244 XENOPHON's TREATISE 



his middle finger into his mouth, to prefs his Barrs ( 

 upon this, generally fpeaking, the horfe will open his 

 mouth ; but if he refills, he fliould fqueeze his lip 

 againll the Dog-tooth, or tufk ; and this feldom fails of 

 having the defired effeft. 



Let the groom be fure never to lead the horfe with 

 the reins, leaft he fhould diforder and fpoil his mouth ; 

 and obferve alfo to fix tlie bit fo juftly, that the horfe 

 may feel it properly, without having any uneafinefs 

 from it, which would happen, if the bit were placed 

 too high : on the contrary, if it were to hang too low 

 upon his barrs, he might get it between his teeth, and 

 be able thereby to elude its efifecfts. 



In thefe particulars the groom fhould be very exadl, 

 for if the horfe cannot be brought to receive the bit in- 

 to his mouth, he is utterly ufelefs ; but if he is accuf- 

 tomed to be bridled, not only when he is going to be 

 rode, but alfo for fome time before he is fed, and the 

 bridle is left upon him for fome time after, it may be 

 expefted that he will readily receive it whenever it is 

 offered to him. 



It will likewife be requifite, that the groom fhould 

 learn how to place another on horfeback after the 

 Perfian * manner ; fo that in cafe his mailer fhould 



be 



* We muft here remind the reader, that the ufe of ftirrups was not 

 Jcnown, and confequently the methods praftifed in the time of our au- 

 thor, to get on horfeback, were to Vault, to mount from an Horfe-block, 

 or after the Perfian manner, which Volaterannus informs us was done 



by 



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