on horsemanship-第8章

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the　overtaken　combatant　a　blow。　In　coming　to　close　quarters；　it　is　a



good　plan　first　to　drag　the　foeman　towards　oneself；　and　then　on　a



sudden　to　thrust　him　off；　that　is　a　device　to　bring　him　to　the



ground。＇11＇　The　correct　plan　for　the　man　so　dragged　is　to　press　his



horse　forward：　by　which　action　the　man　who　is　being　dragged　is　more



likely　to　unhorse　his　assailant　than　to　be　brought　to　the　ground



himself。







＇9＇　｛ippota｝。　A　poetic　word；　〃cavaliers。〃







＇10＇　Or；　〃manipulated。〃







＇11＇　Or；　〃that　may　be　spoken　off　as　the　'purl　trick'〃；　〃it　will



　　　　unhorse　him　if　anything。〃







If　it　ever　happens　that　you　have　an　enemy's　camp　in　front；　and　cavalry



skirmishing　is　the　order　of　the　day　（at　one　time　charging　the　enemy



right　up　to　the　hostile　battle…line；　and　again　beating　a　retreat）；



under　these　circumstances　it　is　well　to　bear　in　mind　that　so　long　as



the　skirmisher　is　close　to　his　own　party；＇12＇　valour　and　discretion



alike　dictate　to　wheel　and　charge　in　the　vanguard　might　and　main；　but



when　he　finds　himself　in　close　proximity　to　the　foe；　he　must　keep　his



horse　well　in　hand。　This；　in　all　probability；　will　enable　him　to　do



the　greatest　mischief　to　the　enemy；　and　to　receive　least　damage　at　his



hands。







＇12＇　See　〃Hipparch；〃　viii。　23。







The　gods　have　bestowed　on　man；　indeed；　the　gift　of　teaching　man　his



duty　by　means　of　speech　and　reasoning；　but　the　horse；　it　is　obvious；



is　not　open　to　instruction　by　speech　and　reasoning。　If　you　would　have



a　horse　learn　to　perform　his　duty；　your　best　plan　will　be；　whenever　he



does　as　you　wish；　to　show　him　some　kindness　in　return；　and　when　he　is



disobedient　to　chastise　him。　This　principle；　though　capable　of　being



stated　in　a　few　words；　is　one　which　holds　good　throughout　the　whole　of



horsemanship。　As；　for　instance；　a　horse　will　more　readily　take　the



bit；　if　each　time　he　accepts　it　some　good　befalls　him；　or；　again；　he



will　leap　ditches　and　spring　up　embankments　and　perform　all　the　other



feats　incumbent　on　him；　if　he　be　led　to　associate　obedience　to　the



word　of　command　with　relaxation。＇13＇







＇13＇　Lit。　〃if　every　time　he　performs　the　word　of　command　he　is　led　to



　　　　expect　some　relaxation。〃















IX







The　topics　hitherto　considered　have　been：　firstly；　how　to　reduce　the



chance　of　being　cheated　in　the　purchase　of　a　colt　or　full…grown　horse；



secondly；　how　to　escape　as　much　as　possible　the　risk　of　injuring　your



purchase　by　mishandling；　and　lastly；　how　to　succeed　in　turning　out　a



horse　possessed　of　all　the　qualities　demanded　by　the　cavalry　soldier



for　the　purposes　of　war。







The　time　has　come　perhaps　to　add　a　few　suggestions；　in　case　the　rider



should　be　called　upon　to　deal　with　an　animal　either　unduly　spirited　or



again　unduly　sluggish　in　disposition。　The　first　point　to　recognise　is；



that　temper　of　spirit　in　a　horse　takes　the　place　of　passion　or　anger



in　a　man；　and　just　as　you　may　best　escape　exciting　a　man's　ill…temper



by　avoiding　harshness　of　speech　and　act；　so　you　will　best　avoid



enraging　a　spirited　horse　by　not　annoying　him。　Thus；　from　the　first



instant；　in　the　act　of　mounting　him；　you　should　take　pains　to　minimise



the　annoyance；　and　once　on　his　back　you　should　sit　quiet　for　longer



than　the　ordinary　time；　and　so　urge　him　forward　by　the　gentlest　signs



possible；　next；　beginning　at　the　slowest　pace；　gradually　work　him　into



a　quicker　step；　but　so　gradually　that　he　will　find　himself　at　full



speed　without　noticing　it。＇1＇　Any　sudden　signal　will　bewilder　a



spirited　horse；　just　as　a　man　is　bewildered　by　any　sudden　sight　or



sound　or　other　experience。　＇I　say　one　should　be　aware　that　any



unexpected　shock　will　produce　disturbance　in　a　horse。＇＇2＇







＇1＇　Or；　〃so　that　the　horse　may　insensibly　fall　into　a　gallop。〃







＇2＇　L。　Dindorf　and　others　bracket；　as　spurious。







So　if　you　wish　to　pull　up　a　spirited　horse　when　breaking　off　into　a



quicker　pace　than　requisite；　you　must　not　suddenly　wrench　him；　but



quietly　and　gently　bring　the　bit　to　bear　upon　him；　coaxing　him　rather



than　compelling　him　to　calm　down。　It　is　the　long　steady　course　rather



than　the　frequent　turn　which　tends　to　calm　a　horse。＇3＇　A　quiet　pace



sustained　for　a　long　time　has　a　caressing；＇4＇　soothing　effect；　the



reverse　of　exciting。　If　any　one　proposes　by　a　series　of　fast　and　oft…



repeated　gallops　to　produce　a　sense　of　weariness　in　the　horse；　and　so



to　tame　him；　his　expectation　will　not　be　justified　by　the　result；　for



under　such　circumstances　a　spirited　horse　will　do　his　best　to　carry



the　day　by　main　force；＇5＇　and　with　a　show　of　temper；　like　a　passionate



man；　may　contrive　to　bring　on　himself　and　his　rider　irreparable



mischief。







＇3＇　Or；　〃long　stretches　rather　than　a　succession　of　turns　and　counter



　　　　turns；〃　｛apostrophai｝。







＇4＇　Reading　｛katapsosi｝　with　L。　Dind。







＇5＇　｛agein　bia｝；　vi　agere；　vi　uti；　Sturz；　al。　〃go　his　own　gait　by



　　　　sheer　force。〃







A　spirited　horse　should　be　kept　in　check；　so　that　he　does　not　dash　off



at　full　speed；　and　on　the　same　principle；　you　should　absolutely



abstain　from　setting　him　to　race　against　another；　as　a　general　rule；



your　fiery…spirited　horse　is　only　too　fond　of　contention。＇6＇







＇6＇　Reading　｛skhedon　gar　kai　phil　oi　thum｝；　or　if　｛。　。　。　oi　thil　kai



　　　　th。｝　transl。　〃the　more　eager　and　ambitious　a　horse　is；　the　more



　　　　mettlesome　he　will　tend　to　become。〃







Smooth　bits　are　better　and　more　serviceable　than　rough；　if　a　rough　bit



be　inserted　at　all；　it　must　be　made　to　resemble　a　smooth　one　as　much



as　possible　by　lightness　of　hand。







It　is　a　good　thing　also　for　the　rider　to　accustom　himself　to　keep　a



quiet　seat；　especially　when　mounted　on　a　spirited　horse；　and　also　to



touch　him　as　little　as　possible　with　anything　except　that　part　of　the



body　necessary　to　secure　a　firm　seat。







Again；　it　should　be　known　that　the　conventional　〃chirrup〃＇7＇　to　quiet



and　〃cluck〃　to　rouse　a　horse　are　a　sort　of　precept　of　the　training



school；　and　supposing　any　one　from　the　beginning　chose　to　associate



soft　soothing　actions　with　the　〃cluck〃　sound；　and　harsh　rousing



actions　with　the　〃chirrup；〃　the　horse　could　be　taught　to　rouse　himself



at　the　〃chirrup〃　and　to　calm　himself　at　the　〃cluck〃　sound。　On　this



principle；　at　the　sound　of　the　trumpet　or　the　shout　of　battle　the



rider　should　avoid　coming　up　to　his　charger　in　a　state　of　excitement；



or；　indeed；　bringing　any　disturbing　influence　to　bear　on　the　animal。



As　far　as　possible；　at　such　a　crisis　he　should　halt　and　rest　him；　and；



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　wh