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
to your brest where your Rest should stand and as you bring in your arme so you shall descend the point of your Launce a second third part nearer to your Ring and this being your second motion must continew doing the second third part of your course Then your Launce being brought to your Rest you shall by lifting vp and keeping open your elbowe from your bodie and by putting downe your thumbe and fore parte of your hand descend the point of your Launce softlie downe till it fall as it were into the ring which beeing your third motion must continewe dooing the last third part of your course and thus hauing taken the Ring you shall runne your Horse to the end of the Cariere raysing your staffe againe to his former place with the same three motions that is the first taking your staffe from your Rest The second to bring your hand to your thigh and the third to bring vp the neathermoste ende of your Launce vpon your thigh as it was before you started And these three latter motions you shall doe so speedilie that they shall all three bee finished in one third part of the course running the other two partes of the course out with your Launce on your thigh gallantlie and when you come to the vtmoste end of the Cariere you shall therestoppe your horse close firme and iust making him aduaunce once or twice and then after a little pause to turne him about and set his head forward againe towards the ring as hee was before so that if you please you may passe another Cariere backe again to the place where you first started doubling your courses as you finde strength in your horse and abilitie in your owne bodie Thus you see the whole substance of art in this course at the Ring is contained in three distinct motions the first in discharging your Launce from your thigh the second bringing it vp to the Rest which is on your brest against your right pappe and the third the fine descending downe of the point of your Launce till it meete with the marke whereat you run Where it is to bee noted that after you haue once started your horse begun to discharge your staffe frō your thigh you shal not stay or rest but as if all your motions were but one motion bee continuallye mouing till your Launce euen as it descends fal iust into the Ring You shall also obserue that by no meanes you coutch your Laūce lower thē the ring so bring it back vp againe to take the ring for that is an error of great grosenesse neither shall you turne your hand so much in to your left side that you put your Launce wide of either hand the ring and then bring it backe againe to hit the ring for that is almoste as ill as the other you shall obserue that you carrie your elbow and that part of your arme from your elbowe to your shoulder of one iust height giuing your hand libertie to gouerne your Launce euerie way and not by thrusting downe your elbowe to hugg or gripe your Launce whereby it shal be carryed in an euen line iust from your right shoulder and so not come neare the ring by diuers yardes because the ring is euer placd wide of your left shoulder this fault you shall amend onelie by carrying vp and open your elbowe and so by turning in your hand charge your Launce directly ouer the left eare of your horse which the length of your Launce considered will carrie it directly vpon the ring which standes a little wider vpon your left hand you shall also obserue that in the passage of the Cariere you sit fast firme and vpright in your saddle neither bending so much forward that like an ordinary horse runner you loose the beauty of your person nor bending so much backeward that the horse may seeme to carrie you away contrarie to your will and liking or to your great disaduauntage when either in tryumphes you shall bee cald to runne at the Tilt or in the field when with your Launce you shall incounter with your enemie for you must vnderstand that both running at the ring and tilting haue one and the selfe same motions helpes and obseruations and he that can hit a ring of fiue or sixe inches cannot misse a man of much greater quantitye But sitting gallantlie and vprightly you shall onely turne your right shoulder a little thought more inward then your left Lastly you shall obserue to carrie your bridle hand close vnder the pommell of your Saddle somewhat lower then the middest neither giuing the reines such libertie that you shall haue no feele of the horses head nor restraining them so hard that he cannot run fourth with his greatest courage but holding an indifferent meane force your horse with spurre and legge to passe his carreire with all speed possible and in such sort that when you come to the stoppe you may not draw vp your bridle hand aboue the toppe of the Saddle pommell nor seeme in that motion either to haue your seat troubled or to bend your bodie backeward and in the whole passage of the carriere if you run either alongst a wall or a tylt barre you shall turne your bridle hande a little backeward towards your left side to keepe your horses fore-partes close to the wall or barre and when by your horses slouth occasion is giuen you you shall spurre your horse rather vpon the right side which is from the barre then on the left side next to the barre Now for asmuch as both the former motions and these obseruations will seeme exceeding difficult to an vnexperienced hand And forasmuch as Tilt barres places conuenient for his practise are euer about the Pallaces of Princes where is continuall concourse of people to whomscollers at first are loath to prostitute their ignorance If therefore you would practise in a more priuate maner it shall not be amisse for you thē in some remote peece of ground which is both leuell and hath good foot-holde by setting vp strong stakes and such like stayes first to passe one line or strong rope from the height of your midde thigh as you sit on horsbackes the whole length of a cariere which may serue as the figure of at barre then in the middest thereof to set vp your Ring of the hight formerly described in this Chapter then shall you by the helpe of hier stakes passe another smaller line from your eie or midde Launce iust to the center of the Ring then by the helpe of two long Poales passe a third small line from the toppe of your Launce as it standes vpon your thigh to the center of your Ring also carying the first thirde part of that line in an euen straightnesse and the other two partes descending according to the figure before shewed And when you haue thus placed your lines you may then as if you were at a tilt barre start your horse into his Cariere 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
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
the Manger what meat he hath left vneaten by the computation of that which he hath left to eat consider how much he hath eaten â—han if you find he hath eaten nothing at all or verie little you shall then vnderstande that either the former dayes hunting hath dissolued much grosse matter in his bodie vpon which the scowring working somwhat sore makes him a little sicke and so doth forbear his foode or els your former dayes labor was a little more violent then in discretion it should haue beene but which soeuer it be it matters not for his stomacke will quickly come againe with moderat labor If you find he hath eaâ—en all his prouender and left none in the manger theÌ„ you must know that ouer night you gaue him not so much as you should haue done and therefore it shall bee good that the next night you double your proportion for it is a principall rule you must holde in this kinde of dieting to giue your Horse euer more meate then hee will eate and not as trauellers and Poulters doe keepe your Horse euer with an vnsatisfied stomacke for by that meanes being euer kept sharpe like a hauke as if hee laboured for his bellie whensoeuer hee comes to a good or full meale he caÌ„not chule but surfet The keeping of a hunting horse is and the keeping of other horses should bee contrarie for you must by little and little giue them so much that in the end they will eate no more and then if you throw neuer so much before them they wil eate no more then shall suffice nature being to themselues better phisitions then any man can bee but if you once stint them or keepe them hungry a meale or two then according to the olde prouerbe be sure the third will make a glutton wherefore hauing by little filled your horses bellie before you serue him for all night be sure then to giue him so much that you may find some vneaten in the morning Now lastly if you doe finde a little in the Maunger so that you see he hath eaten a good proportion then you may be assured he is strong and lustie and hath in him no touch of sicknesse After you haue taken these notes from his dung and meat you shal then cause the groome to dresse him water him and vse him in all poynts as in his former dayes of rest giuing him both good store meate and chaunge of meate that is one while breade and another while Oates giuing him moste of that hee takes most affection vnto The next day following this day of rest you shall take your horse forth on hunting againe but not to the ende you shall put him to anie labour but onely to keepe him in breath and to procure him a stomacke to his meate for all this day you shall not by any meanes galloppe him except now and then fiue or sixe score yardes but onely trott him from hill to hill that you may see and heare the Houndes but not follow the Hounds and thus spending the day till euening bring your Horse home without hauing anie one haire wette with sweate obseruing all he day as you ryde as oft as your Horse doth dung to turne about and looke vpon it for there is no question but that day he will voide verie much grease and filthines when you come home let him bee verie well rubd drest and warme cloath'd vp and verie well fedd that night both with Oates and bread As for his water you shall that day both water him in the morning as you ride him into the fielde and also water him in the euening as you bring him from the field and giue him no scowring at all The next day after this being a day of rest and feeding you shal vse your horse as in the daies of rest before specified where you are onely appointed to feede hard but to giue no scowring In the same maÌ„ner with al the same obseruations that you haue spent this weeke you shall also spend the next weeke following without anye augmentation or alteration and then be well assured you shall haue your horse in as good winde strength and cleannesse as is eyther fit or necessarie for a hunting Horse so that afterwards obseruing moderately to hunt twice or thrice a weeke according to the strength constitution of his bodie and euerie night when as you come from any sore hunting to giue him hempseede a mash You shal keepe him all the yeare fit for your pleasure and with out any danger either of winde breaking bursting blinding foundring or such like infirmities make him performe in labour as much as is contained within the compasse of his power onely thus much you must know by the way that after once you haue brought your horse to be cleane which you shall perceiue both by his long induring of labour without sweating by the clearenesse of his winde when he will runne three or foure mile and scarse blow at it and also feeling his flanke to bee thinne as contayning nothing but a double skinne and his chaps so cleane eyther from fat glut or kirnels that you may hide both your fists betweene them then you must by no meanes giue him any scowring after his riding except it be nowe and then vpon some sore daies hunting eyther a little hempseede or else boxe leaues and Brimstone or if he haue a little pose in his head then a little mustard-seede in his prouender other scowrings you shall vse none vnlesse it be when there is aparant sicknes Also after you haue made your horse cleane you shall by no meanes eyther through your negligence or for want of riding suffer him to growe foule again for so you shall be oft deceiued procure your self a double labor not haue one penny cost saued And thus much for your third fortnights dyet CHAP. 10. Why Horses should haue their sweats after the Dogges and of their cloathing THere be some HorsemeÌ„ which because they haue gotten particular names out of their ambitions to keepe particular reputations and to make men beleeue there is greater misteries in their doings then indeed there is wil wheÌ„ they should giue their horse any thorow sweat either steale from companye or from the Houndes and where no bodie may beholde them breake into a maine chace and so giue their Horse a sweate or else taking vnaccustomed houres giue their horse his sweates in obscure places from the ground of which custome it may be that some will demaund why I doe not obserue that rule but prescribe sweats to bee giuen after the Doges in any publique assemblie my answere is that because I am not a Scholler to men and fashion but onely to experience and reason therefore I eschewe all thinges wherein I can finde no probabilitie as I can neither doe in this too curious priuatnes or in binding my selfe to any one remote place Now for giuing a horse his sweates after the Dogges in
the day Now you must obserue that although I ioyne you thus almost to ceasles labour yet my meaning is not that you should bee so much with your horse that you should giue him no time for rest or sleep which is a second foode vnto his bodie for that were absurd but to take such fitte and conuenient times when either your horses rest is past or that you thinke hee hath disgested that which before you gaue him and to that end you must haue some priuate peeping hoale where you may euer see whether your horse be vpon his feete or laid downe if he be laid downe you shal not onelie your selfe refraine from comming vnto him but also haue care no noise or tumult be neare the stable and as soone as hee rises of his owne accord you shall then goe to him and feede him as is before prescribed Vpon Wednesday in the morning as soone as you come to him you shall giue him some bread and then let the Groome dresse him saddle him and bridel him then when you are readie to goe forth you shall take a pinte of good Ceres Sacke being brued with three ounces of Sugar candie and giue it him to drinke and then take his backe and that day ride all chases and at all horses trying the vttermost both of his strength winde and toughnes which if you cannot sufficiently doe with ordinarie hunting then you shall in the latter end of the day breake foorth into a maine chase ouerthwart the fieldes and making your friends to ride at you with fresh horses that day trie the vttermoste of his power both in speede otherwise make sure that you spur him soundlie that you may know how truly he wil stick to the spurs if need be yet by the way vnderstand me not thus liberally that I meane I would haue you ride your Horse till either you tyer him or make him forsake his galloppe but onely till you bring him to the height of his winde strength that then you may knowe thus much he wil do without the violence of any extreame compulsion and that when you spurre him you feele him in crease and not diminish in his labour when you haue thus done feele that if you should put him to more then weaknes would followe you shall take him vp and throwing a cloath or two ouer him you shall gentlie ride him vp and downe the field till he be coole and so ride him home to the stable where cloathing and stopping him close and warme you shall feede him with the best breade and vse him in all thinges as you did in other former daies after sore hunting onely no scowring but box and brimstone All thursday and friday you shall let him rest and tumble himselfe in the stable onely dressing him twice euerie day at his vsuall howers and feeding him with the best breade as thoroughly as you can possiblie then on Saterday you shall ride him foorth againe but you shall not by any meanes galloppe him but onelie ride him gentlye from hill to hill that he may stretch foorth his leggs take the benefit of the fresh ayre and recouer his stomack which continually feeding and lying in the house will soone pepriue him off you shall not this third day let him abide so long in the filde as you were formerlie accustomed but about two a clocke at the furthest you shal bring him home that hee may bee drest watered and fedde in due time all Sunday is a day of rest and there is nothing to bee done but to feede him onely vpon Munday in the morning as soone as you haue fed him with breade you shall then ride him foorth on hunting againe but yet verie sleightly that is you shal gallop him verie sildome but a little while together only keep him abroad to get winde a good stomacke Tuesday you shall rest as before and on Wednesday you shall hunt him as sore as you did the Wednesday before or if his strength wil abide it a little more doing in euery thing as well in the field as in the stable as you did the other Wednesday before onely this Wednesday if you finde your horse to bee of lustie and strong bodie you shall after you come home and haue cloathed your horse warme giue him the scowring of Sacke Sallet oyle and Sugar-candie and vse him as before hath beene prescribed in the ninth Chapter where this scowring is to be giuen After this dayes sore hunting and the giuing of this scowring you shal hunt or strain your horse no more by any meanes till the match day but onelye ride him gently abcoade after the Houndes euery day or euery other day to keepe him in breath and get him a stomacke neuer offering to gallop him but when you find him so wantonly disposed that euen of himself he desires to scope and play yet then you shall forbeare and gallop him either not at all or so little as is possible your whole labor being imployed by feeding to keep him in strength of bodie and cleannesse of winde Now when you come within three dayes of the match day then both the groomes and the Ryder must be verie watchful and obseruant to attend the horse both night and day for then you shall suffer him to eate as little hay asis possible and indeed no more then shall serue to scowre his teeth or to prepaâ— is stomacke the better by the chaunge of food â—and what meate soeuer he eateth I would haue him either eate it out of your hand or els to stand by and see him eate it being euer readie whensoeuer he rises from his rest to present him fresh meate obseruing when he refuses to eate the best bread to giue him some of the ordinarie bread and when he will neither eat of the best nor of the ordinary theÌ„ to giue him some oats which oats I would haue to be wel kilne dried theÌ„ put into a sack and beaten as you beate wheate for the pot then winow'd againe wel sunn'd if he wil eat any meat at al he will eat one of these three you shall also let him drinke verie oft that he may thereby drink but a little at once for to drinke much is not good and to drinke nothing at alis the worst that may be if he bee a horse of very grosse and foule feeding so that he will eate his litter such things as are about him then assoone as you haue filld his bellie with good meate you shall put vpon his head a muzel either made of canuas or of leather which being like a bag with two holes against his nostrils so that he may take his breath which couering all his mouth shal keepe him that he caÌ„not eate but wheÌ„ you wold haue him yet this muzell I would not haue you vse aboue a night or two before your match day and if your horse bee of tender and daintie stomack then I would neither haue you
conueyance may bee made with trenches or sinckes to carrie away the pisse foule water or other wet which shall fall about it The ayre wherein it should stand would as neare as you can be verie temperate and sweete hauing no marrishes or corrupt places about it especiallye no Swine-sties for the verie smelling and rubbing of swine will breede both the Farcie and other foule diseases Adioyning to your Stable you must euer haue either some good Well Conduit or Pumpe and also some faire Pond or running Riuer the stuffe whereon you shall builde your Stable would if your abilitie will stretch thereunto be eyther bricke or other rough stone and the wall at least eighteene inches thicke if you want bricke or stone studde and plaister will serue or if necessitie compell lome or lime and hayre or any other stuffe which is warme and durable Your stable would bee in proportion longer then broade and not as some vse foure square placing horses on both sides the house which is both ill and vncomely The windowes of your stable must bee vpon that side the stable which answers to the horses buttocks and would open vpon the east that a horse may haue the morning Sun and not as some aduise vpon the north for though it bee tollerable for some one weeke in the Summer time yet it will be moste vnwholsome for all the winter after each windowe about the Stable must haue a close shut or false windowe of bordes that you may at your pleasure make the Stable as darke as you wil and as light as you will the windowes also would bee glased that neither Birdes nor other foule may come therein whose feathers are to a horse both vnwholsom and sometimes poysonous in the midst of your stable in conuenient place and against which you may make a lodging for your Groomes I would haue you builde a hansome chimnie where when occasion serues as either in time of a horses sicknes or sorenes when medicines are to be made you may haue a fire or for the warming ayring drying of the horses cloathes which at somtimes is as wholsome for him as his meate Now for the plaunchers of your stable I agree both with M. Blundeuill and Collumella that they shold be of the best hart of Oake that can be gotten but that they shold lye as they aduise sloping which is to say higher before thē behind I am vtterlie against it holde it of al errors the grosest as not to be tollerated in any place but in Smithfield and amongst Horse-coursers for first it makes a horse in his standing rest somuch vpon his hinder legs that with such painfulnes that it not onely makes him weake pasternd but also bringes to his legs diseases and swellings it makes a horse also that he cannot lye easily but taketh most of his rest standing then which there is nothing more vnhealthful wherfore in any case lay your plaunchers as leuel and euen as you can deuise to lay them and in anye wise lay the boardes not length waies that is from the maunger streight downe to the grub tree but lay them ouerthwart the horses stall so that he may stand crosse the bordes let the grub tree which lies at the neather part of the plaunchers against which the horse wil many times rest his hinder heeles be verie strong and betwixt three or foure inches higher then the plaūchers for the plaūchers must be laid euen not one board higher then another yet they must not be so close ioyned together but that the horses pisse other moisture may runne through the creuises vnderneath the plaunchers All along as your sleepers lye to which you pinne downe the boardes must a Trench or sincke bee digged of at least foure foote broad and about three foote deepe which may conuay away the horses pisse and other filthinesse either into some by dyke or Channell the flore of your stable which is without your plaunchers must bee euen with the verye height of your plaunchers that if your horse atanie time shall goe backward off from the plaunchers yet hee may still stand vppon a iust leuell This flore would bee paued with round small pibble At the vpper ende of your plaunchers you shall place your maunger which would bee of verie strong boardes so artificially and close ioyned together that neither dust nor any thing how small soeuer may scatter out of it Now whereas certaine olde writers woulde haue euerie horse to haue a little small locker to himselfe to eate his prouender therein I for my part like it not for a horse as hee eates his meate will turne his head now and then of one side or other and then hauing but as it were a little boxe to eate in each time he lifts vp his head hee will scatter the one halfe of his meate and againe it is the delight nature of a horse to spread his meate as thinne as is possible and so to eate with the better stomack whereas when you lay it in a thicke heap together he falles to loath it and refuse it you shall euer raise your maunger at least foure foote from the ground and not haue it aboue nine inches deepe for the higher your Maunger stands the higher your horse will thrust and beare vp his necke which will be a good help to his reyne and countenance for howsoeuer it is an vse in Italie or alowed amongst some of our horsemen that there should be no racke but that a horse should receiue all his meat downward towards his feet therby not to strain his with putting it vpward yet I am of a contrarie opinion and would haue a horse to stretch vp his heade aloft to pluck his hay out of a Rack aboue him knowing that such putting vp of his head dooth mend his comelinesse and that taking his hay out of his Racke doth not with blowing vppon it make it so soone loathsome as for the supposition of the filth or dust which shold fal into the horses maine it is verie idle for if the Racke be plac'd right some small dust if there bee any may fall vpon the horses nose but his maine it can neuer touch wherfore I would haue the Racke to be placed of a proporcionable height answerable to the stature of ordinarie horses and let it stand somewhat vpright leaning as little forwarde as may bee When thus your planchers are laid and your Racke set vp you shall diuide your stable into seuerall stalles to the intent that euerie horse may lie by himselfe and those stalles shall be diuided at the neather endes with great postes And if the stable be for great horses or yong colts then from each post to the manger shall goe a rounde peece of timber which hang either in writhen chaines cordes or strong thongs of leather so that it may swinge which way a man will haue it which will keepe horses from striking one at another or if they doe
you doe no more but gallop him ouer the race â—o leasurely as you can deuise that if then you doe it in his cloathes it shal be very good more wholsom for the horse then if you did giue him such a course naked for if he be in good and perfect temper then that gentle exercise wil no more but make him warme in his cloathes Lastly you shall obserue that after your horse is perfectlye cleane and in perfect state of bodie if then he take a generall loathe vnto his dyeting foode and will not by any meanes touch any part of it then you shal not spare if for the recouerie of his stomacke you giue him any foode whatsoeuer for ameale or two as eyther hay grasse forrage hunting bread pease and branne or euen common horse-bread for the coÌ„mon prouerbe being that a little doth but a little hurt In this case to preuent a greater mischiefe you must bee content to tun into a great inconuenience Many other obseruations there be which your experience will produce vnto your memorie which acquaintance familiaritie amongst men skilfull in this Art will bring to your knowledge of which now my remembraÌ„ce is barren of wherefore not doubting but these being carefully looked vnto will giue you all reasonable satisfaction for the rest I will referre them to your owne practise and the disputations of others reasons Now for the inconueniences which are most apt to fal out during this time of dietting running horses they are three in number namely lamenesse of members sicknes of bodie or dislike of food To preueÌ„t lamenesse of limbs you must let your exercise be moderate vse daily those supple ointments which are soueraine for the limbes as linseed oile traine oile sheepes-foote oile neats-foot oile and such like al which are to be vsed before trauel pisse and salt-peter nerue-oile oile de bay oile Perolium al which are to be vsed after labor but if notwithstanding all these helpes yet lamenesse doe chance to happen then you must repaire to the next booke following which coÌ„teineth the office of the Farrier where in you shall find remedies for euery sorrance as for sicknesse of body to preuent it you must keep the bodie cleane by scowrings the blood pure by good diet the spirits actiue in streÌ„gth by healthfull exercise but if likewise crosse to your inâ—uors this chance of sicknes infirmitie happeÌ„ vnto your horse then you shal repaire likewise to the next booke where you shall find receits for euery imperfectioÌ„ in nature as wholsom purgatioÌ„s cofortable drinks the best glisters of which you shall stand most in need in this caâ—e of strait dietting for if your horse in the time of this especiall keeping do by any accydent drie inwardly so that he cannot dung but with great paine and dfficultie you shall then not loosen him by any purgation or scowring for that through his passage amongst the inward vessels and mixing with the blood and spirites doth weaken a horse too much but onely you shall administer a glister vnto him which is most kindly both cooling and comfortable Now lastly for his dislike of food to preuent it you must vse oft change of food certaine times in your feeding but if notwithstanding it happen then you must repaire it by much ayring and longer times of fasting thus much both for obseruations and inconueniences CHAP. 8. Certains helpes and rules for the Rider and bow he shall run his horse at the best aduantage OF al the aduantages which are either to be gained or lost there is none greater or more carefully to be respected then either the giuing or the loosing of weight for it is most certaine and I haue seene manie experiments thereof that a pounde waight aduauntage hath both won lost the wager as thus hee that hath been a pound waight heauier hath lost and that pounde waight beeing abated hee hath wonne for in long or sore courses where waight is to bee felte there lesse then a pounde is verie troublesome and though these chaunces happen not in euerie course at least are not so seuerallie lookt into yet for mine owne part I giue this caution to all those which intend to make any match vpon running horses by no meanes to giue his aduersary any aduauntage in weight for though it be neuer so little in a mans sence or apprehension yet it is a great matter in the end of the wearie labour The weight which for the moste parte is agreed vpon in matches in these daies and the certaine weight which is allowed in al bell-courses through this land where men are the ryders is ten stone weight each stone contayning foureteene pound and being in a match for a Bel if hee which comes first vnto the staffe want any thing of his dew weight which is presently to be tryed by the scales he shall loose his aduantage the second horse shal haue the Bell but if the second horse want weight also then the third horse shall haue it and so from horse to horse till it come to the last horse and for mine own part I haue seen courses where for want of weight the hindmoste horse hath beene adiudged the Bell and indeede it is his dewe if he bring his true weight to the staffe and be seene to gallop the course thorowe but if in the course he be seene to leaue gallopping as dispairing in â—he match then he shall challenge no aduantage because his owne yeilding was a resignation of all his right in that daies victorie Now if no horse bring his weight to the staffe then the Bell shal be giuen to that horse which ranne with the grâ—test weight These Lawes being wel considered it is the part of euerie good rider to make himselfe a full compleat weight and if he be of himselfe so ligâ— that he must câ—trie dead weight theâ— to carrie it 〈◊〉 a thicke plate of 〈◊〉 foulded sowed vp in câ—oath or canuase going 〈◊〉 girdle about his brest vnder his arm-pits to be â—orn vp with two crosse Bautricks ouerthwart his shoulders for so shall it be least troublesome both to the horse and to the ryder whereas to carrie dead weight as I haue seene manie riders doe either about their wastes or in the pockets of their breeches it must needs be verie vilde and caÌ„not chuse but beat a man mightily both vpoÌ„ the thighs and bodie To ride with a plate coate as I haue seene a principall Rider do cannot but be most troublesome or to beare sods of earth about a man is the worst of all for the earth drying looseth the waight and so puts in daunger the wager I would not haue a rider by any meanes to ride fasting for though some suppose they are then lightest yet dayly proofe shewes vs that they are heauier then when their bodies haue taken moderate sustenance Now since I am entred thus farre into these
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