太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > on horsemanship >

第3节

on horsemanship-第3节

小说: on horsemanship 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!






    in outline〃; al。 {upomnemata} = 〃memoranda。〃







'7' 〃Gentle; and accustomed to the hand; and fond of man。〃







'8' Lit。 〃if he knows how to provide that hunger and thirst; etc。;



    should be felt by the colt in solitude; whilst food and drink;



    etc。; come through help of man。〃







The groom should have standing orders to take his charge through



crowds; and to make him familiar with all sorts of sights and noises;



and if the colt shows sign of apprehension at them;'9' he must teach



himnot by cruel; but by gentle handlingthat they are not really



formidable。







'9' Or; 〃is disposed to shy。〃







On this topic; then; of training;'10' the rules here given will; I



think; suffice for any private individual。







'10' Or; 〃In reference to horsebreaking; the above remarks will



    perhaps be found sufficient for the practical guidance of an



    amateur。〃















III







To meet the case in which the object is to buy a horse already fit for



riding; we will set down certain memoranda;'1' which; if applied



intelligently; may save the purchaser from being cheated。







'1' 〃Which the purchaser should lay to heart; if he does not wish to



    be cheated。〃







First; then; let there be no mistake about the age。 If the horse has



lost his mark teeth;'2' not only will the purchaser's hopes be



blighted; but he may find himself saddled for ever with a sorry



bargain。'3'







'2' Or; 〃the milk teeth;〃 i。e。 is more than five years old。 See



    Morgan; p。 126。







'3' Lit。 〃a horse that has lost his milk teeth cannot be said to



    gladden his owner's mind with hopes; and is not so easily disposed



    of。〃







Given that the fact of youth is well established; let there be no



mistake about another matter: how does he take the bit into his mouth



and the headstall'4' over his ears? There need be little ambiguity on



this score; if the purchaser will see the bit inserted and again



removed; under his eyes。 Next; let it be carefully noted how the horse



stands being mounted。 Many horses are extremely loath to admit the



approach of anything which; if once accepted; clearly means to them



enforced exertion。







'4' {koruphaia}; part of the {khalinos} gear。







Another point to ascertain is whether the horse; when mounted; can be



induced to leave other horses; or when being ridden past a group of



horses standing; will not bolt off to join the company。 Some horses



again; as the result of bad training; will run away from the



exercising…ground and make for the stable。 A hard mouth may be



detected by the exercise called the {pede} or volte;'5' and still more



so by varying the direction of the volte to right or left。 Many horses



will not attempt to run away except for the concurrence of a bad mouth



along with an avenue of escape home。'6'







'5' See Sturz; s。v。; Pollux; i。 219。 Al。 〃the longe;〃 but the passage



    below (vii。 14) is suggestive rather of the volte。







'6' Al。 〃will only attempt to bolt where the passage out towards home



    combines; as it were; with a bad mouth。〃 {e 。 。 。 ekphora} = 〃the



    exit from the manege or riding school。〃







Another point which it is necessary to learn is; whether when let go



at full speed the horse can be pulled up'7' sharp and is willing to



wheel round in obedience to the rein。







'7' {analambanetai}; 〃come to the poise〃 (Morgan)。 For



    {apostrephesthai} see ix。6; tech。 〃caracole。〃







It is also well to ascertain by experience if the horse you propose to



purchase will show equal docility in response to the whip。 Every one



knows what a useless thing a servant is; or a body of troops; that



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

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的