on horsemanship-第4节

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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　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；