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on horsemanship-第8节

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if circumstances permit; give him his morning or his evening meal。 But



the best advice of all is not to get an over…spirited horse for the



purposes of war。







'7' Al。 〃whistling;〃 and see Berenger; ii。 68。 {poppusmos}; a sound



    from the lips; {klogmos}; from the cheek。







As to the sluggish type of animal; I need only suggest to do



everything the opposite to what we advise as appropriate in dealing



with an animal of high spirit。















X







But possibly you are not content with a horse serviceable for war。 You



want to find him him a showy; attractive animal; with a certain



grandeur of bearing。 If so; you must abstain from pulling at his mouth



with the bit; or applying the spur and whipmethods commonly adopted



by people with a view to a fine effect; though; as a matter of fact;



they thereby achieve the very opposite of what they are aiming at。



That is to say; by dragging the mouth up they render the horse blind



instead of alive to what is in front of him; and what with spurring



and whipping they distract the creature to the point of absolute



bewilderment and danger。'1' Feats indeed!the feats of horses with a



strong dislike to being riddenup to all sorts of ugly and ungainly



tricks。 On the contrary; let the horse be taught to be ridden on a



loose bridle; and to hold his head high and arch his neck; and you



will practically be making him perform the very acts which he himself



delights or rather exults in; and the best proof of the pleasure which



he takes is; that when he is let loose with other horses; and more



particularly with mares; you will see him rear his head aloft to the



full height; and arch his neck with nervous vigour;'2' pawing the air



with pliant legs'3' and waving his tail on high。 By training him to



adopt the very airs and graces which he naturally assumes when showing



off to best advantage; you have got what you are aiming ata horse



that delights in being ridden; a splendid and showy animal; the joy of



all beholders。







'1' Al。 〃the animals are so scared that; the chances are; they are



    thrown into disorder。〃







'2' {gorgoumenos}; with pride and spirit; but with a suggestion of



    〃fierceness and rage;〃 as of Job's war…horse。







'3' 〃Mollia crura reponit;〃 Virg。 〃Georg。〃 iii。 76; Hom。 〃Hymn。 ad



    Merc。〃







How these desirable results are; in our opinion; to be produced; we



will now endeavour to explain。 In the first place; then; you ought to



have at least two bits。 One of these should be smooth; with discs of a



good size; the other should have heavy and flat discs'4' studded with



sharp spikes; so that when the horse seizes it and dislikes the



roughness he will drop it; then when the smooth is given him instead;



he is delighted with its smoothness; and whatever he has learnt before



upon the rough; he will perform with greater relish on the smooth。 He



may certainly; out of contempt for its very smoothness; perpetually



try to get a purchase on it; and that is why we attach large discs to



the smooth bit; the effect of which is to make him open his mouth; and



drop the mouthpiece。 It is possible to make the rough bit of every



degree of roughness by keeping it slack or taut。







'4' See Morgan; op。 cit。 p。 144 foll。







But; whatever the type of bit may be; let it in any case be flexible。



If it be stiff; at whatever point the horse seizes it he must take it



up bodily against his jaws; just as it does not matter at what point a



man takes hold of a bar of iron;'5' he lifts it as a whole。 The other



flexibly constructed type acts like a chain (only the single point at



which you hold it remains stiff; the rest hangs loose); and while



perpetually hunting for the portion which escapes him; he lets the



mouthpiece go from his bars。'6' For this reason the rings are hung in



the middle from the two axles;'7' so that while feeling for them with



his tongue and teeth he may neglect to take the bit up against his



jaws。







'5' Or; 〃poker;〃 as we might say; lit。 〃spit。〃







'6' Schneid。 cf。 Eur。 〃Hippol。〃 1223。







'7' See Morgan; note ad loc。 Berenger (i。 261) notes: 〃We have a small



    chain in the upset or hollow part of our bits; called a 'Player;'



    with which the horse playing with his tongue; and rolling it



    about; keeps his mouth moist and fresh; and; as Xenophon hints; it



    may serve likewise to fix his attention and prevent him from



    writhing his mouth about; or as the French call it; 'faire ses



    forces。'〃







To explain what is meant by flexible and stiff as applied to a bit; we



will describe the matter。 A flexible bit is one in which the axles



have their points of junction broad and smooth;'8' so as to bend



easily; and where the several parts fitting round the axles; being



large of aperture and not too closely packed; have greater



flexibility; whereas; if the several parts do not slide to and fro



with ease; and play into each other; that is what we call a stiff bit。



Whatever the kind of bit may be; the rider must carry out precisely



the same rules in using it; as follows; if he wishes to turn out a



horse with the qualities described。 The horse's mouth is not to be



pulled back too harshly so as to make him toss his head aside; nor yet



so gently that he will not feel the pressure。 But the instant he



raises his neck in answer to the pull; give him the bit at once; and



so throughout; as we never cease repeating; at every response to your



wishes; whenever and wherever the animal performs his service well;'9'



reward and humour him。 Thus; when the rider perceives that the horse



takes a pleasure in the high arching and supple play of his neck; let



him seize the instant not to impose severe exertion on him; like a



taskmaster; but rather to caress and coax him; as if anxious to give



him a rest。 In this way the horse will be encouraged and fall into a



rapid pace。







'8' i。e。 〃the ends of the axles (at the point of junction) which work



    into each other are broad and smooth; so as to play freely at the



    join。〃







'9' 〃Behaves compliantly。〃







That a horse takes pleasure in swift movement; may be shown



conclusively。 As soon as he has got his liberty; he sets off at a trot



or gallop; never at a walking pace; so natural and instinctive a



pleasure does this action afford him; if he is not forced to perform



it to excess; since it is true of horse and man alike that nothing is



pleasant if carried to excess。'10'







'10' L。 Dind。 cf。 Eur。 〃Med。〃 128; {ta de' uperballont oudena kairon}。







But now suppose he has attained to the grand style when riddenwe



have accustomed him of course in his first exercise to wheel and fall



into a canter simultaneously; assuming then; he has got that lesson



well by heart; if the rider pulls him up with the bit while



simultaneously giving him one of the signals to be off; the horse;



galled on the one hand by the bit; and on the other collecting himself



in obedience to the signal 〃off;〃 will throw forward his chest and



raise his legs aloft with fiery spirit; though not indeed with



suppleness; for the supple play of the limbs ceases as soon as the



horse feels annoyance。 But now; supposing when his fire is thus



enkindled'11' you give him the rein; the effect is instantaneous。



Under the pleasurable sense of freedom; thanks to the relaxation of



the bit; with stately bearing and legs pliantly moving he dashes



forward in his pride; in every respect imitating the airs and graces



of a horse approaching other horses。 Listen to the epithets with which



spectators will describe the type of horse: the noble animal! and what



willingness to work; what paces;'12' what a spirit and what mettle;



how proudly he bears himself'13'a joy at once; and yet a terror to



behold。







'11' Cf。 〃Hell。〃 V。 iv。 46; 〃kindled into new life。〃







'12' {ipposten}; 〃a true soldier's horse。〃







'13' {sobaron}; 〃what a push and swagger〃; {kai ama edun te kai gorgon



    idein}; 〃a la fois doux et terrible a voir;〃 see Victor



    Cherbuliez; 〃Un Cheval de Phidias;〃 p。 148。







Thus far on this topic; these notes may serve perhaps to meet a



special need。















XI







If; however; the wish is to secure a horse adapted to parade and state



processions; a high stepper and a showy'1' animal; these are qualities



not to be found combined in every horse; but to begin with; the animal



must

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