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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from On Horsemanship by Xenophon: 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
On Horsemanship |
