on horsemanship-第3节

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　　　　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