{mentoi}, "of course."

(22) Or, "within the narrowest compass"; "as finely as possible."

When the moment to dismount has come, you should never do so among
other horses, nor near a group of people, (23) nor outside the
exercising-ground; but on the precise spot which is the scene of his
compulsory exertion there let the horse find also relaxation. (24)

(23) Or, "a knot of bystanders"; cf. Thuc. ii. 21.

(24) Or, as we say, "be caressed, and dismissed."

VIII

As there will, doubtless, be times when the horse will need to race
downhill and uphill and on sloping ground; times, also, when he will
need to leap across an obstacle; or, take a flying leap from off a bank;
(1) or, jump down from a height, the rider must teach and train himself
and his horse to meet all emergencies. In this way the two will have a
chance of saving each the other, and may be expected to increase their
usefulness.

(1) {ekpedan} = exsilire in altum (Sturz, and so Berenger); "to leap
over ditches, and upon high places and down from them."

And here, if any reader should accuse us of repeating ourselves, on
the ground that we are only stating now what we said before on the same
topics, (2) we say that this is not mere repetition. In the former case,
we confined ourselves to advising the purchaser before he concluded his
bargain to test whether the horse could do those particular things; (3)
what we are now maintaining is that the owner ought to teach his own
horse, and we will explain how this teaching is to be done.

(2) Or, "treating of a topic already handled."

(3) i.e. possessed a certain ability at the date of purchase.

With a horse entirely ignorant of leaping, the best way is to take him
by the leading rein, which hangs loose, and to get across the trench
yourself first, and then to pull tight on the leading-rein, to induce
him to leap across. If he refuses, some one with a whip or switch should
apply it smartly. The result will be that the horse will clear at a
bound, not the distance merely, but a far larger space than requisite;
and for the future there will be no need for an actual blow, the mere
sight of some one coming up behind will suffice to make him leap. As
soon as he is accustomed to leap in this way you may mount him and put
him first at smaller and then at larger trenches. At the moment of the
spring be ready to apply the spur; and so too, when training him to leap
up and leap down, you should touc