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on horsemanship-第2章

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'17' 〃Slack towards the flexure〃 (Stonehenge)。







'18' Or; 〃of forcing the rider's hand and bolting。〃







'19' Or; 〃to display violence or run away。〃







It is important also to observe whether the jaws are soft or hard on



one or other side; since as a rule a horse with unequal jaws'20' is



liable to become hard…mouthed on one side。







'20' Or; 〃whose bars are not equally sensitive。〃







Again; a prominent rather than a sunken eye is suggestive of



alertness; and a horse of this type will have a wider range of vision。







And so of the nostrils: a wide…dilated nostril is at once better than



a contracted one for respiration; and gives the animal a fiercer



aspect。 Note how; for instance; when one stallion is enraged against



another; or when his spirit chafes in being ridden;'21' the nostrils



at once become dilated。







'21' Or; 〃in the racecourse or on the exercising…ground how readily he



    distends his nostrils。〃







A comparatively large crest and small ears give a more typical and



horse…like appearance to the head; whilst lofty withers again allow



the rider a surer seat and a stronger adhesion between the shoulders



and the body。'22'







'22' Or if with L。 D。 '{kai to somati}'; transl。 〃adhesion to the



    horse's shoulders。〃







A 〃double spine;〃'23' again; is at once softer to sit on than a



single; and more pleasing to the eye。 So; too; a fairly deep side



somewhat rounded towards the belly'24' will render the animal at once



easier to sit and stronger; and as a general rule better able to



digest his food。'25'







'23' Reading after Courier {rakhis ge men}。 See Virg。 〃Georg。〃 iii。



    87; 〃at duplex agitur per lumbos spina。〃 〃In a horse that is in



    good case; the back is broad; and the spine does not stick up like



    a ridge; but forms a kind of furrow on the back〃 (John Martyn); 〃a



    full back;〃 as we say。







'24' Or; 〃in proportion to。〃 See Courier (〃Du Commandement de la



    Cavalerie at de l'Equitation〃: deux livres de Xenophon; traduits



    par un officier d'artillerie a cheval); note ad loc。 p。 83。







'25' i。e。 〃and keep in good condition。〃







The broader and shorter the loins the more easily will the horse raise



his forequarters and bring up his hindquarters under him。 Given these



points; moreover; the belly will appear as small as possible; a



portion of the body which if large is partly a disfigurement and



partly tends to make the horse less strong and capable of carrying



weight。'26'







'26' Al。 〃more feeble at once and ponderous in his gait。〃







The quarters should be broad and fleshy in correspondence with the



sides and chest; and if they are also firm and solid throughout they



will be all the lighter for the racecourse; and will render the horse



in every way more fleet。







To come to the thighs (and buttocks):'27' if the horse have these



separated by a broad line of demarcation'28' he will be able to plant



his hind…legs under him with a good gap between;'29' and in so doing



will assume a posture'30' and a gait in action at once prouder and



more firmly balanced; and in every way appear to the best advantage。







'27' Lit。 〃the thighs beneath the tail。〃







'28' Reading {plateia to gramme diorismenous ekhe}; sc。 the perineum。



    Al。 Courier (after Apsyrtus); op。 cit。 p。 14; {plateis te kai me



    diestrammenous}; 〃broad and not turned outwards。〃







'29' Or; 〃he will be sure to spread well behind;〃 etc。







'30' {ton upobasin}; tech。 of the crouching posture assumed by the



    horse for mounting or 〃in doing the demi…passade〃 (so Morgan; op。



    cit。 p。 126)。







The human subject would seem to point to this conclusion。 When a man



wants to lift anything from off the ground he essays to do so by



bringing the legs apart and not by bringing them together。







A horse ought not to have large testicles; though that is not a point



to be determined in the colt。







And now; as regards the lower parts; the hocks;'31' or shanks and



fetlocks and hoofs; we have only to repeat what has been said already



about those of the fore…legs。







'31' {ton katothen astragelon; e knemon}; lit。 〃the under (or hinder?)



    knuckle…bones (hocks?) or shins〃; i。e。 anatomically speaking; the



    os calcis; astragalus; tarsals; and metatarsal large and small。







I will here note some indications by which one may forecast the



probable size of the grown animal。 The colt with the longest shanks at



the moment of being foaled will grow into the biggest horse; the fact



beingand it holds of all the domestic quadrupeds'32'that with



advance of time the legs hardly increase at all; while the rest of the



body grows uniformly up to these; until it has attained its proper



symmetry。







'32' Cf。 Aristot。 〃de Part。 Anim。〃 iv。 10; 〃H。 A。〃 ii。 1; Plin。 〃N。



    H。〃 xi。 108。







Such is the type'33' of colt and such the tests to be applied; with



every prospect of getting a sound…footed; strong; and fleshy animal



fine of form and large of stature。 If changes in some instances



develop during growth; that need not prevent us from applying our



tests in confidence。 It far more often happens that an ugly…looking



colt will turn out serviceable;'34' than that a foal of the above



description will turn out ugly or defective。







'33' Lit。 〃by testing the shape of the colt in this way it seems to us



    the purchaser will get;〃 etc。







'34' For the vulg。 {eukhroastoi}; a doubtful word = 〃well coloured;〃



    i。e。 〃sleek and healthy;〃 L。 & S。 would read {eukhrooi} (cf。 〃Pol。



    Lac。〃 v。 8)。 L。 Dind。 conj。 {enrostoi}; 〃robust〃; Schneid。



    {eukhrestoi}; 〃serviceable。〃















II







The right method of breaking a colt needs no description at our



hands。'1' As a matter of state organisation;'2' cavalry duties usually



devolve upon those who are not stinted in means; and who have a



considerable share in the government;'3' and it seems far better for a



young man to give heed to his own health of body and to horsemanship;



or; if he already knows how to ride with skill; to practising



manouvres; than that he should set up as a trainer of horses。'4' The



older man has his town property and his friends; and the hundred…and…



one concerns of state or of war; on which to employ his time and



energies rather than on horsebreaking。 It is plain then that any one



holding my views'5' on the subject will put a young horse out to be



broken。 But in so doing he ought to draw up articles; just as a father



does when he apprentices his son to some art or handicraft; stating



what sort of knowledge the young creature is to be sent back possessed



of。 These will serve as indications'6' to the trainer what points he



must pay special heed to if he is to earn his fee。 At the same time



pains should be taken on the owner's part to see that the colt is



gentle; tractable; and affectionate;'7' when delivered to the



professional trainer。 That is a condition of things which for the most



part may be brought about at home and by the groomif he knows how to



let the animal connect'8' hunger and thirst and the annoyance of flies



with solitude; whilst associating food and drink and escape from



sources of irritation with the presence of man。 As the result of this



treatment; necessarily the young horse will acquirenot fondness



merely; but an absolute craving for human beings。 A good deal can be



done by touching; stroking; patting those parts of the body which the



creature likes to have so handled。 These are the hairiest parts; or



where; if there is anything annoying him; the horse can least of all



apply relief himself。







'1' Or; 〃The training of the colt is a topic which; as it seems to us;



    may fairly be omitted; since those appointed for cavalry service



    in these states are persons who;〃 etc。 For reading see Courier;



    〃Notes;〃 p。 84。







'2' 〃Organisation in the several states。〃







'3' Or; 〃As a matter of fact it is the wealthiest members of the



    state; and those who have the largest stake in civic life; that



    are appointed to cavalry duties。〃 See 〃Hippparch;〃 i。 9。







'4' Cf。 〃Econ。〃 iii。 10。







'5' {ego}。 Hitherto the author has used the plural {emin} with which



    he started。







'6' Reading {upodeigmata}; 〃finger…post signs;〃 as it were; or 〃draft



    in outline〃; al。 {upomnemata} = 〃memoranda
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