on horsemanship-第6章

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＇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　will　enlarge　his　scope　of　action；　and　in　case　of



a　tug　or　shove　be　less　liable　to　be　unseated。　Next；　when　the　rider　is



seated；　he　must；　in　the　first　place；　teach　his　horse　to　stand　quiet；



until　he　has　drawn　his　skirts　from　under　him；　if　need　be；＇10＇　and　got



the　reins　an　equal　length　and　grasped　his　spear　in　the　handiest



fashion；　and；　in　the　next　place；　he　should　keep　his　left　arm　close　to



his　side。　This　position　will　give　the　rider　absolute　ease　and



freedom；＇11＇　and　his　hand　the　firmest　hold。







＇9＇　i。e。　〃below　the　knee〃；　〃shin　and　calf。〃







＇10＇　Lit。　〃pulled　up〃　（and　arranged　the　folds　of　his　mantle）。







＇11＇　｛eustalestatos｝；　〃the　most　business…like　deportment。〃







As　to　reins；　we　recommend　those　which　are　well　balanced；　without　being



weak　or　slippery　or　thick；　so　that　when　necessary；　the　hand　which



holds　them　can　also　grasp　a　spear。







As　soon　as　the　rider　gives　the　signal　to　the　horse　to　start；＇12＇　he



should　begin　at　a　walking　pace；　which　will　tend　to　allay　his



excitement。　If　the　horse　is　inclined　to　droop　his　head；　the　reins



should　be　held　pretty　high；　or　somewhat　low；　if　he　is　disposed　to



carry　his　head　high。　This　will　set　off　the　horse's　bearing　to　the　best



advantage。　Presently；　as　he　falls　into　a　natural　trot；＇13＇　he　will



gradually　relax　his　limbs　without　the　slightest　suffering；　and　so　come



more　agreeably　to　the　gallop。＇14＇　Since；　too；　the　preference　is　given



to　starting　on　the　left　foot；　it　will　best　conduce　to　that　lead　if；



while　the　horse　is　still　trotting；　the　signal　to　gallop　should　be



given　at　the　instant　of　making　a　step　with　his　right　foot。＇15＇　As　he



is　on　the　point　of　lifting　his　left　foot　he　will　start　upon　it；　and



while　turning　left　will　simultaneously　make　the　first　bound　of　the



gallop；＇16＇　since；　as　a　matter　of　instinct；　a　horse；　on　being　turned



to　the　right；　leads　off　with　his　right　limbs；　and　to　the　left　with　his



left。







＇12＇　〃Forwards！〃







＇13＇　Or；　〃the　true　trot。〃







＇14＇　｛epirrabdophorein｝；　〃a　fast　pace　in　response　to　a　wave　of　the



　　　　whip。〃







＇15＇　See　Berenger；　i。　p。　249；　also　the　〃Cavalry　Drill　Book；〃　Part　I。



　　　　Equitation；　S。　22；　〃The　Canter。〃







＇16＇　｛tes　episkeliseos｝；　〃he　will　make　the　forward　stride　of　the



　　　　gallop　in　the　act　of　turning　to　the　left。〃　See　Morgan　ad　loc。







As　an　exercise；　we　recommend　what　is　called　the　volte；＇17＇　since　it



habituates　the　animal　to　turn　to　either　hand；　while　a　variation　in　the



order　of　the　turn　is　good　as　involving　an　equalisation　of　both　sides



of　the　mouth；　in　first　one；　and　then　the　other　half　of　the



exercise。＇18＇　But　of　the　two　we　commend　the　oval　form　of　the　volte



rather　than　the　circular；　for　the　horse；　being　already　sated　with　the



straight　course；　will