on horsemanship-第10章

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！





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