on horsemanship-第3章

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will　not　obey。　A　disobedient　horse　is　not　only　useless；　but　may　easily



play　the　part　of　an　arrant　traitor。







And　since　it　is　assumed　that　the　horse　to　be　purchased　is　intended　for



war；　we　must　widen　our　test　to　include　everything　which　war　itself　can



bring　to　the　proof：　such　as　leaping　ditches；　scrambling　over　walls；



scaling　up　and　springing　off　high　banks。　We　must　test　his　paces　by



galloping　him　up　and　down　steep　pitches　and　sharp　inclines　and　along　a



slant。　For　each　and　all　of　these　will　serve　as　a　touchstone　to　gauge



the　endurance　of　his　spirit　and　the　soundness　of　his　body。







I　am　far　from　saying；　indeed；　that　because　an　animal　fails　to　perform



all　these　parts　to　perfection；　he　must　straightway　be　rejected；　since



many　a　horse　will　fall　short　at　first；　not　from　inability；　but　from



want　of　experience。　With　teaching；　practice；　and　habit；　almost　any



horse　will　come　to　perform　all　these　feats　beautifully；　provided　he　be



sound　and　free　from　vice。　Only　you　must　beware　of　a　horse　that　is



naturally　of　a　nervous　temperament。　An　over…timorous　animal　will　not



only　prevent　the　rider　from　using　the　vantage…ground　of　its　back　to



strike　an　enemy；　but　is　as　likely　as　not　to　bring　him　to　earth



himself　and　plunge　him　into　the　worst　of　straits。







We　must；　also；　find　out　of　the　horse　shows　any　viciousness　towards



other　horses　or　towards　human　beings；　also；　whether　he　is　skittish；＇8＇



such　defects　are　apt　to　cause　his　owner　trouble。







＇8＇　Or；　〃very　ticklish。〃







As　to　any　reluctance　on　the　horse's　part　to　being　bitted　or　mounted；



dancing　and　twisting　about　and　the　rest；＇9＇　you　will　get　a　more　exact



idea　on　this　score；　if；　when　he　has　gone　through　his　work；　you　will



try　and　repeat　the　precise　operations　which　he　went　through　before　you



began　your　ride。　Any　horse　that　having　done　his　work　shows　a　readiness



to　undergo　it　all　again；　affords　sufficient　evidence　thereby　of　spirit



and　endurance。







＇9＇　Reading　｛talla　dineumata｝；　lit。　〃and　the　rest　of　his　twistings　and



　　　　twirlings　about。〃







To　put　the　matter　in　a　nutshell：　given　that　the　horse　is　sound…footed；



gentle；　moderately　fast；　willing　and　able　to　undergo　toil；　and　above



all　things＇10＇　obedientsuch　an　animal；　we　venture　to　predict；　will



give　the　least　trouble　and　the　greatest　security　to　his　rider　in　the



circumstances　of　war；　while；　conversely；　a　beast　who　either　out　of



sluggishness　needs　much　driving；　or　from　excess　of　mettle　much　coaxing



and　manouvring；　will　give　his　rider　work　enough　to　occupy　both　his



hands　and　a　sinking　of　the　heart　when　dangers　thicken。







＇10＇　Al。　〃thoroughly。〃















IV







We　will　now　suppose　the　purchaser　has　found　a　horse　which　he



admires；＇1＇　the　purchase　is　effected；　and　he　has　brought　him　homehow



is　he　to　be　housed？　It　is　best　that　the　stable　should　be　placed　in　a



quarter　of　the　establishment　where　the　master　will　see　the　horse　as



often　as　possible。＇2＇　It　is　a　good　thing　also　to　have　his　stall　so



arranged　that　there　will　be　as　little　risk　of　the　horse's　food　being



stolen　from　the　manger；　as　of　the　master's　from　his　larder　or　store…



closet。　To　neglect　a　detail　of　this　kind　is　surely　to　neglect　oneself；



since　in　the　hour　of　danger；　it　is　certain；　the　owner　has　to　consign



himself；　life　and　limb；　to　the　safe　keeping　of　his　horse。







＇1＇　Lit。　〃To　proceed：　when　you　have　bought　a　horse　which　you　admire



　　　　and　have　brought　him　home。〃







＇2＇　i。e。　〃where　he　will　be　brought　as　frequently　as　possible　under　the



　　　　master's　eye。〃　Cf。　〃Econ。〃　xii。　20。







Nor　is　it　only　to　avoid　the　risk　of　food　being　stolen　that　a　secure



horse…box　is　desirable；　but　for　the　further　reason　that　if　the　horse



takes　to　scattering　his　food；　the　action　is　at　once　detected；　and　any



one　who　observes　that　happening　may　take　it　as　a　sign　and　symptom



either　of　too　much　blood；＇3＇　which　calls　for　veterinary　aid；　or　of





over…fatigue；　for　which　rest　is　the　cure；　or　else　that　an　attack　of



indigestion＇4＇　or　some　other　malady　is　coming　on。　And　just　as　with



human　beings；　so　with　the　horse；　all　diseases　are　more　curable　at



their　commencement＇5＇　than　after　they　have　become　chronic；　or　been



wrongly　treated。＇6＇







＇3＇　〃A　plethoric　condition　of　the　blood。〃







＇4＇　｛krithiasis｝。　Lit。　〃barley　surfeit〃；　〃une　fourbure。〃　See　Aristot。



　　　　〃H。　A。〃　viii。　24。　4。







＇5＇　i。e。　〃in　the　early　acute　stages。〃







＇6＇　Al。　〃and　the　mischief　has　spread。〃







But　if　food　and　exercise　with　a　view　to　strengthening　the　horse's　body



are　matters　of　prime　consideration；　no　less　important　is　it　to　pay



attention　to　the　feet。　A　stable　with　a　damp　and　smooth　floor　will



spoil　the　best　hoof　which　nature　can　give。＇7＇　To　prevent　the　floor



being　damp；　it　should　be　sloped　with　channels；　and　to　avoid



smoothness；　paved　with　cobble　stones　sunk　side　by　side　in　the　ground



and　similar　in　size　to　the　horse's　hoofs。＇8＇　A　stable　floor　of　this



sort　is　calculated　to　strengthen　the　horse's　feet　by　the　mere　pressure



on　the　part　in　standing。　In　the　next　place　it　will　be　the　groom's



business　to　lead　out　the　horse　somewhere　to　comb　and　curry　him；　and



after　his　morning's　feed　to　unhalter　him　from　the　manger；＇9＇　so　that



he　may　come　to　his　evening　meal　with　greater　relish。　To　secure　the



best　type　of　stable…yard；　and　with　a　view　to　strengthening　the　horse's



feet；　I　would　suggest　to　take　and　throw　down　loosely＇10＇　four　or　five



waggon　loads　of　pebbles；　each　as　large　as　can　be　grasped　in　the　hand；



and　about　a　pound　in　weight；　the　whole　to　be　fenced　round　with　a



skirting　of　iron　to　prevent　scattering。　The　mere　standing　on　these



will　come　to　precisely　the　same　thing　as　if　for　a　certain　portion　of



the　day　the　horse　were；　off　and　on；　stepping　along　a　stony　road；



whilst　being　curried　or　when　fidgeted　by　flies　he　will　be　forced　to



use　his　hoofs　just　as　much　as　if　he　were　walking。　Nor　is　it　the　hoofs



merely；　but　a　surface　so　strewn　with　stones　will　tend　to　harden　the



frog　of　the　foot　also。







＇7＇　Lit。　〃A　damp　and　smooth　floor　may　be　the　ruin　of　a　naturally　good



　　　　hoof。〃　It　will　be　understood　that　the　Greeks　did　not　shoe　their



　　　　horses。







＇8＇　See　Courier；　p。　54；　for　an　interesting　experiment　tried　by　himself



　　　　at　Bari。







＇9＇　Cf。　〃Hipparch；〃　i。　16。







＇10＇　Or；　〃spread　so　as　to　form　a　surface。〃







But　if　care　is　needed　to　make　the　hoofs　hard；　similar　pains　should　be



taken　to　make　the　mouth　and　jaws　soft；　and　the　same　means　and



appliances　which　will　render　a　man's　flesh　and　skin　soft；　will　serve



to　soften　and　supple　a　horse's　mouth。＇11＇







＇11＇　Or；　〃may　be　used　with　like　effect　on　a　horse's　mouth；〃　i。e。



　　　　bathing；　friction；　oil。　See　Pollux；　i。　201。















V







It　is　the　duty　of　a　horseman；　as　we　think；　to　have　his　groom　trained



thoroughly　in　all　that　concerns　the　treatment　of　the　horse。　In　the



first　place；　then；　the　groom　should　know　that　he　is　never　to　knot　the



halter＇1＇　at　the　point　where　the　headstall　is　attached　to　the　horse's



head。　By　constantly　rubbing　his　head　against　the　manger；　if　the　halter



does　not　sit　quite　loose　about　his　ears；　the　horse　will　be　constantly



injuring　himself；＇2＇　and　with　sores　so　set　up；　it　is　inevitable　that



he　should　show　peevishness；　while　being　bitted　or　rubbed　down。







＇1＇　Lit。　〃by　which　the　horse　is　tied　to　the　manger〃；　〃licol　d'ecurie。〃







＇2＇　Al。　〃in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　he　rubs　his　head　。　。　。　and　ten　to



　　　　one　will　make　a　sore。〃







It　is　desirable　that　the　groom　should　be　ordered　to　carry　out　the　dung



and　litter　of　the　horse　to　some　one　place　each　day。　By　so　doing；　he



will　discharge　the　duty　with　least　trouble　to　himself；＇3＇　and　at　the



same　time　be　doing　the　horse　a　kindness。







＇3＇　Al。　〃get　rid　of　the　refuse　in　the　easiest　way。〃







The　groom　should　also　be　instructed　to　attach　the　muzzle　to　the



horse's　mouth；　both　when　taking　him　out　to　be　groomed　and　to　the



rolling…ground。＇4＇　In　fact　he　should　always　muzzle　him　whenever　he



takes　him　anywhere　without　the　bit。　The　muzzle；　while　it　is　no



hindrance　to　respiration；　prevents　biting；　and　when　attached　it　serves



to　rob　the　horse　of　opportunity　for　vice。＇5＇







＇4＇　Cf。　〃Econ。〃　xi。　18；　Aristoph。　〃Clouds；〃　32。







＇5＇　Or；　〃prevents　the　horse　from　carrying　out　vicious　designs。〃







Again；　care　should　be　taken　to　tie　the　horse　up　with　the　halter　above



his　head。　A　horse's　natural　instinct；　in　trying　to　rid　himself　of



anything　that　irritates　the　face；　is　to　toss　up　his　head；　and　by　this



upward　movement；　if　so　tied；　he　only　slackens　the　chain　instead　of



snapping　it。　In　rubbing　the　horse　down；　the　groom　should　begin　with



the　head　and　mane；　as　until　the　upper　parts　are　clean；　it　is　vain　to



cleanse　the　lower；　then；　as　regards　the　rest　of　the　body；　first　brush



up　the　hair；　by　help　of　all　the　ordinary　implements　for　cleansing；　and



then　beat　out　the　dust；　following　the　lie　of　the　hair。　The　hair　on　the



spine　（and　dorsal　region）　ought　not　to　be　touched　with　any　instrument



whatever；　the　hand　alone　should　be　used　to　rub　and　smooth　it；　and　in



the　direction　of　its　natural　growth；　so　as　to　preserve　from　injury



that　part　of　the　horse's　back　on　which　the　rider　sits。







The　head　should　be　drenched　with　water　simply；　for；　being　bony；　if　you



try　to　cleanse　it　with　iron　or　wooden　instruments　injury　may　be



caused。　So；　too；　the　forelock　should　be　merely　wetted；　the　long　hairs



of　which　it　is　composed；　without　hindering　the　animal's　vision；　serve



to　scare　away　from　the　eyes　anything　that　might　trouble　them。



Providence；　we　must　suppose；＇6＇　bestowed　these　hairs　upon　the　horse；



instead　of　the　large　ears　which　are　given　to　the　ass　and　the　mule　as　a



protection　to　the　eyes。＇7＇　The　tail；　again；　and　mane　should　be　washed；



the　object　being　to　help　the　hairs　to　growthose　in　the　tail　so　as　to



allow　the　creature　the　greatest　reach　possible　in　brushing　away



molesting　objects；＇8＇　and　those　of　the　neck　in　order　that　the　rider



may　have　as　free　a　grip　as　possible。







＇6＇　Lit。　〃The　gods；　we　must　suppose；　gave　。　。　。〃







＇7＇　Lit。　〃as　defences　or　protective　bulwarks。〃







＇8＇　Insects；　etc。







Mane；　forelock；　and　tail　are　triple　gifts　bestowed　by　the　gods　upon



the　horse　for　the　sake　of　pride　and　ornament；＇9＇　and　here　is　the



proof：　a　b