Humanities Information |
Books on Horsemanship - Xenophon Had it Right
Xenophon was a 4th Century BC Greek cavalry officer and military hero, student of Socrates, historian, author, and expert on horsemanship - a man of many talents. His horsemanship writings addressed the proper care of the horse, how to choose a horse, and the training of the war horse. I don't propose that his writings on horsemanship be required reading for the horse lover, but you'll find many nuggets of solid and fundamental advice therein. We can relate more to what Pat Parelli, John Lyons, Cherry Hill, Buck Brannamen, Ray Hunt or other contemporary trainers have to say. But Parelli, Lyons and the others will certainly give a tip of their hats to Xenophon and acknowledge the debt owed to him by all who have followed him. What makes Xenophon's work so special and timeless? If nothing else it's because what he had to say is built upon his love for the horse and his strong belief that the horse's mind in many ways parallels the human mind. You can take Xenophon's teachings and distill them into a few "commandments" which, if you keep them in mind will take you a long ways in working with a horse Temperament - A fundamental principle of his teaching is "never show anger to the horse". If we can keep that in mind we avoid many of the problems with horses which we in reality often bring upon ourselves. Our youngest Fjord gelding, Lars, is a wonderful animal who has a stubborn streak (Norwegian background I guess). I find myself smiling at him through clenched teeth on occasion and have learned that anger on my part either produces zero results or simply makes a touchy situation worse. Anger does not work, nor does force. Xenophon taught that horses, like people, respond poorly to force. We will do things when forced, but not necessarily do those things well - at best enough to "get by". A horse doing something under force does so without understanding and it is fundamental in teaching the horse that the horse understands. The use of force is almost always counterproductive when the horse is in a situation in which it is afraid of something. If the horse is afraid of an object, such as a mailbox by the side of a road ( been through that one), you need to either avoid the object or slowly work the horse in closer proximity to it. Anger, force or punishment will only reinforce the horse's fear. It now associates the bad things you're doing with the object, compounding its fear. We learn this when first placing a bridle on a horse. Trying to force it on the horse only makes it that much more difficult the next time. Trust and Care - Xenophon insists that a horse be well cared for including food, grooming, proper and clean quarters, and attention. While it was the custom back in his time that training be done by a groom, Xenophon insisted that the owner visit the horse daily to ensure it's welfare and as a means of building trust for the time when owner and horse will become "partners". My favorite riding horse comes to me instead of running away when she sees the halter in my hand. She associates the halter with grooming, a bit of grain, or exercise and perhaps a good ride. I don't have to chase her around the pasture which would be the case I'm sure if she received rough treatment. Even Lars comes to the halter, which means I have done a good job with anger management when he experiences a stubborn streak. We are indeed "partners". Riding - Xenophon taught that the horse should be mounted slowly and the rider should be able to do so from either side. The horse should be encouraged to carry it's head properly and once that is accomplished to proceed with a loose rein. To quote from Xenophon: "If you teach the horse to go with a slack bridle, to hold his neck up and to arch it towards the head, you will cause the horse to do the very things in which he himself delights and takes the greatest pleasure. A proof that he delights in them is that whenever he himself chooses to show off before horses, and especiallybefore mares, he raises his neck highest and arches his head most,looking fierce; he lifts his legs freely off the ground and tosses his tail up. Whenever, therefore, you induce him to carry himself in the attitudes he naturally assumes when he is most anxious to display his beauty, you make him look as though he took pleasure in being ridden, and give him a noble, fierce, and attractive appearance". Now Xenophon was primarily introducing novice horsemen to the purchase, care and training of the war horse. But with the exception of some "battlefield" training exercises, nearly everything in The Art of Horsemanship applies to our relationship with horses in this day and age. Xenophon assumed zero experience on the part of his audience and, like a good teacher will do, heavily stressed the fundamentals. If you're looking for a book, video or DVD on some aspect of horsemanship or training and have the luxury of being able to review the item in advance, try to see where the author is setting the foundation of his or her work. Is there an underlying theme based upon a few basic principles or beliefs? You'll certainly find this in anything published by Parelli, Lyons, or Hempfling to name three. And if you want to explore the world of Xenophon further several sources are - Life and Writings of Xenophon from The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy at http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/x/xenophon.htm His work on the Art of Horsemanship is nicely summed up at http://www.d.umn.edu/~ebrownin/Xenophonpaper.htm, and, http://angelsfall.eshire.net/horse/onhorsemanship.htm For a scholarly translation of The Art of Horsemanship, sometimes difficult to read but written in great detail - http://emotionalliteracyeducation.com/classic_books_online/hrsmn10.htm You'll get a thumbnail sketch from - http://emotionalliteracyeducation.com/classic_books_online/hrsmn10.htm and at the same time be introduced to a fine Internet reference source - Wikipedia; their main page is - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Copyright © 2005 W. Savage. All Rights Reserved. William "Bill" Savage, a retired, engineer lives on the Goose Bay Ranch in Montana where he spends time with family, horses, and his web site. You can read other articles of his including those on horsemanship on his web site http://www.your-guide-to-gifts-for-horse-lovers.com
MORE RESOURCES:
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Wandle Trail - Announced Regeneration Project The River Wandle is sourced from the North Downs above Croydon, surfacing now in Waddon, running west until it meets the secondary source in Carshalton, then via Hackbridge Mitcham, Ravensbury St Helier Morden Wimbledon Colliers Wood, Summerstown and Wandsworth to the Thames passing through the London Boroughs of Croydon Sutton, Merton, and Wandsworth.The wandle Trail is a 13-mile long route follows the River Wandle from its two sourrces in Sutton and Crodoydon, through Merton to where it enters the Thames in Wandsworth. Astrology Refuted: They Should Have Seen It Coming A comedian once showed a newspaper to his audience. The headline read, "1-800 Astrology Business Goes Under: They Should Have Seen It Coming. Authenticity Of Vastu (Science of Indian architecture) Vastu is one of the most ancient sciences of Indian architecture and is composed of specific rules, regulations and directions, set down by sages of the vedic times. For the modern society it is the highly evolved, comprehensive building philosophy. Feng Shui and the Year of the Rooster - an Overview Feng shui involves more than just colors and where you place your furniture. The astrology side of feng shui is also intriguing. Saturn: Your Challenge to Become An Expert The true meaning of Saturn is that he is the teacher of the deeper lessons of life. Therefore, what he demands is that you learn your life lessons so well that you will never forget them. Building Catapults Required Engineering Know How When building catapults, armies had to include in their ranks those people capable of employing complicated mathematical formulas and turning them into machines of war.While their appearance on the warfare scene dramatically changed tactics for quite literally hundreds of years, it was no easy task for medieval armies to create the machines of war they needed to help ensure victory. Sun Tzu: The Art of War The Art of War is an ancient Chinese text on strategy and warfare written by a Sun Wu, a brilliant military general more than two thousand years ago. It is considered one of the oldest attempts at analyzing and documenting the specific components of strategic warfare, with wisdom that is as applicable today as it was thousands of years ago. Gymnastics History - A Brief Overview Gymnastics, as an activity, has been around for more thantwo thousand years in one form or another, from the ancientGreek Olympics, to Roman ceremony, to today's modern meets.As an organized and truly competitive sport, gymnasticshas existed for a little more than a century. Eminem Slimshady Firstly revealed by the fable Dr.Dre, and then debut of the Eminem Show, his firstly set on Shady Recording label, already had most leading hiphop fans mad abount Marshall Mathers. Insider Tips to Quadruple Your Art Show Sales At a recent art show, I could not help but notice that not everyone's day was going as well as mine! As I experienced a constant stream of people flooding into my booth and buying my artwork, my neighbors were sitting idle and waiting. Not only did I have people buzzing in and around my booth, but after they purchased my artwork, they told their friends to come to my booth and buy from me!I had experienced too many art shows from the other side of the fence. At 60 plus Amitabh Bachchan Rules! - A Vastu Study No words in this universe are enough to describe him, superstar, living legend, and the face of Indian cinema. Amitabh Bachchan today is an icon to reckon with, both nationally and internationally. Those Dirty Mexicans--Oh, Really? When my wife and I announced that we were moving to Mexico, one of my wife's relatives asked us,"Why do you want to live with those dirty Mexicans?"Besides wanting to slap some sense into this person, I was particularly sickened (as in wanting to projectile vomit Linda Blair-style) by this hideous and most heinous stereotype. I have wanted to know since then where this originated. Precious Stones - The Big Five: Part 2, The Ruby What fairy tales of enchanted princesses and legendary lore of the Arabian Nights does not the mere mention of the ruby conjure up to our imagination! No stone has been more intimately connected with poetry and romance, and few gems can compare either in beauty or value with a perfect ruby. When Solomon exclaimed that "a virtuous woman was more valuable than rubies," and Job, that "the price of wisdom is above rubies," they both mentioned what to them was the most valuable thing in existence. Learn How to Solve Problems With a Feng Shui Mirror A mirror, when becoming a feng shui mirror, can be used to many more things than allowing us to see how we look. Feng shui teaches how a feng shui mirror can be used in order to solve many different problems, and we will describe some of these uses through the next few lines. Gymnastics Olympic Champions From 1988-2004 Here are the men's and women's all-around champions from thelast five Olympic Games -- these are just briefbiographies, but they surely give you an idea of yourgymnast's potential.2004 Paul Hamm, Carly PattersonPaul Hamm, the 2004 men's all-around champion ingymnastics, was born on September 24, 1982, and has a twinbrother by the name of Morgan. Last Chance to See: Grove Mill, Mitcham Grove Mill, Mitcham; where in 1934 many of the iron wheels from Surrey Iron Railway waggons were still visible in the tail-race, is being given the Ravensbury treatment. All but the central building is being cleared for housing. Mexican Living: Somethings Got to be Done! Mexico needs to do something about the behavior of Gringos who come to their country who are hell-bent on acting out the Ugly American Syndrome stereotype no matter what.I concluded this after an early morning shopping trip with the wife to the local Supermarket. Precious Stones The Big Five-Part 5 The Pearl Since pearls are so rare and possess such a high degree of natural beauty, they have been considered to be among the most splendid of gems for many centuries.The people of India and Persia (Iraq) were among the earliest to collect pearls, because of the rich fisheries of Ceylon and the Persian Gulf, the Indian and Persian princes in the last century, acquired huge collections of pearls that have never been equaled, these collections would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars today. Learn How To Draw Faces Realistically Drawing a face isn't as hard as it looks. To draw a realistic human face, it takes mapping out the face correctly before you fill in the finer detail. Bewitching Jewelry -- Amulets, Talismans and Charms Throughout the ages, men and women have used gemstones and crystals in personal ornaments and body decorations as bewitching jewelry. Wearing them as charms, talismans or amulets, they were believed to possess the power to ward off evil spirits (or attract benevolent ones), keep one safe from harm, or to find love. |
home | site map | contact us |