on horsemanship-第5章

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



　　　　mounting　is　that　at　the　very　instant　of　gaining　his　seat　the



　　　　soldier　finds　himself　fully　prepared　to　engage　the　enemy　on　a



　　　　sudden；　if　occasion　need。〃







But　now；　supposing　the　rider　fairly　seated；　whether　bareback　or　on　a



saddle…cloth；　a　good　seat　is　not　that　of　a　man　seated　on　a　chair；　but



rather　the　pose　of　a　man　standing　upright　with　his　legs　apart。　In　this



way　he　will　be　able　to　hold　on　to　the　horse　more　firmly　by　his　thighs；



and　this　erect　attitude　will　enable　him　to　hurl　a　javelin　or　to　strike



a　blow　from　horseback；　if　occasion　calls；　with　more　vigorous　effect。



The　leg　and　foot　should　hang　loosely　from　the　knee；　by　keeping　the　leg



stiff；　the　rider　is　apt　to　have　it　broken　in　collision　with　some



obstacle；　whereas　a　flexible　leg＇9＇　will　yield　to　the　impact；　and　at



the　same　time　not　shift　the　thigh　from　its　position。　The　rider　should



also　accustom　the　whole　of　his　body　above　the　hips　to　be　as　supple　as



possible；　for　thus　he　will　enlarge　his　scope　of　action；　and　in　case　of



a　tug　or　shove　be　less　liable　to　be　unseated。　Next；　when　the　rider　is



seated；　he　must；　in　the　first　place；　teach　his　horse　to　stand　quiet；



until　he　has　drawn　his　skirts　from　under　him；　if　need　be；＇10＇　and　got



the　reins　an　equal　length　and　grasped　his　spear　in　the　handiest



fashion；　and；　in　the　next　place；　he　should　keep　his　left　arm　close　to



his　side。　This　position　will　give　the　rider　absolute　ease　and



freedom；＇11＇　and　his　hand　the　firmest　hold。







＇9＇　i。e。　〃below　the　knee〃；　〃shin　and　calf。〃







＇10＇　Lit。　〃pulled　up〃　（and　arranged　the　folds　of　his　mantle）。







＇11＇　｛eustalestatos｝；　〃the　most　business…like　deportment。〃







As　to　reins；　we　recommend　those　which　are　well　balanced；　without　being



weak　or　slippery　or　thick；　so　that　when　necessary；　the　hand　which



holds　them　can　also　grasp　a　spear。







As　soon　as　the　rider　gives　the　signal　to　the　horse　to　start；＇12＇　he



should　begin　at　a　walking　pace；　which　will　tend　to　allay　his



excitement。　If　the　horse　is　inclined　to　droop　his　head；　the　reins



should　be　held　pretty　high；　or　somewhat　low；　if　he　is　disposed　to



carry　his　head　high。　This　will　set　off　the　horse's　bearing　to　the　best



advantage。　Presently；　as　he　falls　into　a　natural　trot；＇13＇　he　will



gradually　relax　his　limbs　without　the　slightest　suffering；　and　so　come



more　agreeably　to　the　gallop。＇14＇　Since；　too；　the　preference　is　given



to　starting　on　the　left　foot；　it　will　best　conduce　to　that　lead　if；



while　the　horse　is　still　trotting；　the　signal　to　gallop　should　be



given　at　the　instant　of　making　a　step　with　his　right　foot。＇15＇　As　he



is　on　the　point　of　lifting　his　left　foot　he　will　start　upon　it；　and



while　turning　left　will　simultaneously　make　the　first　bound　of　the



gallop；＇16＇　since；　as　a　matter　of　instinct；　a　horse；　on　being　turned



to　the　right；　leads　off　with　his　right　limbs；　and　to　the　left　with　his



left。







＇12＇　〃Forwards！〃







＇13＇　Or；　〃the　true　trot。〃







＇14＇　｛epirrabdophorein｝；　〃a　fast　pace　in　response　to　a　wave　of　the



　　　　whip。〃







＇15＇　See　Berenger；　i。　p。　249；　also　the　〃Cavalry　Drill　Book；〃　Part　I。



　　　　Equitation；　S。　22；　〃The　Canter。〃







＇16＇　｛tes　episkeliseos｝；　〃he　will　make　the　forward　stride　of　the



　　　　gallop　in　the　act　of　turning　to　the　left。〃　See　Morgan　ad　loc。







As　an　exercise；　we　recommend　what　is　called　the　volte；＇17＇　since　it



habituates　the　animal　to　turn　to　either　hand；　while　a　variation　in　the



order　of　the　turn　is　good　as　involving　an　equalisation　of　both　sides



of　the　mouth；　in　first　one；　and　then　the　other　half　of　the



exercise。＇18＇　But　of　the　two　we　commend　the　oval　form　of　the　volte



rather　than　the　circular；　for　the　horse；　being　already　sated　with　the



straight　course；　will　be　all　the　more　ready　to　turn；　and　will　be



practised　at　once　in　the　straight　course　and　in　wheeling。　At　the



curve；　he　should　be　held　up；＇19＇　because　it　is　neither　easy　nor　indeed



safe　when　the　horse　is　at　full　speed　to　turn　sharp；　especially　if　the



ground　is　broken＇20＇　or　slippery。







＇17＇　｛pede｝；　figure　of　eight。







＇18＇　Or；　〃on　first　one　and　then　the　other　half　of　the　manege。〃







＇19＇　｛upolambanein｝。　See　〃Hipparch；〃　iii。　14；　〃Hunting；〃　iii。　10；　vi。



　　　　22；　of　a　dog。







＇20＇　｛apokroton｝；　al。　｛epikroton｝；　〃beaten；　hard…trodden　ground。〃







But　in　collecting　him；　the　rider　should　as　little　as　possible　sway　the



horse　obliquely　with　the　bit；　and　as　little　as　possible　incline　his



own　body；　or；　he　may　rest　assured；　a　trifle　will　suffice　to　stretch



him　and　his　horse　full　length　upon　the　ground。　The　moment　the　horse



has　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　straight　course　after　making　a　turn；　is　the



time　to　urge　him　to　full　speed。　In　battle；　obviously；　these　turns　and



wheelings　are　with　a　view　to　charging　or　retiring；　consequently；　to



practise　quickening　the　pace　after　wheeling　is　desirable。　When　the



horse　seems　to　have　had　enough　of　the　manege；　it　would　be　good　to　give



him　a　slight　pause；　and　then　suddenly　to　put　him　to　his　quickest；　away



from　his　fellows　first；＇21＇　and　now　towards　them；　and　then　again　to



quiet　him　down　in　mid…career　as　short　as　possible；＇22＇　and　from　halt



once　more　to　turn　him　right…about　and　off　again　full　charge。　It　is



easy　to　predict　that　the　day　will　come　when　there　will　be　need　of　each



of　these　manouvres。







＇21＇　｛mentoi｝；　〃of　course。〃







＇22＇　Or；　〃within　the　narrowest　compass〃；　〃as　finely　as　possible。〃







When　the　moment　to　dismount　has　come；　you　should　never　do　so　among



other　horses；　nor　near　a　group　of　people；＇23＇　nor　outside　the



exercising…ground；　but　on　the　precise　spot　which　is　the　scene　of　his



compulsory　exertion　there　let　the　horse　find　also　relaxation。＇24＇







＇23＇　Or；　〃a　knot　of　bystanders〃；　cf。　Thuc。　ii。　21。







＇24＇　Or；　as　we　say；　〃be　caressed；　and　dismissed。〃















VIII







As　there　will；　doubtless；　be　times　when　the　horse　will　need　to　race



downhill　and　uphill　and　on　sloping　ground；　times；　also；　when　he　will



need　to　leap　across　an　obstacle；　or；　take　a　flying　leap　from　off　a



bank；＇1＇　or；　jump　down　from　a　height；　the　rider　must　teach　and　train



himself　and　his　horse　to　meet　all　emergencies。　In　this　way　the　two



will　have　a　chance　of　saving　each　the　other；　and　may　be　expected　to



increase　their　usefulness。







＇1＇　｛ekpedan｝　=　exsilire　in　altum　（Sturz；　and　so　Berenger）；　〃to　leap



　　　　over　ditches；　and　upon　high　places　and　down　from　them。〃







And　here；　if　any　reader　should　accuse　us　of　repeating　ourselves；　on



the　ground　that　we　are　only　stating　now　what　we　said　before　on　the



same　topics；＇2＇　we　say　that　this　is　not　mere　repetition。　In　the　former



case；　we　confined　ourselves　to　advising　the　purchaser　before　he



concluded　his　bargain　to　test　whether　the　horse　could　do　those



particular　things；＇3＇　what　we　are　now　maintaining　is　that　the　owner



ought　to　teach　his　own　horse；　and　we　will　explain　how　this　teaching　is



to　be　done。







＇2＇　Or；　〃treating　of　a　topic　already　handled。〃







＇3＇　i。e。　possessed　a　certain　ability　at　the　date　of　purchase。







With　a　horse　entirely　ignorant　of　leaping；　the　best　way　is　to　take　him



by　the　leading　rein；　which　hangs　loose；　and　to　get　across　the　trench



yourself　first；　and　then　to　pull　tight　on　the　leading…rein；　to　induce



him　to　leap　across。　If　he　refuses；　some　one　with　a　whip　or　switch



should　apply　it　smartly。　The　result　will　be　that　the　horse　will　clear



at　a　bound；　not　the　distance　merely；　but　a　far　larger　space　than



requisite；　and　for　the　future　there　will　be　no　need　for　an　actual



blow；　the　mere　sight　of　some　one　coming　up　behind　will　suffice　to　make



him　leap。　As　soon　as　he　is　accustomed　to　leap　in　this　way　you　may



mount　him　and　put　him　first　at　smaller　and　then　at　larger　trenches。　At



the　moment　of　the　spring　be　ready　to　apply　the　spur；　and　so　too；　when



training　him　to　leap　up　and　leap　down；　you　should　touch　him　with　the



spur　at　the　critical　instant。　In　the　effort　to　perform　any　of　these



actions　with　the　whole　body；　the　horse　will　certainly　perform　them



with　more　safety　to　himself　and　to　his　rider　than　he　will；　if　his



hind…quarters　lag；　in　taking　a　ditch　or　fence；　or　in　making　an　upward



spring　or　downward　jump。＇4＇







＇4＇　Lit。　〃in　making　these　jumps；　springs；　and　leaps　across　or　up　or



　　　　down。〃







To　face　a　steep　incline；　you　must　first　teach　him　on　soft　ground；　and



finally；　when　he　is　accustomed　to　that；　he　will　much　prefer　the



downward　to　the　upward　slope　for　a　fast　pace。　And　as　to　the



apprehension；　which　some　people　entertain；　that　a　horse　may　dislocate



the　shoulder　in　galloping　down　an　incline；　it　should　encourage　them　to



learn　that　the　Persians　and　Odrysians　all　run　races　down　precipitous



slopes；＇5＇　and　their　horses　are　every　bit　as　sound　as　our　own。＇6＇







＇5＇　Cf。　〃Anab。〃　IV。　viii。　28；　and　so　the　Georgians　to　this　day



　　　　（Chardin　ap。　Courier；　op。　cit。　p。　70；　n。　1）。







＇6＇　Lit。　〃as　are　those　of　the　Hellenes。〃







Nor　must　we　omit　another　topic：　how　the　rider　is　to　accomodate　himself



to　these　several　movements。＇7＇　Thus；　when　the　horse　breaks　off　into　a



gallop；　the　rider　ought　to　bend　forward；　since　the　horse　will　be　less



likely　to　slip　from　under；　and　so　to　pitch　his　rider　off。　So　again　in



pulling　him　up　short＇8＇　the　rider　should　lean　back；　and　thus　escape　a



shock。　In　leaping　a　ditch　or　tearing　up　a　steep　incline；　it　is　no　bad



plan　to　let　go　the　reins　and　take　hold　of　the　mane；　so　that　the　animal



may　not　feel　the　burthen　of　the　bit　in　addition　to　that　of　the　ground。



In　going　down　a　steep　incline　the　rider　must　throw　himself　right　back



and　hold　in　the　horse　with　the　bit；　to　prevent　himself　being　hurled



headforemost　down　the　slope　himself　if　not　his　horse。







＇7＇　Or；　〃to　each　set　of　occurrences。〃







＇8＇　Al。　〃when　the　horse　is　being　brought　to　a　poise〃　（Morgan）；　and　see



　　　　Hermann　ap。　Schneid。；　｛analambanein｝　=　retinere　equum；　anhalten；



　　　　pariren。　i。e。　〃rein　in〃　of　the　〃Parade。〃







It　is　a　correct　principle　to　vary　these　exercises；　which　should　be



gone　through　sometimes　in　one　place　and　sometimes　in　another；　and



should　sometimes　be　shorter　and　sometimes　longer　in　duration。　The



horse　will　take　much　more　kindly　to　them　if　you　do　not　confine　him　to



one　place　and　one　routine。







Sin