[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.