नाधत्तेऽधश्च यः पादं योऽस्वो लघुनि मण्डले । मोटनोद्वक्कनाभ्यान्तु ग्राहयेत् पादमीशितं ।। २८८.
He who does not place the foot below, and whose horse is light in movement, should guide the foot by the methods of twisting and mouth control, as desired.
वटयित्वासने गाटं मन्दमादाय यो ब्रजेत् । ग्राह्यते संग्रहाद्यत्र तत्संग्रहणमुच्यते ।। २८८.
Having pressed firmly upon the saddle and proceeding gently, wherever the collection is achieved, that is called the act of gathering.
हत्वा पार्श्वे प्रहारेण स्थानस्थो व्यग्रमानसम् । वल्गामाकृष्य पादेन ग्राह्यकण्टकपायनम् ।। २८८.
Having struck the side with a blow, while standing in place and with a focused mind, drawing the reins with the foot, one should grasp the neck and head.
उत्थितो योऽङिग्नणानेन पार्ष्णिपादात्तुरह्गमः । गृह्यते यत् खलीकृत्य खलीकारः स चेष्यते ।। २८८.
When the horse rises with the method of the heel and foot, having made it yield, the act of yielding is then performed.
गतित्रयेपि यः पादमादत्ते नैव वाञ्छितः । हत्वा तु यत्र दण्डेन ग्राह्यते गहनं हि तत् ।। २८८.
If, in any of the three gaits, the horse does not take the foot as desired, then, having struck with the stick, one should grasp the depth, for that is the method.
खलीकृत्य चुष्केण तुरङ्गो वल्गयान्यया । उच्छ्वास्य ग्राह्यतेऽन्यत्र तत्स्यादुच्छ्वासनं पुनः ।। २८८.
Having made the horse yield with the spur and another rein, and causing it to breathe out elsewhere, that is called the act of breathing out again.
स्वभावं वहिरस्यन्तं तस्यां दिशि पदायनं । नियोज्य ग्राहयेत्तत्तु मुखव्यावर्त्तनं मतम् ।। २८८.
Directing its natural movement outward, and placing the foot in that direction, one should guide it; this is considered the turning of the mouth.
ग्राहयित्वा ततः पादं त्रिविधासु यथाक्रमम् । साधयेत् पञ्चधारासु क्रमशो मण्डलादिषु ।। २८८.
Having guided the foot in the three ways, as appropriate, one should accomplish the five streams in order, in the circle and other movements.
आजनोर्द्धाननं वाहं शिथिलं वाहयेत् सुधीः । अङ्गेषु लाघवं यावत्तावत्तं वाहयेद्धयं ।। २८८.
The wise should move the horse with the thigh raised or loosened, maintaining lightness in the limbs as long as possible.
मृदुः स्कन्धे लघुर्वक्त्रे शिथिलः सर्वसन्धिषु । यदा स सादिनो वश्यः सङ्गृह्णीयात्तदा हयं ।। २८८.
When the horse is gentle in the shoulder, light in the mouth, and loose in all joints, and is obedient to the rider, then it should be taken up.
न त्यजेत् पश्चिमं पादं यदा साधुर्भवेत्तदा । तदाकृष्टिर्व्विधातव्या पाणिभ्यामिह वल्गया ।। २८८.
One should not let go of the hind foot; when the horse becomes obedient, then the drawing of the reins should be performed with the hands.
तत्र त्रिको यथा तिष्ठेदुद्ग्रीवोश्वः समाननः । धरायां पश्चिमौ पादौ अन्तरीशे यदाश्रयौ ।। २८८.
There, as the triangle stands, the horse with raised neck and equal face, when the hind feet rest upon the ground and the inner ones are supported.
तदा सन्धारणं कुर्य्याद्गाठवाहञ्च मुष्टिना । सहसैवं समाकृष्टो यस्तुरङ्गो न तिष्ठति ।। २८८.
Then one should maintain the position, and hold the strong horse with the fist; if the horse is suddenly drawn in this way and does not stand still.
शरीरं विक्षिपन्तञ्च साधयेन्मण्डलभ्रमैः । क्षिपेत् स्कन्धञ्च यो वाहं स च स्थाप्यो हि वल्गया ।। २८८.
One should train the horse that tosses its body by circling movements; and if it throws its shoulder, it should be steadied with the reins.
गोमयं लवणं मूत्रं क्कथितं मृत्समन्वितम् । अङ्गलेपो मक्षिकादिदंशश्रमविनाशनः ।। २८८.
Cow dung, salt, urine, and clay mixed together: this ointment for the limbs destroys fatigue from bites of flies and others.
मध्ये भद्रादिजातीनां मण्डो देयो हि सादिना । दर्शनं भोततीक्षस्य निरुत्साहः क्षुधा हयः ।। २८८.
In the midst of horses of the Bhadrā and other breeds, a gruel should be given with food; a horse lacking appetite and enthusiasm is seen to be hungry.
यथा वश्यस्तथा शिक्षा विनश्यन्त्यतिवाहिताः । अवाहिता न सिध्यन्ति तुङ्गवक्त्रांश्च वाहयेत् ।। २८८.
Training should be according to the horse’s disposition; those excessively driven perish, while those not driven do not succeed; one should drive horses with high-set jaws.
सम्पीड्य जानुयुग्मेन स्थिरमुष्टिस्तुरङ्गमं । गोमूत्राकुटिला वेणई पद्ममण्डलमालिका ।। २८८.
Pressing with both knees, with a firm fist, the horse is controlled; cow urine, twisted rope, and a garland in the shape of a lotus circle.
संक्षिप्तञ्चैव विक्षिप्तं कुञ्चितञ्च यथाचितम् ।। २८८.
Contracted, extended, bent, and arranged as desired.
वल्गितावल्गितौ चैव षोढा चेत्थमुदाहृतम् । विथीधनुःशतं यावदशीतिर्न्नवतिस्तथा ।। २८८.
Leaping and counter-leaping, these six are thus described; as many as a hundred bows in a street, eighty, and ninety likewise.
भद्रः सुसाध्यो वाजी स्यान्मन्दो दण्डैकमानसः । मृगजङ्घो मृगो वाजी सङ्कीर्णस्तत्समन्वयात् ।। २८८.
A Bhadrā horse is easily trained; a slow one is of single mind; a deer-legged horse is a deer-horse, and a mixed one is so by combination.
शर्क्करामधुलाजादः सुगन्धोऽस्व शुचिर्द्विजः । तेजस्वी क्षत्रियश्चाश्वो विनीतो बुद्धिमांश्च यः ।। २८८.
A horse born from sugar, honey, and barley is fragrant, pure, and of the Brahmin class; a spirited horse is of the Kshatriya class, disciplined and intelligent.
शूद्रोऽशुचिश्चलो मन्दो विरूपो विमतिः खलः । वल्गया धार्य्यमाणोऽश्वो लालकं यश्च दर्शयेत् ।। २८८.
A Shudra horse is impure, restless, slow, deformed, foolish, and wicked; a horse held by the bridle shows drooling.
धारासु योजनीयोऽसौ प्रग्रहग्रहमोक्षणैः । अश्वादिलक्षणं वक्ष्ये शालिहोत्रो यथावदत् ।। २८८.
He should be yoked in harnesses, with control and release; I will describe the characteristics of horses as stated by Shalihotra.
शालिहोत्र उवाच अश्वानां लक्षणं वक्ष्ये चिकित्साञ्चैव सुश्रुत् । हीनदन्तो विदन्तश्च कराली कृष्णतालुकः ।। २८९.
Shalihotra said: I will describe the characteristics and treatment of horses, O learned one; a horse with deficient teeth, prominent teeth, fierce, and black-palated.
कृष्णजिह्वश्च यमजो जातमुष्कश्च यस्तथा । द्विशफश्च तथा श्रृङ्गी त्रिवर्णो व्याघ्रवर्णकः ।। २८९.
A horse with a black tongue, born of Yama, with descended testicles, cloven hooves, horned, three-colored, and tiger-colored.
शरवर्णो भस्मवर्णो जातवर्णश्च काकुदी । श्वित्री च काकसादी च खरसारस्तथैव च ।। २८९.
Arrow-colored, ash-colored, born-colored, hump-backed, vitiligo, crow-headed, and rough-bodied likewise.
वानराक्षः कृष्णशटः कृष्णगुह्यस्तथैव च । कृष्णप्रोथश्च यश्च तित्तिरिसन्निभः ।। २८९.
Monkey-faced, black-maned, black-genital, black-chinned, and resembling a partridge.
विषमः श्वेतपादश्च ध्रुवावर्त्तविवर्जितः । अशुभावर्त्तसंयुक्तो वर्जनीयस्तुरङ्गमः ।। २८९.
Uneven, white-footed, lacking fixed whorls, and possessing inauspicious whorls: such a horse should be avoided.
रन्ध्रोपरन्ध्रयोर्द्वौ द्वौ द्वौ द्वौ मस्तकवक्षसोः । प्रयाणो च ललाटे च कण्ठावर्त्ताः शुभा दश ।। २८९.
Two whorls each at the nostrils, head, and chest; whorls at the forehead and throat: ten auspicious whorls.