to draw blood from any of the Members governed by any of the Celestial Signs when the Moon enters into that Sign whereby the Member is governed that they intend to take blood from because at that time that particular part of the body will abound with humidity which might occasion some extraordinary defluction of humors upon it and to know exactly what Signs which in the Almanacks and other Astronomical Books are commonly marked with the following Characters govern such and such Members you are to remember that Aries ♈ governs the Head Taurus ♉ the Neck and Throat Gemini ♊ the fore Thighs and Legs Cancer ♋ the Counter or Breast Leo ♌ the Heart Virgo â™ the Belly and Guts Libra ♎ the Back and Reins Scorpio â™ the Privy-parts Sagittarius â™ the Thighs Capricornus ♑ the Knees and Hams Aquarius â™’ the Bones of the Legs and Shanks and Pisces ♓ the Feet of both the hind and fore Parts in Rhyme thus Aries Head Taurus Neck Gemini Arms require Cancer Breast Leo Heart Virgo Guts desire Libra Loins Scorpio Secrets Sagitarius Thighs Capricorn Knees Aquarius Legs and Pisces Feet supplies But without having regard to these Observations whose Foundations may be debated People don't scruple when necessity requires to act without consulting the Constellations although without an urgent necessity they should not Now Horses have a great many Veins through their whole body which may be seen in the Anatomy Del Segnior Carlo Ruini printed at Venice and in Mr. Snaps Anatomy of a Horse in English But People most commonly blood them in the Jugular Veins which lye in each side of the neck near to the throat they blood them there for prevention but it should never be done when the Moon is in Taurus ♉ this being observed as much as possible a Horse may be bled in that part for several Diseases as I have already told you to wit for the Farcy Mange Diseases of Repletion or too great abundance of Blood and many others People take blood from the Temples for the infirmities in the Eyes occasioned by accident if the Moon be not in Aries ♈ these Infirmities must proceed from strokes bites or blows and then the Veins in those parts are to be opened with a smal Lance. Horses are bled beneath the Tongue for Head-akes or for being disgusted and over-heated by excessive Labour or for Colicks and the Vives people have a little Lance made purposly for opening the Veins in that part They also bleed Horses in the Gristle of the Nose by strikeing it through with an Awl or Botkin without regarding whether they hit the Vein or not and that for Colicks Vives and for being very much overheated by excessive rideing As also in the middle of the Palate above the fourth Bar when a Horse is disgusted they bleed them in this part more conveniently with a Lance than with a Horn although people commonly term it the strikeing a Horse in the Palate with a Horn it is good for Horses which are dull harassed and overheated This bleeding in the Palate is many times practised with a great deal of success by persons who know not why they do it They give to their Horses every first Tuesday of the Month a stroke in the Palate with a Lance or sharp Horn in French un Coup de Corne and then cause receive the blood amongst a measure of bran which the Horse afterwards eats and these Horses which are thus ordered are observed to thrive extraordinarly I know no reason for this only experience hath discovered to me that the practice of it is pretty good although I am altogether ignorant of its cause If it happen that your Horse lose too much blood by a stroke thus given him in the Palate you are to raise his head very high by tying a cord about his upper fore-teeth as if you were going to give him a drench and then the blooding will stop of its own accord I saw once a Horse who dyed of a stroke thus given him in the Palate with a sharp horn and whereof they could not stop the blooding neither with Vitriol nor with a button of fire or any thing else they could apply so that the Horse lost all his blood and dyed I have since fallen upon a Remedy that would have saved him and wâ—â— is but a triffle Take the half of a Walnut-shell and applying the hollow iâ— of it to the orifice of the Wound press it a little hard upon it and so hold it for quarter of an hour after which the shell will stick of its own accord and so 〈◊〉 the blood which perhaps no other remedy could have done People also take blood from the Basilsck or fore-thigh vein for strains in the should or when the Mange is in those parts but this is very rarely done and when it is must be observed that the Moon be neither in the Sign of Gemins II nor Cancer 〈◊〉 and when it is taken from these Veins it is commonly with Fleems and not with Lance. They take blood from the Pasterns for strains infirmities in the Hams and Kâ—â—â— observing that the Moon be not in Aquarius 〈◊〉 it is taken from those parts 〈◊〉 with a Fleem or Lance as a man hath a mind for it Horses are let blood of in the Toes for beating in the Feet infirmities of the Leâ— such as swellings and oppression of the Nerves c. providing that the Moon be 〈◊〉 in Pisces ♓ it is taken in this part with the Butteris or drawing Iron They are bled in the Flanks for Colicks and other pains in the Belly sometiâ—â— also for the Farcy still observing that the Moon be not in Virgo â™ the Veins of 〈◊〉 Flanks are opened with a small Lance made for that purpose In the flat of the Thighs for blows and strains in the hanches taking notice 〈◊〉 the Moon be not in Sagittarius â™ it is drawn there with Fleems In the Tail or Dock for the Fever and Pursyness but then it is to be noticed 〈◊〉 the Moon be not in Scorpio â™ people take it in this part with a long Lance. When a man bleeds a Horse he should alwayes make a good large Orifice in the Vein that so the most thick and terrestrial Blood may be evacuated because when the Orifice is too small it is only the most subtile of the blood that is drawn so that is this case the blooding doth more hurt than good I have made these Observations of the Celestial Signs which are good when the Disease will allow you the time to make choise of your own hour for blood-letting but if the Disease be pressing then there is neither Sign nor Constellation which should delay or hinder it CHAP. LXX Of the Precautions to be observed in Blood-letting WHen a man intends to blood a Horse he should not only let him rest the day before but also the day following He should likewise choose for it as I have
as they Having observed all I have been saying you are as yet to consider if your horse be Sound that is if he doe not halt you will know it best upon the Step or Trot for upon a Gallop a man can perceive but very little without having had a great and long experience especially if the lameness lie in his fore quarters but still it will be less perceptible if he be gallop't by a good and skilful horseman The surest way then by far to know if a horse halt is to make use of the very same method people take for Coach horses which is to cause trot them along the streets iâ— ones hand it is there that a man cannot possibly disguise and conceal a horses lameness and is the true touch stone whereby a man cannot be deceived in buying any kind of Horses and not only for knowing if they halt but also for observing their strength and reins When a horse trotteth in ones hand you are to observe if the lifting up keeping up and setting down of his fore Legs in French Le Lever Le Soutien et L'Appuy be such as they ought and as I have already told you in the 11 Chapter if he keep his Reins streight and equall without rocking or swinging his head high well placed and firm for if he halt he will mark every time in his trot with a motion of his head When a horse rocketh which I have explained in discoursing of the Step or Walk it is when one of his haunch bones goes up and the other down always the one after the other every stâ—p he marketh with his trot for his Croup should not at all move thus after the fashion of a ballance beam and if it do it is a token of no great strength The Horse-Marchants are obliged to warrant and secure the horses they sell from these infirmities following to wit Pursyness Glanders that he shall prove sound when either warm or cold that is that he shall no more halt after he is warm than he did at first going out of the stable when cold If a horse have any of these three infirmities people both at Paris and almost over all France oblige the seller to take him again within nine dayes after the delivery For the other infirmities which I have been all along explaining in the preceeding Chapters you are to have your eyes as sharp and clear sighted as possible that so you may discover them because theÌ„ Horse-marchants who are otherwayes generally called Horse-coursers are not obliged to warrant them nay nor even the Eyes for it is to be supposed that you might have looked to them and so have discovered whether they were good or not but if you are a buying a horse from a Gentleman or Burgess who tells you expresly that he will not warrant his soundness you should in that case use all diligence imaginable to discover the horses infirmities if you suspect he have any for when a horses price is once payed it is very difficult to make him be taken back again When a Man buyeth a Horse at Paris it is very fit to know the person from whom he is bought least he might have been stoln because it is lawful for the true owner of the Horse to take him again where ever he can find him so that in this case the Buyer will be sent to seek after the Seller he knoweth not where and if he cannot find him the price of the Horse is lost for good and all it is just so when a Man buyeth a Horse in the weekly Mercats but if it be in an open and publick Fair there is no such hazard You are yet further to observe if the Horse you intend to buy be right situat and planted upon his legs and feet as he is standing still and quiet and that he have the toes of his hind feet pointing streight forwards and turned neither out nor in or that he do not bring his hind legs too much forwardbeneath his belly as he is standing which is the very worst of all stances People say of such a horse that his two ends or head and Croup are going to join when they perceive him standing in such a posture and it is either a token of a bad horse or that he is much fatigued when he thus endeavours to give ease to his fore-legs by bringing forwards and as it were beneath his belly those behind that so he may make them support the most considerable weight of his body Having thus examined your horse in every point as I have directed you will when once you have had a little practice in the twinkling of an eye find out and discover the smallest imperfection so that if a horse have any it will be the first thing will fall under your view and presently displease you you are in the next place to consider if he have a good Mouth CHAP. XVIII How to know if a Horses Mouth be good and Loyal A Horse to have a good Mouth CHAP. XVIII How to know if a Horses Mouth be good and Loyal should have a well raised Neck and if it be somewhat large and thick it should be at least well turned his reins strong and well shapt and his legs and feet likewise if he have all these right no doubt but he will have unless it be by accident a very good Mouth Look to or rather feel between the upper parts of the jaw-bones to know if they are sufficiently well seperate that so the Horse may with the more ease bring in and place his head exactly for if these two bones be too closs upon other and that he have also a short and thick Neck charged with flesh so that he cannot place his Head right his having a good mouth well be to little purpose because you cannot make use of it and also this goodness of the Mouth is only agreeable when the Head is brought in to its best situation and posture for we do not imitate the Cravates who make their horse carry their Noses in the Air by which they are very subject to falling and also when any of them are in thir countryes the Clods or Stones in the high-wayes make them frequently trip and stumble You have in the second Chapter of this First part particular observations whereby to know when a Horses Mouth is good to which I referr you that I may avoid repetitions put your finger into the horse's Mouth pressing his barr pretty hard with it and if you find that it paineth him it is a token that the barr is sensible and consequently that his Mouth is good but upon the contrary if the barr be not sensible his Mouth will be nought for a horses Mouth is no otherwise good but it so far as it is less or more sensible however too great a degree of it will render it bad as I shall shew you Move your Finger also along his barrs to feel if they be high and ridged and
Equal Make Two Pounds Scots Choppin Equal Make Two Pounds Paris Pint Equal Make Two Pounds Dry Measures English Measures 2 English Pints Equal Make One Quart 1 Scots Choppin Equal Make One Quart 2 English Quarts Equal Make One Pottle 1 Scots Pint Equal Make One Pottle 2 Pottles or 4 Engl. Q Equal Make One Gallon 1 Scots Quart Equal Make One Gallon 2 Galls or 8 Engl Q Equal Make One Peck 2 Scots Quarts Equal Make One Peck 4 Pecks or 32 En. Q. Equal Make One Bushel 8 Scots Quarts Equal Make One Bushel Nota. The large French Bushel is somewhat less than 1 English Peck and an half which is 12 English Quarts so that the French Peck or Picotin which is the sixt part of the large French Bushel is somewhat less than 2 English Quarts or 2 Scots Choppins THE PARFAIT MARESCHAL Or Compleat FARRIER Part I. The Introduction AMongst all the Creatures there is none which yeeldeth more profit and pleasure to Man than the Horse He is Stately in Triumphs The Introduction adroit and bold in the most Dangerous Engagments and strong and hardy to endure any kind of Fatigue or Labour A Horse is useful in all the great Interprises of War There is none more fit for Traffick and Husbandry nor so agreeable for divertisement But all Horses which People make choice of both for War and the Mannage do not always answer Expectation and of those also which are designed for draught many are overcome by a Moderat Labour and can endure no extraordinary Fatigue yea Travellers do not always meet with that conveniency and pleasure which they expect from their Journey Pads All the advantages which may justly be expected from Horses are not easy to be met with and that which is most troublesome of all to those who diligently seek after them is that after they have met with a good and well shapt Horse and one that is adroit and vigorous oft times for want of skill to Govern him or thorow the remisness of a Groom who neglecteth to dress him for not having regulat his Dyet or for having watered him unseasonably or by any other accident which the want of skill in this Art may have made a Man fall into the Horse is brought to such a Condition as renders him altogether unserviceable these Malheurs are oft-times of great importance and prove alwayes hurtful yet they so frequently fall out that without a little experience and Skill a particular application and exact precaution for preventing them a Man cannot sometimes shun loseing Horses of considerable value I am therefore perswaded that those who delight in Horses will be very well satisfied that I have taken the pains to make this Book appear in publick with all the perfection imaginable lay in my power In the several impressions which have been hitherto I made the publick a sharer of the skill which I acquired not only from new Remedies but also from several Experiences and observations for the application of the said Remedies I therefore hope that this last Edition will clear all the Doubts which have been proposed to me and that People will find in it wherewithal to satisfie themselves I am in a continual practice and I see an infinite number of Diseas'd Horses so that daily I learn and discover things which were either doubtful or unknown to me It was alwayes my aim to find out easie Remedies and also sufficient to recover Horses and put them in a condition to serve in which I succeeded sometimes And in this Edition if you will give your self the trouble to peruse it you will find that I have taken away some Remedies which were too difficult to be practised and have put in their places others farmore easy and as good that I have also amended the faults which were in others and finally that I have put all things in such a condition that I believe those who are curious will confess that I must needs have been at a great dale of pains to bring this Book to that exactness in which it is at prelent I prescribe not in it any new Recept but what by experience hath been found good and for the convenience of those who desired it I have reduced it into two parts That I may therefore instruct you methodically to prevent all the above-mentioned inconveniencies I shall first teach you to know all the parts of a Horse the same figures which are in the Discourse being to be found upon the following print in their respective places see plate 1st CHAP I. The Names of all the Parts which generally frame or compose the Body of a Horse THE Head being the seat of the Animal faculty CHAP. I. The Names of all the parts which generally frame or Compose a Horses Body the source of docility and Caprice the Principle of motion and rest is without debate the most considerable part of a Horses Body it consists of diverse parts which according as they are justly proportioned give it it 's exact shape and comliness I shall name them briefly and in order contenting my self for the most part with the representation of them as they are marked with Figures in the following Plate which is the first The EARS are a part well known The FOREHEAD is marked 1. The TEMPLES are marked 2. The EYE-PITS or Hollowes which are above the Eye-brows and which when very deep cause a horse look surly and ugly by making him appear old are marked 3 The EYE-BROWS are above the eyes and below those above mentioned Pits The EYES by which as in a looking Glass may be perceived the mettle Courage Malice Health and Indisposition of a Horse should be considered with attention they consist of two parts not to mention the Eye-lids which are those Skins which cover the Eyes when a Horse is either asleep or shutting them The first part is the Glass or Cristal which encloseth the whole substance of the Eye and giveth it the form of a transparent Glob I will not discourse here of the Humours whereof the Eye is Composed that discourse belonging properly to Physicians The second part is the ground or bottom of the Eye which is properly the pupil or Apple of the Eye and which is called by some the joy or Life of the Eye the consideration of this division of the eye is of Consequence that these two parts may be the better Distinguished and not confounded together for the Cristal is that part of the Eye people perceive at the very first looking to it and the bottom or apple of the Eye is not perceived but by looking attentively and in through the cristal to it and then will the ground or inward part of the eye appear Behind the eyes and towards the Throat is the GANACHE as they called it in French or that part of the Nether Jaw-bone which when a Horse hath his head exactly well placed toucheth the neck next to that part of it which is called the
SHOULDER or rather SHOULDER-BLADE which we mentioned before marked 10. 10. 10. doth somewhat resemble a Shoulder of Mutton and is placed much after the same fashion The SHOULDER-BONE it is Bone which reacheth betwixt the Shoulder-blade and Elbow-joynt and is placed opposite to that part of the Belly where the girths ly after a Horse is sadled it is marked 16. When that Bone lyeth so close to the body that a Man findeth difficulty in putting his hand betwixt the Horses body and Elbow it is a deformity which always discovers that the Horse when riding will carry his Legs outwards It is very fit to make this observation in Colts and albeit this be not the proper place to mention it yet lest it might have escaped my memory for lack of an opportunity to discourse of it I have here set it down The ARM or FORE-THIGH reacheth from the Elbow Joint to the Knee and beginneth the Foreleg it is marked 17. 18. At that part where the Arm or Fore-thigh beginneth upon the fore part of the Leg near to the Elbow joint and a litle inclining towards the inside there lyeth a vein called the Basilick Vein in French L'ars and by common Farriers the Plat-veine in which Horses are bled upon several occasions it is marked 17. The KNEE is below the Arm or Fore Thigh and just opposite to the ply or bending of the forelegs it is marked 19 in the left leg of the figure plate 1st The SHANK is that part of the Fore leg which is betwixt the Knee and second joynt next to the foot which is called the Fet-lock or Pastern joynt and is marked 19. 19. The FET-LOCK or PASTERN joynt is that joynt I just now mentioned it is marked 20 and is the very next to the Foot The PASTERN is the distance betwixt the foresaid joynt and the Coronet of the hoof it is marked 21. The CORONET is that part round the very top of the Foot where the hair groweth and falleth down upon the hoof it is marked 22. These are the names of all the parts belonging to the Fore-legs The FOOT consists of the HOOF or COFFIN which is all that Horn that appears when the Horse has his foot set to the ground it is marked 23 24 25. The QUARTERS are the two sides of the foot from 24 to 23. The HEEL is the hinder part of the foot and hath two sides where the Quarters terminate it is marked 23. The TOE is the fore part of the foot marked 25. The foot must be taken up that the parts following may be perceived The FRUSH or FROG which is placed from the midle of the sole towards the Heel upon both sides is a part more soft and more elevate than the rest of the sole and terminates just at the Heel The SOLE is as it were a plate of horn which environing the Frush covereth the whole bottom of the Foot all people know it because when a shoe is right placed it should not at all rest upon it and but very seldom touch it The COFFIN BONE or LITTLE-FOOT is that bone which is to the foot as a heart or kernel It is quite surrounded and covered by the hoof frush and sole and is not perceived when even the Horses sole is quite taken out being covered upon all sides by a coat of flesh which hindreth the bone to appear It now remains that I name the parts of the hind-legs whereof the most considerable are the upper bone of the hanch near to the Croup and upper part of the buttocks called Os ilium and marked 26. The STIFFLE otherwayes called the great Muscle is that part of the hind leg which advanceth towards the Horses belly as he is riding it is marked 27 and is a most dangerous part to receive a blow or stroke upon The THIGH or GASKOIN begineth at the Stiffle and reacheth to the ply or bending of the ham and is contained betwixt the figures 27 and 29. The HAM or HOUGH is the ply or bending of the hind-leg marked 29. 29. and comprehendeth likewayes the poynt behind and opposite to the ply called the Hock it is marked 30. The PLY or bending of the Ham where the Selender cometh is marked 29. The part where the SPAVEN cometh which is a little beneath the ply and in the inside is marked 31 and where the Excrescence cometh which is called in French Le jardon and which is almost of the same nature with the Spaven only that it is upon the out side is the number 32. From the Ham to the Pastern joynt is that part of the leg which in the fore-legs is called the SHANK but in the hind the INSTEP marked 33 the rest of the parts to the very sole have the same denominations as in the fore legs viz Fet-clock joynt Pastern Coronet Hoof or Coffin with the rest of it's parts CHAP. II. How the parts of a Horse should be framed to appear comely and well shap't HAving in the preceeding Chapter CHAP. II. How the parts of a Horse should be framed to appear comely and well Shâ—pâ— given you only the names of the parts which generally compose a Horses body it will be fit to represent to you in this how they should be framed to be perfectly proportioned and well shap't The goodness and beauty of this creature are almost inseparable so that being capable to know a well shap't Horse a man will come by degrees to know a good one for omne pulchrum est etiam bonum and because the definition which Cicero giveth of beauty is in my opinion pretty and may very well answer my subject I shall here set it down pulchritudo corporis apta compositione membrorum cum coloris quadam suavitate movet oculos delectat hoc ipso quod inter se omnes partes consentiunt if this or any other passages of latine in this book appear strange to some let them comfort themselves with this that the not understanding of them will not make them a whit the less skilfull The Head of a Horse should be small narrow lean and dry of the Head in general every Horse which hath a big and gross head may come easily because of it's weight to rest and loll upon the bridle and thereby in a journey incommode the hand of the Rider besides that he can never be very agreeable and appear stately with a big Head unless he have a very long and well turned neck and place his Head well in which case he will not fail to make a pretty good appearance the head is an essential part for beauty without the good shapes of which a Horse can never look well for although all the rest of his body be well shap't yet if his Head be square and gross he will appear a great deal worse and be less esteemed than if that imperfection lay in any other part of his body as for the legs their shape is far more important for goodness and service than
beauty Horses which have their Heads gross and charged with flesh are subject to the infirmities of the Eyes but this is not to be understood of all big Heads for a Horse may have a Head big with bones and but a very little flesh upon it so that he will not bemore subject in that case to such defluxions than if his Head were smaller those Heads which are overcharged with Flesh are those we call fat or gross Heads and not the other which although big yet are very lean and bony Now there being a particular shape required in every part of the Head it will be fit to treat of them in order The Ears should be little narrow straight and hardy and the whole consistance of them thin and delicat that is to say the Cartilage whereof they are composed should be no wayes thick they should be well placed and to know how there should be but a little distance betwixt them that is they should be placed upon the very top of the Head of the Ears and their poynts when stiled or prickt should be nearer to other than their roots when a Horse in galloping or travelling carrieth his Eares pointed forwards as much as possible then he is said to have a bold hardy or brisk Ear also when a Horse travelleth he should keep them firm for if he marketh every step he maketh by a motion of his Eares then he will resemble a Hog when the Eares are low they are not right placed and then they have them also ordinarly long and lolling which are called Leave-eares such Horses are commonly very durable but however upon this observation I would not buy a Horse who hath his Eares so placed because although this imperfection doth him but little prejudice yet he is nothing the better for it and it is also very unbecoming Pliny hath made a pretty enough remark upon the Eares of a Horse for he saith that by the motion of the Ears a man may judge of the intention and design or courage of a Horse just as one doth a Dogs inclination by the motion of his Tail the observation is good and holds for the most part especially in ill natur'd and vitious Horses for it may be very well observed by the motion of their Ears if they design any desperat Action when a man requireth any thing of them they are not capable to perform or when he constraineth them to do any thing by violence or the force of blows The Forehead or Brow of the forehead should be somewhat broad some will have it not altogether flat but a little raised because they think it maketh a Horse look more bold and stately this shape resembleth somewhat that of a Ram my opinion is that a flat forehead is the most beautiful these Horses which are called Dish fac'd in French Camus have the forepart of their head from a little below their Eyes to the place where the Nose-band of the bridle resteth a little low and hollow such Horses are commonly durable but very oft stubborn and ill natur'd All the forepart of the Head in general should be narrow contrary to that in Men for if it were too broad it would be an imperfection A Horse should have in his Fore head that which we call a Feather which is a natural frizling or rather a turning of the Hair which formeth as it were a Center from whence the rest of the neighbouring Hair doth proceed if he have two of them one near to the other or that even touch other the mark is so much the better Some people are so far mistaken as to believe that when the Feather is below the Eyes it is a sign of a weak sight and the contrary if it be above them but experience will discover to you the uncertainty of this observation If a Horse be neither White Dapled nor approaching these colours he should have a Star or Blaze in his Fore-head it is almost always a defect not only for the beauty but also for the goodness of a Horse when he is of any Dark colour to be without one as I shall show you in it's proper place of the Eye-pits The Eye-pits or hollowes above the Eye browes should no wayes be too much sunk for if they are deep and hollow they are ugly and the more they are sunk the more they make the Horse appear to be old nevertheless such Horses which come of an old Size or Stallion have that deffect from their very youth some more and others less The Eyes which are bright of the Eyes lively full of fire and pretty large and full are most esteemed those which are very big are not the best neither should they be too goggling or stareing out of the Head but equal with it and have a large and full pupil or ground Moreover the Eye should be resolute impudent and brisk a Horse to appear well should look to his object fixedly and with a kind of disdain and not look another way for a brazen face and impudence do mightily become a Horse and in the Eye is also discovered his Inclination Passion Malice Health and Indisposition profecto in oculâ— animus habitat Littly hollow Eyes are ugly and are called Pigs-eyes it is true they prove sometimes good but they must be very narrowly considered When the Eyes are sunk or that the Eye-browes are too elevate and as they were swelled it is a sign of vitiousness and ill nature such kind of horses have ordinarly a melancholy aspect or countenance but are commonly of great fatigue The Eye is the most tender and delicate part of the whole Body being the last which is formed in the Womb and the first that dyeth The Jaw-bones from top to bottom should be narrow and lean the distance betwixt them at the throat should be pretty large and hollow and so proportionably tapring to the very chin that he may with the more ease place his Head when required if the Jaw bone be too square that is if there be too great distance betwixt the Eye and that part of it which toucheth his neck it is not only ugly and unbecoming but also hindereth him to place his Head also if the Jaw bones be square or broad and but a little distance betwixt them of the Jaw-bones so soon as the bridle is pulled to bring in his head to its most becoming posture the Bone meeting with his Neck will hinder him to place his Head especially if he have also with that imperfection a short and thick neck but because this is not the propper place to discourse of the inconveniencies which flow from a narrow jaw'd Horse I shall at present forbear saying any more of it From that part where the Nose-band of the bridle resteth of the Muzle which is somewhat below the middle of the Jaw-bone and where it begineth to straiten and become narrow I say from that part to his very Muzle he should have nothing but
skin and bone so consequently the smaller the better and to make you the more easily comprehend how this part of a Horses head should be shap't people commonly say that he should drink out of a Bear-glass by reason of the smalness of his Muzle That which will mightily contribute to the right shaping of this part in Colts is to cause cut out the Nerves in that place this doth extreamly dry up and macerat the lower parts of the Head and also as some people say preventeth the fat and thick growing of the neck Also that a Head may be the better shap't it should not be too long the Heads which are too long are unbecoming and are called Cymbal heads in French Tesles de vielle That which doth most contribute to the good appearance and air of a Head is a fine onset and exact situation when it is placed for without that a well shap't one will appear but ugly and with it an ill shap't will appear passible well and indifferent a Horse hath his head well placed when it is set high and that he can bring it in to it 's natural situation which is so that all the fore-part of the head from the very brow to the nose be perpendicular to the ground and that if there were a line and plummet applyed to it it would hang equally alongst it and but just shave or raze it The Nostrils should be large and extended that so one may perceive the Vermilion of the nostrils or red that is a little within them especially when the horse sneereth the wideness of the Nostrils doth not a little contribute to that easiness which a horse should have in breathing It is therefore upon this account that the Spaniards and many others cut up their horses Nostrils to facilitate their Breathing in violent courses which when such horses are brought to France is the cause of their being thought pursy or broken winded but they are reputed such only by those who have never been farther then their own Country Village or home even although they have been born in or about Paris but this cutting up of the Nostrils besides the ease it giveth in breathing bringeth also another advantage alongst with it for it preventeth a horses neighing which is very convenient for such persons as go upon party for then the neighing of their horses cannot discover them and I believe this is the chief reason why some horses nostrils are cut up because after it they neigh very rarely or not at all In Germany and the North almost all the curtail'd horses have their Nostrils cut up although their Wind be abundantly good but in France quite the contrary for there they never cut up the Nostrils but of such poor horses as have their wind broke and their Lungs quite spent and consumed with pursyness The Mouth should be indifferently well cloven when it is too much of the Mouth there is a great difficulty so to bit a horse as that he do not swallow it as we say And if he have a little Mouth and not enough cloven then with difficulty can the Mouth of the Bit be right lodged in it without either making him wrinkle his Lips or the mouth of the Bit to rest upon his Tushes a reasonable big Mouth is more useful for the goodness then beauty of a horse as are also all the internal parts which doe not appear but when the Mouth is opened nevertheless seing they are so essential to goodness and are in place of a Rudder whereby to govern him right or wrong I shall without strictly tying my self to set every thing in it's proper place continue this matter of the Tongâ—e which will be so much skill and knowledge already acquired for the right bitting of horses The Tongue should be small otherwayes it will be difficult to keep the bit from pressing it which making the tongue to extend over his barrs and cover them will render his Appuy as the French call it or feeling of the pressure of the bit dull by hindering it's operation and effect upon the Barrs for no liberty of any bit whatsoever is capable to contain these big Tongues although the Channel or hollow betwixt the horses Jaws be abundantly deep and large such horses as have very big Tongues have seldom or never a good and sensible Mouth because the barrs are commonly flat and low A horse should have his Barrs sharp ridged and lean for all the subjection which a horse suffereth by the Bridle proceeding from the Barrs of the Barrs if they have not the above-mention'd qualities they will be very little or not at all sensible so that he can never have a good Mouth for if they be flat Round and unsensible the Bit will not work it's effect and to take hold of such a horse by his Tail or by the Bridle to govern him will prove much about one The Channel or hollow betwixt the under-jaws of the Channel should be large enough to contain his Tongue that it be not pressed with the mouth of the Bit which should alwayes have a little liberty in the midle of it His Palate should be lean for if it be fat that is if it be full and high so that it be equal almost with the extremities of his upper Teeth of the palat the least height in the liberty of a Bit will incommode him and if that part prove too sensible and ticklish the horse to evite the trouble and pain he receives from the liberty of the Bit which hurteth him in that place will either chack in the Bridle and be alwayes throwing up of his head or otherwayes carry it too low which besides the deformity of it will also very much incommode the hand of the Rider of the Lips Thin and little Lips contribute to a horses having a good Mouth but the contrary if they be large and thick The Beard should be neither flat of the Beard nor too high raised or pointed if it have any of these imperfections it is ill shap't and the Curb can never be made to rest in it's right place it should also have but little flesh upon it and almost nothing but skin and bone without any kind of Chops hardness or swelling all these conditions make a good Mouth whereas if the horse had any of them in too great a degree or excess his Mouth would prove bad by being too good For example if his Barrs were so sensible and sharp that they could not suffer the pressure of the Bit and consequently that the horse could not endure the pulling of the Bridle to keep him in subjection this would be a great defect 't is true the other parts particularly the Beard have seldom that degree of sensibility and tenderness although it is affirmed by the Duke of Newcastle in his book of riding that the beard is the most sensible part of a horses mouth The general qualifications of a good
Mouth The general qualifications of a good mouth are to have the feeling equal firm and gentle the stop Easie and Firm to have neither Swelling Hurt nor Bruise to have the inward parts of the Mouth Fresh and full of froath this Froath denoteth the right constitution of a horse who having his Mouth alwayes moist will not so easily over-heat and is a token that he delighteth in the bit because it maketh his Mouth to froath and thereby giveth him pleasure This is what is most considerable and necessary for the knowledge of a beautifull and well shap't head I shall not stop to tell you the number of bones whereof it is composed nor their names that being altogether of no use to a Gentleman and but of very little even to a Farrier As for the Neck of the Neck it should be lean and have but little flesh upon it and to be well shap't it should at it's outgoing from the Withers rise with a slop upwards diminishing by degrees towards the head and framing very near such a compass or turn as doth the neck of a Swan it should be long raised lean and thin towards the Mane that is it should have but a little flesh upon it near to the growing of the Mane and the whole Neck considered in it's bulk should neither be too slender nor too much turned because either of these two extremes will give the horse occasion to arm himself or rest his chin upon his Counter The Barbs and Spanish horses which have their Necks thick and some-what charged with flesh are the better of it for they have their heads more fixed their feeling of the bit better and are not so subject to the throwing up of their heads for my own part I esteem far more a Spanish horse with some what of a thick Neck than if he had it altogether small and slender besides their Necks do not increase in thickness as they become aged but upon the contrary the Neck of a Spanish horse the older he groweth the more it diminisheth In mares it is a good quality to have their Necks a little gross and charged with flesh because they have them for the most part but too thin and delicat and to commend a mare that hath some what of a thick Neck and raised Crest people say that she hath a horses Neck which is a perfection in her because as I said they have almost all that defect of being too â—ne and slender necked The Necks which are called Renversed or turn'd as it were up side down are those in with the Flesh that should be next the Mane and give the Neck it 's just turn in that part is placed quite below and next to the Throat which rendereth the Neck ugly and ill shap't and is also the cause of the branches of the Bit's more readily resting upon the Counter They are also called Deer-Necks because of the resemblance to those of Deers or Cock thropled in respect of their resemblance to those of Cocks There are also Necks which at the Crest incline to one side which by some are called Renversed Necks but very impropperly for although the top of the Neck or Crest hang and incline to one side yet it is not of these People mean when they discourse of a Renversed Neck for these incline only to one side by reason of having too much Flesh next to the Mane but the other to wit the Renversed for having it below upon the nether part of the Neck and near to the Throat To know if the neck be well shap't you must with the bit bring in the Horses head and place it in it's most becoming posture and to be right shap't the under part of it next to the Throat should not rise perpendicularly for those which doe so are called false Necks and the other which have that part of the Jaw-bone next to the Throat more backwards than the lower part of the said Throat next to the Counter are those Renversed or Cock-thropled Necks I just now discoursed of so that a Neck which is well shap't should descend from the upper part of the Jaw-bone or onset of the Head all along slopwayes to the very Counter that is that part of the Neck next to the upper part of the Jaw-bone should be more advanced than the lower part next to the brest or Counter this is what I understand by saying it should descend slopwayes and not altogether perpendicularly and straight of the Mane The Hair of the Mane should be long thin and fine if it be frizled so much the better large and thick Manes are a burthen to the Neck and make it oft times incline and ly to one side besides that they are very unbecoming and without an extraordinary care a perfect nest for filth and dust large and thick Manes do also occasion the Itch in Horses which are not carefully lookt after A well shap't neck is yet more requisite for the beatuy of a Horse than is a small and slender head for if a Horse have his Neck very long well raised and turned no doubt but he will appear comely even although his head be a little square and gross and that he but place it right especially if with such a Neck he have a well turn'd Buttock and withall a good Horse-man upon his Back John Taquet who hath writ a discourse of breeding Horses and how to know their shapes which is pritty good for the time in which he lived will have a Horses neck to be thick and round from the upper part of the Jaw-Bones to his very shoulders to the end saith he that he may not have the fault which the Turkish Horses have who but too easily ply their Necks and who although he have it stiff and no ways flexible yet because of that shape of the Neck will turn with the more ease as he sayeth this reasoning of his might have been good about two hundred years ago when this Horseman lived but now a dayes we look upon it as a considerable imperfection in a Horse to have a very stiff neck and which will not ply but with difficulty I therefore recommend the said John Taquet to the Duke of New-Castle who will discover to him that one of the greatest imperfections a Horse can have is to be too Straight Round and Stiff necked Horses which have a well shap't Neck although their Jaw-bones be some-what broad yet if they bring in their head well and that the fore part of it be narrow they will make a very good figure but although a Horse have a very fine head if he have not also with it a fine turned and well-shap't Neck he will never appear handsome and comely A well shap't Neck besides the agreeableness and beauty it giveth to a Horse contributes also very much to the other good qualities he should have in so far as it maketh him either light or heavy on the hand according as it is fine
part of their work found fault with if they can but show you in any old originall that the famous antient Painters and Sculptors have delineat those parts whose shapes you condemne after the same manner and with the very same features which they have done for example the Horse of Marcus Aurelius the Emperour and others which are in Rome and other places I do with them acknowledge that those who imitate not the Antients have not that justness and skill especially in what relateth to the delineation and exact shaping of humane bodies but as to the matter of Horses although Antients have observed the just delineation of many parts yet they have failed in some and to give you a few instunces of it I shall discourse of the Attitude or situation which is properly the postures in which they put the Horses they represent and I say that the most part of the postures they have given to Horses should not be imitate in this age wherein we live The Horses of the Antients were no wayes mannaged and but under little subjection yea they were more oddly bridled than the Cravats and Turkish Horses are in these countreyes and all the actions they represented them performing under a man appeared desperate and furious because the Riders themselves did not know what to require of them and the Horses being full of mettal and Choler performed such actions as did rather discover their being transported and in a kind of fury than show their obedience and subjection to the will of the Rider Their Bits which were badly chosen and capable to render a Horse desperate might contribute much to it especially the Riders being not at all Horsemen and the horses having also no sadles but only a kind of cloath or house upon them did so incommode their Riders that they could scarce keep their backs and then Clinging to them which their heels and spurrs they caused their horses some of which were extraordinary well shapt and vigorous to perform such actions as would appear to us now a dayes so strange and extravagant that we could scarce endure to look to them being so disorderly and contrary to all the Rules of art Now the modern Painters and Sculptors endeavour to imitate those ugly frightfull and vitious actions because the Ancients have represented them t' is true in them it was pardonable for they knew none better in which to cause their horses appear either more lively or vigorous but now that the art of rideing is brought to such a perfection and that people have fallen upon methods to reduce horses and bring them under a perfect subjection and obedience and to have no other will save that of their Riders it is known more and more that the actions of obedience wherewith a Horse is accustomed cause him performe Ayres a great dale more fine and infinitly more agreeable to the soectators and in those actions or Ayres there appears such a harmony and beauty that what ever they do contrary to them is displeasing and cannot be endured Moreover since the art of bitting Horses is arrived at it's greatest perfection the bits which are made use of now a dayes besides that they place a Horses head right give also his neck the most beautifull turne and situation it is capable of without forceing him to open his mouth as the bits of the Antients did which cut and spoylt the Barrs and were of no other use but to torment a Horse and make him show a pair of wide frightfull Jawes for in the very instant that a Horse openeth his mouth the action and figure it maketh are so displeasing that people say he openeth his jawes out of derision and contempt Nevertheless all the Horses represented by the Antients either in Imbossed metal or flat painting do open their mouths after such an Extraordinary manner that it is one of the most horrible and chocking sights in fine the most unpleasant and unbecoming action that a Horse can possibly performe under a man All this being considered I ask any man of sense if we should imitate the Antients in those things wherein they were wrong and erred if they have only represented Horses in postures of rage and despair they could not do otherwayes because they knew no better but now a dayes to represent under a King great Prince or Generall of an army a Horse in such actions of fury and transport would be enough to make the Spectators believe that either the Rider knowes not to Govern him or that the Horse is altogether disobedient which would be thought ridiculous for any to imagine in this age wherein we live because persons of that condition and quality mount no Horses but such as are very well adjusted and under a perfect subjection having their heads and necks exactly well placed and performing some fine Pesade or becomeing Passage which make them appear brisk and stately and without seeming in the least to deny that perfect obedience which they should give to their Riders Perhaps people may answer to this that a Horse represented in such an obedient posture will appear no ways gracefull and that unless he be represented performing some extraordinary action which may discover his mettle and be a token of his Courage he will appear altogether dull and without life but there is a great difference in representations that is to put a Horse in such a posture as may make him appear full of Courage extraordinary Nervous and with a kind of fixedness and stayedness in his motions and to paint him in Despair and rage as the Antients have done and I believe I am not much deceived that if a Horse be represented with a stately carriage and well upon his Haunches performing a beautifull Pesade or Corvet with a good motion of his arms or forethighs which will discover that he hath a gracefull movement and if withall his muscles nerves and Veins be marked in their due places I say such a Horse will certainly appear a thousand times more lively and beautifull and also more gracefull and agreeable in such a posture than those of the Antients in their extravagant actions having their mouths open their necks Renversed and endeavouring to force the hand of the Rider The Antients have placed the head wrong in most part of the designs they have left us of Horses either in paint or sculpture for the forepart of the head should stand alwayes perpendicular or plum whatever posture the body of the Horse be in which is beneath the Rider therefore to have the Nose extended in galloping or other wayes as they have represented them is a considerable errour the neck in the upper part of it next to the mane should make a Tour very near like that of a Swans neck it should be thinnest towards the mane and the under part should slop towards the breast or Counter that is that part of the throat next to his nether jaws should be four inches more advanced than that part of
is no wayes plying or flexible are very unfit for the mannage because they have no kind of gentleness in their motion for glib and flexible joynts providing they be not too long are one of the chief qualities required in a fine and delicate Horse of Mannage But if the joynts be too long and flexible besides that the Horse will not be fit for fatigue he will be also very soon subject to wind-galls in French Les molettes there are also some Horses which although they are not long joynted yet have so small and flexible Pastern joynts that they will not have rid two dayes Journey when they will be past travelling because of the great swellings in their Pastern joynts and then those swelling are followed by Wind-galls This is then one of the observations that is to be made to consider narrowly that the Pastern joynt be neither too stiff nor too small nor upon the contrary too plying and slexible for the knowledge of all I have said concerning a Horse which is streight upon his Members dependeth absolutely upon the exact observation of the Pasters Joynts Those English Horses which have a great dale of Reins or strength if they have with it their Pastern Joynts some what longer than perhaps one who understands Horse exactly well would wish yet if they are not too flexible such a Horse will Gallop and run with a great dale of more ease for his Rider than if he were very short joynted and these are the only propper Horses for Persons of quality who are become aged and have wherewithal to seek after their ease and agreeableness in a Horse it is true such Horses will not hold out so long at hunting as if they had not that imperfection but a Person of quality who hath many to change should not if he consider his own case reject them for it such Horses may be very well compared to Coaches with Springs which render them infinitly more easy than those without them This imperfection of bending too much the Pastern joynt should be as carefully taken notice to in the hind legs as in the fore and there are also some Horses which bend too much only in the hind Pasterns and not in those before which is a token that they have a very weak hind quarter and is a great imperfection whatever kind of service they may be designed for and if they have wind-galls they will prove more dangerous being in the hind Pastern joynts or Legs than if they were in those before because with a little travel and fatigue they will penetrate beneath the nerves and so become those which are called in French Molettes nerveuses also if such Horses are designed for the Coach they will not endure pulling back or staying the Coach upon any descent and therefore will not at all be propper for that use The third imperfection of the Legs is when they are Arched in French Jambes Arquées which is when the Horse being in his Natural situation hath his knees bent forwards and his whole leg frameth a kind of Arch or Bow less or more according as it is Arched this imperfection proceedeth commonly from excessive labour which hath caused the nerves or back sinews to contract or shrink up so that the Legs remain Arched and tremble beneath them when they are made to stop after they have been rid a little such kind of Horses are not absolutly useless because they may work notwithstanding of it but for my part I would not meddle with them at any rate unless they had extraordinary good Reins and then they may serve well for a while but they shall never be fit for a Master and although there have been some of them known to have lasted a long time with such Arched Legs yet they are alwayes unpleasant to the sight and a man can never expect to get rid of them besides that there are but very few People that have a fancy to buy them how good and serviceable soever they may prove The Spanish Horses are for the most part either less or more arched in their Legs as they are brought old from Spain and that because they alwayes shackle or fetter them in the Stable which obliging them to stand wrong upon their Legs maketh them through time become arched although otherwise their Legs be good and sound and the Spainiards are so much taken with this method of shackling their Horses that so they may stand peaceably and no wayes hurt themselves by stricking or other wise that they fetter some Horses especially such as are very vitious and troublesome as well behind as before but after another manner for behind the shackles are separate and not joined together with a chain as those made use of for the Fore-legs are In Barbary at Tunis Algeirs and other places their Horses are alwayes tyed with shackles which they put both upon their fore and hind pasterns and which are fastned to stakes that are placed in the ground near to their Legs neither are they almost ever tyed by the head or neck as ours are because for the most part they make never use of a Halter neither in the Stable nor in the Meadows when the Horses are a Grazeing There are some Horses which are Foaled with arched Legs and are not much the worse of them for service they are called in French Brassicours the only difference between these and the former is that these have their Legs naturally arched whereas the other are made so by great labour and fatigue and are consequently the worst of the two I have seen several of them which notwithstanding of this natural imperfection were very good and vigorous and travelled well in the Countrey having their Legs as sure and trusty as if they had been well shap't but unless a man can have them at a very easy rate I would never advise him to buy Horses that are thus naturally arched in the Legs and if he do he would be also sure that they are so naturally and not occasioned by labour or fatigue I have also seen Coach-horses which although they had their Legs naturally arched yet did serve very well and also for a long time A person who understood very well what belonged to Horses and knew how to distinguish the strong from the weak and feeble assured me that those Foals which have the veins of their Legs very big and large are neither so good nor fit for service as others because those Veins become filled with a superflous Blood which by an agitation occasioned by labour degenerats into putrefaction or breed a kind of Corruption very subject to prove prejudicial to the Legs upon many accounts I have never as yet made tryal of this observation however since the time I received it from that person I found it in the Works of Xenophon who writ very well of Horses considering the time wherein he lived Having exactly observed the three preceeding imperfections to wit whether a Horse be straight upon his
and you no ways troubling him now if you can have but patience to let him walk thus negligently for a quarter of an hour if he incline to stumble he will trip more than once and perhaps salute the ground with his nose if he be very subject to it if he be heavy on the hand he will rest wholly upon the Bit and be a burden to the Bridle-hand if he be dull and Lazy he will diminish insensibly the train of his walk and will at last stand still to put him on again you must move gently your body and Legs nay even your Arms as commonly the Grooms do when they take a Horse to the Water and infallibly you will know your Horse better thus in half an hour than in half a day by any other method Again if after having made this proof you cause him go at an attentive pace and that he be under the apprehension of your Spurrs he will unite all his strength and mettle to please you whereas if you suffered him to walk on negligently at his pleasure he would not much help or advance his sale because it is commonly in the first hundred yards or so that a Horse after he hath been switcht or spurred giveth the greatest token of his Mettle by reason that the fear and apprehension of the correction he received is for so long fresh enough in his memory But if after he is once fred of that apprehension by your negligence in pressing him on and slackness of your thighs and legs he notwithstanding go cheerfully forwards with a raised and well placed head and champing his bit his step well raised and resolute without either stumbling or stricking upon the Clods or Stons in the way I say without doubt such a Horse cannot but be vigorous and mettled and also go well these are the Horses which a man may venture to buy at a dear rate for there are but few of this make For Horses again which Amble they should go roundly and equally that is their hind quarters should accompany exactly their fore and not go as if they were in two peices or halfs but above all you should observe if the persons which are upon them make but a little motion with their bodies which will be a certain token that such Horses go well and that not only the Amble but also the Step. Besides a Horse in Ambling should go with an equal time or cadance that is all his steps should be of an equall measure and not three quick and perhaps as many slow but with his head and neck high and well raised and his haunches low because those Hackneys with high and unbended Haunches go uneasily weary themselves and fatigue the Rider there are some Amblers which raise up their Croups every step they make so that their hind-quarters move like the Waves of the Sea which are always rising and falling this is a very bad way of Ambling which soon wearyeth Horses and hindreth them to Rid any great length because they do not Ride with their Haunches low and plyed For all Horses which do not Amble with their Haunches thus low and plyed can never go agreeably nor easily but besides this they should have also a sufficient movement in their fore-legs which will add considerably to the Gracefulness of their Amble The best observation for Amblers and to know if they really go well is to take notice if they overlay much in Ambling which is if with their hind feet they overpass a foot and a half or two foot the print of their fore for the more they overpass them with their hind feet the better will they Amble and the worse if they do not because it is impossible for them thus to overpass with their hind-feet the treads of their fore without plying considerably their Haunches which is the perfection of the Amble If people have not taken exact notice to the motions of a Horses legs upon the Amble they will scarcely believe how it is possible that an Ambler which lifteth the fore and hind-legs of the same side and at one and the same time while the two legs of the other side are upon the ground and so alternatively should yet set down these two legs which were in the Air the one before the other and not at one and the same time however it is a Matter of Fact and if you take notice to it you will find that he setteth his fore-foot first to the ground and then afterwards but very quickly his hind foot is set down just as the two feet of the other side wherewith he did not lead are beginning to be raised and when these two which did lead are upon the ground then the two of the other side are raised and make the same motion and so successively the one side after the other which is pretty odd and very well worth observation What our Author says here of a Horses setting down in an Amble his forefoot before the hind of the same side notwithstanding of their being both raised from the ground at the same time may hold in some Horses but doth not in all as you may easily discover by an exact observation of but half a score or a dozen different Horses as they are Ambling There are many travelling Horses which have their Haunches so very stiff that they cannot at all ply them as they are Riding which maketh them so uneasy that they very much fatigue and trouble the Back and Reins of the Rider when they are but even going at a foot-pace and they are those Horses which are half ruined and spoilt with carying large Clock-bags and Mails that are most subject to this imperfection so that when they have no Clock bag or large Port-manteau upon their Croups they go with their haunches very straight and stiff but if you load them with a pretty heavy Mail they will then ride agreeably enough because of their being thereby constrained to ply and bend their Haunches the remedy is good although somewhat too violent to be made constantly use of All Horses which have stiff hind quarters to uneasily neither are such Horses Haunches made stiff and uneasy with carrying Mails and Port manteaus for there are many of them which have never carried any but then this stiffness and uneasiness in them may proceed from their being either too severely fatigued or for having too short Haunches those Haunches are too short which descend in a streight line from the Haunch bone to the pastern joynt and because it is with difficulty that such Horses bend their Hams in Riding therefore is it that they have a hard and uneasy sett with their hind-quarters without being in the least spoilt by excessive labour for although they be but Colts they will goe after this manner and give but a very uneasy divertisâ—ment to their Rider In sine whatever kind of pace a horse goe if he be upon his haunches he will be so much the more agreeable and easie
there are some horses which as they come first out of the stable ply their haunches and goe very low behind but they cannot continue long at it because it is too constrained a motion for the horse perhaps unites alâ— his strength to give ease to his fore-legs which are bad and as no violent action is durable therefore he cannot continue long at this so that after a short time taking himself to his old train he will goe swinging and rouling his croup at each step and ride very disagreeably all the rest of the way There are however some horses which having very good and excellent Reins ply their haunches and goe upon them at their very first coming out but then this is 〈◊〉 mark of their strength and reins in so far as being mounted by a good horseman he will make them continue their train with their haunches thus plyed without intermission which it were impossible for them to doe if they had not besides good reins 〈◊〉 great dale of nimbleness and activity with an excellent and sensible mouth Suâ—â— horses as these are both rare and very dear It now remains that I discourse of those horses which goe shuffling and mixt kind of paces which generally speaking are worth nothing for as such paces are either a mixture of the amble and walk called in French L'entre pas or traquenard or of the amble and Gallop in French L'aubin a horse cannot continue at them and commonly such horses are fretful and hery which obliges them at their first outsetting to take themselve to such kind of shuffling paces Sometimes also they proceed from a weakness either in their reins or legs but if it hath never been a horses custom before to goe a shuffling pace betwixt the walk and amble and that you find he now inclines to it of his own accord it is almost always a token that his legs are either spoilt or weak and that he erpects by this mixt kind of pace to give ease to them The publick messengers Mail-horses which are these that carry the panniers or packs take up this kind of pace by carrying the large pack-sadles and by degrees learn to Amble as they spoil in their legs and become old Some ambles which are forced that is horses which have been constrained to amble by help of the Tramel without having any disposition to it are many times not very agreeable and easie because they don't commonly keep at it above half an hour after which they take themselves to their accustomed pace and go either at a step or a pitiful short Trot 'T is true that the most part of English horses have an amble which iâ— not at all natural to them but which they have been artificially taught and indeed no horses in the world amble better than they doe for they are taught it with a great dale of art and many Colts have at two years old the Tramel put to them when they are at Grass and are left so in the fields with them every Summer both night and day untill they be four years old which is the age at which they commonly begin to back them so that by this long habit of running with the Tramel they contract a second Nature and either Amble as they are pressed or use their natural pace when they are suffered to goe slowly I have my self attempted to teach several Horses to Amble both by the help of Tramels and without them only by the hand but they never arrived to such a perfection in it as many Horses I have seen come from England even although the method of teaching it was discovered to me by one of the most expert and skilful in that imployment for he would have perfected and confirmed some horses in the Amble in fifteen dayes time and that only by the hand without the Assistance of the Tramel but that which happened to those I designed to teach was that there Legs were all spoilt and galled with it and by the violence they suffered in going such a constrained motion they became many times lame in short the most part of them came only such a length that they were more fit for deceiving People than yeilding any good and profitable service so that if any person have a design to try his skill this way I advise him to follow no other method than that practised by the English which he may find set down in the 33 Chapter of the Supplement of Horsemanship annexed to this first part When a Horse hath naturally a mixt pace and that he goes sometimes the motion of the Amble and other times the Trot or Walk it is very fit and reasonable to apply the Tramel to him that so it may assist nature to confirm him in a pace and which may prove also a very great help to give him such an Amble as may be both true and of long continuance whereas if you did not make use of the Tramel there would happen this inconveniency that he would go the Traquenard which is a mixt and shuffling kind of motion and but a very bad pace When a Horse hath an inclination to Amble the English method of Tramling succeeds very well Now the motion of the Walk is different enough from that of the Gallop and the qualities which a horse should have to make him walk well are quite different from these he should have that so he may gallop well nay they are almost quite contrary Because to walk well he should tread hard and firm whereas to gallop well he should scarcely suffer his feet to touch the ground which is the way people express themselves when they would signifie that a horse should gallop lightly and easily and it is upon this account that horses which walk very well do commonly never gallop in perfection and that those which gallop perfectly do upon the contrary never walk exactly well however there are horses which have both a good walk and excellent gallop but they are rare and hard to be got A horse that hath a had walk will run so much the better provided he have also mettle A Horse which is designed for hunting should be Vigorous and full of mettle gallop upon his haunches and but graze slightly upon the ground with his feet that is should goe smooth and not raise his fore-feet too high but list them easily and without much trouble his head and Neck high and well placed without resting too muâ—h upon the snaffle and also giving a little snort with his Nostrills each stroak he maketh which is a token of good wind when a man is taking a tryall of a horse by galloping he should observe if he perform it equally while he continues him at it and at last he shou'd push him on a little hard to know by his stop if the horse have as yet strength and vigour which is called a Source or Fund and if he be also sensible of the Spurrs This is what I promised to discover to
sayeth Morsille sin senus muchos lo quieren y pocos lo han whereby they esteem those happy who have a Coal Blad Horse without the least White spot upon him Again in France they look upon Jet Black Horses which have no White marks all upon them as unluckie and think also that all Horses which have not a White Stare Blaze in their fore-heads are defective which is not without reason The Sorrel colour is Bilous or Cholerick and hath assinity with Fire A hore then of this colour will be Cholerik Frettfull and Light and will have a dispositiâ—â— to Leap The Bright and Dark Sorrels are more or less Cholerick as their Colours at Light or Dark and if they have White marks upon them it is a good sign because White correspondeth with and is a token of Phlegme which by its coldness qualifies the excessive heat of Bile or Choler and so maketh the Horse of an excellent disposition But if he be a very Dark Sorrel then he will have Melancholie mixed with his Bile and it is so much the better because by its weight it will fix his Choler and 〈◊〉 make him more capable to conceive what a man would teach him and also cause his have a better memory than he would have did he want it The White is Watry and Phlegmatick and consequently dull and soft Horses 〈◊〉 this Colour have rarely a good disposition and become commonly charged with fleâ— and very fat however it is not fit because of this observation to condemn all Whiâ—â— Horses because there are but few fcal'd of this colour and I have seen many Whiâ—â— Horses which were excellent Leapers active and nimble but then they had been 〈◊〉 and became only White as they grew aged which is what frequently happneth Wâ—â— Horses which are Flea-bitten or have small Dark spots upon their Heads Necks and Shoulders are commonly execellent and if they have them over all their body the mark is so much the better but if they have them only upon their hind quarters and none upon their fore then they are rarely good so that you see the White which haâ—â— a mixture of Black maketh a very good disposition as I have already said The Deer-Colour sufficiently explaineth it self by the resemblance it hath to that of a Deer if such Horses have their extremities as Main Tail and Legs Black they will prove good and if they have likwise a Black list along their backs they will be so much the better Horses of a Bay colour are Sanguine which is an execllent complexion they are also commonly brisk and hearty feed with a good appetite and ride deliberatly If a Horse partake of all the Elements in a due and just proportion he will be perfectly good now I shall tell you the chief of those which have this equal mixture of humours The Chesnut-Bay of a lively colour with a Star in his Fore-head deriveth his chief temper from the Sanguine humour which is the most excellent they have always their extremities Black which signifies that they partake also of Melancholie again this livelyness of their hair proceeds from Bile and the White Stars in their fore heads are a token of Phlegme So when you observe in a Horse the four humours thus proportionably assembled and united he cannot fail to be excellent especially the Sanguine humour predominating as it doth here With a little experience and solide judgment it is easie to draw the like consequences from the other mixtures of colours which I might here set down would it not prove tedious and perhaps of no great use it will be therefore in my opinion sufficient to discover to you which are the best colours in general The Dapple-Gray is excellent The Flea-Bitten or colour of a Starling which hath good eyes cannot fail to prove good The Roan with a Black or Moors head in French Cavesse de More or Cap de Maure is most Excellent Vigorous and Hardie The Burnt or Dark Sorrel never faileth This is an abrigment of the most excellent colours and which are best temper'd and most esteemed after these those colours which come nearest to and resemble them most are the best although there are of all colours and marks good This reasoning will with a little experience make you come to understand that those Horses which have too much White are commonly weak and foible it is a colour which I have omitted to explain because it abundantly discovereth it self Horses which are of the colour of a Peach flower or blossome or which approach near to that colour are neither much sensible nor very couragious and bold although otherwise their colour be very becoming and beautifull The reason why the Dapple-Gray is so excellent is according to our former reasoning because his Phlegme is animated by his Adust Choler or Burnt Bile and thereby becometh the Lighter now from this mixture of Bile and Phlegine doth result an excellent temper and complexion full of Life and Vigour but which for the most part is not very sensible of or obedient to the Spurrs Here is abundance of matter from the variety and diversity of colours and their properties to swell this Book to a large Volum and a Man might here shew very well his ability and parts but the Reader may draw abundance of knowledge from what hath been said whereby to satisfie himself in this matter which I shall quit at present that I may discourse of white footed Horses CHAP XXIII Of Stars Blazes and the White marks which Horses have upon their Feet or Legs called in french Balzanes THere are some knowing and skilful people CHAP XXIII Of Stars Blazes and White footed Horses who rely much upon the observations they take from a Horses having such and such White feet and believe these Marks to be so infallible that upon the White Marks falling in a good foot they will buy a Horse without tying themselves to consider any other Marks which are a great dale more essential The Spantards although they do not esteem a horse which hath a White far-hind foot yet do not much regard any kind of White marks whatsoever upon the Feet or Legs for they say by way of proverâ— that goodness is more to be valued and considered in a Horse than good marks Bondâ—â— vincesennal The whole foundation and certainty of observation which people draw from White footed Horses proceeds only from experience which is our sole guide in this matter and this experience is also in some measure founded upon reason for these White marks do by their Phlegmatick coldness temper and qualify the heat of Choler and subtility of Blood and so of the rest but as to what concerns their situation and what influence that may have upon them it is only the observations which people have had that Horses with such a Whiâ—â— mark and in such a place did prove very good which are the ground of it and long experience and custom have confirmed it so that
very pretty although I do really bâ— lieve that it is more subtile then solid We have heretofore discoursed of the 〈◊〉 munctories or Glands which are situate in several parts of a horse and whiâ—â— serve in place of Spounges to attract and suck up the superfluous humidities of the adjacent parts A while ago one named Wharton an English man sayeth that these Glands are composed of Veins Nerves Arteryes and Lymphatick vessels and that they have also a particular correspondence with the Nerves about whose service they are particularly employed he moreover adds that people may easily judge by their rare and spongious substance that they serve to filtrate and refine some kind of Matter which their white colour discovers that that matter is not Blood furnished by the veins and Arterys and seing the Nerves join to them it would appear that their Nourishment cometh from thence and that this nourishment proceeds immediatly from the Chyle which out of its most pure and subtile parts furnishes a refined and exquisite juice for the nourishment of the Nerves and that this juice is purified in these glands by passing through their spongious flesh as through a filter or strainer where it leaves behind it what is most impure and gross and least proper for the nourishment of the Nervous parts The same Author sayes that this nervous juice is employed in the most exquisite functiof the Body this opinion which is at this day generally received among the English who were the inventors of it is revolved all upon this most true Principle that as there are in human bodies two sorts of parts which are of different colours so they must have also two kinds of nourishment to wit Blood for the red parts and this Nervous juice for the white I shall not trouble the Reader any longer with this matter if he have the curiofity to see at full length this opinion let him enquire for a Book iutituled Andenographia seuglandularum humani corporis descriptio Authore Thomâ Wartonâ— Novtemagi CHAP. L. How Horses are to be Curry'd and Drest LEt us return again to our subject CHAP. L. How horses are to be Curry'd and drest and say that of necessity horses should be Curry'd and that to do it well one Groom cannot take care of or dress above six and if People desire that he perform his work well they should not charge him with any more for I assure you he would but very badly acquite himself neither must he have any other work to do in the Lodging to the end he may be alwayes about the stable A Groom should be Active Adroit Nimble Vigorous and Hardy should love horses and have a defire to performe his work well when a man findeth one with these qualities he should not eafily part with him for this Merchandice although gross and clownish is hard enough to be found in many places of the Countrey He should then rise early in the morning immediatly make clean the Manger before his horses and give to each of them a good measure full of Oats which may contain very near as much as the Crown of a large hat which will be near two of these commonly made use of in the Inns. He should also truss up their Litter with a wooden Fork one shod with Iron being dangerous for pricking separate the dry from the wet for the next evening and take that which is dirty and spoilt to the Dung-hill he shall afterwards make clean and sweep the whole stable and all day long keep it neat and in good order with the Broom and Shovel for it is no-wise decent to see a horse's dung lying beneath him in the day time It is however good during the great Forsts in Winter to shake down again the Litter beneath the horses after it hath been cleand and to leave it so all day long the evening or Supping time being come he should truss it up again make clean tâ—â— place where it lay separate the dry from the wet and shake it down beneath theâ— as in the Morning for this Method keeps horses warmer the whole day long aâ—â— their Coat is also preserved more clear and beautiful during the severity of 〈◊〉 Gold The horse having are his Oats he shall put a small Watering-bit or Masticadâ—â— whereof you may see the Figure in the 3d plat fig. 13. in his head and shall eithâ—â— lead him out if the place will allow it or otherwayes tye him betwixt two pillâ—â— in the stable to Curry and rub him for being Curry'd within the stable his dust â—â—fly upon the rest of the horses if they are not covered however when a man can 〈◊〉 no better he may dress him within doors Beginning then at his Near or left side he shall take the Curry-comb into 〈◊〉 right hand laying the left upon the horse's Back and shall Curry him all along his boâ— both with and against the hair behind and before taking alwayes care not 〈◊〉 place himself behind him for fear of stricking and this he must continue until the Curry-comb bring away no more dust neither must he press it too hard or rudeâ— upon the horse's body but let it go easily and lightly for it is not strength that takeâ— away the filth and dust but only the Adress and dexterity wherewith the Cumcomb is moved that produceth cleanness The dust being thus taken away from the skin he shall next take the Hair eâ—wipeing cloath which is about half a yard of course linnen or woolen cloath but many times they are made of hair and holding it by one corner shall whisk all his body over to remove the loose dust that was upon his skin afterwards with the same cloath he shall clean his Eares within and without rub him beneath the jaw-bones betwixt his legs before and thighs behind and in all other parts of the body which the Curry-comb cannot reach then he shall take the Brush and pushing the head stall of the Watering-bit or Masticadour as far back as he can upon his Neck 〈◊〉 if he have nothing but a binding he shall wholly unty it he shall with his left Handtake hold of the lower part of his Chin and brush his head pretty hard beginning at the Fore-head but he shall take care not to neglect his Eyes and Eye brows because the dust cleaves strangely to those places and thus he shall continue to go over all the head alwayes smoothing down the hair at the last next he shall brush all his body and even his legs if the length of the hair will permit and shall contime this work still now and then cleaning the brush with the Curry-comb 〈◊〉 he perceive no more Scales dust or other nastyness upon the horse's boâ— He is moreover to Brush the Mane both above below and within it by sepating the hair that so he may take away the dust that cleaves to it Last of all he shal 〈◊〉 a wisp that is made of either Straw or Hay twisted
painâ— nor diligence to compose it exactly therefore if you design to have it well made either prepare it your self or see it prepared or at least be sure that the person to whom you trust its composition be honest and faithfull The powder is as followeth Sect. 2. The Lieutenants Powder which is a Preventer as well as Curer of Diseases THis powder should be prepared rather in Summer as in Winter take the Leaves of Sage Sect. 2. and Carduus benedictus dryed in the shade of each thâ—â—â— Ounces Roots of long Birth-wort and Leaves of Fluellin in Laâ—â— Veronica of each two Ounces dryed also in the shade beat all into course powder and putting them into a Glazed earthen pot imbibe or soak them well with gâ—â— Spirit of Wine after which cover the earthen Vessel with another lute well the joyning and then expose it to the Sun if in Summer or set it in a warm place if Winter such as the heat of a stove or of an oven when the Bread new drawn When the powder is perfectly dry reimbibe it with new Spirit of 〈◊〉 which must be done for three times keeping the Vessels exactly closs luted and â—â—ing it well after every time as I have told you while you are a doing this prepâ— the rest as followeth Take of the juice of Liquorish roots of Elecampane and of the Missle-toe of 〈◊〉 or in place of it Zedoary of each three Ounces of Gentian four Ounces of 〈◊〉 berries Anniseeds and Cummin-seeds of each two Ounces Angelica-roots of Bohemia two Ounces of Cross-wort or Devils-bit and if you can get neither of these take in their place of China-root two Ounces Beat all into powder and mix them well puting them also into a Glazed Vessel to be imbibed as the preceeding ingredients with the following decoction taking alwayes care that the two vessels be exactly well luted Take of the missle-toe of Pear-tree Apple-tree or Oak Sect. 2. and of the roots of Mallows bruised as much of the one as of the other then half as much of the Herb Lung-wort or that of Colts-foot all gathered fresh if possible make of all a decoction with Old White-wine causing the roots to boyl in it about half aâ— hour before you throw in the Leaves then having Squeized out the Liquor imbibe with it the last mentioned mixture of powders until it be all throughly wet then cover the Glaized earthen Vessel in which you have put it with another exactly adjusted to it and luteing well their joynings set it in the Heat of the Sun or in the moderate heat of a stove until it be perfectly dry after which reimbibe it a Second time with the same decoction letting it dry again the Vessels being still kept closs and well luted but the Third time you shall soak and moisten this powder with the Spirit of wine letting it also dry with a moderate heat in the Luted earthen Vessels as before when it is dry mix the First powder and this very well together all which being throughly dryed shall be exactly well beat together and mixed and kept very closs pressed in either a glass Vessel or leather bag as a precious and excellent Powder Now when a Man would preserve a horse from any indispositions which might befall him he should every third month or at least every sixt give his horse in two measures of Bran two Spoonfulls or an Ounce and a half of this powder the Bran being first a little moistned with water that so the powder may cleave to it after which he is to tye him up for two hours to the Rack without suffering him to eat and this he is to continue for five or six dayes which will prevent and stop the course of many diseases If a horse be disgusted give him a Dose of this powder in the manner following The use of the Lieutenâ— powder Let him fast six hours and then mixing two ordinary Spoonfuls or an Ounce and a half of this powder with half an English pint of White-wine and as much of a healthfull Childs Urine give it to the horse which should also be kept after taking it six hours without eating If a horse's Eye be dull his Hair stareing or that he be not according to his usual custom hearty then give him a dose of this powder It is excellent for all kinds of Colicks for the Vives and for the Grips and pains in the Belly by administring a dose so soon as the indisposition is discovered It is good for Colded horses which cast and cough For Rhumes Strangle and False-strangle For the diseases in the head it cures them infallibly if it be given in the begining of the distemper and so soon as a man perceives the horse to forsake his meat or loss his Appetite For horses which have suffered much in the Army or which cannot be made easily up and fatned it performs wonders upon them In fine for all diseases which proceed from a cold cause crudities or indigestions it is excellent giving it either amongst moistned Oats wet Bran or more properly amongst White-wine and Childs Urine as I have already ordered This powder hath many other Vertues which its use will more fully discover to you CHAP. LXXIII The Names and Vertues of Ointments Emplasters Oils and distilled Waters commonly made use of for Horses Sect. 1. THe four hot Ointments are the Ointments of Aregon Martiatum Aâ—â—â— and Agrippa CHAP. LXXIII The Names and Vertues of Ointments Emplasters c. comonly made use of for horses The Vnguentum Aregon hath derived its Name from its effects see Aregon in Arabick signifies helpfull Its vertues are to heat Attenuate and digest and is therefore excellent in the cold distempers of the Nerves The Martiatum takes its Name from the person who invented it It is gâ—â— for coldness in the brain and particularly to mollify hard Swellings as also 〈◊〉 the cold affections of the Nerves and joynts The Althaa hath its Name from its Basis or fundation which is the 〈◊〉 Mallow The four hot Ointments It Heats Moistens Lenifies Digests expells the intemperatness of Câ—â—â— is profitable for hardned Nerves corrects what is too dry and rectifies the 〈◊〉 humors which are contained in the Muscles The Agrippa derives its Name from one Agrippa King of Judea it is pâ—â—â— for softning as also it Attenuates and incides or cuts powerfully discusses 〈◊〉 or insensible Phlegmatick tumors and is good for all inveterate painsâ— the Nerves The four cold Ointments The four cold Ointments are the Album Rhasis Mesu's Ointment of 〈◊〉 the Populneum and the Vnguentum Refrigerans Galent The Album Rasis is good for heats excoriations and blistering of the 〈◊〉 for Galling and Ulcers proceeding from heat intemperatness or too great 〈◊〉 in any part and other imperfections of the skin The Ointment of Roses appeases inflammations and the Erysiely or 〈◊〉 Authony's fire The Populueum continues no longer good than a year because its cooâ— Vertue
Kingdoms are good and beautiful in their 〈◊〉 and may be made use of according to their kinds in that service for which they are most proper let us consider then a little particularly the good and bad qualities which they have I have seen but few Turkish horses and they are of different Races in respect that the Territories of the Grand Seignior are very large and spacious The Turâ— is high set upon his Legs being of an unequal stature is very Beautiful Swift and well winded but hath very rarely a sure and certain Mouth Although the Territories of the Grand Seignior differ very much not only as to their Climate but also in respect of their Situation and vast extent yet the Turkâ— horses which we commonly see in this Kingdom differ little from the Barbs I have seen some in Germany and other parts but almost of the same size and stature with them and those of them which were coursest resembled the Mountain Spanish horse and all of them good and vigorous but having as the Duke very well observes their mouths Ticklish and uncertain and many times very difficult to be made sure and fixed by reason of the Bitts called a la geneste which they are accustomed to carry in Turky The Turkish horses live long and it is no extraordinary thing in that Countrey 〈◊〉 see horses which have 30 years of age vigorous active cliver and sound in all their Members The Governour of Buda called Althascha whom the Grand Seignior caused to be strangled upon suspicion of his keeping intelligence with our People had two of the best horses in his Stable whereof the youngest was 36 years old neither did he 〈◊〉 any other in time of Action although he had a good many that were a great 〈◊〉 younger People may chiefly observe three kinds of horses all very excellent which go under the name of Turks and whereof few come so far North as to us amongst whom shall be ranked first those of Persia the most part whereof come from Midia where iâ— the Campus Nizeus from whence Herodot sayeth there cometh large bold and brood buttock'd horses which are Strong Vigorous Swift and great Fatiguers and which are not to be found but in the stables of the Basha's and Grandees of Turky but never amongst the common Gentry because of their being sold at a very high Rate After these are those of Armenia and Arabia which are of the Persian Race their good Stallions being Persian horses and of those whereof I have been discoursing they being no further distant from other than the breadth of the Persian Gulf these 〈◊〉 are less and are not of such a stately size but are broader Limb'd less Fiery and Châ—lerick but then for their goodness it is incomparable and it is for that their 〈◊〉 are so very excessive in Turky these are also only horses for the great People 〈◊〉 Turky The third kind are the Morisques or Moorish horses towards the south of Africk the are of a middle size and very swift enduring Fatigue admirably well and if they 〈◊〉 the same stature and stateliness with the Persians they would be most perfect horse of these we see some in France but they are so very apprehensive of Cold that 〈◊〉 Winter destroyes them unless they be had a very great care of This is what I have learn't of that which is most certain concerning the Turkish horses for the two first kinds I acknowledge it is only by hear-say because I neâ—r saw any of them but for the third I have seen many of them which were very good And generally speaking the Persian horses are the best in the World and they aâ— much sought after in Turky and Indostan whereof also some are found at 〈◊〉 which come with the Caravans from Hispahan but these are for the most part 〈◊〉 bling horses which they call Alascia which are the horses in the World that make 〈◊〉 quickest dispatch continue longest healthful and sound and which least Fatigue 〈◊〉 Rider however it is not of these I pretend to discourse although in Europe we 〈◊〉 none comparable to them nor which can endure such Fatigue as they Let us now â—â—â—ceed to the rest I have heard great esteem made of the Neapolitans and in effect they are brave horse those of them which I have seen were of a large size however had a great deal of strenged and aboundance of Spirits and Vigour There are different Races in the Kingdom of Naples whereof some are in great pute and they are for all uses for the War for the high Mannage as Capriols Câ—â—pads c. As also Pad-naggs for travelling out of the breed at Gravina and several other places At present the Races of that Kingdom are so degenerate that they are no more worth any thing I have seen many horses which people caused bring from thence and which were pickt out of the best Races in the Kingdom whose qualifications did noâ— wise come near those which Authors attribute to them in their Writings for they had big Heads were Fierce and ill natured the most part of them being more fit to break a Neck than a Lance. I have seen many Spanish horses and have also had some my self they are extremely beautiful and the most proper of all to be drawn by a curious Pencil or to be mounted by a King when he intends to show himself in his Majestick Glory to the People for they are neither so slender as the Barbs nor so large as the Neapolitans but have the perfection of being betwixt the two the Genet hath a bold and stately Step a lofty Trot an admirable Gallop and a most swift Carreer they are for the most part neither very tall nor excessively broad and if they be right chosen there will hardly be found any kind of horse more noble than they I have heard remarkable stories of their Courage for people have seen their Intrals hanging from their Bellies through the number of wounds received therein and thereby having lost their Blood yet notwithstanding of all to have carried off the Rider safe and sound with the same Courage and Pride with which they brought him to the Field after which they dyed having less life then courage the best Races are at Andaluzia but particularly that of the King of Spain in Corduba is the best that of Cardona is very good as is also that of Molina As for the Barbs I must confess they are my Favorites which may be because I have had more of them than of any other kind of horses I never knew their equals for the excellency of their size of their pure and Nervous Force of their Gentle nature and tractableness People say that the Barbs dye but never become old because they retain alwayes their strength and vigour it is true that they have neither the Step Trot nor Gallop so stately as the Genetâ— or Spanish horses but when once they are well Researched or put to it I
have come from thence to France these hundred years As for the Frizland and thick knit Dutch horses I have seen very beautiful ones iâ— their kind which went all sorts of Aires in the Mannage as well as any and who 〈◊〉 me thinks a greater disposition for Leaping because they bended their fore-legs extreâ—ly in that Air which is the most beautiful action a horse can have in any kind of Mannage and which horses of a light size very rarely have But they are contrary to the Barbs in one thing which is that they soon become 〈◊〉 and are a long time a dying so that in that case they are an excessive charge to the Ouner whereas the Barbs die but never become old You shall find a thousand strong Dutch horses fit for draught before you find 〈◊〉 proper for the Mannage so that you may observe by this how ridiculous a thing it 〈◊〉 to represent the exact and perfect shape of a Horse which is just the same as if one should attempt to describe that of a Dog for certainly the perfect shape of a Grayhound is neither the same with that of a Mastiff nor with that of a Spaniel nor that of a Hound although all of them be very well shapt in their kinds it is the same with a horse for providing that he have his Neck exactly proportion'd and well placed and the rest of his Shapes according to the size or product of the Countrey where he hath been brought up it is sufficient A man should cheifly take Notice that the feet be good in respect that they are the fundation or otherwayes the whole Edifice will come to ruine If the Pasterns are short and stiff the horse will never be nimble and if they are long and feeble be will be defective in that part neither will he be capable to endure fatigue The Italians say that such horses go upon eight feet but the Pasterns to be right should be short and flexible because commonly such horses will be strong and agile And proper to make good Stallions of because a long joynted Barb would be worth nothing to Breed upon no more than one who hath too large and Fat feet It would be an endless work to write of mixed kinds of horses because there are so very many of them and some of them extraordinary good These which are short Rein'd and well Coupled seem to be the most proper for the Mannage in respect that we endeavour to shorten them by Art for we Stop them pull them back and put them Together to set them upon their haunches therefore a short horse is sooner Assembled than a long However I have had many long horses which were as good as any short so that that signifieth nothing to such persons who are Masters of a little Art Many people say that a horse Charged in his fore-quarters that is to say which hath his Head Neck and Shoulders big and large is heavy on the hand although he be of a light size because he will rest upon the Bridle hand as upon a fifth leg just as a Lame person leans upon astaff or Crutch but in that case it is the Farrier which must assist him for the Rider's Art will be to no purpose if he understand not Marshalry Others say that a horse charged in the fore-hand although very sound should yet necessarly press on the hand and that upon the contrary a horse discharged of flesh before should be light on the hand but this is no certain Rule for I have known horses almost as heavy in the fore-hand as Bulls which were lighter on the hand than those which had their fore-quarters extreamly discharged they are therefore the strong or weak Reins which generally make a good or bad Mouth The having of which then doth not consist in having the fore Quarters large or slender but only in the strength and goodness of the Reins because the chief thing in our Art of Horsemanship is to put a Horse upon his haunches and he who hath good Reins can endure it and by the same means will be light on the hand whereas if his Reins be weak he suffers so much and is so afraid of being set upon his haunches that he will without doubt press upon the Bridle-hand to free himself of it or otherwise his hinder legs and hams will be ruined and spoilt so that one may see that they are only the good or bad Reins which render a Horse heavy or light on the hand and not his fore-quarters being much or little charged with flesh Methinks I hear some ignorant who maintains that the more strong and firm Reins a Horse hath the more difficult he is to be put upon his Haunches It is indeed difficult to be performed by an ignorant Horseman but most easy for him who understands his business in respect that Nature furnisheth us in such Horses whereupon to work whereas in others we have nothing at all and when a man hath matter whereupon to work it is not the fault of the Horse but the pure ignorance and want of Art in the Horseman if he succeed not It is most certain that strong Rein'd Horses which have their Strength knit and bound up as it were and which are stiff and in some measure want the use of their Limbs are most difficult to be Drest that is to say to be Assembled and put upon their haunches because they defend themselves with their great strength neither can a man supple them but in a long tract of Time but when they are once suppled as I assure you he who hath well comprehended the Dukes Lessons will at last effectuate by his Method if he put it exactly in practice that person I say will make of such Horses somewhat to be admired because they have a Fund and Resource and providing they be well winded one may say that they are good stuff and that there is no more required but to make good use of it 'T is true some Horses are so disposed that they have always an inclination to leap in that case the Rider should follow their Disposition but then if he do not put them upon their haunches they shall never go just as a Horse should neither will the Air be so beautiful nor appear so high Some People beleive that a Horse which hath a thick Mane and bushy Tail 〈◊〉 commonly dull and heavy however I have had Horses whose Manes and Tails 〈◊〉 thick and long and who were notwithstanding as vigorous and full of Spirits 〈◊〉 any I ever saw so that their Rule in this point is as false as those Conjectures wâ—â—â— they draw from the Colour and Marks The Duke cannot approve of any Conjecture or Mark which may make a 〈◊〉 know the Goodness Agility and Gentleness of a Horse and saying that he had 〈◊〉 a Horse who having a bad Mark was very good he would have us absolutly 〈◊〉 swaded of the contrary of what Experience discovers to us and in
because they are brought up in a hot Climate and consequenâ—ly with a dry kind of Food The Secret then of bringing Horses rightly up in 〈◊〉 Countries consists in nothing else but keeping them warm in the Winter and feeding them with a dry kind of Food and in turning them out in Summer to dry â—â—stures Take two Colts alike well shapt begot by the same Stallion upon two Mares equally beautiful and cause keep one of them warm in the Winter time feeding him also with dry kind of Food untill he be three years old and I assure you he shall have a good Legs shall be as nervous as discharged of Flesh and almost altogether as weâ— shap't as his Sire which I suppose to be either a Barb or Spanish Horse suffer again the other to run all Winter in the Fields until he be three years old and he shall have his Head and Neck big and thick his shoulders charged with flesh and shall for his Stature or Size be a most lubberly and perfect Cart-Horse from whence you may observe the effects of dry Food and warm Housing and how much both the one and t'other contribute to the beauty of Horses The Duke hath forgot to mention that the temper of the Air joined to all he hath remarked contributes very much to this because in France we could never breed up such large Horses as come from Holland not because we have not such 〈◊〉 fat and great quantity of Grass as they have in that Countrey seing there is in Normandy a great deal as good and of the same Quality where nevertâ—eless the Hâ—â—es do not grow to that largeness but because of the moistness of the Air in 〈◊〉 Countrey where they are brought up and in fine because of the Climate Before I put a close to this Treatise of Breeding I shall give you a Remedy 〈◊〉 strengthning the small and feeble Legs of a Colt against any labour he is aâ—â—â— wards to undergo it is to be put in practice before he be backt Take a Pound 〈◊〉 Olive Oil To strength en the small and feeble Legs of a Colt a quarter of a Pound of Axungia Vitrâ— which is nothing else 〈◊〉 that stuff that remains in the bottom of the Glass-makers Pots where they put the naâ—ter whereof they make the Glass it is sold by the Druggists under the Name of Sandiver or Glass-salt and at a very easy rate take also half an Ounce of Drâ—â—â—â— blood four Ounces of very dry Castoreum bray the Axungâ—a Vitri as well as the rest very well and mix all together to which add an English Quart of Spirit of Wine in which let it all infuse cold for a night afterwards add to it an Engliâ—â— Quart of strong Vinegar and as much of a healthful Man's Urine and if conveâ—ency will allow who drinks only pure Claret let all boil together for an hour aâ— with this hot mixture bath very well his small and feeble Legs from top to bottoâ— or from his Shoulders to his very Hoofs before and from the Stiffle Joint to 〈◊〉 Feet behind and Chaff them well to and again with your hands twice a day for quarter of an hour each time that so you may make it penetrate and continue the application of this Bath twice a day for eight or ten days together By the help of this remedy his lower parts will recover strength enough 〈◊〉 endure Fatigue especially if it be practised twice a year before he be pâ— to any kind of exercise that is to say in the Spring and Autumn and by doing is from two years old untill they be four a man will have horses which shall never fail by the Legs As for the young Mares which are called Fillies you may suffer them to run abroad in the Inclosures untill they be three years old because they are not so subject to become too charged with Flesh especially in their fore-parts as Horses are however if you have the conveniency of housing your Fillies in the Winter time as well as your Colts it will be still so much the better but I am afraid that the charge of it would be too great for any private Gentleman especially if he have a great number of Stud-Mares I know certainly by my own experience that this method of breeding horses is the best for I have tryed all others and that with the most part of Stallions and Mares which could be had from different Kingdoms you are to cause back and walk abroad your young Mares some time before you cause Cover them otherwise they will be so wild that they will be in danger of not only spoiling themselves but their Foals but being thus Gently backt and rendered tractable and Familiar you will prevent that disorder The largest Size of Foals and all kind of tall horses that is which are very high set upon their Limbs ruine and spoil their Legs extreamly while they graze in the Fields or at least turn very much out their Toes that so they may come at the Grass and feed upon it with the more ease especially if their Necks be short people should therefore if they intend to graze such horses give them their Grass cut in the Stable which will prevent this imperfection of turning out their Toes Without pretending to contradict the Duke I have found by experience that for having weaned Colts at the time which he appoints and for having taken them from their Dames at the beginning of Winter at a time in which they are to change their green food to dry and tender to bard for at the same time that they are taken from the grass and put in the stable about the very same time they are to be weaned from the Pap this great change and privation of Milk hath been so prejudicial to them and made them so very lean that they had difficulty the whole next Summer to recover it it seems therefore a great deal more reasonable to me especially seing their Dames are not to be covered till next Spring to let them Suck the whole Winter for which they will certainly be the better because their mouths being as yet tender find difficulty in chawing Hay and therefore they eat but little of it it is true that to make up that want the Duke orders to give them Wheat-Bran and Oats which he pretends is sufficientto supply the want of Milk but seing the Mare will be useless all Winter for I suppose she is neither to be made use of for Carriage nor any other service but only for Breeding is it not a great deal more proper to let the Foal Suck untill it be accustomed with a dry and hard kind of Food I herein submit my self to the Readers Judgement who is free to chuse which he shall think best that so he may succeed in his design This is what I have taken from the Duke of Newcastles Book which I wish may prove useful to you and that in France where they may
bring up as beautiful and fine Horses as in any part of the World People would with Emulation put this in practice that so they might reestablish those Races and good Breeds of Horses which have been ruined by troublesome times and that without going to seek for horses at excessive rates in forreign Countries they would Breed them up in this seeing certainly the good French Hunters and Gallopers are when well chosen preferable to any horses in the World because they have more Resource more strength and last longer than any Outlandish horses whatsoever Before the year 1600 People made no use of English horses in France and the Mode then was stoned Curtailes so that Henry the Great made use of them in the Wars at Hunting and for all other uses untill one called Quinteret an English man brought over with him some horses to Court where they delight more in Novelties then any where else in the World after which the use of them was brought so much in Fashion that the People of quality thought not themselves well mounted if they were not upon English Horses because they did not find their own Country Horses beautiful and fine enough for their Service and that by reason of the destruction of the Races in France In England they take great care of their Breeds and the French pay them sufficiently for this trouble by buying their Horses at a very dear rate among which as well as elsewhere there are a great many Jads although to tell the real truth there are some English Horses which are excellent and very agreeable but they are not all so and thus much of raising a true Breed of Horses CHAP. LXXX Instructions for fitting all kinds of Horses with proper Bits TO Bit exactly a Horse CHAP LXXX Instructions for bitting all kinds of Horses is to give him such a Bridle as is most agreeable 〈◊〉 him and most proper to gain his consent to those Actions which a 〈◊〉 requires of him without this consent Horses perform nothing agreeable be ause they will have alwayes an aversion to obey so that if the fear of Chaffisence hinders them to defend themselves yet one may perceive by the constrain'd posture 〈◊〉 their Bodies that they only obey with Reluctancy but if a man can once gain their consent by the practice of Methodical Lessons assisted by the help of a proper and convenient Bit he will soon arrive at his proposed End which is to fix and affist toâ— senfible and Ticklish Mouths to a wake and render light upon the hand the insensible and heavy and bring in and subject those which are too rude and hard To acquire this knowledge a man must know some certain Principles and by them determine to give a Horse one kind of Bit rather as another and a Branch of one Fashion before one of another which is far different from it these principles are what we call Theorte which joyned to a little practice will so clear the way that a man will be capable of himself to fit his Horses with proper Bits without the advice and assistance of any and so arrive at that End which we immediatly propesed But to succeed the better in this he is to endeavour not only to understand the Mouth and Reins of a Horse but also to know his Legs and whether his feet be good or bad yea if possible his very natural inclination and disposition The Bitting of Horses or as some call it the Science where by to know how to 〈◊〉 Horses with proper Bits shall be divided into three parts to wit first in that which considers the peice of Iron which is put in a Horse's mouth and which is termed 〈◊〉 Bit or Bit-mouth Secondly in that which considers the Branches which are these longest parts of the Bridle that appear outwardly and Thirdly in that which respects the Câ—rb which is a kind of Chain fastned to the Branch and which rests in a place as it were appointed by nature for it a little above the Beard The Bit Mouth produces the Appuy which is a Horse's Rest on the hand and from which is Derived any obedience can be drawn from him The Branch which worketh its effect upon the Mouth of the Bit serves to bring in and place a horses head and Neck The Curb is that Chain without which the Branch would have no operation upon the Mouth of the Bit. So you see that these three parts have such a Dependance upon each other that the Mouth doth not operate but by the help of the Branch and the Branch hath no effect but by the assistance of the Curb Plate 2 Part i. Chap. 8i Fig 1 Un Filet A Snaffle or small watering Bitt Fig 2. Un Simple Canon ou Canon à Couplet A plain round or Canon Mouth and only joynted in the Middle to make a kind of Liberty for the Tongue Fig 3. Un Canon à Trompe A round or Canon-Mouth all of one piece and only kneed in the midle to make a Liberty for the Tongue Fig 4. The Canon à â—orge de Pigeon A round or Canon Mouth with the Liberty after the Forme of a Pigeons Neck Fig 5. Un Canon Montant A round or Canon Mouth with an Upset or Mounting Liberty Fig 6. Une Escache Montante A plain or simple Sâ—â—tch Mouth with an Upset or Mounting Liberty Fig 7. Les Olives à Couplet A Mouth with two long turning Olives coupled in the Middle Fig 8. Une Escache à Col D'Oye Avec une Bavette A Sâ—â—tch Mouth with the Liberty after the Forme of a Gooses Neck and having a Slabbering Bit hanging down from the middle of its Liberty Fig 9. Canon à Compas A round or Canon Mouth having the joyning of its Upset or Mounting Liberty after the Forme of the joynt of a pair of Compasses Fig 10. Un Canon à Col D'Oye Là Liberté Gagneé A round or Canon Mouth the Liberty gained out of the thickness of the heels and after the Forme of a Gooses neck Fig 11. Un Canon à Basculle A round or Canon mouth all of one piece only the two sides of the Mouth move forewards and backwards upon the two ends of the Liberty by the help of two Pivots Fig 12. Un Escache à Pignatelle ou à pas d'Asne La Libertâ—â— A Scâ—tch Mouth with the Libery gained out of the thickness of the Heels and eitehr after Mons Pignatell's Fashion or after the forme of an Ass's Tread Fig 13. Un Canon à pas d'Asne La Liberté gagneé A round or Canon Mouth all of one piece with the Liberty gained out of the thickness of the heels and after the Forme of an Asses Tread Fig 14. Les Olives-Tambours à Pignatelle A Mouth with small turning Drums rounded upon the edges after the forme of an Olive and having also little moving Rings upon the out-sides of them wth the Liberty after Mons Pignatell's Fashion Fig 15. Une Escache à Boulton à Melon
than the Beard which is covered with a skin more capable to resist than that of the Barrs befides that people can Quilt or line their Curbs and also in case of necessity make use of a small string or Ribband I have said these few Words before I begin to discourse of rude Bit-mouths that so people might not be surprised when they shall see the Books of Mr. Pluvinel and Mr. de la Brow who have both writ very well of this Science but the last a great deal more fully and at large Let us now proceed to them 1 Vn Canon à Pas d'asne Roulant THe Canon à Pas d'asne Roulant Or Canon mouth with a moving Liberty and after the Form of an Asse's tread is little in use but however good for Horses which have a bad enough Mouth because of their having round and fleshy Barrs although high enough and who besides that have also a Serpentine Tongue Sect. 3. that is who thrust it over the mouth of the Bit or to one side all which being joined together give them an Appuy which too much resists the hand and as such serpentine Tongues endeavour to pass above the Bit-mouth the Liberty à Pat d'asne doth binder them so that Horses finding such a large Liberty wherein to lodge their Tongues doth there keep them contrary to their inclination and besides this Bit-mouth will also subject a horse when he hath a hard 〈◊〉 mouth and the Liberty although large yet because it is moving will not offend the Palate and consequently not cause him beat on the hand That which may be found fault with in these moving Liberties à Pas d'asne is that the parts whereupon they turn are placed exactly in those parts of the Bit-mouth which rest upon the Barrs so that although they be made never so exact and equal to the rest of the Canon yet as those parts wear the Horse's Barrs go into them and so are cut by the least rude motion of the Riders hand therefore a man should rather make use of the following Canon mouth in which he will not find the ncommodities of this 2 Vn Canon à Pas d'asne Secret THe Canon à Pas d'asne Secret Or Canon mouth with a moving Liberty after the Form of an Asse's tread but made to move after a secret manner is of the very same use with the preceeding and hath not that incommodity of cutting the Barrs which it hath but because its Liberty is made to move after a secret manner therefore it will I assure you cost dear any who intend to be at the charges of it will find that it is proper for Horses which have bad enough Mouths to oblige them to resist and press hard on the hand and who besides have a serpentine Tongue which they thrust out upon one side of the Bit-mouth you may read the effects of the preceeding Bit-mouth because what the one is good for the same is t'other 3 Vne Escache à Pas d'asne quarrée THe Escache à Pas d'asne quarrée Or Scatch mouth with the Liberty after the Form of an Asse's tread but a great deal more square at the top is sometimes made use of there is a kind of Ballance or Trebuchet fastned to the upper part of this Liberty à Pas d'asne which is the reason why it is made more square and the said Trebuchet or Ballance is made fast to the Liberty by a joint so that it turns inwards when it meeteth with the horse's Palate If People consider this Mouth without the Trebuchet it will then be proper for a horse which hath a bad enough mouth by reason of his having round fleshy and insenfible Baâ—rs his Tongue very big and besides his mouth extreamly much cloven all which joined together will make him resist the hand or rest hard upon it in a long journey This Trebuchet or kind of Ballance is for two uses First For those Horses aboâ—â— mentioned which thrust their Tongues over the Bit-mouth because it there stops them and although they have them Serpentine yet they cannot by reason of this Trebuchet find a passage Secondly For Horses whose necks are False and Renversed and which are narrowjaw'd to whom if you should give a hardy Branch with a high Eye Sect. 3. thereby to bring in their Heads you would turn them desperate by reason of their great constraint because Nature resists and opposes their yeelding that obedience which you require of them you are therefore to have recourse to some invention which may tickle their â—alates without much troubling them this Trebuchet is designed for that end it will only importune him with the little round joint that is in its middle and the Horse to free himself from this trouble will bring down his nose and come to endure the Appuy or Pressure of the Bit upon his Barrs which is what we desire so that a man will hereby obtain without violence or in the least troubling the Horse the End he proposed which was to place the horse's Head in its most becoming posture 4 Les Tambours à Col d'Oye THe Tambours à Col d'Oye Or Mouths with small turning Drums and little moving Rings upon the Out-sides of them with the Liberty after the Form of a Goose's Neck as also with any other kind of Drums are those Mouths which amongst rude Bits seemed to me the most reasonable and preferable to many others so far as the nature of a horse's mouth which I had once to fit with a Bit could discover to me the Mouths with Drums have these three good Qualities which are to be pretty large moveable and round which three things render them pleasant and agreeable in a horse's mouth But let us come to these in particular these above-mentioned then will be proper for a horse which hath a bad Mouth although very much cloven hath a big Tongue arms his Barrs with his Lips and hath them also round fleshy and dull all which will produce an Appuy that will either resist the hand or press upon and burthen it upon a Journey But as this Bit-mouth will rest very sensibly without any impediment upon the Ridge of the Barrs only that it many times falsifies this Pressure by reason of its Liberty's bending in the middle this will cause the Horse find some ease in it and also have a lightness on the hand which he would not have with any other Bit-mouth especially if be have no imperfection and debility in his Members because if his Legs Feet or Reins be very weak used or fatigued any of which will hinder the Horse to answer the operation of the Bridle it must not in that case be expected that this Bit can rectify all these 5 Les Tambours à Pignatelle THe Tambours à Pignatelle Or Mouths with small turning Drums and little moving Rings upon the out-sides of them with the Liberty after Mr Pignatell's fashion are at first view discovered to be more rude than the
man should therefore yeeld or slacken his hand as frequently as he can to all kinds of Horses and by this means he will draw some obedience from them when such as cleave to the Bridle Reins will draw from them none at all Part 1 Chap 82. Fig 1. Une Branch Droit à Pistolet A Streight branch after the forme of a Pistol Fig 2. Une Branch à La Conestable A Branch after the Duke of Moâ—â—erancy Constable of France his Fashion Fig 3. Une Branche à La Gigotte A Branch after the Forme of a Gigol or Log pretty well kneed and also bruised forewards at the Larrâ—t or Ham. Fig 4. Une Branche à La 〈◊〉 A Branch very much 〈…〉 Larret or Ham of it after 〈…〉 a bent Knee Fig 5. Une branche Françoise A Branch after the French Fashion Fig 6. Une autre Branche à La Conestable Mais plus hardie que La precedente Another Branche after the Duke of Mommorancy Constable of France his Fashion but more strong hardie then the proceeding Branch Fig 7. Une autre Branche à La Gigotte Mais qui ramens d'Advantage qui La precedente Another Branch after the forme of a Gigol or Leg But which bringeth in a Horses head better then the preceeding Branch Fig 8. Une autre Branche Françoise Mais plus hardie que la Precedenâ—â— Another Branch after the French Fasâ—â—â—â— but more strong hardie then thâ— preceding Branch Fig 9. Fer pour les pieds plats The true forme of a Shoe for Flat Feet Fig 10. Fer à Pantouffle A Panton or Pantable Shoe Fig 11. Fer à Demy Pantouffle A half Panton Shoe Fig 12. Fig 13. A Masticadour or Slavering Bit. Fig 14. CHAP. LXXXII Of all the different kinds of Branches most in Use THe Branch is the second part of that Division CHAP. LXXXII Of Branches we made in the beginning of our instructions for Bitting where we told its effect was to place a Horse's head and neck and that it was to be proportioned according to the design a man hath of either bringing in or raising a Horse's head The Branch is not the first Cause that acts in the placing a Horse's head and neck for it is only a second or help to the Bit-mouth because as a Bit-mouth hath no effect but by means of the sensibility that is in a Horse's mouth and that that sentiment is awakned no other way but by the Bit-mouth it follows that to make use of that sensibility there is a necessity that the Branch Cooperate with the Bit-mouth and but only as a second Cause to produce those effects which we know it doeth by giving so beautiful a posture to Horses and obliging them to carry in the most becoming posture whereof Nature hath made them capable The line of the Banquet is that part of the branch whereby we judge of its effects and which discovers to us its strength or weakness See plat 3 Fig. 4. A strong or hardy Branch is that whose Sevill-hole at the lower end of it is placed upon the outside of the line of the Banquet See Plat. 3 Fig 4.5 8. and the Flaque or Gentle which hath it placed upon this side of the above-mentioned Line See Plat 3 Fig. 1. A Rude and hardy Branch will bring in a Horse's head proportionably as it is more or less hardy and the Flaque or Gentle cannot operate but by its weakness thereby diminishing the effect of the Bit-mouth and so causing a Horse more easily suffer the Appuy or Pressure of the Bit who before had difficulty to endure it The ordinary effect of a Branch is to bring in a Horse's head that is the Action most natural to it because the further it is from a Horse's Neck the greater strength will it have in pulling and therefore that which is most hardy will bring best in provided it be in the hands of a Person who understands to make use of it A Branch may also raise a horse's head but then it shall be never but betwixt the Ham and Sevill-hole that it will have this Operation and that by reason of the Bent or turn that is given to it in that part for it is not the name of a Branch that causeth it either bring in or raise a Horse's head but only the Turn or shape that is given to its lower parts Short Branches are ruder then long if they have both of them the same shape and turn because as the effects of a long Branch cometh from a pretty distance therefore it does not constrain a horse so upon a sudden as a short which besides it's great constraint is also unpleasant I shall give a description of all the Branches which are of most use for the right briding of horses and in explaining the effects of each Branch in particular shall at the same time discourse of all those parts which compose one without speaking separately of each and thereby making a long discourse which proves many times as troublesome as useless It is difficult enough at first seing of a horse to chuse a proper Branch for him it being much harder than to appoint a Mouth because a Bit-mouth may be both seen and felt and People have a certain measure for its bigness but it is not so with a Branch because it must be proportion'd to the length of a horse's Neck however one may sooner fail in ordering a too short than too long a Branch I fancy that by considering exactly the Models I am to give a man can scarcely fail but that so soon as he sees a Branch he will be capable to tell that it is for a horse which hath such a Neck and that when he sees how any horse carries his head he will he also immediatly able to discover that such a Branch is proper for him because he carries so and so and hath such a Neck 1 Vne Branche droit a Pistolet See Plat 3 Fig 1. THis Branch being almost perfectly streight is called in French à Pistolet or Branch after the form of a Pistol as also à la Caâ—abroise it is the shape of its lower end which giveth it this Denomination it is called streight because it hath no shoulder and is made use of for young Horses because it is commonly the first which people give them to form their mouths and cause them relish a Bit. This fashion of streight Branch restrains a horse a great deal less than one having a shoulder and it is alwise the Method should be observed in beginning a young horse to constrain him as little as possible that so there may be no occasion given him to resist whereby he may shun that constraint which is displeasing to him for of all the Chastisements and Remedies wherewith Art furnishes us there are none less natural than the effects of a Bridle and consequently very difficult to be comprehended by Horses People commonly for the very same reason make Branches pretty long
to the end first that they may give no displeasure or trouble to the horse and next because a long and gentle Branch such as this in a manner brings a horse who hath a mouth too tender and delicate to endure a hard and firm hand and also assists and supports him in the action of Stopping without suffering him to precipitate his force for that purpose because this Branch comes easily to his Counter so that both his Mouth and Barrs are thereby eased This Branch may serve to bring in or raise a horse's Head according as the Curb is either lengthned or shortned these two effects 't is true will not be performed with the same ease and advantage wherewith they are by Branches whose shoulders and other shapes are particularly designed for that purpose but because this Branch is that which must gain a horse's consent with ease and pleasure therefore People commonly make use of no other untill this hath first somewhat habituate him to them This Branch is commonly joined to a simple Canon Mouth for as that Mouth is the most gentle of all Bit-mouths therefore is it joined with this Branch which as I have said is also most Gentle but if you horse because of his having a too sensible tender or ticklish mouth will not suffer the pressure of a Canon simple because of the inequality of its Appuy which renders such horses uncertain then you are to join to this Branch a Mouth à Trompe which will bring the horse to a firm Appuy especially being assisted by a good hand and the judicious conduct of a skilful Rider 2 Vne Branche à la Conestable See Plat. 3. Fig. 2. THis Branch à la Conestable Or after the Duke of Mommorancy Constable of France his fashion is round as those will have it who understand not what belongs to good Work for there is no cut work upon round Branches as people make them now a-days so that a good Workman cannot thereupon show his skill it is left to every one to please their own fancy but as to my own particular round Branches seem very ridiculous This Branch is upon the line of the Banquet and so will be proper for a horse which naturally carries his head well and in as becomeing a posture as possibly he can for without much Philosophy a horse that Carries exactly well should have alwise given to him a Branch upon the line of the Banquet because it is to no purpose to subject him by the means of a firm Branch if he immediatly yeeld what is required of him by one that is more gentle This Branch may be adjusted or join'd to any Bit-mouth a man pleases but as its use is to preserve a horse in his naturally beautiful Posture there is appearance that his mouth is good and therefore for the most part you are not to join any other Bit-mouth to it but a simple Canon or Scatch however it is not but when you are obliged for certain Reasons to give your horse a rude Mouth you may join to it this Branch only with a design to weaken or diminish the strength of the Bit-mouth for it is a Maxim that a man may either strengthen or weaken the effects of a Bit-mouth by means of the Branch From whence it follows that a man can give to a horse either a rude or gentle Branch without any intention of either bringing in or raising his head but only of fortifying or weakning the operation of the Bit-mouth What I have here said shall not be repeated lest it should trouble the Reader and therefore he is to apply it to all Branches whatsoever 3 Vne Branche à Gigotte See Plat. 3 Fig. 3. THe Branche à Gigotte Or Branch after the form of a Gigot or Leg and pretty well kneed and also bruised forwards at the Jarret or Ham is upon the line of the Banquet but as it is hardy the matter of sixteen lines or an inch and four lines at the Ham and that it is also bruised or set forwards by a false Ham therefore it will be proper for Horses which naturally carry well and as such horses many times either through the weakness of their Reins or weariness may come to fall from such a beautiful Carriage and even to carry low therefore I fancied this Branch would be proper for such in respect First that it is upon the Line of the Banquet and therefore capable to maintain them in their good Carriage And Secondly The hardiness or strength of it at the Ham together with the help of its false Ham will raise their heads in case they have either of these imperfections I mentioned I also think that a man can commit no great fault in giving a horse who has his head naturally well placed this Branch which we call à Gigotte because he may come of this Branch will oblige him to continue in his becoming posture this Branch may be joined to a gentle Bit-mouth for the very same Reasons I gave in discoursing of the preceeding Branch and People commonly join it to Canon or Scatch-mouths It is not but that there are horses who have naturally their Heads and Necks well enough placed and yet have bad and hard Mouths and who therefore require a firm Bit to stop and conduct them in this case you are not to hesitate but to give immediatly a Bit conform to the inward parts of the Mouth and disposition of the Horse who perhaps may afterwards discover that his mouth is only bad through too great Ardour or an excessive desire to go forwards to such a horse as this a rude Bit would produce no other effect but the ruine of his Mouth 4 Vue Branche à Genouil See Plat 3. Fig. 4. THis Branche à Genouil Or Branch very much kneed at the Jarret or Ham after the Form of a beut knee is after the model of those Branches which raise a Horse's head and is proper for horses which Arm themselves against the operation of the Bit so that I cannot recommend to you a better for that purpose it appears at first view ridiculous being of an extraordinary shape but it is it alone hath discovered to us that there was no other means to raise a horse's head but by the help of a hardy Branch although it be only between the Ham and Sevill-hole that it raiseth the Touret or Sevill-hole being placed upon the outside of the Line of the Banquet it therefore follows that the Branch is hardy and yet notwithstauding of this it also Raiseth This Branch is only hardy a few Lines at the lower end of the Branch but at the Ham it is full three Inches hardy and that to give strength enough to the lower part of the Branch to Raise so that it will be proper for a horse which arms himself after either of the manners I shall immediatly explain horses Arm themselves most commonly for having their necks too slender and easie which they make use of to shun
the subjection of the Bit by bringing in so very much their heads that the lower parts of the Branches rest upon their Counters which renders any effect that the Bit can produce in their mouths altogether useless because there is no action of a Bridle that can force a horse to thrust out his nose directly as they can bring it in for all Branches can do this but none that Till now there hath never been sound any thing of better use for such horses as Arm themselves than the Branch à Genouil I shall explain two ways how horses Arm themselves the First is as I have already told by resting the Branches against their Counters the common remedy is to give to such shorter Branches which are so far from rectifying it that upon the contrary it constrains them more and thereby obliges them to arm themselves more strongly after this manner than they did at first and if there should be long Branches given them then they could not be restrained or kep't in people are therefore necessitate to have recourse to this Branch à Gonouil which although pretty long yet is so turned that it cannot so soon reach their Counters as an ordinary Branch which is but six Inches long measuring from the lower part of the Bit-mouth to the Touret or Sevill-hole because instead of pulling down their Noses as other Branches generally do this raises them and yet it is ten inches long so that one would think that for this reason it would reach sooner their Counters whereas it doth no such thing and that by reason of its great bent at the Ham. The Second way of horses Arming themselves is that when a man would restrain them they turn in so very much their Heads that they immediatly touch their Necks with their Chins and thereby render the effects of the Branches useless there is no other remedy for such but to place a ball of wood covered with Velvet or any other thing to make it appear neat betwixt their Jaw-bones upon the Chaul-band of the Bridle this is an Invention left to us by Mr. de la Brow which is certainly the only Remedy can be made use of with best success for this imperfection The bigness of this Ball should be proportioned according to the hollow between the upper parts of the Jaws because were it too little it would remain altogether useless and without effect being wholly lodged between the two Jaw bones and if it were too big besides that it would appear too much it would also shift from one side to the other and so be frequently dislodged but being so adjusted that the half of the Ball may enter between the two Jaw-bones and the other half remain without and meet with his Throat it will then keep in its place by reason that the hollow betwixt the two Jaw-bones straitens as it descends so that the Ball cannot therefore be dislodged but must of necessity prevent the horse's Arming himself 5 Vne Branche Françoise See Plat. 3. Fig. 5. ALL Horses do not Arm themselves but many carry low therefore the raising a horse's head is one of the most difficult things we undertake because a man may bring in a hundred when he will not raise so much as one however the two Branches I am to describe after other will perform this effect the one more the other less The First is the Branche Françoise or Branch after the French Fashion which is hardy about four Lines at the Touret or Sevill-hole and kneed an Inch and nine Lines at the Jarret or Ham with the Eye of the Branch a little higher than ordinary to give the more force to the Branch which is but a very little hardy it will therefore be proper for raising a horse which carries his head low because the Sevill at the lower end of the Branch inclining backwards towards the neck hath borrowed a sufficient strength from the Ham which is pretty much kneed in that part to make it the more powerful for Raising This Philosophy will not be approved of by every one because it hath been but little understood till of late and people had difficulty to conceive how a hardy Branch could raise a horse's head but seing it is a matter of Fact which is agreeable to reason and although it were not yet clear Matters of Fact are not to be debated I shall explain how this may come to pass The greatest and most sensible effect of a Branch is from the Shoulder to the Ham but from the Ham to the Sevill it is not so great now in this Branch the Shoulder hath strength enough of it self and which is more it continues its strength to the very Ham again the lower part of the Branch or Sevill serves it self advantagiously of this strength for raising a horse's head by inclining backwards towards the neck where however it is hardy because it remains about four Lines upon the outside of the Line of the Banquet so that our Proposition still holds good that hardy Branches help to Raise a horse's head 6 Another Branch à la Conestable but which is more hardy than the preceeding See Plat 3. Fig. 6. HOrses carry their Heads differently and so consequently their necks I immediatly before proposed the Branche Françoise or Branch after the French fashion whose effect is to raise although but little because it is only hardy at the Sevill about the matter of four Lines whereas this Branch à la Conestable or after the Duke of Mommorancy Constable of France his fashion is somewhat more hardy having eight Lines at the Sevill Hole and about two Inches at the Ham therefore it will be proper to raise a horse's head which carrieth it very low the false Ham or part of the Branch which is bruised or advanced forwards more than the other part of the Branch to which it is Soldered is a great help to it because it augments the strength of the lower part of the Branch the Eye being of a good height will also give strength to the operation of the Branch and the Shoulder which is so turned as not to constrain too much will likewise assist the Branch to Raise Now because it is most difficult to raise a horse's head which inclines to carry low I have therefore proposed three Branches for it the First is that à la Gigotte marked 3d. which although it be only upon the Line of the Banquet and that it appears to be fit for nothing else but to preserve a horse in a good Carriage yet as it is hardy at the Ham it will therefore in some measure Raise The Second is the Branch à la Françoise marked 5th which raises more than the preceeding because it is its proper effect but however with a great deal of gentleness because it is only hardy at the Sevill-hole the matter of four Lines although the rest of its parts be very well proportioned for that purpose Thirdly There is this à la
Conestable I have been describing which will yet raise more than the other two because all its other proportions being exactly observed it is also hardy at the Sevll Hole the matter of 8 Lines it may be made to raise yet a great deal more by kneeing or advancing the Ham the double of the distance wherewith it is made hardy at the Sevill Hole the very same may be done with the preceeding Branch 7 Another Branche à la Gigotte but which brings in a Horse's Head more than the preceeding See Plat. 3. Fig. 7. BEcause Horses have different ways of carrying their Heads and Necks therefore to rectify these imperfections there must be made use of Branches whose Tours and Bents are also different this à la Gigotte is hardy the matter of eight Lines at the Sevill Hole and hath a false Ham that is the Branch at that part is bruised or set forwards so that the most advanced part of this Branch is about an Inch and nine Lines The principal effect of this Branch is to bring in it being hardy to the very lower part or Sevill-hole the half Ham augments its strength and the lower part of the Branch which stands inclined towards the horse's Neck maketh it to Raise a little so that it will be good for a horse which Carrieth his Neck streight out and hath therefore difficulty to bring in his head to such a becoming posture as it ought This Branch brings in a great deal and raises but little which is just what we should make use of for such streight streached Necks because by bringing their Heads very much in we oblige them to turn and bend their streight Necks after the form of an Arch but because it would be dangerous to bring them too much in and thereby bring their Heads betwixt their legs therefore the lower part of the Branch is made to incline Backwards towards the horse's Neck which raises and places their Heads in the most beautiful posture such Necks are capable of However it is not but that the same kind of Branch may be made use of for horses which only thrusts out their Noses as I shall hereafter explain 8 Another Branch à la Françoise but which is more Hardy than the preceeding See plat 3. Fig. 8. WE have gone through a part of the different kinds of Necks and Branches which should be made use of to prevent the Actions these Necks cause to be performed by horses Heads it now remains that we consider the effects of this Branche Françoise or Branch after the French fashion It is hardy about an Inch and two lines which is 14. lines its principal operation is to Bring in being almost equally hardy both at the Ham and sevill-hole so that it will be proper for horses which carry their Heads high enough but yet Thrust out their Noses because as there is nothing required but to bring such Heads in this Branch will have therefore strength enough to perform it If a man make good use of his legs as he is pulling in hard a horse's Head there are very few horses but what he will oblige to bring down their Noses It is not but that the preceeding Branch à la Gigotte may be proper for producing the same effect for although the lower part of that Branch incline backwards towards the horse's Neck so that it cannot be called purely hardy because it also thereby Raises a little yet that doth not hinder its effect of bringing in Therefore all that can be said of it is only that it is weaker and not so capable to restrain and bring in a horse's Head as this last Here are explained all the different wayes which horses carry their Necks so that The First Branch is generally proper for the Necks of all Horses which are but begining to be Rid It may be also very good in particular for such horses as have slender Necks or which have difficulty to endure the Pressure of the Bit. The Second is for horses which Naturally carry well The Third for such as have a beautiful Carriage but which incline either for lack of strength or out of a bad custom to carry low The Fourth for horses which Arm themselves against their Counter The Fifth for horses which carry low The Sixt for such as carry yet lower than the preceeding The Seventh for Necks which stand Streached out streight forwards and The Eight for Horses which carry their Necks high enough but yet Thrust out their Noses like to the Cravats These are all the different wayes that horses commonly carry either their Heads or Necks together with the Branches which are proper for them It remains that I discourse of such Necks as are too slender and whose Mouths will not endure the pressure of the Bit upon their Barrs nor consequently any thing of a firm hand I told you that the first Branch à Pistolet was proper for such horses but as people have no fancy for giveing such Branches to Journey-pads they may therefore in that case take the sixt Branch à Conestable and render it more Flaque or gentle at the Sevill-hole by half an inch which will make it proper for such horses because being made after this fashion it will have no kind of hardyness or strength which is what we desire as for the length it must as I have already said be proportioned to the length of the horse's Neck and to the design you have of restraining much or little And for their turns or bents at the Ham you are also to alter them according to the intention you have of making them hardy or gentle Note that the further the Sevill-hole is without the line of the Banquet the hardyer and stronger the Branch is and the more it approacheth or even cometh on this side the line of the Banquet it is so much the more Flaque or gentle CHAP. LXXXIII How to chuse a proper Bit for any Horse THe knowledge of the effects of the Bit-mouths and Branches I have described CHAP. LXXXIII How to fit a Horse with a proper Bit. being supposed it is easie enough to Chuse or appoint a proper Bit for any horse whatsoever You are then to put a Bit into the horse's Mouth you are about to Bit for without doeing this it is impossible to judge which kind of Bit will be most convenient for him but however you are to give him that at first which you shall think most proper If you have not many of a different kind by you then you are rather to give him a gentle one than a Rude and you are also to take care that it be right lodged in his Mouth that is that it be neither placed too high which would make him Frumple up his Lips nor too low which would make it rest upon his Tushes This done cause one Mount him and after he hath adjusted the Bridle Reins in his hand let him try to pull the horse two or three steps back you
is good strong Cart Horses in Cornwal there is good Nages and in Wales Excellent good ones But in Scotland these which they call Gallowayes are by very far the best Nages of all for Travel and Fatigue but that kind of breed is now almost quite worn out As for English Mares there are none like them in the World to Breed on but then you must choose them fit for such Horses as you would Breed As for example if you would breed for the Mannage The Mares must have fine fore hands but not too long Necks fine Heads and well set on there Necks rightly turned with broad breasts good Eyes and great bodies that their Foles may have the more room to ly in them they must have good Leggs and Hoofs short and bending Pastorns and are to be short from Head to Foot this is the shape of Mares which best fits the Mannage and if your Mares be thus chosen it is no great matter what Colour they are of or what marks they have so they be full of strength have a superfluity of Spirit and not above six or seven years old But I must tell you that if you have two or three fine Dutch Mares Shaped as I have told you It will make a fine Composition with a Spanish Horse for the Mannage and also a Spanish Horse with such English Mares as I have descrived to you will make a breed not only fit for the Mannage but for all manner of uses whatsoever except the Plough and Cart. But if you would have Mares to breed running Horses upon then they must be Shaped thus as light as possible large and long but well shaped a short back but long sides and a little long Legged their breast as narrow as may be for so they will Gallop lighter and Nimbler and run the faster for the lighter and thinner you breed for Galloping so much the better your Stallion by any means should be a Barb and somewhat of the Shape I have discrived the Mares to be of For as I was Credibly informed by one of the greatest Horsematchers that ever England bred a Barb that is a Jade will get a better running Horse than the best running Horse in England some commend very much the Turk for a Stallion to breed running Horses by but they are so scarse and rate that I can give no Judgement of them and therefore I advise you to the Barb which I believe is much the better Horse to breed running Horses by Fourthly Of the Frison or Dutch-horse THE Frison is less wise than the English but no Horse goes better in the Mannage either on the Ground Terra a Terra or all Ayres and no Horse is of more use either for a single Combate upon Horseback or in the Wars for a Shock he is hardy can live upon any thing and will indure either heats or colds and upon no Horse whatsoever doth a man appear more a Sword man then upon this Horse being so quiet so Bold and so assured he is also Manly and fit for every thing but running away for although he will run fast for a while yet he cannot run long because his wind is not like that of Barbs However I believe a heavie man well Armed upon a Barb and the same weight upon a Dutch Horse the Dutch Horses Strength is so much above the Barbs as compaired thus I do realy believe the Dutch Horse may run as fast and as long as the Barb for the Barbs wind serveth to no purpose when his Strength is so over-powered that he cannot carry his weight and thus the Barb will want his little light Jockie upon him with a couple of Trenshers for a Saddle and a Lute String in his mouth for a Bitt Fifthly Of the Danish-horse THE Danish Horse is an Excellent Horse almost of the same kind with the former but commonly apter to learn and lighter there are more leaping Horses of these Countries and kinds then of any other Countries in the World The greatest difficulty is to get them well shaped I Had almost forgot to make this remark to you of the Dutch Horses that their Breeders to make the more profite of them Geld the most part of their Stoned Horses for Coatches and in time of peace send a great many into France and other Kingdoms So that a Man can hardly get a Stoned Horse worth any thing there Colts at two years old Spring their Mares and then they geld them so you see that by avarice their breeds are spoilt sometimes also A Toun will joyn and give above Two Hundred Pounds for a Stallion but then he covers all the Mares which belong to it like to a Countrie Town Bull. Sixthly Of the Almain or Germain-horse THose who write that they are like Flanders Horses are much deceived it seems they must mean the common Countrey Cart horses but let me inform them that there are but few Princes in Germany who have not excellent Races and breeds of horses And their Stallions are alwayes either Coursers of Naples Spanish Horses Turks or Barbs and breeding of these Stallions their Mares come to be very fine like their Sires and make very pure Breeds Seventhly Of the Courser of Naples MOnsieur La Brow in his Book sayeth that the Race of these horses was mightily decayed And that is almost a hundered years agoe Monsieur Pluvinel also in his Book sayes that there are not now such Neapollitans as there were formerly all the Races being bastardized and spoyled Thus you see things do not stand at a stay for what hath been formerly is not so now as in the Nepollitan and all the rest of the Races in Italy which are decayed The Duke of Florence is thought to have now a dayes the best Race in those parts Eightly Of the Turkish-horse I Shall here set down what the Duke of Newcastle sayeth of the Turkish Horses which is this I have saith he seen very few of them but two Merchants brought three Turkish Horses to Antwerp while I was there which were indeed very fine Horses but odly shaped their heads were very fine but like to a Camels they had good eyes thin Necks and excellently risen some what great Bodies their Croup like a Mules Leggs not great but marvelous sinewy good Pastorns good hoofs and their backs risen somewhat like a Camel they appeared not so fit for the Mannage as for to run a Course which I believe they would have scoured they Trotted very well but ambled not at all I have spoke with severall Gentlemen who have been at Constantinople as likewayes with diverse Merchants who have come from thence who all agree that there are there the most beautifull Horses in the World Saying that in Soyl or Grazing time there are many hundreds teddered who when they have eaten one place bare are shifted to another every Horse having a man to look to him and every man a little Tent to lye in And they also said that it was one
of the most glorious sights that could be to see those Horses thus teddered which were the most beautifull Horses could be and certainly they are brave Horses for the price of one of them will be about a hundred or a hundred and fiftie Pounds and then there is great difficulty to get a pass for the Grandsignor is very strict in not suffering any of his Horses to go out of his Territories And when that difficulty is over you have also another which is if you have not a Turk or two for your convoy they will be taken from you by the way There is also the difficulty of a long Journey and the danger of sickness or Lameing for you must come through Germany which is a long way and you must have very carefull men to conduct them A good Groom and expert Farrier and by no means to suffer any to shoe them but him for when they perceive a fine Horse among them they will hire a Farrier to prick or spoile him in the shoeing that they may have him which is a thing but too frequently practised in these Countreys Ninthly Of the Arabian-horse THe Arabian Horse is commonly nurst as it is reported with Camels milk and there are the strangest reports in the world of these Horses for it is affirmed by credible Persons that the price of a Right Arabian will be sometimes one thousand two thousand and three thousand Pistols a horse an intollerable and incredible price and that the Arabs are as carefull and diligent in keeping the Genealogie of their Horses as any Princes can be in keeping any of their own Pedigrees They keep the Genealogies of their Horses with Medals and when any of their Sons come to be Men then their Fathers give them two Suies of Arms with two Cymeters and one of these Horses prayes GOD to blesse them and that is every ones portion it is said they will ride fourscore miles in a day without drawing bridle but this is not so extraordinary a matter because a man may for ten pounds buy a good Scots Galloway which will easily do as much Tenthly Of the Polonian Hungarian and Swedish-horses THe Polonian Horses are nothing extraordinary being for the most part shap'd as the common and ordinary Horses and Golding in England and the Bitts they use are just like our Snaffles and have only Rings for the head-stal and Reins to be fastned to but want these little crosses which ours have to prevent the slipping of the Snaffle thorow the horses mouth It hath been an old saying that the Poland Horse are the best in the World but it is to be understood of the Polanders themselves when they fight upon Horseback and not of their horses As for the Hungarian and Swedish Horses they are not worth speaking of but if you will believe the People of these Nations they will magnifie them extreamly and so do all Nations whatsoever mightily commend their own Horses in Imitation of the Grow who thinketh still her own Bird the Fairest Now having given you a short account of the different kinds of Horses I must tell you that there are good and bad of all Countrys in the World but a great many more bad then good as there are of Men For though there be millions of Painters yet there was but one Vandike in many Ages the like in Musick Hosemanship Weapons and Horses for a rare Horse in any kind is a difficult thing to find I assure you It is a hard thing also to find fit Horses for the Mannage either on the Ground or in Ayres 'T is true Art doth much but Nature is the Ground for Art to Work on for without it Art can do but little I must also tell you that running Horses are the most easily found and of none of the greatest Use neither when you have them They run commonly upon Heaths which resemble a green Carpet for softness and must there run all upon the Shoulders which in troublesome Grounds is ready to break ones Neck and but of little use although it be a Divertisement at present much in request in these Islands For my own part I would rather dress a Horse for the Warr or Mannage than prepare him for such Courses where the pains and trouble do very often far exceed the Profit You now see how difficult a thing it is to have a good Horse in any kind for any thing Therefore I conclude that a knowing Horseman is not so happy for Horles as a Citizen of London who knows nothing more then to buy a Horse in Smithfield for eight Pound ten Shillings or thereabouts to carry him to the Country and let him have never so many faults his ignorance finds none wherein he is very happy And this much of Outlandish Horses CHAP. VII Of the Spanish Mules AS for the Spanish Mules CHAP VII there are some of them very finely shap'd having the smallest Heads and best set on the finest turned Necks thinnest and well risen excellent Backs good Bodys their Leggs clean and sinewey admirable Hoofs their Croups a little slender And in a word no horse in the World better shap'd but only their Ears are a little long which me thinks is a Grace to them they are of all Collours as Bayes Dapple Grayes and so forth extreamly strong and very large as any Horses whatsoever and also of great prices as three or four hundred Pistoles a Mule The King of Spain hath sometimes very beautiful ones for his Coatch they use them also very much for the Sadle for they amble most curiously and easily seldom stumble and when they do they never fall further then their Knees so that they are very safe and sure to ride upon There be some very little and fine ones like Scots Gallowayes and upon those it is that Generalls and great Commanders do commonly ride when they go to view the Trenches or other fortified Places and the larger sort they use for Sumpters Waggons and many other Uses They also ride Post upon them And it is reported that they will amble as fast as any ordinary Horse will go at a hand Gallop they live long and sound thirty years at least And there are Males and Females of them both very hot in the act of Generation but neither the Males nor Females get or bring forth any thing either when they copulate together or with any other Creature It is also said that a man is never assured of them from bitting or striking although he hath been their constant Keeper for twenty years but I do not believe it They are reputed also to have bad mouths but that is because they are spoilt with horrible Bitts for people use both other Bitts and other Sadles and Furniture to them then to Horses wherein they are very much mistaken because to those that are for the Sadle I would use the very same Bitts and Sadles as for Horses and none other 'T is true that for Sumpters there be some
it hath none Then Secondly There is no Trench in the World or Snaffle which is almost the same being only a smaller kind of Trench that ever wrought upon the Barrs of a Horse but only upon the Weeks of his Mouth and Lips so what preparation is there I pray for the Bitt by making use of the Trench when it can neither make him understand the Curb not Pressure of a Bitt upon the Barrs and yet you see that the Bitt worketh only upon these two places and also that without them it is impossible to make a ready Horse nay pull down a Horses head as much as you can with a Trench or Martingal and they shall never work upon his Barrs so that use them never so long the Horse shall not be settled on jot the better upon the hand when you take them away You may see therefore how unuseful a folly the making use of the Trench and Martingal is for dressing of Horses meerly so much time lost to no purpose and Labour in vain so that I wonder at the Horsemen who had no more Witt long agoe then to use it To work Horses again with false Reins is altogether as false work for they being tyed to the Arches of the Bitt when you pull them you slack the Curb and make the Bitt like a Snaffle so that no Horse can be firm and settled with it for that Horse who doth not suffer the Curb shall never be a ready horse it is therefore the Bitt and Câ—vezon and the True Art of Riding that settles a Horse upon the hand makes and dresses him perfectly and not the Trench false Reins and Martingal no nor the Martingal accompanied with the Bitt neither Because as I said if it be tyed to the Arches of the Bitt the Curb can never work and without the Curb a Bitt is of no more use for the Mannage then a common Snaffle or watering Trench but when a Horse cometh to answer the Bitt and working of the Curb then he will be put upon his Haunches and go so perfectly and easily as you shall hardly feel him upon the hand the Bridle will be so slack and he will go so just CHAP. XVI Of the Cavezon its Operation and Use THE Cavezon is quite another Machine then the Bitt CHAP XVI for the Bitt worketh upon the Barrs and the Curb and hath two Branches whereunto are fastned the two Reins one upon each side of the Horses Neck and the Bitt is in his Mouth and the Curb under his Chin and these all low especially the Branches but the Cavezon is higher and upon his Nose and worketh only there without either Mouth or Curb so that the Cavezon being fastned as I shall hereafter order it if you pull the inward Rein cross his Neck in an oblique line towards the outside of the Turn your Kouckles down it pulleth his head up a little and worketh the same effect for the bending of his Neck as the Bitt doth but much more because you have a greater pull the Cavezon being upon his Nose and being also further from you then the Bitt the ply of his Neck is the greater Consider also That when the inward Rein of the Cavezon is tyed to the Pommel of the Saddle it maketh almost the same oblique line as when you hold it in your hand and hath the same opperation in every thing only that it is a little shorter But then again if you hold it in your hand and pull it strongly on the inside of the Volt and low then you pull down the Horses head which maketh him bring in his outward shoulder which is good upon large Circles either in Troting Galloping or Passaging for to supple his Shoulders so that the Cavezon and Bitt differ so much in working that when you pull the Cavezon Rien a little high it bringeth also up the Horses head and when you pull the Branches high your hand well advanced and near to the perpendicular line of the Branches they bring the Horses head down again when you hold the Cavezon rein low and towards the inside of the turn it pulleth his head down but if you hold your Bridle-hand low it giveth his head liberty You may perceive then by this that the Cavezon and Bitt differ very much in their manner of Operation so great is the difference between working upon the Nose and the mouth or Barrs It is true that the cavezons inwards Rein tyed to the pommel of the Saddle is so rare and so effectual a thing as you need not almost care what you do with the Bitt so long as yow work with it because it indeed doth all yet when a Man cometh to work with the Briddle alone he may easily be mistaken for except he understand the true effects of both the excellency of the Cavezons inward rein thus tyed may very readily deceive him when he cometh to work with the Bitt alone Now the great use of the Cavezon is to stay to raise and make a Horse Light to teach him to turn to stop and to assure and adjust his Head and Croup and also ply his Neck and supple his Shoulders and fore Legs without offending his Mouth or place of the Curb therefore I would advise you to use it to all Horses whatsoever for they will go much better when you come to make use of the Bitt alone having their Mouths thereby preserved and made so sensible that they will be attentive to the least motions of the Hand so that there is nothing comparable to it for the Exercise of the Mannage with a Bitt for the most part a la Pignatel and the Branches a la Conestable because the Cavezon doth so supple them and is so right that it will dress all Horses whatsoever if you work them upon their Trot Gallop Stopping and going back with Passaging and raising them as you ought conform to the Rules of Art for this maketh them subject to the sense of Feeling causing them to Feel and Answer the Hand and Heels which is the Sense we ought to work on and not to the Sense of the Sight which is the Routin of the Pillars or the Sense of Noise which is the Rote of Hearing and that only by applying the Aids in these two places to wit the Mouth and the Sides Seeing is all the Art by which People teach Horses Tricks and Gambals and though the Ignorant admire them yet these persons shall never teach a Horse to go well in the Mannage for there are many things in the Sense of Feeling which are to be done with so great Art and Judgement and which require so great Experience of the different Dispositions of Horses that it is not every man who can Dress a Horse for the Mannage as he can make a Dog or Horse to Dance Now the Cavezons inward rein tyed short to the pommel of the saddle is excellent to give a horse an Apuy settle him upon the hand and make his
him from Trot to Gallop and from Gallop to Trot untill you think it sufficient and then make him stop either upon his Trot or Gallop as you shall think fit this is a most excellent Lesson not only to supple his shoulders but to make him attend and obey the will of his Rider For having no continued Rule to fix his mind on and to make him go by Rote either in Trotting or Galloping he must absolutely obey both the hand and the heels for not knowing when or where he will be stopt will make him still to be expecting it and alwayes attentive to the Motions of the hand and heels of the Rider so that he will be alwayes ready to answer them and therefore there can hardly be a better Lesson for suppling a Horses shoulders and preventing his going by Rote then this for all our designe in Horsemanship is to make a Horse answer and obey the hand and heels and this Lesson bringeth a Horse a great length in both therefore I advise you to esteem it See plate 4. Fig. 8. If your Horse Retain his force or Mettle then Gallop him fast and quick afterwards softly and then fast again as need requireth and this softly and quick and quick and softle upon his Gallop not knowing when he must do either will be a great means to make him obey both his Riders hand and beels which is the Quintessence of the Mannage But after you have Suppled your Horses Shoulders sufficiently and that you find him hard on the Hand by not being upon his Haunches then Trot him upon large Circles of one Piste or Tread and Stop him often with pretty hard Stops helping him alwayes with your outward Legg to bring in his outward Haunch and your Shoulders and Body a little back and stop him thus when he least thinks of it But if he incline to Stop of himself then Press him forewards without Stoping of him and then upon a sudden Stop him again when he is not expecting it Repeat this Lesson often both upon the Trot and Gallop and you will in a short time find him very much upon the Haunches for this is an excellent Lesson both to settle him on the Hand and to put him upon his Haunches But after you have gained this point you must then not practise this Lesson so frequently as before because it Pinches a Horse very much on the back as also maketh him afraid to go frankly forewards which maybe a means not only to cause him Rest but also to produce other inconveniences Therefore your Judgement must work according as you find occasion and as I have already told you you must accustom him first to Stop upon a Walk and Trot before you adventure to stop him upon a Gallop otherwayes you will put your Horse in a fair way of not only Pinching his Reins and straining his back Sinews but of utterly disgusting the Mannage Now all these Lessons are only to supple a Horses shoulders therefore see that you make use of no other Lessons but these untill you find your Horse extreamly supple and light and also firm on the hand for they are excellent to settle a Horse upon the hand to supple his shoulders and make him look into the Turn to Trot and Gallop right as he should both Leggs head Neck Body and all besides they prevent a Horses being Entier called by the Italians the Credenza which is an Aversion that Horses have to Turn and is certainly one of the worst and most dangerous Vices which a Horse can have especially upon any kind of service use therefore alwayes these Lessons upon both narrow and large Cireles untill you find your Horse extreamly supple in his shoulders that being the first and principal thing a Man should aim at in dressing of Horses for they as well as Men do nothing but by custom and habite and the Help of good and Methodical Lessons often Repeated which fixes it in their memories give then these good Lessons and Repeat them often to you Horse and you will find by them benefite and contentment And remember I tell you that in making use of them you work more upon his Judgement then upon the labour you give his Body for I assure you a Horse hath imagination Memorie and Judgement let the Philosophers and Learned say what they please I must likewayes tell you that to unite a Horses strength and Mettle to assure and settle his head and Haunehes and to make him light on the hand and just and firm in all sorts of Mannages dependeth absolutely upon the Perfection of the stop but first he must be Leosened and well suppled upon the step and Trot therefore never Gallop your Horse untill you find him so Light upon his Trot that he offers to Gallop of himself for the exercise of the Trot is the first and most necessary foundation to make him Light and the Ground of every Lesson which can make a Horse Adroit and Obedient in any kind of Mannage Again the property of the Gallop is to give him a good Apuy and to settle his head also if he have too much fire a short or slow Gallop will appaise him and give him patience or if he Play too much upon the Back beneath a Man it will take it off but all this must be performed upon large Circles of at least twentyfour or Thirty foot Diamiter and so it will calm his Spirits make him well winded and take away his too violent apprehensions also divert him from evil designes or Jadish tricks from Restiness or having a Double Heart for it will Supple his shoulders and make him attentive to the Hand and Heels of his Rider and consequently prevent and remedy all the abovementioned Vices So here is the end of the Lessons for working and Suppling a Horses Shoulders the which if you can make him perfom exactly I assure you the better half of the work is done for dressing and making him a perfect Horse the next Lessons I shall give you are the other half and easiest of the two which is to make your Horse sensible and obedient to your Heels and therefore I shall begin with one which will work both his shoulders and Croup at one and the same time CHAP. XXV How to make a Horse Sensible and Obedient to the Heels or to answer exactly the Spurrs HAving in the two preceeding Chapters shown you CHAP XXV how to work and supple a Horses Shoulders with the Cavezon Rein in your hand and not tyed to the Pommel of the Saddle which is the better half of your work I will now teach the other half which is to make him obey your Heels and to work both Shoulders and Croup together the Cavezons inward Rein being still kept in your hand and not tyed to the Pommel To work therefore a Horses Croup and Shoulders together you must make use of the inward Rein of the Cavezon and outward Legg pull then the inward Rein of the
Sadle maketh an oblique Line cross the Horses neck which line with the help of the Riders outward Legg puteth back the Horses outward shoulder and foreward his inward shoulder and so presses him upon the outside of the Turn and gives his Leggs liberty within the Turn which is most proper for Terra a Terra or the short Gallop his Croup in but it is naught for Corvets because it subjects his Croup too much yet it worketh his Croup mightily either Legg and Rein contrary his Croup out or in passaging his Croup in upon narrow Circles of his own length or a little larger and if you thus raise him upon Pesats it subjects him extreamly to the Heel But this oblique Line cross his Neck and fastned to the Pommel is not so powerful as when it is in your Hand and you pull it towards your Outward Shoulder although your hand hath not that strength to hold it so steady as when it is fastned to the Pommel now I say notwithstanding of this weakness of your hand the oblique line of the Cavezon Rein which is held in it is of more Force and Efficacy then when it is tyed to the Pommel because the line is longer when it is in your hand and pulled cross the Horses Neck towards your Outward shoulder then when it is tyed to the Pommel and it is the length of this oblique Line and not the Stayedness or Fixedness of it which giveth it the Power and Force to press a Horse so much upon the out side of the Turn and give him so much Liberty within and consequently to work his Croup therefore when you have his Head to the Wall if you would work his Shoulders pull the Cavezons inward Rein low and towards your Knee but if you would work his Croup then pull it cross his Neck with your Nailes up and towards your Outward Shoulder Yet there is no doubt but that though the Inward Rein be tyed to the Pommel or pulled cross the Horses Neck and be wrought upon the Trot and Gallop in large circles his Croup out As in Plate fourth figure sixth but that it Suppleth his Shoulders although not so powerfully as when it is tyed to the Girths or pulled low and the Reason is because his Croup is out and it is certain that when a Horse is wrought with his Croup out what ever way the Inward Rein be pulled high or low his shoulders are alwayes suppled because when his Croup is put out of necessity his outward shoulder must come in and so be suppled Having now shown you the different Operations of the Cavezons inward Rein when tyed to the Girths or pulled low and tyed to the Pommel or pulled high and cross the Horses Neck which is of great consequence to be exactly understood by any person who designs to be a Compleat Horseman I shall now show you to what degree of straitness that same inward Rein should be drawn when first to be made fast to either Pommel or Girths you must then at first fastening draw the Rein no straiter then to make your Horse look with one eye into the Turn that is just only so strait as that he may not look out of the Turn because if you should draw it straiter he not being as yet accustomed to it it would make him still to turn round almost in one place in stead of going foreward which would make but a pitiful kind of Mannage and be a ready Means also to make him become Rosty therefore to prevent that inconveniency shorten only the Rein of the Cavezon proportionably as you shall find your Horse well accustomed to Ride with his Neck thus plyed and bent so that at length you will come to make him look with almost both his Eyes into the Volt or Turn which will perfect him mightily in his Terra a Terra and make his Body ply and form a part of the Circle wherein he is Riding which is the true and exact posture of body which a Ready Horse should alwayes frame in going his Mannage upon a Volt or Circle his Croup in Now after your Horse can perform all his Lessons dextrously the Cavezons inward Rein being thus tyed short to the Pommel of the Saddle and you helping him still with your Bridle hand as he shall require it There is no doubt but by this time he will be brought a great length in knowing and understanding the different Operations of the Bitt both upon his Barrs and place of the Curb and therefore after this time I would advise you to lay wholly aside your Cavezon except for once or twice a Week that you should alwise give him his Lessons with it and make only use of your Bridle Reins either both in one hand or otherwayes sometimes seperate one in each hand but I am rather for having alwayes both in the Left hand for then the Right is still free to make use of the Rod or Sword if you shall have Occasion for it having therefore your Bridle in your Left hand and your Rod in the Right work him in all the preceeding Lessons until he be perfect in them taking special care to work him alwayes more upon a Square then Circle and having still recourse when you shall stand in need of them to these Helps of the Bridle Voice Rod Calfs of the Leggs and Spurrs which I have most exactly explained to you already in the 14. and 17 Chapters of this Treatise and therefore shall not in this place trouble you with a Repetition of them seeing you may easily turn back to those Chapters where they are discoursed of But before I proceed to the more nice part of the Art which is to teach you how to make your Horse go the Terra a Terra Piroyte Passades Corvets and all Leaps in perfection I shall conclude this Chapter with a few very useful Directions as followeth First then If your Horse press forewards too much stay him well upon the Hand or pull him back if he offer to go back press him forewards if he go sidewayes against your will to the Right hand put him sidewayes upon the Left and if he will go sidewayes upon the Left hand force him to go sidewayes upon the Right if he put too much out his Croup by throwing it upon your Outward heel then with your Outward spurr put it in and if he put it in too much by throwing it upon your Inward heel then with your Inward spurr force it out again if he go too much upon his shoulders then stop him frequently and make him go back and also stay him well upon the hand as you are Galloping him but if he go upon his Haunches then continue him so if he advance or rise before when you would not have him then as he is a falling give him the Spurrs and keep him down and do all this first upon a Walk then a Trot and last of all upon a short Gallop which will make him attend
Pillar or imaginary center as I have told you and given the reasons for it For you see a Horses fore parts go alwayes before his hind parts at least they should do so that is half his Shoulders or one shoulder within the Turn or Square before his Croup or inward haunch which is his fore legg within the Turn before his hind legg within the Turn and thus a Horse can never go false but most exactly true with Head Neck Body Leggs and all Plate 5 Chap XXVI of Sup Fig 1. A true and perfect Passage upon narrow Circles to the Left Hand Fig 2. A true and perfect Terra a Terra upon large Circles or a Square to the left Hand Fig 3. A true and perfect â—irâ—â—â—â— to the right Hand Fig 4. The true and exact way of raising A Horse before upon Pâ—sates or Corvets between the Pillars Fig 5. The true and exact way of raising a Horse before upon Pâ—sates or Corvets without the Help of the Pillars Fig 6. The true and exact way of teaching A Horse all kind of high Ayres by the help of one Single pillar only Fig 7. The true and exact way of teaching a Horse to go in Capriols Fig 8. The true and exact way of teaching A Horse to go in Croupads Fig 9. A Back-band A Hose A Side Rope The true and exact way of teaching A Horse to Amble As for the Left hand the very same directions must be observed as for the Right only altering the Bridle hand Body and Leggs and for the Bridle hand it is necessary that when you go on the left hand you should put your Body and Knuckles of your Bridle hand turned towards his neck which will pull the inward Rein of the Bridle for the Left hand because it lyeth under your little finger and this will make both your Body and the Horses Oblique and make also every thing else answer as well in going to the left hand as it did in going to the Right But if you intend to change hands upon Terra a Terra then your Body being still oblique with the Horses and your Kauckles towards his neck and upon the outside of it to which hand soever you are going let his shoulders first come in a little before you change him then help him with that Legg which was the inward before you changed to whatever hand you are going and then hold him up with your Bridle hand upon the outside of his Neck and put him forewards Now why his shoulders should come in a little before you change him is to fix his Croup that it may not go out Remember also to be alwayes stifl in the Hams and to keep your Heels down that so you may bring the Calfs of your Leggs to him the same is to be observed in changing upon Demy-Volts and this is the most exact truth of Terra a Terra with all the delicate and subtile Helps that can be made use of for it See Plate fifth figure second CHAP. XXVII Of the Piroyte THE Action of a Horses Leggs in the Piroyte is very extraordinar CHAP XXVII for your hand being upon the outside of his Neck to make him look into the Turn before you begin the Piroyte you must in an instant work violently with the outward Rein of the Bridle to straiten his fore parts and give his hinder parts more liberty but you are to give him no help at all with any of your Leggs and so the Action of the Horses Leggs will be thus As he is going to the right hand at the same time that he lifteth his two fore leggs he lifteth his hind legg without the Turn so that he hath three Leggs up at a time and all the weight of his Body at that time resteth upon his inward hind legg only and when those three Leggs that were up come to the ground his outward shoulder commeth in so quickly that it maketh his inward hind legg to move at the same time almost in one place to supply the place of a Center that so he may make an exact Turn or Circle I say that at the same time his three leggs which were in the Ayre are set down his inward bind legg removes to accompany the Round or Circle but in a manner still in one place so that indeed the inward hind legg is the Center upon which the Horse turneth though at the same time it move round and when the Horse is so Giddie that he can go no longer for fear of falling he then thrusts his inward hind legg forewards beneath his Belly to stop himself These are exactly the Helps and motions of a Horses Leggs in the Piroyte else he could not go so swiftly as he both ought and as Horses alwayes do when they are performing that Action and because the Horse is upon his shoulders and prest upon the inside of the Turn therefore is it that the only help is with the outward Rein of the Bridle to bring quickly in his outward shoulder and give his Croup a little liberty and that without any assistance from the Leggs at all but as the Horse is turning you must take care to turn your body well to the Turn and also look upon the inside of his Neck and thus let him turn once twice or thrice as you shall think fit See Plate fifth figure third Now when you intend to make a Horse go the Piroyte you should Gallop him upon a Square and cause him Piroyte upon each corner of it once or twice and then gain the next side of the square and when you are at the other corner Piroyte him again and do this upon every corner so long as you continue your reprise you may also Piroyte him upon the end of Passads which will make him very ready and useful for a single Combat CHAP. XXVIII Of Passads FIrst walk your Horse straight forewards CAP XXVIII either by a wall or Palisade and at the end stop and raise him two or three pessates and then turn him gently helping with the outward Rein of the Bridle and outward legg and see that he do not falsifie his Demy Volt either with his shoulders or haunches in Passaging but that both be just after he hath turned Do as much upon the other hand and then begin to Trot him upon the same straight line stoping raising him before and turning him as you did upon the Walk and when he is perfect upon the Trot then put him to a short Gallop upon the straight line also stoping and advancing him as you did before but now let him perform his Demy Tour or Volt not by Passaging but upon his Avre and when he is perfect in this then let him make a passade upon a short Gallop without either stoping or raising before but only turning when at the end of the straight line which he will do exactly in a very short time but you must remember in Galloping to keep his head alwayes a little from
under no command because the branches of the bridle rest upon his Neck or Counter so that you cannot pull or help him at all with your briddle hand wherein they are very much deceived for many horses have been known to Arm themselves against the Bitt as much as any horses could do who yet were very commandable and as light on the hand as any horses in the World For if a horse go perfectly upon the haunches he must of necessity be light on the hand let him arm himself as he pleaseth or carry his head never so low therefore they are deceived who think otherwayes However to prevent the Arming of a horse against the Bitt Mr La Broue orders a ball of wood covered with Velvet or any other thing to make it appear neat to be put upon his Chaul band which when ever he bringeth in his head too much will press him between his jaw-bones and so prevent his head coming too closs to his neck or counter the invention is good and seldom faileth to answer expectation Therefore I recommend it to you the only difficulty lyeth in proportioning the bigness of the Ball to the distance which is between the Horses Jaw bones for were it too small it would have no effect and should it be too large it would appear too much and consequently be Vnbecoming therefore your own Judgement must direct you as to the Bigness for according to the Ouverture between the Jaws narrower or wider so must the Boul be higger or smaller FOVRTHLY Of a Horse who will not Turn or Obey the Hand IF you have wrought your Horse in his first Lessons as I have directed you he can never be Entier which is not to turn for when a horse is Entier he puts alwayes in his Croup and out his shoulders and those Lessons which I have given you for suppling his shoulders put out his Croup and force in his shoulders which is just contrary to being Entier so that suppling thus a horses shoulders he can never have this vice for indeed it procedeth more from the stifness of his shoulders then any resistance he maketh with his Croup and therefore if you work him with the Cavezon Rein and Legg of a side his head in and Croup out he will never be Entier but if you shall find him very obstinate then pull the Cavezons inward Rein very hard to you giving him the spurr upon the inside and this will certainly cure him FIFTHLY Of a horse who will not Obey or Answer the Heels IF your horse when you intend to work him with his Croup in to put him upon the Haunches will not answer your outward heel but putteth out his Croup upon it then if his head be to the Wall pull the Rein of the Cavezon which is opposite to the side whereto he is going and this will make him put in his Croup but then your horse at the time you do this will go false because he will look from the Volt or Turn however if you find that this hath not effect enough then put him upon a large Circle and pull the outward Rein of the Cavezon quite without the Turn at the same time helping him with your Outward legg and Spurr which will infallibly bring in his Croup but then this will be yet falser than the other for now his head will be pulled quite out of the Turn whereas he only lookt a little without the Turn in the former but as a Man cannot do two things at once especially Contrarys so he must be satisfyed with this False Lesson until once the fault be rectified and then he must begin again and work his Horse according to the true Rules of Art SIXTHLY Of a Horse who in Riding upon a Circle or Square bringeth too much in his Outward Shoulder and therefore keepeth not his Ground as he ought As likewayes who Goeth false upon his Terra a Terra because he also bringeth too much in his Shoulders THis of bringing in too much the Outward shoulder is a Vice by which a Horse disobeyeth both the Hand and Heels but especially the Hand for no Horse can bring in his Shoulders too much but at the same time he must put out his Croup and no Horse also that bringeth in his Shoulders too much but he straitens and narrows his Volt or Circle and so keeps not his Ground also if he go too high before he will yet have more liberty to bring in his Outward shoulder therefore to recover him of this Vice the main Business is to keep him Low and make him go forewards truely both with his Leggs and Body To perform which you must sit oblique as I have else where shown you for Terra a Terra and pull the Cavezons inward Rein with your hand in an oblique line cross his Neck and the Nailes of it respecting your Outward shoulder to whatever hand you are going and thus keep him down that he rise not too high your Bridle hand being also as Low as his Main which will also help to keep him down now his being thus keept low will cure the half of the Vice of bringing in his shoulders too much that is he will not do it so much as he did before but to keep him from coming in at all because his coming too much in is also occasioned by his not going forewards Therefore to make him go forewards you must help him with both your Leggs and as your Outward legg keeps in his Croup so your Inward legg must put him forewards and thus you see your hand keeps him Low and both your Leggs put him forewards which will infallibly in a short time cure him But if your Horse go false upon his Terra a Terra by bringing in his shoulders too much and imbracing too much ground at once with his fore parts then there is no way to Remedy him like tying the Cavezons inward Rein as strait as possible you can to the Pomel that so he may with both his Eyes almost look into the Volt and then he will not have so much Room to bring in his shoulders as he had before although it appear otherwayes to those who do not exactly understand the Opperation of the Cavezon For this will force him to take shorter stepps and consequently to imbrace less ground at a time with his fore parts which will certainly cure him Now whereas I can only say of other Helps that they may do of this I say it will do and is most certain therefore I set you down none but it because I intend you should make use of no other SEVENTHLY Of a Horse who in the Mannage maketh a Shuffling kind of Amble As also Wrangleth in his Trot. MAny Horses though they can do nothing but Trot yet when they are prest in the Mannage they will make a shuffling Amble nay they will perfectly Amble which is the worst Action for the Mannage that possible can be and therefore to prevent it there is
unwholsome and dangerous the first breeding heart burning and the last causing Scouring When you are Mounted Walk or Rack him only a foot pace for you must neither Amble nor Trot because they are both prejudicial to Speed or Swiftness at least a Mile or two or more if you think fit upon smooth and equal Ground and if it have a Gentle Rising so much the better there Gallop him Gently afterwards Walk him softly that so he may cool as much one way as he warmeth another and when you have thus exercised him a pretty Space and seeing the Sun begin to rise or else newly risen Rack him down to some fresh River or clear Pound and there let him drink at his Pleasure after he hath drunk bring him gently out of the Water and Rack him away very easily and not according to the ignorance of some Grooms who rush their Horse presently as he cometh out of the Water into a Gallop for that bringeth commonly along with it two mischiefs either it teaches the horse to run away with you so soon as he is watered or it maketh him refuse to drink fearing the violence of his exercise which is to follow when you have thus walked him a little calmly put him into a Gallop gently exercise him moderatly as you did before then Walk him a little space after which offer him more Water if he drink then Gallop him again gently if not then Gallop him a little more to occasion thirst and in this manner give him alwayes exercise before and after water when you judge he hath drunk sufficiently bring him home gently without a wet hair or the least sweat upon him and when you are come to the Stable dâ—oâ— provoke him to piss if you can by stirring up some of the Litter which is at the Stable door under him if he do not stale at first no matter for a little custom will bring him to it and it is wholsome both for his health and the sweet keeping of the Stable This done bring him to the Stable and tye him up to the Rack then rub him well with Wisps afterwards loose his Breast cloath and rub his head and Neck with a dry cloath then take off his Saddle and hanging it up with his Body cloath rub him all over especially that part of his Back where the Saddle was placed then cloath him up first with a Linnen Sheet and then over that a good strong Housing Cloath and above it his VVooling Body cloath which in Winter it is not a miss to have lyned with Cotton but in Summer a single one is sufficient when these are all on girt on his Surcingle and stop it with small and soft wisps which will make him so much the easier After he is thus cloathed stop his feet with Cow dung or his own Dung being a very little moistned with fresh Water then throw into the Rack a little bundle of Hay well dusted and wrapt hard together and let him eat it standing upon his Bridle when he hath stood an hour or so upon his Bridle take it off and rub his Head and Neck very well with a Hemp or Hair cloath for this is good to dissolve all gross and thick humors which may be in his Head then after you have made clean the Manger take an English Quart or Scots Chopin of sweet dry old and clean drest Oats for those which are unsweet breed infirmities those that are moist cause swelling in the Body those that are new breed Worms and those which are but half drest deceive the Stomack and so bring the Horse to ruine as for Black Oats although they are tollerable yet they make foul Dung and hinder a man from knowing so exactly the state of his Horses Body as he ought now this Proportion of Oats you shall clean and dress in such a Sieve as shall keep the good and full and let a Light Grain or Oat pass thorow it and if he eat them with a good Appetite let him have again the same Quantity and so let him rest till Eleven a clock with the windows closs for the darker you keep him the better because it will make him ly down and take his rest which otherwise he would not so readily therefore you are to arm your stable with Canvass both for Darkness Warmth and that no filth may come near him eleven aclock being come rub his head and neck as before and dress him another English quart or Scots Chopin of Oats then leave him the Stable being made dark till one a clock in the Afternoon at one a clock use him just as you did before with Rubbing Feeding taking away his Dung and then leave him dark till watering time but only at one a clock give him another small and hard bundle of Hay to chaw upon till VVatering time Watering time being come go to the Stable and having made all things clean Bridle take off his Cloaths and dress him as in the Morning then cloath Saddle lead him forth and urge him to empty afterwards take his Back and Rack him abroad but not to Rising Ground as in the Morning if you can have the conveniency of any which is plain and there Air him in all points as you did in the Morning when you have watered him and spent the Evening in Airing until it be near Night for nothing is more wholsome and consumeth foulness more then Airly and Late Airings Rack him home to the Stable door and there alight and do as you did in the Morning both without doors and within and so let him rest till nine at Night At nine come to him and rub down his Leggs well with Wisps and his Head and Neck with a clean cloath and turning up his Cloaths rub all his hinder parts then give him an English Quart or Scots Chopin of Oats in the same manner as you did before and after that a little hard bundle of Hay then toss up his Litter and make his Bed soft leaving him so till next Morning The next Morning do every thing to him without the least Omission as hath been formerly declared and thus keep him for the first Fortnight which will so take away his Foulness and harden his Flesh that the nixt Fortnight you may adventure to give him some Heats but before I proceed to the second Fortnights feeding I shall answer an Objection which may be urged touching the quantity of Provender which I prescrive being but one English Quart or Scots Chopin of Oats at a Meal seeing there are many Horses who will eat a larger Proportion and Quantity so that to scant them to this little were to starve or at the best to breed VVeakness To this I answer that I set not down this Proportion of Provender as an infallible Rule but as a President which may be imitated or augmented at pleasure for I have given you this Caveat that if he eat this Quantity with a good Stomack you may give him another still
Rain For nothing is more dangerous then cold wet falling into the ears and upon the nap of the neck and Fillets Fourthly Observe to give your Heats the weather being seasonable as Early in the morning as you can That is by the spring of day but by no means in the dark for it is to the Horse both unwholsome and unpleasant to the rider a great testimony of folly and to both an act of danger and Precipitation Fifthly and lastly When you begin your heat start your Horse roundly and sharply at near a three quarters speed and if it be upon the day of the Week which his match is to fall in then according to his strength goodness of wind and chearfulness of Spirit run him the whole course thorow and by no means do any thing in extremity or above his wind but when you find him a little yeeld then draw a little and give him ease that he may do all with pleasure and not with anguish for this manner of training will make him take delight in his labour and so the better endure it but the contrary would bread uneasiness and make his exercise become a toil but if his heating day be upon any other day of the week then that his Match is to be run upon then make him only go over the course at a slow and gentle Gallop only to increase his wind and cause sweat that so the scouring you are to give him after his heat may have some loose grease to work upon and bring away for this is the only designe of the second heat in each week otherwise were both the heats smart the Horse would not be able to hold our there being so short an intermission between them for him to rest and recover his vigour therefore you would do well not to mistake and in stead of two Heats in a week which I order the one to be smart and the other gentle you give not both with the same degree of swiftness For that is not at all my meaning and therefore I desire you would take notice to it also during the time you course him you shall observe upon what ground he runneth best as whither up hill or down hill upon smooth ground or tough upon wet or dry or upon a Level or some what rising ground and according as you find his Nature so Mannage him for your own advantage and these are the most considerable things to be observed in giving of a Heat When you have finished your Heat and gently Gallopt him up and down to rate his wind and chear his spirits you shall then the Groom being ready Ride into some warm place or corner and with your Glassing or scraping knife made either of some broken sword blade or for want of that a thin piece of old hard Oaken wood fashioned like a long bread knife with a sharp edge the shape whereof you may see in the first Plate of this book Scrape off the sweat from your horse in every part Buttocks excepted untill you can make no more arise still moving him now and then a little to keep his limbs in motion least they become stiff then with dry cloaths rub him all over afterwards take off his Sadle and having with the glassing knife also seraped his back and rubbed it near dry put on his Body cloath and Breast cloath and set on the Sadle again and girt it then mount and Gallop him gently now and then rubbing and wiping his head Neck and body as you sit upon his back Last of all walk him about the Fields to cool him and when you find him begin to dry apace then Rack him homewards sometimes Stepping and sometimes Galloping But by no means bring him to the Stable till you find him throughly dry when you are come to the stable door intice him to empty then set him up and ty him to the Rack and having either prepared it your self before or at least one for you against your coming give him one of these scourings following which you please The way to compose and make them being thus 9ly Two excellent Scourings for Running Horses any one of which may be very safely given after a Heat to bring away molten Grease or any other foulness which may be lurking in the Horses Body FOR the first take an English Pint or Scots Mutchkin of the Syrup of Roses or for want of it the like quantity of strong Honyed Water and desolve into it of Cassia Agarick and Myrrhe of each an Ounce shaking them well together in a Glass then being mul'd and made warm upon a gentle fire and the Horse newly come from his Heâ—â— as before shewed give it him luke warm For the second take an English Pint or Scots Mutchkin of Canary Mallaga or Cherrit and Pulverizing an ounce of the finest Rosin put it therein which being Incorporated add to them six ounces of Olive Oyl and an ounce and an half or two ounces of brown Sugareandie beaten to powder with an ounce of the juce of Savin or pouder of Rubarb mix all well together and warming it over a gentle fire give it the Horse Milk or Luke warm 10ly How to order him after his Scouring WHen you have given it him rub his Leggs well then take off his Sadle and if his body be dry run slightly over it with your Currie Comb after that with the French Brush and lastly rub him all over very well with a dry cloath and cloath him up warm throwing also over him if the weather be very cold a loose Blanket or Covering let him fast full two hours upon his Bridle after having taken the scouring and during that time go not out of the stable but keep him stirring now and then which will cause his Scouring to work the better After he hath fasted upon the Bridle two hours then take a handful of wheat ears and coming to him handle and feel the roots of his ears and under his cloaths nixt to his heart and upon his Flanks and if you find any new sweat arise or coldness or that his Flank beat or breast move fast then forbear to give him any thing for it is a sign that there is much foulness stirred up on which the scouring is working with a conquering quality therefore it is that the Horse is brought to a little sickness so that in this case you shall only take off his Bridle put on his Coller toss up his Litter and absent your self having made the Stable dark and quiet for other two hours which is commonly the longest that that sickness will continue but if you find him have no such indisposition then give him the ears of Wheat by three or four together and if he eat one handful give him another and so untill he eat three or four handfuls but no more then drawing his Bridle and rubbing his head well give him a little Knab of Hay well Dusted about an Hour after give him an English Quart or Scots
for a Swelling in the Legs occasion'd by a Blow ibid. Sect. 9. The Duke's Ointment for Swellings and Bruises accompany'd with Heat and for Inflammations in any part of the Body p. 90 Sect. 10. For the Swelling of the Sheath and Stones tho' the Tumour sprend it self under the Belly about the Thickness of two Fingers ibid. Sect. 11. Of old Swellings in the Legs occasion'd by an ill-cur'd Sinew-sprain p. 91 Sect. 12. For hard Swellings that cannot be cur'd by ordinary Remedies ibid. A Continuation of the Receipts for spoil'd Legs CHAP. XXXV Sect. 1. Another Remedy for stiff and tyr'd Legs and to asswage the Pain and Swellings that remain after Foundering and other Distempers p. 92 Sect. 2. The same Remedy more methodically prepar'd ibid. Sect. 3. A Bath for the Legs Shoulders and Hips ibid. Sect. 4. An excellent Oyl for stiff and tyred Legs p. 93 Sect. 5. Another way to make the same Oyl with less trouble ibid. Sect. 6. A Balsam for the Legs spoil'd by travelling p. 94 CHAP. XXXVI Of Malenders or Selenders p. 95 CHAP. XXXVII Sect. 1. Of Splents p. 95 Sect. 2. A Remedy for the Splent p. 96 Sect. 3. Another Remedy ibid. Sect. 4. Another Remedy for the Splent ibid. Sect. 5. To cure a Splent methodically p. 97 Sect. 6. Another Remedy to take away a Splent ibid. Sect. 7. Ointment of Beetles for Splents Wind-Galls and even the greatest Farcy-Knots or Cords p. 98 Sect. 8. Ointment of Worms for Splents Wind-Galls Water-Farcy and other Swellings p. 99 Sect. 9. To soften a hard Swelling ibid. CHAP. XXXVIII Sect. 1. Of Wind-Galls p. 100 Sect. 2. To repel or asswage a Wind-Gall Wen or any other soft Swelling p. 101 Sect. 3. To take away a Wind-Gall ibid. Sect. 4. Of Retoires or Ruptures call'd by the Italians Dead-fire p. 102 Sect. 5. A Retoire or Dead-fire ibid. Sect. 6. Another Retoire p. 103 CHAP. XXXIX Sect. 1. Of Wrenches or Luxations and Dislocations of the Pastern-Joint p. 103 Sect. 2. Remedies for a Strain ibid. Sect. 3. Remolade of Bohemia p. 104 CHAP. XL. Sect. 1. Of a Sinew-sprain or Sinew-sprung p. 106 Sect. 2. The Nerve-Ointment for Sinew-sprains tyr'd and decay'd Legs and all old Strains ibid. Sect. 3 Another cheap Remedy p. 107 CHAP. XLI Sect. 1. Of swelled and gourded Pastern-Joints p. 107 Sect. 2. A Remedy for swelled Pastern-Joints p. 108 Sect. 3. To resolve a Swelling that grows at the side of the Pastern-Joint ibid. Sect. 4. The Plaister of Walnuts to resolve Swellings ibid. CHAP. XLII Of an Attaint or Over-Reach p. 109 CHAP. XLIII Sect. 1. Of the Scratches p. 110 Sect. 2. Remedies for simple Scratches ibid. CHAP. XLIV Sect. 1. Of sinewy Scratches p. 111 Sect. 2. Remedies for the second kind of sinewy Scratches p. 112 Sect. 3. Of sinewy Scratches of the Third kind ibid. Sect. 4. An excellent liquid Caustic p. 114 CHAP. XLV Sect. 1. Of the Third sort of Scratches commonly call'd Quitter-Bone p. 116 Sect. 2. The Doctor 's Ointment to cleanse Quitter-Bones p. 118 Sect. 3. An Ointment to dry up Sores on the Cronet p. 120 Sect. 4. How to cure Quitter-Bones by giving the Fire ibid. CHAP. XLVI Of the Ring-Bone p. 121 CHAP. XLVII Sect. 1. Of the Vices of the Feet and Hoofs p. 123 Sect. 2. The Ointment of Plantane otherwise call'd the Ointment for the Feet to rectifie the Hoof and make it grow p. 124 Sect. 3. Connestable 's Ointment to make the Hoof grow and to render it soft and tough ibid. Sect. 4. To make the Hoof grow very speedily p. 125 CHAP. XLVIII Sect. 1. Of surbated Feet p. 125 Sect. 2. Several Remedies for painful and surbated Feet p. 126 CHAP. XLIX Sect. 1. Of a False Quarter p. 127 Sect. 2. A Remedy for a False Quarter and Chinks or Rifts in the Hoof. p. 128 CHAP. L. Sect. 1. Of narrow Heels p. 130 Sect. 2. Of taking out the Sole p. 131 Sect. 3. An Incarnative or Ointment to make the Flesh grow p. 133 CHAP. LI. Sect. 1. Of Figs growing in a Horse's Foot p. 134 Sect. 2. Remedies for the Fig in a Horse's Foot p. 135 CHAP. LII Sect. 1. Of Retreats or Pricks with Stubs or with a Nail in Shooing or in the Street p. 137 Sect. 2. Of Pricking with Stubs or Nails in the Streets p. 139 Sect. 3. Oil of Gabian p. 145. Sect. 4. Oil de Merveille ibid. Sect. 5. A Green Balsam highly esteem'd for its excellent Virtues p. 146 Sect. 6. Mr. Sicar's Ointment for Pricks with a Nail or Stub ibid. Sect. 7. Mr. Curtie 's Ointment for Wounds Bruises or Pricks with a Nail or Stubs p. 147 Sect. 8. Bartholomew 's Ointment for Pricks with a Nail or Stub and for Bleynes p. 148 Sect. 9. A hot or burning Balsam for Wounds Bruises and cold Pains as also for Pricks with a Nail or Stub ibid. Sect. 10. Remedies for an Impostume in the hairy part of the Foot p. 149 Sect. 11. The Countess's Ointment to heal and close up the Sores occasion'd by Impostumes in the hairy part of the Foot p. 150 Sect. 12. To asswage and resolve hard Swellings on the Cronet ibid. CHAP. LIII Sect. 1. Of the Casting of the Hoof. p. 151 Sect. 2. Schmit 's Ointment p. 152 CHAP. LIV. Of Bleymes p. 153 CHAP. LV. Of scabb'd Heels or Frush p. 154 CHAP. LVI Of the Crown-Scab p. 155 CHAP. LVII Of fleshy Excrescences on the Frush by some ignorant Persons mistaken for the Figs. p. 156 CHAP. LVIII Of the Mange in the Legs and other Parts of the Body p. 157 CHAP. LIX Sect. 1. To restore decay'd and wasted Feet depriv'd of Nourishment by several Distempers p. 158 Sect. 2. A Pultiss ibid. CHAP. LX. Sect. 1. Of Wounds p. 159 Sect. 2. How to prepare a Sponge for the opening of Wounds p. 161 Sect. 3. Cinnabar Pills for Wounds Worms Mange and Farcin and for the shedding of the Hair from the Head and Neck p. 162 Sect. 4. Unguentum Aegyptiacum p. 163 Sect. 5. A Powder to make the Flesh grow and cover the Bone p. 164 l. 19 Sect. 6. The Sympathetic Powder p. 164 Sect. 7. The Hermit's Ointment for Wounds in Horses p. 165 Sect. 8. Lime-water or the yellow Water ibid. Sect. 9. Of a Gangrene p. 166 Sect. 10. A detergent and cleansing Water for a Gangrene ibid. Sect. 11. Another cleansing Water ibid. Sect. 12. How to stanch Bleeding p. 167 CHAP. LXI Sect. 1. Of a Horse that is wrung or hurt in the Withers p. 167 Sect. 2. To draw and ripen a Swelling p. 168 Sect. 3. The Vulnerary Water p. 170 Sect. 4. Powders to dry up a Wound p. 172 Sect. 5. Other Powders to dry up Wounds ibid. Sect. 6. Another Powder to dry up Wounds ibid. CHAP. LXII Sect. 1. Of Swellings or Wounds on the Reins or Back p. 173 Sect. 2. An excellent Digestive p. 174 Sect. 3. The Hunters Ointment for deep Wounds p. 175 Sect. 4. Of Waters for Gun-shot Wounds or Vulnerary Potions ibid.
Sect. 5. A simple Water for Gun-shot Wounds p. 176 Sect. 6. Another more compound ibid. Sect. 7. Another ibid. Sect. 8. A compound Wine for curing Wounds in a Horse ibid. CHAP. LXIII Sect. 1. Of Wounds or Hurts on the Pastern-Joint and other nervous and sinewy Parts p. 177 Sect. 2. An Anodyne Pultiss p. 178 CHAP. LXIV Sect. 1. To prevent the Madness occasion'd by the Biting of a mad Dog either in Men or any sort of Cattle p. 179 Sect. 2. An infallible Remedy for Madness occasion'd by Biting ibid. Sect. 3. Another easie Remedy p. 180 Sect. 4. Of the Biting of a venomous Beast p. 181 CHAP. LXV Sect. 1. Of Pursiveness or Shortness of Breath p. 181 Sect. 2. A Remedy for Pursiveness p. 183 Sect. 3. Another Remedy for Pursiveness p. 184 Sect. 4. Another Remedy for Pursiveness ibid. Sect. 5. The way of exhibiting Honey to Horses that are pursive or troubl'd with Disorder in the Flanks and other Distempers p. 185 Sect. 6. A Powder for Heat and Disturbance in the Flanks p. 186 Sect. 7. How to loosen a pursive Horse's Belly p. 187 Sect. 8. An excellent Powder for pursive Horses ibid. Sect. 9. Of the Cure of Pursiveness with Eggs. p. 189 Sect. 10. The Emetic or Angelic Powder for Pursiveness ibid. Sect. 11. The yellow Pills for short-winded Horses p. 190 Sect. 12. Tincture of Sulphur for short-winded Horses p. 191 CHAP. LXVI Sect. 1. Of the Cough p. 192 Sect. 2. A Powder for a Cough whether old or newly taken ibid. Sect. 3. An Electuary for a Cough caused by Preternatural Heat p. 195 Sect. 4. Other Powders for a Cough p. 196 Sect. 5. A Remedy for the Cough ibid. Sect. 6. Another Remedy ibid. Sect. 7. The English Pills for an old Cough p. 197 CHAP. LXVII Sect. 1. Of Chest-Foundering and Foundering accompany'd with a Fever p. 197 Sect. 2. A Clyster for Horses that are Chest-founder'd p. 198 l. 21 Sect. 3. A Decoction for Chest-Foundering ibid. l. 31 Sect. 4. A Remedy which purges and gives Ease to a Chest-founder'd Horse ibid. l. 57 Sect. 5. Another Decoction for Chest-Foundering p. 199 l. 10 Sect. 6. Remedies for Obstructions of the Lungs caus'd by Foundering ibid. Sect. 7. A Powder for Chest-Foundering p. 200 l. 1 Sect. 8. For a Chest-founder'd Horse that is very sick ibid. l. 10 Sect. 9. Another ibid. l. 18 Sect. 10. A Remedy for a founder'd Horse that is troubled with a Fever and very sick p. 200 Sect. 11. A Potion or Drink for a founder'd Horse that is very sick either with or without a Cough p. 201 Sect. 12. The Lieutenant's Decoction for a Horse that is founder'd and very sick ibid. Sect. 13. Crocus Metallorum p. 202 Sect. 14. Liver of Antimony ibid. CHAP. LXVIII Sect. 1. Of tyr'd Horses that pine away after hard Labour or Riding p. 204 Sect. 2. Of Sal Polychrest or fusible Sulphur p. 205 Sect. 3. A Fomentation for a lean and tyr'd Horse p. 207 Sect. 4. To loosen the Belly of a tyr'd Horse ibid. Sect. 5. A purging Remedy for a tyr'd Horse ibid. Sect. 6. The Golden Sulphur of Antimony p. 208 Sect. 7. Of a Horse tyr'd with hard Riding p. 209 Sect. 8. A purging and comforting Potion ibid. CHAP. LXIX The Method of Fattening Horses p. 209 CHAP. LXX Sect. 1. Of the Shrinking of the Sinews and Gauntness of the Belly occasion'd by Foundering of the Body and other Distempers p. 210 Sect. 2. An Anodyne Ointment ibid. CHAP. LXXI Sect. 1. Of the Anticor p. 212 Sect. 2. A comforting Potion for the Anticor p. 213 Sect. 3. Oil of Rue ibid. CHAP. LXXII Sect. 1. Of Palpitation of the Heart p. 214 Sect. 2. A Remedy for the Palpitation of the Heart ibid. Sect. 3. A Clyster for the Palpitation of the Heart p. 215 Sect. 4. A Clyster to dispel Wind. ibid. Sect. 5. A Clyster for the Palpitation of the Heart accompany'd with Heat ibid. Sect. 6. Another cooling Clyster p. 216 Sect. 7. A Cordial Potion for the Palpitation of the Heart ibid. CHAP. LXXIII Sect. 1. Of Fevers p. 216 Sect. 2. A simple Fever p. 217 Sect. 3. A putrid or humoral Fever ibid. Sect. 4. A pestilential Fever p. 217 Sect. 5. Of the Causes and Signs of a Fever p. 218 CHAP. LXXIV Sect. 1. Of the Cure of a simple Fever p. 219 Sect. 2. A Clyster ibid. CHAP. LXXV Sect. 1. Of the Cure of putrid Fevers p. 220 Sect. 2. A Febrifuge or Remedy to drive away Fevers ibid. Sect. 3. A Clyster for a Fever p. 221 Sect. 4. Another Clyster for Fevers ibid. CHAP. LXXVI Sect. 1. Of the Cure of a Pestilential Fever p. 221 Sect. 2. A Remedy p. 222 l. 3 Sect. 3. Of the Method to be observed after a Horse's Recovery from a Fever ibid. Sect. 4. A purging Remedy for a Horse after his Recovery from a Fever and generally in all other Cases p. 223 Sect. 5. An excellent Catholicum for Clysters p. 224 CHAP. LXXVII Sect 1. Of the Farcin p. 224 Sect. 2. The flying Farcy p. 226 Sect. 3. The corded Farcin ibid. Sect. 4. The Farcin resembling a Hen's Fundament p. 227 Sect. 5. The internal Farcin ibid. CHAP. LXXVIII Sect. 1. Remedies for the Farcin p. 227 Sect. 2. A Purge for the Farcin p. 228 Sect. 3. Pills for the Farcin p. 229 Sect. 4. A specifick Remedy for the Farcin ibid. Sect. 5. Another easie Method ibid. Sect. 6. To cure the Farcin by giving the Fire p. 230 Sect. 7. The Ointment of Portugal for Farcin Knots ibid. Sect. 8. A Cautery or Caustic p. 231 Sect. 9. Another ibid. Sect. 10. The Ointment of Naples which alone cures the Farcin ibid. Sect. 11. The Remedy of a German Farrier for the Farcin ibid. Sect. 12. An excellent Remedy for the Farcin p. 232 Sect. 13. Corrosive Sublimate p. 233 Sect. 14. Mercurius dulcis or sweet Sublimate ibid. CHAP. LXXIX Sect. 1. Remedies for the Farcin that resembles a Hen's Fundament p. 234 Sect. 2. Pills for the Farcin ibid. Sect. 3. The German Ptisan for the Cure of the Farcin p. 235 CHAP. LXXX Sect. 1. Of an inveterate Farcin p. 236 Sect. 2. The Decoction of Guaiacum ibid. Sect. 3. The Decoction of China ibid. Sect. 4. The Decoction of Sarsaparilla p. 237 CHAP. LXXXI Of the Farcin in the Head p. 237 CHAP. LXXXII Sect. 1. To dissolve and asswage all sorts of Swellings caus'd by the Farcin both in the Legs and other parts of the Body p. 238 Sect. 2. A resolving Ointment for Swellings occasion'd by the Farcin p. 239 l. 1. Sect. 3. A Receipt for the Farcin p. 240 Sect. 4. An easie Remedy for the Farcin ibid. CHAP. LXXXIII Sect. 1. Of the Ebullition of the Blood or Blood-running Itch. p. 241 Sect. 2. Chrystal Mineral or Sal Prunellae ibid. CHAP. LXXXIV Of the shedding of the Hair from the Head accompany'd with the Mange and of the Falling of the Hair from the rest of the Body especially about the Neck and hinder
proportionably to his Strength for 't is better to divide the Dose than to endanger the Horse's Life by Superpurgation This Oil may be kept Ten Years without the least Alteration or Diminution of its Virtue and therefore you may prepare a sufficient quantity at one time to serve four or six Horses and you may also use it in Clysters if need require Keep the Horse bridl'd six hours before and five hours after the taking of the Medicine which must be given in a Pint of Broth made with Tripes Sheep's-Head or some other kind of Flesh but without any mixture of Fat and then walk him about an hour Those who keep many Horses and even profess'd Farriers may prepare large quantities of this Oil and keep it by 'em till they have occasion to use it Tho' Coloquintida be an Enemy to the Guts and therefore may seem suspicious in a Disease that is seated in those Parts yet it s sharp and venomous Quality being temper'd by the Oil it may be very safely given especially in Broth made with Tripes or Sheeps-Heads This Oil may also serve to purge those Horses that remain lean and meagre after hard Labour without any manifest Distemper CHAP. XLVII Of the Fourth Kind of Colic THis Kind of Colic is occasion'd by Worms which stick to the Stomach and great Guts and cause such violent and intolerable Pains that the tormented Horse is driven to the most desperate Actions and sometimes lies stretch'd on the Ground as if he were dead The Worms or Truncheons that cause those Gripings are usually broad thick and short like little Beans of a red Colour there are others long and white sharp at both Ends but these are not so dangerous as the former and seldom gripe the Horse These little Worms gnaw and pierce the Guts from whence proceed the intolerable Pains with which the Horse is tormented I mean the first Kind of Worms that occasion all these Disorders and even somtimes eat Holes thro' the Maw and kill the Horse You may conclude that the Pain proceeds from Worms when you find 'em among the Horse's Dung but the red Sort is not easily discern'd being almost of the same Colour with the Excrements You may also know that the Horse is troubl'd with 'em when during the Violence of the Pain he bites his Flanks or Belly and tears off part of his Skin as if he were mad afterwards he will turn his Head and look upon his Belly sweat all over the Body throw himself upon the ground start up again and put himself into several unusual Postures Since I design afterwards to describe all the various Kinds of Worms that are generated in the Bodies of Horses I shall here confine my self to the proper Subject of this Chapter When a Horse is troubl'd with the Worms mix half an Ounce of Mercurius dulcis with an Ounce and a half of old Treacle and make up the whole into three Pills which must be given in a Pint of Claret An hour after inject a Clyster of two Quarts of Milk with the Yolks of six Eggs and a quarter of a Pound of Sugar which by its Sweetness will entice the Worms to the streight Gut The best Mercurius dulcis may be had for fifteen Pence the Ounce See the Hundred and fifty eighth Chapter where you will find several ways to destroy Worms by Purgation Powders Potions c. A Gentleman of my Acquaintance having sent to a little Town for half an Ounce of Mercurius dulcis the Apothecary sent him corrosive Sublimate which he gave without scruple to his Horse who dy'd of it and after his Body was open'd the Disorders caus'd by the Poison appear'd in his Throat and Maw for the Quid pro Quo was somewhat too strong on this occasion To prevent such dangerous Cheats you must make the Apothecary put some of the Mercury on the tip of his Tongue for that which is truly prepar'd is so free from all manner of Sharpness that it will not so much as prick the Tongue and I my self usually taste it without either Fear or Danger But if it be corrosive Sublimate he will either refuse to taste it or only touch it very slightly There are several other Powders prescrib'd for killing Worms of which I shall treat in time and place convenient but Mercurius dulcis is the most effectual for the Vapour of it alone kills all manner of Worms yet if this fail you may have recourse to other Remedies The Clysters that are given to Horses troubl'd with Worms may be made of Tripe-Broth or Barley-water boil'd with Agrimony and Purslane of each one handful In this Liquor dissolve half a Pound of Honey the Yolks of eight Eggs half a Pound of Sugar and inject it blood-warm for by reason of its Sweetness it will draw those troublesome Insects to the streight Gut CHAP. XLVIII A Specific Powder for all the Four Kinds of this Distemper already describ'd SInce 't is hard to distinguish certainly the true Cause of the Colic during the Fit I thought fit to propose a Powder which may be given with Success in all the Kinds of that Distemper mention'd in the preceding Chapters This will prevent the ill Consequences of a Mistake for 't is good for the Colic caus'd by Indigestion since it promotes the Concoction of the Matter that floats in the Horse's Maw It breaks and dispels Wind it prepares and digests that crude and glassy Phlegm which causes the Third Kind of Colic nor is it less admirably useful to destroy Worms with the Additions that shall be afterwards mention'd besides it makes the Horse piss and therefore is of excellent Use in the Fifth Kind Only 't is not proper in that Kind of Colic which proceeds from Choler but since the Disease seldom derives its Original from thence you may use this Medicine without any Scruple for 't is both cheap and effectual and you ought always to keep some of it by you The Composition of it follows Take Roots of Master-wort Leaves and Roots of Raddishes greater Centory and Tansy Dry 'em in the Sun in the Summer and in an Oven with a moderate degree of Heat in the Winter then take a Pound of each Germander Ground-pine Roots of Angelica and Elecampane all dry'd in the Shade of each half a Pound Corallin or Sea-Moss and Liver-Aloes of each four Ounces Galingal Nutmeg and Sal Prunellae of each two Ounces Reduce all the Ingredients to Powder separately then mix em and keep 'em in a Leathern-Bag or Glass-Bottle close stopp'd The Dose is an Ounce for small Horses two Ounces for those of a middle Size and two Ounces and a half for the largest Horses Mix it with half an Ounce or three Drams of old Treacle or an Ounce of Treacle diatessaron or Mithridate then give it the Horse in a Pint of White-Wine and afterwards walk him in his Cloaths Those who travel with several Horses ought always to make provision of this Powder not only
with its blind-Blind-Head take a Matrass with a long neck and so large that all the above-mention'd Substances being put in two thirds of it may remain empty then take another small Matrass and turning its bottom upwards put its Neck within that of the former This is call'd a Vessel of Rencounter and is very proper for this Operation Lute the Junctures carefully with two or three doubles of Paper dawb'd over with Whites of Eggs and ty'd about with Thread After the Luting is dry digest in Balneo Mariae ten Hours the Matrass being fix'd in the middle of the Kettle with a lay of Straw under to keep it at the distance of two Inches from the bottom of the Kettle During the first eight Hours you must keep the Water about it so hot that you can scarce hold your Finger in it and for the two remaining Hours augment the Heat but not so much as to make the Water boil In the mean time the Digestion will be perform'd and the Spirit of Wine impregnated with the Tincture of the Ingredients in which their Virtue principally consists by the Circulation of the Spirits rais'd by the Heat which in their ascent and descent extract the Tincture After the Spirit of Wine is sufficiently impregnated with the Tincture of the Roots Herbs and Powders suffer it to Cool and straining it thro' a Linnen-Cloth pour it again into the Matrass with a Pound of speckl'd Castile-Soap slic'd very small Fit the Vessel of Rencounter to the Matrass lute the Junctures and digest as before till the Soap be so perfectly mixt with the Spirit that the whole is reduc'd to the form of an Ointment then take out the Matrass and suffer it to cool The Soap contains part of the above-mention'd Alkali which will destroy and consume the Acid Juice or invisible tho' real Fire that wasted the Shoulder If the Doses and other Directions be duly observ'd the Remedy will be of the consistence of an Ointment neither too thick nor too thin and to try whether it be well prepar'd rub some of it on your Hand which it will immediately penetrate leaving only a greenish Stain tho' the natural colour of the Ointment be brown When you intend to make use of it chafe the part with a Wisp of Straw till it grow hot then apply the Ointment rubbing it in with your Hand till it sink into the Skin and lay on fresh Ointment three or four times rubbing it in every time that a sufficient quantity of it may enter Apply the Ointment after the same manner once every day for seven or eight days after which for four days together rub the whole Shoulder with Spirit of Wine pouring it on by degrees till half a Pint of it be consum'd at every Application that if any part of the Ointment remain among the Hair it may sink into the Skin neither must you leave off rubbing till the Half-Pint be consum'd tho' the chafing raise a sort of Froth on the Shoulder After the first Application of the Ointment you must bind two of your Horse's Legs putting a twisted wisp of Straw about each Pastern and tying 'em together with a Rope or Cord about half a Foot long or more according to your Horse's size They who have Shackles may use 'em if they please or may make use of a Surcingle but Straw is less apt to hurt the Pasterns This Ointment must be apply'd cold for 't is of so piercing a Nature that you might make the whole quantity which I prescrib'd sink into the Skin at one Appplication but you must only rub in a competent measure of it at each time to help the natural Heat to enliven the part and draw thither the usual supplies of Nourishment 'T is an excellent Remedy to cure all Shoulder-Strains Hurts and Blows even without using Charges Rowels Fomentations or Setons as I had occasion to try in a very long Journey for one of our Horses being Shoulder-splaited was speedily cur'd by the application of this Ointment tho' we did not suffer him to rest but only caus'd him to be led If you have occasion to apply it to a fleshly part as to a Shoulder before it be wasted or if the Horse be not cur'd in the above-mentioned time you must repeat the whole course or apply the Ointment one day and rub in half a Pint of Spirit of Wine the next day continuing thus by turns for sixteen or eighteen days without Intermission There are several Persons at Paris of unquestion'd Credit who can attest that both Coach and Saddle-Horses whose Shoulders were perfectly dry'd up after an ill manag'd Cure of Strains or other Hurts in the Shoulder insomuch that they halted downright were absolutely cur'd by the regular Application of this Ointment and made fit for Service without being troubl'd with these Infirmities ever afterwards But 't is to be observ'd that the Horse must not be wrought or travell'd for a Month or two according to the weakness of the part after which time he must be led out or walk'd for a quarter of an Hour the first day and afterwards longer by degrees till the Part be fully restor'd to its wonted Vigour For oftentimes incurable Relapses have been occasion'd by working or riding the Horse too soon after his Cure This Ointment does not make the Hair fall off where 't is apply'd and 't is also excellent for decay'd and tyr'd Legs and Feet I can boldly recommend the use of it to all Lovers of Horses from my own successful Experience and I leave the Curious to judge whether or how it may be appli'd to Men. 'T is an infallible Rule that a Remedy which is of sufficient force to perform great and difficult Cures will easily conquer smaller Distempers And therefore if the account I have given of this Ointment be true as most certainly it is I need not lose time to perswade you that it will cure Shoulder-splaited and Hip-shot Horses and all other Strains Wrenches and Dislocations in those Parts Some Horses after they are cur'd of a Dislocation or Shoulder-splait assoon as they are ridden a League or two begin to Halt and grow well again after a little repose Thus their Lameness returns as often as they are travell'd and is cur'd by rest For the Ligaments of the Shoulder being weaken'd by the Strains or other Hurts if they be not strengthen'd and restor'd to their wonted vigour the Horse will at last remain downright Lame Such cases as these require a Remedy of so piercing a nature as to penetrate all the Flesh that lies in its way and carry its virtue entire to the Sinews that fasten the Shoulder to the Body and are the Instruments of its Motion which are seven in number And I 'm fully perswaded by frequent and successful Trials that there cannot be a better Remedy propos'd than this Ointment If the Hurt or Strain be small those who have not this Ointment may use that which follows for 't is sooner
the Sponge being swell'd by its Heat and Moisture presses and keeps down the Flesh If the Hole be of a sufficient wideness you may use Tents of Hog's-Lard which cleanse the Part and heal the Wound without bruising the Flesh but the usual Tents if they be not very carefully and exactly made up retard the Cure instead of promoting it 'T is a very important tho' little observ'd Rule That the Operation of external Remedies should be assisted by a regular Administration of inward Medicines Some commend Purgation for the Cure of great Wounds which in my Opinion is a very preposterous Method for it produces a quite contrary effect to the design of the Prescriber by occasioning a Defluxion of Humours upon the Part that are only loosen'd and put in Motion but not evacuated by the Medicine CHAP. CIV Cinnabar Pills for Wounds Worms Mange and Farcin and for the shedding of the Hair from the Head and Neck TAke of the finest and cleanest Assa-foetida Bay-berries of Provence or Italy and Cinnabar all in fine Powder of each a Pound incorporate 'em in a Brass-Mortar with a sufficient quantity of strong Aqua-vitae and make up the Mass into Pills weighing fourteen Drams each which must be laid in a convenient place to dry Give two of these Pills to the Wounded Horse once in two Days or once every Day till he has taken eight or ten according to the greatness of the Wound and that he may swallow 'em the more easily you may give 'em in a Pint or three half Pints of Wine making him stand Bridl'd two Hours before and as long after the taking of every Dose These Pills may be kept twenty Years They promote the Cure of a Wound by purifying the Blood and resisting Corruption They contribute also to the Cure of Gauls and the Farcin and drive Worms out of the Body This Remedy is highly useful in an Army where the Wounds of Horses must be cur'd with all Expedition and it may be truly said that the effects of it are wonderful and almost incredible Sometimes the Hair falls away from the Head and Neck by reason of the excessive heat of the inward Parts The usual Remedy in this case is Bleeding but since that alone is not sufficient it will be very convenient both to administer a Dose of these Pills for three Days together and to rub the bare places twice a Day with good Lime-Water If the Disease continue still repeat the whole process and afterwards give your Horse Flower of Brimstone in moisten'd Bran beginning with a small quantity and augmenting the Dose by degrees till it arise to half a handful every Day during which time you may ride your Horse For the Cure of those eating Scabs that are so troublesome and hard to be rooted out of the Mane and Tail after you have Bled and Purg'd your Horse give him three or four Doses of two Pills each and the external Application of Lime-Water will quickly perform the remaining part of the Cure if not you must reiterate the whole course The same Pills may be profitably Administer'd to Horses that are troubl'd with running Sores in their Legs or the Pains Warts or Bunches Quitter-bones and such like stubborn Distempers for they facilitate the Cure by intercepting and diverting the Humour that causes and foments the Disease After the description of those Pills which are of such excellent use in the Cure of Wounds I could not forbear subjoining a brief Account of their other Virtues and I hope this digression will neither be useless nor unwelcome to those Readers who are willing to be Instructed And to satisfie those Critical Gentlemen who may peruse this Book with a design rather to pick Quarrels with the Author than to improve their Knowledge I am willing to own that the end of this Chapter had perhaps been a more proper place for the description of these Pills than the beginning of it but withal I must beg leave to acquaint 'em that I am not so much in love with Formality as to give my self the trouble of making an alteration of so little Importance Since Tents are necessary in the Cure of all sorts of Wounds and those that are made of Hog's-Lard are very convenient for most of 'em it will not be improper to give a short hint of their Preparation and Use Cut the Lard into long Pieces and put one of 'em into the Wound when you draw it out again you will find it half melted and must suffer it to cool that it may recover its usual firmness and consistency after which put it in again if it be not grown too short If the Wound be foul or the Flesh corrupt it must be wash'd with the Yellow-Water at every Dressing but if you perceive that neither that nor any other of the usual Detergents are sufficient to cleanse the Wound or if it be pester'd with Proud-Flesh add an Ounce of Arsenic in fine Powder to the whole Dose of the Lime-Water that shall be describ'd in the following Chapter And if even that be too weak you must burn the whole Wound with a red-hot Plate of Iron for if you take care not to touch the Skin Tendons and Sinews there will not the least mark of Burning appear after the Cure As soon as you have given the Fire anoint the burnt Part with Oil of Bay covering the whole Wound if possible with Flax and continue the use of the Oil which must be apply'd warm till the Scab or Escar be loosen'd and ready to fall off after which 't will be more convenient to anoint the Part with Basilicum or Tallow till the Scab be quite separated and you will find the Skin fair underneath without the least mark of Burning for this Method of giving the Fire excels the best Applications of Powders and Ointments The common Detergent and cleansing Remedies are in my Opinion too weak for Horses They are usually compos'd of Honey Vinegar Bean-flower Barley-flower the Juices of Plantane and Agrimony Flower-de-luce Roots Turpentine Rosin c. These Medicines are only Medicamenta levioris Armaturae with respect to the Wounds of which I 'm treating But Unguentum Apostolorum Aegyptiacum and the Neat-herds Ointment are very proper in this case We must not play with Horses Wounds nor vainly expect to Cure 'em with such feeble Remedies as the Golden Ointment the Plaister de gratia Dei and Betony-Plaister for 't is certain that Salt-Butter is more effectual for keeping Wounds clean than all those Compositions And therefore the surest Method is to wash the Wound with Urine or the Yellow-Water and afterwards to anoint it with Salt-Butter strewing the Powder of Old-Ropes upon it And to apply Aegyptiacum if there be a great deal of corrupt Flesh The Pain occasion'd by the Application of Aegyptiacum ought not to be made an Argument against the use of it since 't was never observ'd that any Horse pin'd away on that occasion And to give the Reader a
fall away I cur'd a Horse of a hurt in the Withers who was obstinately inclin'd to rub the Part and so industrious in finding out means to do it that we were oblig'd to tye him up in such a manner that he could not stir any part of his Body his Head and Tail were ty'd and besides he was hung up for the ease of his Legs but so low that his Feet touch'd the Ground Yet for all our Precautions he found a way to hinder the closing of the Wound by the motion of the Skin of his Neck so that if I had not ty'd his Head very low I cou'd never have perfected the Cure When the Wounds are fair and clean you must in the next place proceed to dry 'em with Powders and you will find those that are least Compound to be most effectual especially this Take a convenient quantity of old pitch'd Boat-Ropes dry 'em in a Furnace till they may be easily beaten to Powder in a Mortar strain it thro' a Hair-Sieve and having bath'd the Wound with the Second or the Yellow-Water strew this Powder upon it leaving the Wound untouch'd till the Scurfs caus'd by the Powder fall away after which renew the Application as before and continue after the same manner till the Wound be heal'd The surest way is to tye up the Horse in such a manner that he may neither be able to touch the Wound with his Tongue nor to rub or scratch it and even you may hang him up and in some cases keep him six Months in that Posture as I have oftentimes done washing their Legs every Day with cold Water In the beginning of great Hurts in the Withers the Matter that stagnates in the Part does frequently corrupt the Flesh that surrounds it and the Corruption slips in between the flat and broad Bone of the Shoulder and the Body as you may perceive by searching the Wound with your Probe In this case you must lay the whole Part bare and cut a Passage for the Matter and Corruption that none of it may be left at the bottom of the Sore and afterwards cure the Wound according to the ordinary Method And since the Shoulder-Blade can never be re-united to the Body so long as the Motion of the Shoulder keeps it separated you must Shackle the two Fore-Legs that the Horse may be kept constantly in one Posture dressing the Wound according to the above-mention'd Directions If you perceive a large Cavity make use of the Waters or Potions for Gun-shot Wounds describ'd in Chap. CX Syringing the Wound twice every Day and exhibiting the Cinnabar Pills inwardly to hasten the Cure CHAP. CVIII Powders to dry up a Wound TAke Honey and unslak'd Lime reduc'd to Powder and searc'd of each a Pound mix 'em and put 'em into a Pot over a moderate Fire stirring perpetually till they be throughly dry'd and as it were Calcin'd so that the Matter may be beaten and reduc'd to a fine Powder which will incarnate and dry up a clean and red Wound The only inconveniency of this Powder is that it draws Flies to the Part in the Summer nor will you find a more effectual Remedy among all that vast variety of Powders with which Books of this Nature are stuff'd if it be apply'd in a Season when there are no Flies Charcoal beaten old Shooes burn'd sifted Ashes Powder of Rosemary or Sage c. are also very proper Other Powders to dry up Wounds Those who live in a place where Aqua-Fortis is made may easily prepare a Powder to dry up Wounds and prevent the growth of Proud-Flesh for the Caput Mortuum that remains in the Retort after the distillation of Aqua-Fortis beaten to Powder and apply'd to the Wounds is more effectual than Burnt Allum Calcin'd Vitriol and other such like Powders The Distillers of Aqua-Fortis sell the Caput Mortuum at a very low rate for if they do not meet with a Customer they throw it away as useless so that you may have a Porter's Burthen of it for Ten Pence The distillation extracts only the most Spirituous and Volatil Parts of the Ingredients but the Fixt Salts remain in the Caput Mortuum and perform the effect requir'd in this case Aqua Fortis is distill'd from Vitriol or Bock-Allum and Salt-Peter and that which remains in the Retort after the first Method of Distillation is indu'd with the Virtues of Calcin'd Vitriol as that which remains after the second produces the effect of Burnt-Allum I am not ignorant that there are several other ways of distilling Aqua-Fortis but these are most usual and besides the Caput Mortuum is always proper in these cases whatever be the Ingredients or Method of the Distillation for example Sal Armoniac Sal Gemmae and Bole-Armenic are join'd to Salt-Peter in the distillation of those Waters that are known by the Name of Aqua-Regia and leave in the Retort a Sediment or Caput Mortuum which is very effectual for the drying of Wounds and hindering the growth of Proud-Flesh if they be reduc'd to Powder and apply'd to the Part. This Advice is particularly directed to Farriers who use a great quantity of these sorts of Powders Before all other drying Powders I prefer those that are made of the Caput Mortuum remaining in the Retort after the distillation of Spirit of Vitriol because there is always some Bole-Armenic mixt with the Vitriol to prevent its melting in the Retort since it would not yield any Spirit if it were in a state of Fusion And the Bole mixt with the Calcin'd Vitriol which is endu'd with a certain Balsamic Quality makes a Composition that hinders the falling down of any Defluxion upon the Part and dries the Wound very effectually and speedily Borax in fine Powder is an excellent Remedy to dry up Wounds and hinder the growth of Proud-Flesh Arsmart or Water-Pepper dry'd and beaten to Powder dries up Wounds and even if it be stamp'd while 't is green and put between the Wound and the Saddle it cures a small Hurt Another Powder to dry up Wounds The drying up of Wounds is so much the more necessary because the best Ointments keep the Parts moist and are apt to breed Matter Supposing for example that you have dress'd a Quitter-bone so long till there remains no bottom in the Sore that is till you can discover no cavity with your Probe the Matter at the same time ceasing to run you may conclude that 't is time to apply Powders especially if you ride your Horse The following Powder is excellent in such Cases for it sticks so fast that a Horse cannot possibly shift it off by any Motion besides it raises a Scurf on the Sore that prevents the Corruption of the Flesh and after the Scurf is fall'n you will find the Sore all over Cicatriz'd Renew the Application of the Powder continuing after the same manner and the Sore will be sooner Cured by this Method than any other whatsoever The Powder is thus prepar'd Take a sufficient
principle of all these Disturbances is Cold that is a viscous and heavy Flegm that obstructs the Veins or the Passages of respiration And this observation may serve to deter all those who are not perfectly acquainted with the Causes and Effects of a Disease from attempting the Cure of it Purgation is very troublesome to Short-Winded Horses and therefore ought to be omitted but in cases of extream necessity you may loosen your Horses Belly without any disturbance after the following manner How to Loosen a Pursive Horse's Belly Keep your Horse two Days without Drinking and in the mean time give him his usual allowance of Food but you must not ride him then offer him a Pail-full of Water and as soon as he has swallow'd one Draught pull up his Head and restrain him from drinking more till you have pour'd two Pounds of the best Oil-Olive into the Pail after which suffer him to drink up all the Water and Oil which will loosen his Belly and supple the surface of the Guts that were dry'd by the heat occasion'd by Putrefaction Thus the Excrements or peccant Humours that were lodg'd in the Passages will be evacuated without disturbing or over-turning the oeconomy or natural disposition of the Body and the Horse will be very sensibly reliev'd supposing that you were convinc'd by certain and evident signs of the necessity of Purgation To prevent the loss of the Oil if the Horse should refuse to drink it you may make an Essay by pouring a little Oil upon the Water and offering it to the Horse for there are some Horses who will not taste it tho' at the same time they are extreamly tormented with Thirst by reason of the aversion they have for all unctuous things and therefore the surest way is to give him two Pounds of fresh and sweet Oil-Olive with a Horn keeping him Bridl'd four Hours before and as long after for thus you need not make him abstain so long from Drinking as you must do if you give him the Oil mixt with Water however you may choose which Method you like best but the last is certainly the surest After the Purgation you may repeat the use of the above-mention'd Powder which in that case will operate very powerfully and if after all the Horse continue Short-Winded you may conclude that the Cure will be very difficult if not impossible If you administer the Oil without very apparent signs of an urgent necessity you must expect to be allarm'd with the ill Consequences of a Preposterous Purgation for if your Horse be of a Choleric Constitution or have too much Fire in his Temper he will absolutely forsake his Meat and swell eight or ten Hours after the Dose in so prodigious a manner that you wou'd think he was just ready to burst But the danger is not so great as the Swelling seems to threaten and you may easily preserve your Horses Life by observing these Directions After you have walk'd him half an Hour give him a Clyster of Beer and the Scoriae of Antimony such as you will find describ'd in several parts of this Book half an Hour after walk him again for the space of an Hour and as soon as you bring him into the Stable inject another Clyster which will open your Horse's Body and produce a plentiful Evacuation for twenty four Hours nor must you be surpriz'd if he refuse to eat during that time for his Appetite will return after the Purgation is over These Disorders never happen to Horses that are of a most Constitution lazy and full of Humours in which case you may administer a Purgative Remedy safely and with good Success This diversity of Constitutions must be observ'd with a great deal of care and sagacity CHAP. CXVII An excellent Powder for Pursive Horses TAke three Pounds of Linseed and spread 'em in an Earthen Pan then put the Pan into an Oven as soon as the Bread is taken out shut the Oven and stir the Seed in the Pan once every Hour Continue after the same manner to put the Pan into the Oven immediately after the Bread is taken out till the Seeds grow dry and brittle and all their Moisture be exhal'd Then take two Pounds of Liquorice rasp'd or rather a Pound of the black Juice of Liquorice which is more effectual and almost as cheap Aniseeds half a Pound Sage and Leaves and Flowers of Hyssop dry'd of each half a Pound Carduus Benedictus and Leaves and Flowers of Lesser Centory of each four Ounces Leaves of Long Birthwort two Ounces Speedwel and Sanicle of each two handfuls Roots of Elecampane four Ounces Comfrey and Roots of Marsh-Mallows or Mallows of each two Ounces Gentian half an Ounce Missleto of the Oak two Ounces dry all the Ingredients in the Shade reduce each of 'em to Powder a-part mix 'em together carefully and preserve the Powder in a Leathern-Bag close ty'd Give the Horse every Morning two small Silver Spoonfuls of the Powder in two Measures of moisten'd Wheat-Bran making him fast an Hour and a half after it At Noon and at Night mix a Spoonful with his Oates which must be also moisten'd and in the mean time give him no Hay but only good Wheat-Straw If your Horse be not eas'd by a methodical use of this Remedy you may conclude his Disease to be incurable I thought it needless to treat particularly of the Cough because the above-mention'd Remedies cure that Symptom as well as the Distemper for which they are prescrib'd since both proceed from the same Cause I am not ignorant that the Cure proceeds more successfully when Pursiveness is the only Distemper than when 't is accompany'd with a Cough and 't is to be observ'd that either a Cough or heaving in the Flanks may be singly cur'd without much difficulty but when they are both joyn'd together they are not easily to be remov'd The successful effects of those Powders gave me occasion to consider and endeavour to discover the reason why cooling Remedies are not only useless but oftentimes hurtful in a Disease that is accompany'd with so many signs of Heat And after a tedious Examination of the Nature and Circumstances of this Distemper I was inclin'd to believe as I hinted before that its original cause is almost always Cold since it usually proceeds from tough and flegmatick Humours that obstruct both the Veins and Passages of Respiration The adventitious and accidental Heat communicated to Water by the Fire does not change or destroy its natural coldness and the same Observation may be apply'd to those cold and flegmatick Humours when they are heated by Putrefaction which occasions a Fermentation and Ebullition accompany'd with external signs of Heat tho' the Humours are still really Cold. From hence 't is plain that tho' a cooling Remedy may allay the Fermentation for some time the Disease will be afterwards more confirm'd since the Flegm that causes it is not only increas'd by the coldness of the Medicine but grows thicker
this Distemper for the Farcin and put themselves to needless Trouble and Charge for the Cure of it 'T is occasion'd by a Redundancy of Blood over-heated by several Accidents and other Causes already mention'd For the thinnest and most subtil part of the Blood penetrating the Substance of the Flesh causes external Tumours resembling the Farcin And long Rest and want of Exercise are usually the occasional Causes of this Distemper by hindering the Dissipation of superfluous Humours You may easily cure this Distemper by Bleeding your Horse plentifully once or twice in the Neck-Veins These Tumours are distinguish'd from the Farcin both by the suddenness of their Appearance and of the Cure for sometimes they overspread the Body in one Night And besides they are neither hard nor fasten'd to the Flesh These Swellings are oftentimes repell'd and driven inwards by unseasonable Bleeding and the Horse is seiz'd with a Fever in which Case you must immediately give him a Clyster and an Hour after an Ounce or two of Treacle or Diatessaron in Wine which by driving out the Humour will give Ease to the Horse and at last cure him Some Horses are troubl'd from time to time with little Knots or Bunches in several parts of their Body occasion'd by the Boiling or rather excessive Heat of their Blood for the most subtle and choleric Particles being driven outwards to the external Parts of the Body form these little Tumours part of which break and disappear and the rest are dissolv'd by insensible Transpiration The general and most effectual way to cure all these Ebullitions is to mix with your Horse's Bread those Remedies that are endu'd with a Virtue to cool and purifie the Blood Thus Liver of Antimony given to the quantity of an Ounce and a half every Day will safely and quickly dissolve all those Knots and sweeten your Horse's Blood Three or four Doses of the Cinnabar-Pills are also very effectual in this Case You may prevent this Distemper by giving your Horse Sal Prunellae in his Bran which will expel those Bilious Serosities that usually cause these Symptoms and perhaps drive 'em out by the Urinary Passages The same Remedy allays the Heat of the Blood and Intrails and prevents the Farcin and other Distempers occasion'd by the Heat of the Blood For the Satisfaction of the Curious I shall insert the Preparation of Sal Prunellae which is a very useful Medicine both for Men and Horses CHAP. CL. Crystal Mineral or Sal Prunellae THis is only Nitre or Salt-Petre fix'd with Sulphur to prevent its Solution Take Salt-Petre of the fourth Solution melt it in a Crucible or Iron Pot and when you perceive that 't is entirely reduc'd to a liquid Form throw a little Brimstone upon it Assoon as the Flame ceases cast some more Brimstone into the Crucible continuing after the same manner till you have thrown in an Ounce of Flower of Brimstone for every Pound of Salt-Petre which must be kept in Fusion during the whole Operation Then take out the Salt-Petre with an Iron Spoon and put it into a little Copper Bason which being plac'd in a Pailful of cold Water the Mineral will congeal at the Bottom and appear as white as Snow An Iron Pot is more fit for this Operation than Crucibles which are usually pierc'd and crack'd with the Salt-Petre unless you can procure a good German Crucible For the better understanding of a Passage in the Beginning of the preceding Description it will not be amiss to acquaint the Reader that Salt-Petre is found congeal'd into Chrystals in the Water which is pour'd for that purpose on Lime and Plaister taken from the Ruines of old Buildings and mixt with Ashes This Water is afterwards boil'd till a Scum appear on the Top and then set in a cold place in Woodden Vessels where Chrystals of a long Figure and rusty Colour are form'd which is Salt-Petre of the first Solution Then dissolve these Chrystals in clean Water strain it thro' a Woollen Cloth boil it as before and when 't is cold the Salt-Petre of the second Solution will appear in Chrystals which are proper for the making of Gun-Powder Liver of Antimony and several other Preparations For if the Nitre were too fine and violent it wou'd carry off part of the Antimony that is mixt with it If you wou'd have your Salt-Petre more pure and refin'd dissolve it in Water filtrate boil and chrystallize as before to procure Salt-Petre of the third Solution repeating the same Operation as often as you think fit for if the Salt-Petre be not very pure 't is impossible to make fine Sal Prunellae Crystal Mineral is not only fix'd by the Sulphur but purg'd of those Arsenical Spirits of which it was full so that 't is entirely freed of all Sharpness and Malignity It purifies and cools the Blood and Intrails allays and stops the Ebullition of the Humours in Fevers powerfully opens all Obstructions opens and incides the Body of Medicines that their Virtues may be the better extracted and in one Word 't is a very cooling Remedy without Acrimony or Biting You may give an Ounce and a half of it every Day in moisten'd Bran mixt with half an Ounce of Juniper-Berries beaten or dissolve three or four Ounces of it in a Pailful of Water for your Horse's ordinary Drink and it may be also conveniently mix'd with purging Medicines Every Author extols the Virtues of this Remedy but I have only insisted on its Usefulness for Horses So Cooling a Medicine ought to be cautiously administer'd to Horses whose Constitution is different from that of Men And therefore when you give it in moisten'd Bran 't will be convenient to add half an Ounce of Juniper-Berries beaten to qualifie and correct the extreme Coldness of the Remedy which notwithstanding its great Usefulness in other Respects oftentimes destroys the Horse's Appetite and makes his Hair stare But some Horses have the Advantage of such strong Appetites that the Use of this Medicine tho' administer'd alone produces not the least ill Effect upon their Stomachs And I have made some Horses eat three or four Pounds of it without disordering their Stomachs or making 'em forsake their Meat CHAP. CLI Of the Shedding of the Hair from the Head accompany'd with the Mange And of the Falling of the Hair from the rest of the Body especially about the Neck and hinder part of the Thighs THE Heat that occasions these Disorders is not always an Effect of Distempers in the Intrails but sometimes proceeds from a Corruption of the Humours and is the more dangerous because it may degenerate into a Fever The remote Causes of this Heat are immoderate and violent Exercise too hot Nourishment such as Clover Beans c. Fatness of the Body and a hot or choleric Constitution The Signs are evident for the Hair sheds and falls off from several parts of the Body the Horse is tormented with a violent Itching and several other Symptoms are visible Marks
and hinder Parts To conclude This is a very dangerous Disease and even incurable if it be suffer'd to fix and take Root But the Danger may be prevented by a timely Application of Remedies CHAP. CLV Of Pains in the Feet after Foundering THE Pains that frequently remain after Foundering hinder the Horse from walking steadily and from setting his Foot flat upon the Ground for he treads only upon his Heel to ease the Toe The Humour that caus'd the Foundering falling down from the Leg slides between the Bone of the Foot and the Hoof and the natural Heat being as it were stifl'd by the sharp Humour the fore-part of the Foot is depriv'd of its appointed share of Nourishment and consequently is hardend dry'd and weaken'd The End of the Bone next the Toe falls down upon the Sole and shrinks so that it must necessarily be separated from the sound Part of the Bone This Separation is not the Work of one Day but notwithstanding the extreme Difficulty which attends it it may be at last happily perfected if Nature who is the best Judge of the Time and most skilful Performer of the Operation be assisted by a seasonable and regular Observance of the following Method If your Horse tread only on his Heels so that you have reason to conclude that that the fore-part of the Foot is wither'd or dry'd up and if you perceive its Hollowness by knocking upon the Hoof pluck off the Shooe and having par'd the Foot a little set on a Pantofle-Shooe such as you will find explain'd in the Chapter that treats of the Shooing of Horses that have Narrow Heels and apply the following Remedy Note That when you shooe a Horse in this Condition you must always leave the Sole as firm as may be for the Success of the Cure depends chiefly upon that and on the falling away of the dry part of the Bone which may be also promoted by the use of the following Decoction or Broth. If your Horse be troubl'd with Pains in his Feet without any Sign of the Dryness or Separation of the Bone you must only pare the Feet set on very easie Shooes and apply the following Broth. A Broth or Decoction for Pains in the Feet remaining after Foundering Take Brandy a Quart strong Vinegar a Pint and a half Oil of Bay a Pound Add a sufficient quantity of Bean-Flower and boil to the Consistency of a thick Broth stirring it perpetually over a gentle Fire Then pour it boiling hot into the Foot laying on Tow and Splints to keep it in and apply the same Broth assoon as you can endure to touch it with your Hand to the Cronet with Tow. Renew the Application thrice every twenty four Hours and if the Pain be not very inveterate the Horse will certainly recover If the fore-part of the Bone of the Foot be dry'd and fall down upon the Sole 't will be very convenient to take up the Pastern-Veins after the Application of the Broth that the Humour which is carry'd to the Foot with the Blood may be the sooner exhausted besides several other Reasons already intimated If the Foot be so extremely shrunk and dry'd up that the Horse cannot go nor almost stand you must take out the Sole and sear the End of the Bone of the Foot suffering it to fall quite away after which the Sole will grow again and the Horse may recover if you set on a Pantofle-Shooe and give the Foot time to gather strength but you must never expect that it will be good handsome or fit for Service CHAP. CLVI Of the Mange Itch or Running-Scab THis is a Disease of the Skin which makes the Hair peel and fall away and the Hide grow thick hard dry rough and even wrinkl'd in several Places Vegetius in the seventy first Chapter of the third Book of his Ars Veterinaria defines it in these Words The Scab or Mange is a loathsome and unseemly Distemper of Cattle But this is no true Definition since it explains not the Nature of the Thing defin'd Unwholsome Nourishment may occasion this Distemper which proceeds from a sharp burnt and salt Humour that is from an Acid full of sharp and corrosive Spirits and Salts The same Acid may be generated by Hunger and Fatigues and by keeping company with mangy Horses It may also be communicated to those Horses that are rubb'd with the same Curry-Combs and Brushes or Dusting-Cloths that were formerly made use of for Horses infected with this Distemper and to conclude The Mange may be an Effect of the Carelesness of the Groom in dressing his Horse or of the Neglect of seasonable Bleeding We may conclude that a Horse is troubl'd with the Mange when he rubs one part of his Body more than the rest as for Example his Joints Legs Tail and Mane in which Case you must feel the Part and if you perceive that the Hide is thicker than usually 't is a Sign that your Horse is Mangy Sometimes this Distemper is universal but for the most part it comes by degrees and appears sometimes in one Part and sometimes in another This Disease may be divided into two Kinds the dry and ulcerated Mange In the first there appears nothing upon the Skin but a sort of mealy Scales which make the Hair fall quite away The Cure is extremely difficult and usually the Cause is either Cold or Hunger The other Kind breaks out into little Swellings and Scurfs which being separated the Part remains sore and raw This is more easily cur'd than the former Kind unless when 't is seated in the Mane or Tail where it sticks very fast and can hardly be rooted out because the Hide in these Parts is so thick that the strongest Remedies can scarce force their Passage thro' it Both Kinds are cur'd with the same Remedies A Remedy for the Mange You must begin the Cure of this Distemper with the Preparation of the Humour that causes it For you must never proceed to anoint your Horse's Body till you have remov'd the internal Cause of the Humor that is driven outwards by Nature lest by inclosing and concentrating the corrupt Humour in the Body the Entrails be heated and the Noble Parts vitiated Bleeding is almost always necessary in this Case to allay the Heat of the Blood and promote its Circulation Vegetius has very prudently order'd the chusing of fit Places for letting of Blood according to the Variety of Cases and the different Parts of the Body where the Humour is lodg'd Thus for Example if the Mange appear in the Head or Neck you must let your Horse blood in the Head if in the Shoulders Breast or fore Legs bleed him in the Brisket if the Back be infected in the Flanks and if the hinder Legs or Hips be mangy you must open a Vein in the Thighs But I cannot approve the Purgation appointed by the same Author for the Roots of wild Cucumbers or Elaterium which he prescribes to be mixt with Oats leaves
Head Neck and other parts of their Body endeavouring to scrub the Part with their hinder-Feet entangle their Foot in the Halter and struggle so violently to disingage themselves that sometimes very dangerous Hurts are occasion'd in the Hollow of the Pastern And many vigorous Horses lame themselves if they be not seasonably assisted Take Linseed-Oil and Brandy of each an equal quantity shake 'em together in a Glass till they be well mixt and anoint the Part Morning and Evening having first clipt away the Hair Note That the Foot must be kept very clean I had a Horse who being ty'd with two Chains entangl'd his Foot and with violent struggling cut the Inside of the Pastern to the Bone which occasion'd a great Swelling in his Leg and Pastern not without danger of a Gangrene Immediately I order'd the Hair about the Part to be clipt away for his Foot was very hairy and apply'd once a day the white Honey-Charge rubbing always the Leg with the Duke's Ointment He had been doom'd to irrecoverable Lameness by the Farriers yet he was cur'd in a Month and did not halt above six Weeks tho' the Sinews and Bones were laid bare but they were neither broken nor bruis'd This was certainly a very speedy Cure and even prevented my Expectation for the Cronet was swoll'n and inflam'd and I was afraid the Horse shou'd have cast his Hoof And therefore before I dress'd the Hurt in the Hollow of the Pastern with the white Honey-Charge I apply'd a good Astringent to the Cronet made of Powder of unslak'd Lime mix'd with the second Water binding it up with a Cover and another upon the Honey-Charge By this Method the Swelling of the Cronet was quickly asswag'd and the Hurt was afterwards heal'd tho' during the Cure there fell away Escars that wou'd have frighten'd a Novice Thus the Cure went on very successfully but some Horses do not escape so well for it has been often observ'd that such Accidents as those have occasion'd irrecoverable Lameness This may serve for an Instance of the Efficacy of the white Honey-Charge I might propose several other Remedies if this Example were not alone sufficient for your Instruction If the Hurt be small without a Swelling and only require drying Medicines you may apply the Ointments describ'd in the CLXXXIst CLXXXIId and CLXXXIIId Chapters Or instead of these black Soap with Spirit of Wine You may cure a simple Hurt occasion'd by the Horse's being cast in his Halter with the Duke's Ointment Or take Oil and Wine of each a like quantity boil 'em together till the Wine be evaporated and apply the remaining Oil once a day to the Hurt which will be quickly heal'd CHAP. CLXXXVII Of the Hungry Evil. THis Distemper is rarely observ'd and sometimes deceives the most expert Farriers For 't is impossible to know by any external Sign that a Horse is troubl'd with this Disease when the Fit is not upon him unless by his Leanness ' Twou'd be a needless and impertinent piece of Formality to write a Dissertation about the Definition and Causes of a Distemper that admits not of any Cure and is besides so troublesome that a Horse who labours under it is altogether unfit for hard Service tho' perhaps he may endure a little moderate Exercise For assoon as the Natural Heat has finish'd its Work and Aliments in the Stomach it acts with so much Violence against it self or against the neighbouring Parts that the Horse is in a manner depriv'd of the Use of his Limbs and almost unable to stir his Feet being equally insensible of Caresses and Threatnings He stands moveless and suffers himself to be beaten and spurr'd without stirring and even without feeling any other Pain than that which is caus'd by the violent Action of the Heat against the neighbouring Parts Assoon as you perceive your Horse to be in this Condition give him good store of Provender which will quickly make him fit for such Service as he is able to perform 'T is to be observ'd that Horses who are troubl'd with this Distemper which in Humane Bodies is call'd a Dog-like Appetite eat three times as much as other Horses or even as themselves did when in Health tho' in the mean time they neither thrive nor grow lusty They are usually seiz'd with the Fit about three Hours after eating If such an Accident happen on the Road you must immediately unbridle your Horse and let him eat as much as he can after which you may take his Back again and proceed on your Journey But this Advice is not practicable in Winter when there is no Grass in the Fields and therefore they that are Masters of such Horses ought not to expose themselves to the Danger of being suddenly stopt on the Road and the best Advice I can give 'em is to rid themselves of such unserviceable Horses assoon as they can These Horses are usuall Lean tho' great Eaters or rather Devourers of their Meat But tho' it is impossible to fatten 'em they still retain some Vigour unless in the time of the Fit when they are altogether insensible I know no Remedy to prevent the Return of the Paroxism Perhaps some Person of more Learning than I can pretend to may improve these Hints to a satisfactory Account of the Distemper for my part I have always made Conscience of Writing nothing but what is grounded upon often-repeated Experiments 'T is true I might make a great Noise with occult Causes and fill whole Pages with Gibberish But in my Opinion it becomes a Man of Probity to own his Ignorance as well as to communicate his Knowledge CHAP. CLXXXVIII Of Crepances THE Crepance is an Ulcer seated in the midst of the Fore-part of the Foot about an Inch above the Cronet and caus'd by a bilions sharp and biting Humour that frets the Skin 'T is sometime occasion'd by a Hurt receiv'd in leaping over a Bar and may happen equally in the fore or hinder Foot The Cure is perform'd by washing the sore Place with warm Wine or Urine and if it be accompany'd with a Swelling or Inflammation you may apply the white Honey-Charge which will abate the one and allay the other These Ulcers may be also cur'd by the drying Ointment describ'd in some of the preceding Chapters or the Water for drying the Pains and other filthy Sores But one of the most effectual Remedies in this Case is black Soap mixt with Spirit of Wine There are two sorts of Crepances the first which is that I have already describ'd is attended with more Deformity than Danger It is almost the same with Rat-Tails and the other Sores that usually over-spread the hinder Legs But the second Kind is much more dangerous Horses that have false Quarters or cloven Hoofs like Oxen are sometimes troubl'd with Crepances These Cracks or Clefts proceed from the Dryness of the Hoof which bruises the Flesh between the Hoof and the Bone of the Foot and the putrefy'd Flesh infects the Tendon