2. To the left.—With the right hand seize the near-lead and wheel reins under the lower fingers; then either pull those reins up towards the centre of the body, which will shorten them, or allow the left hand to go slightly to the front, which will slack off the right reins, or better still, combine both these motions, the result being the same in each case, that the team will go to the left. To the right.—Take hold of the off-lead and wheel reins with the lower fingers of the right hand, and treat them in the same way as described for the left reins, when the team will go to the right.
FIG. 18.—STEADYING TEAM WITH RIGHT HAND.
The latter of the two methods is by far the best and the one most usually employed, the other only being possible with very perfectly broken teams, as obviously only very little pressure can be put on.
FIG. 19.—HOW LOOP SHOULD BE TAKEN UP.
|To steady the team.| In order to steady the horses or to ease the left hand, the right hand may be placed in front of the other over all the four reins (fig. 18), but it is generally preferable to have the hand on only three reins for steadying purposes, the third and little fingers being over the off reins and the upper fingers over only one of the near reins.
FIG. 20.—LOOPING NEAR-LEAD REIN UNDER THUMB.
|The point or loop.| It will now be necessary to explain the term “point” or “loop.” The point is made by taking hold of either the near or the off-lead reins under the little and third fingers of the right hand (not with the forefinger and thumb), and placing it six inches or more (according to the inclination of the turn), |Loop under thumb.| in advance of the left, and then bringing it back so as to form a loop under the left thumb (figs. 20, 21), which must press the rein firmly down on the forefinger. As a rule never move the left hand forward while doing this. The off-lead rein can also be looped under the first finger in turning to the right (fig. 22).