foote in the stirrop and to heaue your selfe from the ground three or foure times togither which effected you shall instantly cherrish him and then before you mount you shall look that the headstall both of the Trench the Musroll lie close behind his eares that the Musroll lie in his due place ouer the midst of his nose that the trench lie neither too hie nor too low but rest iust aboue his nether tush that the reynes of the trench be strong then you shal looke that the Saddle keepe his true place and that the gyrths be close and fast that the stirrops be not slipt and that the crooper be not too strait lastly and most principall according to the opinion of la Broue and for mine owne part I holde it one of the best notes amongst all his precepts you shall confidently and with a heedfull eye marke the countenance gesture of the horse which is euer the largest Index or Table for a man to finde out his secret disposition for if hee clap both his eares close to his necke or if hee clappe downe but one and pricke forward the other if hee turne the eye next to the man backward as if he would looke behinde him or if he snore or cracke in his nostrils all these are verie euill signes shewes that hee is displeased wrathfull and intendeth mischiefe which wicked purposes you may driue from him by vse of the former chasings but if you see his couÌ„tenance vntroubled his eye cheerfull and liuely and his eares carried in due comelinesse you may be well assured of his gentle disposition It is good also to haue a respect to his maner of standing for when a horse doth stand but firme vpon two feete or three feete heauing and fauoring the other it is an euill signe of a churlish disposition but when he standeth fast of all foure it is a signe of meeknesse Hauing satisfied your mind in all these caracters and found euerie thing to your contentment you shall then by rubbing the horses nose vppon the palme of your hande or by offring something to the horses nose to smell drawing your hande inward you shall see him pull in his heade and fashion his reyne to which proportion I would haue you buckle downe your Martingale so that carying his heade in that place he may haue no more but a feeling of the Martingale All these things obserued you shall then put your foote in the stirrop and after you haue heaued twice or thrice vp and downe from the ground and sometime brought your leg halfe way ouer the Saddle downe again at euery motion cherishing the horse exceedingly you shall at last put your legge cleane ouer seate your selfe fast in the saddle that is to say with your bodie straight vpright neither bending forward nor leaning backward your eyes fixt betwixt his eares and your nose directly ouer the pommell of the Saddle which shall euer be a rule for you to know if your seat be comely the chine of your backe must directly answer the chine of the horse your thighs and knees must be close and fast to the Saddle your legges hanging straight downe as when you stand vpon your feete the ball and heart of your feete must rest vpon the stirrops your toes and heeles must be so orderly placed that when you onely moue your head and not your body on the one side to looke to your stirrop your toe may answer with the tip of your nose Now for the cariage of your hands during the time you exercise your horse vpon the trench it must be thus 〈◊〉 you must take the reynes of the treÌ„ch fold the one side ouer the other making each side of an euen length somwhat short then laying both your hands vpon the reynes about an handfull one from another you shall neither draw your hands to the saddle pomell nor close to your bodie but placing them ouer the midst of the horses crest coÌ„tinually labor to bring vp his head which with a sweet hand comming and going with gentle motions you shall easily doe in your right hand you shall carry your rod with the point directly vpright by your right shoulder or if you carry it trauato crosse wise ouerthwart your brest and vp by your left shoulder it shall not bee vncomely Bâ—ing in this order mounted seated and accoutered after you haue paused and cherish your horse you shall by thrusting your feete forwarde somewhat stiffely vppon your stirrop-leathers moue your horse to goe forward which if he doe not because he vnderstands you not his keeper shall forthwith lead him some doozen paces forward where pawsing a while both your selfe and the keeper shall cherrish him Then shall you thrust him forward again and so continue till the horse finding your meaning will goe forward of himselfe which will be at the most not aboue an houres worke and note that in al his goings you respect not how he goes neither which way he goes so he goe at all but the first day suffer him to take the incertaintie of his owne pleasure Assoone as you haue brought him to go forward you shal then in the gentlest manner you can ride him home and light from his backe at the blocke where you must not light sodainly but with many heauings risings halfcommings off and on againe you must dally with him continually mingling with euerie motion store of cherishings If when you are lighted off he offer of himself to depart away and will not stay at the blocke you shal force him to come againe to the blocke where you shall mount vpon his backe againe and neuer leaue him till he stand still at the blocke whilest you ease his Martingall his gyrths and other implements which when he doth you shall giue him something to eat and so deliuer him to his keeper CHAP. 4. Of Helpes and Corrctions and of the vses and seuerall kindes thereof BEfore I proceede any further into the Horses lessons because it is reputed the moste substantiall part of Horse-manship to knowe when to helpe how to correct and at what time to cherrish I wil spend some little time therein And first for helpes in Horse-manship Gryson and the other Italians wil allowe but seauen that is the voice or tongue the rodde the brydle the calues of your legges the stirropes the spurres and the ground he aloweth also as many corrections which are likewise the voice the rod the brydle and so foorth as before is mentioned but for the cherishing he speakes but onely of two wayes which is either the voice or the hand now for that both helpes and corrections hold but in their doing this difference that to help goeth before as to preuent a fault and correcting comes after as punishment for a fault I will speake of them seuerally And first for the voice as it is the sound which naturallye all creatures moste feare so it is in disorders
without any further motion When therefore you will make your horse stoppe which in the first beginning of a horses lessons would euer be done in an euen furrowe which goeth straight foorth from your Ringes you shall when you come within three or foure yardes of the end of your furrow by the liuely motion of your bodie and by thrusting foorth your feete vpon your stirrope leathers make your horse ttott with more life and quicknesse and then with a suddaine firme and somewhat hard drawing in of both your handes iust and euen together you shal make him stop The thrusting him foorth so freelie immediatelie before the stoppe beeing an occasion to make the horse coutch his hinder loynes and to trust more to them then to his fore-parts and-so stoppe both more comely and more strongly but if vpon his first stopping as it is a fault almost naturally incident to all horses your horse as you drawe in your handes doe thrust out his nose or offer to thrust it downe towards the earth both which motions shew disorder and opposition you shall first with your hand giue him a little checke in the mouth and then holding your handes constant and firme giue him no libertie of head till he stand still with obedience but if notwithstanding hee vse this fault once or twice more you shall then make some by stander to stand before him at the stoppe who with the bigge end of a rodde shall knocke him vpon the nose when he either thrusteth it forth-right or downward but if hee yeeld to your hand and stand iust with good constancie then both your selfe and the by stander also shall cherish the horse exceedingly and then giue him libertie of head easing both the Trench and Musroll If when your horse stoppeth he doth not stop euen and iust in the furrow but thrusting his hinder parts out of the path stoppeth crosse-wise or ouerthwart for this fault albe Grison would not haue you by any means to vse either the helpe of your contrarie legge rodde or spurte but onely the assistance of a by stander yet I for mine owne part am not altogither so precise as knowing that albe a horse is but a beast yet he hath more vnderstanding then any other beast wherefore if your horse haue this fault of stopping crosse-wise I woulde haue you vse the helpe of your legge or rodde in this maner if he stoppe crosse that is thrusting his fore-parts ouerthwart toward your right hand and his hinder parts ouerthwart towards your left hand you shall then by giuing him a prettie sharpe twitch with the left reyne of your Trench and giuing him a clappe with the inside of your right foot either vpon his foreshoulder or before his formost gyrth you shall set his fore-parts euen in the furrow againe wiâ—h which reformation of his fore parts it is verie harde but hee must also reforme his hinder parts because the bringing of his fore partes to the left hand euer brings his hinder parts to the right hande But if it bee so that either through his wilfulnes or want of vnderstanding he notwithstanding continues in his vice then you shall make a by stander to remooue his heade and hinder partes into the euen furrow to whose helpe you shall also accompanie your owne former helpes that thereby hee may come to a better vnderstanding both of your will to what purpose formerly you vsed those other helpes and corrections which hee will no sooner perceiue but he will diligently obey Now if it fall out so that when he stoppeth he keepeth his heade and fore-parts firme and euen in the path onely he puts his hinder parts out of the furrow you shall for amends thereof whilest he standeth still first wiâ—h gentle-motions giue him two or three little clappes with the calfe of your legge vppon the contrarie side from whence hee swarueth accompaning therewithall the vse of your rodde with which you shall not strike but onely lay vnto his thigh a little aboue his cambrell on the contrarie side likewise from whence hee turneth as thus for example If he cast his hinder partes out of the furrowe towardes your left hand then you shall lay the calfe of your left legge and your rodde to his left side and left thigh which because all horses naturally flie from correction will make him remoue his hinder partes to the right side againe But if your horse contrarie both to Nature and Arte not onely refuses to vnderstande you but also the more vou vse those helpes the more hee augments his fault as I haue both seene and had horses of such qualitie you shall then cause a stander by with his handes first to thrust his hinder parts into the furrow with all gentlenesse but if the horse shew eyther vnwillingnesse or contention then the by-stander shall not onely threaten him with his voyce but also giue him a good stroke or two with a small cudgell vpon that hough to which hee swarueth and to his threatnings and stroakes you shall accompanie those helpes of your owne before prescribed that your horse may thereby vnderstande that whatsoeuer before you did was but by gentle meanes to bring him to that whereto he is now forc'd by compulsion and be assured after you haue vsed this course three or foure times it shall be inough so that vpon the least motion either of your legge or rodde he will amend his vice with obedience After your horse is thus brought to know his fault and mend his fault if then at any time he happen to vse the same fault you shall then obserue that such vice neither proceedes from ignorance follie or want of Art but merely out of the euill habite of his minde vildnesse of complexion and aptnesse to doe euill which to reforme you shall in steade of the calfe of your legge on the contrarie side giue him the full stroke of your spurre on the contrarie side and in steade of laying your rodde vnto his hough giue him two or three good Ierts vpon his hough augmenting your punishment as he augments his fault and not desisting till he reforme his vice which he shall no sooner doe in the smallest measure but you shall immediately conuert your corrections into cherrishings obseruing this caution both in this errour and all others not to continue your correction till he amend the whole substance of his vice but whensoeuer hee doth but hitch or remoue one foote or one steppe in way of amendes vpon that diminutiue of goodnes not to omit to leaue punishing and presently to cherish him nay if he doe but in semblance show a willingnes to amend though in motion he doe it not you shall cherish him for that good show onely that being thereby fortified and encouraged hee may with more willingnesse pursue amends and goodnea When your horse thus with the temperate drawing in of your hands will stop iust firme straight and strongly couching his hinder legges in comely order and
which indeede importes a lapping or folding ouer of the outmost legge ouer the inmost yet is not done in any such straitnesse but that the horse hath libertie to vse his hinder legges as well as his fore-legges and so to goe as it were in a narrowe ring The next they call Ciambetta and that is when a horse turneth his whole bodie keeping firme vpon the ground but onely one hinder foote And this turne of al other is the straitest Thē is there another turn which they call Terra Terra and that is when the horse dooth with equall motions raise vp his fore-legges both togither and pursuing them after with his hinder leggs beates a ring round about either of large or strait compasse and this turne of all other turnes is of most vse best beautie and greatest profite From this turne is deriued diuers other turns as that which is called Carogola or snaile-turne or that which they call Serpegiare such like of all which wee will speake in their seuerall places for as touching that method which hath formerly beene prescribed of halfe turnes whole turnes double turnes although they in teaching be of good vse yet to the ignorant Reader they giue not a full satisfaction Wherefore first of all to begin with that turn which the Italians call Incauallare you shall thus instruct your horse first riding him in some grauellye or sandie way you shall gently walke out a straite rin g on your right hand beeing at the most not aboue eight yards in his greatest compasse and in the making therof you shall haue an especiall regard by the carriage of the left reyne of your Trench somewhat more straite then accustomably that your horse carrie his head and necke very iust and euen without bending or looking inward to your right side which done after a little pause you shal then walke him in an euenline about two yardes or two yardes and a halfe at the most forward and there by laying your left reyne close to his necke your left legge close to his side and your rodde vpon his left shoulder make him bring his body about and make iust one quarter of a compleate Circle vpon your right hand then walk him againe in an euen line as farre further and with the same helpes and on the same hand make another quarter of a circle doe thus the third time and the fourth time till the lines wherein you walke present vnto you this figure following In this figure you shall walke your horse about at least a dozen times vpon a hand making at euery point your quarter circles closer closer till you perceiue at last he lap throw his outmost legge ouer his inmost It may be that at the first practise of these square circulars the horse will bee so vnnimble that he wil knock one legge vpon another and not lap them ouer in order as becommeth but of that take you no respect for euen those knocks shall be corrections ynow to bring him vnto reformation let your care be only to preserue his reyne necke and head constant and firme and to take that leasure and time in this lesson that your horse by your haste may not be brought to any doubtfull thought or amazements when you haue walkt your horse thus a dozen times on the right hand you shall then make the like figure and doe as much vpon the left hand vsing euer the contrarie helps to the contrarie hand in these two figures you shall exercise your horse euerie day at least two or three houres together for the space of eight or ten daies at the least till he bee so perfit therein that you shall no sooner mooue your legge or stirre your hand but hee wil eftsoones lap his outmost legge ouer his inmoste and turne with all comelinesse which when he doth you shal then make those quarter circles full semycircles and so change your proportion to this figure In this figure you shal exercise him a week at the least till he be so perfect that by his nimblenes quicknes therevpon you find him both apt and cunning inough to make those semycircles whole rounds which the Italians call cōpleat single turnes or if you list he wil do them onelie with the helpe of your hand full twise about which is a iust double turne and as you finde him perfect vpon any hand so you shall alter the ring and practise him vpon the other till he be vpon both so cunning that neither hath aboue other any superioritie When your horse will thus doe this Incauallare in a ring which must bee from the center to the verdge but iust the horses length you shall then for a dozen turnes together nay sometimes twentie turnes exercise him onely therein making his hinder feete onelie moue in the center and his fore feet lapping the outmost ouer the inmoste to beate out the proportion of the outmoste ring In this sort after you haue laboured him and made him perfit you shall then after hee hath made two or three turnes on your right hand cause him to retire three or foure paces and then without any stay doe as many times on your left hand then retire as farre againe and doe as before on the right hand againe and thus till he be perfit you shall practise him onely helping him with your legge rodde and the motion of your bodie leauing a little on the contrarie side to that whereon he turneth till custom haue brought him to that cunning that your hand onelye shall be helpe sufficient for this motion Now for as much as some horses partlye out of folly partly out of vnnimblenesse and partly out of euill inclynation are many times more apt to turne vpon one hand then vpon another nay some so dogged that they will turne on one hand and not on the other at al I thinke it not amisse before I proceed any further to show you how you shal reclaime so foule an error first if it proceed from folly vnnimblenes thē onely custome and practise will amend it for the one brings knowledge the other agilitie but if it proceede from euill inclynation or stubbornnesse of will then must there be some more extraordinarie art vsed and in it many excellent horsemen haue laboured both their wits and bodies finding out remedies of sundrie natures all which though experience haue found them profitable in some Horses yet the same experience hath also found them vtterlye fruitlesse in horses of other conditions for there is nothing more hard to reclaime then this vice insomuch that I dare not confidentlie say this one practise shall reclaime this fault in anye horse whatsoeuer albe the goodnesse thereof haue beene esteemed neuer so generall but to returne to the fault it selfe if your horse will turne readilie on the right hand but moste vildelye or not at all vppon the left though in nature Horses euer doe turne more readilie on the left hand then the right you shall
then treade out your first square with quarter circles on your left hand and exercise him first thereon then on the right hand and then on the left againe both beginning and ending vppon that hand on which he is moste vnreadie you shal also to the other helpes before prescribed adde this to carrie euer your left reyne a little shorter then the right Some will in this case of vnwilling turning haue a Foot-man stand before the horse with a rodde in his hand who when you would haue your horse to turne as you vse the helpe of your legge and hand shall with his rodde strike the horse on the right side of the nose threaten the horse by crying turne here and turne there but in my conceit though it were the precept of Grison himselfe I holde it barbarous and vnprofitable for it will both bring the horse to weakenesse and incertaintie of his head to rearing and plunging lastly to such a cowardly fearefulnes that he will hardly after indure anye man whatsoeuer Others haue vsed to tye a thong of leather to the eye of the Trench on the left side and the other end the thong being drawne verie straite to the formoste gyrth on the same side and then turning him loose into some straite Lane eyther betweene two walles or else between two hye fences and there your selfe being at one end some other footeman at the other with roddes in your hands to driue him vp and downe from one end of the Lane to the other forcing him euer to turne vppon the left hand as of necessitie hee must doe because hee cannot turne vppon the right hand his head being so tyed so much to his left side but this is more friuolous then the former and neither hath taste of Arte nor agreement with good sence For besides that the manner thereof is full of frantike violence amazement rather making a horse mad with his fault then giuing him knowledge howe to amend his fault it is also so subiect to indiscretion misgouernment that it is impossible to worke any good effect out of such loose tryall Another way is vsed to amend this fault by tying a corde either to the chaine or Cauezan and bringing it through the ring on that side of which he is vnwilling to turne and making a by-stander holde the cord in his hand if when you would haue your horse turne on that hand hee resuse then shall the by-stander giue him a good twich with the corde and make him turne whether he will or no. This is somewhat more tollerable then the other yet not of sufficient goodnesse for it marres the horses reyne and makes weake the neck both which must be with all care preserued Now for changing the hooke of the Kurbe to that side of which the horse is hard to turne and hauing sharpe prickes thereon next the horses lippes or to place sharp nailes through the ports-mouth of the byt on the contrarie side to that on which the horse will not turne or if hee will not turne on the left hand to turne him so oft on the right hand that you euen tyer him and so through his dislike of turning on that hand thinke to make him turne on the other although these be Grisons precepts and may worke some effect to this purpose Yet for mine owne part I would haue them sildome vsed for the prickes on the Kurbe makes a horse loose the delight in the Kurbe which is the onely figure that shoes a sweete mouth and the prickes in the ports-mouth makes a horse shake his head vse fantastical countenances which are mightilie to be eschewed but for tyring him in that lesson wherein hee dooth well is so preposterous and giueth him such discouragement that he will neuer doe any thing but ill afterward But to come to corrections of some better nature if your horse refuse to turne as before I saide on your left hand you shall to the right eye of the trench fasten a small twound chaine which chaine you shall bring from thence betwixt the horses neather lippe and his chappe thorow the left eie of the trench and thereby casting a knot vppon the chaine keepe it that it slip not backe nor fall from betwixt his lippe and chappe then the remainder of the chaine you shall beare in your left hand like a false reyne and then practising your horse in the first square roundes if he sticke or refuse to turne on your left hand you shall then at first twich the chaine gently that hee may but feele the correction but if notwithstanding hee perseuer in his stubbornesse you shal then drawe the Chaine hard and compell him to turne whether hee will or no ioyning to this correction a good stroake or two with your spurte on the contrarie side And as I prescribe this rule for the left hand so if he bee harder to turne on the right hand which is more common you shall but then alter your chaine your helpes and corrections to the other side it will work all one effect I haue seene some that instead of this chaine haue vsde a small corde but it hath so gald and cut the horses mouth that I haue seene foule Cankers grow therby so that I conclude the Cord to be exceeding ill I haue seene others that vsing this Chaine haue ridden into a new plowde fielde and there haue trotted him too and froe as it were in a managing furrowe and when hee hath shewed any disobedience they haue not onelye tormented him with the Chaine and the threatnings of their voice but they haue also spurred him exceedinglye on both sides beate him betweene the eares and about his sides with a cudgell so exceedinglye that I haue seene some borses grow desperate some so deiected that they haue stood stil would not stirre though a man should haue kild them This violent course is to be shund And the grauelly or sandy way and the gentill manner of instruction which carries knowledge with it is the best way to reclaime this fault yet obseruing this rule when you eyther vse this Chaine or anye other correction neuer to desist or suffer your horse to come out of the square rounds til with Help only without the vse of correction hee performe your pleasure no not though you be compelled to continue him therein from morning till night for to leaue him when hee doth euill is to fortefie him in al euil as also to torment him when he doth well is to make him loath well dooing hold his goodnes his worst error wherefore as you must labour and trouble him till he do well so when it is done you must not forget to giue him ease and cherrishings But to come to a conclusion of these many remedies for this single fault you shall vnderstand there is one more remayning in my iudgement as I haue found by practise farre exceeding the rest wherefore I would aduise all men
by the directions of the lines direct the motions of your Launce till by continuall vse and practise you become so cunning that you are able to doe euerie motion to a haire without anie assistance either of line or other modell more then the skill onelie of your hand and bodie which you shall doe much the better and sooner attaine vnto if you cause some man of good vnderstanding to whom you haue declared both the beauties faults of the course to stand by you in your first practice without flattering you to tell what faultes you commit in euerye course which when you knowe you must by labour and industrie reforme till you come to the full perfection you wish for And thus much for this warlike and noble practise CHAP. 24. Of the teaching of young schollers and the riding of a ridden horse to the best show ALthough the precepts and rudiments formerly expressed in this booke may bring a man if he bee of good courage witte memorie and actiuitie that was neuer trained vp in the rules of horsemanshippe to frame a horse to some indifferent fashion of good riding yet for asmuch as the rules are verie intricate horses natures and conditions exceeding various and the motions a man must vse full of arte and contrarietic so that it is impossible without some instruction into the arte some construction of the arte and some long practise howe to doe with arte but a man must spoile and marre manie horses ere hee attaine to the making of one which to eschew I would aduise euerie noble spirit of what qualitie soeuer hee bee not to meddle with the making of any young horse till hee haue from some good horsman learned how to ride a ridden horse wherefore to giue you some tast of the rules of a hors-schoole which like an A. B C. or Primmer not like a Grammer may prepare you and make you more capable of better demonstrations I will in this Chapter set you downe some principall obseruations First therefore whē you begin to learne to ride you must come to the Stable in such decent and fit apparel as is meet for such an exercise that is to say a hat which must sit close and firme vpon your heade with an indifferent narrow verge or brim so that in the saults or bounds of the horse it may neither through widenesse or vnweldinesse fall frō your head nor with the bredth of the brim fall into your eies and impeach your sight both which are verie grosse errors About your neeke you shall weare a falling band and no ruffe whose depth or thicknesse may either with the winde or motions of your horse ruffell about your face or according to the fashion of the Spaniards daunce Hobby-horse-like about your shoulders which though in them it is taken for a grace yet in true iudgement it is found an errour Your doublet shal be made close and hansome to your bodie large wasted so that you may euer be sure to ride with your points trussed for to ride otherwise is most vilde and in all parts so easye that it may not take from you the vse of anie part of your bodie About your waste you must haue euer your girdle and thereon a smal dagger or punniard which must be so fast in the sheath that no motion of the horse may cast it forth and yet so readie that vpon any occasion you may draw it Your hose would be large rounde and full so that they may fill your saddle which should it otherwise bee emptie and your bodie looke like a small substance in a great comasse it were wondrous vncomely Your bootes must be cleane blacke long and close to your legge comming almost vp to your midde thigh so that they may lie as a defence betwixt your knee and the tree of your saddle Your boote-hose must come some two inches higher then your bootes being hansomely tied vp with points Your spurres must be strong and flat inward bending with a compasse vnder your ancle the neck of your spurre must be long and straight and rowels thereof large and sharp the prickes thereof not standing thicke together nor being aboue fiue in number Vpon your handes you must weare a hansome paire of Gloues and in your right hande you must haue a long rodde finely rush-growne so that the small ende thereof bee hardly so great as a round packe-threed insomuch that when you moue or shake it the noyse thereof may be lowde and sharpe Being thus accoutred like a Gentleman and a horsman and the horse on which you are to ride should bee verie readie perfite and staid in all lessons whatsoeuer doing them with an extraordinarie pride and loftinesse being brought to the block where you shall get vppe you shall before you come to the blocke put off your spurres because hauing not learned the vse of your legges you cannot knowe the vse of your spurres and then mounting the blocke turning your left side close to the shoulder of your horse with your backe rowardes his heade and your face towardes his buttockes you shall take vppe the bytt reynes into your left hande and place your hande and fingers as is shewed you before in the fourth chapter of this Booke Which done you shall take the remainder of your reynes vp in the right hande which stretching out to their vttermost length you shall pull so euen that one of the cheekes of your bytt shall not hang sider then the other and withall drawe your bytt to such a limit that with the straitnesse thereof your horse shall not offer to goe backe nor with the loosenes offer to goe forward When you haue thus assured your bytt and the reynes thereof you shall with your left hand placed close vpon the Saddle pommell standing in the maner aforesaid lift vp your left foot and put it into the stirrop neither so farre that your stirrop may beat against your shinne not so little a way that you shall bee forced to get vp by the strength of your toes onely but indifferently a little short of the hollownesse of the soale of your foote which done you shall without any heauings or anticke showes as if you would leape ouer your horses backe gently and with an actiue nimblenesse raise vp your bodie by laying your right hand vpon the hinder croope of the saddle and bringing your right leg in an orderly circle or compasse set your whole bodie firme and iust in the middest of the Saddle where contrarilie shoulde you stand with your face and breast against the Saddle and so bring vp your bodie and right legge you would not onely with your waight and force hazard the pulling of the saddle vnder the horses bellie but also your motion would be so ill fauoured and slouenly that in appearance you woulde looke like a Thatcher that were climbing vp a Ladder When you are hansomly seated in your saddle that is when you haue placed the hinder parts
garth to gripe him with your spurs of each side of the heart which is the tenderest of all places till it be at the verie pinch of a wager and that the gaining or loosing of one yard of ground is the winning or losing of the match then you shal do it most strongly and with al thrust your body forward with good violeÌ„ce Next these you shal obserue to carry your bridle haÌ„d close hard firme so that by no means your horse may haue liberty to run at his vtmost speed nor yet to hould it so exceeding hard that either you make your horse with pinching writhe his head and giue signes of torment or for want of conuenient libertie to make him in his gallop to ouer-reach strike one foot vpon another the meane temper therefore is to bee obserued yet for as much as the speed or slacknes of your aduersaries riding is an especial rule that you must follow for if he runne away fast you must not ride softly it is necessary that your own discretion be your best guide in this matter onely this take for a generall rule in your riding that by anie means when you run or gallop you oft draw your hands vp downe both easing and straining your bridle to bring sweetnes to your horses mouth and if you find your horse presses his head much vpon your hand will not open his chaps which is a great signe either of stopping of wind or wearines theÌ„ you shall not onlie draw vp your bridle hand but laying your other hand also to the bridle reines draw the snaffle to and fro in the horses mouth which will both make him open his mouth and giue him much comfort Also you shal obserue that when you ride your horse at the height of his speed if then when you spurr him you see him clap his eares close to his necke and whiske with his taile you may then be assured that he is at the vttermost he is able to do if you continew further to torment him you wil either make him grow restife or else tyer suddainly where fore in any case when you perceiue these signes forbeare to torment him giuing him all the ease that is possible let the forward motioÌ„s of your own body your cherefulnes vpon his backe serue instead of a paire of spurs to quickeÌ„ reuiue him After these obseruatioÌ„s of your body legs hands you shal then note the grouÌ„d vpoÌ„ which you do run obseruing to restraine your horse the more vpon faire earth because out of his owne nature hee is more willing to run fast there vpon and to giue him a litle more libertie vpon deep earth as well because hee may make his choice how to handle his feete thereupon for his best ease as also because it being more full of labour a horse is inclyned the more to fauour himself therupon also you shal vp the hil hold your horse somwhat straight for feare of running him out of wind also doe the like downe the hill least too much hast shold make him stumble fal ouer Next this you shal obserue the maner of the horses ruÌ„ning which runs against you if you perceiue he be a horse of any fiery nature t is your best aduantage to ride directly behinde him that making a noise and as it were euen treading vpon his heeles you may put him into such an affright and madnesse that you may make him only runne faster then his rider would haue him but also with fretting and chaffing make him hurt himselfe as much as if hee ranne at his vttermoste power but if your aduersarie refuse will not let you ride iust behinde him you shall then especiallye in the first traine when hee is moste lustie keep him to such a slow gallop that with his owne madnesse striuing to goe faster you may make him ouer reach or hew one foote ouer another which is an ordinarie accident in matches and at the latter end of the day is felt to bee both painefull and hurtfull you shall also obserue your aduersarie well as hee rides by you and note when and how oft he spurs which although he thinke to doe closely and couertly that you shall not see it as by spurring vpon that side which is from you yet if you marke the horse he wil tell you truely as either by whisking his taile about coutching down both his eares or holding downe one of his eares and pricking forward the other or by writhing his bodie or kicking his head vp suddainely all which are signes of spurring and when you doe perceiue them and feele that your owne horse runnes freely without desire of spurre you shall then holde your speed not ease it by any meanes that thereby keeping your aduersarie vpon the spurs you may the sooner make him wearie you shall also note wel the carriage of your aduersaries bridle hand and if you see him ride with a loose raine and his horses nose carryed straight foorth then t is moste certaine he is at his best speede but if you perceiue him ride with a loose reyne onely now and then he chockes him in the mouth with his bridle then t is a flat signe he growes faint and wil presentlie tyer if you keepe on your speed still and giue him no ease of breathing you shall also obserue vpon what earthes he rides moste vnnimbly and vppon that earth when you runne you shall ride the fastest that your aduersarie being compeld to follow you may with stumbling and reeling either ouer reach or hurt himselfe Now when you haue ridden all your traine sents according vnto your match and that you are come to run the Wilde goose chase you shall vnderstand that in ryding of it there are diuers obseruations verie necessarie which cannot be vsed in any of the former sents as namely when you first start the Wilde-goose chase and haue gotten the leading if then as you are running vnto such groundes as shall be moste for your aduantage as vnto deepe and foule earthes if your horse be strong rough or vnto faire skelp groundes if your horse be swift and of fierce mettall that then if your aduersarie haue the better winde and vppon speede come and offer to take the leading from you you shal then suffer him to bring his horse head within your horses flanke and then looke on which hand he commeth as if hee come vpon your right hand you shall then clappe your right legge close to your horses side drawing your bridle hand in a little straighter hurle your horse roundly about vpon your left hand this is cald a slippe and with this slippe you shall make your aduersaries horse ouer shoote you at least three or fourescore yardes and as oft as hee striues thus to tâ—ke the leading from you so oft giue him these slippes till either you come into such ground as is fit for your purpose or else your aduersarie leaue
with the meaâ—st of manye Barbaryes and for their swiftnesse it â—ot to bee spoake of chiefly in long courses where â—e indurance of labour is to bee approoued in comâ—rison of many of the meanest of our English races â—which wee haue spoke more amply in the former â—oke but to come nearer to our times and to bring 〈◊〉 best proofes from our owne experiences I haue my â—e beheld some of the Spanish Studdes their Mares â—olts and Horses and for mine owne part I haue â—t seene any whereat to admyre manye I haue â—held of vncomely molde loose and ill ioynted â—haue seene some serue in the fielde and haue â—ted in them greate fearefulnesse chieflie at the â—ght of fire some I haue ridden and albe I haue â—und them tractable enough quick spirited and full of â—gor yet haue I found theÌ„ with al fantastical apish apt 〈◊〉 forget prone to restifnes vpon the least indiscretiâ— so that I conclude the Ienet is a good horse but not â—e best witty but not of the best vnderstaÌ„ding feirce but not of the most approoued valour before whome I prefer as most principal the Courser of Naples next them our English bastard Coursers and true Englishâ—d â—d horses Then the Greeke next the Barbarie and then the Spaniard and all these are for the most part eyther of wel compounded mingled complexions or else Sanguine or Chollericke which makes them apt to learne able to performe and least deseruing the surie eyther of torture or correction And thus much for the distinction of complexions and the iudgement by markes and shapes of the inward dispositions which the hors-man must correct according to his experience in practise CHAP. 2. The vse and benefite of the chaine Cauezan Head-straine Musroll and Martingall CAuezzanna of the ancient Italians was taken both for the Chaine Headstrain Musroll and that to which here in England we giue no other attribute but Cauezan or any other binding fillet ouer the nose of the horse to which was vsed anye reynes whether leather or corde but time bringing forth diuers practises and those practises sundrie experiments not formerly knowne we haue not onely altered the names and titles but euen the vse and maner of imployment the olde Neapolitans which were indeede the Schoole-masters to all Christendome in the Arte of horse-manship vsed for their cauezan nothing but a plaine halter of strong wel twound corde â—e Musroll or Noseband being 〈◊〉 least foure cords broad well â—w'de together with strong â—ackthreed with two noozes 〈◊〉 loops through which a long â—ne crosse-wise passeth so as 〈◊〉 pulling or strayning it you â—ay pinch the Mussell of the â—rse and force him to bring in 〈◊〉 head and shew obedience â—hout further compulsion 〈◊〉 figure whereof is this which â—ere prescribed The Cauezan or Headstraine There is no question but this â—ner of Cauezan was inuenâ—to exceeding good purpose 〈◊〉 was found of great vse and â—ation amongst the Neapoâ—es both by reason of the â—ctability of those horses their â—ellencie of shape wherein â—re doth giue them all the â—sible helpes which may bee the attaining of their perâ—ion and their quicke appreâ—sion of euery correction ioyâ— with the moderation arte â—ience and the industrious laâ—r of the skilfull horse-man 〈◊〉 when it once arriued with â—n England where the horsemans charge consisted both of Neapolitan courses Spanish Ienets Flemings Frizonds our owne English mares there this maner of cauezan was fouÌ„d sometimes through the naughtie and rebellious disposition of the horse somtimes thtough naturall defects as either in the shortnesse of necke straitnesse of chaule or dulnesse of spirit to be of too great lenitie or gentlenes whence sprang the inuention of another cauezan more full of torment and therefore reputed of much more especiall vse or authoritie The figure whereof is this The Cauezan or chaine with teeth The cauezan made in fashion of a Chaineâ— and in our English phrase commonly called the Chaine was much accounted of amongst principall horsmen and found a sufficient correctioÌ„ for horses of most seuerall dispositions for being vsed with a temperate hand without extreme haling or pulling it makes the horse light before firme and iust in his turning brings the necke into his true compasse setleth the head without any impeachment of the mouth but when this cauezan chaine came into the hands of the â—uder and more vnskilfull who wanting patience to let the horse knowe his fault before they corrected him for his fault or being as â—tantick in their corrections as the horse wilfull in his disobedience they haue with their extreame pulling or â—anging vpon the reines of the cauezan which commonly are broad thoÌ„gs of leather held him 〈◊〉 such a continuall torment that â—e horse neither vnderstanding â—is riders meaning nor able to â—dure the punishment hath faln 〈◊〉 such a wilfull opposition aâ—inst his rider that he hath eueÌ„â—sted and hung his heade vpon â—e cauezan albe the rider did pul 〈◊〉 hale nener so extreamely â—hich fault when the rider perâ—iued in the horse but wold not â—ehold in himselfe forthwith he â—egan to inuent tormeÌ„ts of greaâ—r more violent nature holâ—ing this ethnicke opinion that â—e greatest feare begat the greaâ—est obedieÌ„ce hence came this â—ther chaine cauezan the figure â—herof is here represented the â—nks which go ouer the nose beâ—g made hollow and full of â—arpe teeth The Cauezan or chaine This Cauezan I haue seene very good hors-men vse but with such a temperate and Lady-soft a hand that in my conceite a silke garter woulde at any time haue beene as painful Many haue attributed the inuention of this cruel cauezan to Seigneor Prospero but for mine own part I haue seen it vsed before his comming into England especially in the leading of horses for which vse I esteemed it and neuer for other purpose yet I muste confesse Prospero was a most tyrannous and cruell ryder and out of the depth of his knowledge in hors-leach craft in which he was most famous would adueÌ„ture sundry bloodie stratagems cruelties beyond reason And as touching the cauezan which hee most vsed it was more cruell then the former and made after this figure The Cauezan or Chaine with teeth and rings toothed This cauezan or chaine thus made with these turning rowles by reason of the extreame crueltie thereof as it made some horses of slothfull dogged and rebellious disposition more obedient and louing of more tractable natures whereby the rider tooke some delight and hope in his trauell so it made horses of free quicke and apprehensiue qualitie â—t times desperate and so opposite to all the good â—opes which their complexions promised that noâ—ing seemed more impossible then what appeared in â—ason most easie and the oftner it so hapned when â—ch violent corrections came into the hands of such â—orse-men who exercised the same more from the traâ—tion and vse of others then from any certaine knowâ—dge in themselues of the nature and qualitie of such
lightâ— and as it were an inward delight of his owne comâ—es and to preserue the mouth in sensible and tender â—ing which being either dul'd or hardned there â—ight followeth disobedience frenzie and disorder 〈◊〉 that it worketh all these I haue both seene the â—rarie in others and found it in mine owne practâ— for where a Horse is naturally light headed forgetâ— or fantasticall or where the Horse hath a thicke â—t necke and a strait narrowe chaule there a 〈◊〉 may with the Cauezan and plaine cannon bestow â—h arte and more labour but shall hardly eyther â—g the one to a stayednes or the other to any comeâ—s nature being a stronger Mistresse then art of such â—ke playnnes and I doe well remember a Gentleâ— who at this day in this kingdome is not reputed â—h inferior to the best Horse-men who rid a shortâ—kt courser aboue two yeares with the Cauezan and â—ine cannon yet brought him to little better perâ—ion then at the first day of his backing when the â—e Horse being brought to the moste famous â—leman worthy all praise-ful memorie Maister â—mas Story of Greenewich was by him in lesse then â—e halfe yeare made the moste principall best doing â—se which came vpon the Black-heath and myselfe at â—t instant riding with him did so diligently obserue â—th his art his reasons his practise that euen from â—t man and that Horse I drew the foundation and â—ound of my after practise Finding in the vse of the Cauezan so much insufficiencie losse of time and libertie to disorder that I dare confidently maintaine it is neither the best nor second way to bring a horse to perfection if theÌ„ I shal be questioned what I doe prefer before the CauezaÌ„ as the first instrumeÌ„t to bring a horse both to beauty obedieÌ„ce my answere absolutely is the Musrole and the Martingale which how euer it be either vnassayde or vnremembred in the Italian or French practise yet Iam well assured it is of much better effect hath brought foorth moe better examples of perfect arte then they haue either deliuered vs in their writinges or wee haue beheld in their practise But in asmuch as no man hath writ against it I will imagine all men hold with it and not goe about to defend what none in the Arte I think wil impugne The Musrole therefore would be made after the fashion of the writhen Cauezan onelye it should bee all of one peece after the fashion of this figure The Musrole This Musrole must be couered with strong leather and a buckle at one end to buckle vnder the Horses chaps like the nose-band of a brydle then must a â—s-stall be ioyned vnto it to goe ouer the Horses â—d As touching the Martingale it would be made â—verye stronge leather with two buckels a foote â—ant one from another after the fashion of this fiâ—e â—his Martingale must haue the shorter end thereof â—led to the Garthes vnder the Horses bodie and so â—ght betweene his fore-legges to his head and the â—er end buckled to the nose-band of the Musrole â—r the Horses neather chaps â—he vse of this Musrole and Martingale is to keepe â—ine and firme a Horses head from tossing shaking â—hing or such like Antick countenances it rayseth â—e necke bringeth in the head and fashioneth the â—e it keepeth a Horse from plunging rearing â—e or running away and to conclude doth 〈◊〉 good office and breedeth that tractabilitie in 〈◊〉 daies albe with a meane Horseman which the â—ezan or the Chayne will hardly effect though 〈◊〉 the best Artes-maister in two monthes so that I â—lude and dare without ostentation or ambition â—ose my selfe against any man of contrarie opiniâ— to make my Horse sooner and more certaine with Musrole Martingale then he with the Chaine or Cauezan how euer his estimation doe precede my fortune and obscuritie The place or seate for the Musrole is vppon the strength and midde part of the Horses nose vnder his eyes more then a handfull and aboue the tender grisle about some two inches or there abouts Grison from whome all Horse-men and all nations haue taken a greate light both of their Art and immitatioÌ„ seemeth to giue the least allowaÌ„ce to these chieflye the Martingale which hee esteemeth as a correction and therefore dooth limmite the vse to certaine perticular and necessarie times and not to anye generall benefit the reason whereof I holde onely to bee this Euangelista who was the first inuentor thereof vsing it alwaies to correct such horses as would reare vpright and flye ouer and ouer Grison not willing to bee beholden to any mans practise but his owne not proouing the other benefits was vtterlye ignorant of the vertues this for which it was inueÌ„ted being the least of al other so like one of our old Bel-founders that neuer knew how to melt his mettall but by the force of a payre of Belloweâ— thought it impossible that the new inuented furnaces should bring any profit but had our Maister Gryson once put it in practise I doe not thinke eyther chaine or Cauezan wold haue held with him any estimation Now for the Musrole that hee commendeth exceedingly and to speake truelie it deserueth all his commendations and this shall suffice touching the knowledge and vse of the cauezon CHAP. 3. How to make a Colt gentle how to bring him to the blocke and of the first Bridle and Saddle I Did in my first Treatise of hors-man-ship which I writ many yeares since for sleight tastes or essayes to season the knowledge of a young Gentleman my most especiall friend deer â—man set downe a method how to tame and make â—tle a Colt being come to full age fitte to weare a â—dle as namely of three yeares and seuen Moâ—s or at foure yeares at the most at which time his â—ts will be knit his strength compleate and his â—erstanding fit to intertaine instruction and both of â—phon Grison Baptista la Broue and all hors-men â—ght the time most conuenient and in the self same â—on I still confidently doe continue which was 〈◊〉 hauing housed your colt and with good strength 〈◊〉 helpe got a chase haltar made of strong Hempe 〈◊〉 the reine aboue three fadome long at the least 〈◊〉 the gentlest meanes that may be vpon his heade â—n you offer to lead him forth if he offer as it is â—st likely he will either to leape plunge or runne aâ— that then with strong and sharpe twitches you â—e his necke and maister his head in such sort that â—e ende the smallest straine of your hand may bee â—cient to bring him backe and inforce him to obeâ—e This mastring of his head with the halter brings him to feare and obey the man make him tender to all other corrections and assures his keeper when he shal leade him in his hand or bring him to his rider But if he be so stubborne that he refuse to leade and onely hangeth backe then let some standers by vrge
Stirrops which we found most commodious for that practice which are those we can hold fastest in the horses running or leaping and the soonest shake off in extremitie when he falleth I foorth-with from the model of the hunting Stirrop caused the like in proportion though stronger of more massines to be made for the great horse Saddle and found them better more certain then any I had before induced Now to proceed to my purpose when your horse is thus man'd sadled and firmely gyrt your crooper sure and strongly buckled and your stirrops of their euen and due length which according to the opinion of la Broue I would haue the right-foote stirroppe a thought shorter then the left because when a man encounters his enemie with his Launce he must a little lean to his left side putting his right shoulder the more forward or when he encounters with the sworde the lifting vp of his right arme to raise his blow makes him ease his right foote stirrop and tread the firmer on his left for these and such other like reasons it is found fit to make the left stirrop the longer When this is done you shall present vnto your horse the bridle which hee shall first weare which according to the opinion of my maister Grison should be the Cauezan head-straine for he vtterly disallows the byt at the first riding til a horse can trott forward and turne readily on both hands la Broue he would haue the Cauezan chaine plaine without teeth which indeede is more generally good for hauing in it more force of correction it bringeth the sooner and easier obedience both haue beene and are good in their kinds and diuers horses I know will ride as obediently with them as with bitte or any other inuention for for mine owne part I once rid a blacke bastard Courser which was afterwards giuen to the Earle of Essex in whom I found that tractabilitie and sencablenesse that before euer I put byt in his mouth he would haue set a turne on both hands either double or single managed faire or done any ordinarie ayre or sault meete for a horse of seruice but when he came to weare a byt I found his mouth so exceeding tender and out of the greatnesse of his courage I found him euery way so apt vpon the least torment to disorder and grow franticke that I condemned my selfe and found it was a course to spend a double time for one single horse making wherefore differing both from Xenophon Grison la Broue and others I onely relie as vpon the surest rocke foundation layer of this Arte vpon my famous maister maister Thomas Storie who was so exquisite in euery perfection of horsmanship that many at this day who would disdaine to hâ—e other ranke then amongst the best horsemen were but groomes and leaders of horses to his schoole and onely attained their skils by beholding and obseruing his practise their eyes and memories being their best school maisters and according therefore to his rule I would haue you put vpon your horses heade the Musroll before prescribed which done you shall put into his mouth hauing it fastned to a strong head-stall with strong reynes of broad leather a trench in thicknesse as bigge as a Canon of the smallest size which for your better instruction you may behold in this figure The Trench Notwithstanding I haue seene who rather to mend the inteÌ„perance of their owne hands then for any iust fault belonging to the trench haue in stead thereof vsed a plaine watring snaffle made according to this figure The outside of the watring snaffle The inside of the watring snaffle But this watring snaffle I cannot allow for any other vse theÌ„ to leade a gentle horse or to tie vp a horse withall during the time of his dressing or for the groome to ryde a ridden horse withall when there shall be occasion to swim him in the water as wheÌ„ he lâ—eth in the soile or at such times which is most wholsome For to apply it according to the nature of the trench it is too smooth and doth rather dead and dul the mouth then preserue it in any sencable feeling for euery horse naturally when he shall feele the gentlenesse thereof will hang vpon it anâ— when any cause of contention shall grow betweene the rider and the horse rather rebell against it then go about to obey it the trench therefore I conclude to be of all things most fit for the mouthing of a yong Colt at his first riding The trench being put on which you must not forget at the first putting on to annoint with honie and salt that the colt may take pleasure therein you shal then take the Martingall and buckling the one end vnder the horses brest you shall buckle the other ende to the neither part of the Musroll but at such large length that neither in the tossing vp of his head nor in thrusting out his nose he find any impediment thereby which done you shall make the Groom by laying his hand on the left side of the Musroll to leade him to the blocke which should euer bee placed neare vnto some euen wall so that the horse might be lead alongst the wall to the blocke but if hee be of such a flegmatike or melancholie disposition that either he refuse to lead or to approach vnto the block you shall at first according to the opinion of la Broue fortifie him with incouragements faire wordes clappings and strokings but if it auaile not then you shall cause some by-stander with a rod in his hand to stand behind him and first with a threatning voice without touching him with the rod to force him to approach to the block but if he still rebell then shall he that standeth behinde giue him a Ierte or two vpon the nether part of his buttocks so inforce him to come to the block when he is come to the blocke both his rider his leader and his driuer shall cherish him and clap him and giue him grasse or something els to eate but if he refuse to stand quietly at the block and couet to presse forward then shall another stander by with a rodde in his hand stand before his face and threaten him but not strike him if being thus assaild both before and behind and on euery side hee shall fall into any franticke passion and either seeke to plunge reare vpright bite or strike then I would haue you according to the opinion of Grison and the present vse of the Italians to desist from further molestation and forthwith lead him to some peece of new plowde ground where holding the long reine of the trench in your hande let the standers by chace him about you first on one hand then on another which done goe to him and offer to put your foot in the stirrop at which if he seeme coy you shall then chase him againe and not leaue him till hee will stand quietly suffer you to put your
the needefullest remedie and according to the signification of the word so it is eyther a correction or a helpe as for example if it bee roughly or terryblic deliuered as Hatraytor Ha Villain or such like then t' is a correction for shrewdenesse or obstinacie but if you crie Hoe Hoe or Hey Hey or Via Via then t is a helpe eyther in gallopping in turning or any ayre or sault whatsoeuer But if you will cherrish then you must in the myldest manner that may be cry Holla Holla or So boy so boy and such like Now whereas some horsemen would haue a horse be helpt in his going backe by crying Back I say or back Boy and in his aduanncing by saying Hup Boy Hup or such like I am vtterly against it for neither is it comely in the Rider in euerie motion to vse his tongue so liberally nor would I haue a horses memory clogd with so much seuerall language but for this helpe of crying Darrier Darrier when a horse should yerke behinde t is as absurd as fantasticall and neuer in vse since spurre or rod was inuented Now for the rod or cudgell it is both a correctioÌ„ a helpe of great effycacie especially against eyther a fantasticall quicke spirited horse or a stubborne dull Iade so that the Ryder loose not his time but correct euen in the moment of the offence dooing but that it should be vsed as Gryson directs about the head I am of a cleane contrarie opinion for such corrections doe distemper and incertaine the head and makes the horse so fearefull that if after the shadowe of the rodde but come in his sight he will cast his head on one side or other verye disorderly fraÌ„tickly which of al the members about a horses bodie should bee moste stayed and certaine I doe very much also differ froÌ„ the opinion of La Broue where hee giues allowance for the beating of a horse about the head Gryson would not haue a ryder to ride with a rod till his horse come to weare a bytt but I holde that for no good precept for it must either argue in the ryder indiscretion to gouerne it or want of arte to make his horse indure it Besides I knowe that euen in the first backing of a Colt the sound of the rodde stirreth vp life in him correcteth the disordering of his head and puts toyes and fantasies out of his minde Besides it is such an ornament to a Horseman that without it hee lookes like an Alderman or Mule-ryder Lastlye by rubbing the withers of the Horse with the but end of the rodd you shall more cherrish and delight your horse then with any thing else whatsoeuer the rodde doth present to the Horse-man the vse of the Launce the sword and the Battle axe and is seuerally to be carried after their fashions as in short manages it presenteth the sword or battail-axe is borne either directly vpright by the right shoulder of the maÌ„ or else crosse the horses crest thwart the mans body In long manages or careires it presenteth the Lance and is borne lowe by the ryders thighe but not vppon his thighe with the point vpward and before you come to the place of turning you may let it fall of the right side of his head if you turne on the left hand and when the turne is made you may rayse your rodde vpward againe Now for the helpes and corrections they bee these first it helpeth a horse in his aduauncing if with the close of your legge you either shake your rodde ouer his head or let it fall vppon his shoulder it correcteth a horse if he aduaunce too hie or when you would not haue him or reare vpright if in the very instant of the falt you iert him vppon the shins not ceasing to strike him so oft as he aduaunceth against your liking it is also a great help to a horse in his setting of turnes double or single if on what hand you turne your horse you carrie your rod with the point downeward ouerthwart the contrarie shoulder it correcteth a horse that is sloathfull or vnnimble in turning If you giue him a good Ierte or two orethwart his contrarie shoulder or if he trayle his hinderfeete you giue him a good Ierte or two in the flanke of the contrarie side It helpeth if when in the Coruet Capryole or such like ayres you would haue him rayse his hinder parts you turne the point of your rod directly ouer his rumpe and let him onely feele it or heare the sound of it and it correcteth if when hee will not gether vp his hinder partes you giue him a good Iert or two eyther in his flanke or ouer his buttocks many other helpes and corrections there bee with the rod which shall be shewed amongst the horses lessons For the helpes and corrections of the Bridle they be as infinite as mens inuentions and as varyable as our opinions for according to the nature of the horse the skill of the Horseman and the sence or hardnes of the horses mouth so the helpes and corrections are eyther abated or increased for as Grison saith the Sterne doth gouerne the bodie of the Ship so doth the Bytt gouern all the motions of the horse and as the bit doth consist not of one entyre peece but of many as of mouth cheeke kurbe and such like nor of one fashion but of sundrie so doth the helpes corrections deuide themselues according to the proportions and seuerall fashions of the bytt Now for it is the Ryders office to knowe when to 〈◊〉 his horse with the bytt how to vse the bytt when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intâ— the horses mouth in what part of the mouth it should rest then how to holde the 〈◊〉 when to vse the false reynes when to correct when â—o helpe and lastly what kinde or fashion of byt is fittest for a horse you shall vnderstand that when your horse can â—rott cleane both in euen furrowe and large ringe stop firmely and turne on each hand readilye you shall then put a bytt in his mouth Now for the vse of the bytt you shall by no meanes put a new bytt but a worne byt in your horses mouth and as you did with your Trench so shal you annoynt your byt the first time with Hony and Salt The place where the byt ought to rest is vpon his neather gums aboue his great tush For the reynes of the byt you shal holde them in your left hand so as your ring finger may be betweene the reynes your little finger on the contrarie side to your fore finger and great finger and your thumbe close vppon the reynes with the brawne thereof turned toward the pomell of your saddle You shall carrye your reynes ordinarily about the middle of the pommell of your saddle so that when you eyther stop him or rayse him your hand rise not aboue the top of the pommell nor when you correct him it fall not lower
the breach of the first broken cheeke and each breach made more inward theÌ„ other al these cheeks are to bee vsed according to the length or shortnesse of the Horses necke the straitnesse or widenesse of his Chaule according to his pride or euill disposition to reyne well which your arte knowledge must better iudge by your practise then I by writing can giue any discription Now the cheeke considered which imitating Gryson I take to be but from the neathermoste part of the eye of the byt downeward to the vtmost length of the byt you are then to respect the eye of the byt which should be a halfe circular compasse of iust proportion or bignesse with the mouth of the byt so as it may come and goe without rubbing or sticking then from the eye of the bytt vpward to that part whereunto the headstall of the brydle is fixed which the Italians call Stanghetta you are to obserue such a length that through the shortnesse the Kurbe doe not fall belowe the round ball of the neather lippe nor through the length thereof fasten or binde about part of the bare chap but lie in his due place which is to rest vpon the thicke of the neather lippe where the two neather chappes meete and make one entyre bone Now that your eye may giue your eare better instructions you shall behold the fashion of the three principall cheekes in these figures following 1. The straite cheeke 2. The Broken cheeke 3. The trauelling cheeke Now forasmuch as I did formerly show vnto you amongst the mouthes of byttes two mouthes which I did not onely commend for great horses for seruice but also for abling traueling Geldings and aboue others for coach or Charryot horses I thinke it not amisse sith the purpose of this my whole discourse is to giue generall satisfaction to all people which desire knowledge in this arte to showe you heere also the true proportion and fashion of that cheeke which is moste fit for the Coach-horse with this generall note that the cheekes of the Coach-horse bytt are euer to be deuided one from another at the neather end not with any chaine least the horses in rubbing one vppon another or in casting their heades vpward or downeward doe fasten their bytts together so cause trouble or disorder the fashion of the cheeke is contained in the next page following The Cheeke for the Coach bytt Hauing thus showed you both the mouthes and cheekes for byttes it resteth now that I shew you the true Kurbe and the nature thereof Of Kurbes diuers horsemen haue inuented diuers fashions as some of Square linckes some of square peeces fyled sharpe with poyntes lâ—ke Diamonds some made all of one peece of yron and ioyned to the porte within the mouth of the horse and sometimes those whole peeces of yron hauing sharpe prickes of yron which as the bytt is drawne vp runne into the chappe of the horse all which being cruelties and tortures both barbarous vnnaturall I both condemne and loath exceedinglye as being onely brought fourth by error and absurditie The true Kurbe therefore which is in vse and practise with al good horsemen is that which is made of round linckes of yron foulded according to the fashion of the Romain S. the bigger such linkes be the better euer they be and doe lesse hurt and gaule a horse then the small Chaine which through his smallnesse when it comes to bevsde with a rough hand doth euen cut as it bindeth or being vsde with a moderate han din his oft motions or euen with the playing of the horses lip which is the only tokeÌ„ of a good mouth it many times frydgeth off the haire I sometimes the skinne from the horses neather chap by reason wherof there many times growes vnder a horses chinne hard kirnels or tough skinnes which takes away both the sence and vse of the Kurbe The fashion of the perfect Kurbe and hooke you may behold in this figure following The Kurbe and Hooke Now whereas some horsemen giue aduise that whâ— the Kurbe hurteth or galleth either to ride without a Kurbe or else to make a Kurke of thicke double Inckle or great Fillet Lace well platted together For mine own part I dislike theÌ„ both for first to ride without a Kurbe is cleane to take away the true vse of the â—ytt to make the horse take such an euil habit or false custome by such needles forbearance as wil aske much labour after to redresse and loose much time which might be speÌ„t for the horses better knowledge TheÌ„ for this kurbe of Inckle it is both in nature feeling so coÌ„trarie to the perfit Kurbe that where it should prepare a horse for the wearing of the Kurbe it rather makes him vâ—terly to forsake it and neuer after constantly to endure it how euer labored by the best meanes whatsoeuer therefore if there bee any such gallings in the place of the Kurbe I wish the horse-man rather to anâ—oynt it and by his owne temper of hand and the vse of the Cauezan to heale it then by forbearance of the Kurbe or making strange Kurbs hazard worse euils And to obserue this generall rule that a man must not â—e halling and pulling at the Kurbe but bring his horse to such a temper that resting his head vpon the bytt he may feele the Kurbe and no more Hauing thus shewed the helpes of the bridle byt the next is the help and corrections of the calues of the legs which I can neither so well deliuer nor you so well vnderstand as you shall hereafter when I come to the horses lessons yet some little taste I will giue you you shall vnderstand that when you either trot or gallop any large ring manage or set any turne whatsoeuer looke of what hand you doe any of those rounde ayres as for example if you would turne on your right hande if your horse sticke and doe not bring his bodie round and close together but cast out his hinder parts if then you giue him a stroake with the calue of your legge vpon the left side next behind the formost garth it is then in nature of a correction and giues the horse warning of the Spurre which doth second if amendment be not if when your horse doth stoppe and you by leysurely laying the calues of your legges to his sides make him aduaunce which is an ornament to his stoppe in that place it is taken for a help if when you set any loftie or swift turne you doe coueâ—tly lay the calue of your legge to his contrarie side at or vpon euerie aduauncemnet it is then also taken for a helpe but this must bee done to a readie horse with such artificiall closenesse that euen the finest eyde beholder must hardly perceyue the motion otherwise it is grosse and vncomely for in that I consent with La Broue that these farre fetcht motions with the legges these flancke spurrings and
neck to the right side then shall you trot him about in a swift trot on the left side some 20. or 30. times without intermission according to the strength ability of the horse as he trotteth labor his coÌ„trarie side with the calfe of your leg the reine of the cauezan and of the flying trench and if he bee come to that lessoÌ„ it shal be most good to labor him some quarter of an houre togither in the Incauallare there is no question but by these means and these corrections ioyned with a watchfull eie and minde to cherish him at euery well doing he will in very short space he brought both to the perfection of head and necke and to carry all his body in an euen proportion in all which corrections I would haue you mingle the vse of the spurre but now and then yet when you strike to strike freely souÌ„dly for the tickling or fridging of a horse with the spurre is a grosse fault and doth breed manifold disorders But if it be so that he wrieth onely his moozell that is his nose and mouth awry and vncomely except he haue taken it vp of a long custome the verie bearing of the contrarie reyne of the bytt shorter then the other will amende it but if it faile I would then haue you gyrde his chappes close together with a Musroll that hee may not mouth or writh them and then in stead of a rod ride with a good hand cudgel of that side which he wryeth his mouth beate him with your cudgell yet so moderately that you neyther bruse nor hurt his chappes And after such correction still to carrie your cudgell in his eye of that side which hee most writheth This meanes applyed but two or three dayes will without all faile helpe any horse from this fault I haue seene some horsemen vse another course but I stand doubtfull of the goodnesse yet this it is they haue put three or foure little sharpe nayles on the inside of the Ports-mouth of the contrarie side likewise three or foure nayles in his Musroll and as many in his headstall all of the contrarie side These nayles you may keepe hidde from sight at your pleasure eyther if your headstall be of double leather or if you set them in a thinne plate of Iron not so broade as the headstall with these ride your horse about some fortnight and it will reclaime him yet I am very doubtfull of this remedie because there is no end of the correction nor shall the horse when he obeyeth your pleasure find any ease of his punishment by which not knowing his fault from his well doing hee shall the longer continue in his euill But if your horse carrie out his nose and reyne not well how euer any man defend such carriage yet euen the iudgement of our sightes and a world of reasons purposeles to repeat assures vs of the coÌ„trary Wherfore when your horse hath taken vnto himself any such fault or vse you shall first draw in your bridle hande against which if hee rebell you shall then holde your hand at that certainty and with striking him with your spurres one after another giue him knowledge of correction if vpon the correction he offer to presse forward you shal clap your right hand vpoÌ„ the midle of his crest hold his neck down hard draw your left had vp a little straiter this doing 3. or 4 times togither you shall find he will bow his necke and a little put in his nose vpon the instant perseuerance whereof you must not forget to cherrish him but if out of his melancholly or flegmatique complexion he withstand and rebel against this correction you shall then compell him to go backe eight or ten paces and then trot him forward againe then backward againe and forward at the least a dozen paces together This is a moste readie remedie for this error but if stubbornenes haue taken away the benefit of this you must to these corrections adde the benefit of your bytt which must be made of more compasse as consisting of at least three broken descents all broken inward vpon which kinde of bytt it is impossible for a horse to stay or settle his head but he must needes bring in his nose and though at the first out of stubbornesse hee may seeme to carry his head of him â—elfe without the helpe of the bytt yet after long exerâ—ce and wearinesse he wil be forc'd perforce to bring in â—is nose and rest vpon the bytt But if contrarie to this â—ice he haue taken a custome to duck downe his head when he standeth stil which is a moste vncomely sight yet verie incident to diuers horses You shal then vpon your stop holde both the reines of your bytt of your Cauezan firme as at the stop by pressing your feete stifly forward vppon your stirrops holde him that hee retyre not backe and if then hee offer to ducke downe his head you shall then giue him a good chocke both with your brydell and Cauezan After which if hee offer the like againe you shall then giue him a stroake with your spurres one after another but if hee bee of a hot and chollericke nature mad and furious you shall â—hen vpon euerie correction instantlie cherrish him that he may vnderstad you correct him not for going but for some other disorder in his going and this shall not onely detaine him from stryuing against his bridle or running away but also giue him so easie an apprehension of his fault that hee will in verie short space amend it but if hee haue taken such a generall custome of ducking downe his head that euen in his ordinarye trotting or galloping or going he wil stil vse the same you must then leaue exercising him in any lesson whatsoeuer and onely pace or trott him fairely foorth right neuer giuing him the least taste or feeling of any correction til he ducke downe his head in the very motion wherof giue him the euen stroke with both your spurres a good chocke in the mouth with your brydle hand that he may vnderstand his fault proceedeth from his mouth which done pace him fairely forward againe and as oft as he shall offend vse this correction and feare not but within three or foure daies hee will be sufficently reclaimed Many other corrections I haue seene for this fault of much more cruelty but they haue neuer tasted well in mine experiences as for example I haue seene some that for this fault haue made the Kurbe of their bytt al of one peece of yron and the one end thereof fastned within the mouth of the bytt then haue they had that parte which lay without vppon the lip all full of sharpe prickes which when the horse hath offered to thrust downe his head by drawing or holding the reynes in one constant fashion the prickes haue run into his chaps by the sence of which torment the horse
obserue that by no meanes at the first byttting of a Horse you drawe your bytt râ—shlye or suddainely for that is the first occasion which makes a Horse thrust out his nose and rebell against the bytt but taking leasure and drawing the reynes gently giues him such a knowledge that hee will yeeld and follow the bytt which once vsed he will neuer after contend Now for the Cauezan you shal obserue that if your horse be of hard head and short neck so that he presses hangs vpoÌ„ this Cauezan of one peecc which is of all the gentlest you shal then instead therof vse the wrythen cauezan consisting of two peeces which binding somewhat straiter is of so much the more force in punishing and breedes a quicker obedience But if your horse haue been before time in some ignorant hors-mans haÌ„d who for want of art to vse gentil Cauezans hath so dulde and hardned your horses head that neither of these Cauezans will preuaile nor bring lightnesse to your horses head then in such extreamitie you may vse the other Cauezan consisting of two peeces with sharpe teeth or that which is of three peeces so you haue this diligent care that by no meanes you either fridge haire or take any skinne from the horses face which is a fault both disgracefull to the horse and man to the horse as taking away the beauty of his countenance and to the man in shewing the hard rudenesse of his hand without either moderation or temper The Chaine with teeth and the Chaine with teeth and ringes toothed are both more shaâ—he then the former Cauezans and may where the rider hath so lady-soft a hand as not to bruse or wound be vsed in case of great extremitie and not otherwise Now some that happily looke not into the true method of my precepts may taske me of some opposititions or contrarieties in my writings because in the second Chapter of this booke I there discommended all these sharpe Cauezans and yet in this Chapter doe after a certaine sort allow them but they must carrie in their memories these considerations that I discommended them vtterly as the first instruments or sternes wherwith to gouerne a Colt at his first backing without any other assistance and I allow them after a horse is readie in euerie lesson fit for seruice in the warres for the making him firme steddie and perfite vpon his bytt or where ignorance and a rude hand hath done hurt there with art and cunning to amend those faults with the helpe of these instruments Nowe when you haue vpon the smooth Cannon and Cauezan made your horse perfite and readie in all the lessons which are formerly taught so that hee will doe them with a good grace and a free spirit you shall then lay away the Cauezan and in steade thereof ride him with a smooth Cannon and a flying Trench according to the figure in the fourth Chapter putting to the rings of the flying Trench a paire of false reynes answerable to the perfite reynes of the Bridle the carriage of which reynes are also shewed in the same chapter and keeping the proportion of the châ—ek as before Vpon this bytt and with these false reynes you shall practise your horse both in large rings strait turns and all other lessons which are formerly taught in the selfe same maner as you did with the Cannon and Cauezan vsing the same helpes corrections and obseruations which you did in the vse of the Trench Musroll Martingall till your horse be so perfit that a curious eie shall not iudge he hath any other helpe in his motions then onely your imagination which lesse then two moneths will fully compleate and perfite At which time if your horse bee of full strength spirite and nimblenesse proceede to the other lessons which are ayres and saults aboue ground and though not fully so necessarie as the former for seruice in the warres yet are they such as not without profite may bee practised in those places And for the pleasure of Princes and health of a mans bodie are hoth delightfull and commodious CHAP. 21. Of bounding aloft and the manner thereof WHen you haue made your horse perfite in all the lessons before taught if then you finde in him a naturall iuclination to lightnesse and a spirit both apt to apprehend and execute any sault aboue ground as hauing both good limbs a cleane strength The next lesson you shall teach him shall be to bound or rise aboue ground with all his foure feeâ— euen and iust together carrying his heade in a iust and due place without loosing his reyne and gathering his bodie round and close together rising falling againe in one and the selfe same place which manner of bounding aloft is fittest and easiest to bee taught at such place as you stoppe your horse as thus for example When you haue trotted your horse a dozen or twentie yeards forward in a sandy way you shall there make him stoppe and aduaunce at least twise together obseruing euer that at his second aduauncing you giue him the euen stroake of both your spurres together close by the hindmost gyrth at which if at first he onely but shewe amazement or aduaunce higher as not yet vnderstanding your meaning you shall then trott him as farre forwarde againe and there as you did before at his seconde aduauncement giue him the euen stroake of your spurres a little harder then you did before at which if hee rise not you shall then not onely spurre him againe but also giue him a good iert with your rodde vnder his bellie which putting him into a little more amazement forth-with troâ—tforwarde againe and as you did the seconde time doe so nowe the thirde time onely forbeare your rodde as much as is possible because the correction thereof tendes to another purpose and it is your spurres which shoulde onely raise your Horse vppon all foure When you haue done thus three times togither doe it the fourth fift and sixt time eâ—etic time increasing your correction till hecraise all his foure feete from the grounde which when so euer hee dooth or howe euill fauouredlye soeuer hee dooth yet notwithstanding cherish him exceedingly and bee assured that in twise or thrise bounding hee will amende what fault soeuer was in his first beginning and surely except hee bee a verie dull Iade and so not fitte for such practise you shall not giue him this helpe of your spurre twice before hee will bounde from the grounde vppon all foure There be some Authors that would haue a horse to doe this bound or leape with the helpe of the calues of your legges and not with the spurres saying that the calues of the legges will make a horse rise higher then the spurres but the reason is neither good nor the practise to bee allowed For if you make your horse bound with the helpe of the calues of your legges then you make that helpe vselesse for all other purposes so that
him when hee doth as you would desire which obseruation will so fortefie him that through delight and feare hee will wholy frame his actions and motions according to your will and arte in ryding 〈◊〉 Now when you haue thus by hourely and incessant labour brought your horse by little and little as from one step to two from two to three and from three to foure to such perfitnesse that hee will amble some twelue or twentie score yardes vpon plaine ground well and truely then you shall onely by exercise and riding him euery day more and more and putting him euerie day to groundes of more incertainty and roughnes In the end make him so cunning and perfit that no ground or hie way will bee too difficult for him to treade vpon and truely thus much I must say for Ambling that as it is a motion of all motions moste easie to be taught vnto any horse so it is the hardest of all other lessons to be confirmed and made of continuance in any horse whatsoeuer except there bee a certaine naturall inelynation in the horse setled adicted to the pace of ambling before the beginning of your labour wheÌ„ce it comes that many of our horse amblers wil make any horse amble for a small road or the length of a faire or market yet when he comes to incertaine waies or long iourneyes then he is as farre to seeke in his easie pace as if he had neuer beene taught the motioÌ„ wherfore mine aduice is wheÌ„ you haue brought your horse thus from his gallop to strike an amble which euen nature it selfe driues him into that you bee not too hastye either to put him vnto foule ruttie or rough waies or by iourneying to ouer toile him in that he hath but newly learnt till by former exercise and increasing by degrees you finde him both apt able to performe as much as you shal put vnto him This method of teaching I haue seene pursued by sundrie of this profession and haue heard many arguments in defence of it against other manner of instructions but for mine owne part I thinke of it as I thinke of the former that the toile is vnorderlye the vnderstanding thereof thrust into a horse barbarouslye and the good effects which it should worke are both in certaine and void of continuance it doth as the method before described doth that is marre the horses mouth disorder his reyne takes from him all the beauties of a good countenance it puts a Horse in great danger of ouer-reaching and striking one foote vpon another from whence many times comes Quitter-bones Crowne-scabbes and such like sorances which are euer to be auoided where there is a better way to compasse that which we labour for To this manner of teaching horses to amble I may verie well ioyne another which many yeares agone I sawe practised by a Scottish Ryder whome then in my first beginning I had heard great coÌ„mendations of for this art so that wheÌ„ I fouÌ„d him curious to shoe me hisskil I haue watchd and dogd him in priuate to take notes from his riding and I found his order to make a horse amble was first to ride his horse into some deepe new plowde field and there to galloppe him vp and downe till the horse for want of winde was not able to galloppe any longer then eo giue him breath and so to galloppe him againe til he found the horse grow faint then to bring him from the lands and in some euen faire way to put him to amble by the straitning his bridle hand holding vp his head aloft so that the horse might not well see the way before him The wearinesse he had formerly brought the horse vnto vpon the deepe lands would make him vnwilling to trot the straytning of his head putting â—im forward with his spurs would thrust him faster forward then footepace and the want of seeing his way would make him take vp his forefeete in such a fashion that hee could well vndertake no pace but ambling this I haue seene him doe twice and sometimes thrice a day so that what horse soeuer he began with all in the morning hee would euer make amble before night by which meanes he got much fame and wealth but for mine owne part although I know there is nothing bringes a horse sooner to amble then wearinesse and ouer-riding yet that it should be my practise to instruct horses by such a rule I cannot but infinitelie dislike it and it needes no further discommendations then the bare title it moste properlie beares which is to make horses amble by ouer riding them and surely I thinke it was first found out either by some chollericke person who seeking to make his horse amble by one of the former rules and finding him not at the first dash to answere his expextation hath presentlie out of his furie falne to spurre and galloppe him whilst hee could stand and so almost tyring his horse hath vpon his wearines as all horses are found him a great deale more willing to amble or else it hath proceeded from such a one who riding some long iourney vpon a trotting horse in hard waies hath when the horse was wearie as it is the propertie of all horses found him of his owne accord alter his pace and fall to plaine ambling but whosoeuer or how soeuer it is or was found out for mine owne part I cannot either commend or giue alowance vnto it onely for your satisfaction deliuer the maner thereof that when your own desire shal take from you the beleefe of reason you may then out of your owne experience either allow or disalow what heerein hath beene dylated vnto you And thus much for this kinde of ambling which procedes from the worst violence CHAP. 5. How to make horses to amble by the vse of waights NOt farre different in nature though much more temperate in qualitie is this manner of teaching horses to amble by the vse of poise or waight for albe it doe not wearie a horse in bodilye labour yet it wekens makes feeble his meÌ„bers by suffering an extremitie greater then his strength is able to contend with for if his burtheÌ„ be kept within the ability of his power then it workes no new thing but keepes him still in the state of his first creation whence it comes to passe that if you will make a horse amble by waight either that weight must exceede in massines or troublesomnesse or else no more preuaile then if such weight were not vsed at all This manner of ambling is verie generally vsed in this kingdome by sundrie professors yet not all of one fashion but according to the humors or inuentions so the manner thereof doth alter for I haue seene one horseman bring his horse to amble by waight after this manner he hath first caused to bee cast in the fashion and compasse of a pasterne greate rowles or wreathes of leade of the weight of some sixe
which purpose each is best and for the breeders commoditie 4 Of the choice of Stallions and Mares the knowledge of their age by diuers obseruations and of the shapes 5 How and at what time of the yeare horses and Mares should ingender signes of a Mares desire how many Mares for one Stallion and how long hee shal continew with them 6 Of couering Mares in the house the dyeting of the Stallion the time of the day for the act and to know when she hath conceiued 7 That Mares may bee made to conceiue either horse-foales or Mare-foales at pleasure and of what colour the breeder will 8 If Mares should before'd to take the Horse and how to moue lust in horse and Mare and how to abate it 9 Which Mares should be couered which not which shall not goe barraine 10 The vse of Mares when they are with foale and of the casting of Foales 11 Helpe for a mare that is in danger in foaling other secrets 12 How to make a Mare cast her foale 13 The vse of mares when they haue foaled of the suckking of foales and other helpes 14 The knowledge of a Horses shape and how it is to be knowne when he is new foaled 15 How horse-foales and Mare-foales grow and how to knowe the continuance of their goodnes 16 Of the weaning of Colts of their ordering and seperating according to their ages 17 Of the gelding of Colts and Horses the cause the age the time of the yeare and manner 18 When and at what age to take vp Colts for the saddle and of the first vse and haltring 19 Of the cutting of Colts mouthes or tongues and of the drawing of teeth to help the byt to lie in his true place 20 Of the seperating of bad colts and mares from the good and which shall maintaine the race still The Table of the second Booke Chapters 1 OF the natures dispositions of horses how they are to be knowne by the collours of the horses other especiall markes 2 The vse and benefit of the Chaine Cauezan Head-straine Musrole and Martingale 3 Howe to make a colt gentle how to bring him to the blocke and of the first bridle and Saddle 4 Of helpes and corrections and of the vses and seueral kindes thereof 5 How to correct a horse that beareth his head or necke awrye and of all vices belonging to the head 6 How to correct a horse that doth ouer-reach or strike one foote vpon another 7 How to correct the euil motions in a horse which are shewed by the carriage of his head or eares or other outward signes 8 Corrections against restifenes and the seuerall kindes thereof 9 How to correct a horse that runneth away and the cause of such euill 10 How to corect a horse that will reare vpright or come ouer with his ryder 11 How to correct a horse that will lye downe in the water as he passeth thorow 12 How to correct a horse that is skittish and fearefull and findeth many boggards 13 How to correct a horse that is dull of spirit and slouenly in his trott 14 Of the treading of the large rings and their vse 15 Of stopping retiring aduancing and the vses 16 Of yarking behind and the vse 17 Of turning vpon both handes and the seuerall kinds of turnes 18 Of managing and the seuerall kindes 19 Of the passing of a Carrier 20 When and how to bytt horses and to make the heade constant 21 Of bounding aloft and the manner thereof 22 Of the Coruet Capriole gallop galliard and of going sidelong 23 Of running at the ring and the vse of the Launce 24 Of the teaching of young schollers and the ryding of a ridden horse to the best shew The Table of the third Booke Chapters 1 OF hunting horses in generall and of their chases 2 The chusing of the hunting horse of his shape 3 At what age horses should hunt of their first taking from grasse and of their housing 4 Of the first fortnights diet exercising and dressing 5 Of the ayring of hunting horses 6 The second fortnights diet and first hunting 7 Of hunting bread both ordinarie as for trayning of horses and extraordinarie for matches 8 Of all manner of purgations or scowrings that are fit for hunting horses and of their natures 9 The third fortnights diet and of sweating 10 Why horses should haue their sweates after the dogs and of their cloathing 11 Of making a hunting match the obseruations and aduauntages 12 The dietting of a hunting horse for a match 13 Of the ryding of a match and of the aduauntages in ryding 14 The Triers office and the aduantages he must obserue 51 The office of the Groome and helpes in rubbing of hunting horses The Table of the fourth Booke Chapters 1 OF ambling ingenerall and of the vse commoditie 2 Why foales amble from their dammes and how to make them amble if they doe not 3 How to teach a horse to amble by the helpe of a newe plowed field and the faults therein 4 Of making a horse amble from his gallop or by ouer-ryding 5 How to make horses amble by vse of weight 6 Of making a horse amble out of hand 7 Of making horses to amble with the help of the hand onely 8 Of making horses to amble by the help of shoes only 9 Of teaching horses to amble by the vse of the tramell The Table of the fift Booke Chapters 1 HOw a stable shal be made the seat and commodities 2 Of a trauelling horses meate and the seuerall kindes and vses 3 Of the seuerall kindes of waters which is best and which is worst 4 Of the dressing combing and currying of horses and of their diet in the time of rest 5 Of a horses labour or exercise and how he shall be ordered when he is iourneyed 6 Of sleeping waking fulnesse and emptinesse 7 Of the soile or scowring horses with grasie and of other foode 8 Of the passions which are in horses the loue which keepers should beare vnto them 9 The office of the Coachman and obseruations for his place The Table for the sixt Booke Chapters 1 OF running horses ingenerall and their choyce 2 How running horses shall bee first trayned vp and of their diet 3 Of the making of a match and the obseruations 4 Of the seuerall kindes of ayrings and foodes belonging to a running horse 5 Of he seuerall kindes of sweates and of their vses 6 Of the ordering and dieting a running horse for match or wager 7 Obseruations to bee vsed and inconueniences which happen during the dietting of running horses 8 Certaine helpes and rules for the ryder and howe hee shall runne his match to the best aduanntage 9 The office of the Sadler the shapes of his best commodities 10 The office of the Smith touching the shoing of horses The Table of the seuenth Booke Chapters 1 OF the composition of horses and the qualitie of the things they are compounded of 2 Of the
beget a swift beast But if you would breede onelie a tough hunting Horse there is none better as by daylie experience we finde then the fayre bred English Horse and the English Mare but if you would breede easie ambling Horses for trauell and the vse of Iourneying there is none better then the Turke or Irish Hobbie so they be mixed with either English ambling Mares or bastard Mares of their owne cuntrie that likewise amble perfectlie I haue seene many ambling Horses bredde from Ienets of Spaine yet by reason of his slendernesse of limbes and length of pasternes I esteemed him not altogether so good as the two former Now lastlye if you would breede Horses for the draught as eyther for Coach or Cart or Horses for the portage of great burthens as eyther for Sumpter or Packe man the Flaunders Friesland or Almaine Horse are your best stallyons the Flaunders or Friesland for the Coach or Cart and the Almaine for the burthen and for eyther of these purposes the Mares are in all parts as seruiceable as the Horses according to our present experience in England at this instant Now you are to vnderstand that as all these Horses in their seuerall fore named vses are most best so likewise their colts thus begotteÌ„ which of some Horse-men is called bastardie are likewise excellent Stallyons For mine owne part I wold to chuse breede sooner of a Bastard Courser bastard Ienet Turke or Barbary then of the naturall Horse of the owne countrie and my reason is by their mixture with our Mares all the imperfections of their owne Countries are amended as in the Courser his length of head and want of crest which many times is imperfect In the Ienet his weakenes of ioyntes and in the Turke and Barbarie their slendernes of limbes the Flaunders and Friesland which are so extreame rough and hayrie about their pasterns that the best keepers cannot preserue them from scratches paines and Mallanders are by mixture with our Mares brought to a cleane race of sufficient tollerable limbes so as they neede not be kept but will keepe themselues from sorâ—ances they also by mixing with our Mares haue their heads much amended their hoofes infinitely much better hardned which of all the partes of those countrie horses is the worst of least indurance all which me thinks when a perfect iudgement shall take into his consideration it shall appeare great honor to our nation and much shame to them who haue wrongd it with former misreportings and thus much for the mixing of races CHAP. 4. Of the choyce of Stallions and Mares the knowledge of their ages by diuers obseruations and of their shapes FOr as much as euery thing is made moste perfect sufficient and of longest continuanee by the strength and surety of his first ground work or foundation which indeede is the chiefe maister-peece of all that growes froÌ„ that beginning I therfore aduise al those worthy ones who wil be the breeders of the best Horses to haue an especiall care to the first choice creatioÌ„ of their studd sith if in the beginning there be either insufficieÌ„cie or blemish it is most likely such staines will by continuance grow to bee more more vilde vgly in this circuÌ„spection there is nothing of more importance then the well chusing of your Stallyons and Mares sith they are the liuing bodies from whence you are to deriue both your delight and profit he therefore that will chuse a perfect Stallion saith one writer must respect his beautie goodnes and age Another saith shape colour merrit and beautie which indeede is all one with the former and I holde them principall obseruations but I would likewise haue added vnto them his descent and generation for albe a Clowne may beget a beautifull Son yet shall he neuer begette an Heroyâ—call spirrit but it will euer haue some touch of basenesse and an ill bred Horse may beget a Colt which may haue saire colour shape which we cal beauty Toughnes which we cal goodnes youth which is few yeares yet stil his inward parts may retaine a secret vildnes of disposition which may be insufferable in breeding Now for his beauty which only is coÌ„tained in his colour shape al be I haue in the next book writ sufficieÌ„tly touching theÌ„ too yet I wil here a little glaunce at them by coÌ„paring with theÌ„ the opinions of some other writers First for the opinioÌ„ of Gesner which mearely is no good opinioÌ„ at al in horse-maÌ„ship but a collection of idle tales hee saies the best colours are bay white carnatioÌ„ golden russet mouse colour fleabitteÌ„ pide black pale pide blew gray had he put in also oreÌ„gtawny willow colour such like al the world could not haue gone beyoÌ„d him neither shold the Spaniards nor Italians haue need to haue dyed their horses maines tailes if horses could haue bin bred of such colors But to let passe such friuolous notes the best colour for a stallioÌ„ is browne bay dapled daple gray bright bay or white lyard the roane the pure black with white starre white foote or white rach or the black bay which hath neither mealy mouth norred flank is also sufferable A stallioÌ„ wold be al of one colour yet not according to the opinion of Gesner his main body of one colour for that is most vilde for a bright bay horse would haue a black mayne taile black out partes as the tips of his eares legs such like a dapple gray would haue white mayne taile so foorth of the rest but I would not haue a pide stallion except it be for him who esteeming more the straÌ„genes of colours theÌ„ the goodnesse of horses places his delight in motleye generations to such an one a pide Stallion is best and of pides the blacke and white bright bay white are most choice not blew carnatioÌ„ or goldeÌ„ pide For his shape in general I refer you to the next book where I haue not as I hope omitted the least tittle in preportions onely for some particular things which are to be most respected in a stallioÌ„ then in any other horse I wil giue my opinion First for his head it must be leane sleÌ„der smal about his mussell at the setting on of his head to his necke you must haue an especiall regard that his necke swell not vp about his chaules or that the kirnells which run betwixt his necke and his chaule bee thicke or big for it is a great signe of sloath and thicknesse of winde which is a great fault in the Stallion especiallye if his maister expect to breede froÌ„ him either running horse hunting horse or good traueller neither must hee haue wall eyes or white spects in his eyes you must haue care that your stallions yarde be al of one colour not pide or spotted for what stallioÌ„ hath such a falr begetteth weake foales or for the most part of flegmatick
inioyed both because al her powers organs and instruments of strength haue then a contrarie imployment and also because nature in foale-bearing looseth the pride and luster of her greatnes Againe if you preserue your Mare for beautie and eye-pleasure the bearing of foales vtterly taketh away that delight because the wombe being stretcht out the vdder broken and the full parts falne there is little more then the head limbs which a man caÌ„ call beautiful he therefore then which hath eyther swift mare or beautifull mare which is vnworthylie couered if he would disburden her of that euill burthen there is no course but to make her cast her Foale which although some writers holde may be doone two waies that is either by strength of hand or vse of medicine yet for mine owne part for that handy course I vtterly dislike it both for as much as I know it can neuer be done but to the great hazard of the mares life also because I haue seene some mares die in the deed dooing for that which is to bee done by hand is not to bee doone tyll the Foale be so great that it haue hayre at what time they cause one to thrust his hand into the wombe of the mare and to crush the head of the foale how monrous immodest vnnatural this is who caÌ„not Iudge but for the medieinable course it is lesse dangerous by all degrees more tollerable Yet for as much as I haue euer vsed such experymeÌ„ts but in extreamity and that the medicines are all in other mens records I will for modestie sake referre them to their writings and at his instant saue my selfe a labour in repetition aduising all Horse breeders and Horsemen whatsoeuer rather to indure the inconuenience of mischances then the mischiele of these subtile knowledges CHAP. 13. The vse of Mares when they haue foaled of the sucking of Foales and of other helpes and vses IT is to be intended that according to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are prescribed in the first chapter of this booke all your 〈◊〉 hold be in that grouÌ„d which being plamâ— and most voide of water furrowes ditches and such like is the safest from danger in foaling but when your mares haue al foaled if then you haue any fresh and vâ—bitten ground which not being racke deepe nor soft but sweete grasse short bit and hard to tread on with good shelter and fresh water it shall be good to put your race mares and their foals therin to the end that their milk may spring that your foales may come to a fulnesse of strength beautie and courage in which albe some Authors giue aduice â—o chase and rechase your mares vp and downe the ground at certain times as the best meanes to bring the mares milke into her Vdder yet I am of a contrary opinion knowing this by due proofe that such exercise doth rather hurt then good because whatsoeuer is don vnwillingly is done with paine that painfulnes takes away the sence of profite as for bringing downe the milke that the foale it selfe euer doth whom as hee sucks you shal euer see with his nose and head to iump and strike against the Vdder of the mare which is to no other purpose but to break the kernels of the mares Vdder and to haue the milke haue its passage so that to conclude I would haue your mares run with al the quietnesse that may be knowing this principle that all horses and mares which are either in lust or strength will out of their owne natures either against raine wind or stormes run chase and scope about the grouÌ„d where they pasture so that where nature is so good a helpe constraint need to be of little vse Now for the sucking of foales although one man writes that all Authors do agree that foals should suck two yeres at least nay that after the Spanish manner they shold suck til they couer their dams I for my part as I thinke all good English breeders are of a contrarie opinioÌ„ for how euer in the daies of Plinie Aristotle or Anatolius two years might be thought litle inough yet in these our dayes we find it ful one year too much wherefore leauing the variable opinions of sundrie men I coÌ„clude that in the races of Princes Noblemen and Gentlemen for a foale to sucke a yeare complete that is from his owne foaling till his dam foale againe is a time full out sufficient but for the husbandman who may not loose the worke and labor of his mare it shall bee sufficient for him if his foale sucke but full sixe Moneths complete and howe euer some men haue written that Foales sucking so small a time must necessarylie want much of their inward pythe strength and healthfulnes yet by proofe I knowe it doth not generally hould so and for mine owne part I could almost giue consent to the wayning of all foales at sixe and seauen monthes were it not for the greate danger of the Gargill and maw-worme which vnto foales wayned so young are diseases both incydent common so that in conclusion I would haue those which are of abilitie to let their foales sucke a yeare no more For those which want means to make their hazard at sixe monthes and vpward For the housing of foales at their first foaling which is the opinion of Varro and some others I am vtterly against it because as I haue formerly written the perfect Horse must euer in one yeare haue the taste of two winters and therefore in Gods name let your Foale taste the worst of winters farewell Now for the exercysing of your Foales to eate prouender after they be fiue or sixe monthes old which is likewise the opinion of Varro it is exceeding good and nothing more necessary but that the prouender shold bee either ground Barly or dride Barley and wheate branne mingled together That might in those countries wherein he was experyenst be tolerable because peraduenture there was no other choice but with vs heere in England where we haue so many choices of good foodes that foode is of all other the vildest and worst both because it affordeth the worst nutryment and also both Barly and wheat bran are of a hot burning nature ingendering hot feauers and other drye diseases The prouender best for foales then is olde Oates in the sheafe the ouer chaueing of wheate garbadge which is wheate eares and the straw chopt altogether and now and then barly in the chaffe or if your foales grow drie in their bodies and costiue then now then a sheafe of Rie amongst them This maner of feeding will not onely make them acquainted with the seuerall taste vse of meates but also breed such familiaritie betwixt them and their keepers that they wil be much more domesticall and tame then otherwise they would be which is a great benefite both to the breeder and also to him which shall be the rider but in any wise let not their keepers handle or
they will especially if they be aboue sixe months olde when they are gelt such swellings doe euer beginne fiue daies after the gelding you shall then notwithstanding someof our English writers giue precepts to the contrarie cause those Foales which doe swell to be chafed vp and downe an houre together both morning and euening till the swelling cease which it will doe in lesse then a weekes space holding this obseruation that if the foale be aboue a yeare olde when it is gelt then the more it rotteth the better and safer is the cure Now as you may geld foales so you may also gelde elder Horses nay horses of almost any age that with great safenes also as I haue diuers times approued in mine own experience without the vse or help of any oâ—er instrument or medicine then such as in those cases â—re vsd about foales Lastlye touching the manner and way to gelde foales or horses all be there bee sundry practises yet there is but one sure and perfit methodde Some there are which wil take eight or ten stroÌ„g horse â—ayres knit them fast strait about the horses cods â—oue his stones so with the continuaÌ„ce eating of â—e haires make the colts stones to rot fal away but â—is fashion of gelding I do vtterly dislike for it is both 〈◊〉 daÌ„ger to mortifie the meÌ„ber bring it to Gangeran which is deadly without cure also it is so paineful â—at neither horse nor foale can indure it without the â—azard of madnes Others vse after they haue slit the â—od takeÌ„ out the stone to cut the stone away only â—o melt a little yellow wax vpoÌ„ the roote of the strings so to anoynt the cod with fresh butter and let the â—orse or colt goe but that is not so good neither because vpon such a cure a flux of blood may followe which may kil either horse or foale The only perfit certaine way therfore to geld either foale or horse is after you haue slit the cod and taken our the stone betweene a paire of nippers made of wood for the purpose theÌ„ with a sharpe knife to cut away the stone then with a hot calteryzing yron to seare the cords strings of the stone then to melt vpon them waxe Deare-suet and Venice Turpentine made together in a plaister then to fill the inside of the cod with salte and to annoint the outside of the cod the horses sheath and all betweene his thigh his bodie with fresh butter and so to loose him and put him into a close house â—or three or foure daies if it bee a Foale or Horse of age but if it sucke vpon the Dam then turne it to the Dam the danger of the cure is past And thus much for the gelding of Horses or Foales CHAP. 18. When and at what age to take vp Colts for the Saddle and of their first vse and haltering TOuching the taking vp of Colts that they may be broke and come to the vse of the Saddle there bee sundrie opinions according to mens seuerall experiences yet there is but one most substantiall allbe the rest haue their groundes of probabilitie and reason for if when you take vp your Colt that you may make him for the vse of the Saddle you also determine at the same time to put him either to trauell vpon the high way or to the exercise of any vyolent lessons as galloping the large Ringes passing a Careyre or managing either in straite or large turnes then I say to take vp your Colte at foure yeares olde and the vantage is full soone enough or rather with the soonest but if according to the rule of good Horsemanship you intend when you take your Colt vp first onely to make him but acquainted with the saddle Stirrops garthes crooper brydle watering trench musrole martingale other such necessarie implements as are needeful in those cases And that for the Ryder the Horse shall the first Winter but only learn to know his waight in what manner to receiue him how to goe or walke vndet him and with what quietnesse to part from him making all his exercises recreations and benefites and not labors or seruices In this â—ase and with a firme resolution thus to order your â—orse you shall then take him vp at three yeares olde â—nd the vauntage which is at three yeares old and as â—uch as between the time of his foaling and the midst â—f October but if you shal faile in this course either â—ut of indiscretion or furie or finding your horses aptnesse to preceed your imagination put him to any violence or extremitie you shall not onely indanger the Swaying of his backe and the dulling of his better spirits but his ioynts being tender and vnknit make him â—ut forth wingals and bonie excressions which are splents spauens curbs and ringbones or such like wherefore the onely thing I can aduise any horseman â—nto in the whole worke of horsmanship is vnto temperance and patience especially in the beginning because the choysest time for taking vp of Colts to the saddle is in my conceite at three yeares olde and the â—antage chiefly if they bee Neapolitans Ienets Turkes â—r Barbaries and keeping the obseruations before prescribed For if horses of their breede and spirit shal run wilde and vntamed without either acquaintance with â—e man or the furniture needfull in riding till they bee â—oure or fiue yeares olde they wil be of that stubbornnesse furie disobedience that they will not only put â—e ryder to a three-fold greater trouble then the other which are but three yeares olde and vauntage but also â—pon the least contention or crossing of their natures â—ter into restise dogged rebellious qualities which 〈◊〉 reclaime asks as great labor industry as to bring a horse of good qualitie to his best perfection Againe if a man will but measure time by an euen proportion if a horse be foure yeares olde and the vauntage ere he be haltered he must of necessitie be full fiue ere he bee reclaimed from his wildnesse made familiar with the man brought to be shod to take the saddle with patience then before he be made to receue the man to haue his heade well placed and his raine right fashioned before he will trot foorth-right in a comely order change turnes on both handes trot and gallop both large and strait rings and performe other ground manages he must needes bee full sixe yeares olde Then before hee come to the vse and perfectnesse of the bytt or to perform those saults and manages aboue ground which are both delightfull to the beholders and wholsome for the health of such as haue them in practise he will accomplish full the age of seuen so that more then halfe of the horses life shall be spent in precept and instruction whereas beginning at three yeares olde and the vauntage a horse out of his youth and ignorance will
could not chuse but at the first make the horse beare much more tenderly then with the close byt for what throgh the extream galling the horse vpon the roofe of the mouth or the bars and what through the pressing the tongue with the two sharpe corners of the neather ende of the Port albee the libertie of the tongue is all the reason men haue for these kind of bytts it did bewitch men with an imagination of some profite yet in the ende of the worke I neuer sawe it turne to any thing but disorder to these Portes were added by the Italians another mouth in steade of them much worse then they which are called vpset mouthes for they haue both sharpe corners aboue and belowe and carrying an euen breadth in the vpper part consisting of many foldings and peeces hurt not onely in one place but generally ouer all the mouth I haue seene both of these portes and vpser mouthes which to make them more cruel haue had in the tops of them high wheeles sometimes filed rough somtimes made like a spurre rowell bigger then in the Bastonet byt which hath made me admire how men for pittie could bee so tyrannous when the greatest fault in a horse is the soonest reclaimed with gentlenes others to these vpset mouthes haue added from the eye of the byt to the outside of the vpset a stâ—g â—nch which makes euerie crueltie in the byt grea◠〈◊〉 â—of it owne nature The fashion of which vpsetâ— for youâ— satisfaction you shall behold in these figures The 〈◊〉 mouth The vpset mouth and trench Both these ports and Vpset mouthes haue receiued alowance both from Grison and diuers other ancient Italian ryders and likewise in these daies not onely passe vnder the authoritie of La Broue but euen in our best nurceries or stables of England we shal see of theÌ„ put in vse dayly whence of necessitye it must come to passe that I shall bee infinetlie condemned so peremptorily to condemne that which so generally is allowed to which I must answere as our great Lawyers doe which holde contrarie opinion in manie cases how euer otherwise censured in the daies of their forefathers and I must say what euer other ryders haue done I haue found these bytts naught in my practise But they will say that was either mine abuse in prepounding false shapes or my mis-use in wanâ— of knowledge to both these allegations I will make no answer onely to show the euâ—nes of these mouthes I will propound my reasons First all the arguments of goodnes that Grison or any other can giue for them is the libertie of the tongue which absolutely I deny the port doth if it be made in his iust coÌ„pas for the two nether ends almost meeting together euen presse down the tongue hard to the chaule with more sharpnesse then any other bytt except you will haue a horses tongue to be no bigger then a mans finger but say you will not allow it that straitnesse but that the port shall be much wider I say if it be so wide as to giue libertie to the whole tongue the bytt shall then consist of little or no mouth but the porte onely which all Horsemen knowe would be an vnpleasant bytt Besides this all Horsemen knowe that the too greate libertie of the Horses tongue is the first occasion of a horses drawing vp his tongue seeking to swallow the bytt striuing to put his tong ouer the bytt such like wherefore it is not good too giue the tonge to great libertie But conclude they had this one vertue what were it to the many vices which follow first they gaule a horses bars make theÌ„ insensible they force a horse to gape the outward part of the bytt doth presse so sore vppon the horses chap that they either burse it or breede in it a nuÌ„nes which taketh away al feeling whence springeth incoÌ„stancy of head rebellioÌ„ flat running away But you wil answere me with Grison that these ports should not be so hie as to touch the roofe of the mouth theÌ„ not to accasioÌ„ gaping theÌ„ I say they cannot be ports at al nor carry any more compasse then the close bytt whose plights I wil staÌ„d to it whensoeuer the cheek of the byt is drawn inward do coÌ„tinually touch the bats to conclude there was neuer that horse made or corrected with these open mouthes I meane ports vpsets but may bee better made better corrected with one of the close byts before specified Some paraduenture wil aske me what can the ancient Italian riders err in their inuentioÌ„s O no men more grosely witnesse Prospero his schoolemaisters Besides I knew a Gentleman of great practise who being wholy brought vp in Italy to the art of ryding was mearely opposite to â—l Chaines Cauezans Snafles TreÌ„ches false reines only wold make his horse froÌ„ the first hower of his backing with the byt hauing byts of so many seuerall fashions as there be falts or disorders in a horse to his bytts I haue seene such rings mounted one aboue another that a Germain clocke hath not consisted of more confused peeces this GentlemaÌ„ did I neuer see bring forth an absolute perfect horse But for run awaies madde Iades I haue known him haue seauen or eight in his charge at an instant But now leauing the praise dispraise of these bytts to your experience in practise I will proceed to the cheekes of bytts their proportions First albe there be many fashions in vse sundrie figures set forth by La Broue some others yet I will only recoÌ„mend vnto you but three the first is a straight cheeke which indeed is the first cheek I would haue a Colt weare for it putteth vp the horses head giues him sence of the Kurbe breedes a constancy in the carryage of his fore parts the second is the broken châ—ek which is to be vsed wlth the flying Trench and when you lay aside your Chaine or CauezaÌ„ this cheeke as it holdeth vp the necke so it bringeth in the moosell and boweth the crest to the best fashioÌ„ of the reine the third is the perfect or trauelling cheeke which is to be vsed when a horse is at his ful perfectioÌ„ made complet so as he is either for trauel pleasure or seruice this cheeke carying a larger coÌ„passe then either of the other bringeth in the head more then any other giueth a more comely grace both to the horses reyne and the eye of the beholder for t is to be noted that the more coÌ„passe a byt carryeth the more it compasseth bringeth in the horses head the straighter the cheek is the more it putteth vp aduaunceth both the head necke and muzzel Now froÌ„ these three cheeks are deriued diuers other cheeks as the straight cheek broke in two parts sometimes three parts or the coÌ„passe cheek broken in 1. 2. or 3. parts al the breakings made inward contrary to
vniuersitie riding euer digging in a horses sides are the most preposterous motions that can be seene in a horseman and are with vs of too great vse here in England and chiefly with some who take vpon them the skill of instructing others Next this is the helpe of the stirrop and the stirrop leather which how euer it be neglected is yet doubtlesse exceeding good and helpeth a yong horse much ere hee come to knowledge for if by carelesnesse or neglect hee eyther carrie his necke or heade awry if you giue him a good clappe with your stirroppe behinde the foreshoulder on the contrarie side it will correct the fault and put him in remembrance of his lesson Againe if in any gallopping manage turne â—ault or carreire your horse begin to grow idle and doe â—ot pursue his lesson with spirite and agilitie if with â—our feete you doe but ierte out your stirroppes and â—athers stiffely and with a good strength it shall as â—uch auaile to his quickning as if you gaue him the eâ—en stroke with both your spurs and therein it is counâ—ed a great helpe againe those Iertings and thrustings â—orward with your legges stirrops leathers are and â—hould be the first motiues to make a horse go forward â—t his first backing The next helpe and correction is of the spurs which â—urs although some riders haue fixed a limitation or â—refixed time when they shall bee worne or vsed yet â—am of this opinioÌ„ that if he be a horsman which wears â—em can gouern both his body and legs and knowes â—hen to correct when to helpe and when to cherish â—at the spurs are to be worne euen from the first breaâ—ng of a colt for be wel assured that the sooner a horse 〈◊〉 made to knowe the vse and correction of the spurs â—e freer hee shall be from restiuenesse madnesse and other franticke qualities Now to knowe when you shall first correct a horse with the Spurres it must seldome be in the violence or chiefe exercise of any of his first lessons as in trotting the Ring fast or gallopping but rather in the beginning when you teach him to go or trot forwarde for if from the Stable you trot him through some towne where he finde scarres or frights seeming to be fearefull and loath to passe if after you haue violently thrust him forward with your feete stirrop-leathers yet notwithstanding he still stickes it shal then be good for you to giue him the euen stroak of your spurrs and thrust him into a swift trot for some twentie paces and then cherish him Thus you shall vse him at least a doozen times in a day till hee come to both a knowledge tendernesse and feare of the Spurre The Spurre of all other is the seuerest correction and is generally vsed in euery lesson wherein he sheweth extreame dulnesse too much apish wantonnesse too fierce couragiousnes or too dogged restines as shal be more amplie declared both in his lessons the particular corrections of vices it is a helpe in euery Manage salt and ayre aboue ground and makes them be done with more life and quicknesse as likewise shall hereafter be declared Lastly for the helpe or correction of the ground it consisteth in the vse and treading of the Rings for if the horse take not vp his feet nimbly and roundly then it shall be a good helpe for him to bee exercised vppon deepe newe plowed lands but if he be too fierce raging insomuch that he will not trot with any temperance or pacience then you shall correct him by exercising him likewise vppon deepe newe plowed landes whose softnesse and painfull labour will soone bring him to a calme and quiet riding with diuerse other such like helpes and corrections which shall bee more largely spoke of when we come to the horses lessons CHAP. 5. How to correct a horse that beareth his head or necke awry and of all vices belonging to the head DIuers horses partly through the badde complexions and constellation vnder which they are bred partly through the rude and vnskilful handling of most indiscreete Riders are many times cumbred with most foule and vnsufferable disorders such as are oft times difficult euen to the best riders to redresse nature begetting and custome fortifying their euils against the strength of all industrie wherfore that I may as well as I can dâ—rect such as are desirous of knowledge through these darke obscurities they shall vnderstand that faults ingendred by these two euils haue two seueral remedies for if they doe proceed from nature theÌ„ must art correcting the euilnesse of that nature instruct to a better dispositioÌ„ but if they proceede from custome licence to do euill then the liberty taken away the effect therof must needs perish wherfore to my purpose if your horse carry his heade and necke awry you shall first as he trotteth outright strike him with your contrarie spur on the contrarie side withall carry the reine of the bytt on the contrary side somwhat shorter then the other and if at first it auaile not you shall then carrie the calfe of your legge close to the contrarie side and at euerie foure or fiue steps let him feele the euen stroke of that Spurre At the vse of which if you finde he any thing amendeth foorthwith you shall take away your legge and begin to cherish him that knowing his euill he may eschue his euill for horses naturally are like schoole-children vnwilling to do shrewdly chiefly vnder their ryders It is verie good also on the contrarie side to giue him a good stroke with your stirrop neare the shoulder which will make him cast his head the other way to looke at the blow which assoone as he doth ease your bridle hand take away your foot and cherish him The vse of which correction ioyned with your cherishing will in time bring him to the knowledge of his error and when it is once known it is also reclaimed to these former correctioÌ„s wold also be added the correction of the rod vpon the contrary shoulder for to some horses both are little inough to awake their remeÌ„brance to these correctioÌ„s you shal also adde now then a sharp suddeÌ„ twitch or two with the coÌ„trary reine of the cauezan which wil bring him to as suddain an apprehensioÌ„ of that fault as any other correctioÌ„ before shewed euer obseruing vpoÌ„ the lest imagined amends not to forget to cherish him It is good now then also to giue him a twitch or two with the contrary reine of the flying trench which will awaken him if it be but only in a gaze yet it wil make him looke straight which you must carefully watch in the very instant of his straight looking not forget to cherish him But if nature vse haue so incorporated this vice in him that all the corrections auaile not then shall you carry him to his rings if it be so that he carrie his head
hath been reclaimed the reason I confesse is probable enough yet where more lenitie will serue with as little labour lesse cost there I wish rather the forgetfulnes then the vse of these cruelties for mine own part I haue neuer sound the horse which the former corrections would not order bring to a most setled constancie CHAP. 6 How to correct a Horse that doth ouer-reach or strike one foote vppon another OVerreaching is a fault incideÌ„t to yong horses weake horses and euil trotting horses it is also begotten by the vnskilfulnes of the rider when at the first handling hee will thrust the Colt into 〈◊〉 swift a trot as he can possible without respecting the â—orses strength or naturall skill in trotting by meanes â—hereof the Colt striuing to goe beyond his ordinarie â—anner is inforced to ouer-reach and clap his feete one â—on another which in small time growes to an euill â—stome wheeras euery horseman before hee backe a Colt should haue a diligent eye to his naturall pace â—it be comely short theÌ„ he may venture more boldâ—y to enter him into a swift trot which will but make â—im stretch out his legs bring lightnes to his body â—ut if his trot be long and weake then must he by any meanes keep him to a slow trot feeding him with â—is haÌ„d which euen in the instant that it giueth libertie it must restraine it againe bring the horse to a pride in himselfe a shortnesse of pace He must also refuse to â—et a weake or loose trotting horse come vppon deepe â—lowd lands til he haue attained his pace brought it â—o a conuenient shortnes but if it so happen the reason â—ot being to be disputed on that your horse doth ouer-â—each and it is now your office to redresse it you shall first hauing shodd him with shooes extraordinarilye short at the heeles bestowe some three or foure dayes labour in bringing him by the tendernesse and gentill vse of your hand to a soft and slow trot in with slowe trot you shal with the helpe of the calues of your leggs the sound of your voice shake of your rodde ouer his eares and now and then with the euen stroke of both your spurres so quicken and stirre him vp that partly out of courage partly out of feare he may gather vp his feete so thicke and set them downe also so thicke that he may seeme to trot as hee standeth and gayneth no ground which vse will bring him to such a shortnes of treading that within a little space he will cleane forget his ouerreaching and loose long trotting but if he bee of so dull and heauie a disposition that this agilitie quicknesse will not bee forc'd into him then it shall not bee amisse if you digge your large ringes full of stayres and degrees such as you shall see worne by tracke of horses in the foulest winter wayes and for a weeke or there abouts onely exercise him in the same and as hee growes conning in them so to increase the swiftnesse of his pace I haue not approued any correction better then this for this fault To ride your horse in a hard grouÌ„d that is verieful of thistles or amoÌ„gst short gorsse or whinnes is exceeding good both to remedie this euill and to make a horse â—rot loftilie and cleanely for it wil euen make a natural ambler to trot As touching the strowing of your tinges with stones of all sorts thereby to take from him his ouer-reaching I am much against it for there is no reason leades the vse and sure I am there be many euills which pursue it as namely the brusing or tearing of his hoofes the beaâ—ing him vppon the neather Ioyntes which will not onely bring foorth windgalles but also lamenesse and the incertaintie of his foote-holde which to the weakenes of his pace will bring not onely stumbling but also falling And thus much I thinke sufficient for the amendment of of this fault CHAP. 7. How to correct the euill motions in a horse which are shewed by the cariage of his head or eares or other outward signes DIuers horses when they are corrected for any fault and especially with the spurre will shake their heads which is a signe of much malitious doggednesse and desire of reuenge which when you shall perceiue immediately giue him the euen stroake of your spurres and if he double his offence doe you also double your correction not giuing ouer till you haue got the conquest and to that correction mingle two or three good strokes with the bigge end of your rodde vpon his head betweene his eares but if you perceiue that he pricketh forward one of his eares and clappeth the other close to his neck be then moste assured he intendeth some mischiefe as to plunge to byte to strike or to lye downe which to preuent omit not to interrupt him by giuing him a sound stroake on the contrarie side to that eare which hee most mooueth with your spurre and if hee instantlye rayse not both his eares together second that stroake with two or three moe that your correction going beyond his frenzie you may tourne his sullennes into fearefulnes it shall not be amisse if to these former corrections you adde the terrour of your voice by threatning him with a lowde voice and presently vpon his amendment both conuert your corrections to cherrishinges and your threatnings to sweete language Now you are to take this obseruation euer with you which is that you bee sure when hee vseth any of these motions that they doe proceede from the sullennesse and euill habyt of his disposition complexion or ill instruction and not from other second causes as if at the time of the yeare a horse be stung with flyes or a flye chance to get into the horses eares if it bee so that the headstall of the brydle shall hurt him about the top of the head or about the rootes of the eares or if the Saddle shall wring or pinch his backe or if you shall ride so close with your heeles that your spurres tickle him vpon the sides there is not any of these causes but will make a horse shake his head lay downe his eares and showe these frowning countenances of much sullennesse which if at any time you finde doe but remoue the cause and the effect will little or not at all trouble you which if it doe you may soone eyther by thrusting him roundly forward or with the euen strok of your spurres put such to yes out of his remembrance If either in your trauelling marching or consorting amongst other horses your horse shall be so rammege and vuruely that he will not indure their companie but fal a whynning byting striking you shal immediately vppon any of those offers giue him the euen stroke of your spursâ— doubling it so oft as his franticke disposition shall giue occasion to which correctioÌ„ you shall adde the terror of your voice and in great
chearefulnesse for as to horses of great mettal and couragiousnesse all torture extremitie prouocation is to be auoided so to these melanchollye and dull Iades there is nothing to bee done without violence quicknes sodainnesse of voice and helpe of correction prouided alwaies that such motions be euer attended on with such temperatenes that by no meanes they drawe the horse either into amazement or desperation but that hee may knowe that all his punishment dooth proceede from his owne sloath and disobedience And allbe I doe to the reclayming of this dulnesse prescribe you but onelie three daies labours yet you must vnderstand that if euery one of these daies works aske you a weekes worke you must not thinke much or holde your time mis-imployed For mine owne parte I haue beene my selfe three monthes in bringing a horse to spirit and lightnesse and in the end thought it the best part of my labour After your horse will trotte forward freelie with good courage stoppe and retire at your pleasure You shall then for a weeke or tenne daies onelieâ— exercise him in trotting forward or round about some greate heathe plaine or greene fiâ—lde first a mile then two mile after three mile not stopping him aboue once in a mile or a mile and a halfe by this exercise continuall labour at least once in a day or not aboue twice at the moste you shall bring him to such lightnesse of head nimblenesse of foot and sence of correction that nothing you shall put him to as long as you keep your selfe within the limits of reason will be either troublesome to you or laboursome to the horse Some there are as namely Grison and his Schollers who to the reclaiming of a horse subiect to this dulnes sloathfulnes of spirit would haue you ride him vpon newe plowde lands reasoning thus that the deepnesse of the landes will make him plucke vp his feete bestirre himselfe with more labour and so consequently bring him to more quicknesse and sharpnesse of spirite But vnder the reformation of his more auncient knowledge I am of a cleane contrarie opinion and so is also La Broue who absolutelie holdes deepe lands rough waies the worst meanes to bring a horse to spirrit or lightnesse for if dulnesse proceede from the coldnesse and weakenesse of nature ingendering faintnesse and floath then must that which bringeth foorth toyle and labour without any ease or rellish of pleasure not onelie increase that faintnes but bring it to the verie heighâ— of all cowardise as thus for example a Horse that sloathful dull in so much that you shal hardlie force him to go vpon the paine smoothest ground thinke you he wil trott in deep landes where stepping euerie foot in earth aboue the pasterne sometimes wherewith his best force hardly drawing his leggs after him shall feele nothing but toile beyond his strength no it is most impossible but forth with he growes desperate and where before vpon the plaine ground hee woulde haue gone a little by this ouer-sore vse he will neither vpon plaine nor deepe ground goe at all and from hence many times springeth the groundes of restifnes tyring basenes of courage yet I doe not somuch dislike the vse of the new plowde ground that I vtterlie prohibite it but as I discommend it for these faint dull horses so I commend it for such horses as are of too ficrie mettall who out of the pride of their courage will obserue no temper in their going but one while trotting another while prauncing and another while offering to gallop they both disorder themselues and trouble their rider for these double minded Iades whose fantastical lightnes incertain spirits transports them beyond al compasse of moderation there is nothing better theÌ„ the new plowd landes which with the labour toyle wheruÌ„to they wil put a horse they easily correct his madnes makes him with carefulnes diligence attend to his labor the wil of his rider Now if your horse haue mettall courage strength in ough only out of his stubbornnes of nature wil not shoe it you shal theÌ„ not only ride him in deep grounds but also prouide that those grounds be ascending and mountainous by labor wherupon he shal be compeld â—o take vp his feete more roundlye and with greater strength then on the leuel earth and be forced to more vse of his strength then on the other groundes which when at any time he shall slacke for such slacknesse feele correction he will forthwith thrust out the best of his powers nothing being more contrary to his nature courage then the induraÌ„ce of torment When you haue by the method before taught broght your horse to a quicknes lightnes of spirit that he wil trot freely vnder you answere to the motioÌ„ of your body yeeld with obedience to the coÌ„maundmeÌ„t of your hand yet wheÌ„ you sput him you find him no more to be moued with the sharpnes of that correctioÌ„ theÌ„ with the ease of the other helpes as if he had no more feele of your spur then of the calfe of your leg or the Iert of your stirrop leather when this you finde you must conclude that your horse is dul vppon the spur if you let him passe with that fault vnreformed then when other helps shal faile you there shal be nothing left whereby eyther to bring grace or quicknes to your horses lessons or to show by the testimonie of his obedience by what arte and rule you hold him plyant to your commaundement When therefore your horse is dull vpon the spurre you shall at first forbeare to spurre him for any sleight fault or omission but rather vse the correction of your voice or rod but wheÌ„ he shal fal into any grose error especiallie such an error whereof hee hath had fore knowledge then you shal spur him soundly that is you shall giue him halfe a dozen strokes together as neare as you can all in one place that close behind the hind most garthe making euerie stroake at the least to draw blood which done the fault amended you shall then cherrish him and by no meanes spurre 〈◊〉 againe till you haue the like occasion which once offered do as you did before thus I wold haue you doe three or foure times in a morning obseruing not by any meanes to giue that stroake which shall not fetch blood nor to spurre him for anie fault at all but such as shall deserue and haue at least halfe a dozen stroakes together Your horse being thus wel spur'd blood drawn vpoÌ„ both his sides as soone as you bring him into the Stable cause the Groome to bathe both his sides with olde pisse and salt rubbing the same into the sore place so violently that it may search into the verie bottome of the prickes This medicine will keep the sore place either from rotting or ranckling yet notwithstanding it will keepe the sore place
hoodwinckt but for mine owne part I much disalow it For besides that the depriuing of the sight taketh away from the horse both hope and delight it also stirreth in him that amazement and excesse of feare which many times robbeth him both of remembrance and attention to the businesse about which he goeth besides the blind-folding of him is such an actuall and grosse correction that what fault soeuer is by it reformed the libertie of the sight againe brings with it such delight and contentment that the former reformation is quite forgotten and he remaines the same horse hee was before both in disorder and faultinesse Many other deuises and compulsions there bee to amend these errors albe it be but for a short time which forasmuch as they haue onely beene brought forth by couetousnes practised by craft and credited by ignorance and folly I will banish them this place where nothing but Art should haue luster and referre them to the mystery of Horse-cosing wherein I will set them down in their true colours And thus much for the dulnesse of spirit sence or pace CHAP. 14. Of the treading of the large ringes and of their vse AFter your horse will with obedience patience receiue you and deliuer you both too from his backe when hee will with good courage sencible spirrit comelie light reyne and gallant pace trot forward with you which as it is the first lesson or A. B. C. of horsemanshippe so it is to bee regarded and lookt into with moste vigilant watchfulnesse because what sleight fault or omission you shall escape in that time of beginning will so strongly increase in his other lessoÌ„s that in the end they wil proue incurable when as I say you haue brought him to this first goodnesse you shall then proceed to the large ringes after this manner You shall trot your horse forth into some broad grauelly or sandy way where the print of your horses feet may the best be seene which hauing breadth enough for the largenesse of your ringes you shall first hauing trotted forward 50. or 60 paces pace out a large ring vppon your right hand at least fortie paces in compasse and hauing pac'd it three or foure times about so that your eye may wel descerne the compasse of your ring which if it carrie not the proportion of a true round then be assured there is a fault in the carriage of your hand which after you must indeauour to amend You shal then trot him straight forward fortie yardes or three abouts and then make out an other ring of the same largenesse compasse vpon your left hand by trotting it about three or foure times also so that both your rinâ— being ioyn'd together by the furrowe which passes bâ—weene them they will carrye this figure or proportion When thus you haue markt out both your ringes you shall then instantly enter into consideration vpon which hand your horse with the moste willingnesse nimblenesse and best grace couetteth to trott and on the contrarie hand on which he is onelie vnwilling you shall labour him at the least three or foure turnes more then on the other making both your begginning and your ending on that hand on which hee is moste imperfect as thus for example if your horse as for the moste part all horses are be more vnwilling to trotte vpon your right hand then on the left you shall then trot three or foure times about vppon your right hand againe so that beginning and ending vpon your right hand that hand may exceede the other by so many tournes as you made in your first beginning which done you shall then trott him downe the straight furâ—owe to the verdge of the left ring and thereby modeâ—ately drawing in your hand cause him to stop which done after a little pause you shal make him retire three or foure paces and then cherrishing him let him rest a good space then gently putting him forward againe walke him so softly as foote can fall about the left ring â—hen downe the straight furrowe to the right ring where you may beginne the lesson againe as before Now as I speak of the right hand so I meane likewise of the left hand if he be either harder or lesse nimble thereupon In this sort I would haue you exercise your horse dayly till he be so perfect that euen of himselfe he will trot these large ringes with such courage lightnesse arte and nimblenesse that he will neither stand in need of helpe or correction which when you perceiue you then shall trot him a dozen or fourteene times vppon that hand of which he is hardest then as oft on the other hand then as oft vpon the first hand againe then forthright then stop retire cherrish During the exercise of these large ringes you shall deligentlie keepe these obseruations first you shall be carefull with the gentill motions of your handes to keepe his mouth in sweetnes and tendernes neither pulling so hard at the trench as to make the horse gape nor giuing his head such libertie as to bring him to a loose reyne but to make him trot with all pride and comelines of countenance Next you must obserue that his head and necke stand streight looking directly forward not a wrie or inward to that hand of which he trotteth for suretie wherof you shal euer carry the outmost reine euer a listraiter then the inmoste holding it of the two more tollerable that the horse carrie his head rather from his ringe then inwarde towards his ring for the fâ—rst will shoe him firme and all of one peece which is the greatest beautie and glorie of a horse the latter shewes him weake neckt crookt and apt for disorder the bringing of his head into the ring beeing the first meanes that casts his hinder parts out of the ring Next you shall obserue that of what hand soeuer you trott your horse you shall for a helpe in his beginning vse the calue of your contrary legge or the thrusting forward of your contrarie foote and contrarie stirrop leather or your rodde vpon the horses contrarie shoulder or ells before the eye of the horse on the contrarie side as for example if you trott on your right hand you shall helpe your horse with the calue of your left legge with your left foot with your rod before his left eye and so on the left hand with the like helpes on the right side Your voice also is both a verie profitable helpe and a greate encouragement to a horse in the treading of these ringes as namelie either in his sloath or forgetfulnes to crie via via or how how with a shrill voice accompayning it now and then either with a lert of your rodde or the thrusting forward of your feete stiffe vpon your stirrop leathers I haue found it excellent good also and it is wel allowed of both by Grison and La Broue if in the beginning of the treading of these ringes
chiefly when your Colt is young and foolish you make an olde ridden horse to leade him the way and to treade out the rings before him for it will both giue him good encouragement and also keep him from amazement disorder yet your horse being brought to the carriage of his head to perfitnesse of his pace and readines of the way so that he will keepe an euen pathe before he come to the vse of these ringes this helpe of an old ridden horse will be a great deale the lesse needfull Some will wonder and happilie out of that wonder mightly condemne me because the fashion of my rings are different from all those showed by former authors for Grison and other writers would haue the first rings to be Ioyned together then as it were from betwixt them to goe the straight furrowe where they would haue the horse stoppe and turne about in a narrowe compasse These ringes they woulde haue to bee trodden out vppon newe plowed ground they woulde haue a certaine number of turnes to bee obserued of both handes with diuers other such like Cautions to which I am clearely opposite for first that the ringes should be ioyned together I dislike because the chang being so sodaine and vnexpected and a colt so Ignorant and vnnimble the sodainnes thereof cannot chuse but eyther breede disorder or make the colt weake neckt because such quicke changes doe euer compel the ryder to vse that reyne of the inside more then in arte it should be then when hee commeth at the ende of the straight furrowe where hee must stoppe that there he should turn about in any narrower compasse then the former ringes is against arte because a horse ought not to bee taught any straighter compasse till the larger be made perfit Next that they should be trodden out vppon new plowed ground that is no good generall rule For as before I saide It is onely but for such horses as out of the greatnesse of their courages are of such distempered humors that they will neither goe nor learne with patience which faults being as they ought to be reclaimed before hee bee brought to the vse of these ringes why after the fault is amended the horse should indure punishment I neither vnderstand nor allowe wherefore for mine owne part I would haue the ringes made on such ground as might bee most easie for the horse to treade vpon surest for soote-hold and moste pleasant for the horse to delight and continue vpon Lastly for the certaine number of turnes which they would haue obserued as so manie times two or so many times three and such like by no meanes either increasing or decreasing that I am as much against as anye of the rest for this Horsemen knowe there is no creature whatsoeuer which doth so much obserue custome or beares in his remembrance the forme and manner of thinges taught him as the horse dooth so that holding him to anye constant number or anye prescript forme when you shall eyther exceede or deminish what you haue accustomablye vsed you put such doubtfulnesse in his minde that from thence proceedeth disobedience and restifnesse wherefore for mine owne part I both haue and euer shall till I be controled by a much better master obserued neuer to obserue any certain number in my turnes but euer to proportion them according to the aptnesse strength and agilitie of my horse But leauing to discourse vppon other mens mistakings and to returne to my former purpose When your horse hath beene exercised so long vpon these two distinct and seuerall ringes that hee will pace or trot them either slowe or swiftlye with all comelines and perfitnes which commonly in a month or lesse you may bring to passe that you finde in his dooing thereof neither error nor disobedience you shall then begin by little little to make him galloppe those ringes as first in the swiftnes of his trot to gallop two or three stroakes then to trot againe then gallop fiue or sixe paces more then trot againe thus increasing by stroke and by stroke till in the endefinding in him both a willingnes an abilitie you make him gallop the wholering about taking into your minde this maxime which is allowed both by La Broue and others not by any meanes to let your horse galloppe till hee bee moste perfit in his trot least by making a confusion in his paces you vtterly disable him for any pace whatsoeuer during the time that you thus teach your horse to galloppe these ringes you shall diligentlie keepe this obseruation first not to correct him either with spur or rod for anye offence hee shall commit in galloping but vpon the appehension of any fault to stay him from gallopping and to put him into his ttott againe and in his trot to correct such ordinarie errors as shall happen as the writhing of his bodie bowing in of his necke inward or the casting out of his hinder partes Secondly you shall obserue that in his gallopping he carrie his head in as constant and firme a place and his necke with as comely and gracefull a reyne as when hee trotteth in his greatest pryde so that if eyther hee offer to thrust out his nose or topresse and hang his head vpon your handes you instantly stoppe him from gallopping and make him trot againe labouring him therein till out of the pride of his courage he will gallop and keepe his best beauty which when hee doth you shall not then continue him so long therein till he be wearie and so growe in dislik of his owne goodnes but after two or three stroakes performed to your contentment you shall put him againe into his trott and cherrish him This order obserued with care and diligence you shall make your horse take more delight in gallopping then trotting after hee feeles the ease which cōmeth by the constant carriage of his head hee will not disorder it or beare it in other place albe an ignorant ryder should thereto compell him Lastly you shall obserue in his gallopping that hee take vp his legges roundly and loftelie one after another that forelegge which is outmoste going euer as it were before the other and his hinher legges following the fore-legs one after another both closely roundly trogether the beating of his hoofes going so distinctly one after another that they make as it were a kinde of musique in their sounding To these obseruations you must accompany the helpe of your bodie which being as it were a fixt member with the horse must in euerie motion moue as he moueth without either disorder or contraritye You shall also to quick en him in his gallopping helpe him now and then with the calue of your leg or by letting him heare the noyse of your rodde ouer his head for other helpes of more violence I doe not allowe Now for as much as young horses partly out of their owne willingnesse partly out of a naturall feare they
not to vse any other till this faile thus it is If your horse be harder to turne on the right hand then on the left you shall take away the Musrole made of wrythen Iron and instead thereof put vpon him a Cauezan which hauing a short leather fastned to the two ringes whereto to put the Martingale it must also haue two raynes to runne crossewise thorowe the ringes which you must carrie in your hands with the raynes of your Trench This Cauezan must bee made smoothe without teeth or nickes but onely for the breadth of two or three inches on the left side which must not onely be full of sharpe teeth but also haue certaine sharpe punches or prickes to runne thorowe the Cauezan and stand euen with the teeth so that when you shall at any time draw the right reyne the teeth and prickes may both bite vppon the side of the horses face and when at anye time you ease your hand that then the Cauezan may carrie such compasse that it no longer presse or hurt the horse for you must euer obserue that your correction continew no longer then the reformation of the vice the fashion of the Cauezan is contained in this figure I haue seene this Cauezan made with a little stiffe plate of steele full of holes through which the prickes and teeth did passe so that when you doe drawe the reyne and presse the plate then the prickes would run into the horses cheeke and when you did ease your hand the plate of steele would thrust the prickes from the horses face this was not amisse but verie necessarie neuerthelesse if the Cauezan bee made in round and iust compasse it will hurt no more then it if had the plate of steele Now as these teeth and prickes being placd on the left side of the cauezan make a horse turne on the right hand so being placd on the right side they make him turne on the left side With this Cauezan and the helpes of the hand legge and rodde as aforesaid I would haue you exercise your horse first in the squares with quarter circles then in the long furrowe with semycircles after in whole circles and so foorth till he be so perfect in this straite turne that hee will double and redouble it at your pleasure obseruing euer that in this turne hee carrie his head and neck in euen and iust proportion that hee lappe his outmoste legge ouer his inmoste with all comelinesse and lastlye that hee keepe true time with his hinder legges and remoue them in equall proportion with his fore legges neither so swiftlye as if hee would playe Iacke ouer the Chaine with his hinder partes onelye which is the fashion of the Almaines nor so slowlye as if his hindder legges were glewed to the ground and would haue no motion When your horse is perfect in this turne the next strait turne is called Ciambetta and Grison writes therof a very teadious lōg discourse The maner of the turn is to make a horse take vp both his fore-leggs from the ground and not to set them downe till hee bring his head to the place where his buttocks stood which hee calles a halfe turne but if hee bring his heade to the place where before it stoode then it is a whole turne and if he doe it twise together then it is a double turne In this turne the horse must keepe firme vppon the ground but onely one hinder foote which makes the turne so weake incertaine and vncomely that as there is good cause it is meerely out of vse with all good horse-men for if a man shall come to ioyne with his enemie at the sworde if in euerie straite turne a horse take three of his feete from the ground howe easie a matter is it for the enemie by rushing in vpon him to ouerthrow both him and his horse to the ground yet in the dayes of Grison partly because of the straitnesse and curiositie thereof and partly for want of better experience it was thought the onely artificiall turne and questionlesse in his practise hee did approoue as appeares by his writings many wayes to bring his horse vnto it as namely by ryding him in a drie dyke made about nine ynches deepe and eighteene ynches broade wherein stopping him and making him aduaunce before in the verie instant of his aduauncing to make him turne about so that his forefeete may not touch the ground till they come where his hinder parts stood or by exercising the like in some narrowe way deepe worne with water or by teaching the horse in the stable by knocking him vnder the knee with a sticke to holde vp one of his legs as long as you list with many other such like experiments which because the turne is both naught dangerous and out of vse I wil not clogge your memories with the idle ceremonies thereof but thinke this I haue already spoken of to be with the most vnlesse the matter weare to better profite or purpose The next turne and of all the most artificiall and profitable turne is that which I tearme wanting a more proper name Terra Terra for there is in it both beautie arte strength and profite And albe it carrie a larger compasse then the former turnes yet when it is brought to perfitnesse you may make it as straite as any of the other and with a great deale of lesse danger The way to bring your horse vnto this turne is after you haue made him perfite vppon the Incaualare first in the square with quarter circles then in the semicirckles and lastly in the whole rounds you shal then in some grauelly or sandie way marke out a Ring vppon your right hande which must be at least a dozen yardes in compasse which done you shall pace another of the selfe same compasse vpon your left hand and ioyne it close to the first then you shall enter into the first Ring againe and after you haue trotted your horse once or twice about it you shall then vppon the trotting of three yards which is the ful quarter of your Ring by laying the calfe of your left legge close to the horses side and drawing your hand a little in make your horse aduaunce before and then instantly vppon his aduauncing thrust him forwarde againe into his trot not suffering him by any meanes to sticke or stay and so trotting him other three yardes make him aduaunce againe and then thrust him into his trott againe other three yards doing thus till you haue made him to aduaunce foure times in the whole compasse of the Ring that is to say once in euerie quarter of the Ring which done vpon the right hand you shall then make him doe as much vpon your left hand in the left ring and for a better explanation whereof looke vpon this figure following and where you see the small strokes there are the foure places where you shal make your horse aduance In these rings you shall exercise your
sweetnesse possible When you haue done thus two dayes together you shall then the third day put him to the same exercise and no other onely you shall beare his heade for the most part vpon the Cannon and little or nothing at all vpon the Cauezan except in time of necessitie as to helpe him in turning or to giue sweetnes to his mouth least in resting his heade too much vpon the bytt his mouth should loose some part of it's tendernesse by these three dayes exercises the horse will growe both to vnderstand the bytt and to take knowledge as well of the helpes as of the corrections he will find pleasure in the Kurbe and a constant rest in his mouth whereon to settle and firme his heade Now for the Cauezan this is the helpe that it bringeth it is in correction and vse of so neare an alliance with the Musroll and Martingall bindiug and loosing in the selfe sort that they doe so that the horse imagining he is within his former olde bandes he dare neyther tosse vp his heade nor ducke it downe but beares it in the same constaÌ„t maner which formerly he did til beine acquainted with the bytt and finding the ease and staidnesse thereof he will not then vse any of those vilde qualities albe he haue neuer so great libertie Againe the Cauezan is as readie a helpe in euerie turne as the Trench and puts into the horses vnderstanding the vse of the Kurbe which way it bindeth when it moues a horse to turne vpon the right hande when vpon the left and the reynes therof you shall vse as you vsed the reynes of your Trench as thus When you turne vppon your right hand you shall draw the left reyne of your Cauezan firme and lay it close to the left side of his necke to keepe his head and necke straight and the right reyne you shal draw a little more then ordinarie giuing him as it were a warning of his turne and so immediately ease it againe After these three daies exercises you shall then put your horse to the large ringes in the selfe same manner as you did at his first breaking as first pacing then trotting lastly gallopping yet so that he be perfit in euery one of them seuerally before he proceed to other not trot before he can pace readilie nor gallop till hee can trot most perfectly From two ringes you shall put him to three from three to foure and from foure to one large ring containing two smaller rings within it all which are in their figures formerly described and in all these ringes as you labour your horse you shall euer by little vse your Cauezan lesse and lesse and your byt more and more till you haue wrought in your horse this contrarietie that as at the first the Cauezan was of moste vse and the bytt but either a cipher or a verie small helpe so you must now bring your byt to be onlye of vse the CauezaÌ„ to lye vpon the horses face to little or no purpose by degrees long labouring and gentill motions bringing your horse to such a perfect knowledge and delight in the byt that when at any time you turne or change from hand to hand in your rings you shall if you turne vpon your right hand no more but turne the thumbe of your bridell hand which stands vpright but a little downewards toward the right shoulder of the horse and when you turne vppon your left hand you shall but turne your bridle haÌ„d a little backewards towards the left shoulder of the horse the knowledge of which two motioÌ„s the horse wil sodainly learne if at first teaching you euer accompany with them the vse of the Cauezan in the verie instant that you mooue your hands you shall also make your horse so perfit vpon the stop that if he bee in the fulnes of his cariere you shall not by any meanes draw your bridle hand aboue the height of your Saddle pommel nor when you make him retire you shal not draw your hande hygher then halfe so farre as at the stop for the bytt being an Engine of the greatest commaundment which rayseth vp a horse head and bodie both in pace and other motion with more ease then any other instrument if therefore your strayninges should bee as hard vppon it as vpon the Trench which hath no violence more then what it takes from your hand you could not chuse but disorder or else take from the horses mouth the best sence and feeling therefore in anye case let your straynings vppon the bytt bee tender and temperate yet not so verie soft but that both you and the Horse may haue a full constant feeling of one another Now for obseruations notes in this first bytting of a Horse there bee manye as first when you haue put the bytt on to looke within the mouth of your horse anâ— see whether your bytt lye in his due place then thaâ— the mouth of the bytt bee neither too bigge nor â—oo â—ittle for the Horses mouth but of a iust proportion and fulnesse for to bee too bigge makes a horse gape hurts his vpper barres and duls his mouth and to bee too little makes a horse drawe his tongue ouer the bytt thrust it out of his mouth either of one side or other and lastly giuing him no perfit feeling takes from him all perfit tendernesse For them and other faults whatsoeuer you may finde remedies and alteration of mouthes in the former chapter treating of bytts you shall also obserue that the Kurbe lye vpon the neather lip in his due place yet so loose and without pressing that albe your horse keepe his teeth fast together yet he may play with his neather lip vpon the Kurbe which is a great signe of a sweet tender mouth Next these you shal obserue the shape of your horse and if you finde he haue such a long large Swanne-like neck that not withstanding the straightnes of your byt cheeke which is onely to put vp his head he yet bringeth it somewhat rounder then you would haue him so looseth some parte of the beautie of his reyne you shall then ride him with the broken cheeke according to the second figure of cheekes where the neather parts are broke more outward theÌ„ the vpper if one breach bee not sufficent you may vse two if two faile three doubtles wil work your pleasure put vp his neck so hye as nature will giue it leaue but if contrarie to this shape a horse haue a short necke and a narrow chaule so that your straight cheek puts vp his head hie enough but yet it bringeth not in his mozell nor boweth his neck to anie proportion In this case you shal ride him with the broken cheek but the breach shal be made inward as the other was outward if one breach benot sufficient you shal make two or else three til you haue brought his head to the place you desire you shall also
to seruice and the encounter of your enemies Yet by the way I must giue you this one note more which is you must vnderstaÌ„d that the Cannon bytts formerly described being mouthes of such exceeding smoothenes and fulnesse if you shall either trauell your horse thereupon in long iorneyes or vse them in the trouble and turmoyle of the warres where the ouerplus of exercise brings a horse to a certaine faintnesse and wearinesse In any of these cases the horse being compeld to rest much vpon these full smoothe mouthes will in the end grow both dull insencible and hard of mouh wherefore as soone as you haue perfited your horse in all his lessons and brought his head and reyne to a setled constancie you shall then according as you finde the temper of the horses mouth bytt him with either Scatch Mellon Peare Campanell or some other mouthe formerlye described vnto you fashioning the cheeke thereof according to the third figure of cheekes formerly described onely the length thereof must be according to the proportion of the horses necke for if the horse haue along vpright necke and his head rest comelye vpon the same then the cheeke would bee two inches short of the highest part of his brest but if his necke bee short and vpright or long and round bending a little downeward then the neather part of your bytt checke must come full to the vpper part of his brest but no lower Your horse being thus bitted and well setled vppon this bytt if you haue a delight in the exercise of armes and the vse of the Launce it shall bee good for you to practise twice or thrice a weeke to run at the ring that is to set a small ring ofyron about eight inches in compasse at the moste either vpon the top of a tilt barre or vpon a staffe sixe foote from the ground close by the midst of the furrowe where you passe your Cariere then standing with your horse your Launce in your hand 45. paces or more from the ring trie how neare you can goe to runne your staffe thorow the ring as your horse passeth his Cariere Now for as much as in this lesson there be manye nice and curious obseruations and also great arte both in the gouerment of your horse and of your hand and for as much as this lesson being truely and artificially learnd containeth all other lessons whatsoeuer wherein the Launce is imployed I will according to mine own experience instruction shew the manner therof wherein if either I faile in arte or garbe I humbly submit to the correction of those of better iudgement hoping that albe I showe not all thinges in their best perfection yet I will show nothing which shal carrie in it any grosse absurditie Now therefore if you will practise to runne at the ring after you haue placd your ring in his due place which should euer bee â—the midst of your Cariere your horse then beeing brought to the fielde to the end of the Cariere As soone as you come vnto him you shall ere you mount looke that your bridle and bytt bee in their due places that your Saddle bee fast girt and your Crooper buckled at his iust length then taking the reynes of your Bridle into your left hand holding them as hath beene formerlie taught you you shall then mount vppon his backe and then placing your selfe iust euen and vpright in your Saddle with your feete firme vppon your Stirrops and your toes bending rather inward then outward Some by-stander shall then deliuer into your right hand a Launce which you shall receiue by no part but that which is purposelie made for your hand As soone as you haue receiued the Launce you shall place the butt ende thereof vppon the midst of your right thigh bearing the point thereof straight vpright so as the outside of your Launce may answere the out-side of your right eie onelie the point thereof must a little thought leane forward Being thus seated in your saddle your Launce thus truely placd you shal then put forth your horse and pace him to the end of the Cariere where you intend to start and there make him stand still and pause a good space during which rest you shall conceiue in your mind foure lines which you shall imagine to passe from your Launce to the ring The first an eueÌ„ straight line froÌ„ the neather end of your Launce or mid thigh which answering the height of your horse passes in one eueÌ„nes to the ring serues for a demonstration of the streightnes of the furrowe wherein you runne or the euennesse of the tilt barre in which furrowe or barre should there bee anie crookednes there could not chuse but in the running be disorder The second line you are to conceiue is from your right eye or thicke part of your Launce to the verie center of the ring from which your eye in running must not swarue The third line is a dyrect line downward from the point of your Launce to the center of the ring and your fourth line is from the point of your Launce also to the center of your ring but it is deuided into three partes the first third part which is at the starte of the Cariere being a straight euen line the length whereof you must carrie your Launce in an euen line without bending being from the taking your Launce from your thighe to the vttermost putting out of your haÌ„d it must contain a third part of your half Cariere the second third part is a line bending inward is from the putting out of your hand to the bringing of your haÌ„d to your Rest it containeth a secoÌ„d third part of your half Carier the last third part of this fourth line is a little more descending then the second and is froÌ„ the bringing of your Launce to the Rest to the verie touching or taking of the Ring The proportion and fashion of which lines for your better satisfaction you shall beholde in this figure following in the next page After you haue taken these lines into your consideration and from rhe leuell of your eie taken the direct line from your eie to the ring you shall then start your horse into his Cariere yet by no meanes suddainelie or with any furie but first putting him forward a step or two gentlie then thrust him fourth into his Cariere and as soone as hee is started you shall take your Launce from your thigh putting your arme outward bring your hand downe as lowe almoste as your midd thigh your arme beeing stretcht out to the vttermost length and held outward from your bodie the point of your Launce being stil kept in an euen line this being your first motion must continew doing the first third part of your course Then must you turne your hand from your wrist forward leasurelie inward and holding your elbowe outward bring in that part of your arme from the elbowe to the hand close
for the noble figures and imitations it carries in the exercise of the delight as long as it is accompained with his true members which is a readie sent perfit Dogs and aboue all a pure winded horse for if he be wanting the other not obseruing the leasure of your foote-steps wil flie so fast from you that there will be left nothing but imagination to content you which to preuent and that you may enioy your delight without impeachment I haue publisht this work which being purposely framde for a general good and not a priuat vse as my first little treatise was wil I doubt not giue you all that reasonable satisfaction which is requisite to be desired eyther in this or any thing belonging to this part of horsemanship wherein as you shall reape profit so let me bee repaid with thankes that when you haue what you wish I may not want what I desire and so farwell G. M. CAVELARICE The third Booke CHAP. 1. Of hunting Horses in generall and of their chases OF all the fielde pleasures wherewith olde Time and mans inuention hath blest the houres of our recreations there is none so excellent or so worthily to be pursued as the delight of hunting being compounded like an harmonious consort of all the best parts of most refined pleasure as Musicke Dauncing Running Ryding Hauking and such like nay what house sport is it which hath not from it some imitatioÌ„ as Chesse Cards Tables or any such like where there is pursute one after another It is the figure of a well composed battaile where the stronger chaseth the weaker to the poynt of destruction It resembleth the state of a good common-wealth where the vertue of the Magistrates pursue and finde out the euill pathes of their contraryes and to conclude being the best of sports what should a man say more then that it is most excellent But letting passe the maine bodie of the pastime let vs returne to the principall member of the same which is the hunting Horse whose strength and puissance carries our bodies and enriches both our eyes eares and other senses with all the delights that are therein conteyned This hunting horse both for his vertue strength goodnesse and indurance I place next to the horse of seruice for two causes First because themselues both for their courages lineaments and educations are seruiceable in the wars in all other places in the warres as in sodaine and desperate exploytes as vpon surprises Ambascados long marches or such like or vpon discoueries scowtes or any thing else wherein either the strength of bodie puritie of winde and the puissance of his mettall is to be discorned In the land of peace as vpon the necessitie of some long tedious iourney wherin either a mans life or estate is ingaged or for a mans pleasure in this sport of hunting or for his profite where a man hath tyed him selfe to any greate match or wager in any of these cases it is almost a thing incredible to speake what a good Horse being rightly dieted and kept and therewithall orderly trayned wil performe but that in this Ilande of great Brittaine we haue before our eyes continuall and dayly witnesse and yet I must needes say that if the recordes of auncient writers bee true these horses in our daies are nothing so tough and induring as were the horses of former ages for one authour writes that the Sarmariaâ—s being intended to take vpon them any longiourney would keep their horses fasting for two dayes before but onely for a little comfortable drinke and then would gallop them an hundred and fiftie myles without breathing others tell vs other tales of as much incredulitie of the Horses of Scithia Greece and Barbarie by which wee may gather that questionlesse Horses haue indured labours beyond imagination and truly in these our dayes should a man but compute and measure the many miles the rugged and deepe wayes and the intricate and winding passages which a hunting Horse passeth in a day in one of our English hunting matches and therewithall takes into his consideration with what wonderfull swiftnesse strength and spirit they are performed hee shall finde them little short of those olde reports and farre beyonde eyther our hopes or expectations yet thus much I must let you vnderstand that there is not any Horse which naturally out of his owne spirit being put to his owne choyse of foode and to the libertie of his owne order in feeding which is able to doe the least part of those infinite labours which we see dayly performed by horses of coÌ„trarie keeping neither can any horse how choycely fedde or dieted so euer he be performe any extraordinarie labour or imployment if to the perfection of his feeding he haue not conuenient and moderate exercise so that in conclusion to attaine to the substance and depth of this Arte you are first to learne by shapes markes and other semblances howe to chuse a Horse most fitte for this purpose of induring vnspeakable trauaile Secondly how to diet and keepe him that he may performe as much as is comprehended within the power eyther of his strength spirit or winde without either daunger of life or hurt of inferior member Thirdly and lastly what manner of exercise is most conuenient and wholesome for perfiting and bringing to passe your owne desire in this Arte or Science These three heades or rootes bearing vp the bodies and trees of this knowledge from whence springs many other branches Now for asmuch as many of our English horsmen and those not of the Comparatiue but Superlatiue degree who hauing spent their dayes onely in the ryding trayning vp of great horses for seruice vtterly neglecting as vndesirous to knowe the secrets of this Arte whereof I meane now to intreate and haue some of them in mine owne hearing held long but weake arguments both against hunting and dieting of horses may impugne and kicke against those precepts which I shall discouer let mee vnder the reformation of their skilles be bold to tell them that such neglects takes from their Arts much reputation and glorie For who can call himselfe master of that Arte in whose especiall principles he is vtterly ignorant as for example if I haue Arte to make my horse in euery turne winding interchangeable motioÌ„ to exceed in nimblenesse either Cat or Munkey and in euery bound salt or ayre aboue ground to outmatch either wanton Kid or sporting Faune yet in the same exercise want skill either how to preserue his wind from breaking his grease from melting or his spirit from tyring I say then my first Arte were better vnlearned then for want of this latter to doe euill by misimployment and such are horsemen that can ride but canot dyet Againe La Broue who is the grand-maister of the French Cheuelaria and whose precepts carie generall authoritie with our English Riders hee sayth that for great horses for seruice in the warres there is nothing more profitable then
purpose And first for his breed if he be either bastard Courser bastard Ienet or bastard Pollander his breed is not amisse for I haue knowne of all these sortes of bastards excellent hunting horses Now if you demaund what I meane by this worde Bastard it is when a horse is begotten by any â—f these Countrie horses vpon a faire English Mare or by a faire bred English Horse vpon any of these Countrie Mares but neither to flatter other Countries nor to take from our owne that which is due vnto it the worlde dooth not affoorde in all poyntes both for toughnesse and swiftnesse being ioyned together a better Horse then the true bredde English Horse for hunting which assertion shoulde I maintaine by the best proofe which is example I coulde repeate so manye instances as were sufficient to fill vppe the rest of this volume but I will not at this instant bee so troublesome Next to his breede you are to respect his colour and markes which forasmuch as I haue most amplie set them downe in the first Chapter of the former booke of ryding I will referre you thereunto and not tyer your eare with oft repetitions your last obseruation is his shapes which although also I haue in the other booke set downe largelie yet I must here giue you other notes because a hunting Horse hath certaine proportions and secrete figures which doe more agree with goodnesse then beautie First therefore you shall looke to the shape and proportion of his minde obseruing that it be milde tractable louing and familiar with the man free from dogged maliciousnesse melancholie sullennesse or lunaticke frenzie but for wantonnesse running away leaping plunging or other apish trickes so they proceede not from hate or enuie neuer respect them for they are like the conditions of shrewed boyes which we say will make good men no other but the faces of good spirit and courage and beeing tempered with Arte make the Horse not worse but much better Now for his inwarde shape his head should be somewhat long leane and large with a spacious wide chaule both thinne and open his eare if it be short and sharpe it is best but if it bee long and vpright it is a signe of speede and good mettall His foreheade long and rysing in the middest the feather thereof standing aboue the toppe of his eye his eyes full and rounde his nostrils wyde and without rawnesse his mouth large and hairie his throppell within his chaule as much as a man can gripe by no means fleshly or so closed with fatnesse that a man can hardly finde it as many fine shaped Horses are the setting on of his heade to his necke woulde bee strong but thinne so as a man may put his hande betwixt his necke and his chaule and not Bull-cragge-like thicke and full that one cannot easilye discerne where his chappe lyeth his crest strong and well rysen his necke straight firme and as it were of one peece with his bodie and not as my countrey-men say withie craggd which is loose and plyant The throppellor nether part of the neck which goes from the vnder chaps to the brest should when the horse reyneth be straight and euen not bending like a bowe which is called cocke-throppled and is the greatest signe of an ill winde If the neather chaps and that neather part of the necke also bee full of long haire and bearded downe to the setting on of the breast it is a signe of much swiftnesse a broad strong brest a short chyne an out ribbe a well hidden bellie shorte and well knitte ioyntes flat legges exceeding shorte straight and vpright pasternes which is a member aboue all other to be noted his hoofes both blacke and strong yet long and narrow and for his maine and taile the thinner the more spirit the thicker the greater signe of dullnesse to bee as some tearme it sickle hought behinde that is somewhat crooked in the cambrell ioynt as Hares and Greyhounds are is not amisse though it bee a little eye-sore And for mine owne part I haue seene many good which haue borne that proportion And thus much for the choise of hunting horses their breedes colours and outward lineaments CHAP. 3. At what age Horses shauld hunt of their first taking from grasse and of their housing ALlthough I haue often seene and those which followe this pleasure doe dayly see Horses trayned vppe to hunting at foure yeares of age and some not so much yet for mine owne part I woulde haue no Horse trayned in that exercise till hee bee past fiue at the least as hauing changed all his teeth and his ioynts beeing come to their vttermost largenesse for to put him to the violence thereof in his former tendernesse doth not onely weaken his ioynts and makes him putt out sorances but also euen appaalls his minde and takes away much of his naturall courage bringing rhumes to the heade stiffenesse to the ioynts melancholy thoughts to the minde and all other effectes of olde age before those which shoulde bee his best dayes come to bee numbred Your horse therefore being full fiue yeares olde and the aduauntage you shall take him from grasse aboute Bartholmew tide or within a Weeke after at the furthest for then Frosts beginning to come in which nippe and kill the pride of grasse making it not so nourishing as before it was and the colde Deawes falling from aboue making the Horses haire beginne to stare which though but fewe Horse-men regarde yet is a rule as worthie as anie other to bee respected it is fitte that you suffer your Horse to runne no longer but in anie case take him into the Stable whilest his haire lyes smooth close to his necke and bodie and that his stomacke haue receyued no ill sustenance by the rawe coldnesse of the season When your horse is thus taken from grasse and set vp in the Stable the scituation fashion and commoditie of which Stable is shewed hereafter in the fift Booke You neede then but onely looke vppon him and your eye will tell you whether he be fatte or no if he be fatte as of necessitie hee must bee hauing runne all the former Summer vnlesse hee be vnsounde and diseased and so not fitte for your purpose you shall then let him stande all that night and the next day vncloathed and giue him no foode but a little Wheate strawe and water and two howers before you giue him anie water you shall giue him foure or fiue handfulls of Rie well sunn'd or dried This Rie will clense away his grasse emptie his great bagg and yet keepe him in good lust and spirit The seconde day at night you shall make a Groome rubbe him all ouer with a harde wispe and then girde about him with a Sursingle stopping it with soft wispes a single Canuasse cloath then if his Wheat strawe bee spent put more into his Racke and throwe some also vnder his bodie to lye vppon and so let him stande
be acquainted withall for besides the losse of time in the man bestowing a long labout to little purpose and spending his howers to bring his horse to an vnprofitable exercise which is to amble without the man the verie manner of bringing a horse vnto it which is by chocking him in the mouth and distempering his head is most vilde and insufferable for if the horse be of spirit and courage by such correctiōs the horse in stead of ambling falls to rearing plunging and other restife qualities one of which will aske more labour to amende then to make twentie horses amble And indeed to say truth I haue not seene a horse of any good mettall that hath beene brought to amble by this manner of teaching or if they haue yet it is impossible they should continue long therin for euen their owne courages will transport them make thē wearie of such an in temperate motion and on the contrarie part if the horse bee dull and heauie his sloath and vnnimblenesse will bee so contrarie and rebellious agaynst this practise that the Ryder had neede of a more then an ordinarie patience to endure the slackenesse and vntowardnesse of his incapable spirit which will neither vnderstand or it he do vnderstand yet will not execute any thing any longer then correction torment lies vppon him Thus you see that neither the hot fierie horse nor the dull slow iade is fit for this kinde of instruction insomuch that if you haue no other method to teach a horse to amble by but only this you shal either run into many inconueniences or the losse of your time or els onely deale with such horses which are of such well mixt qualities and dispositions that they are neyther too fierie to rebell or contende against instruction or not so dull as not to conceiue what you would teach or when they doe conceiue out of sloath and idlenesse to leaue your will vnperformed it is the mediocritie with which you must deale which being seldomest found you may liue an age ere you meete with a horse of that temper And thus much for the making of horses to amble out of the hand CHAP. 7. Of making horses to amble with the helpe of the hand onely SVch horsemen as had practized this former way to make a horse to amble out of hand that is before a man come to ride him whē they found that the horse comming into hand that is when he came to be riddē was in their first iudgements as imperfite in ambling as if he had beene neuer taught to amble before and that they haue beene as it were drawne by a new method to bring their horses to amble they haue presently by looking into the losse of the former time and to the benefite of their present exercise condemned the former maner of teaching only helde tollerable no other way to teach a horse to amble but the vse of the hand and legge onely arguing with other riders which did not the like of the faults which were in their practise but not beholding any in this which now was last brought to their memories And this maner of teaching horses to amble seemed at the first so strange and artificiall that euerie rider of ambling horses was thought vnworthie which taught by any other forme and euerie horsmaister thought his horse not wel taught which came not from his hand who was reported to teach by the help of the hand only the maner whereof is After you haue put into your horses mouth a rough twound snaffle such a one as through the crueltie thereof will command from the horse an extraordinarie obedience for in this manner of teaching you must haue your horse exceedingly tender mouthed you shall then take his back and holding your bridle reine in both your hands a handfull one from the other you shall walk your horse gently into some plaine high way and there first thrust your horse into the swiftest of his foot pace and if he offer to trott you shal lift vp your hands and giue him a good chocke in the mouth with your bridle and then put him forward againe holding him at the swiftest of his foot-pace and so ride him vp and downe for an hower or more striuing still to make him goe faster and faster and euery time that he doth but offer to trott to giue him a good chocke in the mouth and a stroke with your spurre on the side which he treadeth false with his hinder foot by this means correcting him both in the mouth vpon the sides when hee trots and yet vrging him continually to goe faster in his foote-pace then he is able you shall in the ende bring him to strike forth an amble which when he doth you shall then carrie your hands constantly and without spurring him shew that you are contented with that motiō obseruing that you keep him to such a temperate pace that you neither by making him go to fast vrge him to trott nor by causing him to goe too softly keepe him within the ease of his foot-pace but let the first bee made troublesome to him by correction the other painful by too speedie passage This course will not onely bring him of himselfe to finde out the true stroke of an amble but also by keeping him in his foote pace make him to stride and stretch out his legges that his pace will bee both more comely more certaine and more easie After you haue thus by the helpe of your hand helde strait vpon the bridle and the correction of your leg and spur brought your horse from his foot-pace to an amble you shall then continue him and augment his pace therupon in swiftnesse euerie houre a little more and more till you haue made his amble swifter then euer was his trott and that he will strike the same both vp the hill downe the hill ouer crosse paths rough wayes myrie new plowed lands or wheresouer else you shall haue occasion to trauell which onely continuall exercise must bring him vnto and his owne nimble cunning obseruing by no means to put him too soone to trauell or to amble him long together at any time till he be so perfit and skilfull in the pace that he wil take it both cūningly and freely of himselfe albe the bridle reyne lie in his necke and you haue no vse of the same you shall also obserue that if this round twound snaffle which I did first prescribe vnto you bee either so rough that it cut or gall the horses mouth or if the horse bee so exceeding tender of mouth that hee is not able to indure the sence of such sharpnes you shall then instead therof vse onely a smooth snaffle made full round and of an extraordinarie bignes about which if you folde certaine wreathes of some fine linnen cloath to make it as full and bigge in the horses mouth as may be it is much the better and more sweeter and the horse will take
his pace with more delight and chearefulnes but if you feele that albe he take the stroake manner of his pace truely inough yet with the raysing vp of his hinder feete somewhat to hye which motion he taketh from his trott you feele he doth not goe away easie inough in such a case it shall bee meete for you to make his hinder shooes of an extrordinarie weight and thicknes each shooe weying at least fiue poundes which will so tyer and load his feete that he wil be glad to keepe thē downe and euen sweep them close by the earth as hee goes Now although this maner of teaching horses to āble bee both generally cōmended moste of all other-waies practisd in this nation yet for mine owne part if it bee so good as men do imagine I must confesse my selfe to bee a great heretique in my beleefe therein for I can neither alowe it to be contained within any rule of good horsemanshippe nor that it is worthie anie mans labour to endeuour to learne it both because it is accompained with as many errors as anye other of those methods which goe before it and also because there bee a greate deale more artificiall waies to bring a horse to this pace without the falts that this holdeth which faults are these the wasting of more profitable time vainly the maring of the horses reyne the distēpering of his mouth spoile of his coūtenāce which these checkings suddain chockes do besides the breeding of a generall inconstancy ouer all the horses body which is the grosest fault which can at any time be found in horsemāship So that to cōclude howsoeuer mē may be conceited speak in the cōmendatiōs of making horses amble thus with the hand onelye I for my part cannot be induced either to giue it any tolleratiō in mine opinion or to preserue it for any other practise then only for the knowledge of generall experience Thus you see I haue hitherto shewed you sundry waies how to make horses amble as namely by the fallowe fielde by waight out of hand with the hand and some others yet to euerie one I haue shewed you such errors and inconueniences adioyned that in my conclusion I made them both vnprofitable and not to be practised wherby I must confesse I haue hitherto left you in amazement that since ambling is so necessarie and of such general vse that we cannot trauel or iourney without it what course is to be taken to bring a horse vnto it without either the grosnesse of these former errors the misexpence of time or the losse of a horses beautie and good countenance which laborinth to bring you out of and that you may see what I haue formerly writtē is but to inable your memories with euery seuerall knowledge and experiment which hath at anye time beene practised for bringing this worke to passe And that the knowing of errors may inable you the better to shunne errors I will now proceed to those waies in teaching which are compleate in arte and worthie imitation without any error but such as shall proceed from the fault of the rider CHAP. 8. Of making horses to amble by the helpe of shooes onely AFter these former wayes of teaching horses to amble came to bee put in practise by men of art skill in horsmanship and that they came to find the errours and inconueniences which doe necessarily belong to such insubstantiall instructions presentlie they out of their better iudgements inuentions began to finde out meanes to make horses amble without either marring their mouthes vnsetling their heads or breeding any other vncomely disorders conceiuing thus that since the making of horses amble was but onelye to bring them to an altetation of the naturall motions of their legges why should not those motions be as well taught without disorder to the head and reyne as either the Coruett the Cepriole and other motions dayly vsed amongst horses of pleasure and seruice and hence it came that doubtlesse some man both of good skill and iudgement found out this way which I will heare deliuer vnto you and which I haue latelye to good effect practised and found both agreeable to arte reason and all the strictest rules in horsemanshippe which is to make a horse amble with the help of two hinder shooes onely and this is the manner thereof First you shall cause a Smith to take measure of your horses hinder feete and to make him two shooes of an extraordinarie thicknesse and from the toe or forepart of the shoe to beate out as it were a thin plate scarse halfe so thicke as the shooe and being at the toe of the shooe not aboue too inches or a little better broad but at the vttermoste end of the plate better then foure inches broad this plate must from the verie toe of the shooe forward rise a little shoaring from the ground so that the horse standing full vpon his feete the outmoste end of the plates must be as hie from the ground as the horses fetlocke and they must haue their ends turned vpward backe againe towards the horses hinder legs so that as the horse puts forward his hinder feet if he chance to hit vpon his forelegs yet the plats being so turned forward may haue no force to hurt or bruse the horse but onelye to giue him a flatt blowe and no more the fashion and proportion of the shooes are contained in these figures To appoint or set down any certaine length for these foure plates I cannot for they must keepe their size according to the proportion of the horse or largenesse of the stride he takes for if he be a horse that takes a lōg step and strikes his hinder foote forth euen close to the setting downe of his fore foot then these plates may be the shorter but if he bee a horse that takes small steps and doth as it were set his hinder feet downe where he takes them vp then must the plates be made so much the longer yet because I will not leaue you in amazement you shall vnderstand that the best obseruation you can take for making these fore plates of a true length is to let your horse walk in some sandie way where you may see the print of his feete and then looke how much you see his hinder foote to treade short of his forefoot to make your fore plates about some 3. inches longer no more as thus for example if your horse bring his hinder foot to his forefoote by three inches then you shal make your plates 6. inches so according to this rule you shal either increase or deminish of the two choices rather making it with the shortest thē the lōgest for if they be too long thē they giue the sorer blow and may so bruse the horse vpon the sinewes of the fore legs as may bring him to a lamenes thereby not only procure to your selfe great losse but to the Arte greater discredit which in
as you did dresse trim and picke your horse in the morning so shall you without fayling in any one point dresse him in the euening and cloath him againe as before then combe down his fore-top his maine the vpper part of his taile with a wet maine-combe then water him and giue him prouender make cleane your stable and plaunchers giue him straw into his racke and so let him rest till eight a clock at night at which time you shal litter him and so let him rest till nextmorning These three daies being spent in this order your horse will haue emptied all his grasse and his bellie will bee taken vp well within his ribbes so that now you may both alter his keeping and dressing wherefore the fourth day by sixe a clocke in the morning I would haue you come into the Stable and as you did the former daies first shake vp his litter and make both cleane his racke and maunger bring in your cleane water wet his watering Snaffle put it on his head turne him about tie him vp pluck out his wispes folde vp his sursingle and take off his cloath then you shall take a Currie-combe made answerable to the coate and skinne of your horse as thus if your horse haue a thicke rough coate and a foule skinne then the teeth of your Currie combe shall bee made somewhat long and sharpe if his coate bee smoothe and his skinne cleane then the teeth shall keepe their length but be fyld verie blunt but if his coate be like a Mouse-coate exceeding thinne and smoothe and his skin verie tender as for the moste part Barbaries Ienets and Turkes are then the teeth shall be verie thicke yet both short and blunt With your Currie-combe in your right hand and your face being placd against your horses face you shall lay your left hand vpon the side of his bridle and fetching your stroak from the roote of the horses eare to the setting on of his necke to his shoulder you shall currie him with a good hard hand not leauing anye part of his necke vncurryed then turning your face about and placing the side of your bodie to the side of the Horse laying your left hand vppon his backe you shall fetch your stroake from the toppe of his withers downe to the neather parte of the pitch of his shoulder and at euery second or third stroake you shall strike your combe before and about his brest and thus you shall with a more moderate and temperate hand currye his shoulder halfe brest and legge downe to his knee but in anye wise no lower then you shal with a like moderate hand currye his backe side flanke and that part of his bellie where his garthes rest as for the chine of his backe and the barre parte of his bellie nexte vnto his sheath that you shall currie with such a gentile and light hand as is possible then with a hard hand againe you shall currye all his buttocke and thigh close downe to his Cambrels but no further hauing do one thus much vppon one side you shall then currie him as much vppon the other side Now you shall obserue that whilst you currie your horse if hee keepe◠fridging vp and downe or offer to bite strike or bee impatient that then it is a signe your currie combe is too sharpe and you must amend it but if you finde his vncomelinesse onelye proceedes from ticklishnesse or delight which hee takes in the friction you shall then euer when you currye him haue a smal sticke in your left hand with it correct him for his wantonnes Hauing thus curried him all ouer the bodie and raysd vp the dust you shall then take a dead horse tayle naild about a handle of wood and with it strike off all the dust which your currie combe raised vp then you shall take a round rubber which rubber is a round peece of woode all stucke as thicke as may bee with round tuftes of Swynes bristels cut close and euen within a strawe bredth or more of the woode and hauing a loope of leather on the backe side through which you must thrust your hand so that the rubber may lye in the verie ball of your hand This rubber but that it is round and the bristles shorter is in all pointes like a common rubbing brush with bristles such as are vsd about foule garmēts with this rubber you shall curry your Horse ouer in all pointes as you did with your curry combe onelye your hand shall carrie all one weight and temper and if your horse be so finely skind that he will not indure any curry combe at all as there be many then this rubber shal serue instead thereof When you haue thus gone ouer him with your rubber you shall then with your horse tayle strike away the dust the seōnd time then you shal take your wette spunge and first wetting his face and cheekes you shall then with your handes rubbe it drye againe and not leaue whilst you discerne a loose hayre to come away then you shall looke about his eyes his nostrels vnder his chaps and about his foretoppe and if you finde anye superfluous hayres or otherwise which growe out of order you shall eyther plucke them away or with your Sizers cut them in order This doone you shall with your wet spunge and your handes goe cuer all his bodie not leauing whilst anye loose hayres will come away as was declared vnto you in the third dayes dressing you shall with your wette handes rubbe his eares both within and without also first making them wet and then rubbing them drie againe◠you shall also not omit with your wette handes to clense his sheath his yarde and his cods This done you shall take a cleane wollen cloath of cotten and there withall beginning at his face you shall so proceede and rubbe the horses necke and bodie all ouer especiallye betweene his forelegs or fore-boothes vnder his bellie betweene his flanke and his bodie and vpon the chine of his backe then you shall take a hayre cloath and therewithal rub him al ouer likewise but especiallye in the places before rehearsed this beeing done you shall spreade your hayre-cloath ouer his buttocks then lay on his cloath vpō him againe hauing girded the sursingle you shall stop him with wisps as was before declared then you shall take a wet maine-comb combe downe his fore-toppe his maine and his taile then you shall take a peale of faire water and putting his taile therein close to his midde sterne or docke you shall with your hands wash it verie cleane then taking it out of the peale you shal wring out al the water from the haire into the peale againe then you shall tye vp his taile in ten or twelue seuerall hankes that it may drie againe this done you shall take such hard writhen straw-roapes as was before declared rub and chaffe exceedingly both his forelegs from the knee downward euen to the
forc'd to trauell our horse both to the decay or hazard either of his strength or courage Now for these two namely Exercise which doth the more it is vsed bringe the horse more strength vigor labour which the more it is vsed the weaker fainter it makes him doth belong two seuerall orders of gouernment or keeping if therefore your charge be the keeping of a greate horse whose exercise is but to bee ridden an houre or two euerie other morning you shall thus prepare him therunto at eight a clocke at night which is the night before your horse is to be exercised after you haue made cleane your stable rubbed your horse with your cloathes and littered him you shall then sift him a double allowance of prouender that is to say that which is due to him at that time and also that which hee shoulde haue the next morning then looke what hay you did ordinarily allow him other nightes you shall nowe giue him halfe so much this night and so let him rest till fiue of the clocke the next morning at what time as soone as you rise hauing made cleane your stable and put vppe his litter you shall wette his watring snaffle and put it on and turne him about then loosing his sursingle and taking off his cloath first with a hairecloath rub his face necke and bodie all ouer then with a wollen cloath and a linnen cloath doe the like especiallye rubbe his legges passing well then take his Saddle hauing three garthes and a paire of sufficient stirroppes and stirroppe leathers and set it vpon the horses back in the due place that is if the horse bee not low before rather more forwarde then backwarde and gyrde it on in this manner take the garth which is fast to the formost tabbe of the right side and buckle it to the hindmost tabbe on the left side and the hindmost garth on the right side to the formost tabbe on the left side and the middle garth to the middle tabbe on both sides and this is called crosse gyrding being the comeliest surest and least hurtfull manner of gyrding for it galles the least and holdes the saddle lastest you shall not at the first gyrde the gyrthes hard but in such sort that the horse may feele them and no more this done you shall buckle on his breast-plate and his crooper making them of equall straitnesse then you shall lace on his saker or docke and make fast his twinsell to the hindmost gyrthon the left side then with a wet maine-combe combe downe his fore toppe and maine and then throwing his cloath ouer him let him stand till you haue warning to bring him to his ryder at what time you shall take his bytt and hauing both the Chaule-band and the nose band open and the Kurbeloose you shall first wet it in a peale of cleane water then laying the reyne ouer your left arme you shal take the vpper part of his head-stall into your right hand and laying the mouth of the bytt vpon your left hand betweene your thumbe and your little finger you shall put the bytt to his mouth and by thrusting your thumbe and little finger betwixt his chappes compell him to open his mouth and to receiue the bytt which by obseruing this order hee can neither will not chuse but doe when the bytt is in his mouth you shall then buckle his noseband chaule-band and Kurbe in those due places as you haue seene his ryder formerlye doe then you shall wette his foretoppe and winde it vnder the fore-head band of his headstall then hauing combd his maine againe and drawne his garthes to their places you shall buckle a paire of large close spectacles made of strong leather before his eyes which will occasion him to leade quietlye then with your right hand you shall take him by the left side of the head-stall close vppon the Portsmouth and with your left hand holde both the reynes close together hard by the bytt and so going close by his left shoulder leade him either to the blocke or to such place as the ryder shall thinke conuenient then as soone as the ryder hath put the reynes ouer the Horses necke you shal presentlie shift your right hand to the right side of the headstall and laying your left hand vppon the right stirroppe leather you shall whilst the ryder mounts the horses backe stay the Saddle that it swarue not then when the ryder is setled you shall vnbuckle the spectakles and take them away referring the Horse to the discretion of the Ryder As soone as the horse hath beene exercised sufficientlie and is brought home the Ryder shall no sooner dismount his backe and deliuer him into your hand but you shall first vnloose his Kurbe and then presentlie leade him into the Stable for of all thinges I cannot indure this walking of Horses knowing that it was a custome first foolishlye inuented and nowe as vnprofitablye immitated for there is not anye thing which sooner makes a Horse take colde or breedes worse obseruations in the bodie then this cooling of Horses by walking When you haue brought your Horse into the Stable where you must haue formerlie prouided greate store of drie litter turning his head downe from the maunger and hanging the reines of the bytte vpon some hooke for the purpose you shall first rubbe his face then his necke fore-boothes bellye flancks and legges with drye strawe so cleane as may bee then with a Woolen cloath you shall rubbe him all ouer againe not leauing anye place which hee hath wette with sweate till it bee as drie as may bee then you shall loose his garthes to their vtmoste length thrust round about betwixt his garthes and his bodie as much drie straw as you can conuenientlie get in then vnlace his saker and take it away rubbing the docke of his tayle drie with a Wollen cloath then cast his cloath ouer the Saddle then take off his bytt and put it into a peale of water then wash his wattering Snaffle and put it on tie him to the ringes and so let him stand for at least two houres during which time you shall take his bytte out of the water and with a drye linnen cloath rubbe it as drie as may bee and then hang it vppe you shall also wipe his saker within folde vp the strings and lay it by also Now when your horse hath stoode vp thus vpon his bridle at least two or three hours is sufficiently cooled you shal then come to him and first taking off his cloath you shal loose his garthes and take away his saddle which done you shal first with drie straw and then with drie cloathes rubbe his backe till there bee not one wet haire left then you shal lay on his cloath againe and girding it slacke with the sursingle you shal stoppe him rounde about the bodie with great wispes then you shal with hard wispes of straw and woollen cloathes rubbe all his
ayring and also that you may haue greate respect to his dung obseruing both the temper the colour and the slyminesse and whether there come from him anye grease or no which if hee doe auoide it is an apparant signe of his foulenesse if he doe not it is a good token of his cleanesse After his ayring you shall set him vp chafe his legges and giue him a handful of bread letting him stand till nine of the clocke at night at what time as you did in former nights so you shall nowe giue him a good quantitie of breade rub his head face necke hodie and buttocks with a haire cloath stirre vp his litter and so let him rest till the next morning obseruing according to the expence of these three daies so to spend the first fortnight coursing your horse euerie third day both that you may bring him to an acquaintaÌ„ce with his race also that you may come to the better iudgement of the state of his body for if in this first fortnight you find your horse to drie inwardly and grow costiue which is the natural fault of ruÌ„ning horses then you shall vse moist washt meat the oftner put more butter into your bred in time of necessitie giue him a handful or two of rye sodden but if you finde him naturally giuen to losenesse which is sildom found in this dyetting then you shal put no butter at al into your bread you shall feede him with washt meate wel dride and giue him wheat eares both before and after his ayrings you shal chip his bread little or nothing at all let it be baked somewhat the sorer Now after this first fortnights keeping if you finde your horse a little cleaner then he was that he is strong in good lust then both for your ayrings dressings dyetings watrings and other obseruations you shal in al things do as you did in the first fortnight onelye with this difference that in your coursings you shal not be so violent or draw him vp to so hye a speede as formerly you did but play with him and as it were no more but galloppe him ouer the race that thereby he may take pride delight in his labour onelye once in each weeke that is in the midle of each weeke beeing at least fiue daies betwixt one and the other if your horse be young strong and lusty you shall giue him a sweate in his cloathes either vpon the race which you must run or else vpon some other ground fit for the purpose but if your horse be old stiffe ortainted then you shal giue him the sweates in his cloathes within the Stable the manner of each sweate is in a former chapter described and these sweates you shall giue verie earely in the morning as an houre before sunne rise that he may be coolde haue his mash giuen him and be curryed and drest soone after eleuen a clocke in the forenoone the day following the latter of these two sweates you shall earelye in the morning before you goe forth to ayre him giue him the scowring of Muskadine Sallet-oyle and Sugar-Candie as is mentioned in the booke of hunting and then leade him forth ayre him but in any case keep him not forth aboue half an houre at the most but bring him home set him vp warm tye him so that he may lie downe lay him an handfull or two of Oates before him and so let him rest till twelue or one a clocke in the afternoone at what time you shall water him dresse him and feede him as you did in the former daies of his resting After this sweate thus giuen you shall euerie third day for exercise sake gallop your horse as gently ouer the race as may be onelie to keepe his legges nimble and his breath pure till the fourth day before the day of your wager vppon which day you shall giue your Horse a sound and as my Countriemen of the North tearme it a bloudie course ouer the race then after he is colde brought home as soone as you haue chaft his legges well you shal take a mussell made of Canuase or Leather but Canuase is the better of which mussell I haue spoken more particularlie in the booke of hunting This mussell you shall put vpon your horses head fasten it between his eares yet before you put it on you shall throw into it the powder of Annyseedes wel beaten in a morter which is all the spice you shall vse about your horse and euerie time you take off or put on the Mussel you shall put more powder in This powder of annyseede is for the horse to smel vppon because it openeth the winde-pipe and sometimes to licke vppon because it comforteth the stomacke and strengthneth a horse in his fasting you shall also haue diuers mussels that when your horse with his breath and such like moist vapors hath wet one made it noisome you may then put on another which is drie and so keepe him sweete and cleanely washing his foule Mussell and drying it before the fire that it may serue at another season After you haue musseld vp your horse that he can eate nothing but what you giue him you shall let him rest for an houre or two and take away the wheate-straw from his racke not suffering him to haue any more racke meate till the wager bee past After hee hath stood two houres you shall come to him and giue him two or three handfâ—ll of wheate eares and after them a sweete mashe then mussel him vp againe and let him stand till it be betwixt twelue and one a clocke in the after noone at what time you shall first take off his cloath and currie dresse him verie sufficientlye then hauing cloathed him vp warme againe you shall take off his Mussell and giue him out of your hand bit by bit to the valewe of a pennie white loafe of your dyet bread then you shall giue him in a clean dish the valew of a quart of water theÌ„ you shall giue him as much more breade then offer him as much more water and thus giuing him one while breade another while water giue him a good meale according to the constitution of his bodie and the strength of his appetite then put on his Mussell and so let him stand till betwixt fiue and sixe of the clock in the euening at what time you shal take your horse foorth to ayre him and after he is ayred you shall bring him home and hauing chaft his legges you shall take a cleane boule or tray of wood for you must vnderstand after your horse is put into the mussell you shall suffer him no more to eate in the maunger and into that boule or tray you shall put a good haÌ„dful of Oates washt in the whites of egs dride which if you perceiue he eates verie greedilye you shall then giue him another handfull and so a third then in a dish you shall offer him a
ouer loading of a horsse vpon the fore shoulders by some great cold taking or when a horsse hath layne with his necke awry as either ouer the gruppe-tree behind the planchers or in the field ouer some moale hill or in some hollowe furrow the signes are a horse can sometimes not stirre his necke any way some times but one way and from these Crickes many times come Feuers and other inward sicknes The euer is not according to the opinion of old Martin drawe him alongst each side of the necke from the roote of the eare to the brest a straw bredth deepe and then to put a rowell in his forehead annointing it with hogs-grease for it is grosse sauors nothing of good arte but you shall first purge the horse with the scowring of butter and garlicke then holding a panne of coales vnder him you shall al to chafe the nape of his necke the temples of his head and his whole neck with sacke and the oile of Cipresse mixt together and made hotte vpon a chafing-dish and coales then cloath him vp warme and ride him in some warme place gently for an hower and more this if you doe three or foure dayes assuredly the Crick wil vanish CHAP. 39. Of Wennes in the neck WEnnes are great or little rounde swellings like tumors or pustules ōly there is not in thē any inflamatiō or sorenes their insides are tough and spungie yet in coulour yellow like resed bacō they proceed frō corruptiō of blood cold humors and the euer is thus first apply vnto it rosted sorrell or the plaster of Pitch and Hogs-grease mixt together for the space of seuen daies to see if you can bring it to a head or rottennes which if it doe then you shall launce it and after the filth is come forth you shal heal the wound with the salue made of Turpentine wax and Deare suet But if by no meanes it will come to any head or rottennes then you shall oner night apply round about the wenne Bole-armonike and vineger mixt together then the next morning after you haue set fresh butter to boile vpon the fier and put a calterising iron in the fier also you shall then take off the plasters and the horse beeing fast helde first you shall first with a rasor and warme water shaue all the haire from the wenne then you shall note how the veines runne that as neare as you can you may misse them then with an incision knife you shall cut the wenne cleane away and with spunges taking away the blood leaue not any part of the yellow substance which done you shall calterize the sore with scalding hot butter but if that will not stay the fluxe of blood you shal then calterise the heads of those veines which bleede most with the hot Iron then making a plegant of soft to we as broad as the sore dip it in fresh butter molten very hotte and laye it vppon the sore then couer it ouer with the plaster of waxe turpentine and Deares suet and so let not the sore bee stirrd for eight and fortie hours then vpon the second dressing if you see any of the substance of the wenne be left vncut away you shal then take hogs-grease and vardigrease molten together and with it dresse the sore till it haue eaten away all the grosse matter and then heal vp the sore with the salue before prescribed CHAP. 40. Of Swelling in the necke after blood-letting SWelling after-blood letting proceeds from diuers causes as if the Orifice be made too great and so the subtill winde strike sodainely into the wounde or if presently after a horse is let blood you turn him to grasse and so by thrusting downe his head too sooue to eat his meate the blood revert backe and fester about the wounde or if the smith be negligent and strike him with a rustie or venome fleame The cuer whereof is thus you shal take wheate flower two or three handful as much sheeps suet shreaded small and as much Camomile shredded small likewise boile them altogether in three pintes of newe milke till they be very thicke then take it very hotte and lay it vnto his neck this pultis will in once or twice laying to either dissolue the humor or drawe it to a head and breake it which if it do then you shall heale vp the sore with a little Turpentine Waxe and Hogs-grease molten together made into a soft salue some Farriers vse to breake the sore with the oile of camomile or with old rotten lit ter or with wet hay and then to taint it with Turpentine and hogs-grease only till it be whole but it is not so good a cuer for it wil be both longer in ripning when it is broken the tainting will bring downe such a fluxe of humours that I haue oft seene such sores turne to Fistulas which had they beene but ordinarily delt withall nature it selfe would haue cured CHAP. 41. Of staunching of blood whether it come by blood-letting or by any wound receiued IF either by disorderly blood-letting as when the veine is striken cleane thorow or the orifice by the vnstaidnes of the Farriers hand is made too great or if by any casuallyty a horse receiue a wound amongst the principall veins so that the flux of blood will not be staid for as touching that opinion that the veine will not bee stopt which is strooke when the signe is in that parte it is both idle and friuolous the cuer thereof is thus take bole-armonike and vineger and mixing them thick together dip flaxe therin lay it to the wound it wil stanch the blood a sod of new erth laid to the wound wil stanch blood also hot horse dung being applied wil do the like or if you temper with the dung chalk vineger it is good also yet to apply any of these medicins in case of any sore or grieuous wound they are dangerous for making the wound gangrean so that I allow the powder of blood to be much better then any of them but if it faile in extreamity to worke the effecte you desire you shall then garter or binde your horse very straite aboue both his foreknees also vnder his fore-knees aboue both his hinder cambrelles and vnder the spauen ioints you shall then draw a sursingle very strait about his body also and so letting him but stand a little space you shall presently see his blood staunch which assoone as it doth you shall apply to the wound sallet oile hogs grease molten together boyling hot and then vnbinding him let him abide with that dressing the space of 48. houres at the least and then you shall not need to feare any more the flux of blood CHAP. 42. Of the falling of the Crest THe falling of the Crest is when the Crest or vp per part of the neck on which the mane grow eth which naturally shold stand vp strong firmely doth either laine to the
one or other side or els falleth flat down and lyeth in a most vncomly manner vpon the neck it proceedeth from 2. causes either old age or pouerty of flesh and the cuer therof is thus first if it proceed but from pouerty of flesh be not vt terly falne down but leaning to one side you shall theÌ„ plat into his mane certain waights of such a sufficient poise as may either drawe the Crest vp straight or els make it leane to that side from whence it swerueth and then feeding him vp with good meat much chaÌ„ge of meate be assured that assoone as he is fatt his Crest will stand vp straight but if it be so vtterly falne down that no fatnes or feeding will recouer it you shal then hang the waights as is before said and then on the coÌ„trary side with a hot Iron made better then a quarter of an inch broad draw 3. lines thorow the skinne and no more the first at the bottome of the Crest close to the setting on vpon the neck the secoÌ„d in the midway between the bottom of the Crest and the roots of the mane and the third as neere the edge of the mane as may be which lines wil present this figure then you shall dayly til the skin be whole againe annoint the sore with warme sallet oile or els the cream of butter and vpon that side which your waights hang you shall annoint the neck of the horse in that place where the Crest is fallen with the oile of Spike and the oile Petrolium mixt together and made warme vpon the fier and it will straiten the skinne and make the Crest stand vp firme againe CHAP. 43. Of the Maungines or scabbe within the mane THis Maungines in the mane cometh from diuers causes as from corruption of blood abundance of hot humors or want of food somtimes from lowsines want of claine kee ping or from the infection of other horses which haue the same infirmity the signes are an apparant white scurffe or drie scab which will rise continually from his mane somtimes bring forth matter or els an extreame itch and incessant rubbing or a desire to stand knapping with other horses the cuer is thus take of nearueoile halfe a pound of quicksiluer a quarter of an ounce and beate them together with great labour till you be sure that you haue kilde the quicksiluer and brought the nearueoile which was of a darke greene color to be of a pale yellowish color then take of brimstone an ounce beaten to powder mixe it with the nearueoile then if it appeare somwhat thicke and stiffe you shal bring it ageine to a liquid ointment by mixing with theÌ„ a quarter of a pint of rape oile or train-oil wheÌ„ you haue made this ointment you shall then take an instrument of Iron made for the purpose and with it scrape all the scabbes and scurffe cleane away making the sore bleede and looke raw then take a little oulde pisse boilde with the powder of Iette and first wash the sore therewith then with the oyntment annoint it all ouer holding a fire shouell heated redde hot ouer the maine that the ointment may melte and sinke into the sore place and doeing thus but three or foure times the horse will be whole CHAP. 44. Of shedding the haire from the maine or tayle THere be two causes which makes a Horsse shedde his hayre from his maine or tayle the one is pouerty or misliking the other a certaine little worme ingendred by corrupt blood which eating the rootes of the haire makes it fall and wast the cure is thus you shall take of the fine ashes of ashe-wood halfe a pecke and as much of sope ashes when the sope boyler hath done with them and putting them into a vessell fill it vppe with running water and let it stand the space of three dayes then draine the water cleane from the ashes as you see salt peter men do and with that water wash the horsses maine and tayle twice a day and after each washing annoint the bottome of his haire with sope and the haire will be fixed CHAP. 45. Of the swelling of the Withers either by pinching or galling with an ill saddle or otherwise THere is no outward part of a horsse more tender or subiect to â—wellings brusings blisterings and other infirmities then the Withers of a horse somtimes proceeding from inward corrupt hmours and sometime from outward casualties as from naughty sadles and too heauie burtheÌ„s if it be so that you see the swelling is but little or of sleight moment you shall then but onely clappe a litle rotten litter vpon it it wil either asswage it presently or bring it to a head and break it and if it breake and runne you shall neade doe no more but heate a little butter very hote in a saucer and poure it vpon it and then mending the sadle where it did pinch his Withers will soone be whole Some Fariers vse in this case of swelling to make a poultus of mallows and smallage boild till they be soft and then mixe with it either hogs grease sallet oyle or fresh butter and so to apply it very â—ot to the swelling now whereas some vse to prickâ— oâ— scarifie the swelling with the point of a sharp knife that by all means possible I disallow for it both drawes to the swelling naughty humours and also breeds inflamation and putrifaction where else none would be Now if there be no swelling but only that the skinne is fridgd off you may dry vp that either with a little thicke creame and the soote of a chimney mixt well together and therewithall to annoint dry vp the raw palce or else by taking halfe a a pint of honey and blending with it as much vnsleakt lyme as will make it as thick as past then making it in a thin cake lay it vpon a â—le stone ouer a hote fire till it be so dry that you may beate it to powder then casting that powder vpon any vnskinde part it will presently bring on the skinne againe as for oyster shels cloath â—elt silke miâ—rhe or such like to be burnt they are nothing neare so good although none of them but in time will dry and skinne a sore CHAP. 32. Of great Impostumations in a horsses Withers IF a horsse either by too negligent a sufferance or by some most violent torment haue his Withers so extreamely pincht or brusd that their followes not only swellings of great quantitie but also great inflamations and putrifactions then you are with regard to respect the cure therof because if the tender grissell which is vpon the toppe of the shoulder blade should either be crusht or tainted there many times followeth cankerous sores and fistulating which to preuent as soon as you haue with applying either rotten litter or wette hay to the swelling made it ripe and rotten which you shall perceiue by the softnes you shall theÌ„ with a sharp
you shal then trot him straight forward as neare as you can gesse at least fourescore and ten paces and there walke him three or foure times about a narrowe ring on your left hand then setting his head directly downe the way you came make him stand still a prettie space setling your selfe euen and firme in your saddle easing your hand and cherishing your horse which don yeilding your bodie a little forward and Ierting your legs forward with all your strength stifly vpon your stirrop leathers and crying with your voice hey or how start your horse sodenly into a swift gallop and then giuing him the euen stroake of your spurrs twice or thrice together make him runne with all the strength and furie he hath till he come to the verdge of your first ring there by drawing both your hands hard into the pomel of your sadle laying the calues of your legs close to his sides make him stop close vpon his buttocks and aduance with all twice or thrice together then stand still a good space whilst you cherrish the horse and case your hand which done you may then walk him about a narrow ring againe on your right hand till hee haue recouered breath and strength and so trott him home to the Stable Now that your horse may at the stoppe couch his hinder legges the better and so make it more close and beautifull it shall bee good that you chuse such a peece of ground to passe the careire vpon as may at the last end where your horse shall stop bee somewhat descending downe the hill yet so that it may bee grauelly and firme ground on which your horse may valiantlie trust his feete not slippery or grasse ground which once fayling a horse will make him euer after out of his distrust both haue worse willnd stop with much lesse beautie After you haue past your horse a cariere or two and find that he will doe it strongly swiftly and obediently you shall then not passe him a Cariere aboue once in two or three moneths especially after he comes to weare a bytt for nothing doth distemper a horses mouth so much as passing many Carieres And thus much for this lesson CHAP. 20. When and how to bytt horses and to wake his head constant AFter your horse hath beene thus farre trained vp and taught perfitly in all these former lessons onely with the Trench Martingale and Musroll and that you find he doth euerie lesson with a comely grace good courage great lightnesse and settled constancie you shall then take away his Trench and in stead therof put into his mouth a plaine smooth Cannon bytt somwhat formerly worne of the proportion shape of the first figure of cānons formerly described this byt you shall at the first putting on anoynt with hony and salte the kurb thereof must bee rounde smooth long and verie full by any meanes not pressing but onely lying gently vpon the nether lippe The cheeke of this first bytt must be straight according to the first figure of cheekes and the length according to the proportion of the horse as thus for example when your horse standeth in his best glorie and reyneth most comely and closest as you may make him doe if you stande by him and hold either a peece of bread or a perfumed gloue to his nose or if you make a strange horse stande before him as it were to ouer-face him Take thē your ryding rodde and measure him from his neather tush to the vpper part of the fore point of his shoulder and iust so long must the cheeke of your bytt bee from the eie of the bytt to the neathermost part thereof Now when you haue put this bytt into your horses mouth and placed it in his due place which is euer aboue the neather tush so as it may touch but not rest vpon the tush you shall then take the last Cauezan formerlye shewed which cōsists all of one peece not hauing sharp teeth but blunt teeth as appeares by the figure with long reynes of good round rope being both soft and but halfe twound put it vpon your horses heade placing it iust vnderneath the nose-band of your brydle which is so much lower then your Musroll lay by the iust breadth of your nose-band insomuch that the Cauezan shall rest vpon the gristle of the horses nose which is the tenderest part of the horses face Now for as much as the weight of the yron when you ease the reynes of the Cauezan will fall downe and peraduenture slip ouer the horses nose you shall vnderstand that all your Cauezans must haue their out-sides couered with leather strong and good so that the yron may not be seene then through this leather you shal put a string with which string you shall tie the Cauezan vp to the noseband of the bridle and the noseband in any wise at the first you shall buckle close and straite about the horses chaps least at the first wearing of a bytt which is a mouth more full and large then the Trench he take vnto him the foule vice of gaping When your horse is thus trimmed after he haue stoode a while vpon the bytt in the stable and felt the Kurbe and other implements you shall then bring him to the blocke and take his backe As touching the carriage of the reynes of your bytt I haue formerly shewed you and for the reynes of your Cauezan you shall carrie them in all poynts as before I taught you to carry the false reines of the flying Trench which is the left reyne in your left hand and vnder your left thumbe and your right reyne in your right hande of an euen length with the other After you are wel setled and euerie thing about your horse orderly disposed you shall then thrust forward your horse and trott him faire and softly into some large sandie hie way bearing his heade onely vpon the Cauezan and letting him but feele the bytt and no more no sooner drawing it with the least motion but instantly easing it againe You shall the first day neyther put him to large ring nor any other lesson but onely trott him straight forwarde and make him stoppe and retyre vsing the helpe of the bytt little or nothing at all After you haue thus ridden him the first day you shall the next day likewise also ride him straight forthright only stop and retire also yet that day you shall carye an indifferent hand which is to say you shall beare him as much vpon the Cannon as vpon the Cauezan as thus when you draw vp the reynes of your bytt you shall let loose the reines of your cauezan and when you draw downe the reynes of your Cauezan you shal ease the reines of your bytt with these equall and indifferent motiōs you shall exercise him the second day bringing him to a little more familiaritie and acquaintance with the bytt yet euer preseruing his mouth in all