ON HORSEMANSHIP. 245 



be fick, or grown old or infirm, he may have fome 

 body at hand who can lift him on, or may fupply his 

 friend with one who can perform that office. 



But there is one rule to be inviolably obfcrved 

 above all others j that is, never to approach the horfe 

 in a paffion ; for anger never thinks of confcquences, 

 and forces us to do what we afterwards repent. 



When an horfe is Ihy of any thing, and will not 

 come near it, he fhould be taught that there is no 

 room for his apprehenfion, efpecially if he has cou- 

 rage and fpirit. If this cannot be otherwife done, the 

 rider fliould take hold of the thing which is the caufe 

 of his fright, fhould fliow it to him, and then endea- 

 vour gently to lead him up to it. On the contrary, 

 if he fhould force him by blows and feverity, they 

 would encreafe his terrors, and the horfe would think 

 that what he then fuffers is abfolutely occafioned by 

 the thing of which he is afraid. 



The groom like wife fhould underfland how to place 

 his horfe commodioully and fafely, when he prefents 

 him to the rider to mount. It is, however, like wife 

 necelTary for the rider to know how to get up, altho' 

 the horfe fhould not prefent himfelf in the eafieft and 

 moft favourable poflure j becaufe one is not only oblig- 



by the help of a fervant or flave, who accompanied his mafter, and 

 bending his back, his mafter mounted from it, and likewife got down 

 from his horfe upon it, and thence to the ground. Xenophon men- 

 tions this method likewife in his inilAPXlKos. 



edl 



