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on horsemanship-第9节

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



must have high spirit and a stalwart body。 Not that; as some think; a



horse with flexible legs will necessarily be able to rear his body。



What we want is a horse with supple loins; and not supple only but



short and strong (I do not mean the loins towards the tail; but by the



belly the region between the ribs and thighs)。 That is the horse who



will be able to plant his hind…legs well under the forearm。 If while



he is so planting his hind…quarters; he is pulled up with the bit; he



lowers his hind…legs on his hocks'2' and raises the forepart of his



body; so that any one in front of him will see the whole length of his



belly to the sheath。'3' At the moment the horse does this; the rider



should give him the rein; so that he may display the noblest feats



which a horse can perform of his own free will; to the satisfaction of



the spectators。







'1' {lampros}。 Cf。 Isae。 xi。 41 (〃On the estate of Hagnias〃); Lys。



    xix。 63 (〃de Bon。 Arist。〃)。







'2' See Berenger; ii。 68。







'3' Lit。 〃testicles。〃







There are; indeed; other methods of teaching these arts。'4' Some do so



by touching the horse with a switch under the hocks; others employ an



attendant to run alongside and strike the horse with a stick under the



gaskins。 For ourselves; however; far the best method of



instruction;'5' as we keep repeating; is to let the horse feel that



whatever he does in obedience to the rider's wishes will be followed



by some rest and relaxation。







'4' Lit。 〃People; it must be admitted; claim to teach these arts in



    varous wayssome by 。 。 。 others by bidding 。 。 。〃







'5' Reading {didaskalion}; al。 {didaskalion}; 〃systems。〃 Schneid。 cf。



    Herod。 v。 58。







To quote a dictum of Simon; what a horse does under compulsion he does



blindly; and his performance is no more beautiful than would be that



of a ballet…dancer taught by whip and goad。 The performances of horse



or man so treated would seem to be displays of clumsy gestures rather



than of grace and beauty。 What we need is that the horse should of his



own accord exhibit his finest airs and paces at set signals。'6'



Supposing; when he is in the riding…field;'7' you push him to a gallop



until he is bathed in sweat; and when he begins to prance and show his



airs to fine effect; you promptly dismount and take off the bit; you



may rely upon it he will of his own accord another time break into the



same prancing action。 Such are the horses on which gods and heroes



ride; as represented by the artist。 The majesty of men themselves is



best discovered in the graceful handling of such animals。'8' A horse



so prancing is indeed a thing of beauty; a wonder and a marvel;



riveting the gaze of all who see him; young alike and graybeards。 They



will never turn their backs; I venture to predict; or weary of their



gazing so long as he continues to display his splendid action。







'6' Or; 〃by aids and signs;〃 as we say。







'7' Or; 〃exercising…ground。〃







'8' Or; 〃and the man who knows how to manage such a creature



    gracefully himself at once appears magnificent。〃







If the possessor of so rare a creature should find himself by chance



in the position of a squadron leader or a general of cavalry; he must



not confine his zeal to the development of his personal splendour; but



should study all the more to make the troop or regiment a splendid



spectacle。 Supposing (in accordance with the high praise bestowed upon



the type of animal)'9' the leader is mounted on a horse which with his



high airs and frequent prancing makes but the slightest movement



forwardobviously the rest of the troop must follow at a walking



pace; and one may fairly ask where is the element of splendour in the



spectacle? But now suppose that you; sir; being at the head of the



procession; rouse your horse and take the lead at a pace neither too



fast nor yet too slow; but in a way to bring out the best qualities in



all the animals; their spirit; fire; grace of mien and bearing ripe



for actionI say; if you take the lead of them in this style; the



collective thud; the general neighing and the snorting of the horses



will combine to render not only you at the head; but your whole



company'10' down to the last man a thrilling spectacle。







'9' Reading as vulg。 {os malista epainousi tous toioutous ippous; os}。



    L。 Dind。 omits the words as a gloss。







'10' Reading {oi} (for {osoi}) {sumparepomenoi}。 See Hartmann; 〃An。



    Xen。 Nov。〃 xiv。 p。 343。







One word more。 Supposing a man has shown some skill in purchasing his



horses; and can rear them into strong and serviceable animals;



supposing further he can handle them in the right way; not only in the



training for war; but in exercises with a view to display; or lastly;



in the stress of actual battle; what is there to prevent such a man



from making every horse he owns of far more value in the end than when



he bought it; with the further outlook that; unless some power higher



than human interpose;'11' he will become the owner of a celebrated



stable; and himself as celebrated for his skill in horsemanship。







'11' Or; 〃there is nothing; humanly speaking; to prevent such a man。〃



    For the phrase see 〃Mem。〃 I。 iii。 5; cf。 〃Cyrop。〃 I。 vi。 18; and



    for the advice; 〃Econ。〃 iii。 9; 10。















XII







We will now describe the manner in which a trooper destined to run the



risks of battle upon horseback should be armed。 In the first place;



then; we would insist; the corselet must be made to fit the person;



since; if it fits well; its weight will be distributed over the whole



body; whereas; if too loose; the shoulders will have all the weight to



bear; while; if too tight; the corselet is no longer a defensive arm;



but a 〃strait jacket。〃'1' Again; the neck; as being a vital part;'2'



ought to have; as we maintain; a covering; appended to the corselet



and close…fitting。 This will serve as an ornament; and if made as it



ought to be; will conceal the rider's faceif so he choosesup to



the nose。







'1' Cf。 〃Mem。〃 III。 x。







'2' L。 Dind。 cf。 Hom。 〃Il。〃 viii。 326:







{。 。 。 othi kleis apoergei



aukhena te stethos te; malista de kairion estin。}







〃Where the collar…bone fenceth off neck and breast; and where is



the most deadly spot〃 (W。 Leaf)。







As to the helmet; the best kind; in our opinion; is one of the



Boeotian pattern;'3' on the principle again; that it covers all the



parts exposed above the breastplate without hindering vision。 Another



point: the corselet should be so constructed that it does not prevent



its wearer sitting down or stooping。 About the abdomen and the



genitals and parts surrounding'4' flaps should be attached in texture



and in thickness sufficient to protect'5' that region。







'3' Schneider cf。 Aelian; 〃V。 H。〃 iii。 24; Pollux; i。 149。







'4' Schneider cf。 〃Anab。〃 IV。 vii。 15; and for {kai ta kuklo}; conj。



    {kuklo}; 〃the abdomen and middle should be encircled by a skirt。〃







'5' Lit。 〃let there be wings of such sort; size; and number as to



    protect the limbs。〃







Again; as an injury to the left hand may disable the horseman; we



would recommend the newly…invented piece of armour called the



gauntlet; which protects the shoulder; arm; and elbow; with the hand



engaged in holding the reins; being so constructed as to extend and



contract; in addition to which it covers the gap left by the corselet



under the armpit。 The case is different with the right hand; which the



horseman must needs raise to discharge a javelin or strike a blow。



Here; accordingly; any part of the corselet which would hinder action



out to be removed; in place of which the corselet ought to have some



extra flaps'6' at the joints; which as the outstretched arm is raised



unfold; and as the arm descends close tight again。 The arm itself;'7'



it seems to us; will better be protected by a piece like a greave



stretched over it than bound up with the corselet。 Again; the part



exposed when the right hand is raised should be covered close to the



corselet either with calfskin or with metal; or else there will be a



want of protection just at the most vital point。







'6' {prosthetai}; 〃moveable;〃 〃false。〃 For {gigglumois} L。 & S。 cf。



    Hipp。 411。 12; Aristot。 〃de An。〃 iii。 10。 9 = 〃ball…and…socket



    joints。〃







'7' i。e。 〃forearm。〃






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