The Project Gutenberg eBook ofOn HorsemanshipThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.Title: On HorsemanshipAuthor: XenophonTranslator: Henry Graham DakynsRelease date: January 1, 1998 [eBook #1176]Most recently updated: October 29, 2024Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by John Bickers, and David Widger*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON HORSEMANSHIP ***
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
Title: On HorsemanshipAuthor: XenophonTranslator: Henry Graham DakynsRelease date: January 1, 1998 [eBook #1176]Most recently updated: October 29, 2024Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by John Bickers, and David Widger
Title: On Horsemanship
Author: XenophonTranslator: Henry Graham Dakyns
Author: Xenophon
Translator: Henry Graham Dakyns
Release date: January 1, 1998 [eBook #1176]Most recently updated: October 29, 2024
Language: English
Credits: Produced by John Bickers, and David Widger
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON HORSEMANSHIP ***
Xenophon the Athenian was born 431 B.C. He was apupil of Socrates. He marched with the Spartans,and was exiled from Athens. Sparta gave him landand property in Scillus, where he lived for manyyears before having to move once more, to settlein Corinth. He died in 354 B.C.On Horsemanship advises the reader on how to buya good horse, and how to raise it to be either awar horse or show horse. Xenophon ends with somewords on military equipment for a cavalryman.
PREPARER'S NOTE
ON HORSEMANSHIP
This was typed from Dakyns' series, "The Works of Xenophon," a four-volume set. The complete list of Xenophon's works (though there is doubt about some of these) is:
Work Number of booksThe Anabasis 7The Hellenica 7The Cyropaedia 8The Memorabilia 4The Symposium 1The Economist 1On Horsemanship 1The Sportsman 1The Cavalry General 1The Apology 1On Revenues 1The Hiero 1The Agesilaus 1The Polity of the Athenians and the Lacedaemonians 2Text in brackets "{}" is my transliteration of Greek text intoEnglish using an Oxford English Dictionary alphabet table. Thediacritical marks have been lost.
I
Claiming to have attained some proficiency in horsemanship (1) ourselves, as the result of long experience in the field, our wish is to explain, for the benefit of our younger friends, what we conceive to be the most correct method of dealing with horses.
(1) Lit. "Since, through the accident of having for a long time'ridden' ourselves, we believe we have become proficients inhorsemanship, we wish to show to our younger friends how, as weconceive the matter, they will proceed most correctly in dealingwith horses." {ippeuein} in the case of Xenophon = serve as a{ippeus}, whether technically as an Athenian "knight" or moreparticularly in reference to his organisation of a troop ofcavalry during "the retreat" ("Anab." III. iii. 8-20), and, as iscommonly believed, while serving under Agesilaus ("Hell." III. iv.14) in Asia, 396, 395 B.C.
There is, it is true, a treatise on horsemanship written by Simon, the same who dedicated the bronze horse near the Eleusinion in Athens (2) with a representation of his exploits engraved in relief on the pedestal. (3) But we shall not on that account expunge from our treatise any conclusions in which we happen to agree with that author; on the contrary we shall hand them on with still greater pleasure to our friends, in the belief that we shall only gain in authority from the fact that so great an expert in horsemanship held similar views to our own; whilst with regard to matters omitted in his treatise, we shall endeavour to supply them.
(2) L. Dind. (in Athens). The Eleusinion. For the position of thissanctuary of Demeter and Kore see Leake, "Top. of Athens," i. p.296 foll. For Simon see Sauppe, vol. v. Praef. to "de R. E." p.230; L. Dind. Praef. "Xen. Opusc." p. xx.; Dr. Morris H. Morgan,"The Art of Horsemanship by Xenophon," p. 119 foll. A fragment ofthe work referred to, {peri eidous kai ekloges ippon}, exists. TheMS. is in the library of Emmanual Coll. Cant. It so happens thatone of the hipparchs (?) appealed to by Demosthenes in Arist."Knights," 242.
{andres ippes, paragenesthe nun o kairos, o Simon, o Panaiti, ouk elate pros to dexion keras};
bears the name.
(3) Lit. "and carved on the pedestal a representation of his ownperformances."
As our first topic we shall deal with the question, how a man may best avoid being cheated in the purchase of a horse.
Take the case of a foal as yet unbroken: it is plain that our scrutiny must begin with the body; an animal that has never yet been mounted can but present the vaguest indications of spirit. Confining ourselves therefore to the body, the first point to examine, we maintain, will be the feet. Just as a house would be of little use, however beautiful its upper stories, if the underlying foundations were not what they ought to be, so there is little use to be extracted from a horse, and in particular a war-horse, (4) if unsound in his feet, however excellent his other points; since he could not turn a single one of them to good account. (5)
(4) Or, "and that a charger, we will suppose." For the simile see"Mem." III. i. 7.(5) Cf. Hor. "Sat." I. ii. 86:
regibus hic mos est: ubi equos mercantur, opertos inspiciunt, ne, si facies, ut saepe, decora molli fulta pede est, emptorem inducat hiantem, quod pulchrae clunes, breve quod caput, ardua cervix.
and see Virg. "Georg." iii. 72 foll.
In testing the feet the first thing to examine will be the horny portion of the hoof. For soundness of foot a thick horn is far better than a thin. Again it is important to notice whether the hoofs are high both before and behind, or flat to the ground; for a high hoof keeps the "frog," (6) as it is called, well off the ground; whereas a low hoof treads equally with the stoutest and softest part of the foot alike, the gait resembling that of a bandy-legged man. (7) "You may tell a good foot clearly by the ring," says Simon happily; (8) for the hollow hoof rings like a cymbal against the solid earth. (9)
(6) Lit. "the swallow."(7) Al. "a knock-kneed person." See Stonehenge, "The Horse" (ed.1892), pp. 3, 9.(8) Or, "and he is right."(9) Cf. Virg. "Georg." iii. 88; Hor. "Epod." xvi. 12.
And now that we have begun with the feet, let us ascend from this point to the rest of the body. The bones (10) above the hoof and below the fetlock must not be too straight, like those of a goat; through not being properly elastic, (11) legs of this type will jar the rider, and are more liable to become inflamed. On the other hand, these bones must not be too low, or else the fetlock will be abraded or lacerated when the horse is galloped over clods and stones.
(10) i.e. "the pasterns ({mesokunia}) and the coffin should be'sloping.'"(11) Or, "being too inflexible." Lit. "giving blow for blow, overuchlike anvil to hammer."
The bones of the shanks (12) ought to be thick, being as they are the columns on which the body rests; thick in themselves, that is, not puffed out with veins or flesh; or else in riding over hard ground they will inevitably be surcharged with blood, and varicose conditions be set up, (13) the legs becoming thick and puffy, whilst the skin recedes; and with this loosening of the skin the back sinew (14) is very apt to start and render the horse lame.
(12) i.e. "the metacarpals and metatarsals."(13) Or, "and become varicose, with the result that the shanks swellwhilst the skin recedes from the bone."(14) Or, "suspensory ligament"? Possibly Xenophon's anatomy is wrong,and he mistook the back sinew for a bone like the fibula. The partin question might intelligibly enough, if not technically, betermed {perone}, being of the brooch-pin order.
If the young horse in walking bends his knees flexibly, you may safely conjecture that when he comes to be ridden he will have flexible legs, since the quality of suppleness invariably increases with age. (15) Supple knees are highly esteemed and with good reason, rendering as they do the horse less liable to stumble or break down from fatigue than those of stiffer build.
(15) Lit. "all horses bend their legs more flexibly as time advances."
Coming to the thighs below the shoulder-blades, (16) or arms, these if thick and muscular present a stronger and handsomer appearance, just as in the case of a human being. Again, a comparatively broad chest is better alike for strength and beauty, and better adapted to carry the legs well asunder, so that they will not overlap and interfere with one another. Again, the neck should not be set on dropping forward from the chest, like a boar's, but, like that of a game-cock rather, it should shoot upwards to the crest, and be slack (17) along the curvature; whilst the head should be bony and the jawbone small. In this way the neck will be well in front of the rider, and the eye will command what lies before the horse's feet. A horse, moreover, of this build, however spirited, will be least capable of overmastering the rider, (18) since it is not by arching but by stretching out his neck and head that a horse endeavours to assert his power. (19)
(16) Lit. "the thighs below the shoulder-blades" are distinguishedfrom "the thighs below the tail." They correspond respectively toour "arms" (i.e. forearms) and "gaskins," and anatomicallyspeaking = the radius (os brachii) and the tibia.(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 hedistends 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 thehorse'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 ingood case, the back is broad, and the spine does not stick up likea ridge, but forms a kind of furrow on the back" (John Martyn); "afull back," as we say.(24) Or, "in proportion to." See Courier ("Du Commandement de laCavalerie at de l'Equitation": deux livres de Xenophon, traduitspar 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 mediestrammenous}, "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 thehorse 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, theos 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 being—and 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 usthe 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 manoeuvres, 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 groom—if 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 acquire—not 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 servicein 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 thestate, and those who have the largest stake in civic life, thatare appointed to cavalry duties." See "Hippparch," i. 9.(4) Cf. "Econ." iii. 10.(5) {ego}. Hitherto the author has used the plural {emin} with whichhe started.(6) Reading {upodeigmata}, "finger-post signs," as it were, or "draftin outline"; al. {upomnemata} = "memoranda."(7) "Gentle, and accustomed to the hand, and fond of man."(8) Lit. "if he knows how to provide that hunger and thirst, etc.,should be felt by the colt in solitude, whilst food and drink,etc., come through help of man."
The groom should have standing orders to take his charge through crowds, and to make him familiar with all sorts of sights and noises; and if the colt shows sign of apprehension at them, (9) he must teach him—not by cruel, but by gentle handling—that they are not really formidable.
(9) Or, "is disposed to shy."
On this topic, then, of training, (10) the rules here given will, I think, suffice for any private individual.
(10) Or, "In reference to horsebreaking, the above remarks willperhaps be found sufficient for the practical guidance of anamateur."
III
To meet the case in which the object is to buy a horse already fit for riding, we will set down certain memoranda, (1) which, if applied intelligently, may save the purchaser from being cheated.
(1) "Which the purchaser should lay to heart, if he does not wish tobe cheated."
First, then, let there be no mistake about the age. If the horse has lost his mark teeth, (2) not only will the purchaser's hopes be blighted, but he may find himself saddled for ever with a sorry bargain. (3)
(2) Or, "the milk teeth," i.e. is more than five years old. SeeMorgan, p. 126.(3) Lit. "a horse that has lost his milk teeth cannot be said togladden his owner's mind with hopes, and is not so easily disposedof."
Given that the fact of youth is well established, let there be no mistake about another matter: how does he take the bit into his mouth and the headstall (4) over his ears? There need be little ambiguity on this score, if the purchaser will see the bit inserted and again removed, under his eyes. Next, let it be carefully noted how the horse stands being mounted. Many horses are extremely loath to admit the approach of anything which, if once accepted, clearly means to them enforced exertion.
(4) {koruphaia}, part of the {khalinos} gear.
Another point to ascertain is whether the horse, when mounted, can be induced to leave other horses, or when being ridden past a group of horses standing, will not bolt off to join the company. Some horses again, as the result of bad training, will run away from the exercising-ground and make for the stable. A hard mouth may be detected by the exercise called the {pede} or volte, (5) and still more so by varying the direction of the volte to right or left. Many horses will not attempt to run away except for the concurrence of a bad mouth along with an avenue of escape home. (6)
(5) See Sturz, s.v.; Pollux, i. 219. Al. "the longe," but the passagebelow (vii. 14) is suggestive rather of the volte.(6) Al. "will only attempt to bolt where the passage out towards homecombines, as it were, with a bad mouth." {e... ekphora} = "theexit from the manege or riding school."
Another point which it is necessary to learn is, whether when let go at full speed the horse can be pulled up (7) sharp and is willing to wheel round in obedience to the rein.
(7) {analambanetai}, "come to the poise" (Morgan). For{apostrephesthai} see ix.6; tech. "caracole."
It is also well to ascertain by experience if the horse you propose to purchase will show equal docility in response to the whip. Every one knows what a useless thing a servant is, or a body of troops, that will not obey. A disobedient horse is not only useless, but may easily play the part of an arrant traitor.
And since it is assumed that the horse to be purchased is intended for war, we must widen our test to include everything which war itself can bring to the proof: such as leaping ditches, scrambling over walls, scaling up and springing off high banks. We must test his paces by galloping him up and down steep pitches and sharp inclines and along a slant. For each and all of these will serve as a touchstone to gauge the endurance of his spirit and the soundness of his body.
I am far from saying, indeed, that because an animal fails to perform all these parts to perfection, he must straightway be rejected; since many a horse will fall short at first, not from inability, but from want of experience. With teaching, practice, and habit, almost any horse will come to perform all these feats beautifully, provided he be sound and free from vice. Only you must beware of a horse that is naturally of a nervous temperament. An over-timorous animal will not only prevent the rider from using the vantage-ground of its back to strike an enemy, but is as likely as not to bring him to earth himself and plunge him into the worst of straits.
We must, also, find out of the horse shows any viciousness towards other horses or towards human beings; also, whether he is skittish; (8) such defects are apt to cause his owner trouble.
(8) Or, "very ticklish."
As to any reluctance on the horse's part to being bitted or mounted, dancing and twisting about and the rest, (9) you will get a more exact idea on this score, if, when he has gone through his work, you will try and repeat the precise operations which he went through before you began your ride. Any horse that having done his work shows a readiness to undergo it all again, affords sufficient evidence thereby of spirit and endurance.
(9) Reading {talla dineumata}, lit. "and the rest of his twistings andtwirlings about."
To put the matter in a nutshell: given that the horse is sound-footed, gentle, moderately fast, willing and able to undergo toil, and above all things (10) obedient—such an animal, we venture to predict, will give the least trouble and the greatest security to his rider in the circumstances of war; while, conversely, a beast who either out of sluggishness needs much driving, or from excess of mettle much coaxing and manoeuvering, will give his rider work enough to occupy both his hands and a sinking of the heart when dangers thicken.
(10) Al. "thoroughly."
IV
We will now suppose the purchaser has found a horse which he admires; (1) the purchase is effected, and he has brought him home—how is he to be housed? It is best that the stable should be placed in a quarter of the establishment where the master will see the horse as often as possible. (2) It is a good thing also to have his stall so arranged that there will be as little risk of the horse's food being stolen from the manger, as of the master's from his larder or store-closet. To neglect a detail of this kind is surely to neglect oneself; since in the hour of danger, it is certain, the owner has to consign himself, life and limb, to the safe keeping of his horse.
(1) Lit. "To proceed: when you have bought a horse which you admireand have brought him home."(2) i.e. "where he will be brought as frequently as possible under themaster's eye." Cf. "Econ." xii. 20.
Nor is it only to avoid the risk of food being stolen that a secure horse-box is desirable, but for the further reason that if the horse takes to scattering his food, the action is at once detected; and any one who observes that happening may take it as a sign and symptom either of too much blood, (3) which calls for veterinary aid, or of over-fatigue, for which rest is the cure, or else that an attack of indigestion (4) or some other malady is coming on. And just as with human beings, so with the horse, all diseases are more curable at their commencement (5) than after they have become chronic, or been wrongly treated. (6)
(3) "A plethoric condition of the blood."(4) {krithiasis}. Lit. "barley surfeit"; "une fourbure." See Aristot."H. A." viii. 24. 4.(5) i.e. "in the early acute stages."(6) Al. "and the mischief has spread."
But if food and exercise with a view to strengthening the horse's body are matters of prime consideration, no less important is it to pay attention to the feet. A stable with a damp and smooth floor will spoil the best hoof which nature can give. (7) To prevent the floor being damp, it should be sloped with channels; and to avoid smoothness, paved with cobble stones sunk side by side in the ground and similar in size to the horse's hoofs. (8) A stable floor of this sort is calculated to strengthen the horse's feet by the mere pressure on the part in standing. In the next place it will be the groom's business to lead out the horse somewhere to comb and curry him; and after his morning's feed to unhalter him from the manger, (9) so that he may come to his evening meal with greater relish. To secure the best type of stable-yard, and with a view to strengthening the horse's feet, I would suggest to take and throw down loosely (10) four or five waggon loads of pebbles, each as large as can be grasped in the hand, and about a pound in weight; the whole to be fenced round with a skirting of iron to prevent scattering. The mere standing on these will come to precisely the same thing as if for a certain portion of the day the horse were, off and on, stepping along a stony road; whilst being curried or when fidgeted by flies he will be forced to use his hoofs just as much as if he were walking. Nor is it the hoofs merely, but a surface so strewn with stones will tend to harden the frog of the foot also.
(7) Lit. "A damp and smooth floor may be the ruin of a naturally goodhoof." It will be understood that the Greeks did not shoe theirhorses.(8) See Courier, p. 54, for an interesting experiment tried by himselfat Bari.(9) Cf. "Hipparch," i. 16.(10) Or, "spread so as to form a surface."
But if care is needed to make the hoofs hard, similar pains should be taken to make the mouth and jaws soft; and the same means and appliances which will render a man's flesh and skin soft, will serve to soften and supple a horse's mouth. (11)
(11) Or, "may be used with like effect on a horse's mouth," i.e.bathing, friction, oil. See Pollux, i. 201.
V
It is the duty of a horseman, as we think, to have his groom trained thoroughly in all that concerns the treatment of the horse. In the first place, then, the groom should know that he is never to knot the halter (1) at the point where the headstall is attached to the horse's head. By constantly rubbing his head against the manger, if the halter does not sit quite loose about his ears, the horse will be constantly injuring himself; (2) and with sores so set up, it is inevitable that he should show peevishness, while being bitted or rubbed down.
(1) Lit. "by which the horse is tied to the manger"; "licol d'ecurie."(2) Al. "in nine cases out of ten he rubs his head... and ten toone will make a sore."
It is desirable that the groom should be ordered to carry out the dung and litter of the horse to some one place each day. By so doing, he will discharge the duty with least trouble to himself, (3) and at the same time be doing the horse a kindness.
(3) Al. "get rid of the refuse in the easiest way."
The groom should also be instructed to attach the muzzle to the horse's mouth, both when taking him out to be groomed and to the rolling-ground. (4) In fact he should always muzzle him whenever he takes him anywhere without the bit. The muzzle, while it is no hindrance to respiration, prevents biting; and when attached it serves to rob the horse of opportunity for vice. (5)
(4) Cf. "Econ." xi. 18; Aristoph. "Clouds," 32.(5) Or, "prevents the horse from carrying out vicious designs."
Again, care should be taken to tie the horse up with the halter above his head. A horse's natural instinct, in trying to rid himself of anything that irritates the face, is to toss up his head, and by this upward movement, if so tied, he only slackens the chain instead of snapping it. In rubbing the horse down, the groom should begin with the head and mane; as until the upper parts are clean, it is vain to cleanse the lower; then, as regards the rest of the body, first brush up the hair, by help of all the ordinary implements for cleansing, and then beat out the dust, following the lie of the hair. The hair on the spine (and dorsal region) ought not to be touched with any instrument whatever; the hand alone should be used to rub and smooth it, and in the direction of its natural growth, so as to preserve from injury that part of the horse's back on which the rider sits.
The head should be drenched with water simply; for, being bony, if you 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 grow—those 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. Morganaptly adds Soph. "Fr." 587 (Tyro), a beautiful passage, {komes depenthos lagkhano polou diken, k.t.l.} (cf. Plut. "Mor." 754 A).
Washing of the legs we are inclined to dispense with—no 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), {prosageton polon atrema, proslabon ton agogea brakhuteron. oukh oras otiabolos 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 mouthunder 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 horsemust not be irritated in such operations as these," etc.; but{toiade} = "as follows," if correct, suggests a lacuna in eithercase 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 precept—the golden rule—in 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 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)