you may candy all manner oâ— Roots Flowers or any thing else Now if you find any difficultie either in the making or the procuring of these Midicines before shewed or that the Infirmitie not being great or dangerous you thinke a Medicine of lesse force and easier to compasse will accomplish it Then you shall take of the Sirrup of Coltsfoot an ounce of the fine Powder of Elicampane of Aniseeds and of Licoras of each halfe an ounce of browne Sugar Candy an ounce deuided into two parts then with as much sweet Butter as will suffice worke all the former Powders and one part or halfe of the Sugar Candy and all the Sirrup into a stiffe Paste then diuide it into two or three Bals and role them into a round forme or the fashion of an Egge and after role them all ouer in the other halfe or part of the Sugar Candy and then giue this whole quantitie at one time to the Horse in the manner of a Pill and giue them in the morning fasting then ride the Horse halfe an houre after the giuing and let him fast two howres at the least after he commeth in and let him be warme cloathed and stopt and his Limbes and Body well rubbed especially his Head Let him by no meanes drinke any cold Water but so as he may haue exercise after it and let his exercise be moderate and not violent let his Hay be a little sprinkled with Water his Oates with Beere or Ale as for bread it is of it selfe moyst enough and let all his meat generally be well dusted sifted or chipped for nothing is more offenciue then foulenesse and drynesse nor more comfortable then cleannesse prouided that your Corne be not greene and vnsweet in the Mow or Reeke your Bread new nor your Hay vnsweete or rotten Thus you shall doe not for one morning or two but for diuerse till you find amendment neither shall you spare any trauell or occasion but haue medicine about you vse it in your iournying for this doth not take away anything to weaken Nature but addes to the force thereof and makes the Body a great deale more able An excellent Scowring after any sore Heate or for any Horse after his exercise TAke a quart of good Sacke and set it on the fire in a Bason or open Skillet and when it is warme take an ounce of the clearest Rosen and bruise it exceeding small then by degrees little after a little put it into the Sacke and stirre it fast about for feare of clotting and when the Sacke and it is incorporated then take it from the fire and put thereto halfe a pint of the best Sallet Oyle and in the cooling stirr them all well together then lastly take an ounce of the browne Sugar Candy beaten to Powder and put it in also and being lukewarme giue it to the Horse in the height of his heat as soone as you come home from exercise then rub hard cloath warme and let him fast at least two howres after but yet depart not your selfe or some deputie for you out of the Stable but stay and keepe the Horse stirring and waking partly by extraordinarie noyse and clamour and partly by action about him or making him moue vp and downe as he standeth for there is nothing more hurtfull to the Horse or the working of the Medicine then sleepe stilnesse and rest and nothing better or more auailable to the working of the Medicine then action or motion for they make the spirits worke and stirre vp those humours which should be remoued when rest keepes the spirits dull and the humours so inclosed and reserued that Nature hath nothing to worke vpon Whensoeuer you giue any scowring be sure that day to giue no cold water after it for it is binding and knitteth and detayneth that foulnes which the Scowring should take away Thus you see how to giue a Scowring in the proper and due time But if now either through Errour Ignorance or Imagination that your Horse is so cleane that he needeth no Scowring as I know many of opinion that Scowrings are idle vnnecessarie things and not to be vsed at all yet your Horse hauing his Grease molten and no course taken for the auoyding therof you find he droopeth and languisheth as of force the â—horse must doe and experience daily shewes it vs. For the opinion that Scowrings are vnprofitable is friuolous and idle In this case vpon the first apprehension of the euill you shall giue the Horse a sweet Mash in the Euening which is in the same nature and of the same quallitie that a Preparatiue is before a Purgation Then the next morning very early mount his back and â—n some conuenient peece of ground giue your Horse a gentle heat I doe not meane that you shal run him furiously or violently but to gallop him gently neither to heat him through the extremitie of sudden and sharpe labour but to warme him kindly through the continuance of moderate exercise Nor would I haue you to melt his Grease anew but only to loosen and stirre vp that which was before molten Your exercise being finished doe not alight from his back suddenly but rub him as you sit on his backe and so bring him home then presently hauing the Scowring ready as soone as you are alighted giue it him lukewarme then rub him dry cloathe and stop him very warme and then in all other things doâ— as hath beene before declared For any dangerous Bots Maw wormes or poysoned Red Wormes TAke as much precipitate which is Mercury Calsoynd as will gently lye vpon a Siluer Twopence and lay it in a peece of sweete Butter almost as big as an Hens Egge in the manner of a Pill and then in the morning fasting the Horse hauing stood all night on the Mussell or at the emptie Rack if it be possible or otherwise if the extremity of the disease compell you at any other time draw forth the Horses Tongue and make him swallow downe the Pill then chafe him a little vp and downe and after set him vp warme making him fast full two howres after and it will kill all manner of Wormes whatsoeuer Yet in the administration hereof you must be wondrous circumspect and carefull for in the Precipitate there is a strong poysonous quality so that by no meanes there must be taken more then is prescribed except with good caution Againe if you mixe the Precipitate with a little sweet Butter as much as an Hazell Nut before you lap it vp in the great lumpe of Butter it well not be worse but better and it will allay much of the euill qualitie But this I leaue to your owne discretion assuring you that there is not any thing comparable to this for this infirmitie For Gourded or foule sweld Legges or other parts by reason of melting the Grease or other Accident FIrst with a Fleame pricke the parts that are swelled then take a pint of Wine lees an ounce of
Markhams FAITHFVLL FARRIER Wherein the depth of his Skill is layd open in all those principall and approued Secrets of Horsemanship which the Author neuer published but hath kept in his Brest and hath beene the Glory of his Practise Printed at London by T. C. for Michael Sparke dwelling in Greene Arbor and are to be sold by RICH ROYSTON at his shop in Iuie Lane 16â—0 To the Reader or Buyer of this Booke IT is a true saying Tempus omnia terminat So I Gentle Reader hauing gained experience all my life to these present dayes wherein I am ready to creepe into the earth willing now at the important request of my best Friends haue yeelded myselfe to lay the Glorie of my Skill in Horsemanship open to the World And hauing kept secret in the Cabinet of my Brest these Secrets by which I haue gained from many a Noble person many a fayre pound I now bestow it vpon thee for the value of Foure Pence It may bee some will account mee a Foole in print for disclosing my Secrets but I euer regarded the life of a worthy Horse before the Word of a Foole. For bee thou Noble or what else this here I doe is for thy Good If you take pleasure either in an Horse to Hunt or for the Warre or for the Race or for to Draw or a Hackney come hither buy see and welcome Take my opinion and thou shalt finde in this my honest Faithfull Farryer a Shoppe of Skill for thee to view Let this bee thy Doctor and thy Druggist Let this be thy Instructer and Director I hope that no good minded Farryer will be greeued with me because I giue insight to the Master of the Horse For if thy House were on fire why shouldest thou run to fetch thy Neighbours Water to quench it when thine owne is neerer at hand So if the Horses Owner know by this Booke how to saue the life of his Horse why should he either ride or run to the Farryer But it may bee euerie Owner of an Horse will not buy a Booke It matters not if but euery Farryer haue one and but that one in a Towne I doubt not but with making vse of that one many a Man shall saue the life of his Beast Come therefore and reade these Secrets which cost me Paines Studie Practise and Labour All which hath cost mee Trouble for thy Ease This shall bee thy Pleasure which hath beene my Toyle It shall bee thy Profit which hath beene my Trouble And this shall bee thy Faithfull Farryer and Inctructer For what Creature canst thou name more necessarie than the Horse and what more helpefull at a time of need For were wee without Horse in what a strait should wee bee in hee being our best Seruant both in Warre and Peace and of that inestimable value that hee makes a Man proud of his seruice Now if an Horse be such a profitable Seruant for Man let vs then respect the meanes that God hath giuen vs for his Cure For here is a Schoole of Skill for thy knowledge First How to make choyse of a good Horse Secondly what Countrey Horse is the most fit for thy vse Either for seruice in Martiall or Warlike imployment or for Swiftnesse or for Long trauell or for Draught or for Coach or for Cart or for Packe or any other Burthen This shalt thou find here in as ample manner as if thou wert an old Master in Smithfield And this shall bee my Glorie euen as long as I liue that I haue liued to leaue this my last and best Worke to the World and to them which will not liue to see it buried in Obliuion But mee thinkes I here some Momus say That the old Captaine was vnaduised to put this in print which hee euer kept as a rare Secret and it is true Veritas odium parit But I reply Tempus omnia terminat And though I had promised to my selfe neuer to haue published this worke yet being so continually importuned to print it I was forced to yeeld though I had promised the contrarie And let this excuse mee to those Noble persons whose bountie I haue felt that for them I was the willinger to publish it in print while I liued fearing that after my death my then Fatherlesse Child might get a new name But now I leaue this being begot in my old age to all Noble Worthy Gentlemen and when they looke not after him to the Faithfull Farryer to be cherished and to be knowne by the name of Captaine GERVAS MARKHAMS last and best Labours The Contents of this BOOKE OBseruations in the electing of Horses and what Countrey Horse is for what vse Folio 1 The occasions of inward Sicknesses and Accidents which happen vpon those occasions 4 The signes of inward Sicknesses 7 The curing of any Heart sicknesse or Head sicknesse or any ordinarie inward sicknesse 21 To cure any violent Sicknesse if the Horse be at the very poynt and doore of death 41 The preuenting of all inward Sicknesses 50 Two sorts of Bals to cure any violent Cold or Glaunders to preuent Heart sicknesse to purge away all molten Grease to recouer a lost Stomacke and to keepe the Heart from fainting with exercise and to make a leane Horse fat suddenly 55 Another way how to fatten an Horse suddainly 60 How to keepe an Horse or Iade from tyring 62 Another Receipt against tyring or for any sore or dangerous Cold. 64 Another Receipt for any extraordinary Cold dry Cough or Pursicknesse in an Horse which the weake Farriers call Broken-winded 66 An excellent Scowring after any sore Heate or for any fat Horse after his exercise 74 For any dangerous Bots Mawwormes or poysoned Red Wormes 78 For Gourded or foule sweld Legges or other parts by reason of melting the Grease or other Accident 80 To hoale or dry vp any old Vlcer or cankerous Sore 84 To cure the running Frush or any Impostumation in the soale of the Foot to dry vp Scratches Paines and the like cankerous Sores 86 For any sore Eye of Horse or Beast 88 For a Backe-sinew strayne or any other Strayne 90 For any old Strayne or lamenesse in loynts Synewes c. 91 For any griefe payne numbnesse weaknesse or swelling in loynts and commeth of a cold cause 92 For any desperate and incurable straine in the Shoulder or other hidden parts for any Fistula Polle-euill or other Impostumation or swelling 93 For Foundering Frettizing or any Imperfection in the Feet or Hoofes of an Horse 96 For hurts vpon the Crownets of the Hoofes as Ouerreach Stub or Pricqe c. 99 How to helpe Surbating or sorenesse in the Feet 101 For any Bony excression arysing vpon any member of an Horse as Splint Spanen Curbe Ringbone c. 102 Obseruations in giuing of Fire or vsing of Corosines which heale all sorts of Farcies Cankers Fislulas Leprosies Maungees Scabs c. 103 How to defend a horse from flyes 104 How to make a white Starre
the Malt exceeding hard and so giue it him with an Horne to drinke then take the Graines which you haue so strained and put them in the Manger before the Horse on which whether he feed or no it matters not for if he but smell and snuffell his nose vpon them it is sufficient and the fume thereof is wonderous wholsome for his head After you haue thus giuen him his Mash you shall see that he be very warmely cloathed as namely a good woollen Body-Cloath to come round about his heart a large Cloath or two to come ouer it and to be well wispt round about with soft thicke and large wispes for the little hard and neat wispes though they are comly to the eye yet are they vnwholsome for the body for their hardnesse and smalnesse makes an impression into the Horses sides and causeth him forbeare to lye downe when Nature and rest requireth it The Horse being thus warmely cloathed as aforesaid and with a very warme Brest-cloath before his breast for that is an especiall part to keepe warme you shall then cause one or two to rub all his foure Legs from his Knees Cambrels downward with very hard wispes and to rub them so hard as may be and whilst his limbes are thus in rubbing you shall take a course rubber or two made of new harden or hempen Cloth and warming one after another ouer a pan of Coales with them rub the Horse exceeding much in the nape of the Necke or the Polle iust betweene his Eares and on the Temples of the Head for there is nothing more wholesome than these frictions and chafings for they dissolue humours reuiue all naturall heat bring a cheerfull nimblenesse into the â—limbes and purge the head of all grosse cold and tough matter cleansing and purifying the Brayne by which the members and other faculties are fortified and the whole Body reduced backe to its first strength and abillitie As soone as you haue ended this action of rubbing you may then let the Horse take his rest for two or three howres and onely leaue a locke or two of sweete Hay in his Racke and no more for the least quantitie of any things too much soone cloyeth a sicke Horse In the Euening you shall come to the Horse againe and hauing rubbed all his limbes and head as was before shewed you shall then perfume his head in this manner Take of the best and purest Oliâ—anum an ounce then as much Storax and as much Beniamin and bruise all them together I doe not meane bruise them to small powder but onely breake them into small lumpes and mixe them well together so that taking them vp betweene your fingers you may not take vp one ingredient alone but some of all Then take a Chafing-dish and if it be possible a Chafing-dish after the manner of the perfuming Chafingdish which is wide below where the fire is and narrow at the top where the smoake auoydeth and in this Chafingdish put well kindled Wood cole or small Charcoale then take some of the aforesad perfume and lay it vpon the Coales but in any wise so as it may not flame but smoake then hold the Chafingdish vnder the Horses nose and let the smoake goe vp into his Nostrils and thus perfume him well for the space of a quarter of an howre or halfe an howre at the most Now it may be the Horse may seeme coy to receiue this at the first because it is strange vnto him but doe you continue the action and cherish him for be you well assured after he hath once receiued the smell into the head hee will be as greedy to haue it as you are willing to giue it for there is nothing that delighteth an Horse more or more reioyceth his spirits than sweet sauors and odoriferous smells of which this perfume is one of the cheefest The effect which this perfume worketh is that it purgeth the Brayne of all filthy and corrupt matter and as you shall find by experience in the working it dissolues tough matter into water and brings it away in such abundance that it is sometimes ready to extinguish the fire as it falleth It is the greatest comforter of the Braine that can be and from thence sendeth such cheerefullnesse to the heart that it reioyceth the whole body There are diuers other perfumes which weake Farriers vse in this case as namely wet Hay or rotten Litter and putting a burning Coale therein giue the smoake to the Horse But this is a stinking sauor and no perfume and although it make the Horse snoare and neese and so you may imagin it auoydeth fowle matter yet it is nothing so but it offendeth both his Brayne and stomacke and by the noysomenesse of the smell dulleth and weakeneth the spirits and rather ingendereth infection than any way abateth infirmitie for from rottennesse there can but rottennesse proceed Next there is the Perfume of Brimstone either simple of it selfe and put vpon the fire or else compound with another body as Butter Oyle or the like and so thrust vp into the Horses nostrils This I must needes confesse is a sharpe Perfume and euacuateth much foule matter and dissolueth the thickest matter into thin water But yet you must know that there is in this Sulphure or Brimstone a certaine earthy and poysonous quallity which not onely doth offend the vitall parts but is also most malignant and iniurious both to the eyes of Man and Beast so that like Margery Goodcowe if it haue one vertue yet two vices attend it Then there are the Perfumes of the Stalkes of Onions Garlicke Leekes Mustard-seed and the like or the Perfume of the Fruits themselues either burnt or boyld Buâ— these are also great enemies to the eyes of an Horse so that I can by no meanes allow them especially foâ— this reason becase that generally all these inward sicknesses in Horseâ— doe most of all afflict the head anâ— eyes to which these things are enemies Also there is the Perfume oâ— Wheat Peniroyall Sage boyld tilâ— the Wheat burst and so put it into aâ— Bagge fastened about the Horseâ— nose This I must confesse is the best of many yet it is much toâ— weake for a strong infirmitie and the Penirâ—yall hath a bitternesse that is offensiue As these so I could nominate diuerse others but none so excellent as the first of all prescribed and therefore to it I referre you After your Horse hath been welâ— perfumed as beforesaid you shall let him rest for a quarter of an howre and then giue him such food as he wil eat either Bread or Oates of which how little soeuer he eateth it skils not for it is to be intended that his stomacke is now at the weakest After he is fed you shall tosse vp his Litter for you must know that he must stand vpon Litter Night and Day and then if need be giue him more Litter and but a locke or handfull of Hay that you may be
it all ouer the Horses backe and body you shall find it wonderfull wholsome for it comforteth the body cleareth the skin and breedeth a reioycing in all the Horses vitall parts Now if you haue no determination to put your horse to grasse and yet you wold preuent inward sicknesse then you shall obserue once in two or three moneths when you haue the best leasure to rest your Horse after it not to fayle to giue your Horse Muskadine Diapente or Muskadine horse Methridate as was before shewed and not to let blood at all for this verie Potion is the greatest purger and purifier of the blood that can be and auoideth all that yellow cholericke matter and other euill and vndigested humors whrch corrupt the blood Now you are to obserue here that although I only prescribe Muskadine wherein you shall dissolue your Powder or Methridate yet know that when you cannot get Muskadine or other sweet Wine that then you may take strong Ale or Beere but in greater quantitie for as you take but a pint an halfe of Wine you shall take of Beere or Ale a full Ale quart as for the pouder or Methridate you shal keep the first quantitie already prescribed and if you warme your Beere or Ale a little on the fire it will not be amisse but better yet that I referre to your owne discretion Now to take sicknesse at the first approach and to preuent it that it arise not to any great danger you shall by all meanes obserue to looke well into the occasions of sicknesses which are already shewed and into the signes of those occasions and if you finde your selfe guilty of any of those occasions or that the Horse discouereth any of the former signs then presently let the Horse blood and three seuerall mornings after giue him the Drinke or Potion before prescribed and vndoubtedly it will preuent all the force of sicknes and restore the Horse to his former strength and good estate of Body And thus much of all inward sicknesses and their preuenâ—â—on Two sorts of Bals to â—â—re any violent Cold or Glaunders to preuent Heart-sicknesse to purge away all molten Grease to recouer a lost Stomacke and to keepe the Heart from fainting with exercise and to make a leane Horse fat suddenly TAke of Aniseeds of Cominseeds of Fenegreekeseedes of Canthamus seeds of the Powder of Elicampane roots of each 2. ounces beate them and â—earse them to a very fine Powder then adde to them one ounce of the flower of Bâ—imstone then take an ounce of the best Iuice of Licoras and dissolue it in halfe a pint of White wine which done take an ounce of the Oyle of Aniseeds and as much of the Surrup of Coltsfoot then of Sallet oile and of fine Life Hony of each halfe a pint then mixe all this with the former Powders and with as much fine Wheat flower as will binde knit them altogether then worke them into a stiffe Paste and make thereof Bals somewhat bigger then French walnuts and so keepe them in a close Gally por for they will last all the yeere when you haue occasion to vse them take one and anoynt it al ouer with sweet Butter and so giue the Horse euerie morning one in the manner of a Pil and ryde him a little after it if you please otherwise you may chuse then feed and water him abroad or at home according to your vsuall custome and thus doe if it bee to preuent sicknâ—sse for three or foure mornings together but if it bee to take away infirmity then vse it at least a weeke or more if it be to take away molten Grease or foulnesse then instantly after his heate and in his heat onely but if it bee to fatten a Horse then vse it at least a fortnight or more Now if you find any difficulty in the giuing of it as Pils you may then at your pleasure dissolue one of these Bals either into sweete Wine Beere or Ale and so giue it the Horse to drinke with an Horne But if it be to fatten and to take away infirmity as the running Glanders or such like then besides these Bals you shall make you these second Bals. Take of Wheat flowre six pound or more as shall suffice to make stiffe the Paste then take of Aniseeds of Cominseeds of Canthumus of Fenegreeke of ordinary Brimstone of each two ounces of Salet Oyle a pint of Honey a pound and a halfe of White wine a pottel beat the hard simples to a fine powder and â—earse them then with the rest make them into a stiffe Past Then of this Paste take a Ball as bigge as a Mans fist and dissolue it in two or three gallons of cleere cold running water by washing and lauing the Paste therein and so giue it the Horse to drinke at his ordinary watring times or at any other time when he is disposed to drinke for he cannot drinke too much of this water then ride and warme him a little after it Then when the water is spent doe not cast away the bottome but filling the Vessell vp againe with new fresh water dissolue another Ball therein and thus do foureteene dayes together at the least and you shall see wonderfull effects arise thereof This Water scowreth cleanseth and feedeth in admirable manner And the other lesser Bals first spoken of purge the stomacke and intrayles of all foulnesse auoydeth molten Grease and fortifieth Nature so powerfully that it leaues no euill in the Body And this small Ball if it were for my life would I giue to an Horse immediately vpon his drawing forth if hee went either to run to hunt or vse any violent or extreme labour Annther way how to fatten a Horse suddainly THere is another way to fatten an Horse suddainly but not better then that before shewed yet this I haue found both good and certaine and therefore I refere it to your owne discretion Take of Elicampane of Comimseeds of Turmericke of Aniseeds of each two ounces of Groundsell an handfull boyle all these verie well with three Heads of Garleeke cleansed and stamped in a gallon of strong Ale then strayne it well and giue the Horse a quart to drinke lukewarme in the morning fasting then ride him till he be warme then â—et him vp warme and thus doe for foure or fiue mornings and then turne the Horse to grasse if the time of the yeere be sutable therefore and he will feed wonderfully and suddainly But if the time of the yeere serue not for Grasse then you shall keepe him in the House and ouer and besides the drinke before shewed you shall take the fine Powder of Elicampane the fine Powder of Cominseeds of each a like quantitie mixe them well together then euerie time you giue your Horse Prouender which would be at least thrice a day as morning noone and night Take halfe an ounce of this Powder and sprinkle it by little and little into his prouender for