es, turnings,
movements, and carriage of the horse. I have used the word throughout
instead of _aids_, as being more explanatory and certainly less liable
to abuse. For common sense tells us that a horse receives no aid from a
pull in the mouth with a piece of iron, or a blow with a whip, or a kick
in the side with an armed heel, however these may indicate to him the
wishes or commands of his rider. I have also used the term _bearing_ on
the horse's mouth instead of _appui_, since to those who do not
understand French appui will convey no meaning at all,--and to those who
do understand French it will convey the false ideas of the necessity and
power of the rider to _support_ his horse. I promise my pupil every
_aid_ and _support from_ his horse. But I beg him not to think of
offering either aid or support _to_ his horse. I beg him to believe that
the horse carries the rider, and not the rider the horse. But this we
will discuss in another chapter. That the horse supports the rider is
common sense: that the rider supports the horse is the common error.

CHAPTER II.

HOLDING AND HANDLING THE REINS.

Reins at full length.--The downward clutch.--Grecian mode of holding and
handling the reins.--The side-clutch.--The two reins crossed in the
hand.--A rein in each hand.--Turn 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, mode of taught and of untaught horsemen.--Use of the whip.--Horses
swerve, turn, and refuse _only to the left_.--Fault in "the great
untaught," English, two-handed rider.

[Sidenote: Reins at full length.]

To practise the indications of the hands, take the bridle which is
attached to the chair at full length (Fig. 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 facilitate their working on the rein proper
to each; the hand pendant, with the back to the front, and balance the
chair on two legs.

[Illustration: FIG. 3.--REINS AT FULL LENGTH.]

If the length of the rein suits, it may be so held in long rides when
the horse is going quietly at an extended walk, for directly as the
slowness of the pace is the length of the horse, and so should be the
length of the rein. The horse is at his greatest length when standing
still, and if you force him to collect himself then, he will