head to the right, it must be stopped by the feeling of the tip of the fourth finger on the left rein; if he throws his head to the left, by the feeling of the first finger on the right rein. But provided that the bearing on th

.-DOWN

CLUTCH, REIN

ch is excellent for a straight-forward, hot horse; it shortens the reins any length at one movement, with a very low, steady bearing. Two hands may be used (Fig. 5). Grecian mode. I conceive this to be the Grecian mode of holding and handling the reins (see frontispiece and vignette, from the Elgin Marbles), exce

.-SIDE

is uppermost, which facilitates the dividing the reins and placing them together again, and when the reins are in the left hand, the right rein quits the hand between the second and third fi

CLUTCH, REIN

. 8) is the foundation of all fine han

movement he shall have my leave to consign the rest o

8.-

ger, and quits the hand between the first and second finger. Place the right rein in the left hand over the first and second finger, so that it enters the hand outside the first finger and quits the hand between th

REIN IN

Neither rein should be for an instant loosened, but an equal tension kept on both, and both should be of precisely equal length when crossed in one hand. Be assured, however childish it may appear to you, this practice will teach you the true principle of handling your horse, and will give to the bearings and indications of your hands on his mouth a de

TURN TO T

-TURN TO

-HUNTING

nd handling is required. In fact, he who can use his reins in this manner with a riotous horse, without disturbing the bearing is a rider, he who cannot is not. T

his is the only case where a little working of the bit on his mouth (the scier le bridon of the French) is to be allowed. Fixing the hands. Fig. 14 is the same, with the thumbs fixed on the back of a chair. If a thumb is fixed in this way behind the lower part of each pummel, the lady acquires a hold wh

.-ROUGH

.-FIXIN

them. In the left hand, the snaffle to the left of the thumb, the curb to the right. In the right hand the snaffle to the right, the curb to the left. This keeps them distinct, and allows the power of slipping or dropping either

thumbs touching, raise the left hand, and let the right rein slip till the thumbs are one inch apart. With the right rein thus, one inch shorter than the left, when it is required to shorten the left equally, by management you may bring the two thumbs together again without loosening the left rein. I say, by management, you may do so, but the chances are that the longest rein is invariably thus slackened previously to being shortened, and consequently, that the bearing on the horse's mouth is disturbed. But supposing it possible to manage this by an inch at a time, it is quite impossible to manage it at a greater distance. If, therefore, you have to shorten both reins a foot, you cannot effect it without twenty-four operations. This is

ridiculous. But a ridiculous system is better than no system at all. And except this Frenc

by the finest untaught horseman, are sh

eceives the rein. And in all these positions the hand should always be at right angles with the reins; you then

ontrary direction to the fingers, and entirely stops the play of all the join

y is effected in the time necessary to close the fists. Every gradation, however, be

a whip is carried, it should be as light as possible. It should be held up like a hunter or a rough-rider, not down like a jockey; and so completely between the hand and the thumb as to leave the fingers free for the reins. To carry that club called the handle of a hunting whip is a frightful en

fight on one plan? If not, why do they all turn to the left? Because the whip is only used on the right. There is, however, another cause which acts in conjunction with this. Fault in English two-handed riding. Even our finest two-handed English riders (who, in my opinion, are the finest riders in the world), when they use the right hand on the right rein, continue to hold both reins with the left hand, and they slip the right rein a little through the left hand in order to place both hands

son against an unalt

reader, and do compound a sesquipedalian