on horsemanship-第5章

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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；　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