太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > on horsemanship >

第5节

on horsemanship-第5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!






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 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

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的