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