vs by Art let vs seeke to reforme our rebellious will and affections that we may cloath our selues more decently with fig-leaues of knowledge without which man is onely most miserable for though God gaue him possession of all his dignity at the first minute he came into the world yet through the relapse hee was depriued of all for now what thing commeth into the world so naked as man and those things which should haue beene for his preseruation doe often times worke his destruction as wee see many men killed or lamed with Horses and also deuoured by other rauenous beasts And besides this outward miserablenesse there is with vs such a little world of rebellion amongst the faculties of the soule and also amongst the other sences that all the Art that man can vse is not able to suppresse and keepe them downe thereby to hould them in subiection for our reason by which we should haue guided and gouerned all other creatures is so obscured with ignorance that wee could not know how to gouerne our selues if we should follow our inelination and corruption Now therefore hee that will haue a command of himselfe e How a man should command himselfe must seeke to reforme the disposition of his corrupt minde by deliberating and consulting whether that bee well or euill which he hath in action and so make election according to the Aristo eth 3. li. 3. goodnes or badnesse of the Art for election must not be made without consultation and consultation must not be made from affection but sana mente from a perfect and sound minde Therefore he that will gouerne himselfe must haue a perfect mind and must consult of all his actions by reason how they are done if well then to make his election thereof if euill then Theo. 3. b to consider the cause and take that away and then from whence it doth proceed and stop that flux so shall he know the better how to gouerne his Horse For the errors in Horsemanship doe not alwaies proceede from the Horse neither from â— The cause of 16.c. Theo. 16 a. 1. Pra. 24.n. 27.d. g An apt sâ—mile that place in the Horse where it is first decerned as it is for the most part holden but the cause of most errors howsoeuer they are iudged in the Horse doe chiefely first proceede from the man though vnknowne vnto him when it was committed anâ— although at the first it might seeme a very small escape yet being vnreformed by much vse and practise it will grow very grosse and palpable For instance as by multiplication in Arithmeticke a figure being mistaken though it be in the first place which is the least in valew yet by often multiplying it wil be a great error in the product and also though the error be first perceiued in the product yet the cause doth not proceed from thence nor altogether from the figures of the multiplier but chiefely in him that multiplied it Wherefore seeing that when there is an error in worke committed the fault is not alway attributed to the thing in which it is first found but where it is first acted I would desire all those which loue this Art not to thinke to excuse their errors by the nature of the horse for so might a man that hath â— To excuse a mans ignoâ—ance by the nature of the horse is no true excuse a bad visage excuse it when he looketh in a glasse and say it is the falsenesse of the glasse But I hould this paradox that it is the ignorance of the man to thinke that a Horse being irrationall should learne more then a man that is rationall can teach him and so impute a greater fault to the materiall cause then to the efficient therefore those who are desirous to keepe this Vineyard from spoyling must be carefull to keepe the fences strong and raile them about with reason and then they shall more easily bring their Horse to the gouernment which they desire CHAP. 8. How the Horseman may subdue his will HAuing before showne how a man may gouerne both himselfe and his Horse I will now also so briefely as I can declare how hee may subdue his will but this is so difficult a thing to effect because it is so inherent to man that in the subduing thereof is as great a conquest as to ouercome a strong a It is a hard thing to bring our will to subiection hold For men are so farre led captiue vnder the seruitude thereof that it hath almost vsurped the place of reason and most men follow it euen as their onely guide insomuch as if a question be asked them their will is the chiefe reason in their answere whereby it is fistulated so deepe in most men that if I should vndertake to make an incision to the bottome both my memory to so short and my knowledge so weake that I feare my strength would faile mee before I could launch it to the halfe therefore I will but onely scarifie it that the corruption may the sooner breake through The Cinicke Diogenes perceiuing how seruile they b The answere of Diogenes to Alexander the Great were which did onely giue themselues as seruants to obey it answered Alexander the Great his messenger when hee sent to him to know the cause wherefore hee would not come to doe homage to him as well as all other why saith he thy maister serueth my man for what I thinke good that my will doth obey but what his will commandeth that he indeuoreth to performe with all diligence declaring thereby that hee which hath brought himselfe to that gouernment that hee can command his will is greater then any Monarch of the world that is subiect vnto it Therefore of all other enemies this is the most Theo. 37. m daungerous and a Horseman ought to haue the chiefest regard to keepe it from rebelling least it should breake into this Vineyard for if it once get in as a Maister it will be a very hard conquest to expell it out againe till it hath trodden downe the c Will is so ranenous that it spoylâ—th the whole planting whole planting For the refelling of which enemy he that will suppresse it must keepe a strong fence of reason continually leuelled against it the better to defend the force thereof and therefore he that desireth to take away the sting of the venemous d How to subdue it infection least it should pollute the whole Vine must imitate the naturall loue of Parents towards an vnnaturall child which through their tender affection towards him haue yeelded so long to his content that hee hath wrought their discontent through his disobedience insomuch that they are driuen to put him to seruice whereby he may the better be brought againe to his dutyfull obedience Euen so when a man hath yeelded to his will so long that it â— Reason is the best controuler of a mans will is become his Maister the
where the Horse should be commanded n The discoÌ„modities that insue by the abuses of the hand thereby the more hee feeleth the hand the more hee rests vpon it and is the cause of so many run-awayes and further tireth a man more to hold him to his pace then the hardest trotter and causeth a Horse not to stumble only but also breaketh the largenesse of his stroake for his pace in regard he is so terrified in the mouth that he dare not set his forefeet forth which makes him fret and chafe and shake his hinder parts very vnseemely and to conclude quid non Wherefore I could wish that all such professors were weeded out of the Vineyard of Horsemanship as not worthy of growing there because they bring such fruit as doth more distast the sences then giue any odoriferous smell to the vnderstanding of this Art By this time I hope their mindes are somwhat altered which hold this Art so easie that any one may vndertake it without any great doubt of performance which if they are not I would know what o Errors the cause of varieties Theo. 36. should moue so many seuerall opinions and variable inuentions for the performing thereof if there were not some intricatenesse therein And what should bee the reason that so few Horses amongst many goe well but onely the Art being so obseure that they cannot see the way how to effect it For though mens opinions are variable yet there is but one truth and although there be many great diuersities in Horses going Theo. 4. Ch. yet there is but one kind of well going Horses And yet although they will grant some difficulty in it yet by the abbreuiation of time they will hold it more easie then other trades Mechanicall for hee is accompted an expert and cunning Workeman that can learne his occupation in seauen or p Men iudge according to their knowledge eight yeares and yet they thinke that this Art of pacing may be learned in seauen or eight Monthes But the reason heereof is this Art hath a cloake to couer their ignorance which is the nature of the Horse but the other hath none For in other Trades they are very desirous to obtaine both the intellectiue part by learning and also the practicke by exercise and so to get a habit of cunning that when they come to work vpon the subiect they may make it formall the facilitie of the hand being q Where there is no excuse there men take paines to preserue their own credit directed onely by the Iudgement of the eye and then being proportionably made the worke doth continue as it seemeth to be and after they haue the knowledge thereof they can make a hundred as good But if it bee not so fitly wrought nor so curiously set forth then the fault is not attributed to the matter because it would worke no better but to the man because he did worke no better and therefore in regard they would not be accompted Coblers nor Botchers they take great paines to keepe their reputation because they haue none other excuse But in this Art it is otherwise for whereas those worke vpon bodies inanimata hauing neither life nor sence so that whatsoeuer r The cause of intricatnesse in this Art their hands doe it is so the Horseman worketh vpon bodies animata which haue both life and sence and though he worke neuer so exquisitely yet if the intellectiue part of the Horse be not agreeing to the minde of the man it is a shadow of the thing but not the thing it selfe howsoeuer it doth show to the eye for when the Horse commeth to be made vse of then he sheweth the truth and as a dog to his vomit so goeth he to his former disorderly will for as Aristotle saith quales sunt actus tales habitus fiunt as is the teaching so is the learning Ethick 2. li. 2. Chap. perfected But for their excuse then they affirme vno voce that it is the nature of the Horse and so they attribute that to the efficient cause which is in the materiall and by that meanes neuer take any paines to find out their ignorance whereby that if by chance they make one good Horse they for the most part misse in ten CHAP. 4. The Description of a true and well going Horse HAuing heeretofore showne in some sort the difficulty of this Art of pacing and also layd open the errors of them which iudge the performance thereof to be so easie now I thinke it will not be amisse to discribe and set forth what a true and well pacing horse is not onely because I would avoide the scandall of them which should thinke I vndertooke that which I knew not and speake that which I doe not vnderstand but also to shunne confusion in my proiect because it is the subuersion of all things For order being the onely a Confusion subuerteth all things but order establisheth thing whereby nothing is made something so contrarily confusion doth make something nothing For the world before the creation was a Chaos that is a confused thing without order but God by order brought it to proportion Theo. 38. â— and forme and by that meanes came to be something and so receiued a name according to the excellent forme and order thereof which is Mundus Wherefore I doe desire so much as in mee lyeth to lay the foundation of this Art in the best order that I can that it may receiue the perfecter forme and be the longer without confusion Now therefore because confusion is such a pestiferous disease Application that it impoysoneth the whole subject which it doth possesse I would desire all young fauorites of this art or which meaneth b A man must first learne before he can teach to be laborers in the Vineyard of Horsemanship to beware of that infection and for order sake first to learne a thing themselues before they doe teach it to any other for as Aristotle saith prius sunt Artes postea operationes knowledge goeth before Ethic. 2. li. 4. chap. and practice followeth after Wherefore it is fit that a man should first know what a true going horse is before hee vndertake by practice to make one for how should a man worke truely not knowing what hee worketh or giue iudgement of that thing wherein he hath no good knowledge now as I said before there can be but one manner of an absolute and true going horse and yet there are many horses that may be said to goe well but that is in respect of another that goeth â— There is but one truth and is not found by comparing one error with another but by it selfe â—eason giuing euidence A simile worse and yet if that horse be compared with his better then he is said not to goe so well but this is no true ground of knowledge for as it is a principle in the grantable requests of Geometry that
he would haue him to stand his desire is to go and when to goe he coueteth to runne and thereby commeth such a confusion that the fence is layde open for the deuouring beastes to breake downe the Vines and then it will be hard to expell them till they haue made hauocke of the whole worke CHAP. 16. How the Man should know where to help his horse IT is needfull also that the man should haue knowledge in this predicament vbi because that when the horse doth commit a fault the man may the better know how to help it if he can tell where to helpe him But for the truer knowledge thereof he must first know the chiefe meanes by which he shall perceiue from whence the fault doth proceed least in not knowing the right cause thereof he should resemble some Farrier as I haue both seene and knowne which hath applyed cuâ—es to a horse for the staggers thinking his paine to be in the head when the poore Horse hath beene so foundred that he could a A lamentable ignorance not stand and also like others who haue roweled the shoulder and the cause of his halting hath beene vpon a cloyde in the foote But for the preuenting of such grosse absurdities hee must obserue that the fault is not alwaies to be reformed in that Theo. 7. â— place where it is seene for an error as it is said is not an error simply of it selfe but it is the cause also of other errors Therefore hee which will helpe his Horse aright must resemble the cunning Chirurgion when he doth desire to heale an old running A Simile Vlcer doth not presently apply to heale the sore at first till hee hath considered from whence that flux doth proceed which doth feed it and so stop it and then the soare is soone healed afterward euen so when a horse doth commit a fault and that hee doth stand need of helpe he must not thinke to helpe him there where it is seene but he must expostulate what Theo. 3. b the cause is of that cause and by the staying of that flux the other effect will be soone reformed Now the seat of the man is a more sure meanes to giue notice of the cause if it be right or true then the Vrine of a man to shew the disease of him for by the seate if it be perfect hee may distinguish of euery fault from whence it doth proceed if he obserue the true cariage of the Horses body for if his hand be holden in the true place it will tell him the least disorder of b A true seate iudgeth of the cause of errors the head the action of his body will feele the willingnesse of the horses motion his legges will shew the obedience of the Horse in yeelding to his helps and by his seat he may iudge of the true cariage of his body Now when the man doth feele a non-obedience in any of these he must not thinke to reforme it in the same place where he doth feele the defect but he must consult with himselfe from whence the cause thereof doth come and take that away and then the effect of the other will decay For instance if the horse leane so hard vpon the hand so that he cannot easely be gouerned Theo. 10. b but either with paine or else with loosing some grace of his seate then if he thinke to reforme that fault with the bridle Note onely he shall vtterly fayle of his expectation for so he shall make his mouth the more hard and insensible for the 1. Pra. 23.d. c Of a dead mouthd horse 1. Pr. 24. P. cause doth proceede from the idle cariage of his body and the slow comming after of his hinder parts therefore he must be reformed by giuing his body a quicker motion and by trussing his hinder parts more round Againe if the horse be any thing free and stirring so that he will not endure to rest vpon the bridle he must not seeke a d Of a tickle-mouthed Horse reformation therefore by forcing him vpon the hand for that will make him trusse vp his body the more and make him more bedlam-like because the cause doth proceed from the eagernesse of his inward agitation and so desireth to goe according to his appetite but being terrified with the bridle he dareth not to stretch his feete forth and so dare not rest vpon the hand wherby he might range his body to his proportionate length and therefore the man must helpe him by his patience and giue him leaue to goe mildly till he hath gotten a habit of stretching forth his legges and then as he is bold to rake at length he will relye the more vpon the hand And further by the action of the body may bee perceiued â— The obedience of the Horse is known by the action of his body Theo. 39. â— the obedience of the motion of the Horse for if his body will not yeeld to the helpes of the man then hee must not thinke to helpe that by forcing of the exterior parts for the cause doth proceed from the interior because hee is not brought to perfect obedience And therefore he must helpe that in commanding his disposition for as the action of the man doth worke according to the agitation of his mind so the motion of the Horse doth worke according to the willingnes of the agitation of his powers and therefore the cause of the disobedience of the body must be helped by reforming the disobedience of his appetite And likewise by the helpes of his legges hee may iudge the tractablenes of the horse for if he will not turne on either hand Note at the motion of them then the cause doth proceed from the hastinesse of the man in that hee put him to that lesson before he was ready for it because the horses body is gouerned by the hand and therefore if he will not obey without force hee must helpe that in quickening of his mouth as before I haue showne for if he be truly mouthed he will obey the least motion that he can vse And in like maner by his seat he may perceiue the true carriage f The true carriage of the Horses body is knowne by the Mans seat of the horses body for if it be perfectly stayed then hee shall find great ease in the horses motion but if he be lash bodied then he will shake him and keepe false time there with and therefore if he lift his fore feet ouer high and worke too much with his shoulders it is because his hinder parts doe not come after fast enough to set his foreparts foreward and so hee must helpe that by helping on his hinder parts with his body But if he lift and shake behind then the cause is that hee doth desire to goe faster on with them then the foreparts will make way therefore he must help that by raysing vp of his parts before g If an
receiue his complection according to the nature of that Element which is most predominate in him and also his colour according to his complection vpon which I will not insist but sleight it ouer with a swift foot First because it is a rocke too hard for me to penetrate there being such diuersities of opinions that the discussing thereof would rather require a whole volume then a part of a Chapter Secondly because the approbation thereof doth not appertaine to this Treatise therefore I referre it to those Arts to which it doth appertaine And lastly seeing there are said to bee but foure Elements and so successiuely foure complections from h The reason why it is doubtfull whether the cause of colours proceed from the Elements Theo. 18. â— which all colours and dispositions are said to proceed yet there are so many seuerall diuersities of these that if all the Artists in the world should proportionate the least excessiue quality in euery particuler element gradatim one in another yet they could not prescribe so many dispositions as there are Horses in proportion as one to a thousand because there is no two but there is a dissimilitude betwixt them But because I would not seeme to make my doubt vpon a preiudicated opinion without reason I will only touch the two excesse colours which doe not consist of any other and the Metaphisicks 1 White and blacke are said to bee the essence of the other colours opinion for the cause of them Now they doe define white thus Albedo est color simplex in corpore teniore multa luminositate constans Whitenesse is a simple colour consisting in a thinner body with much light But whitenesse is also found in a body of more density as in Marble and therefore that cannot be a true definition And againe they define blacke thus Nigredo autem est color in corpore crassiore exiguae luminositatis particeps But blacknes is a colour participating in a more thick body of a smaller light Now there being wordes of the comparatiue degree vsed in both the definitions cannot stand with the Logical proposition of the essence for it is the nature of the essence not to admit more or lesse but heere it is said more of the light to bee in k A simple colour cannot be without an Essence whitenes as though that light should participate with the genus more then other colours and likewise lesse of the light to bee in blacknes which if it bee the light is more proper to the colour then the quality the which the genus doth constitute to the colours For the genus is communicated equally to all the species otherwise blackenes were a lesse colour then whitenes huc vsque Doct. Bright And againe this haue I found by experience that although blacke and white be opposite in sight yet those horses which are so coloured are not so in quality for I haue seene two horses the one white and the other black and yet they haue ioyned l Two Horses of contrary colours may bee of equall goodnesse so like in goodnesse as it was hard to iudge which were the better which could not bee if the cause did proceed from the contrariety of the Elements for then they would worke a contrary effect And where it is aforesaid showne that blacke Theo. 28. l. m Contrary causes produce contrary effects is of a more thick substance if one should goe to the difference of Climes and so to the complection of men in those Climes I cannot see how it should be of any such density for the Ethiopians are all black and yet they are ayrier then wee that are more white by reason of the adustion of their bodies the moisture thereof being exhald by the heat of the reuerberation of the Sunnebeames And Staeflerus doth affirme that the Staeflerus Moores liuing in the torrid Zone about the equinoctiall are more agility but of lesse permanancy then wee and their wiues doe bring forth more speedily and with more facility then our Women dâ—e and all is through the rarity of their bodyes Wherefore to conclude this poynt not insisting any further heerein hauing prosecuted it further then I did intend I cannot hold but that the colours of Horses are of greater esteeme then a feather in a mans hat neyther that the cause of their diuersity doth proceed either from the Elements or complections but as I haue said partly from the nature of the seed of generation but especially from the continuall mutability of the Signes and Planets euery one of them hauing such differing 1. Pr. 8.d. motions by force of the primâ—m mobile that not any two times they equally agree in all aspects and places but they vary â— The chiefe cause of difference is from the continuall mutability of the Heauens reuolution 1. Pr. 4.h. either in their houses triplicities termes faces exaltations retrogradations by combustion or aspect of one beneuolent Planet with a maleuolent meeting in some disaster house or by a maleuolent aspect of two beneuolent Planets and many such like too tedious to rehearse any of which doth hinder Natures workes they being the chiefe Gouernours of all sublunary bodies and therefore although Man may endeuour by Art of breeding to helpe some reasonable restitution yet the effect must bee referred to Gods secret will because no Man can tell the time when any Mare shall conceiue CHAP. 6. At what yeares Horses and Mares are aptest for generation THere is nothing that doth more captiuate or make men a Custome the Nurse of opinionated errors Theo. 10. â— seruile to the yoke of ignorance then Custome the Nurse and damme of all opinionated errors For Time which is both the increaser and diminisher of all things humane hath made our vnderstanding so blinde and impotent in this part also through the deceiueable opinions and erronious practise of former times whereby they are swallowed so deep and diued so farre in the maine Sea of traditions that our old iron Age is not sufficient to plunge them out of that gulfe of ignorance to keepe them from drowning therein for the most going like blind men neuer going any way but as they are led suffer themselues to be led by that deceiueable conceit till they bee swallowed vp so deepe in the riuer of differences that they are neuer able to find the truth by any rule of reason And so they resemble sheepe which desire to feed vpon the greene downes till they get the rot For although they are desirous to haue comely Stallions and b Many desire old Horses to breed vpon Mares to breed vpon yet they deceiue themselues in their age for the maintenance of that courage and comlines that should be in the species in that they doe not rightly consider Natures workes nor the cause thereof For it is so commonly frequented euen as a custome that the Horse which they desire to breed by must bee an old horse so that
all and also had gotten a perfect knowledge in stumbling But I would haue them know that these absurdities do nothing at all proceed from the Art but from the abuse in teaching for it is holden so easie a thing to make a Horse pace that almost euery one will assume it and so like blind Byards â—un headlong into the gulfe of confusion because they know not how to keepe any order or decorum in their teaching for if they by any extremity can make a Horse pâ—ce they hold their knowledge equall with the best But let them assuredly know that whatsoeuer is forced by extremity â— Extremâ—â—y â— no Art 1. Pra. 17.c. is no part of Art for after the disposition of the Horse is changed that is his disobedience brought to obedience then Art doth work by gentle and easy but yet quick motions ser by that meanes the vnderstanding of the Horse is more confirmed then by any extremities which in regard they are violent and omne violens nunquam est perpetuum whatsoeuer is violenâ— is neuer permanent and therefore that Horse which is brought to his pace by extremity cannot hold it because his motion is not giuen him by reason which is gentle but by will which is cruell for when they see that they faile in their expectation â— Will 〈◊〉 extremity and that they cannot make a Horse pace in so short a time as they doe desire then presently they fall to any extremities because they will haue him doe it and thus the poore Horse is thrust into such torments that where his appetite and his action should agree in one they are now contrary for as his Rider doth force the motion of his body which is action to pace the motion of his appetite which is lust being altogether remote from it there doe continually be-thoughts arise g The cauâ—e of by thoughts how he should ease himselfe from such torments For hee neither hauing leasure to vnderstand what he should learne nor finding ease in his teaching thereby to take delight they agree as well together as fire and water and his pace as durable as flaxe on fire Yet I would not haue them heere to vnderstand me so that a Horse may be brought to his pace with lenity onely for so in shunning one extreame they fall into the other and quicquid h Art depeneth vpon one true proportion moderamine caret id in pessimam degenerat speciem what passeth the limits of the meane doth fall into the confines of the extreame For there must bee both helpes and corrections vsed till he be brought to obedience but they must bee tempered with such discretion according to the disposition of the Horse that through too much rigor hee bee made neither restiffe nor madde nor through too much lenity he be made carelesse and sadde but so indifferently mixed sometimes with cherishments and sometimes with chastisements that the Horse may perfectly vnderstand his well doing by the one and his offending by the other The maner how shall heereafter bee showne Againe there are others which hold that a Horse may bee brought to a good pace in ten or fourteene dayes at the furthest as well as in all his life time But by that assertion they shew both their knowledge in the Art and their iudgement in â— Art abused by shortnesse of time a well going Horse for if they did truely know the one and vnderstand the other they would alienate their simple ignorance by their rash iudgement For first there must be a time to reforme the will of the Horse and after that to giue him a stayed body and an euen carriage of the same and then a true handling of his legges and also a comely and easie reyne with Note a reforming of other vices which may ensue during the time of teaching and when they haue considered of all these I hope they will change their mindes and allow as great fauour to this part of Horsemanship as any other in regard there must be a time to teach then another time to vnderstand what is taught and also a third to gaine a habite to his vnderstanding For he is accompted a good Horse-man in other parts thereof if he can but mouth a Horse make him take his way willingly trot handsomely and turne readily in a yeare although to his trot hee hath a naturall inclination and yet they doe expect that a Horse should be brought to his pace with the reforming k The inconuenience of hast of all things aforesaid in such a short time albeit hee thereto hath no inclination But the effect of this hast is showne by the euent for what doth follow but an vtter dislike of the art and a generall inueying against the professors not regarding 1. Pra. 17. a. the inconuenience of hast for in the true order of Art that is the best hast which worketh the best euent Now there are others which allow the Art but disallow the meanes of working by the hand some allowing trammels l Ignorance the cause of these Prac. 1. lib. 30. 31. 32 Chap. Theo. 36. a. 1. Pr. 31. a. others shooes of aduantage with long plates before some heauy shooes some waights vnder the fetterlocks and wispes and others sand-bagges behind on the fillits of the Horse all which inuentions doe rather shew the delight that men take in nouelties then the desire they haue to the truth for the best of all these is but as a shaddow to a substance in respect of true Art by the hand But if they had spent as much time in reforming their owne ignorance as they did in inuenting these indirect meanes they would confesse that there were no such want in the Art as to vse any vsurping meanes but rather in their idle mindes in not taking paines to finde out the true causes For I see no reason but this part of Horsemanship may bee as well taught by true helps and corrections as any other part if they will but afford the like time Also there are others which like the hand but dislike as they may very well the abuse of it for they haue seene so many m. Pract. 1. li. 32. Chap. Horses so lacerated and torne in the mouth through the disorder of the hand and rough snaffles and also carry their heads so disorderly continually looking to the Heauens as though they were either deuout or else Astrologers or Astronomers obseruing the starres that they waxe weary of it and so preferre such inuented meanes as aforesaid before the true Art thinking there were no other way to bring a Horse to his true pace by the hand but by such extremities But these professors are the worst of all the rest and their wayes to bee eschewed as a path that leadeth to the vtter ruine both of the subiect and disgrace of the Art for through their distastfull hand they vtterly destroy where they should build and make his mouth so insensible that
reynes and also such dead mouths and so many sad horses which through this abuse are counted very Iades then they to excuse their ignorance obiect al these faults aforesaid to the nature of the horse affirming that The. 2.i. 7.f. he will neither goe better reyned obey the hand not goe more freely whilst he is a Horse but for this imputation I hope I haue spoken sufficiently already but these men in like maner come short of the period of their desire for whilst they are working but for the shadow like Esops Dog they let slip the substance Note for when they should come to make vse of their practise they are as much troubled with perturbations as the former for their Horse is become so stubborne that hee will goe but when he lusteth and as he lusteth so that they in like maner can neither haue ioy nor delight in their performance Wherefore seeing these passions also like rauenous beasts doe desire to spoyle the young impes and in stead thereof nourish Theo. 5. â— weedes there must in like maner be a strong fence kept by reason to refell and driue them backe for when as a Man by any accident shall be driuen into Passion by these extreames k How a man may refell his passions let him for that time cease from his practise and set vp his Horse assuring himselfe to be in an error and then let him examine how he came into these extremities and after deliberation had he shall finde if he bee not partiall in his owne affections that hee himselfe was the onely cause and also that it did proceed from ignorance he vndertaking to effect that for the which hee had no true ground of knowledge and so by this meanes whereas before they both of them thought the cause of either of those extremities did proceed from the nature of the horse they shall see most clearely that it was their owne blindnesse and that they were guided by such enemies as did rather desire to destroy then to plant For as a house that is very cleane swept and washed so as it may be thought that there is not any dust therein yet when the Sunne shineth bright and An apt Simile the beames thereof doe reflect into it they shall see it all full of moates euen so though they thought their knowledge right good for the effecting of their desire yet when the light of reason doth enlighten their mindes they shall then perceiue many errors which before could not be seene Wherefore if a man cannot bridle his affections nor ouercome his passions let him send them also to the schoole of reason and there they wil be so Theo. 8.e. curbed and shall receiue such a repulse that they will vtterly be discouraged and not once dare to incounter against so strong a Fort for thereby their forces will be brought so weake that a man may the more easily keep them in subjection CHAP. 10. That a Horseman should not be feirce or angry BEcause that I haue in the last chapter spoken briefely of the roote from whence these branches doe spring and also showne the inconueniences in part which proceed from them therefore for the auoyding of prolixity and reiteration I will but onely declare so summarely as I can how to reduce this extreame to the meane that those errors which doe attend vpon these vices of feircenesse and anger may with more facility be auoyded and the truth the better aduanced but whereas Theo. 9.g. I say a Horseman should not be angry I would not haue it vnderstood so that he should not be angry at all for that is meere sheepish and so hee should fall into the other excesse for humanum est irasci he is not a man that cannot be angry and for a man to be a little prouoked doth stirre him vp to performe his authority with greater courage but yet I would not haue him to abuse this liberty for as soft fire maketh sweet malt so a hasty A Simile fire doth not onely firefange as it is termed but also taketh away the true rellish of the same euen so moderate anger causeth obedience but feircenesse repugneth the same for as the Prou. 27. 4. wiseman saith Anger is cruell and wrath is raging but a furious man aboundeth in transgressions Therefore although anger is linked so strongly to the nature a Anger is a naturall viper nourished within vs. of man that he can no easelier refraine from that passion then to refraine either from meate or drinke being set before him and he hauing an eager appetite to the same yet let him indeuour to suppresse it with reason least it proue to feircenesse and wax so hot that it will consume the whole substance of his labour For hee saith againe hee that is slow to wrath is better Pro. 16. 32. then the mighty man and he that ruleth his owne minde is better then he that winneth a City For he whose discretion deferreth anger is of great wisdome but he that is apt to feircenesse prouoketh violence and whatsoeuer is brought to a horse by violence is not gained by Art inregard as Arist saith it is the exterior action only but Art consisteth both in the interior action and exterior for whatsoeuer is exterior only is but a shadow Theo. 3. â— or an accident and therfore no substance and so hath no perminancy because it is don vnwillingly For whatsoeuer is the cause of a cause the same is the cause of the thing caused but violence being the cause of the exterior action in the horse so long as that Ethick 3. 2. Ethick 22. â— violence lasteth so long the horse worketh although inuite but when that cause ceaseth then the action of the Horse decayeth Now therefore hee which desireth to proue a flowrishing Impe in this Vineyard must temporize his anger and let it extend no further then the limits of reason and proportionate it b How to temper auger Theo. 31. â— so that it may rather tend to the reducement of obedience in the horse then to the satisfying of his owne will But for the better knowledge how a man should gouerne his anger hee must obserue both the time when to be angry and also the disposition of the Horse how to be angry and so proportionate his correction as the occasion of the offence is offered But of this I will speake more when I come to shew the disposition of the c One cannot passe from one extreame to another but by the meane Horse Now in regard a man cannot passe by one extreame vnto another but by the meane which is the truth and that these extreames hath wrought much absurdities amongst many reputed Horsemen let a man so examine himselfe that he may truely know the cause from whence this excesse of anger doth proceed and then he shall find the originall to come from his owne will and ignorance because the Horse is
subiect to obedience Theo. 9. â— by Art and he himselfe ignorant how to worke the perfection thereof And the Heathen men could say He that to wrath and anger is thrall ouer his will hath no power at all and he that is gouerned by his will as before I haue showne more then by his wit he shall neuer come to reape the fruit of knowledge in this Art for hee runneth into vtter ignorance d Ignorance blindnesse are led by authority and traditions and ignorance is the Mother of fooles and therefore not rightly knowing how to vnuayle this blindenesse they depend vpon traditions and support themselues by the authority of others and so cloake their owne simplenesse as though all things receiued from old custome were true And so when they fayle of their expectation then they follow the torterous inuentions of hard snaffles extreame commanding bits and tormenting cauezans 1. Pr. 6. a. Note this progression 1. Pr. 19. â— all which are as consonant to the true Art as poyson is to the body but likewise I will speake of these in the Practicke part hereof CHAP. 11. A Horseman should be louing and gentle AMongst all other of the passions this is the chiefest to be respected for the confirming of whatsoeuer hath beene before taught and therefore I haue placed it the last in regard a Gentlenesse loue are the onely bonds that tye delight betwixt man and horse it is the last thing that a man must vse for the grounding of obedience in the horse for all the other affections are incited by the action of the horse and then this ceaseth but when they cease then this of loue worketh and so as an euidence to a Iury a Horse doth know by this how hee hath pleased his rider therefore it is the onely vniting of delight betwixt the Man and the Horse For as one saith concerdia parâ—a crescunt sed discordia maxima delebuntur small or few things by concord and loue doe encrease to abundance but by discord and strife great things are brought to vtter confusion b A Horseman must know when and how to be louing to his horse in like manner this Art by feircenesse and anger is sackt and spoyled but by loue and gentlenesse it is reedified and repayred Therefore whosoeuer is desirous to be combined within the limits of this Vineyard must endeauour himselfe to learne to know when and how to be louing and kind to his Horse Theo. 10. â— for as it is the nature of fire to seperate and dissolue that which before was a substance euen so the heat of â—eircenesse and anger doth seperate and dispeirse that which before was vnited by Art and as lyme and morter doe bind stones in such wise that they make a strong building euen so loue by cherishing A Simile doth congeale and vnite together whatsoeuer hath beene before taught But I would not heere bee so vnderstood that the effect of this Art doth chiefely consist heereof for so a man may digresse from the meane passe into the other extreame which is too much lenity as I haue said before and therefore it must be vsed but as a preseruatiue to keepe that which hath beene taught before For as Parents though they haue a naturall loue and affection towards their children yet it must haue a restraint for it should be no further then it may be without the offence of true religion otherwise they make an Idoll of them and so through 1. Sam. 2. 23. 24. and the 3. 11. extraordinary affection they bring them to inordinate subuersion euen so though loue towards a Horse is a thing that doth fortifie greatly the memory of him and causeth great delight Theo. 17.c. yet there must be a limitation of time to know when to loue otherwise they in like maner make an Idoll of their Horse and so are driuen to serue him before he yeeld to them Therefore it is 1. Prac. 13. â— c How a man may know when to loue fitting that a man should also learne to know when to show loue and when not for the effecting of which hee must be a Commander of himselfe and his greatest anger must bee so qualified that vpon the least yeelding of the Horse he may be ready to entertaine his obedience that the Horse may the better know the cause of his anger towards him and also he must obserue the instant time for if he shall seeme to cherish him neuer so little before he obey the Horse hauing no other means to Note vnderstand the will of his Rider then the sense of feeling doth tender him then he thinketh that that is the perfection of his riders will and so by custome it will grow to such a habit that it will be very hard to make him proceed any further in his apprehension thinking that to be the summe of his obedience But againe if he omit the first motion of subiection which his d The cause of all restiffe qualities doe first arise from the man Theo. 33. â— Horse doth yeeld vnto and therefore is not contented therewith thinking to make him doe more before he leaue him then the Horse not rightly vnderstanding the cause of this extremity is caused to passe the meane and to fall into the other extreame which is fury and so falleth into some restiffe quality as running away going backe standing still lying downe yerking and plunging and such like all which though they be first showne by the Horse yet the cause doth proceed from the man by bringing by-thoughts into the Horse with too much seuerity and ouer-slipping of time But yet as I haue often said they haue a cloake to couer this ignorance in themselues which is that the Horse is of such a stubborne and dogged nature that hee would doe thus if a mans life should lye on it Neuerthelesse if they could rightly conceiue how and when to loue and cherrish they should vndoubtedly perceiue that these former errors did proceede more from themselues then the disposition of the Horse Now I might insist a little heerein vpon those Horsemen as they are called which trayne vp Horses from their first haltring with lenitie onely neuer respecting that obedience which should bee first gayned but in regard I haue touched it some-what before in the ninth Chapter and shall haue occasion to speake more of it heereafter I will but onely shew in this place the inconueniences thereof in generall which I haue proued by experience to my great cost For this Paradoxe I now hold that the best Horse which can bee bred â— Note for it is worth obsernation 1. Pra. 23.f. and of the mildest diposition shall neuer come to the height of his glory with lenity only except there bee a true obedience gotten before for although hee may thereby bee made very gentle and also to goe forward willingly in regard he goeth as himselfe lusteth yet when he shall come to
as many seuerall dispositions as there are Horses more generall in the workes of nature then diuersity because there are no two thinges that are absolute like or dislike one another for as it iâ— quot homines tot sensus so many men so many mindes euen so it is quot aequi tot sunt disposiciones that there are as many dispositions as there are horses Therefore I will not speak thereof any more but only of the two extreames which is dulnesse and freenesse because that all the other are participating of either of them more or lesse but the difference must be iudged according as the man shall find the inclination of the Horse by working for by practise it may bee better perceiued then by prescribing But yet there are foure cheife obseruations whereby the man may haue the better ground how to iudge of his disposition of which the first is his will as it is termed for he hath sponte although improperly because it is per appetitum but not consultationem the second his wind the third the aptnes of the cariage g How to know the horses disposition by 4. charaters Theo. 6. â— of his body and the last is easie command of his mouth all which if they be rightly obserued will giue a sufficient instance of the horses inclination Wherefore for the better conceiuing of them I will speake more thereof in their proper places because I will not confuse the vnderstanding of the desirous practitioner by degression least he should be discouraged thereby and so trodden downe that he should not delight to grow in this Vineyard whereby he might yeeld fruite both pleasant and profitable CHAP. 19. Of the Dulnesse in the horse BEcause those horses which are said to be sadde or dull doe desire the greatest iudgement and depth of this Art therefore it is needfull for the man to know the cause of the same 1. Pra. 24.k. that he may the easilier conceiue how to reforme them for the cause doth not proceed from the imbecillity of nature as it is imagined but from the dogednesse and stubornenesse of his appetite or desire and therefore they will aske both the greater 1. Pr. 15.b. a The appetite of the horse is the cause of any disobedience paines and the longer time for their reforming then those which are more apt and tractable for the proofe whereof I for my part haue not had any colte these many yeares howseeuer his shape hath beene if I haue had the first backing of him that hath proued dull by the which I haue obserued that the cause thereof is more from the ignorance of the man in regard he could not tell how to vse him according to his disposition Theo. 24. e then through any defect in the nature of the horse for if nature should be condemned for all those horses which proue sad in their trayning then it might be said that it framed more to be without vse then for vse because there are more sadde and vnwilling horses by many then there are free and gentle which thing for to hold is very absurd because Natura nihil Theo. 2. o agit frustra Nature neuer made any thing in vaine Now for the better illustrating hereof I will vse this simile suppose two men of what stature soeuer whether equall or vnequall if one of them be willing and the other vnwilling Note a good â—â—rule he that is the more willing will tyre two such as the other of the aduerse part and yet the cause is not through the inbecility of nature for it may be that the vnwillinger is of a farre more able body then the other but it is rather through the idlenesse and slothfulnesse of the mind in that hee hath more delight in taking ease then desire of paines Euen so the cause of those horses which are accounted sad doth not proceed from the weakenesse of nature for many of them are of a stronger body then the other but from the stubbornenesse of his desire or lust in that he taketh more delight to follow his appetite then obedient actions so that he will doe no more then he is forced vnto and that also which he doth will be very vnhandsome and vnseemelily done And further they obiect that those horses which are of a thicke forehand short necked dead mouthed and vnnimble bodied will very hardly or neuer be brought to any good riding and verifie it also by my A retortion of the simile simile for those men many of them which are of such an idle disposition had rather starue or bee hanged as dayly experience doth show then to take any diligent or painefull labour To which I answer I confesse they will be the harder to be brought to good riding in regard they must both haue greater paines and longer time bestowed vpon them and also they must haue the greater iudgement both in helpes and corrections for their perfection but yet to say that they will neuer be subdued it doth argue more their idle minds then any impossibility in the horse For instance if a man haue two peeces of wood to worke vpon the one smooth easie the other knotty hard it is no consequence to say that the knotty peece will A Similâ— neuer be brought to any good perfection because it requires more paines then the other for it may be made formall as well b Ignorance holdeth an imposibility but it must be both with greater paines and more care so for one of those afore said horses it is no consequence to say they will neuer be brought to any good perfection because they will neither so soone or easily be brought to good riding as the other which are of a more mild inclination and perfecter â— Idlenesse the nurse of ignorance making for so they condemne themselues both of slothfulnesse and ignorance in the Art For it may be said the Horse will neuer be brought to true riding because the man will not take the paines to bring him thereto for if he doth not take the greater delight in his profession so that his desire may be more then ordinary the paines will so discomfort him that he will thrust himselfe into the former ranke and had rather be starued in the frost of ignorance then hee will take the paines to thaw himselfe with such a laborious reformation And likewise they show their ignorance in that they cannot d That is no Art that is knowne to all men tell how to reforme such horses more then euery ordinary professor for euery one almost can tell how to ride those horses which will come to riding of themselues and therefore he that would be held worthy to be grafted in this Vineyard must be industrious and painefull to consider the cause wherefore the Art was inuented and so to weed out such weeds as might smother and choake him before he can grow to such perfection as to bring forth any fruit And
he may the more easily be commanded And thirdly 3 they correct in turning on either hand for if in turning hee will not follow readily with his body then to giue him a single stroke with the contrary legge as aforesaid it will worke great effect But in all these the man must haue a respect to his seate for it must be as an index to the horse whereby he may know Theo. 14. i. the cause of his corrections for when he doth desire to haue â— As the motions for going so the seate for the manner of gâ—ing his horse moue more quick then his seat must be the more loose and instable but if when he doth remoue his seate the Horse will not answere â—he sodaine stroke of the legges will make him more carefull against the next time and when to moue slowlier then to keepe a firmer seate and cease from the motion of his legges and by that meanes the Horse shall the more easily conceiue his intention And further it doth stirre vp his desire for when hee would haue him to stand if then hee stand doggedly or carelesly the correction of them will quicken his spirit or likewise if he will not goe backe willingly but hang vpon the hand when he doth feele it more firme then vsually the euen stroke of both the legges if it be a Horse of any courage will make him thrust vp his body more close so that he will be farre more apt to obey the hand Which things being truely obserued of the man will be sufficient for an introduction to this part of Horsemanship and therefore for the vse of the legge for other lessons in the Art I will omit till more conueniency CHAP. 25. The correction of the Switch THe correction of the Switch is sharper then either of the former and therefore it ought to be vsed with more discretion least through the abuse thereof the horse become either mad or sad Now for the better vnderstanding how to apply it a The Switch must bee vsed according to the Horses disposition to the right vse there must be had a chiefe respect to the horses disposition for if he be of a stubborne and dogged disposition then the much vse thereof will make him so carelesse that hee will not regard it it being so milde and he so stubborne And againe if it bee vsed much and sharpely to a Horse that is of a greater spirit and free it will so terrifie him that hee will burst forth into some Iadish extremity Therefore it must be vsed vppon necessity that is when as either of the former will not preuaile then it must bee vsed to keepe obedience for instance when he will make no account of the Voyce nor the Calfe of the Legge then adioyne thereto the correction of the Switch but let him obserue that when he striketh let it bee very sharpely that thereby hee may bee caused to yeeld more willingly to the former corrections And likewise for the Stirrop when the Horse will not looke x to that side hee is troubled on let him in like maner vse the Switch vpon the same shoulder and that will cause him to stand in greater feare of the Stirrop the next time And the like order must be vsed with the Switch for the Calfe of the Legge if at any time hee seeme carelesse of them but then it should bee done at the instant time of neglect Now the correction of the Swicth is yet more proper to b The vse of the Switch for pacing that part of Horsemanship which toucheth pacing because it ought to bee the chiefest sharpe correction which should bee vsed in giuing the horse his stroke for his pace And therefore it should be carried in such wise as it might bee both the fittest and readiest for correction when occasion is offered But the c How to cary the Switch in giuing a Horse his pace aptest way to carry it is in the right hand with the point thereof downewards close by the horses right shoulder that when hee will not answer any of the aforesaid corrections then hee may be ready instantly to correct him therewith on the same shoulder to quicken him vp the more that thereby hee may be the willinger to obey the next time and further it will make him take vp his foreparts more comely and so hee will set them forward more willingly But because this Art of pacing being simply respected without the reforming of other vices d Being the obiect of this Tractate is but one lesson therfore one manner of correction is sufficient for the teaching thereof which is the Switch vpon the farre shoulder for when hee will not yeeld to any of the former then that must bee a releefe for the rest Because if the man should vse many seuerall corrections whilst he is teaching his pace the variety of them would bring such amazement to the horses capacity that it will be harder for him to know the meaning of them then to learne his pace and so not vnderstanding the cause thereof he will be brought into perturbations and so fall to some restiffe quality which will aske as much time to reforme as the teaching of his pace Wherefore the Man must haue great care to confine himselfe within the limits of reason in his corrections lest the rauenous Beasts breake into the Vineyard and so spoyle the whole worke of his planting CHAP. 26. Of correcting with the Spurre THe Spurre is the sharpest correction of all and therefore it should bee vsed with the greatest discretion that can bee for there doe come more errors through the abuse thereof then a The abuse of the Spurre is dangerous of all the rest except the bridle And therefore it is not to bee vsed but when any of the other will not preuaile But I would not haue any to vnderstand me so that I vtterly disallow thereof for then I should take away the chiefest Instrument which doth period and shut vp the perfection of the horse For I hold that there is not any horse of what disposition soeuer that can be brought to the height of his grace except he bee truely commanded therewith because no man can worke so couertly as he ought without it in regard it doth exclude all apparant helps and corrections And therefore when the horse is come to such perfection that you may vse the spurre then both for your owne grace and your horses you must vse as couert motions in your corrections as can bee But the chiefest b The true vse of the Spurre is very necessary thing you must know heerein is to iudge when you shall vse it least through the ignorance thereof you metamorphose it and so vse that for a helpe which doth tend onely to correct as I haue seene many doe and I my selfe done both to my great toyle and vexation and also to the tormenting and terrifying of the Horse Now because it is the chiefe
both my selfe and others should doe and not that which both others and my selfe doe for for my selfe I am sure no man whosoeuer could follow his will with a higher hand then I haue done to the great toyle and vexation both of body and minde but I haue found so small releefe thereby that it wearied me whereby I was glad to seeke meanes to suppresse my will And now thus much dare I say for my selfe if I can speak it without vainglâ—ry that I giue correction neither with Legge Switch nor Spurre hardly once in a yeare but I can if I were therein examined giue a 〈◊〉 nâ— reason thâ—reof Wherefore if you desiâ—â— to bâ— acâ—ounted a worthy â—nd famous â— All 〈◊〉 mâ—st bee â—â—ed by reason labourer in this Viâ—cyard you must vpon necessity direct the obiects of all your corrections by the rule of Reason and so mixe them with lenity that you may ayme moâ—e aâ— tâ—e reforming of errors then the satisfying of your will tempâ—ing your anger so that in your â—reatest choller you may command your selfe to apprehend the first motion of obedience in the Horse Theo. 21. d because it is not the much correction but the manner of correcting that worketh the effect CHAP. 30. The Man must know where to correct IT is sitting likewise you should know where to correct that the Horse may the better conceiue the cause of your correction for if you should correct improperly it would bring a confusion to your labour But heerein I will not spend any time to reiterate the meanes how you should know where to correct not onely because I see this Booke will extend to a greater volume then my intended minde at the first was but also in regard I haue spoken thereof at large in the 16. Chapter Wherefore for your satisfaction therein I will referre you to that place yet I will demonstrate a little how you may connect and ioyne the vse of your corrections to your helpes that when the one will not preuayle then the other may aslaile Wherefore when you are come to such knowledge that you a The first thing is to know where the cause of any error is can tell where the cause of any error is that is committed and thaâ— it is gone so farre either through your negligence or the horse his stubbornnes that he will not be commanded by your helps then looke in the same places that there is set down to reforme any error by the helpes euen there must you vse your corrections Theo. 29.c. but yet with great caution that it be done according to the quality of the Horse or the proportion of the crime For instance if the horse be so slow that he will not obey the motion of your body to goe forward willingly then strike him sodainely with the iust stroke of the calues of your legges but if that will not preuaile then you may correct him with the Switch vpon the right shoulder which as I haue showne in b This is to be obserued in giuing him his pace the three and twenty Chapter will cause him to bring on that side the more willingly but if at any time he seeme carelesse of that kinde of correction then vse the euen stroke of your spurres towards his short ribbes to quicken him and after vse the correction of your Switch againe for that kinde of correction is sufficient for the teaching of this one lesson it being so fit to cause him to take vp his farre fore legge comely for you c The far fore leg is called the leading leg must obserue that it is the leading legge and therefore if he set not that forth handsomely and orderly he shall neither haue faire stroke nor comely cariage And here likewise you may obserue what combination there is betwixt Art and Nature for like as nature hath giuen to a man for the most part to be more apt and nimble on the right side both with foote and hand so hath it giuen to a Horse also the like aptnesse on the left Wherfore when you are seated on your horses backe then are you ready with your aptest side to helpe to correct your Horse on that side which is â— The apt combination of Art and Nature most vnapt But now if any other error chance to happen to the Horse during the time of your riding as carrying his head on the one side or leaning ouer-hard vpon the hand or goe vnhandsomely either before or be hind as in the aforesaid place I haue showne and the like for any other error then if your helpes will not reforme those faults as it is doubtfull you may adioyne thereto your corrections vsing them in the same place as for example if he will not carry his head but on the one side then giue him a sodaine ierte with your Switch on the contrary â— Of correcting for disorder of the head shoulder and that wil cause him to looke on that side he is corrected but if he be so sad and dogged that he doth not regard that kinde of correction then you may vse the spurre vpon the same shoulder and the terror thereof will cause him to yeeld his body and make him looke on the other side but this must be vsed very sparingly And likewise if he thrust so hard vpon the hand that whensoeuer he is corrected you cannot well command him but he will presse faster forward then he â— Correction for thrusting hard vpon the hand 1. Prac. 24e. Theo. 17.c. should then correct him once or twice sodainly in his mouth with the trench but if that will not preuaile then giue a stroke or two soundly with your spurres iustly together towards the flancke and that will set vp his hinder parts so roundly that he will the more easily be commanded with the hand Now herein they are much deceiued which vse the bridle only for correction in giuing a horse his pace alwaies chocking him therewith by which meanes when his mouth is dulled or made insensitiue they cut and teare it most shamefully and Theo. 17. a yet for all that they shall neuer cause him to go with such grace as he ought there being so many absurdities attending there vpon as I haue declared in the twenty seauen Chapter In like manner if he goe loosely either before or behind the cause being found as formerly I haue set forth you may vse your helpes but if he will not obey them then vse your corrections in such sort as I haue said or as your iudgement shall serue in the disposition of the Horse Further seeing as I haue said the seuerall grounds are a kinde of correction it is behouefull for you to know where and in what manner to vse them for the answer thereof you must so dispose of the place of teaching that it may be as neare such â— In what manner to vse earths for correction earths as is possible that may produce obedience for
where the Horse doth offend euen there must he be ready to be thrust vpon those grounds whereby he may the better conceiue the cause of his labour thereon and therefore you must obserue not to goe from those grounds for excercise till your horse be familiar with all your helpes and corrections From which if Note you should depart before the Horse haue some perfect knowledge of your will by the aforesaid meanes then when hee doth commit an error it will be rather encreased then reformed because the meanes of his teaching is taken away so that he doth neither know the cause of the one nor feele the toyle of the other And againe if you should correct him and the ground be nothing fitting thereto as vpon pauements or such like dangerous grounds then he may soone get a straine by a slip whereby your glory may be much impared CHAP. 31. That the Man must know when to correct THe last thing that you are to obserue for the vse of your corrections is to distinguish of time when to correct because the neglect of that is the abuse of all the other in regard Theo. 17. a. all things are perfected in and by time as I haue discribed Eccle. 3. 2. in the seuenteenth Chapter For as the wise man saith There is a time to sowe and a time to reape a time to plant and a time to plucke vp that which is planted c. euen so there is a time A simile to correct and a time to leaue correcting a time to labour and a time to rest all which must very respectiuely be obserued by you if you thinke to bring forth any pleasant fruit of the Vine in time For as the grape should grow so that it may be nourished with the heat of the Sunne that thereby it may be ripened in time least the frost doth wither its substance and so be without any good relish or pleasant taste Euen so if you doe not persist An application with all your corrections in such sort as they may be maintayned by the heate of truth whereby you may worke your perfection in time there will be so many errors congeald with the â—ost of ignorance that your glory will fade and so become distastefull and very vnsauory But because I haue spoken so largely hereof in the Chapter afore said I will but onely reduce the corrections to the helpes by an orderly progression that you may more aptly iudge when to vse them through which neglect is come great confusion in this Art in regard they doe not rightly conceiue the vse and benefit of time For seeing there must be an orderly proceeding in all things if they thinke to worke commendably so it must be also in this Art for Horses being sensitiue creatures must be directed by motions and helpes first and then if they will not obey to adioyne thereto corrections But herein many doe commit grosse errors for so soone as they be seated in the saddle they straight put their â— The abuse of 〈◊〉 spurres to the Horse whereby he is made so Franticke that hee doth rush forward very disorderly which is one cause of so many headstrong and runne away horses and also of many other vices which would be too long to particularize But to amplifie this point a little and giue instance how you should know when to begin and end your corrections you must first obserue the disposition of the Horse and according to 1 Theo. 19. f that you must first vse your helpes and after them your corrections for those must goe before and these must follow after but not contrarily as many improperly haue vsed and then if he be quicke and capable to vse the lesse time in correcting but if lie be dull and sad to spend the more time in reforming and so likewise of all other Horses to proportionate the time in correcting as you in your iudgement shall finde your Horses disposition to be neare or farre off either of these extreames And secondly you must haue that vnderstanding to know 2 when the Horse doth begin the first motion of disobedience either in his interior or exterior parts as in the place aforesaid I Thâ— instant time is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue showne and then at that instant you must begin your corrections and he will more easily be reformed and so abbreuiate Theo. 35. much time For as water making a breach through a banke if it be taken at first the breach is soone repayred but if it be protracted and let go further it will either cause a great A Simile inundation or else aske greater labour and more time to stop the flâ—xe thereof Euen so if you apprehend the first show of rebellion and so instantly to apply helpes and câ—rrections it will be soone supprest But if you ouerslip that as a thing of small moment it will encrease as the disposition of the horse is and so cause either a great confusion or else there must bee longer time spent and greater paâ—nes taken for the subduing thereof And lastly you must know the end of your corrections which 3 ought to tend chiefly to a desire of restitution and therefore d The conâ—inuance of correction must not correct him so long as you shall be angry but onely so long as the horse doth rebell For if you correct when you are angry more for to please and satisfie your selfe for reuenge then any desire of reforming the Subiect then when the horse doth yeeld or at the least make but a show thereof if hee can not finde any ease but still a persecution is inflicted vpon him Theo. 10.b. â— Application for anger then is hee made to become sencelesse in regard hee doth not know the cause of his tortures and so bedlam like doth run from one error to a worse whereby hee is made almost incurable Wherefore to conclude this point seeing time is such an excellent Nurse that in it all things are nourished and brought to perfection if it be rightly vsed and contrariwise such a viper that it doth eat and deuoure all if it bee abused and also such a pleasant and odoriferous herbe that it will keep its smell Theo. 17. â— all the yeare you must be carefull to carry it about you to refresh your selfe with the sent thereof in all your proceedings and it will be such a restoratiue that no infection of the contagious Lethargie of ignorance shall much possesse you CHAP. 32. Of the foure chiefe obseruations for the disposition of the Horse THus hauing gone through all the helpes and corrections with the vses of them it remaineth now to speak somewhat of those foure Characters which I set downe in the 18. Chapter Theo. 18.g. by the which a man may haue a reasonable knowledge of the horses disposition which is so necessary that whosoeuer is ignorant thereof shall bring forth more weedes then fruit in the Vineyard of
this Art Now the first of these is the consent of his appetite or desire a Of the Characters to know the Horses disposition secondly the free passage of his winde thirdly the orderly and easie command of his mouth and head and lastly the apt and comely carriage of his body And although there may and haue beene other obseruations set downe for a man to worke vpon for iudgement in the Horse yet because I doe not intend to set downe any thing but that which I haue found by experience Theo. 34. a. I omit to speake of them in regard I finde that all other are springing from these as the branches thereof as heereafter shall be showne and also the first is the cause of the second b The first is the chiefe cause of all the other Theo. 35. a. and both the first and the second the cause of the third and the fourth which are the euent of the two first for all other kinde of restiffenesse which may proceed from the exterior actions of the body as standing still running away lying downe going back yerking and plunging c. And therefore they grope in the darke that did seeke and inuent so many kindes of corrections to reforme such variable restiffenesse and so little time to consult with themselues what the cause thereof was or whether it did chiefly proceed from the man or the Horse But because Mr. Markham hath so sufficiently laid open those inuentions with their inconueniences in his second Worke of Cauallarice Horsemanship therefore I will not spend any time therein but onely referre them that are desirous to know those inuented tortures to those places wishing them seriously to consider by the seueralty of inuentions what euent of truth they doe produce c The euent sheweth the cause in regard the euent of the effect in any thing doth demonstrate the true Iudgement of the cause And therefore when they see that they found so small effect was wrought vpon the first inuention they needed not haue sought for a second if they had considered rightly whether the cause issued from the horse in part or in whole but they being partiall in d Partiall iudgement is the cause or error iudging themselues as the natures of most men are sought wholly for reformation in the horse by further violence as if Art did depend vpon extremities and so inuented sharper tortures further to persecute so famous a subiect euer ayming at the finall cause but not at the efficient As when a Stadium or Image is made if there be any error the fault should be attributed to the matter but not to the workeman But heerein they resemble the whore of Babilon which hold e A fit application all her counsells and decrees to bee perfect and without error and therefore those which are repugnant thereto are accounted prepostrous Heretickes and therefore vse violence rather then truth in inflicting seuere torments one exceeding another in extremities and euer fayled of their expectation in regard they followed their damnable blindnesse In like manner they thinking their corrupt wills were faultlesse and free from f The cause of so many tortures inuented error when they found such contrariety to intercept them thought it to bee solely in the dogged nature of the horse and therefore they inuented such violent torments one exceeding another to worke their desire and yet could neuer finde any to worke true effect because they followed their blind ignorance For when one had inuented one kinde of torment for they cannot rightly be termed corrections then another seeing so small reformation thereby not thinking that sharpe enough inuented a second more sharpe and likewise the third inuented a correction exceeding the second c. but yet neuer could finde that kind of correction which would show the true euent because those did proceed rather from their blinded will then any lightened truth for the euent doth alwaies show the g An euil Crow bringeth forth an euill egge effect of the cause For an euill Crow doth bring forth an euill egge and false grounds of truth produce false conclusions Wherefore if you be desirous to worke commendably and to free your Horse from such despicable afflictions you must diligently obserue these Characters aforesaid and when any error doth arise examine and reforme your selfe as well as your horse and you shall finde him far more capable to yeeld to obedience in any other lesson withuot much resistance and thereby you shall keepe him free from all restiffenesse and finde many things easie to be done which before were held impossible CHAP. 33. Of the appetite or desire of the Horse BVt now of all the obseruations whereby you may iudge of the Horses disposition this of his desire is the chiefe proiect for you to worke vpon because all the other are gouerned by it For as the Sunne receiueth his light immediately A Simile from GOD and thereby doeth inlighten both the Moone Starres and the Ayre euen so the Horse receiueth the first command of his desire from Man and so giueth motion to his Winde action to his Body and gouernment by the Head And Another Simile as the Schooles hold memory was first created of GOD immediately and from that commeth reason and from thence proceedeth Will By the which Will we may inferre we desire any thing good or bad as it is effected for if good then it doth ascend and is gouerned by reason and strenthened by memory being the roote of knowledge but if euill then it doth descend and giueth place to his passions and so is become rebellious it being the fruit of ignorance euen so the Horse receiueth his obedience from man from which proceedeth his wil or desire to doe what the man requireth which if it be according to Art then hee doth effect whatsoeuer is consonant to reason but if to violence then he worketh by the fruits of extremities Wherefore seeing all things except man worke by the instinct â— The knowledge of man is supernaturall 1. ' Pr. 31. n b Reasonable creatures must gouerne vnreasonable of Nature and hee onely hath a supernaturall will more diuinâ—ly illuminated it is required that you should so command your selfe by these supernaturall faculties that you may be able to gouerne those naturall qualities which both your selfe and the Horse is prone vnto For you being rationall should gouerne the naturall disposition of the Horse being onely sensitiue and the agitation of his powers Which thing cannot be done except you conioyne so aptly that you may Theo. 1.g. be said both to be but one subiect which must not be vnderstood substantially but intellectiuely for although it cannot be said that a Horse hath any intellectiue part properly in respect of himselfe in regard he hath no memory to helpe vnderstanding but whatsoeuer hee is capable of is as it were a reminiscere moued by his sences and so prouoketh the appetite but yet he
him h Theo. 18. â— that hath a deeper apprehension then my selfe to plow vp through the diuersities of horses dispositions for no man can set downe a certaine remedy for to cure an vncertaine disease and therefore the application thereof must proceed from the iudiciall obseruance of the man according to the truth of the Application Art For the Apothecary must not condemne the gardener when he hath furnished his garden with medicinall herbes in regard he did not set them in order as they should be vsed seeing he tooke the paine to abbreuâ—ate his labour to reduce them in such a small continent wherein he might gather them at his owne discretion Wherfore to leaue the opinionated vulgars to wallow in the filth of their ignorance let him which his desirous to increase his knowledge in this Art but carefully infuse that which is deliuered into his memory and hee shall not faile of his expectation for there shall not any storme arise but he shall find a bush to shroud himselfe vnder nor any mutiny be stirred vp but he shall haue his forces ready to ouercome them for a mans knowledge is extended no further then his owne recordation For as Socrates saith that knowledge should be written Socrates in mens hearts and not in sheetes of paper CHAP. 37. How to know the disposition of the Horse by his shape THere is yet another note to be obserued for the knowledge of the Horses disposition but it is more generall then the former and apprehended onely by the outward sense of seeing And that is his proportion or shape for as they are not all of one quality so they are not all of one shape the causes a How to know the horses disposition by his shape Theo. 4.f. of both which diuersities doe arise from the temperature of the seed of which they are framed because as it is holden the soule of a Horse he being but a creature sensitiue doth arise from the temperature of the body vpon which it subsisteth and so receiues its nature and quality from the same and therefore b The quality of the horse is receued partly from the temperature of the seed 1. Pra. 7. â— as the composition of the body is grose or pure so is the soule more subiect to densitie or tenuitie and his passions more sadde or merry whereby all his doings in respect of his naturall qualities are more or lesse capable of obedience Now the diuersities of these quallities as I haue said doe proceed from the differences and food of the indiuidium at their naturall generation the foode being conuayed into the retentiue part and when it is digested the nutrition thereof is concocted into bloud which doth disperse it selfe through the veynes into all the parts of the body and so the purest thereof is distilled into the gignatrix and so conuerted into seed from the which euery species doth receiue his disposition according to the quallity of the seed of the indiuidium whereof it is formed and afterward it is increased or diminished in strength c The worke of nature by the goodnesse or badnesse of the food vpon which the Mare doth feede For as one saith nature is not the thing it selfe but the proper and peculier strength of the thing naturally giuen to the creature in the time of its framing and not at the procreation where it receiueth that quality both of being and working Now because there are so many varieties in the whole species Theo. 18. f therefore there must needs be so many differences of dispositions because there is nothing more generall in nature then diuersity wherefore I will omit to speake of any more in this place but onely of those two chiefe heads which are in greatest opposition least I should enter into a Labyrinth and so confound my selfe in trauailing such a intricate and vnknowne path for it is too deepe a riuerite for my short wit to plumb But by these the ingenious may ground a reasonable iudgement of any Horse as he shall perceiue them to incline to either proportion And for the first those horses which haue a handsome body d A horse of this shap is of the best temper as his ribbes to beare out in robundity like a barrell his short ribbes being close shut vp to his huckle bone within the compasse of foure fingers with a proportionable long buttocke although he be a little high rumpt if he be well let downe in the gasking it is tollerable so as if a plumb should be let downe from the outside of his huckle bone it would fall perpendicularly 1. Pra. 1. 3f. vpon the out side of the brawne of his thigh and as for his fillet if he haue these two properties aforesaid it must necessarily follow to be good to the which if he haue a broad brest then he must vpon necessity be well let downe in the chest for it is a grantable request in Geometry if equall things be put to equall that which remaineth will be equall And againe if he haue a large vpright necke and well compassed in the setting on of his head for the aptnes of his reyne with â— The third of the grantable requests a high thinne Crest a wide law broad Fore-head a full Eye a pricke Eare although it be somewhat great a large Mouth a wide Nostrell and as for his Limmes although many desire them thicke and strong yet for my owne part if they be somewhat slender I hold him not the worse for it doth argue a greater likelyhood of speed and nimblenesse For as for strength I thinke there is none so simple as to thinke that nature should worke so imperfectly as that it made not the legges sufficient A thing that is more curiously obserued then by necessity forced to maintaine and support the actions of the body especially in that all men know that know any thing that strength doth not consist in the legges but in the backe And as for toughnesse that proceedeth from the interior parts as either through the stoutnesse of courage or true passage of the winde by the aptnes of motion or sound labour yet if they will obiect g Obiection for straiâ—â—es for danger of strayning I say it is not vpon necessity that slender limd horses are altogether subiect to it and strong limd horses free nay for I haue seene a stong limd horse get a straine when as a slenderer hath gone free and yet both of them at one and selfe-same kind of labour which when I saw I did conceipt the cause was through the grossenes and vnnimblenes of the Horse But to regresse when the man shall see a Horse haue all these properties or at least most of them for it is hard to find all h Ignornnce is the cause of many iades properties in one particular then he may presume that that Horse is of a free and gentle disposition and so the more apt to be brought
to obedience And although it may be said that many such like horses haue beene approued iades I answere the cause thereof doth not arise from the horse but accidentally from the abuse of the Art through ignorance of the Man 1. Pr. 13.q. they hauing higher spirits then his apprehension could reach to command And for the other sort of Horses whose shape is in another kinde being aduersa for if it were contraria then it should be a 1 These Horses are of a more improper temper Monster cleane degenerating from nature if they be flat Ribd weake Fillited being very Spatious betwixt the short Ribs and the Huckle bone pinne Rumpt thin in the Gasking place narrow Brested shallow Chested short Necked thicke Crested cubbe Headded it being stuntly set on bangle Eard narrow Iawed pincke Eyed thin Faced little Nostrelles and a narrow Mouth or if his body and all his other parts be thicke and strongly set together then the man may Imagine that he is of a sad and dogged disposition Now although it is holden of most that these Horses thus shaped will neuer be brought to any good seruiceable vse for as it is said distortum vultum sequitur distortio morum Whereby many of curious spirits that take great delight both in these excellent subiects and also in this famous Art are mightily discouraged through the generall iudgement of the one and the abuse of the other that if they get not such a shaped horse all their labour and charge will be k Theo. 2. r s 28.f. lost Wherefore for the better incouragement if they seriously obserue in euery triall how many of such excellent proportionated Horses haue come to the worse they may easily alternate their minde and thinke that what defects may interpose nature in her worke by any accident except it be depriuation Art may helpe to make restitution which is the cause that the more vnlikely Horse doth oftentimes worse the more likely But it may be obiected that herein I make a contradiction in the Obiection proiect of this Chapter for how can a man know the goodnesse of the Horse by his shape seeing those which are esteemed of the best oftentimes proue the more Iades To the which I answere it is true if nature were as perfect now as at the first Answer then those Horses would be brought to perfecter obedience of themselues without any art but els if man had knowledge how to reduce them according to Art but since then all they as well as others are become disobedient and rebellious so that they Theo â— c l 1. Pr. 4. â— will neuer come to the height of their glory without true knowledge in the Art for want of which they suffer greatiniury and disgrace for I confesse that if Art were ioyned to nature they would far exceed the other for I hold it better that â— A horse must haue some thing ase as wel as in se a Horse hath something ase as well as in se for they would not onely please the eye for beauty more then the other but also giue better content to the minde when their goodnesse should be put to the touch-stone Now the cause that those horses which are defectiue are brought to better perfection then the other is this that they are more consonant to the nature of man then the other for man which should repaire this decay is likewise obscured in m Theo. 8.c. knowledge so that when any contrariety doth happen contrary to his expectation he following his will falleth into extreame passions whereby those horses which seeme to be more doggedly disposed by their shape are sometimes made more durable and pleasing then the other by violent correction but yet n Whatsoeuer is by chance is no Art and so one is no proofe herein they are not reformed by Art but by chance for if it happen that one proue to be good they fayle of their expectation in a dosen wherfore the approbation of some few of these may not applaud their knowledge in the Art that they haue more knowledge then they which fayleth in those sort which Aristotle are said to be of the best shape for it doth rather intimate their greater ignorance for as it is holden euery thing is destroyed by 1. Pra. 7. h his contrary and maintained by his like euen so although the better sort of Horses are disgraced by the contrariety of the Man yet his knowledge in this Art may parallel or exceed the other though hee by chance may bring that Horse being of such a disposition as is fitting for his cholerick nature to a better effect because violence not Art doth gaine the one it being agreeing to mans nature and patience with Art doth worke the other it being more repugnant thereto For as one of them o Art tendeâ— â— to the meane doth exeed in one extreame so doth the other sort in the other and it is the end of Art to bring both these excesses to a meane But if they obiect seeing those horses which are of grosser composition be more coherent to mans nature why are they Obiection not preferred before the other the answer is twofold the first is Man hauing an intellectiue knowledge by the instinct of nature Answer although much obscured knoweth that all things were made perfect at the first and so thâ—se horses which are Gen. 1. 31. p 1. Pra. 3.e. 1. Pr. 5.f. p All men are giuen to please the eye 2 of the beautifullest shape reason doth tell them that they are the nearest to the Creation and so chuseth them as they being most likely to proue the best and delightfullest to the eye most men desiring to please that sense in all things and so doe preferre them before the other they being more delightfull to the eye and more probable to yeeld content although very few know how to bring them to their perfection The second reason is that the nature of men is to desire to seeme wise and therefore will seeme to finde fault where they cannot amend and to shew their iudgement in chusing and not their knowledge in vsing to blind their owne ignorance q Ignorant men condemne nature for to excuse theÌ„selues for though they obserue a difference yet they know not the reason thereof And so generally condemne nature for making more horses without vse then with vse and likewise disgraceth the Art for want of know edge in her vse and so hold that those horses which are of this distorted composition are not confined within the compasse of Arts limitation because the concauity thereof doth ouerthrow the conuexity of their superficiall braine But to resolue the cause of this difference of their compositions is as I haue said from the temperature of the seed of which these sorts were generated for the food vpon which the indiuidium did feed being grosse made the seed so subtill that it could not
when hee is past any other vse by reason of weakenesse and decrepit old age then hee is good enough to breed vpon as though weake and Note feeble age which hath not lust and strength to preserue it selfe had sufficient nature to beget another more strong and lusty But for the reforming of which traditionall error to the good of the future age of my Country whose happinesse I and euery one is bound to preserue I haue endeauoured my selfe so much as in me lieth to purge the truth from the dregges of this imperfection Wherefore they are desirous to ioyne the Art of breeding with Nature in such sort as they would receiue the Period of their wishes in the superlatiue degree I hold Mr. Morgan his opinion that whosoeuer will lay a sure foundation to build high vpon this subiect he must look back to the first Creation if hee desire a restitution to that perfection For when God had created all things and gaue them that blessing to increase and c God gaue the power of begetting to all Creatures in their best perfection multiply it was in their greatest and highest degree of their perfection and strength and not in their imperfection for els Nature might seeme to be vnperfect in not producing such naturall effects as might preserue that necessary good for the ends they were ordayned But because heat and moysture are the onely instrumentall meanes whereby all the faculties of any genus are maintained in their greatest strength there must bee an equall commixture in the same Therefore neither a Colt that is not come to his perfection of strength nor an old horse that is declining and past the same are fittest to breed vpon nor likewise Mares when they are in either of the said excesses For a Colt that is d A young Colt is not fit to beget and why but in his increasing and growing facultie being but the vegetatiue part his seed is not apt for generation hee being not come to his materiall perfection and strength for by reason of the excessiue moysture that is in him for want of yeares his seed cannot be of a perfect temperature for generation because all perfect seede for procreation must bee hot and dry and plenty thereof full concocted to temper the coldnesse and moysture of the seed of the Mare And likewise if the Mare be young also her seede will be the more cold and moyst especially it not being full concocted by the strength of Nature by reason her seed in the hyest perfection is cold and moyst and so it must necessarily follow that those Colts so begotten must for the most part proue Fillies or if they be Colt Foales yet they will be much fleshy ioynted great limmed thicke Boned Heauy and Dull according to the naturall operation of cold and moysture whose propertie is to conioyne and knit into a Massie lumpe without proportion And againe if a Colt should be begotten of an old Horse e An old Horse is not good to breed on and why and an old Mare in regard they want the power and efficacy of their naturall heate vigor and spirit hee will be ouer cold and dry through the predominancy of coldnesse and drynesse that doth raigne in them and then that Colt that is so begotten will be as the common prouerbe is soone ripe soone rotten of little Strength short liued of small spirit and courage and of a badde shape for that it wanteth that heate and perfect moysture I meane an oylye substance which are the cheife preseruers of life and good spirit And so the like by proportion may be applied to an old Horse and a young Mare and also to a young Horse and an old Mare by reason that the like causes doe alwaies produce the like effects Wherefore the Middle age of them both I meane from sixe f Horses and Mares of the middle age are best to breed vpon yeares till twelue or if it be foureteene it is not much amisse in such Horses as are of a more hot spirity disposition is the best to breed vpon they being of equall temperatures For the Horse being of middle age and in his best lust hath his seede hot and dry and the Mare being in like manner hath her seede cold and moyst hauing plenty on both parts and that in the greatest perfection of heate and naturall strength of body doe make a temperature of such a high degree of perfection that the Colt will be full of vitall spirit of high courage and pride thinne and dry bones great sinnewes and arteries and of such a most beautifull and perfect shape through the naturall quality of heate which doth refine the whole body from drosse in such manner as if Art and Nature did striue for supremacy in their workes But to make this more plaine by a simily As the light of a g A simile of a Lampe 1. Pra. 8.b. candle is maintayned by heate and moysture if there be a true proportion betwixt the substance of the weike and the quantity of tallow or oylie substance the splendor or light is the more perfect and durable but if either of them be more predominate or tending to either excesse of too much or too little that is if the weike bee so bigge as there is not moysture enough to qualifie the heate thereof the light will be very violent for the time but it will be soone spent or likewise if the oyle or Moysture be more then the strength of the fire can dry through the smalnesse of the weike then is the light so very small and imbecile that it giueth a very weake light and is alwaies in going out Euen so a Colt if the seede whereof hee is framed be of a perfect temperature both in heate and moysture his actions will h Application to the seede be of great splendor delight and very permanent but if either of the two qualities be predominate then will he either be too prodigall and free and so soone decay himselfe or else so slow and weake that it will much darken his glory But yet that the cause of these two qualities doth proceed 1. Pr. 8. c d. â— The Sunne is the cause of all vitall heat and the Moone the cause of the moysture from the elements I dare not say for the cause of the heate doth proceed from the Sunne it causing a heate in all Sublunary bodies which is the vitall part and the moystnesse from the Moone by reason of her humidity and so it is the vigetatiue part for although we liue in the ayre yet we are composed of the elements for as a child is nourished in the wombe but yet not made of the wombe so are we nourished by the ayre but not made of it CHAP. 7. How the Stallion and Mare should be kept with foode for the increase of good seede THe next thing that is to be obserued for helping to reduce breeding to his highest perfection
her food in the winter when it shall stand the most need and the greatest store in Summer when it shall stand the lesse need whereby it shall bee forced in Winter to feed on such food as then it can get for want of milke to suffice nature And againe those Colts which are foaled after Martinmas Of Martinmas Foales though their milke be good yet by the extremity of cold in the long nights their limbes being weake and grisles will be congealed too grossly and their courage much abated So that they will hardly be brought to such strength and courage afterward as otherwise nature would effect they being stockt at the first for there is no greater enemy to a horse then cold â— Cold nights are hurtfull for a Horse Otherwise what is the cause that they prosper not in Winter as well as in Summer if they bee not housed and also that late ayring takes so much of them But as for the time of the Moone and day when they should bee couered I stand not so much vpon such precisenesse referring that to God which is the disposer of times and of all other things But yet because he hath giuen the fruition of food as a secondary meanes to maintaine the species there ought a care to bee had for the preseruation thereof whereby it may increase the best nourishment by such good digestion as humane reason can inuent before they come to performe the action But I am not minding to spend any more time vpon those points I hauing partly touched them before least that I should offend the gentle Reader with too tedious assertions for although I haue beene prolixe heerein yet I am more concise then I would hauing much to doe to end so briefly this being so large a field to walke in for the confuting of antient traditions CHAP. 9. How and where to put your Horse and Mare together for generation THe last thing that is to bee obserued for the perfecting of this generation is to know where and how they should performe the action but because there are so many diuersities of opinions in this as well as in the former there may bee a doubt of a certainty thereof For some doe wish that the Horse and Mare should go abroad together in some inclosd grounds and likewise if there be more Mares to bee serued to let him goâ— at liberty amongst them all And againe others would haue them to be put together at their owne liberty in some spacious house or barne and there to be serued as chance shall alot And further others hold that to haue the Mare couered in hand is the best Now to show all the inconueniences that may arise through these diuersities would be too tedious to make accompt of euery particuler therefore I will briefly touch them and onely set downe that which is the most approued knowing that all Iudgements will not subscribe to my senses although I haue beene very carefull to select the most probable by reason and experience not often dissenting from all but alwayes from the vnlikeliest But howsoeuer some censures be I hope the wise will bee fauourable for mine is in loue and duty Now if to haue the horse and Mare or Mares to runne together 1. Pr. 7.b. a The inconuenience of letting the horsâ— run at grasse amongst your Mares 1. Pr. 4. a. at grasse I hold of all others it is the worst because their food then is the worst and so cannot produce a perfect temperature of bloud and seed And againe if the horse be at liberty he may come to some mishap either by his owne vnrulinesse oâ— by some stroake of the Mares And further their seeds cannot be perfect although they had the best food because the Horse will cause both himselfe and the Mares to bee of an excessiue heat by fretting and chafing so that their courage a 1. Pra. 7.k. and strength will be much weakened and their seed much dissolued by the violence of heat Moreouer as Mr. Markham saith the horse being at liberty and of courage will so spend The cause of Filly Foales himselfe at the first by disorder that the Mares pride will bee too strong for his in conception and the Foales for the most part will proue Fillies And lastly running amongst the Mares some will be ready and some vnready and then he will serue the readiest first he being in courage and then those which shall be ready after shall be in danger of not holding or else bring forth weake and vncomely foales Neither doe I greatly allow to haue them goe at liberty in a house for so he is also in danger of receiuing some stroke by the Mare and further he may couer the Mare at the first before b The discommoditie of couering the Mares at liberty in the house she be ready and then the next couering will not bee so good because his seed will not be so strong whereby the Colt if she hold will not bee of such comely shape and very like to proue a Filly And likewise hee will spend himselfe too fast being in lust and courage through his disorder and cause her to loose her seed which otherwise she might haue kept Wherefore for the avoyding of all these discommodities the c The surest way is to haue him couer her in your hand best and surest way in my iudgement is to haue the Mare couered in hand for thereby both the Horse and Mare may be gouerned by Mans reason for they being led by their appetite do naturally desire to be get and bring forth not obseruing any order in begetting nor the difference in Colts that are brought forth but according to the old prouerbe they thinke with the Crow that their owne Bird is the fairest But being ruled by Man they shall not spend their seed by any disorder for they may both of them be brought to the height of lust before they How to make your Mare ready for the horse come together For when as you haue refined their seed to a perfect temperature by the order set downe in the sixt Chapter then for the better stirring vp the lust of the Mare let a little stoned Nagge wooe her two or three daies if need be till that you see her haue a desire to take the Horse then take him away hauing a care that hee neuer couer her Then feed them both well some fiue or sixe houres before night that they come together and that the food may haue time to concoct and nourish all the parts of the body whereby they will haue the greater store of seede Then haue the Mare into some close place and let the said Nagge wooe her againe in the sight of the Horse which will greatly prouoke both their lusts Then let the Mare stand so that if it bee possible the horse may haue the heigher ground that he may couer her the more closly and assoone as he commeth How to vse
and ease that hee will take great delight therein and so by vse hee will haue such an habit that hee will so continue But because I haue spoken more largely of these things in the former part of this booke I doe heerein but touch them till I come to show in their proper place how to effect them Onely as I say this I set downe to encourage the fauourites of this Art to take paines for the knowledge thereof because that if ability to breed be wanting it may helpe to supply that want for all men cannot goe to Arabia nor Barbary for their stallions And likewise if they haue a horse that is not so perfectly bred nor of such comely shape as is required yet hauing true knowledge how to manage them according to Art hee may equall the other in all his actions CHAP. 14. Of the first haltring a young Colt VVHen as you haue thus brought vp your Colts till they haue attained to the age of three yeares old and vpward you may then put them to the saddle for by that time they will be of sufficient growth and strength both of body and courage to vndergoe the burthen of a man especially if they haue beene well kept till then but whereas Mr. Morgan doth wish that they should not be backed till they come to fiue â— At what Age to backe your Colt yeares of age I hold it not so good First because they â—ill be the more easily brought to subiection when their desire is bended before it be too stiffe and also it will make their bodies to bee more agile and nimble with moderate practise and so by such time as they come to the age of fiue yeares they will bee ready to performe any reasonable action as I haue had full tryall Wherefore if they should runne till they bee fiue yeares old there would be a great losse of time for then they will bee sixe yeares old before they bee fit for any performance And also they will aske a greater time and labour to bring them to subiection which is one cause of so many dogged and restiffe â— One maine cause of lades lades in regard they running so long before they be handled are so rebellious that they exeed the knowledge of moâ—â—â—riders to reforme them But here it may bee obiected that to Obiection 1. Pra. 7.n. 15h. Answer back them so young will both abate their courage and also indanger their limbes by straining and cause them to put forth splints spauins curbes wind-galles and such like To which I answer that such accidents do not necessarily happen through the rarenesse of time but by the ignorance of the rider and by grosse humors abounding in the Colt and negligent care after their labour For if the Colt be vsed after such gentle and quiet order as he x 1. Pr. 27.b. ought to be he will be found so tractable that he will more easily be commanded whereby it will rather preserue him from such dangers then cause them whereas if he runne till he be so old he will oftentimes be so stubborne that he will be in greater hazard thereof Therefore as Mr. Markham saith when your Colt is come c How to halter your colt at the first to the age of three yeares old and a halfe or thereabouts if he hath run abroad all his life let him bee driuen with some other quiet horses into a house that shall bee free from posts for feare of hurting himselfe against them through his vnrulinesse and there by the gentlest meanes that may be halter him the manner how must bee referred to the discretion of your selfe because there can no certaine order bee prescribed But yet if hee bee holden vp among other horses that are more gentle you may with the more safety goe amongst them to assay if you can put the halter on his head which if hee will not indure but flye back as doubtlesse he will then let those men which are standing behind threaten him with their voyce and strike him vp againe with their Poles and when he is gone vp let them continually cherish or rub him vpon the buttocks with their Poles for that will so cause him to regard them that you may the more easily cast the halter ouer his head Or else if you cannot come to his head to put the halter on with your hands you may fold the halter on the end of a long Pole and obseruing the mouing of his head slip it on eâ—e he bee aware if he be holden vp so that he cannot flye backe But for the haltring them by strong hand as is the custome of d Of haltring your Colt by force those horse-coursers which vse to sell young Colts I vtterly disallow for such violence will cause the Colt to striue the more especially if he be of any quicke spirit and so endanger himselfe the more by ouerheating for it is their nature that if they feele themselues holden by force they will neuer leaue resisting till they haue neither strength nor winde in so much as I haue seene many fall downe and beate themselues vpon the ground they haue beene made so mad by such violence Now when you haue thus haltered your Colt and put the headstall close to his eares rootes for feare of brusing him vpon the pole place get him by the gentlest meanes you can forth of the House which assoone as he is forth it is most like he will desire to runne away and plunge he neuer hauing beene in hand before which if he doe suffer him to runne to the length e How to vse him in the halter of the chase halter and there giue him such a sodaine twitch backe that it will plucke him vpon his buttockes and so vse him as often as you see him offer the like neuer leauing him till you finde him yeeld to that correction which so soone as you shall perceiue then let him stand and two or three hauing the chase halter by the end for feare of breaking away goe your x 1 Pra. 15. d selfe towards his head by the gentlest meanes you can and offer to reach forth your hand to cherish him about the necke or 24.m. Theo. 22.c. shoulder which if he suffer then cherish him both with your tongue and hand But if he will not endure you to come neare f 1. Pr. 16.e. 17.d. him then chase him round about againe neuer resting till hee will suffer you to scratch his necke shoulder head betwixt his eares vnder his fore bowels belly buttockes flanke or any other place all which he will let you doe in a very short space if he be rightly vsed When you haue made him so familiar on the narside as is said 1. Pr. 16. l. g Note the cause of many restife qualities then goe to the farre side and vse him in all points as before till hee will turne also readily on that hand and suffer
head and also to learne him the vse of the trench with the least offence But heere I may seeme to dissent from all the former Authors in that I allow no sharper instruments for taming and subduing any Colt then the smooth trench and the Head-straine sith there hath beene and is still in all ages seuerall inuentions some of greater torture then other to be applyed according to the nature of the Horse as musrolles chaynes and cauezans and likewise great varieties of bits snaffles of seuerall hardnes and sharpnes yet sith I haue found by experience reason that that Head-straine onely with the trench will bringany Colt to subiection I omit the other as superfluous and speake onely of those which worke neerest the truth crauing leaue to set forth my experience as well as they doe their collections But whereas some who haue deserued condigne praise in Obiection taking paines to set forth their workes for the good of their Country hold that the Head-straine hath beene a sufficient correction in times past to bring a Colt to obedience whilst they were of a more pure maturity but since being composed of a more grosse substance a man cannot subdue their rebellion Answer with such soft and mild corrections I answer if the cause of rebellion did consist in the outward parts it were true but Theo. 3. â— as I haue often said it is in the inward parts and therefore to 35. â— vse cruelty in such sort as to cause a reformation altogether Et multis locis by the outward parts is as if a Phisitian should launce the outward parts of the body to cure the inward fluxe of a Consumption And therefore these varieties of cruelties doe Theo. 10.d. rather argue the miserable condition of our age which doth more affect imitation then an vrgent necessity For if any man comming from a strange Countrey vse any new fashioned inuention though neuer so cruell then are wâ— ready to imitate him in the like thinking that nouelties doe produce perfect on Whereby like sheepe we are led to the slaughter of ignorance in that wee will neuer take paines to Theo. 19. â— consult with reason what digression such Crueltie doth make from the truth For when Signior Prospero first came into England he flourished in fame for a time through that affectionated blindnes we are vailed withall in exalting strangers for their strange fashions and so though hee vsed such tormenting Cauezans as were more fit for a massacring butcher then a Horseman yet for all that well was he that could goe neerest him in such Turkish tortures And besides those hee would Theo. 16. a. haue a thicke truncheon to beat those Cauezans into his nose the further to torment him as if Art had consisted in cruell torturing poore horses And yet for all this our eager desire did so hunt after nouelties a Imitation leades vs into wilfull ignorance that we neuer regarded whither we went in following the chase till time the searcher of truth gaue euidence of his knowledge and then a definitiue sentence was giuen against him as a iust desert that he was not worthy to bee marched in the reare ward of the meanest professors Neither do I much allow Mr. Blundeuills opinion although famous with the most who being led too much by authority b Varieties of bittes or snaffles distemper the hand in following other Authors hath spent a great time in setting forth such diuersities of bittes to distort the silly Horses that the varieties of them were able to confuse both man and horse for no man can haue such a temperate hand as to carry it as hee should vpon seuerall bittes nor no horse can conceiue how to carry and behaue himselfe as hee ought finding such alteration in his mouth But if he had taken as great paines to make tryall of such varieties by experience as he did to collect and set them forth and also to search the causes of rebellion he would haue turned his pen from the horse to the man for reformation in as much as hee hauing reason should worke by such order as is best agreeing to the same But heere I may bee held very peremptorious to speake against Obiection the ancients heerein as though they had not taken as great paines to scarch the truth and likewise could not haue seene if they had brought such absurdities as well as my selfe I answer there is nothing that increaseth ignorance more then partiality and negligence for when as a man hath set forth some Answer things that are probable then if he commit many grosse errors â— A partiall iudge neuer a true Iudge especially being led by Authority after yet hauing a fame there is a partiall censure of him that all his rules are absolute and so those errors are reformed if they once say it is his opinion Whereby being negligent they will not take paines to examine the truth thereof but tread still the tract of the ancients it being more easie to go to the mine where there is a pit digged already then to worke anew out of the earth Which Lethargy I my selfe was also benummed a d For wee hauing the benefit of their times and our owne it were a shame if we did not purge this Art from some of her errors great while withall for louing imitation I practis'd as well vpon those cruelties as vpon the milder but yet I could neuer find so good effect in them as in the Head-straine and trench which made me thinke that men were but men and that error hath intruded it selfe in all ages and therefore resolued to follow them no further then they followed the truth But in regard that my selfe onely is of this opinion my words cannot bee so well credited that they should bee beleeued therefore for the further proofe of these my assertions I will frame one Sillogisme as well as I can in regard I am no Logitian thus Nothing that doth tend to violence doth worke according Celarent to the true Art of Horsemanship But all hard Cauezans Bittes and snaffles doe tend to violence Ergo no hard Cauezans Biittes and Snaffles doe tend to the true Art of Horsemanship The Maior is proued by Aristotle where he saith that whatsoeuer Ethick 3. li. Chap. 1. is done by violence is no Art in that it is done vnwillingly whose beginning is in the outward parts contrary to nature and Art doth tend to helpe nature so that whatsoeuer is so done bringeth no delight and therefore not durable And likewise the Minor is proued by the same place for those instruments are the executioners of a Tyrant which forceth by feare of a greater euill so that if they will not presently obey according to his will they shall bee lacerated and tortur'd whereby they are forced to yeeld sodainely with the outward 1. Pra. 14.i. parts although the inward parts bee still rebelling By which
as he will not conceiue your minde so soone as you would be not dismayd but labour him still as is said and arme your selfe with patience for if then you fall to correcting you vtterly spoyle all for order doth not allow correction â— Art doth not commend correction for ignorance but for negligence for ignorance when he knoweth not what to doe nor wherefore he is corrected but for negligence when hee hath learned a thing and doth forget it againe or else through selfe-will doe it but when him lusteth Thus you may vse him for two or three daies by which time hee will suffer you to take his backe gently to goe forward willingly and to be guided easily Note that if in this time he chance to show any iadish tricks as Plunging Reareing Running-backe and such like that then you must examine your Note owne proceedings for the cause is in your selfe for if you vnderstand this Methode and worke accordingly I am sure there wil insue no disorder for the head-straine is so pleasing and gentle that the Colt will presse forward very willingly vpon it and will easily be gouerned thereby in that it is the same with the chase-halter wherewith at the first he was commanded and therefore you must obserue to guide him chiefly by it till hee hath further vse of the trench CHAP. 22. How to make your Colt rest vpon the trench VVHen you haue brought your Colt to take his way willingly forward and that he will be guided by your hand which way you will then you may be bould to seeke to bring his mouth to the vse of the trench that so you may come to learne him to stop But thought I cannot make this so plaine as I would in that there is such ambiguity in the hand which must be gouerned according to the shape and disposition of the Horse yet I will demonstrate it so plainely as I can in treating cheifly of those Horses vpon whom the depth of Art doth depend a VVhat sort of Horses the depth of Art doth depend vpon which are such as are of a thicke and short necke dead mouthed and of a heauy and sadde disposition Now because the true mouthing of a Horse to cause him to stop close and to place his head orderly are the grounds of this Art you must haue a great regard that you fayle not in any of 1. Pra. 22. a. 25. a. them for if you doe you shall fayle of your desire for the neglect whereof and of their true vse is the generall cause of all euill quallities which may insue in riding And therefore if these b Markes to know when the Colt is brought to true obedience be once truely gained then is your Colt brought to true obedience but not before and then he may be put to other lessons which depend vpon further command and moreouer by their vses you may haue knowledge whether he is perfect in them or no for it is not his doing but his manner of doing that you c The cause of rebellion is in the selfe must regard And so the application of the triall of your owne iudgement Theo. 21.d. is in the proceedings of your own workes for if in teaching any other lesson he proue rebellious then you erred in your iudgement in these for howsoeuer you may thinke that he is perfect in them yet I dare assure you he is not so according to Art till he be obedient to your helpes and corrections and know the vse both of hand and foot To which command of the head he must vpon necessity bee brought vnto before hee can bee commanded Theo. 36. a. 32.b. 35.d. in the other parts of his body for a Horse cannot bee mouthed well except hee carry his head orderly and stoppe closely neither can hee be caused to carry his head orderly except hee haue a sweet mouth and his hinder parts so roundly trust to stoppe truely neither can hee be brought to stoppe truely except hee be well mouthed and his head firmely placed howsoeuer the ignorant in the true knowledge of this Art may thinke the contrary And yet further you must obserue if truely you thinke to worke that these must not consist in the outward parts but also his desire must be agreeing to doe them willingly or else they d Theo. 36. a. 2. will not continue and this is the point that many hath fayled in which hath beene the cause of so many torturing inuentions as afore said for when they haue brought their Colt to doe these well as they thinke then when he beginneth to be weary or else any thing disturbed hee will either beare hard vpon the hand or seeke to free himselfe by desiring to runne away and so they presently sought sharper instruments for his head thinking the other to be too gentle iudging the cause to bee in too much lenity of the hand whereas it was in his disobedience for that his desire was not agreeing to those outward motions And likewise it is the cause of rebellion in those Horses which are ridden for the Buffe saddle for many if they be ridden longer then ordinary or by long marching forward if they begin to be weary they will rely too much vpon the hand e whereby their mouth will become dead and therefore they inuented Theo. 10. a. strange causes from the cause for it was that their hinder parts were not firmly knit but come slowly after and so they Theo. 35.d. presse vpon the hand In like manner it is with hunting and f running Horses for when they are holden hard to the height of The like cause is in hunting and running Horses their speed many of them will play the Iade because the hinder parts are not trust together roundlie but launcheth themselues to such length that they are not able to bring them after Wherefore to keepe your Colt free from such disorders whereby you shall not neede to seeke any other sinister meanes you shall obserue thus When your Colt is made so gentle that he will suffer you to take his backe abroad in the field then you shall vse him to come to the blocke by letting his keeper leade him to it and there cause him to stand by the gentlest g meanes you can then you shall come to him gently with your 1. Pra. 17.c. switch in your right hand holding it vp close by your shoulder as afore and going to his head make much of him and so goe vpon the blocke very softly for too much stirring may affright him when hee seeth you stand so high aboue him then cherish him and when you haue clapt your hand twice or thrice vpon the Saddle to imbolden him get into it and let his keeper put your foote into the stirrops and lead him gently from the blocke and so let him goe Now when you haue trotted him forward some twelue or twenty score you shall make your bridle reynes
mens faculties being obscured none hath the truth absolutely but yet some are illuminated more therwith and some lesse and so they which haue it in greater measure may bring any horse to such obedience as shall giue sufficient content for any reasonable performance for such vse as they were ordained though not in the highest degree But those which haue the lesse can hardly bring the best d Theo. 19.d. Horses to that period and so there is much of their glory obscured and as for the other they make them iades or else bring Violence caueth feare but â—ot obedience them to a seruile obedience by violence whereby they are forced to doe that which they doe with outward action and thereby they may be said to counterfeit not being taught by Art and so may be applied to the obiection in as much as a Horse goeth well or euill according as he that taught him had Theo. 7.f. knowledge and so if he go not well the cause is that his knowledge Theo. 4.f. 19. â— that rid him was vayled with ignorance in that there is not two sorts of ends of a Horse for that his soule and body is composed of one matter and substance and therefore may be brought to true vse for man vnto whom they were made to be subiect but man consisting of soule and body distinct hath two seuerall ends hauing two gouernors to lead him to wit the Flesh and the Spirit and so his end tendeth according to either of which hee giueth himselfe as seruant to obey Wherefore if you desire to make true vse of this obedience you must learne to know how to bring him to it according to Art aswell as to desire to haue him performe it which you shall the better doe if you well obserue the Theoricke part for it is as a garden furnished sufficiently with hearbes to cure any disease that shall infect this subiect if with discretion you can rightly tell how where and when to apply them CHAP. 28. How to bring your Horse to a perfect and true Trot. AFter you haue brought your Colt to such obedience that 1. Pra. 23. he know your helpes and corrections then if you delight in a Trotter and haue a Horse which hath a bad and slouingly A generall rule Trot you shall seeke to amend it after the same manner that is set forth for the gayning of his mouth and bringing him to his stop But first you must obserue this as a generall rule both in 1 this lesson and in bringing him to his pace that your selfe carry a firme body and a true seate least thereby you cause a confusion in your Colts apprehension by vsing improper motions in the gesture of your owne body in regard the Horse must be commanded by the motions of it the vse whereof I haue spoken more at large in the twelfth Chapter of the Theoricke Secondly you must obserue that hee also carry a firme and 2 stayd body in his going and likewise carry his head truely with an easie command to be ruled thereby willingly for so he will haue the greater grace in his going but I haue spoken of this also at large in the three and twenty and foure and twenty Chapters of the same Thirdly you must haue a regard in his 3 going that he take vp his feet and set them downe orderly together that is that his narre fore-foot and his farre hinder Theo. 35.g. foot ioyne so in one that they may begin and end together and so likewise his far fore foot and his narre-hinder foot Fourthly 4 Theo. 37. l. you must obserue that in the taking vp of his feete hee lift both his hinder and his fore-feet of an equall height and that his forefeet lift not too high for beating nor so low as to make him either subiect to stumble or to seeme to be idle in his going which will be a great disgrace in all his actions Lastly before you beginne to amend his Trot you must obserue 5 Theo. 8. â— whether the cause thereof proceed from his eager desire 19. a. of going and so by his freenesse hee is as the common saying is more hasty then wise or that it come from a sadde and slow 20. a. desire of going whereby through his heauy motion hee cause great paine but small pleasure which seueralls being obserued you shall with more ease effect your desire But to proceed being seated vpon your Colt you shall put him to an ordinary Trot vpon a gentle hand and if hee be a Colt of a fiery and hot disposition so that hee will not goe wth a stayd body nor take time to moue his feete orderly then your Theo. 9.e. selfe must needs be patient and keepe your seate without motion letting him rest the more vpon the headstraine and walke him gently abroad till hee of himselfe can tell how to moue forward orderly vpon the hand which hee will doe in two or three daies at the furthest and then worke him to his perfection after the order hereafter making a difference betwixt a free and a dull Horse But if hee be of a more heauy and sad disposition then you shall vse quicke motions with your seat and make lesse vse of the head-straine for it will make him rely too much vpon the hand in comming on slowly with his hinder parts but carry a 1. Pr. 24.f. pretty stayd hand vpon the trench except sometimes you vse it to in courage him when you feele him goe pleasingly vpon the trench and put him foreward to a quicke and speedy Troâ— for that will make him tread shorter with his fore-feet and gather his hinder feet in more nimbly But if you see that this will not preuayle then yeeld your Theo. 16. â— body somewhat forward and put him into a round Trot a mile or two as you did for to make him stop and euer as you thinke 1. Pr. 23. â— good straine your hand some-what quicke but not too hard Theo. 15.d. for displacing his head keeping your body vpright at which if he desire to stand iert your feete forward in your stirrops without interâ—ission and reuiue him with the sound of your voyce and the shaking of your rod which at the first will bring an Theo. 31.d. amazement to him but take no notice of that but put him forward againe vsing the like as you shall see good but yet not too often together for dauleing him and thus you shall solicite him neuer leauing till you feele him begin to take vp his body and treade shorter which so soone as hee doth immediately let him stand and cherish him that hee may the better conceiue wherefore hee was troubled then put him gently forward home obseruing to keepe a true time with mouing 1 Pra. 25. â— your body vpward in your seate with his mouing and as hee a The motions of the man and the Horse must begin
like manner if you torture him too much Theo. 20.d. therewith it will bring him to such distemperature that hee will refringe the limits of your command and so breake out into grosse absurdities wherefore you must vse a proportionable meane therein according to his inclination When your Colt is thus freed from all abuses and that hee Theo. 4. will take his Pace fast or softly in good order without rocking or shaking then to bring him to know how to behaue himselfe as occasion shall be offred you shall vse him vpon deepe and vneuen grounds letting him haue time to reforme himselfe and force him not on too fast nor toyle him too long thereon but let him goe at his pleasure your selfe doing nothing to him but keepe him in his true time by help of your motions sometimes changing him from deepe to light earths and againe from light to deepe which will bring him in the whole Colt to such agilitie courage and nimblenesse as hee will seeme to flye vpon the earth through his alacrity and thus by vsing him after this manner in sixe or eight weekes you shall bring your Colt to such an excellent and comely Pace as if Art and Nature had conioyned to extirpe and deuoure the errors of old Adams transgression CHAP. 36. How to bring an imperfect mouthed Horse to his Pace BEcause it is holden an impossible thing to reduce a horse to his Pace which is spoyled afore by disorder or those either which are come to many yeares before they be brought to it The man is the onely obstacle herein therefore it may be there will be expected great secrets to be reuealed for the performance thereof But the causes being considered in the one and an orderly proceeding obserued in 1. Pra. 13. â— the other there is no such ambiguity therein but if the truth be rightly vnderstood as I haue said the cheife cause of these and of all other Vices doe consist in the want of true knowledge how to bring his desire or affection to obedience and his outward gesture to agree therwith for the want of which concord hee doth first resist with his winde and that giueth strength to Theo. 34. a. his outward parts whereby he maketh improper motions of the body which bringeth a dead and rebellious mouth Wherefore whensoeuer your haue a Horse that hath a broken Pace assure your selfe that if you obserue these causes you a Of a broken paced Horse shall bring him to his perfect Pace by reforming of them to an vnity without any other sinister or indirect meanes which to performe you shall vse but onely the head-straine as afore in 1. Pr. 30. 31. 32. 33. stead of any of them for the vse of it with the trench will worke a better effect then them all for a Horses mouings are either orderly or disorderly fast or slow dead mouthed or tickle mouthed Pr. 20. c. so these two to wit the headstrain trench will bring any of thefe extreames to the mean in their right application For looke what is said for the ordering of a young Colt vse but the same order to him for the reformation of his disorderly Pr. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. motions and then when hee is brought to true obedience in that sort you may command him with the helpes of you body to giue him his Pace truely and largely as you shall wish Onely Pr. 35. a. this obserue that whereas I wish to bring a young Colt to a perfect vnderstanding of all your helpes and corrections before you goe about his Pace that in this you may abbreuiate a great time that would be spent therein in that hee hath beene vsed afore to Trauayle whereby hee can tell how to take his way though not as he should For if you should goe about to refine his mouth and to confirme his body neuer so precisely before yet when you shall goe about to hold him to that Pace wherein he had his former qualities that motion would put him in mind againe of such errors as he had gotten a habit of afore Custome bringeth a habit as well in euill as good in that manner of going and will be hard to reforme in a strict carriage without increasing of them or worse as I haue found by experience to no small trouble and toyle in that hee can tell how to frame his body to resist Wherefore for the surest and speediest expedition you shall worke to reforme those faults vpon that broken Pace he hath The cause of a horse not pacing truely is in the abuse of his head and body and not in his legges and as he is purged of them so hee will better and better mend his Pace for those disorders are the cause that hee cannot tell how to handle his feet as he should for his Pace In which looke what order I set forth for the bringing of a slouingly Colt to a strict and true Trot in like manner vse him for reformation of his Pace keeping his body in continuall action to cause him Pra. 27.c. that he shall not haue time to hold his winde to worke his froward Cap. 1 For to force him vpon the hand will make him striue the more will but if he will not fall to your hand gently thrust him forward to a good round Pace almost to his galloppe without much regard of the truenesse of his stroke foure or fiue times vp and downe your roade and that will make him fall to your hand which so soone as you feele let him ease himselfe and then you shall feele his hinder parts yeeld to the motions of your owne body And likewise if hee be an old Horse and yet hath neither Of an old horse good carriage nor any steppe to his Pace you shall vse him in all respects as the former but onely in that he cannot tell how to behaue him-selfe any thing for his Pace you must helpe him into his stroke by the gentlest meanes you can by the helpes and motions of your seate as in the young Colt and if he be 1. Pra. 35.b. ibid. k a heauy headed Horse so that you cannot command his head to cause him bring in his hinder parts thrust him vp as afore to quicken his motions vpon which if he desire to goe faster then he should correct him with the trench twice or thrice together and then giue your hand liberty for as in the former so you must obserue in this not to worke for his grace in carriage till That cannot be taken away which one neuer had he can tell how to goe vpon his Pace for you cannot spoile his reine because he neuer had it But if he be a free and hot horse so that hee will not rest vpon the hand then you shall fauour the trench and let him rest more vpon the head-straine for that will make him presse more orderlie vpon the hand forward Now for
obseruations herein you must note all what hath Pr. 25. beene said afore but these further that of what age soeuer your Horse is you must imagine him to be as a Colt that cannot tell how to take his way in regard he is put to that Pace he Note was neuer vsed to before and therefore you must let him goe after what manner he will till hee can strike truely and then reforme him to his perfection as in the other Note that you must consider whether the cause of your horses Note broken pace came from too much lenity or cruelty for it Of a broken pace proceedeth from either of these two extreames which may be The cause of a bad pace is the abuse of the man by one of these extreames as Theo. 10. 11. perceiued either by his negligent care or by his busie and eager desire in going and then you shall reforme them by the contrary meanes vsing the gesture of your body to the intention of your mind that the horse may the better distinguish thereof For set apart the vnderstanding of the minde and no man hath fruit or profit of that thing hee perceiueth not so set apart the sensitiue apprehension of the horse how he should obey by motions Sonus enim cordiâ— intellectus est and hee will shew small fruit of all your labours Now these cautions being truly weighd are sufficient for instruction to the ingenious if he can apply them to the former But yet to him that is but a Scholler himselfe and is not so expert as to haue such facility of hand and foote as hee should the seuerall grounds are very profitable to helpe him in the bringing his horse to obedience if hee vse either deepe or ascending Of deep earths earths vp a hill especially for high spirited horses but they are very hurtfull for heauy and dull horses the causes Theo. 28.b. being showne afore where I haue spoken sufficiently how c 32.c. they should bee applyed for the reformation of seuerall errors which must bee tempered by the mans discretion and so they will take away the cause of all other needlesse inuentions for as I haue said all errors are acted by the body and the body is gouerned by the winde and it is ruled by the affection or Ignorance the cause of all the other inuentions desire and this by the motions of the man and he is or should bee directed by reason the which being director of all his proceedings to apply his helps and proportionate all his corrections according to the necessity of the crime the manner Knowledge best gotten by practise Theo. 5. Chap. how must bee gained by practise more then by reading hee shall much fructifie in this Vineyard for that there will no weedes grow therein to choake the Vine but it will flourish being nourished with the heat of truth But if there be a preiudicated opinion and so giue Will the reynes then the whole fence will bee broken downe and all this planting layd wast for that no admonitions can preuaile with a stiffe-necked opinion because that if men will frame distinctions at their pleasures there is no truth set forth but it may be ouerthrowne and defaced CHAP. 37. How to reforme a naturall hard-going horse THere are many which are swallowed vp in this gulfe in that they haue not directed their course by the true poynts of this carde what are the causes of things but haue sailed af-the Theo. 7. â— Chap. compasse of windy and ayery opinions whereby their braines are made the more shallow and barren for that they Theo. 3. a. are not watered with the dew of consultation For as Schooles hold the very marrow of knowledge doth proceed from the cause to the effect and again from the euent to get the knowledge of the cause For the cause of these hard and vneasie going horses is not in the nature of the horse but in the ignorance of the man But this I hope is layd so naked already that all the World may see its shame Wherefore this error is not so much in the horse as some Morg. 52. Chap. Theo. 4.h. affirme but in the man because hee knoweth not how to reduce himselfe and his horse to an vnity but hee vseth such improper motions and helps as the horse hath no certaine knowledge what to doe For instance in warre let a drum which is vsed to signifie A Simile vnto Soldiers when and how to prepare themselues to battell giue an vncertaine sound there is no preparation made in that they know not the meaning thereof Euen so if the man doth not vse his helps and corrections so as the horse can conceiue his minde there is no obedience but a continuall resistance Note in that hee feeleth them but wanteth true distinction to giue Quid opus est iubell are et non intellegere iubellationem notice what hee would haue done But this is the fruits of yeelding to authority desiring to eloke themselues with costly and gorgeous ignorance rather then to cloath themselues with plaine and homely trueth But as Austin saith Quid prodest clauis aurea si aperire quid volumus non potest aut quid obest lignea si haec potest c. What Preface auaileth a golden key if it cannot open what we would haue opened or what hurteth a woodden key if it bee able to open seeing our desire is or should bee to haue that thing opened which is shut but our desire thus haunting after ambition reapeth Our desire haunteth ambition Sodomes Apples no better fruit then Sodomes-Apples that are delightfull to the eye but touch them and presently they go to ashes wherby they ayme at Narcissus shadow till they be drowned in their owne conceipted labour But because I would not haue them still to grope in the dark at noone day let them assuredly know that the cause of any naturall The cause of a hard going horse hard-going horse is for that he was not brought to true obedience at the first but going after his owne will hath gotten Theo. 1. Chap. a habit of improper motions both in his interior and exterior parts And so cannot tell how to behaue himselfe to Pra. 26.b. goe better because hee was neuer taught after the grounds Chap. of Art Wherefore whosoeuer is desirous to reforme any of these Theo. 4.e. to an easier and better pace let him neuer thinke to effect it Theo. 31. except hee reforme all those foure chiefe heads which I haue 32. 33. 34. Chap. set forth in the Theoricke for if any one of them be vnreformed that will ouerthrow all the rest the vse whereof I haue showne Pr. 20. 21. 22. 23. Chap. in the handling of a young Colt because that hee must begin to reforme where the first error was begun for first his desire must be stirred vp to goe
more freely and his winde caused to passe more willingly and so his body must bee placed to goe answerably his mouth quickened and his head placed truely and then you may be sure to bring him to a delightfull pace very easily Now although this may seeme but a hard and harsh document for the reforming of such an intricate taske I stand the lesse therevpon because I haue touched euery branch sufficiently afore for the effecting thereof and therefore I need not spend any time of repetition againe sith heere is no more to be No errors can come but from those causes said then the afore related causes being also the cause of this naturall hard goer which being truely considered will reforme him better then the extremities of any hard or tormenting snaffle or bitte Onely this obserue that when you put him to Note his full pace if hee desire to take such a large stroke that hee Note roule and set hard that then you restraine your hand and fit loose in your seat for what with his owne vneasie going and your selfe shaking on his backe will make him seeke meanes to set more easily for there is neuer a step that hee setteth which â— His own paine will make him seeke for ease if you regard his first yeelding is vneasie for you but it grieueth him as much or more then your selfe his vneasie going being increased with your owne waight and so his owne torment will cause him to seeke ease when his body is so placed that hee can tell how to finde it and that you giue him liberty to goe softly when you feele him begin to yeeld and withall if you keepe your seate more firme for that will helpe to keepe his body stayed till by custome he get a habit of himselfe And further note that he in his going moue his body equally Theo. 35. â— in euery part thereof so as the fore-part seeme not to moue before his hinder nor it afore the former likewise to haue them more quick and free without intermission except it bee when you let him stand to breath and then be sure to haue his desire to be ready to goe at your first motion which you may perceiue by his winde CHAP. 38. Of Restiffenesse REstiffenesse is also another weede that is sprung vp in this Vineyard which doth mightily hinder the Vines from Theo. 8. a. flourishing being nourished by will and so spred into the more branches for there hath beene such small care to plucke it vp Pra. 20.b. by the rootes that it hath beene nourished by inuention of so many seuerall sharpe Cauezans and Bittes to make them yeeld by violence when they found according to their vsing lenity would not preuaile And likewise there hath beene as many The further a man goeth in a false path the further from his iournies end seuerall inuentions to reforme these as they found restiffe qualities and yet not being grounded vpon truth they haue still failed of their purpose whereby these are increased in number and cruelty as there are horses to inflict or matter to inuent still feeling themselues as farre from working reformation by such cruelties as to bring a Lion to subiection by force But because Maister Markham hath touched them sufficiently in his Cauallarice I will referre those which are desirous to be further resolued therein to that place for sith their inconueniences are there so indifferently portratured I think it needlesse to spend any time in the displaying of them here they being so farre degressing from the true Art for by their sharpe and durable tortures they make the Horse as it were mad and senselesse because he cannot feele ease when he yeeldeth But here I will leaue these and goe to the causes of restifenesse The cause of restifenesse wherein I shall vary from the opinion of Maister Markham for he houldeth that they are both naturall and accidentall in the Horse but I say they are onely accidentall to the Horse by the mans abuse of the Art for I neuer saw any Colt or Foale which had any naturall restifenesse of himselfe except it be nourished by abuse for by his naturall inclination he will neither goe backe stand still lye downe strike rise a fore plunge or any such like excepr he be made sullen or dogged by restrayning him of his liberty And further hauing Theo. 18.b. experience my refuge I dare maintaine that any Colt may be kept free from any restifnesse at the first nay further Theo. 35.d. that they may be kept free from the Vice of Stumbling enterfeiring going broad either before or behind for the cause of The cause not naturall of stumbling these is not naturall as some imagine but accidentall comming from the abuse of the hand and the vnapt motion of the body for there are none subiect to these till they be handled and I also haue amended many Horses of those faults being put into my hands only for that end And therefore whatsoeuer restiffe quality may spring vp in Restifenesse is sowen by neglect and conceipt this Vineyard is sowne there by the hands either of mans ignorance or negligence in either not obseruing or else not knowing how to order his proceedings in such sort as the Horse might conceiue how to obey his mind but because I would not Restifenesse in standing still or going backe haue you ignorant altogether herein I will show briefely how these causes come from the man and where to reforme them Now the chiefe cause of standing still or going backe is that he is corrected too much with the hand or bridle that he dare not presse forward and thereby when hee feeleth that hee cannot free himselfe from the correction of the body he standeth still to get breath to resist and so hauing ease becommeth 1. Pra. 23.b. restife or else he goeth backe thinking to free him-selfe thereby How to reforme them sith he cannot haue libertie to goe forward But you may reforme these faults by letting a Foot-man lead Pr. 21. a. him gently forward as you did a Colt at his first backing till he be set on going and let him goe which way hee will letting him rest most vpon the head-straine onely vsing at the very instant the helpe of your bodies motion to let him know the vse Theo. 29.d. thereof Which when hee conceiueth you may then adioyne The cause of lying downe your corrections to make him goe forward at your pleasure Now the cause of those Horses which are subiect to lye downe is by the extremities of correction also whereby he is made so Theo. 29.d. stubborne hee will lye downe vpon the least discontent for that at the first his correction not being proportionated according to his disposition in striuing to resist he by some accident chanceth The reformation to fall whereby he dismounteth the man and so getteth a habit thereof And for
reformation hereof you shall as afore Theo. 15. â— let a Foote-man be by that assoone as euer you doe but begin to feele him nestle with his feet that then he may be ready to Continual motion the preuenting of by-thoughts take him by the head presently and pull him on hastily giuing him reuiling termes and your selfe doing nothing but helpe him by thrusting him forward with you motions and so vse him till you feele a willingnes to yeeld to them and then to preuent him the better you shall haue a care to keepe his legs alwaies in motion when he standeth till you can command him your self The cause of striking Now if hee hath gotten that iadish tricke of striking the cause thereof may be as well from too little correction as too much whereby he is not brought to true obedience or that it Not the correction it selfe but the manner thereof preuaileth is increased by too much and so will answere one blow for another And for this the chase-halter is very good for if he be chased about in it letting one follow him with a long pole euer as he shall resist double his stroks what with the correction and The reformation the labour in running about hee will presently be reformed And likewise if hee be subiect to rise before or plunge the The cause of rearing and plunging cause of these also is in the abuse of the hand as well as in correction for when they feele correction so sharpe and cannot free them-selues by any meanes they presently fall to these disorders by the helpe of a heauy hand thinking thereby to ease To reclaime rearing themselues Wherefore if hee be apt to Reare you may assay to keepe him downe by the head-straine for that will make his fore parts more heauy and so hee will be the more willing to presse forward or if that preuaile not euer as hee riseth beate him downe with your sticke betwixt his eares or by striking him vpon the knees and that will cause him to keepe them downe or else when you beginne to feele him rise keepe your hands firme vpon the head-straine and with your whole body turne him about thrusting him forward with your legges for this will reclaime him if the other fayle if you be also carefull to keepe his body mouing that hee hath not time to stand till you feele his desire somewhat abated And for plundging let To reforme plunging him haue his head that hee hath no stay to rest vpon you hand and keepe him also in motion for then he cannot haue time nor leasure to frame his body thereto for the letting him stay vpon your hand giueth strength to his fore-parts whereby his body hath the more help to rayse his hinder parts And further the cause of running away and skittishnesse is for want of true obedience of the hand and winde and therefore The cause of running away skittishnesse when hee is either displeased or seeth any thing that is strange he is ready to runne away or fly on the one side in that hee goeth not freely but vnwillingly for his winde is kept to resist vpon the least occasion and then not hauing a perfect mouth hee will runne away or skew more through stubbornnesse How to reclaime skittishnesse then timerity And therefore to reclaime skewing or starting is to stirre him to a more quick going and correct him on that side hee flyeth on without partiality and cause him to goe to that which he fleeth from and then cherish him when he approcheth thereto which will fortifie his bouldnesse And for a runaway though there hath beene many waies How to reforme a run-away approued yet the best that I euer could finde and the least danger is to let one haue him in the Chase-halter and your selfe being on his backe thrust him into his galloppe and when he desireth to breake off let him giue him a sound twitch with the halter and your selfe at the instant cause him to stoppe as afore Pr. 18.d. is showne at which if he will not yeeld vse him so the second or third time or till you feele him let his wind passe and then let him stand and cherish him and thus you shall vse him Note till you feele him yeeld to your hand which he will doe in short time for this quality is most incident to hot fiery Horses which are neuer taught the true vse of the hand at first because most A lame knowledge think that when a Horse goeth forward freely they are perfect although otherwise they be most lame And further the cause of stumbling is in the vnapt handling The cause of stumbling of his body in going so that he hath not time to handle his feet in such order as he should in regard his hinder parts follow faster then his foreparts can make way with true order and then The habit of stumbling gotten he stumbleth which commeth to a habit by the abuse of the hand for if when you feele him apt to stumble you for feare hold in his head thinking thereby to preuent it then you Note shall increase it because you giue him a helpe to support his body more then nature hath ordayned whereby he will rely the Nature the best supporter more vpon the hand and when you slacke it neuer so little that stay vpon which he trusteth fayleth him and then he stumbleth Stumbling is not reformed by spurring the more Now this is not to be reformed by spurring as most thinke for if hee shall be but twise or thrise corrected therewith so soone as he shall but trippe neuer so little he will runne head-long forward and thereby stumble more dangerously But How to reforme stumbling it must be reformed by changing the carriage of his body and letting him haue his head for he is as fearefull of falling as your No horse willing to fall selfe is to haue him and when his body is set for a true motion and his lust stirred vp more quicke hee will take vp his legges more loftily and set them forward orderly if you temper your Theo. 15. 16. 17. hand and helps accordingly And for enterfeiring the cause thereof is not altogether in The cause of enterfeiring nature as is thought but through the restraint of the hand that hee cannot haue liberty to moue his legges directly forward by two straight lines as he should but crosseth his feet The reformation whereby one striketh against another And therefore you may reforme this except nature be imperfect in shape by giuing him his motion in the true place of his body and letting him goe direct vpon a pleasing hand for then he will handle them Theo. 4. l. so that they shall not strike one against another for he may goe narrow yet not enterfeire if his body be firmely knit as well as our selues doe and
euerlasting felicity Honourable Knights WHen Iupiter as the Poets faine had made man he seeing him such an excellent creature brought him to Momus that carping God to see what fault he could finde with that proportion which when he had curiously examined he greatly commended both the forme and the feature but yet there was one thing which he did dislike and that was because he had not made a window against his heart that one might see whether it and his tongue did agree Euen so I if it were lawfull might except against the Creator because I am so inable that I cannot set forth to the world my mind in so plausible a stile as my heart doth desire through which defect mens hearts iudging according to the euidence of their senses I looke to be condemned of arrogancy for making these weake labours to be legible in the world whereby they may terme me a foole in Print But seeing I shall fare no worse then many that haue gone before me I am nothing danted but am armed with patience to bee a partaker with others of scandelous clamors for as one saith The inconsiderate multitude doe much resemble dogges that barke at those they know not and likewise it is their nature to accompany one another in those clamors So it is with this sort of people who wanting that knowledge which reason requireth and that louing affection that Christianity desireth condemne that they know not and loath that they like not but though some malignant spirits may deface it yet many worthy brests I hope will imbrace it For the subiect or matter is worthy and the ground-worke vpon which this plantation is framed is true though some stems of error may spring out of the earth for there is no man which hath not his by slips errors and wanderings but yet I haue purged this Vineyard from so many as my weake knowledge could discerne whereby the young Impes shall not bee choaked if it but vnderstood by reading as I conceiued in writing because no man can infuse Knowledge with his pen for as Aristotle saith Vnumquodque recipitur per modum recipientis Euery thing is receiued according to the natures of them that receiue it for the Bee gathereth hony and the Spider poyson from one and the selfe same flower but the cause of that diuersity is not in the slower but in their natures And likewise the Sunne reflecting his beames both vpon the fragrant flowers and also vpon the dunghill it causeth the first to bee moâ—e pleasing and odoriferous and the other to bee more loathsome and contemptuous the cause of which doth not proceed from the Sun but from the difference of their naturall vapours the like cause may be applyed for diuersities of effects in other mens written labours Wherefore seeing mens fancies are as variable as their faces both in regard that nature hath her greatest delight in variety as also that most iudge either partially or as the eare or eye giueth euidence the first being without equity the second vncertaine and the third doubtfull because that hauing no other euidence then the sensitiue apprehension of the eye the heart giueth sentence according to the exterior euidence and so is deluded in regard the eye is no substance of light whereby it might inlighten and so penetrate into other substances but a thing which onely hath a procliuity and aptnes to receiue light from another by accidence and therefore can see no further then the accidence of any substance yet for all these ambiguities I haue thirsted with a parching soule which will neuer bee quenched till I haue satisfied many of my good friends for whose sakes I haue attempted to plant this Vineyard of Horsemanship in the World to remoue those that will be remoued from their ancient errors hauing deuided it into three Bookes The first Theorically shewing the office and duty of the Man the second intreating both of breeding and riding young Colts showing how to manage them in a true ground for all the parts of Horsemanshippe the third showing how to dyet and traine both hunting and coursing horses to bring them to the height of their glory The last of which Bookes I determined if fatall and ineuitable death had not preuented to haue dedicated to the thrice worthy and honourable Knight S. Anthony Mildemay deceased whose death all Horsemen may continually deplore for hee was both a father and a foster-nurse to all the Professors thereof of whose worthy bounties I haue so plentifully though vndeseruedly tasted that if I should bury them in the graue of obliuion I should be such an ingratefull and vnsupportable lumpe that the earth would groane vnder my burthen nay Horses themselues may with Aethon the Horse of Pallantis as Virgill recordeth powre forth teares for loosing such a worthy Maister for his noble brest did neuer repine at any charges that might either increase or maintaine them in their superlatiue glory whereby he hath left such a race as will giue a counterbuffe to any opposer in England Wherefore Right Worshipfull seeing the deuine prouidence hath appoynted you an hereditary Successor of that worthy house I haue presumed to subiect this booke vnto your milde and kinde acceptance together with the Right Worshipfull Knight Sir George Fayen in both whom is the bright starre of Vertue Honour loue to those excellent Creatures resplending Knowing that as you are brethren by nature so you continually liue in such a reciprocall vnity going alwayes hand in hand being combined with the bonds of Amity Vertue and Nature in such sort that if I should seperate such a sweet coniunct I were not worthy to breath more especially being tyed thervnto with the chayne of your fauourable loue towards me when you did imploy me Since which time hauing examined all my proceeding by experience and purged my preter-errors by reason I haue sent my liues practise into the World as a token of my well wishes which I hope will giue such light to the practisers of this Art as they shall not need to grope at noone day as I my selfe haue long done being blinded with ancient traditions which though it be not so plausibly stiled as many would desire yet I hope the matter will bring profit being truely vnderstood desiring your Worships to pardon my boldnes in my attempt and that your kinde fauourable acceptance would smooth the rough and craggy path of my performance so shall I be bound to you in all duty and euer remaine at your Seruice MICH BARET TO THE READER THus gentle Reader I haue aduentured through the hard and craggy Rockes of ineuitable ignorance to make the path more spacious and so more passable for those which are desirous to trauell in that tract which leadeth to the chiefest place of this Plantation In which peregrination because there hath so many wandred out of the way through the number Imitation as a mist darkeneth our vnderstanding of so many crosse by-wayes that are
which he hath said And yet the excellency thereof doth so stirre vp my affection that I cannot chuse but speake a little therein For the pleasure thereof in my affection is so great that it exceedeth all other The pleasure of Hunting so much that if it brought no other profit then the delight to follow a packe of good dogges hauing a good Horse that were enough to counter-vaile the surcharge for a generous minde for I esteeme it aboue all other earthly pleasures whatsoeuer But it addeth also a further profit for the exercise maintaineth health and causeth an agile and apt body and increaseth knowledge how to helpe and correct his Horse as occasion The profit of Hunting shall be offred whereby if hee should goe vpon any Martiall seruice he will be ready to performe any desperate exployt with great scelerity and quicknesse Besides the vse of riding vp and downe steep places and deepe earths will so fortifie and imboulden his courage that he will very valiantly dispatch A Hunting Horse seruiceable for warre any occuret or discouery in seruice And so for that vse also one hunting Horse may be made more seruiceable for warre then foure other through his toughnesse and speed if the man haue likewise skill to keepe his body cleane by good feeding and true dyet But leauing to speake any more hereof because my Artlesse The shap of a Hunting Horse Pen would but ouer vayle its worthinesse I will deliuer how you shall chuse your Horse for that vse and which by all probability are most like to yeeld the best content both to the eye and in the field if Art be thereto assisting First therefore let Theo. 37.d. him be of a meane stature that is some sixteene hand of height or thereabout his head also of a meane bignesse his chaule 1. Pra. 3.f. if it may be let it be thin and wide and his care not too little if he be somewhat bangled or wide eared so they be sharp it is a signe of toughnesse his forehead broad hauing a bunch standing out in the middest like a Hare his eye full and large his nostrell wide with a deepe mouth all his head leane a long and straight necke a firme and thinne crest well reared a wide throple a broad brest deepe chested his body large his ribbes round and close shut vp to his huckle bone a good fillet long buttocke but not very broad being well let downe in the gascoyne and many that are a little sickle hought are very tough and swift his limmes would be cleane flat and straight but not very bigge his ioynts short especially betwixt the pasterne and hoofe hauing little haire on his fetlocks a straight foot and a blacke hollow hoofe not ouer bigge and if it be somewhat long it argueth speed which Horse when you haue gotten assure your selfe that for the outward shape you haue as good as nature can promise And for the shape of a running horse there is not so much difference betwixt the shape of him the hunter as there is in their ends of trayning for the hunting Horse must endure long and Note the ends and shape laboursome toyle with heates and colds but the running Horse must dispatch his businesse in a moment of time in respect of the other shewing swiftnesse and speed Wherefore you shall so neare as you can haue him in all proportion as in the former onely there may be a dispensation with these few The shape of a running horse things as if he haue a longer chine so that his side be longer streaked he will take the larger stroke especially vpon light earths and if his limmes be more sleuder and his ioynts more loose if that they be not so short in the pasterne he may be very excellent and swift for a course And as for their colours although there be most men that obserue Of their colours them as a signe of goodnesse yet as I haue said I differ in that and esteeme of them no further then as indifferent and to 1. Pra. 5.b. beautifie the other parts to giue content and delight to the eie And those are either the browne Bay Dapple Bay Blacke a Sad Chesnut with Flaxen Maine and Tayle so that they haue white Star Snip or white rach with a white foot Dapple gray Cap. f or white Lyard with blacke Musle Eye and Eare any of which colours will giue a great grace to the former shape although they be no perfect fignes of their goodnesse for as the goodnesse A Simile or badnesse of a man doth not consist in his complexion but in his inward vertues neither doe these demonstrate the The inward parts the cause of good or bad goodnesse or badnesse of the Horse for that proceedeth from his disposition And for his inward parts if he be not of such a perfect composition as is desired yet if he be reformed according to Art may proue exceeding good for if you should so curiously desire to haue a Horse so compleate in shape colour and Hard to finde a compleate Horse quality by a naturall composition as some doe prescribe you should spend the most of your life before you should achiue your expectation for there are many horses which are defectiue of such a perfect shape in many parts and also in colour and yet 1. Pr. 8. â— by Art haue beene brought to great performance And therefore seeing Art was inuented to perfect nature indeuour your selfe to search into the bowles of it and you shall finde that the vnlikeliest Horse will oftentimes worse the more likely CHAP. 2. The Authors Apology THe whole Pilgrimage of former ages and also of our times Theo. 1. The miserable estate of man hath beene and is hurried on the sands of error ignorance being the coatch tradition custome obstinacy and selfe-conceit the wheeles contention and emulation the Horses and negligence the Coatch-man which doth carry vs into the gulfe of confusion wherein we are so congealed with the Ice of opinion that no reflect of the beames of truth hath power to Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit thawe it through which partiall conceipt there was rieuer any as yet that taught the truth could receiue loue or credit if they did not alledge proofes from the Antients and Elders for their better approbation but were esteemed Hereticall and sowers of Sects and dissentions thinking all truth to be included in the apprehention of former-times And to reward their The preface to the Second Booke paines and good will in setting forth the truth they persecute them with malice and enuy as false seducers in teaching new doctrine contrary to their Antient imitation Wherefore seeing he that walketh amongst or vpon Pikes had need to foot charily and he that goeth an vnbeat path in Although here sie is not a proper terme yet by application the desarts and craggy waies amongst Wilde-Beasts
close and darke the reflection of the Sun in Summer annoy him and so hinder digestion Moreouer it would be made close and darke that when hee commeth from his labour and hath fild his belly he may take his rest as well on the day as the night and therefore it would bee remote a good distance from the noyse of other horses which would disquiet him Furthermore it would haue a window towards the West if it bee possible to set open to giue light whilst he is in dressing Of Planking it 1. Pra. 12.c. and to let in Ayre at your pleasure and specially to set open to coole and sweeten the stable whilst he is forth in ayreing And for the planchers although some haue wished to haue the standings paued I cannot approue therof some reasons afore I haue showne and more I could show if it were needfull but I hold it the best to haue them laid with good Oaken planckes two or three inches thicke with holes bored through them in diuers places to cause the wash draine through them into the channell which will keep the litter more sweet and dry whereby it wil be the more wholsome for his body and also they will be more warme and easie to lye vpon if at any time he chance to spurne his litter from vnder him by tumbling or waltring him as many not of the worst horses oftentimes doe Besides as Mr. Markham saith they would bee laid leuell The Planchers would be leuel not higher before then behind that he may stand of an equall height with all his feete for if he rest too much vpon his hinder legges it will cause them to swell neither can he lye at ease because his hinder parts will bee slipping downe And likewise the ground behind would be leuell with the Planckes that if at any time hee chance to goe back he may stand still of an equall height with all his body And let the cribbe be set of a reasonable The height of the Cribbe height that the bottome be not so high as the poynts of his shoulder that if at any time he be stirred in the stable he bee not in danger of laming by rushing against it and it would bee deepe because that then hee cannot so easily set his feete therein if hee chance to rise afore and further that hee may feed with holding of his head at a reasonable height for that will helpe to strengthen his crest and it would be made strong and the boards closely ioyned in the bottome that there bee no lime nor morter therein to close vp the crannies for that is very hurtfull and suffocating for the horse And let the Rack in like manner be of an indifferent height The height of the Racke neither too high for causing him bend too much in the hinder part of his necke to feed at it and so cause him to bee withy-cragged nor yet so low as to cause him bend his necke on the one side and so spoyle and weaken his crest Likewise it would not bee set sloping but stand vpright with the wall for that is the best both to keepe his necke firme and also to keep his head and mane cleane from dust and seedes of the hay and let the holes for the staues bee pitched some foure inches distance The distance of the Rackestaues that when the staues are set in they may be three inches distant one from another which is a reasonable scantling for they will not bee so strait but that hee may fill his belly with ease nor yet so wide as to pull the hay out too fast and so make spoyle thereof And also the walles on both sides and Let the walles bee boarded afore his head would bee boarded from the cribbe to the racke to keepe him from gnawing vpon lime earth or any such filthy thing which many Horses will desire for that will lye heauy in his maw and be very vnwholesome Moreouer there would be a loft made ouer him to lay the The loft would not be ioyned for shrinking haye and straw therein and the boards would not beioyned but rapited one ouer another that no dust nor filth fall vpon the Horse if they chance to shrinke whilst his haye is in dusting and shaking aboue And let the partition be large that he may haue liberty to tumble at his pleasure and let there be a conuenient roome in the stable that his keeper may lye by him for The keeper should lie neare his Horse thereby he shall be ready at hand if any occasion shall happen especially if it be towards a match and he may also haue the better iudgement of his horses disposition by the manner of his feeding And lastly there would be a presse made to keep the bridles saddles and other necessaries safe cleane handsome and ready when soeuer they shall be vsed Thus haue I set forth the fashion and order of a conuenient and necessary stable discribing it in a playne forme without any curiosity to which whosoeuer is addicted and disliketh this Nothing acceptable except it be costly for the plainnesse there are Italionate fashions set forth to satisfie their selfe-liking humors but yet this is sufficient to giue content to stayed minds if it be kept sweet and cleane CHAP. 4. Of the Trayning a young Colt vp to Hunting and Coursing IT hath been and is still an vsuall opinion of those who haue a young Colt and would haue him trayned vp either to hunting The abuse by custome or coursing that so soone as he is made gentle to backe for to trayne him thereto altogether by lenity and gentlenesse Theo. 9.h. suffering him to goe in his rake and gallop as he shall thinke good of himselfe neuer vsing him to farther command then he will willingly performe least he should be too much forced at the first whereby his courage and strength might be abated The euent tryeth the truth and lamenesse by straynings might be caused before his ioynts be fully knit as if he had still continued in the first state of his originall nature to performe and shew forth all his naturall powers freely and of his owne accord But what euent commeth thereby the number of good Horses in performance in comparison to the quantity or multitude of iades will testifie and the sequell of the causes will make manifest For the efficient cause of making a good or bad horse is not Theo. 19. â— so much in his nature as it is imagined but in the Man although his procliuity be a great helpe for he is the materiall Horse the Materiall cause cause and your helps corrections and motions are the instrumentall and the apt and willing performance of his actions is the formall cause showing the euent of the true or false grounds of Art for as the ends of all Arts and Sciences doe tend to the most excellent effect and best vse so the causes hereof doe worke to
a Of feeding quantity of oats cleane dressed in a sieur from dust and filth as your discretion shall direct according to his eating or allowance No certaine quantity of meate can be described for all sorts of horses proportionate after you shall dust and shake a pretty quantity of haye and put it into his racke fast bound in a bottle to make him labour more vpon it and that hee pull it not downe too fast to make waste Then shake his litter vnder him and shut the window and dore and so let him stand till one or two of the clocke in the afternoone at which time you shall come to him againe and shake his dunge from his litter and rub his body and legges with a hayre cloth and giue him another seruing of Oates and so let him stand till the time of his euening watering then you shall shake vp his litter and make cleane his standing and dresse him in all points as in the morning and water him and giue him meate as afore And thus you shall vse him morning and euening for the space of three weeks or a moneth for by that time hee will be so inseamed that his flesh will be hard and firme and his mouth quickned and his body brought to its former carriage Now for obseruations herein Note that during this time of Generall obseruations his inseaming if twice a weeke you trauaile your horse foure or fiue miles or as you finde your Horse it will be a helpe to bring his body in state the sooner for it will cause his winde to rake the better and the glut and grosse humors the quicker to disolue by that moderate exercise for though that thereby he may be brought to sweat a little yet it will bring no damage to him if hee carefully bee vsed at his comming into the stable But whereas it may be obiected that if a Horse be caused to Obiection sweate before his flesh be hardned that it falleth downe into his legges and so causeth the Scratches and Swellings I answere Answer that is not a generall cause and so no necessary consequence for it is not vpon necessity that euery Horse that so sweateth is subiect to such like nor euery Horse that doth not so sweate is free from the same for I haue seene by experience 1. Pra. 14. to the contrary in them both which is that a leane Horse through disorder subiect thereto and contrarily fat Horses by good order preserued therefro for I my selfe hauing a Horse of great esteeme in my charge for trayning was free from any such surrances for the space of halfe a yeare although hee had had diuers sweating heates till after he was in good state of body and his flesh very firme and hard I but Hunting him one day in that it was the afternoone before we found any sport I I set downe my owne folly for a caucat to others hunted betwixt some two or three houres not following the chase sore but crost oftentimes for his better ease and night drawing on I left the company raked him gently home and being neare home before he was any thing cold I rid him into a riuer very neare to the belly and there vnaduisedly washt him and within two or three daies after he became to haue swelld legges and so the Scratches very dangerously although I galloped and warmed him after his washing Whereby I gathered that it was not so much his heating that caused them for that he had oftentimes had greater heates then he had at that time but the negligent care of riding him into cold water whilst his legs were hot because they sweld so high as they were washed but no higher Wherefore it is good for euery one that haue a care to keep their Horses from any such disâ—ases to auoyd washing especially Sweating of it selfe is indifferent in Winter whilst cold humors abound least they cause an obstruction of the naturall course for then the heate and cold will striue together and prouoke an inflamation in the legs and then grosse humors breake forth and choppe the skinne for sweating simply of it selfe causeth no more hurt to a Horse then it doth to a man if he be vsed as he should Note also that during the time he is inseaming and that he is put to no further exercise then the fetching of his Water that in his rake to and fro and in his gallope after his Water you haue a care that he carry himselfe in euery particular as he 2. Pr. 5. 6. should till hee hath gotten such a habit that he make it as it There must be care to maintaine obedience as well as to gaine it were his naturall carriage otherwise though he be brought to neuer such true riding before if he be not stil maintained by the same but suffered to take liberty at his pleasure he will carry a lash body when he should hold it most firme and so all the former paines and care will be lost for Art doth not onely consist in bringing to obedience but also in keeping the same Note further that in his galloping after water if sometimes you giue him a watering course sharpely of twelue or twenty Variety bringeth delight score as you finde your Horse it will quicken vp his spirits and cause him gallope more pleasantly and learne him to gather his legges nimbly and to stretch forth his body largely And note that euery night except it be any day that hee hath had sore labour you stop his feet with cow dung after you How to keepe his hooses tough haue picked them for that will keepe them coole and make his Hooses tougher and also that you annoint the tops and vpper parts of them either with Hogges grease alone or else with Hogges-grease soote and tarre mixt together for that will cause them spread and keepe them from brittlenesse and make them blacke CHAP. 11. Of the exercise in Hunting THere are so many things that offer themselues to be spoken of in this Tractate that if I should enter into all the particulars to shew the errors and causes that are sprung vp therein it would require a very large discourse Therefore I will contract them into as compendious and breife heads as I can and for breuity sake speake of the chiefe points leauing the rest to the consideration of the discreet practitioner Wherefore True labour causeth ability both of wind and body when you haue thus brought your Horse to that state of body that his flesh is become firme and hard although he be not cleane for heats by labour must effect that which you shall perceiue by the thicknesse of his flesh vpon his short ribbes towards the shutting vp of his hucklebone by the grossenesse and thickenesse of his flanke and by the fatnesse and fulnesse of his chaule then you may haue him into the field to learne him how to carry himselfe vpon seuerall grounds
is preseribed according to your owne discretion CHAP. 25. How to iudge of the state of a Horses body BEcause no man can tell how to worke truely vpon any subject except hee haue a iudiciall and good ground and that no horseman can tell how to bring his horse to his best actions and keepe him in health except he haue iudgement in the state of his body thereby to square all his proceedings Theo. 30. Therefore I will giue you some light how to haue the surer iudgement thereof to peirce the thicke mist that might seeme to infect it by the contrary surmising breathings of such as are swallowed in the gulfe of conceipt being driuen therein by the waues of their ouerflowing opinions For there are many of this rancke so soone as they come into the stable and doe but feele vpon the outward parts as the ribbe flancke and â—aw Rash iudgement reproued will in a rash iudgement giue verdict vpon the state of a horses body and so assume to themselues more firme knowledge therevpon then hee that hath both the feeding and training him But how deceiptfull the euidence is that is giuen by the meere tactiue senses is briefly touched already for the taâ—â—able 2. Pr. 7. sense can giue no further euidence then onely of the outward superficies for no quality of the senses can goe but to the surface of any thing and therefore cannot show the disposition of his inward state Wherefore when you your selfe haue the whole managing of Theo. 7. the horse and know that you doe nothing without reasonable consultation assure your selfe that your Iudgement will weigh How to know his state of body 2. Pra. 18. 24. against a thousand other Which that you may haue the better ground examine your selfe whether you haue proceeded truely in his training and so whether you finde him to haue strength and lust to performe his breathing courses and whether you haue fed him full and home as you should likewise whether you haue not abated his strength by too great toyle 2. Pr. 12. 15. 23. 24. or increased pursiuenesse by too little which things are the true grounds being examined by reason and yet they are hid from many that may come into the stable as strangers you only hauing euidence by action But yet vnderstand mee so as not vtterly to condemne the former Characters for they are true sometimes though not alwayes One thing doth not proue another reciprocally except they bee contradictories and so no sure proofe of his estate but a signe thereof for hee may feele cleane in those places and yet not cleane otherwise within but if hee be cleane within then it doth necessarily follow hee will bee cleane there for the grosse fat and glut may be dissolued from the outward parts by gentle breathings and warme cloathing or by a spare and scant feeding which are deceitfull but then when he shall come to be tryed indeed hee will bee so pursiue and thicke winded that he cannot maintaine and hold his speed for want of true labour and so the manner of clensing is knowne to your selfe but hid from them and so they may be deceiued for though he feele cleane yet they cannot tell how he was clensed And in like manner the dung being simply respected may The dung is a meritrix as the vrine of a man is be said to be a Meritrix for the knowledge of the state of his body as well as the water of a man to know his state of body by for it will alter according to his diet and as hee feedeth much or little or by the alteration of the ayre and yet continue in good state of body for I haue seene it alter vpon the alteration of weather which being temperate hee being in good state hath also dunged very good but the ayre changing from that disposition his dung hath also changed to bee It is the nature of heat to shrink from cold and so contra whether of them is predominant drye and hard and yet no change of meate nor exercise in the interim nor change of countenance to show any male-affect in the body which made me iudge the cause to be in the coldnesse of the ayre that did imprison his naturall heat within him and so dryed and made his body costiue And further I haue seene a horse that when he was led for his course which hath dunged so hard that all the field hath past a definitiue iudgement against him and yet he hath returned conquerer though he was thought ouer-hard matched and a man may be bound in his body but feele no impediment thereby Wherefore if your horse chance to be bound if you know it is not vpon any doubtfull cause and that he hath not beene long so or that his Of two euills the least is to be chosen countenance is not cast downe or his belly not shrunke vp in the wast yet hee may make a good course for of the two it is better he should be hard then soft and therefore as it is so it is doubtfull to be iudged of But if his body be laxatiue and his dung soft then it is an infallible Soft dung argueth weakenesse signe of weaknesse because nature is hindred by purging howsoeuer others hold and therefore whether the cause thereof bee knowne or vnknowne to you it will soone weaken and therefore preuent it so soone as is possible as an enemy to nature And also if it bee greasie and slimy after his heat it is a signe of foulenes and here it bringeth into my mind to answer a doubt which I heard opposed betwixt two and Obiection the question was because that a horses dung is greasie after his heat whether there were any fat growing on the inside where the excrements are or no To which I answer briefly no for Answer if it were so the expulsiue part could not haue force to expell the excrements because they would be hindred from passage by the roughnesse of the knots and thereby retained so long therein as it would burne and scald the body and when the horse were fatte hee could not auoyd his excrements at all by reason it would grow so much as it would stop the passage and so cause an vtter subuersion Obiection And againe it was objected if it were so how commeth that glut into the inner part which auoydes amongst the excrements Answer I answere that as nature hath giuen an attractiue faculty to disperse the nutriment of the food from the retentiue part into euery part of the body to nourish and maintaine the same passing through the arteries veynes and pores euen so likewise hath it giuen an expulsiue faculty to expell from euery part any excrement that might offend or hurt it by thâ— same meanes and so that fat when it is dissolued is but an excrement which nature expelleth by those organes in that place to bee expelled with
the other excrements lest it should destroy Grease remaining about the heart after it is dissolued is mortall the whole subject and therefore if any remaine dissolued more then nature can expell it cloyeth the heart and stomacke and so becommeth mortall except it be remedied by a new dissolution and purged by scowrings which then is needfull for the helping of nature being oppressed But for the colour of dung after the horse be once cleane it is The colour of his dung is deceitfull also deceiptfull for it may be blacke or tawny by too long keeping in the body the horse not hauing alwayes a like appetite and yet not much hurtfull to him and againe before hee bee cleane hee may haue his dung of a perfect colour not being exercised truely to heat it and also by scowrings or such kind of feeding as many vse which then is like but a counterfeit peice gilt ouer but if you haue all these Characters in the best and your owne practise telleth you they are true then you may affirme his body is of as perfect state as Art and Nature can performe CHAP. 26. Of the necessity and vse of Sweating THere is no meanes so auaileable and necessary to purge a horse from such grosse humors as are ingendred by feeding What Sweating is as sweating is for it is nothing but a superfluous moist excrement left in the flesh and other parts after concoction and is the faculty of action for heat being stirred vp by the percution of motion doth expell it after it is dissolued from the Meta de continentibê° heart and inward parts Wherefore it being an excrement of grosse humors that ariseth of nutrition there is no Horse but must be purged from the same if there be any regard of health or abillity of body for labour in regard that what feeding soeuer a horse hath though The groser the food is themore it will cause the horse to sweat neuer so pure much more being grosse but after concoction there will recide a quantity of this excrement according to the quality of the food and the horse which must be dissolued by heat and expulsed from the inward parts and so distild through the pores of the skinne to euacuate it by sweating or else it will corrupt the blood and breake out into maâ—gy-scabbs and such The purity of the hart causeth agility like because nature desireth to keep the heart free so long as she is able from such infection that it might dwell in a pure and cleane pallace it being the Prince of the vitall powers And further if they be not expulsed by heate of exercise they will cause a sad melancholy to rule in him that he will be so vnlistfull and pursiue that a small labour wil so heate him within as it will ouercome and faint the heart and so cause yeelding his body being made so grose by them as it hath no such tenuity either to euacuate them or that the ayre by his rarity cannot penetrate sufficiently to delay that excesse of heate as may be seene by those horses that haue run at grasse without exercise Wherefore seeing sweates bring such benefit and profit let Sweats are profitable in their true vse them be vsed so as they may produce the best effect for the better knowledge hereof they are giuen to a Horse three manner of waies The first and best is to giue him his sweat abroad without 1 The best way to giue a sweat his cloaths as your breathing courses for it is giuen by action both of winde and body and is most naturall because the heate proceedeth first from the vitall parts within and so doth driue those humors which are dissolued to the outward parts which is distilled through the pores of the skinne and so abateth that superfluity The secondly way is to giue him his heate also abroad but 2 The second way to cause a sweat then it must be in his cloathes which is not so kindly and naturall for where the other had the heate beginning first from within this is more violent because the thickenesse of his cloaths adioyned to his exercise forceth the heate more outwardly and so abateth his strength the more and yet doth not bring him to such purity of winde as the former because it hath not the like exercise nor the humors is not so naturally expeld from the vitall parts Now the last is the worst of all which is to giue him a sweat 3 The third and worst way to cause a sweat in the house by heating cloaths and loading him therewith till he be forced to sweat without any motion Now as I say this is the most vnnaturall and worst being altogether violent for it is prouoked onely from the outward parts hauing its beginning there by the heate of fire and of the cloaths that are heated therewith which casteth the Horse into such extremity of Sweating in the house as ill as a stoue heate that it as it were smothereth his vitall spirits and weakneth him as if it were a stoue whereby it doth farre more hurt then any way good Wherefore if through the vnseasonablenesse of the weather you cannot giue your horse such a heat neare vnto your race as you would rather then you vse either of these violent sweats go halfe a dozen miles to seeke a place where you may breathe him which though it be but halfe a mile yet it may be inlarged by often doubling which will worke farre better effect then either A slender naturall heat is better then sweating by cloaths of the other for you dwell in a very vnfit place if there be not such a plot in that distance either of dead fog or sandy way to yeeld you that releife But if your horse be an old strained horse yet recouered again but so as you dare not heate him when the weather is hard by frosts for renewing it whereby you are in danger of loosing the wager then you may make a vertue of necessity although I would not wish any man to be too confident in lame Horses and giue him his heate abroad in his cloaths first by galloping him till he be in a full sweate which when he is haue him presently home and straw good store of litter vnder him and laye more cloaths vpon him then stuffe him round with great wisps round about his heart before his brest so keep him stirring to and fro for halfe an houre hauing a cloath to wipe the sweat from his face and neck as it ariseth and when he hath sweat sufficiently abate his cloaths by little and little till he come to his ordinary cloathing then rub him and vse him as after his breathing courses and let the first drinke he drinketh be a warme to mash for that will cause the grosse humors that are dissolued purge away with his dung it will also comfort him after that peircing sweat but in any
two of bread and Ale againe and so lead him to the course with all gentlenesse euer prouoking him to empty his body so much as you can Then when you are come to the place of start rub his legges very well and vse him in all things as you did the hunter Then 2. Pr. 16. hauing a bottle of Ale or Beere take some in your mouth and spirt some into his mouth and nostrills for that will make him cheerefull and strike into his head to make him sneese and open his pipes for receipt of winde And if you haue any Vinegar in the field throw some vpon his coddes if he bee stoned for that will coole them and make him gather them into his body then put backe his cloathes and mount your selfe and set Eadem forward as is said performing your Course with iudgement and discretion CHAP. 29. The Epilogue THus gentle Reader I haue at last finished the plantation of this Vineyard of Horsemanshippe wherein I haue taken the greater paines so to pare and dresse it that the weedes should not grow therein to choke those impes that are nourished in it and to pluck vp those which had so ouer-growne it that there could bee no tract found to giue delight to such as desire to walke and recreate themselues in that pleasant groue And for thy good I haue made that common which might haue withered in the graue being at the first selected to my selfe for my owne priuate meditation In which Tractate as thou maist see the cause of all restiffe qualities that are found in any horse is disobedience and the 1. Pra. 26. cause of that was mans transgression at the beginning and so they would haue beene altogether without vse if there were Theo. 1. not some meanes of restitution to their primary estate by Art the desire of which was the cause that this Art was inuented Theo. 26. Theo. 3. Pr. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. Theo. 8. 2. Pr. 7. And the cause of the intricatenesse of this Art is ignorance wherewith all man was also inuested that the first which did so obscure his knowledge that he could not see how to worke directly by gentlenes but sought indirect meanes by violence and the cause of that is because man is led after his owne will which worketh according as the exterior senses doe giue euidence by the exterior parts And also that the cause of reducing a horse to his best obedience is the reforming of mans corrupt qualities by subjecting Theo. 8. 9. Theo. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. Et multis alijs his will and all his passions to be gouerned by reason to make the whole horse agree both in action and motion together in his interior and exterior parts being gouerned by the man that both man and horse may be said to bee but one body because the man is a reasonable creature and hath the gouernment of the horse and the faculty of discipline to bring a reciprocall concord All which I haue indeuored to explaine as methodically and as plainely as I can for I confesse that my imperfections are so great for wit learning and wririting that I am farre vnable to discharge and performe such an intricate enterprise as my good intension hath vndertaken yet I had rather vtter my barbarous A good intension excuseth Barbarisme rudenesse to lay open the abuses thereof then with a fearfull silence to haue the truth defaced wherein though sometimes I may misse the marke yet I haue not shot so farre as to be condemned of detestable error Therefore I desire thee learned and iudicious Reader that if I haue past any thing obscurely that may seeme doubtfull vnto Nature hath not giuen excellency in all things to one man the weak and simple Reader through the harshnesse of method for I oftentimes conceited more then I could well vtter to assist him with thy vnderstanding and knowledge least being in doubt hee take the wrong path and wander out of the way But for Calumnies which wound and diminish others fame by words and strikes and peirces through other mens workes by the all peircing darts of their venomous tongues I aske neither ayd nor fauour of such a filthy and pernicious sect which cannot be auoyded Of the which Viperous kind Iustus Lipsius hath very worthily painted out whereby they may be discerned in their colours Iustus Lips de oratione calum for he holdeth them filthy and loathsome filthy in that they are base idle and pratling and so loathsome hauing the name of filthinesse base for that no generous and good spirit hath euer How Calumnies are said to be base beene stained with that spot but onely sad and maligne natures that enuy others and distrust themselues and so like little dogges barke at guestes which free minds commanded entertainment Secondly they are idle for no man hath leasure to enter into How they are said to bee idle other mens affaires that hath imployment of his own businesse but for want of that all their whole imployments are in walking and talking so that no report of any man can stand before them vnblemished or vnslandered but what should I repine at these seing neither King nor Counsel can be free from their idle braines for whatsoeuer is done by them either publike or priuate is by these censured and scourged And lastly they are pratlers for as they speake much so they speake much euill and all their talke is not only of some body How they are pratlers but against some body mingling things true and certaine with things vaine and vncertaine for they being ignorant busie themselues with those things to whose height their sense and vnderstanding cannot reach Now this Sect must needs be wicked and prodigious seeing they are begotten by such viperous monsters for Lying and The Parents of Calumniators Enuy are their Parents and Curiosity their Nurse for Lying aspires and animates Calumny without which it languisheth Lying their father for what Backbiter was there euer that contented himselfe with the truth in regard that so he hath no power to hurt for so hee should faile of his purposed end and therefore that they may wound the sorer they will not sticke to adde and attract others fame so that if there be any doubtfull speech or sentence they wil choose the worst sense and therefore as the Phisitions say of their cupping glasses that they draw out nothing but impure blood so I may truely say of a slanderer that hee neither attracts A Simile nor receiues any thing into him that is not euill And againe Enuy is their mother who in the malignant wombe of her wit conceiues and brings forth those impious infants Enuy their mother for they neuer seeke to defame meane and simple people but such as they see eminent in some extraordinary vertue or qualitie or in some other thing worthy of admiration And lastly Curiosity is their Nurse
to see how these good creatures are tormented which grosse cures bring a disgracefull blemish either by knotting want of hayre where it was burned or want of flesh to fill vp that empty place where it was cut away But is it no maruayle though they commit such grosse errors sith they haue no other iudgement then custome the nurse of ignorance hath indued them withall being led by imitation Custome is a deceiptfull teacher of their teachers not hauing any true naturall knowledge in the Horses disposition neither in the quality of the disease nor the cause thereof no nor the naturall operation of those simples they infuse to make either drinke or salue or oyntment more The cause of these errors then they read giuing credit to that without examining of it by due consideration or though they read yet doe not vnderstand but presumes to practise not knowing how to giue a proportion according to the operatiue quallity of the medicine or nature of the horse and thereby if they fayle they cloake their ignorance Theo. 3. with that he was so farre spent that he was vncurable before he came to their hands But howsoeuer these may deafe thâ— eares by sounding the alarum of their owne conceipts of such as haue no iudgement in a true march yet for the great loue and affection that I A charitable wish carry to these so seruiceable and worthy creatures I wish that they were either musterd out of this land to minister their tiranny vpon their enimies or that they would blow the coales of their darke knowledge with the bellowes of affection to warme and light their iudgement that the thicke mist of ignorance might be exhausted and so see their owne error for then they would see that to be a good Farrier desireth more time To be a skilfull Farrier is hard paine and knowledge then is iudged for finding the causes the qualities and to incorporate the things proportionably which things are as needfull to be knowne for the right cure of a horse as for a man Wherefore seeing this knowledge is so intricate if I should detect and lay open the abuses in particular and to show the causes of all sickenesse and diseases both naturall and accidentall with their approued cures I should be caught in such a Labyrinth as no Ariadne's thread could winde me out For though I am not altogether ignorant in some naturall causes nor how to giue proportion of compounds yet in regard I haue Farriers should haue knâ—wledge in the nature of simples not that knowledge in the true nature of simples as they should haue that are professors therein I will not insist much herevpon but summarily set down such receipts as I haue orally receiued from Maister Markeham and other approued good Farriers which in my own particular practise I haue found good and vncontrolable but aboue all I will here insert a little Tract written by that famous and renowned Italian Signior Dionigio Grilli Maister of the Stable to the most Illustrious Prince Alexander Cardinall Farnese which being neuer before this day Englished I thought good to inrich my country therewith especially so much as my selfe haue proued to be most good and perfit or that I haue collected out of Master Markehams works whom I haue followed as my master herein for as much as I haue approued them to deserue as great esteeme as any that I euer read or practised But here it may be objected that if I be so ignorant in the Obiection knowledge of the nature of simples I may be condemned of insolency with the former tancke in vndertaking to censure of other mens iudgements in that thing I haue no knowledge I answere that if I should compare my knowledge with Answer theirs I am not much inferior as concerning a generall knowledge for I know and can say that the fire is hot and dry and the water cold and moist and that such an herbe is hot or moyst in the first second or third degree c. yet for particular iudgement A generall knowledge is but flowing except it can apply particularly to show in what quantity they are so and how much they differ in what different quantity in each seuerall degree to make a compound agreeing to the nature of the Horse and so to apply particularly in these I say I haue small iudement for that which is spoken of in generall is not spoken to any in particular And therefore though I haue not so much iudgement as to make a true particular application yet I haue so much knowledge as to feele my owne ignorance and to see how farre I am from the knowledge thereof and so likewise the iudgement of many men by the operation and effect of their potions and salues But heerein conceiue me so as not curiously to desire such an exact and absolute iudgement in them as to apply so farre as they haue any naturall quality in healing for that is impossible it being onely proper to God and hid from man through depraued Knowledge for else hee might distill such a quintesence out of such hearbes and weeds as the earth nourisheth as would preserue life ad infinitum for God made all things vpon the earth for mans good and therefore no sore though neuer so mortall but there was a preseruatiue herbe and so would haue continued if Adam had not brought ignorance to his posterity and death as the wages of sinne By means of which ignorance neither Hipocrates nor Galen themselues could euer attaine to the absolute and true quality Hipocrates and Galen were subiect to error in euery degree and part of any one simple much lesse in all those they haue written of but yet hauing writ so learnedly and iudiciously as none in our age can confute them wee must comparatiuely reuerence and yeeld to them in as much as it hath pleased God to bestow on them such extraordinary vnderstanding therein as may giue some light to our darke iudgements and yet not to thinke them absolute because we cannot confute them in regard it hath pleased God to cast vs out of the Paradice of knowledge lest we should haue the benefit of them and liue for euer But to persist whereas most haue set forth so many seuerall Man is shut out of the Paradise of knowledge cures as there are diseases nay oftentimes three or foure receipts for one disease that may argue a weakenesse in iudgement in the cause or a doubtfulnesse of their effectuall operations in their qualities Therefore I will content my selfe onely with a few knowing that one receipt hath cured halfe a dozen diseases that are not so farre differing in quality as in their Diseases are not so much differing in quality as in name names and refer those that desire to haue varieties for practise vpon seuerall horses to Mr. Markhams Maister-Peece where is not onely carefully collected his owne experience but also the
obedience then any 1 Pr. 30.f. of the former because they force the body onely and the wind is kept fresh to work according to the appetite when the body is set free from those bonds wherein it was tyed and which did Theo. 34. a. so trouble him that he could take no delight whereby his appetite commanding his winde and his winde his body so soone as he feeleth himselfe at liberty his body will follow the inclination of his desire For as the whole man is composed of soule and body and all his voluntary actions are according to the heart whether good or euill whereby what wickednesse soeuer the body doth Theo. 30.c. it doth first proceed from the heart Euen so the whole horse consisteth of his sensitiue soule and body and all his voluntary A Simile actions proceed from his appetite or desire and thereby what restiffe quality soeuer any horse showeth it first commeth from Theo. 35. a. them and therefore whatsoeuer the body doth except the the whole Horse agree in one it is but counterfeite or a shadow But the deepe earths if they worke much mischiefe it is in Theo. 28.d. 1. Pra. 28. d. their abuse for they are good in diuers respects for by them the whole horse may bee brought to agree in one for if he be so stubborne that hee will not yeeld his winde to moue with a 1. Pra. 23.f. his body the present putting him vpon them will cause him to slake his winde and then the present liberty againe of the 28.f. hand and changing him from them will make him feele such ease in his going that hee will worke more easily and delightfully And further besides the ioyning of the inward and outward b For what errors deepe earths are good parts in action they are good to reforme many disorders in the carriage of his body and the staying of his head and handling of his legges if they bee vsed no further then the correctiue part otherwise they may bee abused as drinke is good in its vse but if it be abused it causeth drunkennesse For if your Horse bee so tickle mouthed that you cannot make him stand to your hand by any meanes vpon the euen ground and so become lash-bodied that he either beat himselfe afore or shake his buttocks the deepe earths will establish them both by vsing him thereon till hee finde that sleight to let his winde go with the time of his bodyes motion or if hee strike short in his pace and chafe himselfe they will bring him to step more largely and ride coolely if hee be vsed vpon them Theo. 28. d. as afore or if he lift his fore-feet too hye by his eager desire or carry them so low that hee is subiect to stumble by his slow and vnwilling desire the deepe earths will reforme both these although they seeme contraries but yet they are not so for they are in diuersity and so the diuers vse of the hand according to the willingnesse or vnwillingnesse of the windes passage will amend them for if hee lift too hie then vse the c 1 Pra. 28.b. Head-straine more but if too low then the trench as I haue showne afore for a trotter Thus the deepe earths although they are hurtfull by too much toyling you see are manifold in their vse and are better to helpe him that hath not facility in his hand and seate then heauy shoes because they may be taken or left at pleasure for they bring the inward parts to subiection and help to bring a Horse to a very gracefull pace if the hand be truely tempered and the body haue apt motiues answerable as hereafter I will show And thus much in briefe for the generall vse of them but for further particular application I omit because the benefit may be better vnderstood by practice then demonstration Theo. 28 e and in that I haue spoken thereof afore which must be applied according to the disposition of the Horse by the discretion of the man for you must consider that they being still one and the same they worke but one and the same thing of themselues but the variety must proceed from application CHAP. 33. Of the abuse of the hand ANd in like manner as the grounds are good in their vse and bad in abuse euen so also is the hand whereby it is Theo. 28. â— held very comtemptible with the most and so is made a stale to bring in other sinister helpes which they invented because they could neuer finde the vse thereof and so it is almost Theo. 3â— held to be without vse like Esops Cocke which preferred a Barly-corne before a pretious Stone preferring his appetite before a It neede no moralizing the application is plaine the esteeme of such a rich Iewell But as the sweetest Rose is soonest subiect to Canker and the Moth doth soonest breed within the finest Cloth euen so abuse is soonest wrought by this for that it is nearest the truth which ignorance doth most pollute and through that abuse doth spiring a world of mischiefes Theo. 3.n. as displacing his head deading and gauling of the mouth loose body treading short and trifling and many other But againe in its right vse if all the other inuentions should ioyne in one they were not able to abide the censure when they shall be tried by the effect in making a true going Horse For although Theo. 4. there may be many inuentions and diuerse sorts of Horses going yet there is but one truth and one kind of well going and that I dare affirme hauing found it by practise is onely the hand for by it a Horse may be refined to goe so easily and comly that the finest Lady may make his backe her Cradle to Lull her tender selfe a sleepe Now whereas the hand may be abused diuers and sundry waies yet it is chiefly from these foure causes First in that hee b Foure things were in the hand are chiefly abused is put to his Pace before hee know how to goe forward by the motions of the body or to stoppe by the helpe of the hand and this is a generall euill almost in all sorts of Horses in that they 1. Pr. 23. a. are suffered to goe after their owne will but not according to 1 order for I my selfe hauing many horses comming to my hands cannot finde one amongst a hundred of what age soeuer that is taught to stoppe and goe orderly forward as he should for as spelling is the true ground of reading so are these two stopping and going orderly the true ground of all riding Secondly it 2 is abused in the true placing of the Horses body for when hee is put to his pace before hee can tell how to carry it aptly for the same hee cannot be brought to it but by great violence for they fall straight to such improper motions that all the extremities Theo. 14.e.
they can vse are not able to make him yeeld his body for that one man is not able by strength to deale with a Horse which abuse is the cause of all other inuentions besides the torturing Theo. 3. of his mouth with hayling and gagging it and yet if hee be caused to Pace by this it is so vgely that it much darkeneth Theo. 4. the Art and disgraceth the Horse for as a Child that learneth to write can neuer write well though neuer so fast except A Simile he can tell how to hold his pen breake his letters and Ioyne distinctly so a Horse can neuer Pace well except his body be truely placed to goe orderly and vse his legges truely Thirdly it is abused by shortnesse of time for when they see 3 that hee will not come to his Pace so speedely as they expect then passion doth stirre vp their will and so force him to Theo. 3. p. that in three daies which would aske three weekes nay in some Theo. 8 9. 10 Horses very neare three months whereby the Horse is driuen into such amazement by torturing of the mouth and massacaring him with corrections that it increaseth by-thoughts in his Theo. 11.d. minde and so seeketh to ease and free him-selfe by some restife qualitie not hauing time either to conceiue what hee should doe or to haue liberty to goe as he should but such teachers are more fit for bedlam to bee gouerned themselues then to haue the tuition and gouernment of others And lastly the abuse hereof is in not proportionating of helpes and corrections according to the disposition of the 4 Horse for if through anger he exceed in correcting more then the quallity of the offence then the Horse will become senselesse Theo. 38. ◠in the mouth the corrections being sharper then the trench and so fall to runne away or show other iadish tricke and this point is the hardest but yet the very sinewes of all the parts of Horsemanshippe for if a man can truely iudge of Note here the onely glory of a Horseman the disposition of the Horse whether he be gentle or dogged sadde or free and so from those two extreames to know how much he doth participate of either of thē for euery horse doth vary one from another more or lesse therein and after their inclinations Theo. 29. a. vse the like proportion in his helpes and corrections without doubt hee may bee bould to effect any lesson by the hand better then by any other meanes whatsoeuer and so Theo. 10. ◠consequently bring a Horse to a far more excellent Pace And therefore the want of knowledge of this true ground hath made such an inundation of errors that the most haue drowned themselues in the waues of imitation whereby they haue made Shipwracke of the poore Horse to the great disgrace of the Art for by these meanes ariseth such a mutiny within themselues that the strong hold of truth it beat downe whereby vsurped inuentions doe raigne as tirants and so they change Art in making the subiect an adiunct in that they hold it cannot worke of it selfe except it be supported with some other lesse needfull coniunct CHAP. 34. Obseruations for the bringing your Colt to his Pace by the Hand THus hauing gone through the laboriousest part of this Art which is to detect and lay open the errors which are crept into it through the abuse and ignorance of men and in producing Read the Theo Part. the causes thereof I will now likewise set forth how you may bring your Horse to a faire and commendable Pace by the hand and keepe him free from any disaster or euill quality But because your selfe must be the chiefe efficient herein I will first prescribe what you must obserue whereby you may the more truely and easiy effect what you desire And therefore first obserue to carry your body very steddily 1 Theo. 12. and firme from your middle vpward with your elbowes close to your sides both to helpe to keepe your owne body steddy your hands firme for checking his mouth too much for deading it holding them a full handfull distance and also it will help mightily in the knitting your Horses body Secondly you 2 must obserue to helpe him in his stroke by keeping the same time of mouing in your seate as you would haue your Horse to keepe in his going but this must be limited according to your Theo. 13. discretion for words cannot expresse it neither must it be according to the Horses desire altogether for then it will cause Theo. 19. 20. some to be too slow whereby they will goe hard and in other some too quicke whereby they will make many feete but yet make no way Now because there is a two-fould motion in the seat vsed Of motion in the seate being of two sorts the one direct forward and the other indirect as mouing first from one buttocke and then to the other and so in like manner the whole body correcting the Horse first on one side in the The direct motion mouth and then on the other I will show which of them I haue found best by my experience and how they may be both applied And first of the direct motion I hold it is the best for most Horses but especiallie for those which are more sadde and dull for the euen mouing forward of your body and the ierting forward of your feet in the stirrops will cause all the parts of his body to goe so euen and iustlie together that hee shall feele farre the more sleight and easie in his going if he be not daunted too much with the hand But the indirect motion I The indirect motion cannot approue so well except it be at the first entring of horses to their stroke which are so forward in going that they will not take time to moue their bodies orderly and that are such strict Trotters that they haue no inclination to moue their fall Theo. 4. ◠side aptly for a Pace and then for such if you vse the mouing first of one buttocke and then of the other to cause them moue their sides by the like time it will make them sooner finde the sleight of that manner in going but then you must be carefull to vse your hands still to helpe him forward in the euen motion for that will make him carrie his fore-parts more comely which so soone as you feele him to set close then you must leaue Note that motion and vse the former to make him strike forward orderly with his whole bodie for if you should vse that as a continuall motion and vse all your bodie in like manner and your hands to correct him in the mouth first on one side and then Theo. 36 ◠27. a. on the other it will spoile his mouth displace his head and cause him to carrie it very vncertainlie first on one side