on horsemanship-第4章

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



proof：　a　brood　mare；　so　long　as　her　mane　is　long　and　flowing；　will　not



readily　suffer　herself　to　be　covered　by　an　ass；　hence　breeders　of



mules　take　care　to　clip　the　mane　of　the　mare　with　a　view　to



covering。＇10＇







＇9＇　｛aglaias　eneka｝　（a　poetic　word）。　Cf。　〃Od。〃　xv。　78；　xvii。　310。







＇10＇　For　this　belief　Schneid。　cf　Aristot。　〃H。　A。〃　vi。　18；　Plin。　viii。



　　　　42；　Aelian；　〃H。　A。〃　ii。　10；　xi。　18；　xii。　16；　to　which　Dr。　Morgan



　　　　aptly　adds　Soph。　〃Fr。〃　587　（Tyro）；　a　beautiful　passage；　｛komes　de



　　　　penthos　lagkhano　polou　diken；　k。t。l。｝　（cf。　Plut。　〃Mor。〃　754　A）。







Washing　of　the　legs　we　are　inclined　to　dispense　withno　good　is　done



but　rather　harm　to　the　hoofs　by　this　daily　washing。　So；　too；　excessive



cleanliness　of　the　belly　is　to　be　discouraged；　the　operation　itself　is



most　annoying　to　the　horse；　and　the　cleaner　these　parts　are　made；　the



thicker　the　swarm　of　troublesome　things　which　collect　beneath　the



belly。　Besides　which；　however　elaborately　you　clean　these　parts；　the



horse　is　no　sooner　led　out　than　presently　he　will　be　just　as　dirty　as



if　he　had　not　been　cleaned。　Omit　these　ablutions　then；　we　say；　and



similarly　for　the　legs；　rubbing　and　currying　by　hand　is　quite



sufficient。















VI







We　will　now　explain　how　the　operation　of　grooming　may　be　performed



with　least　danger　to　oneself　and　best　advantage　to　the　horse。　If　the



groom　attempts　to　clean　the　horse　with　his　face　turned　the　same　way　as



the　horse；　he　runs　the　risk　of　getting　a　knock　in　the　face　from　the



animal's　knee　or　hoof。　When　cleaning　him　he　should　turn　his　face　in



the　opposite　direction　to　the　horse；　and　planting　himself　well　out　of



the　way　of　his　leg；　at　an　angle　to　his　shoulder…blade；　proceed　to　rub



him　down。　He　will　then　escape　all　mischief；　and　he　will　be　able　to



clean　the　frog　by　folding　back　the　hoof。　Let　him　clean　the　hind…legs



in　the　same　way。







The　man　who　has　to　do　with　the　horse　should　know；　with　regard　to　this



and　all　other　necessary　operations；　that　he　ought　to　approach　as



little　as　possible　from　the　head　or　the　tail　to　perform　them；　for　if



the　horse　attempt　to　show　vice　he　is　master　of　the　man　in　front　and



rear。　But　by　approaching　from　the　side　he　will　get　the　greatest　hold



over　the　horse　with　the　least　risk　of　injury　to　himself。







When　the　horse　has　to　be　led；　we　do　not　approve　of　leading　him　from　in



front；　for　the　simple　reason　that　the　person　so　leading　him　robs



himself　of　his　power　of　self…protection；　whilst　he　leaves　the　horse



freedom　to　do　what　he　likes。　On　the　other　hand；　we　take　a　like



exception　to　the　plan　of　training　the　horse　to　go　forward　on　a　long



rein＇1＇　and　lead　the　way；　and　for　this　reason：　it　gives　the　horse　the



opportunity　of　mischief；　in　whichever　direction　he　likes；　on　either



flank；　and　the　power　also　to　turn　right　about　and　face　his　driver。　How



can　a　troop　of　horses　be　kept　free　of　one　another；　if　driven　in　this



fashion　from　behind？whereas　a　horse　accustomed　to　be　led　from　the



side　will　have　least　power　of　mischief　to　horse　or　man；　and　at　the



same　time　be　in　the　best　position　to　be　mounted　by　the　rider　at　a



moment's　notice；　were　it　necessary。







＇1＇　See　a　passage　from　Strattis；　〃Chrys。〃　2　（Pollux；　x。　55）；　｛prosage



　　　　ton　polon　atrema；　proslabon　ton　agogea　brakhuteron。　oukh　oras　oti



　　　　abolos　estin｝。







In　order　to　insert　the　bit　correctly　the　groom　should；　in　the　first



place；　approach　on　the　near＇2＇　side　of　the　horse；　and　then　throwing



the　reins　over　his　head；　let　them　drop　loosely　on　the　withers；　raise



the　headstall　in　his　right　hand；　and　with　his　left　present　the　bit。　If



the　horse　will　take　the　bit；　it　is　a　simple　business　to　adjust　the



strap　of　the　headstall；　but　if　he　refuses　to　open　his　mouth；　the　groom



must　hold　the　bit　against　the　teeth　and　at　the　same　time　insert　the



thumb＇3＇　of　his　left　hand　inside　the　horse's　jaws。　Most　horses　will



open　their　mouths　to　that　operation。　But　if　he　still　refuses；　then　the



groom　must　press　the　lip　against　the　tush＇4＇；　very　few　horses　will



refuse　the　bit；　when　that　is　done　to　them。＇5＇







＇2＇　Lit。　〃on　the　left…hand　side。〃







＇3＇　｛ton　megan　daktulon｝；　Hdt。　iii。　8。







＇4＇　i。e。　〃canine　tooth。〃







＇5＇　Or；　〃it　is　a　very　exceptional　horse　that　will　not　open　his　mouth



　　　　under　the　circumstances。〃







The　groom　can　hardly　be　too　much　alive　to　the　following　points　*　*　*



if　any　work　is　to　be　done：＇6＇　in　fact；　so　important　is　it　that　the



horse　should　readily　take　his　bit；　that；　to　put　it　tersely；　a　horse



that　will　not　take　it　is　good　for　nothing。　Now；　if　the　horse　be　bitted



not　only　when　he　has　work　to　do；　but　also　when　he　is　being　taken　to



his　food　and　when　he　is　being　led　home　from　a　ride；　it　would　be　no



great　marvel　if　he　learnt　to　take　the　bit　of　his　own　accord；　when



first　presented　to　him。







＇6＇　Reading　with　L。　Dind。　｛khre　de　ton　ippokomon　kai　ta　oiade　。　。　。



　　　　paroxunthai；　ei　ti　dei　ponein｝；　or　if　as　Schneid。；　Sauppe；　etc。；



　　　　｛khre　de　ton　ippon　me　kata　toiade；　k。t。l。｝；　transl。　〃the　horse



　　　　must　not　be　irritated　in　such　operations　as　these；〃　etc。；　but



　　　　｛toiade｝　=　〃as　follows；〃　if　correct；　suggests　a　lacuna　in　either



　　　　case　at　this　point。







It　would　be　good　for　the　groom　to　know　how　to　give　a　leg　up　in　the



Persian　fashion；＇7＇　so　that　in　case　of　illness　or　infirmity　of　age　the



master　himself　may　have　a　man　to　help　him　on　to　horseback　without



trouble；　or；　if　he　so　wish；　be　able　to　oblige　a　friend　with　a　man　to



mount　him。＇8＇







＇7＇　Cf。　〃Anab。〃　IV。　iv。　4；　〃Hipparch；〃　i。　17；　〃Cyrop。〃　VII。　i。　38。







＇8＇　An　｛anaboleus｝。　Cf。　Plut。　〃C。　Gracch。〃　7。







The　one　best　preceptthe　golden　rulein　dealing　with　a　horse　is



never　to　approach　him　angrily。　Anger　is　so　devoid　of　forethought　that



it　will　often　drive　a　man　to　do　things　which　in　a　calmer　mood　he　will



regret。＇9＇　Thus；　when　a　horse　is　shy　of　any　object　and　refuses　to



approach　it；　you　must　teach　him　that　there　is　nothing　to　be　alarmed



at；　particularly　if　he　be　a　plucky　animal；＇10＇　or；　failing　that；　touch



the　formidable　object　yourself；　and　then　gently　lead　the　horse　up　to



it。　The　opposite　plan　of　forcing　the　frightened　creature　by　blows　only



intensifies　its　fear；　the　horse　mentally　associating　the　pain　he



suffers　at　such　a　moment　with　the　object　of　suspicion；　which　he



naturally　regards　as　its　cause。







＇9＇　Cf。　〃Hell。〃　v。　iii。　7　for　this　maxim。







＇10＇　Al。　〃if　possibly　by　help　of　another　and　plucky　animal。〃







If；　when　the　groom　brings　up　the　horse　to　his　master　to　mount；　he



knows　how　to　make　him　lower　his　back；＇11＇　to　facilitate　mounting；　we



have　no　fault　to　find。　Still；　we　consider　that　the　horseman　should



practise　and　be　able　to　mount；　even　if　the　horse　does　not　so　lend



himself；＇12＇　since　on　another　occasion　another　type　of　horse　may　fall



to　the　rider's　lot；＇13＇　nor　can　the　same　rider　be　always　served　by　the



same　equerry。＇14＇







＇11＇　｛upobibazesthai｝。　See　above；　i。　14；　Pollux；　i。　213；　Morgan　ad



　　　　loc。　〃Stirrups　were　unknown　till　long　after　the　Christian　era



　　　　began。〃







＇12＇　Or；　〃apart　from　these　good　graces　on　the　animal's　part。〃







＇13＇　As　a　member　of　the　cavalry。







＇14＇　Reading　｛allo｝。　Al。　reading　｛allos｝　with　L。　D。；　〃and　the　same



　　　　horse　will　at　one　time　humour　you　in　one　way　and　again　in



　　　　another。〃　Cf。　viii。　13；　x。　12；　for　｛uperetein｝　of　the　horse。















VII







The　master；　let　us　suppose；　has　received　his　horse　and　is　ready　to



mount。＇1＇　We　will　now　prescribe　certain　rules　to　be　observed　in　the



interests　not　only　of　the　horseman　but　of　the　animal　which　he



bestrides。　First；　then；　he　should　take　the　leading　rein；　which　hangs



from　the　chin…strap　or　nose…band；＇2＇　conveniently　in　his　left　hand；



held　slack　so　as　not　to　jerk　the　horse's　mouth；　whether　he　means　to



mount　by　hoisting　himself　up；　catching　hold　of　the　mane　behind　the



ears；　or　to　vault　on　to　horseback　by　help　of　his　spear。　With　the　right



hand　he　should　grip　the　reins　along　with　a　tuft　of　hair　beside　the



shoulder…joint；＇3＇　so　that　he　may　not　in　any　way　wrench　the　horse's



mouth　with　the　bit　while　mounting。　In　the　act　of　taking　the　spring　off



the　ground　for　mounting；＇4＇　he　should　hoist　his　body　by　help　of　the



left　hand；　and　with　the　right　at　full　stretch　assist　the　upward



movement＇5＇　（a　position　in　mounting　which　will　present　a　graceful



spectacle　also　from　behind）；＇6＇　at　the　same　time　with　the　leg　well



bent；　and　taking　care　not　to　place　his　knee　on　the　horse's　back；　he



must　pass　his　leg　clean　over　to　the　off　side；　and　so　having　brought



his　foot　well　round；　plant　himself　firmly　on　his　seat。＇7＇







＇1＇　Reading　｛otan　。　。　。　paradexetai　。　。　。　os　anabesomenos｝。　Or；



　　　　reading　｛otan　paradexetai　ton　ippea　（sc。　o。　ippos）　ws



　　　　anabesomenon｝；　transl。　〃the　horse　has　been　brought　round　ready　for



　　　　mounting。〃







＇2＇　So　Courier；　〃la　muserolle。〃　It　might　be　merely　a　stitched　leather



　　　　strap　or　made　of　a　chain　in　part；　which　rattled；　as



　　　　｛khrusokhalinon　patagon　psalion｝　（Aristoph。　〃Peace；〃　155）　implies。



　　　　〃Curb〃　would　be　misleading。







＇3＇　〃Near　the　withers。〃







＇4＇　Or；　〃as　soon　as　he　has　got　the　springing　poise　preliminary　to



　　　　mounting。〃







＇5＇　〃Give　himself　simultaneously　a　lift。〃　Reading　｛ekteinon｝；　or　if



　　　　｛enteinon｝；　〃keeping　his　right　arm　stiff。〃







＇6＇　Or；　〃a　style　of　mounting　which　will　obviate　an　ungainly　attitude



　　　　behind。〃







＇7＇　Lit。　〃lower　his　buttocks　on　to　the　horse's　back。〃







To　meet　the　case　in　which　the　horseman　may　chance　to　be　leading　his



horse　with　the　left　hand　and　carrying　his　spear　in　the　right；　it　would



be　good；　we　think；　for　every　one　to　practise　vaulting　on　to　his　seat



from　the　right　side　also。　In　fact；　he　has　nothing　else　to　learn　except



to　do　with　his　right　limbs　what　he　has　previously　done　with　the　left；



and　vice　versa。　And　the　reason　we　approve　of　this　method　of　mounting



is＇8＇　that　it　enables　the　soldier　at　one　and　the　same　instant　to　get



astride　of　his　horse　and　to　find　himself　prepared　at　all　points；



supposing　he　should　have　to　enter　the　lists　of　battle　on　a　sudden。







＇8＇　Lit。　〃One　reason　for　the　praise　which　we　bestow　on　this　method　of



　　　　mounting　is　that　at　the　very　instant　of