第 7 节
作者:九十八度      更新:2021-02-20 16:02      字数:9322
  battle; obviously; these turns and wheelings are with a view to charging or
  retiring;   consequently;   to   practise   quickening   the   pace   after   wheeling   is
  desirable。   When   the   horse   seems   to   have   had   enough   of   the   manege;   it
  would be good to give him a slight pause; and then suddenly to put him to
  his quickest; away from his fellows first;'21' and now towards them; and
  then again to quiet him down in mid…career as short as possible;'22' and
  from halt once more to turn him right…about and off again full charge。 It is
  easy to predict that the day will come when there will be need of each of
  these manouvres。
  '21' {mentoi}; 〃of course。〃
  '22' Or; 〃within the narrowest compass〃; 〃as finely as possible。〃
  When   the   moment   to   dismount   has   come;   you   should   never   do   so
  among      other   horses;    nor  near   a  group    of   people;'23'     nor  outside    the
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  exercising…ground;      but  on  the  precise  spot   which   is  the  scene  of  his
  compulsory exertion there let the horse find also relaxation。'24'
  '23' Or; 〃a knot of bystanders〃; cf。 Thuc。 ii。 21。
  '24' Or; as we say; 〃be caressed; and dismissed。〃
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  VIII
  As   there   will;   doubtless;   be   times   when   the   horse   will   need   to   race
  downhill and uphill and on sloping ground; times; also; when he will need
  to leap   across   an   obstacle;   or;  take   a   flying leap   from  off   a   bank;'1'  or;
  jump down from a height; the rider must teach and train himself and his
  horse to meet all emergencies。 In this way the two will have a chance of
  saving each the other; and may be expected to increase their usefulness。
  '1'   {ekpedan}   =   exsilire   in   altum   (Sturz;   and   so   Berenger);   〃to   leap
  over ditches; and upon high places and down from them。〃
  And here; if any reader should accuse us of repeating ourselves; on the
  ground   that   we   are   only   stating   now   what   we   said   before   on   the   same
  topics;'2' we say that this is not mere repetition。 In the former case; we
  confined      ourselves     to  advising    the   purchaser     before    he  concluded      his
  bargain to test whether the horse could do those particular things;'3' what
  we are now maintaining is that the owner ought to teach his own horse;
  and we will explain how this teaching is to be done。
  '2' Or; 〃treating of a topic already handled。〃
  '3' i。e。 possessed a certain ability at the date of purchase。
  With a horse entirely ignorant of leaping; the best way is to take him
  by   the    leading    rein;  which    hangs     loose;   and   to  get   across   the   trench
  yourself first; and then to pull tight on the leading…rein; to induce him to
  leap across。 If he refuses; some one with a whip or switch should apply it
  smartly。   The   result   will   be   that   the   horse   will   clear   at   a   bound;   not   the
  distance   merely;   but   a   far   larger   space   than   requisite;   and   for   the   future
  there   will   be   no   need   for   an   actual   blow;   the   mere   sight   of   some   one
  coming       up   behind    will   suffice   to  make     him    leap。  As    soon    as  he   is
  accustomed to leap in this way you may mount him and put him first at
  smaller and then at larger trenches。 At the moment of the spring be ready
  to apply the spur; and so too; when training him to leap up and leap down;
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  you should touch him with the spur at the critical instant。 In the effort to
  perform any of these actions with the whole body; the horse will certainly
  perform them with more safety to himself and to his rider than he will; if
  his hind…quarters lag; in taking a ditch or fence; or in making an upward
  spring or downward jump。'4'
  '4'   Lit。   〃in   making   these   jumps;   springs;   and   leaps   across   or   up   or
  down。〃
  To face a steep incline; you must first teach him on soft ground; and
  finally; when he is accustomed to that; he will much prefer the downward
  to   the   upward   slope   for   a   fast   pace。 And   as   to   the   apprehension;   which
  some people entertain; that a horse may dislocate the shoulder in galloping
  down an incline; it should encourage them to learn that the Persians and
  Odrysians   all   run   races   down   precipitous   slopes;'5'   and   their  horses   are
  every bit as sound as our own。'6'
  '5'    Cf。  〃Anab。〃     IV。   viii。  28;   and   so   the   Georgians      to  this  day
  (Chardin ap。 Courier; op。 cit。 p。 70; n。 1)。
  '6' Lit。 〃as are those of the Hellenes。〃
  Nor    must    we   omit   another    topic:   how    the  rider   is  to  accomodate
  himself to   these several   movements。'7' Thus; when   the horse breaks off
  into a gallop; the rider ought to bend forward; since the horse will be less
  likely to slip from under; and so to pitch his rider off。 So again in pulling
  him  up   short'8'   the   rider   should   lean   back;   and   thus   escape   a   shock。   In
  leaping a ditch or tearing up a steep incline; it is no bad plan to let go the
  reins   and   take   hold   of   the   mane;   so   that   the   animal   may   not   feel   the
  burthen of the bit in addition to that of the ground。 In going down a steep
  incline the rider must throw himself right back and hold in the horse with
  the   bit;   to   prevent   himself   being   hurled   headforemost   down   the   slope
  himself if not his horse。
  '7' Or; 〃to each set of occurrences。〃
  '8' Al。 〃when the horse is being brought to a poise〃 (Morgan); and see
  Hermann        ap。  Schneid。;     {analambanein}         =  retinere    equum;     anhalten;
  pariren。 i。e。 〃rein in〃 of the 〃Parade。〃
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  It is a correct principle to vary these exercises; which should be gone
  through   sometimes   in   one   place   and   sometimes   in   another;   and   should
  sometimes   be   shorter   and   sometimes   longer   in   duration。   The   horse   will
  take much more kindly to them if you do not confine him to one place and
  one routine。
  Since it is   a matter   of prime   necessity that   the rider should keep   his
  seat; while galloping full speed on every sort of ground; and at the same
  time be able to use his weapons with effect on horseback; nothing could be
  better; where the country suits and there are wild animals; than to practise
  horsemanship   in   combination   with   the   chase。   But   when   these   resources
  fail;   a   good   exercise   may   be   supplied   in   the   combined   efforts   of   two
  horsemen。'9' One of them will play the part of fugitive; retreating helter…
  skelter over every sort of ground; with lance reversed and plying the butt
  end。 The other pursues; with buttons on his javelins and his lance similarly
  handled。'10'  Whenever   he   comes   within   javelin   range   he   lets   fly   at   the
  retreating   foeman   with   his   blunted   missiles;   or   whenever   within   spear
  thrust    he   deals   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
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  proximity   to   th