be uneasy
and fidget.[16-*] But the reins must never be loose. 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 the horse's mouth, and this power of keeping his
head straight, are preserved, a horse cannot have too much liberty under
the circumstances supposed. To turn to the right both reins must be
pulled, the right the strongest, by feeling the tip of the first finger
towards you; both legs must be pressed, the left the strongest; the whip
shown on the left. To turn to the left the reverse indications.

[Illustration: FIG. 4.--DOWN CLUTCH.]

[Illustration: FIG. 5.--DOWN CLUTCH, REIN IN EACH HAND.]

[Sidenote: Down clutch.]

[Sidenote: Grecian mode.]

To take up the reins use the downward clutch[16-+] (Fig. 4); that is,
place the two first fingers of the right hand between the reins at the
greatest convenient distance, and slide them smoothly back. Repeat this
movement, changing from hand to hand, and keeping the chair balanced and
steady. This clutch 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). I conceive this to be the
Grecian mode of holding and handling the reins (see frontispiece and
vignette, from the Elgin Marbles), except that the Greeks had one
finger between the reins instead of two; and they held the reins,
whether together or divided, between the thumb and the second finger.
The first finger was thus detached, and used only for guiding, by which
very distinct indications may be given on either rein when both are in
one hand.

[Illustration: FIG. 6.--SIDE CLUTCH.]

[Sidenote: Side clutch.]

At a walk, with a quiet horse, this _down_ clutch may be turned into the
_side_-clutch (Fig. 6 and Fig. 7); it is nearly the same as the English
mode of driving, but the right rein 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 finger. This allows you to hold one rein while you slip the
other, besides that the left rein