it with gumdragant anise seedes and damaske rose leaues beaten to powder then put them into a quart of strong ale made sweete either with sugarcandy or hony and faile not to giue him this drinke three mornings together keeping the horse warme during his sicknesse CHAP. 23. Of the Feuer taken in the winter season A Feuer taken in the winter is not so dangerous touching the life of a horse as the feuer before mentioned yet is it a feuer which will continue long and aske great circumspection in the cure the causes thereof are the same which are formerly described and the signes are no other then hath bene already declared Touching the cure it is thus you shall first purge his head by making him neese that done you shall let him bloud both in the necke and the palate of the mouth and then two howres and a halfe after giue him this drinke Take of treus three ounces of round pepper halfe an ounce of bay berries and the seede of smallage of each halfe an ounce boyle these in white wine and giue it him to drinke luke warme Other Farriers vse to take a pint of new milke and to put therein two ounces of sallet oyle of saffron one scruple of mirre two scruples of the seede of smallage a spoonefull and to make him drinke it luke warme but the horse which taketh this drinke must be in good strength for it he be brought low it is somewhat too strong The ancient Italians did vse for this feuer to giue this drinke Take of Aristolochia halfe an ounce of Gentian of Hysop of wormwood of Southerwoort of each halfe an ounce of dry fat figges three ounces of the seede of smallage an ounce and an halfe of rue halfe an handfull boyle them all with running water in a cleane vessel vntil almost halfe be consumed then when it beginnes to thicken take it from the fire straine it and giue it the horse luke warme Now there are not any of these drinkes but are sufficient for the cure but the first is best Now for his dyet be sure to keepe him fasting long before his fits come and let his drinke be onely warme mashes of malt and water Now if you perceiue that his fits continue and bring the horse to any weaknesse you shall then to comfort and quicken the natural heate of the horse rubbe and chafe all his body ouer either in the Sunne or by some softe fire with some wholsome friction of which frictions you shall finde choyce in a particular chapter hereafter following together with their seuerall natures and vses CHAP. 24. Of the Feuer which cometh by surfaite of meate onely THe Feuer which cometh by surfaite of meate onely without either disorder in trauell of corruption of bloud is knowne by these signes The horse will heaue and beate vpon his backe his breath will be short hot and dry and his winde he will draw only at his nose with great violence The cure therefore is you shall let him bloud in his necke vnder his eyes and in the â—â—late of his mouth you shall also purge his head by making him neeâ—e then keepe him with very thin dyet that is let him fast for more then halfe of the day and let him not drinke aboue once 〈◊〉 foure and twenty houres and that drinke to 〈◊〉 â—arme water you shal also once or twice chafe his body with wholesome friction and if during his cure he chance to grow costiue you shall cause him to be raked and afterward giue him either a suppositary or a glister of both which and of their seuerall natures you shall reade sufficiently in a chapter following CHAP. 25. Of Feuers extraordinary and first of Pestilent Feuers WE find by many ancient Italian Writers that both the Romans and others their countrymen haue by experience found many horses subiect to this pestilent feuer which is a most contagious and pestiferous disease almost incurable for mine own part I haue seene it in many colts and young horses Surely it proceedeth as I iudge either from great corruption of bloud or from infection of the aire The signes thereof is the horse will hold downe his head forsake his meate shed much water at his eyes and many times haue swellings or vlcers rising a little below his eare rootes The cure is first you shall not faile to let him bloud in the necke veine then two or three howres after you shall giue him a glister then make this plaister Take of squilla fiue ounces of elder of castoreum of mustard-seed and of euforbium of each two ounces dissolue the same in the iuice of daffadill and sage and lay it all about the temples of his head and betweene his eares then giue him to drinke for three or foure dayes together euery morning two ounces of the best treacle dissolued in a pint of good muskadine The Italians vse to giue him diuers mornings a pound of the iuice of elder roots or in stead of his hay a good quantity of that hearbe which is called Venus haire but if the time of the yeare be such that they cannot haue it greene then they boyle it in water and straine it and giue it him to drinke but I hold the first drinke to be most sufficient his dyet being thin and his keeping warme CHAP. 26. Of the Plague or pestilence in Horses of some called the gargill or murraine THis pestilence murraine or gargill in horses is a contagious and most infectious disease proceeding either from surfaite of heate cold labour or hunger or any other thing breeding corrupt humours in a horses body as the holding too long of his vrine drinking when he is hot or feeding vpon grosse foule corrupt foods as in low grounds after flouds when the grasse is vnpurged such like Somtimes it springs from som euil influence of the planets corrupting the plants and fruites of the earth and cattell too somtimes also from diuers other such like causes but howsoeuer when the disease beginneth certaine it is that it is most infectious and if there be not care and preuention vsed of multitudes it will not leaue one Not any of the ancient Italian Farriers nor any of our English Farriers that I haue met with do or can yeeld me any signe or token to know this disease more then that one or two must first dye then by their deaths I must adiudge preuent what wil follow but they are mistaken for this disease is as easily known by outward â—ignes as any disease whatsoeuer as namely the horse will first begin to lowre and hang downe his head within two or three dayes after such lowring you shal see him begin to swell vnder his eare rootes or vnder the rootes of his tongue and that swelling will run vniuersally ouer all one side of his face being very extreme hard and great Moreouer all his lips mouth whites of his eyes will be exceeding yellow and his breath
giue the horse to drinke fasting euery morning for a fortnight together a pint of strong ale and fiue spoonefull of the oyle of oates the making of which oyle you shall reade in a particular chapter following but if the disease be of the third sort which is most desperate you shall then take of Tanners ouse a pint and of new milke a pint and of oyle oliue halfe a pint and the quantity of a head of garlicke bruised and a little turmericke mixe these well together and giue it the horse to drinke do this thrice in one fortnight and it will helpe if any helpe be to be had CHAP. 41. Of the mourning of the Chine THis disease which we call the mourning of the chine or as some Farriers terme it the moist malady is that fourth sort of corrupt distillation from the braine of which we haue spoken in the chapter before shewing from whence it proceedes and the signes thereof to wit that the corrupt matter which issueth from his nosthrels will be darke thinne and reddish with little streakes of bloud in it It is supposed by some Farriers that this disease is a foule consumption of the liuer and I do not dissent from that opinion for I haue found the liuer wasted in those horses which I haue opened vpon this disease and this consumption proceedes from a cold which after growes to a poze then to a glaunders and lastly to this mourning of the chine The cure whereof according to the opinion of the oldest Farriers is to take cleare water and that hony which is called Hydromel a quart and put thereunto three ounces of sallet oyle and powre it into his nostrels each morning the space of three dayes if that helpe not then giue him to drinke euery day or once in two dayes at the least a quart of old wine mingled with some of the soueraigne medicine called Tetrapharmacum which is to be had almost of euery Apothecary Others vse to take garlicke houslicke cheruill and stamping them together to thrust it vp into the horses nostrels Others vse to let the horse fast all night then take a pint and a halfe of milke three heads of garlicke pild stamped boyle them to the halfe and giue it to the horse some at the mouth and some at the nose then gallop him a quarter of a mile then rest him then gallop him halfe a mile and rest him againe thus do twice or thrice together then set him vp warme and giue him no water till it be high noone then giue him a sweete mash vse this cure at least three dayes together Others vse to take halfe a pecke of oates boyle them in running water till halfe be consumed then put them into a bagge and lay them very hot vpon the nauell place of his backe and there let it lye thirty howres vsing thus to do three or foure times at the least Others vse to take wormewood Peusedanum and Centorie of each like quantity boyle them in wine then straine them and powre thereof many times into his nosthrels especially into that which most runneth Others vse to take harehound licoras anise seeds beaten to powder then with sweete butter to make pils thereof and to giue them fasting to the horse Others vse to take wheate flower anise seedes and licoras stamped in a mortar fiue or sixe cloues of garlike bruised mixe all these together make a paste of them then make it into pils as big as walnuts taking out the horses tongue cast the balles downe the horses throate three or foure at a time then giue him two new layed egges shelles and all after them Now after all these the best and most approuedst medicine is to take as much of the middle greene barke of an Elder tree growing on the water side as will fill a reasonable vessell putting thereunto as much running water as the vessell will hold and let it boyle till halfe be consumed and then fill vp the vessell againe with water continuing so to do three times one after another and at the last time when the one halfe is consumed take it from the fire and straine it exceedingly through a linnen cloath then to that decoction adde at least a full third part of the oyle of oates or for want of that of oyle oliue or of hogges grease or sweete butter and being warmed againe take a quart thereof and giue it the horse to drinke one horne-ful at his mouth and another at his nosthrels especially that which casteth out the matter And in any case let the horse be fasting when he taketh this medicine for it not onely cureth this but any sicknesse proceeding from cold whatsoeuer it shall be also good to vse to his body some wholesome friction to his head some wholesome bathe of which bathes you shall reade more hereafter in a chapter following For his dyet his food would be sodden barley and sweete hay and his drinke warme water or mashes but if it be in the Summer season then it is best to let him runne at grasse onely CHAP. 42. Of the Cough COughing is a motion of the lungs raised naturally from his expulsiue power to cast out the hurtfull cause as neesing is the motion of the braine Now of coughes there be some outward and some inward those are sayd to be outward which proceed of outward causes as when a horse doth eate or drinke too greedily so that his meat goeth the wrong way or when he licketh vp a feather or eateth dusty or sharpe bearded straw and such like which tickling his throat causeth him to cough those which are sayd to be inward are either wet or dry of which we shall speake more hereafter Now of these outward coughes they may proceede from the corruption of the ayre which if it do you shall boyle in running water figges and currants together then straining the water adde to a quart thereof three spoonfull of Diapente and it will helpe It may also proceed from dust and then you must wash it downe by powring into his nosthrels ale and oyle mingled together It may come by eating sharpe and sowre things and then you must put downe his throat pils of sweete butter whose softnesse will helpe him It may proceede from some little or sleight taken cold and then you shall take the whites yolkes of two egges three ounces of sallet oyle two handfull of beane flowre one ounce of Fenugreeke mixe them with a pint of old malmsey and giue it the horse to drinke three daies together or else take tarre and fresh butter mixe them together and giue pils thereof to the horse foure times in seuen dayes that is the first the third the fift and the seuenth day There be others which vse to take a gallon of faire water and make it ready to seeth then put thereto a pecke of ground malt with two handfuls of boxe leaues chopt small and a little groundsel mixe them
altogether and giue him euery morning and euening a pint for a weeke together If to the boxe leaues you adde oates and bettony it is not amisse so you keep the horse warme Others vse to giue a horse a pint of swines bloud warme Others vse to boyle in a gallon of water one pound of Fenugreeke then straining it giue the water morning and euening by a pint at a time to drinke then drying the Fenugreeke giue it the horse with his prouender Others vse for all maner of coughes to take a quarterne of white currants and as much clarified hony two ounces of sweet marioram with old fresh grease and a head of garlicke melt that which is to be molten and punne that which is to be beaten mixe them together and giue the horse better then a pint thereof three mornings together Others vse to giue a horse the guts of a young pullet dipt in hony and being warme and certainly there is not any of these medicines but are most soueraigne and well approued Now whereas some Farriers vse to thrust downe the throat of the horse a willow wand rolled about with a linnen cloath and annoynted all ouer with hony I for my part do not like it for it both torments the horse more then there is occasion and doth but onely go about to take away that which is gone in the struggling before the medicine can be vsed for it is onely for a cough which cometh by a feather or some such like matter CHAP. 43. Of the inward and wet Cough TOuching all inward coughs which are gotten and ingendred by colds and rheumes of long continuance being not onely dangerous but sometimes mortall you shall vnderstand that they are diuided into two kindes the one wet the other dry the wet cough proceedeth from cold causes taken after great heats which heat dissoluing humours those humors being againe congealed do presently cause obstructions and stoppings of the lungs Now the signes to know this wet cough is the horse will euer after his coughing cast out either water or matter out of his nosthrels or champe and chaw with his teeth the thicke matter which he casteth out of his throate as you shall easily perceiue if you heedfully note him he will also cough often without intermission and when he cougheth he will not much bow downe his head nor abstaine from his meate and when he drinketh you shall see some of his water to issue out of his nosthrels The cure is first to keepe him exceeding warme then for as much as it proceedeth of cold causes you shall giue him hot drinkes and spices as sacke or strong ale brewd with cinamon ginger cloues treacle Long pepper and either swines grease sallet oyle or sweete butter for you shall know that all cold causes are cured with medicines that open and warme and the hot with such as cleanse and coole Some vse to take a pretty quantity of Beniamine and the yolke of an egge which being well mixt together and put into an egge shell cast all downe into the horses throat and then moderatly ride him vp and downe for more then a quarter of an howre and do this three or foure mornings together Others vse to keepe him warme and then to giue him this drinke Take of barley one pecke and boyle it in two or three gallons of running water till the barley burst together with bruised licoras anise seeds and of raisins of each a pound then straine it and to that liquor put of hony a pint and a quarterne of sugarcandy and keepe it close in a pot to serue the horse therewith foure seuerall mornings and cast not away the barley nor the rest of the strainings but make it hot euery day to perfume the horse withall in a close bagge if he eate of it it is so much the better and after this you shall giue the horse some moderate exercise and for his dyet let him drinke no cold water till his cough abate and as it lessoneth so let his water be the lesse warmed Now for mine own part though all these receits be exceeding good and very well approued yet for mine owne part in this case thus hath bene my practise If I found either by the heauinesse of the horses head or by the ratling of his nosthrels that the cough proceeded most from the stopping of his head I would only giue him foure or fiue mornings together three or foure good round pils of butter and garlicke well knoden together in the morning fasting and then ride him moderately an howre after but if I found that the sicknesse remained in the chest or brest of the horse then I would giue him twice in foure dayes a pint of sacke halfe a pint of sallet oyle and two ounces of sugarcandy wel brewd together and made luke warme and then ride him halfe an howre after and set him vp warme suffering him to drinke no cold water till his cough began to abate or leaue him CHAP. 44. Of the dry Cough THis disease which we cal the dry cough is a grosse and tough humour cleauing hard to the hollow places of the lungs which stoppeth the winde-pipes so that the horse can hardly draw his breath It doth proceede by ill gouernment from the rheume which distilling from the head falleth downe to the breast and there inforceth the horse to striue to cast it out The especiall signes to know it is by eating hot meates as bread that is spiced straw dry hay or such like his extremity of coughing will encrease by eating cold and moyst meates as grasse forrage graines and such like it will abate and be the lesse he cougheth seldome yet when he cougheth he cougheth violently long time together and dryly with a hollow sound from his chest he also boweth his head downe to the ground and forsaketh his meate whilest he cougheth yet neuer casteth forth any thing either at his mouth or nosthrels This cough is most dangerous and not being taken in time is incurable for it will grow to the pursicke or broken winded altogether The cure according to the opinion of the ancientest Farriers is that for as much as it proceedeth from hot humours therefore you shall perfume his head with cold simples as Camomill Mellilot Licoras dryed red Roses and Camphire boyled in water and the fume made to passe vp into his mouth and nosthrels Others vse to take a close earthen pot to put therin three pints of the strongest vinegar and foure egges shels all vnbroken and 4. heades of garlicke cleane pild bruised set the pot-being very close couered in a warme dunghill or a horse mixion there let it stand foure and twenty howres then take it forth and open it and take out the egges which will be as soft as silke and lay them by vntill you haue strained the vinegar and garlicke through a linnen cloath then put to that liquor a quarterne of hony and halfe a quarterne
of sugarcandy and two ounces of licoras two ounces of anise seedes beaten all into fine powder and then the horse hauing fasted all the night early in the morning as about seuen or eyght a clocke open the horses mouth with a drench staffe and a cord and first cast downe his throate one of the egges and then presently powre after it a horn-full of the aforesayd drinke being made luke warme then cast in another egge and an other horn-full and thus do till he haue swallowed vp all the egges or three at the least then bridle him and couer him warmer then he was before and set him vp in the stable tying him to the bare racke for the space of two howres then vnbridle him and giue him either some oates hay or grasse yet in any case giue him no hay vntill it haue bene somewhat sprinkled with water for there is no greater enemy to a dry cough then dry hay dry straw or chaffe let him haue no cold water the space of 9. daies Now if you chance the first morning to leaue an egge vntaken you shall not faile to giue it him and the remainder of the drinke the morning following If you find by this practise that the cough weareth not away you shal then purge his head with pils of which you shall reade in the chapter of purgations after his pils receiued you shall let him fast 3. howres standing warme clothed littered in the stable you shall also now and then giue him a warme mash and once a day trot him moderatly abroad There be other Farriers which for this dry cough take onely the hearbe called lions foot or Ladies mantle spurge smallage of each like quantity seeth them either in a quart of old wine or a quart of running water till some part be consumed and giue it the horse to drinke if in stead of the hearbs themselues you giue the iuice of the hearbs in wine it is good There be others which take a good quantity of white currants as much hony two ounces of Marioram one ounce of peniriall with 5. pounds of fresh grease and nine heades of garlicke beate that which is to be beaten melt the rest giue this in 4. or 5. dayes like pils dipt in hony Others vse to take Myrre Opoponax Iris Illyrica Galbanum of each two ounces of red Storax three ounces of turpentine foure ounces of henbane halfe an ounce of opium halfe an ounce beate them to a fine powder and giue two or three spoonfull with a pint of old wine or a quart of ale Others vse to take forty graines of pepper foure or fiue rootes of radddish foure heades of garlicke and sixe ounces of sweet butter stampe them all well together and giue euery day a ball of it to the horse for a weeke together making him fast two howres after his taking it and surely it is a most excellent approued medicine for any old grown cold or cough Other Farriers vse to take of oyle de bay and of sweete butter of each halfe a pound of garlicke one pound beate it together vnpild and being well beaten with a pestill of wood adde your oyle and butter vnto it then hauing made it into balles with a little wheat flowre giue your horse euery morning for a weeke or more three or foure balles as bigge as walnuts keeping him fasting after from meate three howres and from drinke till it be night prouided that still his drinke be warme and his meate if it possible may be grasse or hay sprinkled with water as for his prouender it would be oates and Fenugreeke sprinkled amongst it Now if you perceiue that at a fortnights end his cough doth nothing at all abate you shall then for another weeke giue him againe the same physicke and dyet but truly for mine owne part I haue neuer found it to faile in any horse whatsoeuer yet I would wish all Farriers not to be too busie with these inward medicines except they be well assured that the cold hath bene long and that the cough is dangerous CHAP. 45. Of the frettized broken and rotten Lungs COughes do many times proceede from the corruption and putrifaction of the lungs gotten either by some extreme cold running or leaping or by ouer-greedy drinking after great thirst because the lungs being inclosed in a very thinne filme they are therefore the much sooner broken and if such breach be made without instant cure they beginne to inflame and apostume oppressing and sickning the whole lungs Now the signes to know this disease is the horses flankes will beate when he cougheth and the slower they beate the more old and dangerous is the disease he will also draw his winde short and by little at once he will groane much be fearefull and loath to cough and often turne his head to the place grieued to conclude he will neuer cough but he will bring vp something which he will champ in his mouth after The cure is giue him two or three ounces of hogges grease and two or three spoonfull of Diapente brewd in a quart of barley water wherein currants hath bene sodden Other Farriers vse to take a pound of licoras and being scrapt and flist to steep it in a quart of water foure and twenty houres then to straine it then to boyle three or foure ounces of currants in it and so giue it the horse to drinke keep him fasting 3. or 4. howres after There be other Farriers which vse to take of Fenugreeke and of linseed of each halfe a pound of gum dragant of masticke of myrre of sugar of fitch flowre of each one ounce let all these be beaten into fine powder and then infused one whole night in a good quantity of warme water and the next day giue him a quart of this luke warme putting thereunto two ounces of the oyle of roses and this you must do many dayes together and if the disease be new it will certainly heale if it be neuer so old it will assuredly ease him but in any case let him drinke no cold water and for his food grasse is the most excellent Others vse to take of malmsey a pint of hony three spoonful mixe them together then take of Myrre of Saffron of Cassia Cynamon of each like quantity beate them to a fine powder and giue two spoonfull thereof in the wine to drinke do this at least a fortnight together and it is certaine it will helpe these frettyzed and broken lungs but for the putryfied and rotten lungs we will speake more in this next chapter CHAP. 46. Of putrified and rotten Lungs THis disease of rotten and exulcerated lungs you shall know by these signes he will cough oft vehemently and euer in his coughing he will cast little reddish lumps out of his mouth he will decay much of his flesh and yet eate his meate with more gredinesse then when he was sound and when he cougheth he will cough with more
such fumes and pils as are good for the glaunders which you may finde in the chapter of purgations then to giue him cole-worts small chopt with his prouender now then the bloud of a sucking pigge warme There be others that in stead of the bloud will giue either the iuyce of leekes mixt with oyle and wine or else wine and frankinsence or sallet oyle and the iuice of rue mixt togegether but in my conceit the best cure is to purge his body cleane with comfortable and gentle scourings and then to be suffred to runne to grasse both for a Winter and a Summer and there is no question but he must necessarily end or mend for languish long he cannot CHAP. 50. Of the Consumption of the flesh THis disease which we cal the Consumption of the flesh is an vnnaturall or generall dislike or falling away of the whole body or as we terme it the wasting of the flesh which proceedeth from diuers grounds as namely from inward surfaits either by naughty foode or ill dyet or from vncleane moist and stinking lodging but especially from disorderly labour as by taking great and sudden colds after violent heate or such like all which procure the wasting or falling away of the flesh The signes whereof are these first an vnnaturall and causlesse leannesse a dry and hard skinne cleauing fast to his sides want of stomacke or appetite to his meate a falling away of his fillets and a generall consumption both of his buttockes and shoulders The cure whereof according to the ancients is to take a sheeps head vnfleayed and boyle it in a gallon and a halfe of ale or running water vntill the flesh be consumed from the bones then straine it through a cloath and put thereto of sugar halfe a pound of cinamon one ounce of conserue of roses or barberies of cherries of each one ounce mingle them together and giue the horse euery morning a quart thereof luke warme till two sheeps heades bee spent and after euery time he drinketh let him be gently walked or ridden vp and downe according to his strength that is if the weather be warme abroad if it be cold and windy then in the stable or some close house suffring him neither to eate nor drinke for two howres after his medicine and from cold water you shall keepe him the space of fifteene dayes Now for his ordinary foode or prouender you shall repute that best which he eateth best whatsoever it be and that you shall giue by little and little and not any grosse or great quantity at once because the abundance and glut of food taketh away both the appetite and nutriment which should proceede from wholesome feeding CHAP. 51. How to make a leane Horse fat BEsides this generall consumption of a horses flesh which for the most part or altogether proceedeth from sicknesse there is also another consumption or want of flesh which proceedeth from neshnesse tendernesse freenesse of spirit and the clymate vnder which the horse is bred as namely when a horse that is bred in a warme clymate comes to liue in a cold or when a horse that is bred vpon a fruitfull rich soile comes to liue in a barren and dry place In any of these cases the horse will be leane without any apparant signe of griefe or disease which to recouer there be many receits and medicines as namely the ancient Farriers did vse when a horse either grew leane without sicknesse or wound or any knowne distemperature to take a quarter of a pecke of beanes and boyle them in two gallons of water till they swell or burst then to mixe with them a pecke of wheate branne and so to giue it the horse in maner of a mash or in stead of prouender for it will fat suddenly Others and especially the Italians will take cole-worts and hauing sodden them mixe them with wheat bran and salt and giue them in stead of prouender There be others which take the fatty decoction of three Tortoyse being well sodden their heades tayles bones and feete being reiected and giuing it the horse suppose it fatteth suddenly or if you mixe the flesh of the Tortoyse so sodden with your horses prouender that is good also But as the simples are Italian and not English so for mine owne part I referre the vse rather to them then to my country men There be others which vse to fat vp their horses by giuing them a certaine graine which we call bucke in the same manner as we giue oates or pease There be others which to fat a horse will giue him onely parched wheat and a little wine mixed with his water and amongst his ordinary prouender alwayes some wheate branne and be exceeding carefull that the horse be cleane drest well rubbed soft littered for without such cleanly keeping there is no meate will enioy or do good vpon him and also when he is fed it must be by little at once and not surfaited There be other Farriers which to feede vp a leane horse will take Sage Sauin Bay-berries Earth-nuts Beares grease to drinke with a quart of wine Others will giue the entrailes of a Barbel or a Tench with white wine Others will giue new hot draffe and new branne and twenty hard roasted egges the shels being pulled off then bruise them and then put thereto a pretty quantity of salt then mixe all together and giue a good quantity thereof to the horse at morne noone and euening for his prouender and once a day which would be at high noone giue him a quart or three pints of strong ale and when the horse beginneth to be glutted vpon this meat then giue him dryed oates if he be glutted vpon that then giue him bread if he leaue his bread giue him malt or any graine that he will eate with a good appetite obseruing euer to keepe the horse very warme and with this dyet in foureteene dayes the leanest horse will be made exceeding fat There be other Farriers which to make a horse fat wil take a quart of wine and halfe an ounce of brimstone finely beaten with a raw egge and a peny waight of the powder of Myrre mixe all together and giue it the horse to drinke many mornings together Others will take three-leaued grasse halfe greene and halfe dry and giue it to the horse in stead of hay by little at once and it will fat suddenly onely it will breed much ranke bloud Other Farriers vse to take two peny worth of pepper and as much saffron anise seeds and turmericke a peny worth of long pepper two peny worth of treacle a peny worth of licoras a good quantity of peniryall and archangell giue the horse these with the yolks of egges in milke to drinke Others take wheat made cleane and sod with salt and lard dryed in the sunne giue it twice a day before each watering Others giue a pint of good wine with a raw egge beaten a quantity of brimstone
allay the sharpnesse of the humours some to binde some to loosen and some to purge and some to heale vlcers These glisters by cleansing the guts refresh the vitall parts and prepare the way before for euery inward and stronger purgation Therefore whensoeuer a horse through the grosnesse of humors corruption of bloud or aboundance of fleame choler or melancholy is brought vnto that euill habite of body that of necessity he must be purged and that especially his paine is in his guts and body you shall then as before I sayd hauing made a probation of a suppositary first of all administer a glister lest by purging suddenly with any purgation or potion you stirre vp a multitude of euill humours which finding no passage downeward because the guts be stopped with winde and dregges do strike vpwards and so perhaps put the horse into much greater danger Now for the composition of glisters you shall vnderstand that they be made of foure things that is of decoctions of drugges of oyle or such like vnctious matters as butter or soft grease and fourthly of diuers salts to prouoke the vertue expulsiue A decoction is the broth of certaine hearbs and simples boyled together in water vntill the third part be consumed Now sometimes for want of such decoctions you may if you please vse some fat beefe broth or the broth of a sheeps head or such like or milke or whay or some such like liquor mingled sometimes either with hony or with sugar according to the quality of the disease the glister being either lenitiue that is to say easing of paine or glutinatiue which is ioyning of things together or else abstersiue which is wiping away or cleansing of filthy matter Now of this decoction or broth being cleane strained you shall neuer take aboue three pints at the most and many times but a quart into which you shall put such drugges as are needfull exceeding not at the most aboue three or foure ounces according as the simples be more or lesse violent of oyle you shall neuer vse in a glister aboue halfe a pint and of salt not aboue three or foure drams You shall also continually administer your glister luke warme either with some long horne or a large glister pipe made for the purpose and fixed to the largest bladder you can get and this glister pipe is of all the best and doth least loose labour When you do administer a glister you shall set the horses hinder parts somewhat higher then his foreparts and then you shall put the glister pipe in at his tuell into his fundament vp to the head and hauing the confection within the bladder wring it with good strength into his body A glister would be administred to a horse when he is rather empty then full paunched whether it be in the forenoone or after noone Now for the retaining or holding of the glister in the horses body three quarters of an howre is sufficient of what quality soeuer it be Now you are to note by the way that as soone as the glister is administred into the horses body you must draw out the pipe with all the gentlenesse that may be and suddenly clappe his taile to his tuell and so hold it with your hand without any mouing or stirring of the horse till the medicine haue had his full time of working Now to come vnto particular glisters that you may know which glister is for which purpose the first is take of the pulpe of Coliquintida halfe an ounce of Dragantium 3 quarters of an ounce of Centuary of wormewod of each halfe a handfull of Castoreum a quarter of an ounce boyle them in three pints of water then being strained you shall dissolue therein of Gerologundinun three ounces of salt three quarters of an ounce and of oyle oliue halfe a pint and so luke warme administer it glister wise as hath bene before expressed this glister is exceeding soueraigne for the pestilence in horses or for any feuer of what nature soeuer The next is to take the decoction of mallowes and to mixe therewithall either fresh butter or sallet oyle and so luke warme administer it this is of all glisters the most gentlest and as the former glister is abstersiue or cleansing so this is leuitiue and a great easer of paine it is most soueraigne for a horse that is taken or that hath any contraction or convultion and generally for any costiuenesse in a horse whatsoeuer proceeding from inward surfaite or sicknesse as from the surfaite by prouender foundring in the body and such like The next is to take of salt water or cleane brine a quart and dissolue therein a pretty quantity of sope and then luke warme administer it this glister is good for the cholicke or any sâ—cknesse of the guts or belly And thus from these three glisters you may compound many glisters but in mine opinion if you vse no more but them onely they will be fully sufficient CHAP. 93. Of Purgations and their vses THe purging of horses is euer by one of these two wayes either by pils or by potion pils are any solid and substantiall stuffe fixed together in one body and being made into round balles are cast downe the horses throat and potion is when you giue the horse any liquid purging matter to drinke whether it be purging powders dissolued in wine or ale or that it be any other liquid stuffe Now for pils they onely purge and make cleane the head and braine bringing fleame and other grosse humours downe into the excrements and potions cleanse the stomacke guts and euery other inward member Now the art of the carefull Farrier is in choosing the simples whereof these pils or potions are to be compounded and in aptly or artificially applying the same First then it is needfull that euery Farrier before he go about to purge his horse know with what ill humour a horse is opprest as whether it proceede from choler fleame or melancholy and where the humours do most abound and then what simples are best to purge those humors and with what property quality and temperament they bee indued fâ—r some simples are most violent and next cousins to strong pâ—ysons as Scamony or Coloquintida some againe are gentle and rather nourishing then medicinall as Manna Cassia whay prunes and such like and some are neither too violent nor too gentle but of a meane as Rewbarbe Agaricke Sene Aloes Now the ancient Farriers did vse to purge their horses with the pulpe of Coloquintida somtimes with the rootes of wild cowcumbers and sometimes with the broth of a sodden whelpe mixt with Nitrum and such like but at this day they are not of our practise and therefore I wish him that for his experience will make a tryall of strong medicines or know the workings of euery seuerall simple which is a most praise-worthy ambition first to make his proofes vpon iades whose losse he respecteth not and so by that working to aduenture on
of Licoras of Fenugreeke of Basnis of each halfe an ounce of Cardanum of pepper of bitter almonds of Baurach of each two ounces of nettle seed and of Aristolochia of each two ounces boile them altogether in a sufficient quantity of water and in that decoction dissolue halfe an ounce of Agaricke 2. ounces of Coloquintida together with 2. pound of hony giue him a pint a halfe of this at a time for at least a week together and if the medicine chance at any time to proue too thicke you shall make it thin with water wherein licoras hath bene sodden and some Farriers also besides this medicine will with a hot yron draw the flanks of the horse to restraine their beating and slit the horses nosthrels to giue the wind more liberty but I do not affect either the one or the other the best diet for a horse in this case is grasse in Summer hay sprinkled with water in Winter There be other Farriers which for this infirmity hold that to giue the horse 3. or 4. daies together sodden wheat and now then a quart of new sweet wine or other good wine mixt with licoras water is a certaine remedy There be other Farriers which for this disease take the guts of a hedgehogge and hang them in a warme ouen till they be dry so that a may may make powder of them then giue your horse 2. or 3. spoonfull thereof with a pint of wine or strong ale then the rest mixe with anise seeds licoras sweet butter make round balles or pils thereof giue the horse 2. or 3. after his drink and so let him fast at least 2 howres after Now when at any time you giue him any prouender be sure to wash it in ale or beere then take Comin Anise seeds Licoras and Sentuarie of each like quantity make them being mixed together into fine powder strew two spoonful therof vpon the prouender being being wet This physicke must be vsed for a fortnight at the least Others vse to take of cloues nutmegs 3. drams of galingale Cardomonum 3. drams of foot of bay seeds comin of each 3. drams make them into fine powder put it into white wine being tempered with a little saffron then put to so many yolkes of egges as may couÌ„teruaile the other quantity then mixe them with water wherin licoras hath bene sodden making it so thin that the horse may drink it and after he hath drunk the quantity of a pint halfe of this drinke tye vp his head to the racke let him so stand at least an howre after that the drinke may descend into his guts then walke him gently abroad that the medicine may worke and in any case giue him no water for foure and twenty houres after the next morning giue him some grasse to eate and the branches of willow or sallow which will coole the heate of the potion Now there bee other Farriers which take of Paunces Longwort Mayden-haire the crops of nettles Carduus benedictus hearbe Fluettin the rootes of dragons bruised the roots of Elecampana bruised of water hempe of peniriall of light wort of Angelica of each of these a good handfull or so many of these as you can conueniently get bruise them and lay them all night in two or three gallons of water and giue it a boyle in the morning and let the horse drinke thereof as much luke warme as hee will then after this drink giue him a pretty quantity of sodden wheat vse this dyet for a weeke or more at the least and then if the season be fit put him to grasse This cure is of great reputation and thought to helpe when all other faileth for mine owne part I wish euery man to iudge it by the practise There be others which onely for nine or ten dayes together will giue their horse water wherein licoras hath bene sodden mixt with wine and hold it a most soueraigne helpe There be others which will onely giue new milke from the cow but I despaire in that cure because milke being onely flegmatike flegme is the onely substance of this disease Other Farriers vse to keep the horse fasting foure twenty howres then take a quart of ale a quarter of an ounce of Fenugreeke halfe a quarter of bayes of the greene barke of Elder trees of sugarcandy of water cresses of redde mints of redde fennell of haw-tree leaues and of prim-rose leaues of each halfe an ounce the whites of sixe egges beate these in a mortar and seeth them in the ale giue it him to drinke then let him fast after twelue howres then giue him meate and prouender inough yet but little drinke Others vse to giue him wet â—ay and moderate trauell then take twenty egges and steepe them in vinegar foure and twenty howres giuing the horse two euery morning and after the egges are spent a pottell of new milke from the cow Now there be other Farriers which onely will dissolue in vinegar fifteene egges and giue the horse the first day three the second day fiue and the third seuen and hold it a good helpe Others will take an ounce of frankinsence two ounces of brimstone mixe it with a pint of wine and halfe a pint of hony Others will take Sal-niter burnt with the powder of pitch and giue it with the same quantity of wine and hony Others will onely giue Sal-niter mingled with his meate prouided alwayes that in euery cure you keepe your horse from cold and labour and dayly chafe his head with oyle and wine CHAP. 49. Of the dry Malady or Consumption THis disease of the dry malady or as the ancient Farriers terme it a generall consumption is nothing but a meere exulceration of the lungs proceeding from a cankerous fretting and gnawing humour ingendred by cold and surfaite which descending from the head sickneth corrodeth the lungs Some of our ignorant Farriers will call it the mourning of the chine but they are thus farre forth deceiued that the mourning of the chine doth euer cast some filthy matter at the nose and the dry malady neuer casteth forth any thing The signes to know this dry malady or consumption are these his flesh and strong estate of body will consume and waste away his belly will be gaunt his backe bone hidde and his skin so stretched or shrunke vp that if you strike on him with your hand it will sound hollow like a tabor his haire will hardly shed and either he will vtterly forsake his meate or the meate he eateth will not disgest prosper or breede any flesh on his backe he will offer to cough but cannot except in a weake maner as though he had eaten small bones truly according to the opinion of others so I find by practise that it is incurable yet that a horse may be long preserued to do much seruice I haue found it by these helpes First to purge his head with
and for the most part it followeth some extreme great emptinesse or want of foode the beast being euen at the pinch and ready to bee chappe-falne There bee some Farriers which suppose that it proceedeth from some extreame cold outwardly taken by trauelling in cold and barraine places as in the frost and snow where the outward cold maketh the stomacke cold whereby all the inward powers are weakned The signes are onely an alteration or change in the horses feeding hauing lost all temperance and snatching and chopping at his meate as if he would deuoure the manger The cure according to the opinion of some Farriers is first to comfort his stomacke by giuing him great slices of white bread toasted at the fire and steeped in muskadine or else bread vntoasted steeped in wine then to let him drink wheat flowre and wine brewed together There be others which vse to knead stiffe cakes of wheate flowre and wine and to feede the horse therewith Others vse to make him bread of pine-tree nuts and wine knoden together or else common earth and wine mingled together but for mine owne part I hold nothing better then moderately feeding the horse many times in the day with wholesome beane bread well baked or oates well dryed and sifted CHAP. 60. Of the diseases of the Liuer in generall and first of the inflammation thereof THere is no question but the liuer of a horse is subiect to as many diseases as either the liuer of a man or any other creature onely through the ignorance of our common Farriers who make all inward diseases one sicknesse the true ground and causes not being looked into the infirmity is let passe and many times poysoned with false potions but truth it is that the liuer sometimes by the intemperatenesse thereof as being either too hot or too cold too moist or too dry or sometimes by meanes of euill humors as choler or fleame ouerflowing in the same heate ingendring choler and coldnesse fleame the liuer is subiect to many sicknesses and is diuersly payned as by inflammation apostumation or vlcer or by obstructions stoppings or hard knobs or lastly by the consumption of the whole substance thereof The signes to know if the disease proceede from hot causes is leannesse of body the loathing of meate voyding dung of a strong sent great thirst and loosnesse of belly The signes to know if the disease proceed from cold causes is good state of body appetite to meate dung not stincking no thirst and the belly neither loose nor costiue Now to proceede to the particular diseases of the liuer and first of the inflammation you shall vnderstand that it cometh by meanes that the bloud through the abundance thinnesse boyling heate of sharpnesse thereof or through the violence of some outward cause breaketh out of the veines floweth into the body or substance of the liuer and so being dispossest of his proper vessels doth immediately putrifie is inflamed corrupting so much of the fleshly substance of the liuer as is either touched or imbrewed with the same whence it cometh that for the most part the hollow side of the liuer is first consumed yet sometimes the full side also this inflammation by a naturall heate is sometimes turned to putrifaction then it is called an apostumation which when either by the strength of nature or art it doth breake and runne then it is called an vlcer or filthy sore Now the signes of an inflammation on the hollow side of the liuer which is least hurtfull is loathing of meate great thirst loosnesse of belly and a continuall vnwillingnesse to lye on the left side but if the inflammation be on the full side of the liuer then the signes be short breathing a dry cough much paine when you handle the horse about the wind-pipe and an vnwillingnesse to lye on the right side The signes of apostumation is great heate long fetching of breath and a continuall looking to his side The signes of vlceration is continuall coldnesse staring vp of the haire and much feeblenesse faintting because the filthy matter casting euill vapours abroad doth many times corrupt the heart and occasion death Now for the cure of these inflammations some Farriers vse to take a quart of ale an ounce of myrre and an ounce of Frankinsence and brewing them well together giue it the horse diuers mornings to drinke Others vse to take three ounces of the seedes of smallage and three ounces of Hysop and as much Sutherwort and boyle them wel in oyle and wine mingled together and giue it the horse to drinke keepe the horse warme and let him neither drinke cold water nor eate dry dusty hay CHAP. 61. Of Obstructions stoppings or hard knobs on the Liuer THese obstructions or stoppings of a horses liuer do come most commonly by trauelling or labouring on a full stomacke whereby the meate not being perfectly disgested breedeth grosse and tough humours which humours by the extremity of trauell are violently driuen into the small veines through which the liuer ought to receiue good nutriment and so by that meanes breedeth obstructions stoppings Now from these obstructions when they haue continued any long time especially if the humours be cholericke breedeth many times hard knobs on the liuer which knobbes maketh the horse continually lye on his right side and neuer on the left because if he should lye on the left side the waight of the knob would oppresse the stomacke and euen sicken all the vitall parts in him The signes of these obstructions or stoppings are heauinesse of countenance distention or swelling great dulnesse and sloth in the horse when he beginneth his trauell and a continuall looking backe to his short ribbes where remaineth his greatest paine and torment Now the cure thereof is to seeth continually in the water which hee drinketh Agrimony Fumitory Camomill VVormewood Licoras Anise seedes Smallage Persley Spickenard Gentian Succory Endyue and Lupyns the vertues whereof are most comfortable to the liuer But for as much as the most part of our English Farriers are very simple Smithes whose capacities are vnable to diue into these seuerall distinctions and that this worke or maister peece is intended for the weakest braine whatsoeuer you shall vnderstand that there bee certaine generall signes to know when the liuer of a horse is grieued with any griefe of what nature or condition soeuer it be and so likewise generall receipts to cure all the grieues without distinguishing or knowing their natures you shall know then if a horse haue any griefe or paine in his liuer by these signes First by a loathing of his meate next by the wasting of his flesh drynesse of his mouth and roughnesse of his tongue and great swelling thereof and refusing to lye on the side grieued and lastly a continuall looking backeward Now the generall cures for the sicknesse of the liuer is according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers to giue the horse aloes dissolued in sweet
with your thumbe put downe the neather lidde and you shall plainly see the haw then thrust your needle through the edge of the haw and with the threed draw it out so as you may lay it vpon your finger then fasten the threed about your little finger to hold it constantly and then with a very sharp knife cut crosse the gristle of the inside next the horses eye and so separating the skin the fat from the gristle cut the gristle quite out then cutting your threedes draw them cleane out both of his eye liddes and out of the haw then wash all the horses eye either with ale beere or white wine and plucke away all the long haires from about the horses eyes being sure to leaue no bloud within the horses eye And in this maner of cure you must obserue that by no meanes you cut away too much of the wash or fat about the haw nor any part of the blâ—cke that groweth by the end of the haw for that will make the horse bleare eyed There be other Farriers which vse after they haue cut out the haw to annoint the eye sixe dayes after with sallet oyle the marrow of sheeps shanks salt mixt together Others vse to take of the iuice of ground Iuy stampt in a mortar with the iuice of Iuy berries and mixe them either with water or white wine and so plaister-wise lay it to the horses eye renuing it morning and euening and it will eate away the haw Others vse after the haw is cut away to lay to the eye a plaister of camomill and of hony beaten together any of all which is sufficient enough Now you are to note by the way that the horse which hath one haw commonly hath two for they continually go together CHAP. 12. Of Moone eyes or Lunaticke eyes THe moone eyes or lunaticke eyes are of all soare eyes the most dangerous and noysome and do proceede from hot humours descending from the head and stirred vp by the extremity of ouer-riding or compelling a horse to do more then nature will giue him leaue as I haue seene a slothfull and heauy horse brought to be moone eyed by the folly of his rider who would force him to stand and trot contrary to the vigor of his spirit so likewise I haue seene delicate mettald horses brought to be moone eyed when their riders would not temper the freenesse of their natures but haue giuen them leaue to runne into all violence Now they be called moone eyes because if the Farrier do obserue them he shall perceiue that at some times of the moone the horse will see very prettily and at some times of the moone he will see nothing at all Now the signes hereof are when the horses eyes are at the best they will looke yellowish and dimme and when they are at the worst they will looke redde fiery and angry The cure is to lay all ouer the temples of the horses head the plaister of pitch rosen and masticke mentioned in the chapter of watery eyes then vnder each of his eyes with a sharp knife make a slit of an inch long about foure fingers beneath his eyes and at least an inch wide of the eye veines then with a cornet loosen the skin about the breadth of a groat and thrust therein a round peece of leather as broad as a two-pence with a hole in the midst to keepe the hole open and looke to it once a day that the matter may not be stopped but continually runne the space of ten dayes then take the leather out and heale the wound with a little flaxe dipt in this salue Take of Turpentine of hony and of waxe of each like quantity and boyle them together which being a little warmed will be liquid to serue your purpose and take not away the plaisters which are vpon his temples vntill of themselues they fall away which being falne then with a small hot drawing Iron make a starre in the midst of each temple veine where the plaisters did lye which starre would haue a hole in the midst made with the butten end of your drawing Iron in this sort Now there be other Farriers which in stead of the slits vnder the eye and the peece of leather which is a plaine rowell onely do take a small blunt hot Iron and about an inch and an halfe beneath the neather lidde to burne some 5 holes all of a row according to the compasse of the horses eye and to burne those holes euen into the bone and then once a day to annoynt them with fresh grease or sweet butter CHAP. 13. Of the Canker in the eye A Canker in the eye commeth of a ranke and corrupt bloud descending from the head into the eye where it congealeth a little worme in manner as it were the head of a pismyre which groweth in the neather end of the horses eye next to his noseward It proceedeth many times in the gristle of the nose which if it chance to eate through it will then passe into the head and so kill the horse The signes thereof are you shall see redde pimples some great some small both within and without the eie vpon the eye lids and all the eye it selfe will looke redde and be full of very corrupt matter The cure according to the ancient Farriers is to take as much burnt allome as an hazell nut and as much of greene copporas and bake them bâ—th together vpon a tile-stone and then grinde them into powder and put thereto a quarter of a spoonfull of hony mixe them all together and then with a clout dipt therein rubbe the sore till it bleede and dâ— thus seuen daies together and it will cure the canker There be other Farriers which for this canker in a horses eye will first let the horse bloud in the necke veine of the same side that the soare eye is and take away to the quantity of a pottell of bloud then take of roach allome and of greene copporas of each halfe a pound of white copporas one ounce and boyle them in three pints of running water vntill the halfe be consumed then take it from the fire and once a day wash his eye with this water being made luke warme with a fine linnen cloth and clense the eye therewith so as it may looke raw and do this till the eye be whole CHAP. 14. For a Stripe or Blow vpon a Horses eye IF a horse shall catch any stripe or blow vpon his eye either with whippe rodde cudgel or any such like mischance or by one horses biting of another when they either play or fight then for the cure thereof if you take it when it is new done you shall onely blow into his eye either the powder of Sandeuoire or the fine powder of white salt after the eye hath bene washt with a little beere but if the eye be more soare and haue continued longer then you shall take a small loafe of bread and pull
hony or else with hony and hogges dung mixt together Other Farriers vse to rowell the horse vnder the throat and to draw the rowell twice or thrice a day annointing it with fresh butter and keeping his head warme Other of our latter and better experienced Farriers vse first if his yeares will permit it to let the horse bloud in the necke veine then to lay to the soare this ripening plaister take of mallowes linseed rue smallage and ground Iuy of each like quantity boyle all these together in the grounds of beere then put to a pretty quantity of oyle de bay with a little Dia Althea then take it from the fire and therewith make your plaister and lay it to the soare suffering the horse by no means to drink any cold water after the soare is broken lay bran steept in wine vnto it till it be whole Others vse to cut the kirnels out betweene the iawes then to wash the soare with butter beere giuing the horse to drinke new milke garlike and iuyce of the leaues of birch or in winter the barke of birch or else to annoint it with tarre and oyle till it be whole Now for mine owne part the best cure that euer I found for the strangle was this As soone as I found the swelling to arise betweene his chappes to take a waxe candle and holding it vnder the the horses chappes close to the swelling burne it so long till you see the skinne be burnt through so that you may as it were raise it from the flesh that done you shall lay vnto it either wet hay or wet horse litter and that will ripen it and make it breake then lay a plaister vnto it only of Shooe-makers waxe and that will both draw and heale it Now if it breake inward and will not breake outward and so auoydeth onely at his nose then you shall twice or thrice euery day perfume his head by burning vnder his nosthrels either Frankinsence or masticke or else by putting a hote coale into wet hay and so making the smoake thereof to ascend vp into the horses head CHAP. 22. Of the Cankerous Vlcer in the Nose THat which we cal the cankerous vlcer in the nose is onely a fretting humor eating and consuming the flesh and making it all raw within and not being holpen in time will eate through the gristell of the nose It cometh of corrupt bloud or else of a sharpe hunger ingendred by meanes of some extreme cold The signes are the horse will oft bleede at the nose and all the flesh within his nose will be raw and filthy stinking sauours and matter will come out at his nose The cure thereof according to the ancient Farriers is take of greene copporas and of allome of each one pound of white copporas one quarterne and boile these in a pottell of running water vntill a pinte be consumed then take it off and put thereunto halfe a pint of hony then cause his head to be holden vp with a drenching staffe and squirt into his nosthrels with a squint of brasse or pewter some of this water being luke warme three or foure times one after another but betwixt euery squirting giue him liberty to hold downe his head and to snurt out the filthy matter for otherwise perhaps you might choake him and after this it shall be good also without holding vp his head any more to wash and rubbe his nosthrels with a fine clowt bound to a stickes end and dipt in the aforesaid water and do thus once a day vntill the horse be whole Other Farriers vse if they see this canker to be of great heate and burning in the soare with exceeding great paine then you shall take the iuice of purslaine lettice and night-shade of each like quantity and mixe them together and wash the soare with a fine cloath dipt therein or else squirt it vp into his nosthrels and it will allâ—y the heate Others take of hyssope sage and rue of each a good handfull and seeth them in vrine and water to the third part of them then straine them out and put in a little white copporas and hony and aqua-vitae and so either wash or squirt the soare place with it then when the canker is kild make this water to heale it Take of rib-woort bettony and daysies of each a handfull then seeth them well in wine and water wash the soare three or foure times a day therewith vntill it be whole Others vse to take Chrystall and beating it into fine powder to strow it vpon the canker and it will kill it CHAP. 23. Of bleeding at the Nose MAny horses especially yong horses are oft subiect to this bleeding at the nose which I imagine proceedeth either from the great aboundance of bloud or that the veine which endeth in that place is either broken fretted or opened It is opened many times by meanes that bloud aboundeth too much or for that it is too fine or too subtile and so pierceth through the veine Againe it may be broken by some violent straine cut or blow And lastly it may be fretted or gnawne through by the sharpnesse of the bloud or else by some other euill humour contained therein The cure is according to the ancient Farriers to take the iuice of the rootes of nettles and squirt it vp into the horses nosthrels and lay vpon the nape of the horses necke a wadde of hay dipt in cold water and when it waxeth warme take it off and lay on a cold one Other Farriers vse to take a pint of redde wine and to put therein a quarterne of Bole-armoniacke beaten into fine powder and being made luke warme to powre the one halfe thereof the first day into his nosthrell that bleedeth causing his head to be holden vp so as the wine may not fall out and the next day to giue him the other halfe Others vse to let the horse bloud on the breast veine on the same side that he bleedeth at seuerall times then take of frankinsence one ounce of aloes halfe an ounce and beate them into fine powder and mingle them throughly with the whites of egges vntill it be as thicke as hony and with soft Hares haire thrust it vp into his nosthrell filling the hole so full that it cannot fall out or else fill his nosthrels full of ashes dung or hogges dung or horses dung mixt with chalke and vinegar Now for mine owne part when none of these will helpe as all haue failed me at some times then I take two small cords and with them garter him exceeding hard some ten inches aboue his knees of his forelegges and iust beneath his elbowes and then keepe the nape of his necke as cold as may be with wet clothes or wet hay and it will staunch him presently CHAP. 24. Of the boody rifts or choppes in the palate of the horses mouth THese choppes clefts or rifts in the palate of a horses mouth doe proceede as some Farriers suppose
of lead with a hole in it of such weight as will poise the crest vp euen and hold it in his right place then shall you draw his crest on that side the weight hangs with a hot drawing Iron euen from the toppe of the crest downe to the point of the shoulder making diuers stroakes one an inch and an halfe from another then shall you lay vpon the burnt places a plaister of pitch tarre and rosen molten together and so let the weight hang till all the soare places be healed and there is no question but the crest will stand both vpright and strongly CHAP. 38. Of Manginesse in the Maine THe manginesse which is in the maine of a horse and maketh him shed his haire proceedeth either from the ranknesse of bloud pouerty or lowsinesse or else of rubbing where a mangie horse hath rubbed or else of filthy fretting dust lying in the maine for want of good dressing The signes are the apparant rubbing and itching of the horse about the maine and necke and the scabbes fretting both the flesh skin besides the shedding and falling away of the haire The cure according to the opinion of some of our old Farriers is first let him bloud on the neck veine and cut away all the haire from the scabs then with a hot Iron as bigge as a mans finger seare all the soare place euen from the one end to the other then annoint all the place you so burnt with blacke sope and now and then wash it with strong lee and blacke sope mixt together Other Farriers for this manginesse onely take of fresh grease one pound of quicksiluer halfe an ounce of brimstone one ounce of rape oile halfe a pint mingle them together and stirre them continually in a pot with a slice vntill the quicksiluer be so wrought with the rest as you shall perceiue no quicksiluer therein that done take a blunt knife or an old horse-combe and scratch all the mangy places therewith vntill it be raw and bloudy and then annoint it with this ointment in the sunne-shine if it may be to the intent the ointment may sinke in or else hold before it either a hot fire pan or a hot barre of Iron to make the ointment melt into the flesh and if you see that within three daies after thus once annointing him he leaue not rubbing then marke in what place he rubbeth and dresse that place againe and questionlesse it will serue CHAP. 39. Of the shedding of the haire in the Maine HAire for the most part sheddeth or falleth from the maine of a horse by reason of certaine little wormes which eate and fret the rootes of the haire asunder The cure whereof is first to annoint the maine and crest with blacke sope and then to make a strong lye either of running water and ashe ashes or else of vrine and ashe ashes and with that to wash the mainâ— all ouer and it will helpe him CHAP. 40. Of paine and griefe in a horses Withers BOth to a horses withers and also to his backe do happen many infirmities and sorrances some proceeding from inward causes as of the corruption of humors and sometime of outward causes as through the galling pinching and wringing of some naughty saddle or some heauy burthen layed on the horses backe or such like and of these griefes some be small and some be great the small are onely superficiall blisters swellinges light galles or bruisings and are easily cured but the great are those which pierce to the very bone and be most dangerous especially if they be nigh to the backe bone Then to speake first of the smaller gallings whensoeuer you shall see any swelling to arise either about your horses withers or any other part of his backe the cure is according to the opinion of some of the old Farriers first if the place be much swolne and festered then to pierce it with a sharpe hot Iron in many parts on both sides of the necke then put into the same tents of linnen cloath dipt in warme sallet oile and then after to dry and heale it vp with the pouder of hony and lime mixt together Others vse to take butter and salt and to boile them together vntill they be blacke then to powre it hot on the swelling then to take a flake of warme horse-dung and lay it on the soare backe vntill it be whole dressing it once a day Others especially the best of the ancient Farriers vse as soone as they see any swelling to arise to binde vnto it a little hot horse-dung to see if that wil asswage it which it will not then to pricke it round about the swelling with a fleame knife or lancet yet not too deepe but so as it may pierce the skinne and make the bloud issue forth that done take of mallowes or smallage two or three handfuls and boile them in running water vntill they be so soft as pappe then straine the water softly from it and bruise the hearbs in a traine dish putting thereunto a little hogges grease or else sallet oyle or sheepes sewet or any other fresh grease boyle them and stirre them together not frying them hard but so as they may be soft and supple and then with a clout lay it warme vpon the soare renewing it euery day once vntill the swelling be gone for it will either driue it away or bring it vnto a head which lightly chanceth not in these small swellings except some gristell or bone be perished Others of the ancient Farriers vse when they see any swelling to arise about a horses backe first to shaue the place with a razor and then to lay thereunto this plaister Take a little wheate flowre and the white of an egge beaten together and spread it on a linnen clout which being laied vnto the swelling two or three daies and not remoued will bring it to a head when you come to take it off pull it away so softly as you can possibly and where as you see the corruption gathered together then in the lowest place thereof pierce it vpward with a sharpe Iron somewhat hot that the corruption may come out and annoint the soare place euery day once with fresh butter or hogs grease vntill it be whole Others of our latter Farriers vse when they see any swelling onely to lay wet hay vnto it for that will either driue it away or bring it vnto a head and then when it is broken you shall lay vpon it a plaister of wine lees renewing it as often as it growes dry and if your lees be too thinne you may thicken them with wheate flowre or if you like not this medicine then you may make a plaister of thicke barme as great as the soare and renew it once a day vntill the swelling be asswaged but if you see that any corruption be knit together then you shall lance it in the neathermost part and let out the matter then wash the soare either with vrine
as may close each foote round about somewhat aboue the cronet and bind it fast with a list or roller that it may not fall away nor be remoued for the space of two daies but let the soles of his feete be cleansed and new stopped euery daie once and the cronets to be remoued euery two daies vntill the horse be sound during which time let him rest vnwalked for feare of loosening his houes but if you see that he beginne to amend you may walke him faire and softly once a day vpon some softe ground to exercise his legges and feete and let him not eate much nor drinke cold water but if his foundring breake out aboue the hoofe which you shall perceiue by the loosenesse of the coffin aboue by the cronet then when you pare the sole you must take all the forepart of the sole cleane away leauing the heeles whole to the entent the humors may haue the freer passage downeward and then stoppe him and dresse him about the cronet as is before said Now if the horse during this cure chaunce to fall sicke or grow so dry in his body that he cannot dung then you shall first rake him after giue him a glister of mallowes three handfuls boild in water from a pottle to a quart then after it is strained put to it halfe a pound of butter and a quarter of a pint of sallet oile and so administer it then when the horse hath emptied his belly giue him this comfortable drinke Take of malmsey a quart and put thereunto a little cinnamon mace pepper beaten into fine powder and of oile a quarter of a pint and giue the horse to drinke of that luke-warme that done let him be walked vp and downe a good while together if he be able to goe if not then tye him vp to the racke and let him be hanged with canuas and ropes so as he may stand vpon the ground with his feete for the lesse he lieth downe the better but these extremities do seldome happen Now there be other Farriers which for the foundring of a horse only take verdigrease turpentine and sallet oile and hoâ—ges grease of each like quantity of bees waxe one ounce boile altogether and so dip flaxe or tow in it then hauing pared his feete thinne and let him bloud on the toes stoppe all his feete with that ointment very hot or else they take the rootes of nettles and hemlocke with elder pilles of each a handfull boyle them tender in boares grease or hogges grease so let him bloud in the midst of the foote on the toe veine then bathe and chafe his ioynt and legge therewith all about from his knee vnto the feetlocke and then clappe it to and binde a cloath fast to as hot as you can So vse this once a day till he be well Now for mine owne part although there is not any of these former recited practises but are found perfectly good in their kindes yet I haue not found any so absolute either for old or new founder as this which I will rehearse First you shall with a very sharp drawing knife draw euery part of the soles of the horses feete so thinne as is possible euen till you see the very water and bloud issuing forth and being sure to draw or pare euery part alike which can hardly be done with a butterys then at the very sharpe end of the frush of the horses foote you shall see the veine lye then with your knifes end lift vp the hoofe and let the veine bleede which as long as you hold open the hoofe wil spinne a great way forth when it hath bled better then a pint you shall close the hoofe and so stoppe the veine then tacke on his foote a hollow shooe made for the purpose that done clap a little tow dipt in hogges grease and turpentine vppon the veine very hard then take two or three hard egges roasted and comming burning hot out of the fire and burst them in the sole of the horses foote then powre vpon them hogges grease turpentine and tarre boyling hot and as much flaxe dipt therein as will fill vp the hollow shooe then lay on a peece of leather to keepe all the rest in and splint it sure and in this manner dresse his foure feâ—te if all bee foundred otherwise no more then are foundred and thus you shall dresse the horse three times in one fortnight and without any further trouble you shall bee sure to haue the horse as sound as euer he was Now if the horse be foundred through the straitnesse of a shoo which in truth is not a founder but a frettizing which is a degree lesse then foundring then you shall for that sorrance you shall first take off his shooe and let him bloud on the toes then stopping the place with bruised sage then tack on his shooe againe and stop it with hogs grease and bran boiled together as hot as is possible and do thus twice in one fortnight and it will helpe him CHAP. 63. Of the Splent as well on the inside of the knee as of any other part of the legge A Splent is to the outward feeling a very gristle or rather a hard bone sometimes as big as a hazell nut sometimes as big as a wal-nut according to the age thereof growing vpon the inside of the forelegge betweene the knee and the vpper pasterne ioynt and somtimes iust vnderneath and close vnto the knee which is of all other the most dangerous splent and doth the soonest make a horse lame it cometh by trauelling a horse too yong or by ouerpressing him with heauy burthens wherby the tender sinews of his legs are offended Now for the knowledge thereof it is easy because it is apparant vnto the eie most palpable to be felt The cure according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers is to take an onyon pricking out the chore put into it halfe a spoonfull of hony a quarter of a spoonfull of vnsleckt lime and 4. penywaight of verdigrease then closing vp the onion roast it in hot embers vntil it be soft then bruise it in a mortar as hot as the horse can suffer it lay it to the splent it will take it away but in any case cut no skin Other of the ancient Farriers vse first to wash the splent with warme water then to shaue off the haire and lightly to scarifie or pricke the skin with the point of a razor so as the bloud may issue forth then take of Cantharides halfe a spoonful of Euforbium as much beaten into fine powder mingle them together with a spoonful of oyle de bay then melt them in a little pan stirring them well together so as they may not boile ouer being so boiling hot take 2. or 3. feathers anoint al the soare places therwith that done let not the horse stir froÌ„ the place where you so dresse him for an houre after to the
water Now the cure according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers is if it bee in the sommer time to take blacke snailes and burre rootes and beating them wel together lay them vnto the soare and renew them once in twenty foure howres But if it bee in the winter then take the scraping of a pannes bottome or of a cauldron and put thereto an handfull of the inner greene barke or pils of the Elder tree and hauing beaten them well together in a mortar lay it vnto the soare and renew it once a day and it will heale it Others vse to take garlicke pepper and hony of each like quantity stamp them very well together then annoynt his tongue with a little thereof and then lay some to his pastorns and that will cure the soarrance CHAP. 109. How to skinne any soare foote THere is nothing better to skinne any soare foote of what accident or soarrance soeuer it procede then to take turpentine simply of it selfe and therewith euery day to annoynt the soare foote and it will not onely gather skinne but hoofe also if it bee in a place where any such need requireth CHAP. 110. Of gourded or swolne legges THe gorge or gourded legges is an ill sorrance being a grieuous swelling in the neather part of the legges proceeding either from the melting of the grease by immoderate labour then wanting wherewith to auoide that grease out in the excrements it falleth downe into the limbes and there breedeth this swelling or else when a horse is exceedingly heated and then without care set vp and taketh cold in so much that the blood falleth downe into his legges and there congealeth and maketh his legges to swell To conclude they doe sometimes proceede from hard beating in hard waies in the sommer time which first raiseth vp windgals and then those windgals offending the sinews maketh them to swell and this is the worst gourding because euer for the most parte lamenesse doth follow it The signes are the horses legges will euer bee most swolne when hee standeth still in the house and least when he is in trauell especially if hee trauell in much water and the swelling most commonly is accompanied with some small scabs and in the end it will breake out into the scratches The cure according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers is to draw him with a hot yron a handfull aboue the knee then rope his legs with a soft rope of hay wet in cold water and let it so remaine a day and a night and it will take away all the swelling Other Farriers take two pound of nerue oile two pound of black sope a pound of Boares grease and melt and boyle all thâ—se well together then straine it and so let it coole then when you haue â—â—y need annoynt and chafe your horses leggâ—s therewith and to make it sinke in the better annoynt him first with nerue-oyle and hold a hote Iron against his legges to make it melte then vse the other oyntment in the same manner which done keepe his legges cleane from dust by lapping a linnen roller about them Others of our later Farriers vse to take vp the veines beneath the knee and let him bleede well then knitte the veine both aboue and below and then annoynt his legges with this oyntment Take of frankinsence rosen and fresh grease of each a like quantity and hauing boyled them very well together then straine it and vse it once a day as you shall haue occasion and it will heale any Gorge whatsoeuer onely for the taking vp of the veines you may if you will forbeare it sith if it bee not done with great cunning it will make the horse stiffe euer after CHAP. 111. Of the Farcy or Fashions THe Farcy of our ignorant Smiths called the Fashions is of all outward sorrances the vilest the most poysonous infectious and the most dangerous being any whit neglected otherwise the most easiest and with the least cost or trouble to bee helped It is a kinde or â—â—eeping â—lcer growing in knots euer following amongst some one veine or other and sometimes alongst diuers or sundry veines according to the strength of the infection It proceedeth sometimes from corrupt bloud ingendred in the body sometimes from outward wounds or hurts receiued by cankerous or poysonous instruments as rusty spurres rusty forkes bitingâ— of dogges or horses bitings of tickes hogges lice or such like sometimes by the rubbing of swine against the legges of the horse or by lying in the litter where swine haue laine or by enterfearing or hewing one legge vpon an other but generally it proceedeth from an euill habite of the body being surfaited by disorderly and vnruly trauell whereby the bloud being heated the grease melted and sudden cold taken there groweth such obstructions in the bloud and such putrifaction in the body that it can no way euacuate or auoyde but by these small knots pustules or vlcers which are so infectious that as many horses as doe gnawe or enappe vpon the horse infected will within one moneth haue the same disease or if the horse infected doe bite any other hee will infect him also and this infection without present cure is mortall and will kill any horse therefore whensoeuer you haue any horse troubled with this sorrance see that you separate him from other horses to preuent the daunger Now for the signes they are the apparance and palpable feeling of the knottes which knottes are neuer but accompanyed with great swellings and rancklinges running alongst as the veines runne and diuiding themselues as the braunches of the veines diuide the number of the knottes multiplying and encreasing vntill the body bee either vniuersally couered ouer or else that the member if it bee in a member bee vtterly deformed and mishapen Now the cure according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers is first let him bloud on his necke veine and on both his spurre veines then giue the horse this drinke Take a gallon of water and put into it a good handfull or rewe and a pound of hempe-seede both being first bruised in a mortar then boyle them in the water till the one halfe bee consumed and giue the horse this to drinke in the morning fasting being cold for diuers morninges together and it will cure him Others of the ancient Farriers vse first to let the horse bloud in that veine where the sorrance first riseth as nigh the soare place as may bee and let him bleede well then fire or cauterize euery knotte one by one taking the knotte in your left hand and pulling it so hard as you can from his body to the intent you may the better pierce the knotte with a round blunt hote Iron of the bignesse of a mans forefingar without doing the body any hurt and let the matter out leauing none vnburned bee it little or much that done annoynt euery knotte so burned with hogges grease warmed euery day once vntill the coares bee ready to
quart hee consumed and with this you shall wash and cleanse the wound then to heale vp the same you shall take oyle of roses virgin waxe and rosen of each a like quantity of turpentine fiue ounces of the gumme of Iuy and Deeres suet as much boyle these together vnto a salue and then dresse the soare therewith vntill it be whole obseruing euer both in this cure and all the rest that as soone you haue put in your tent to clap a plaister ouer it of pitch rosen masticke turpentine and hogs grease molten together which will both comfort the wound by taking away euill humors and also keep in the tent from falling out Now if the fistula be in or about the head of the horse then you shall take the iuice of houslicke and dippe therein a locke of wolle and put it into the horses eares and it will stay the inflammation but if it be exvlcerated and broken then you shall cut away all the rotten and false flesh and then bathe it well with the grounds of ale made warme and then wipe the bloud cleane away then take butter rosen and frankinsence a little and boyle them altogether and boyling hote powre it into the wound then clap on the plaister do thus once a day till the horse bee whole Now if there be any inflammation behind the horses eares or that it grow to any impostumation in that place then you shall boyle the roots of mallows in water till they waxe tender then bruise them and straine out the water cleane being warme apply it to the soare and it will heale it There be other Farriers which for this gâ—nerall fistula vse as a preuention thereof to take hony and sheepes suet and making it scalding hot to scald the soare extreamely therewith vpon the first swelling and it will keepe the fistula that it shall not breed but if it be bred then you shall launce it in the neathermost part and put into it as much Mercurie Sublimatum as a pease being first abated with sallet oyle and laid on with a feather after that take of verdigrease foure penyworth of vitriolle a halfe penyworth or redde lead three penyworth beate these together and euery day wash the wound with copporas water made with copporas and Elder leaues in Sommer and with the inner greene barke in Winter after the washing take the powder put it on the soare and after it drop on a little oyle Other Farriers take the outermost greene shels of walnuts and put theÌ„ in a tub strowing 3. or 4. handfuls of bay salt vpon them some in the bottom some in the midst some on the top so keep them all the yeare when you will vse them take a pint of them a little bay salt halfe a quarter of a pound of blacke sope with halfe a spoonefull of May butter for want thereof other butter and mixe and incorporate them together and then spread it on the soare or taint the sore therewith but two howres before you lay it on annoynt the soare with Venice turpentine and do thus till the fistula bee whole Other Farriers take Vnguentum Egyptiacum which is made of hony a pint vinegar halfe a pint allome a quarterne of a pound and verdigrease one ounce and an halfe and seeth them altogether till they be thick and of a tawny colour this is called Egyptiacum and to make it the strongest way is to put in of Mercurie Sublimatum one ounce made in powder and of arsnicke two scruples and boyle it together with either of these especially the strongest dresse any fistula canker or foule old vlcer whatsoeuer and it will kill it and the weaker of these which wanteth the Mercury and the arsnicke may bee applied to a fistula in the mouth of a horse Other Farriers take of Sublimatum made into powder one ounce the midst of well leauened bread slacke baked three ounces of Nenin ten drams mingle them together with a little rose water and make tents thereof and dry them vpon a tile and at your pleasure tent your fistula therewith and it will assuredly kill it Others take strong lye hony roach allome and Mercury and seeth them together and squirt it into a fistula and it will kill it at the bottome and when you meane to dry vp a fistula take redde wine goats dung and beane flowre and seeth them together and apply it to the fistula and it will dry it vp Now if you intend to sinke downe the swelling of a fistula first of all seare it with a drawing yron in this proportion and then take rosen sheepes suet brimstone and boyle them together and lay it vpon a fistula very hot with a cloth and it will sinke downe the swelling It is also most excellent to take away a windgall if it bee laid on after the windgall is prickt but not too hote but very reasonable and it will keep it also very cleane There bee other Farriers which for a fistula take verdigrease butter and salt melted together and poure it scalding hote into the soare and vse this till all the flesh looke redde then taint it with verdigrease burnt allome wheate flowre and the yelks of egges well beaten and mingled together last of all skinne it with barme and soote mixt together Other Farriers take of that Resagallo that is made of orpiment vnsleckt lime and brimston and it will kill a fistula being applied vnto the bottome yet it is a strong corrosiue and desireth much descretion in the administration CHAP. 114. Of the Anbury AN Anbury is a great spungy wart full of blood which may grow vpon any part of the horses body chiefly about the eye browes nostrels or priuy parts it hath a roote like vnto a cocks stone Now the cure according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers is 1. to tye it about with a threed so hard as you can pull it and the threed will eate in by little and little in such sort as within seuen or eight daies it will fall away of it selfe if it be so flat that you can bind nothing about it then take it away with a sharpe hote yron cutting it round about and so deepe as you leaue none of the roote behind and then dry it vp with the powder of verdigrease but if it grow in such a sinewie place so as it cannot bee conueniently cut away with a hote yron then it is a good to eate out the coare with the powder of Resalgar and then to stop the hole with flaxe dipt in the white of an egge for a day or two and lastly to dry it vp with the powder of vnsleckt lim and hony as is before taught Other Fariers in stead of tying the wart with a thred doe tye it with two or three horse-haires and that is a great deale the better and will rot it off sooner and safer CHAP. 115. Of the Cordes THe cordes is a certaine string which
and dresse him wel and this will make his coate shine like glasse CHAP. 165. How to take off haire in any part of a Horse IF you will at any time take off the haire from any part of a horse you shall dissolue in water according to the opinion of the most ancient Farriers eight ounces of vnsleckt lime and then boyle it till a quarter bee consumed then adde vnto it an ounce of Orpiment and then lay a plaister thereof to any part of the horse and it will in very few howers bring all the haire away There bee other Farriers which boyle in running water rust and Orpiment and with it beeing very hote wash the place and it will soone bring the haire away CHAP. 166. How to cast or ouerthrow a horse WHensoeuer you intend to cast or ouerthrow your horse after you haue brought him into a conuenient place as namely either vpon some greene swarth or vpon some dunghill or in some barne vpon good store of soft straw you shall take and double a long rope and cast a knot a yard from the bought then put the bought about his necke and the double rope betwixt his foure legges and about his hinder pasternes vnderneath his fetlocke then put the ends of the rope vnder the bought of his necke and draw them quickly and they will ouerthrow him then make the ends fast and hold down his head vnder which alwaies you must bee sure to haue good store of straw Now if you would at any time either brand your horse on the buttocke or doe any thing about his hinder legges that he may not strike take vp his contrary forelegge and when you doe brand your horse see that the yron be redde â—ote and that the haire be both scared quite away and the flesh scortched in euery place before you let him goe and so you shall lose no labour CHAP. 167. How to know the age of a horse THe age of euery horse is knowne either by his teeth or by his hoofes or by his taile or by the barres in the roofe of his mouth It is knowne by his teeth thus at two yeares old hâ—e changeth foure foremost teeth in his head at thâ—ee yeares old he changeth the teeth next vnto them leaueth no more apparant foales teeth but two of each side aboue and below at foure yeares old he changeth the teeth next vnto them and leaueth no more foales teeth but one on each side both aboue and below at fiue yeares old he hath neuer a foales tooth before but then he changeth his tuâ—hes on each side at sixe yeares old hee putteth vp his tuâ—hes neare about which you shall see apparantly growing a little circle of new and young flesh besides the tush will be white small short and sharp at seuen yeares old the two outmost teeth of his neather chap on both sides will bee hollow with a little blacke specke in them and at eight yeares old all his teeth will be full smooth and plaine the blacke specke beeing cleane gone and his tushes will bee somewhat yellow without any circkles of young flesh at nine yeares old his foremost teeth wil be very long broad yellow and foule and his tushes will be blunt at ten yeares old in the inside of his vpper tushes wil be no hoals at all to be felt with your fingars end which till that age you shall euer most perfectly feele besides the temples of his head will beginne to bee crooked and hollow at eleauen yeares of age his teeth will bee exceeding long very yellow blacke and foule onely he will cut euen and his teeth will stand directly opposite one against another at twelue yeares old his teeth will be long yellow blacke and foule but then his vpper teeth will ouerreach and hang ouer his neather teeth at thirteene yeares his tushes will be worne close to his chappe if he bee a much ridden horse otherwise they will bee blacke and foule and long like the fanges of a boare If a horses hoofes bee rugged and as it were seamed one seame ouer another if they bee dry full and crustie it is a signe of very old age as on the contrary part a smooth moyst hollow and well sounding hoofe is a signe of young yeares If you take your horse with your fingar and your thumbe by the sterne of the taile close at the setting one by the buttocke and feeling there hard if you feele betwixt your fingar your thumbe of each side his taile a ioynt sticke out more then any other ioynt by the bignesse of an hazell nut then you may presume the horse is vnder ten yeares old but if his ioynts be all plaine and no such thing to be felt then hee is aboue ten and at least thirteene If a horses eies bee round full and starting from his head if the pits ouer his eyes be filled smooth and euen with his temples and no wrinckles either about his brow or vnder his eyes then the horse is young if otherwise you see the contrary caracters it is a signe of old age if you take vp a horses skinne on any part of body betwixt your fingar and your thumbe and plucke it from the flesh then letâ—ing it goe againe if it sodainely returne to the place from whence it came and be smooth and plaine without wrinckle then the horse is young and ful of strength but if beeing pulled vp it stand and not returne to his former place then hee is very old and wasted Lastly if a horse that is of any darke colour shall grow grissell onely about his eye browes or vnderneath his maine it is then an infallible signe of most extreme old age and thus much touching a horses age CHAP. 166. How to make an old horse seeme young TAke a little small crooked yron no bigger then a wheate corne and hauing made it red hot burne a little blacke hole in the toppes of the two outmost teeth of each side the neather chappe before next to the tushes and then with an aule blade pricke it and make the shell fine and thinne then with a sharpe scraping yron make al his teeth white and cleane this done take a fine launcet and aboue the hollowes of the horses eyes which are shrunk downe make a little hole onely but through the skinne and then raising it vp put in a quill that is very small as the quill of a rauen or such like and then blow the skinne full of winde till all the hollownesse bee filled vp and then take out the quill and lay your fingar a little while on the hole and the wind will stay in and the horses countenance will be as if he were but sixe yeares old at the most CHAP. 169. How to make a horse that hee shall not neigh either in company or when he is ridden IF either when you are in seruice in the warres and would not be discouered or when vpon any other occasion you would not haue
coniealed causing humors something thin and slimy of the colour of marrow or the white of an egge this descendeth to the throate and lyeth there till it be discharged through the nosthrels The third is by long continuance thicker and therfore harder to be cured if the colour thereof be yellow like a beane then is the glaunders most desperate and lyeth also in his throate but if it be a browne or darkish yellow then commonly a feuer will accompany the disease To these three distillations there is commonly added a fourth which is when the matter which comes from his nose is darke thinne and reddish like little sparkes of bloud but then is it not said to be the glaunders but the mourning of the chine which is a disease for the most part held incurable It is therefore most necessary for euery good Farrier when he shall take this cure in hand to consider well the matter which issueth from the horses nose for if the humour be cleare and transparent so that it may be seene through then it is not greatly hurtfull or of much moment If it be white it is worse yet with much ease cured If it be yellow separate him from the sound horses for he is infectious yet to be cured if that yellow be mixt with bloud it is with much difficulty helped or if the matter be like vnto saffron the horse is as hardly to be saued he must also consider whether the matter stinke or haue lost the smell the first is a signe of an vlcer the latter of death also whether he cougheth with straightnesse in his chest or no for that also is a signe of an inward vlcer and that the disease is past cure Now for the cure of these three distillations which are all that make vp a complete glaunders you shall vnderstand that when the glaunders is of the first sort it is easily helped by moderate exercise and by warme keeping but if it be of the second sort you shall giue him warme mashes of malt water and perfume his head well and purge it by neesing and into his mashes you shall put fennell seedes bruised Others wil take a pint of white wine a handfull of soote a quart of milke and two heads of garlike bruised brew them together and giue it the horse to drinke Others will take a pottell of vrine a handfull of baysalt and a good quantity of browne sugarcandy boyle it to a quart then adde licoras and anise seedes beaten to fine powder and giue it luke warme to drinke Others will take larde or swines grease and boyle it in water then take the fatte from the water and mingle it with a little oile oliue a good quantity of vrine halfe as much white wine giue a quart of this luke warme to drinke Others vse to giue of ale a quart of grated bread an ounce and a halfe the yolkes of two egges of ginger saffron cloues cynamon nutmegs cardimonium spicknard or lauender galingale and hony of each a pretty quantity mixe these together and giue it to drinke Now if the distillation be of the third sort which is the worst of the three you shall take halfe a pound of swines bloud and melt it at the fire adde to it a pound of the iuice of beets with three ounces of Euforbium finely beaten and when it hath boyled a little take it from the fire and adde an another ounce of Euforbium to it keepe this oyntment and annoynt therewith two very long feathers or little roddes lapt with linnen about and so annoynted put them into his nostrhrels and after rubbing them vp and downe tye them to the nose-band of the bridle and walke him abroad do thus three dayes together and it will either absolutely cure him or at least take away the eye sore Others vse to take a quart of ale an halfe peny worth of long pepper a little brimstone and a penny worth of Galingal two peniworth of spygnal of Spaine two peny waight of saffron brayed with two ounces of butter boyled in the ale when it is luke warme cast the horse and holding vp his head powre it equally into his nosthrels then hold his nosthrels close till his eyes stare and that he sweate which done giue him bayes and ale to drinke then let him rise and set him vp warme feeding him with warme graines and salt or with sweet mashes but the best is if the weather be warme to let him runne abroad at grasse Other Farriers vse to dissolue in vinegar three drams of mustard-seede and as much Euforbium then to giue him one dram at his nosthrell euery day before he drinke Others vse to take of Mirre Iris Illyrica seedes of smallage Aristolochia of each three ounces Sal-niter Brimston of each fiue ounces bayes two ounces saffron one ounce make this into powder and when you giue it giue part in pils made with paste and wine and part by the nosthrels with strong ale do this for the space of three dayes at the least Others vse to take of malmsey a pint of strong ale a pint of aqua-vitae foure spoonefull and brew them together with a prety quantity of anise seeds licoras ellocampane roots long pepper garlicke and three or foure new layed egges and a little buter giue this luke warme to drink then walke him abroad and set him vp warme do thus euery other day for a weeke together Others vse to take stale vrine that hath stood three or foure daies and ten garlicke heades and seething them together giue it the horse to drinke Others vse to take swines grease well clarified and as much oyle de bay as a walnut and giue it the horse to drinke with faire water luke warme Others vse to take of ellocampane anise seeds and licoras of each one peny worth boyle them in three pints of ale or beere til one pint be consumed then adde vnto it a quarter of a pint of sallet oyle and giue it him to drinke luke warme then with a quill blow Euforbium vp into his nosthrels and within three dayes after take mustard foure spoonefull vinegar a pint and an halfe butter three ounces boyle them together then adde thereto halfe an ounce of pepper and giue it the horse luke warme to drinke vse this medicine a fortnight Others vse to take a handfull of pild garlicke and boyle it in a quart of milke till a pint be consumed then adde thereto two ounces of sweet butter and a pint of strong ale stirre them well together and giue it the horse fasting to drinke luke warme which done ride him a little vp and downe and vse this the space of nine dayes Thus I haue shewed you the opinions practise of all the best Farriers both of this kingdome and of others they be all very good effectual yet for mine own part that which I haue found euer the best in my practise is if the disease be of the first or second sort to
ease and clearenesse then if his lungs were but onely broken The cure whereof according to the practise of our ordinary English Farriers is to giue the horse diuers mornings together a pint of strong vinegar warmed or else as much of mans vrine with halfe so much hogs grease brewd warme together but the more ancient Farriers take a good quantity of the iuice of purslaine mixt with the oyle of roses adding thereunto a little Tragaganthum which hath before bene layd to steep in goates milke or for want thereof in barley or oaten milke strained from the corne and giue him a pint thereof euery morning for seuen dayes together This medicine is but onely to ripen and breake the impostume which you shall know if it haue done because when the sore is broken his breath will stinke exceedingly then shall you giue him for other seuen dayes this drinke Take of the roote called Costus two ounces and of Cassia or Cinamon three ounces beaten into fine powder and a few raisins and giue it him to drinke with a pint of malmsey Others vse to take of Frankinsence and Aristolochia of each two ounces beaten into fine powder and giue the horse two or three spoonfull thereof with a pint of malmsey Others take of vnburnt brimstone two ounces of Aristolochia one ounce and a halfe beaten to powder and giue the horse that with a pint of malmsey CHAP. 47. Of shortnesse of breath or pursinesse THis disease of short breath or pursinesse may come two seuerall wayes that is naturally or accidentally naturally as by the straightnesse of his conduits which conuey his breath when they want liberty to carry his breath freely or being cloyed vp with fat force stoppings obstructions in his windpipe thereby makes his lungs labour worke painfully Accidentally as by hasty running after drinking or vpon a full stomacke by which humours are compelled to descend downe into the throate and lungs and there stoppeth the passage of the breath The signes of this disease are a continuall panting and heauing of his body without any coughing great heate of breath at his nosthrels and a squeesing or drawing in of his nose when he breatheth besides a coueting to hold out his head whilest he fetcheth his winde The cure according to the opinion of some of our best Farriers is to giue him in his prouender the kyrnels of grapes for they both fat and purge and you must giue them plentifully The warme bloud of a sucking pigge is excellent good also Other Farriers vse to take Venus-haire Ireos Ash-keyes Licoras Fenugreeke and Raisins of each a dram and an halfe pepper Almonds Borage Nettleseede Aristolochia and ColoquinÌ„tida of each two drammes Algaritium one dramme and an halfe hony two pound dissolue them with water wherein licoras hath bene sodden and giue him one pint euery morning for three or foure mornings Others vse to take Molline or Longwort make a powder thereof and giue two spoonefull thereof with a pint of running water or else powder of Gentian in the foresayd manner and do it for diuers mornings Others vse to take of nutmegs cloues Galingale graines of Paradise of each three drammes Careaway seede and Fenugreeke a little greater quantity as much Saffron and halfe an ounce of Licoras beate them all into fine powder then put two or three spoonefull thereof to a pint of white wine and the yolkes of foure egges and giue it the horse to drinke then tye his head vp high to the racke for an houre after that done either ride him or walke him vp and downe gently and keepe him fasting foure or fiue howres after at the least the next day turne him to grasse and he will do well There be other which vse to let the horse bloud in the necke veine and then giue him this drinke Take of wine and oyle of each a pint of Frankinsence halfe an ounce and of the iuice of Horebound halfe a pint mixe them well together and giue them to drinke Others vse to giue him onely somewhat more then a pint of hony hogges grease and butter molten together and let him drinke it luke warme Egges made soâ—t in vinegar as is shewed in the chapter of the dry cough is excellent for this shortnesse of breath so you giue the egges encreasing that is the first day one the second three and the third fiue and withall to powre a little oyle and wine into his nosthrels is very good also There be other Farriers which vse to take a Snake and cut off her head and taile and then take out the guts and entrails boyle the rest in water till the bone part from the flesh then cast the bone away and giue euery third day of this decoction more then a pint till you haue spent three snakes and this is excellent good for the dry cough also Now the last and best medicine for this shortnesse of breath for indeede in this case I do not affect much physicking is onely to take anise seeds licoras and sugarcandy all beaten into very fine powder and take foure spoonfull thereof and brew it well with a pint of white wine and halfe a pint of sallet oyle and vse this euer after your horses trauell and a day before he is trauelled CHAP. 48. Of the broken winded or Pursicke Horse THis disease of broken winded I haue euer since I first began to know either horse or horse-leach-craft very much disputed with my selfe and for many yeares did constantly hold as still I do that in truth there is no such disease only this I found by dayly experience that by ouer hasty or sudden running of a fat horse or other presently after his water or by long standing in the stable with no exercise and foule foode that thereby grosse and thicke humours may be drawne downe into the horses body so abundantly that cleauing hard to the hollow places of the lungs and stopping vp the wind-pipes the wind may be so kept in that it may onely haue his resort backward and not vpward filling the guts and taking from the body great part of its strength and liuelihood which if from the corruption of our old inuentions we call broken winded then I must needs confesse that I haue seene many broken winded horses The signes of which disease are these much and violent beating of his flankes especially drawing vp of his belly vpward great opening and rising of his nosthrels and a continuall swift going to and fro of his tuell besides it is euer accompanied with a dry and hollow cough The cure I must needes say in so great an extremity for it is the worst of all the euils of the lungs which are before spoken of is most desperate but the preseruations and helpes both to continue the horses health and his dayly seruice are very many as namely according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers to purge your horse by giuing him this drinke Take maiden haire of Ireos of Ashe
be inflamed that is whether it be much sweld or no if it be not inflamed then you shall annoynt it with oyle of roses warmed on a chafing dish and coales or for want of such oyle you shall wash it with warme red wine but if it be inflamed then you shall bathe it well with a soft spunge dipt in the decoction of mallowes camomill linseed and fenegreeke and also you shall annoynt it well with oyle of camomill and dill mingled together to asswage the swelling and then with a gentle hand warme linnen cloathes thrust it faire and softly vp into his true place that done bathe all the tuell about with red wine wherein hath beene sodden Acatium galles acorne cuppes and the parings of quinces then throw vpon it either the powder of Bolearmonicke or of frankinsence or Sanguis Draconis Myrre Acatium or such like then giue him to drinke the dry pils of Pomegranats beaten to powder either with wine or warme water and be sure to keepe the horse very warme and in his body neither too soluble or loose nor too costiue or hard bound but of a meane and a soft temper for the extremity of either is most hurtfull CHAP. 73. Of the Bots Truncheons and wormes in a horses body MY Maisters the old Farriers are of opinion that the guts of a horse do breede three sorts of wormes that is to say little short wormes with great red heads and long smal white tayles which we call bots short thick worms all of a bignesse like a mans finger which we call Truncheons and great long wormes as bigge as a mans finger and at least sixe inches in length which we call by the simple name of wormes onely Now for mine part I am of opinion that the first which are bots are not bred in the guts but in the stomacke onely because hauing cut vp many horses I neuer could finde any one bot in the guts yet great store of both the other wormes nor euer cut vp the stomacke of a horse but I found great aboundance of bots and neither of the other wormes whence I am confidently opiniated that bots are euer bred in the stomacke and both the other sorts of wormes in the guts truth it is that all three do proceede from one selfe cause which is a raw grosse flegmatike matter apt to putrifaction and ingendred by foule naughty feeding and as they proceede from one selfe cause so haue they all one signe and one cure The signes then are the horse will forsake his meate and not stand vpon his legges but wallow and tumble and beate his belly with his feete and sometimes the paine will be so extreme that he will beate his head against the ground and truly the violence of these wormes are wonderfull for I haue seene horses whose stomacks haue bene eaten quite through with them so that the meate which they ate could not abide in their stomacke but fell vpon the swallowing into the body making the body swell like a tun and so haue dyed with huge torment Now the cure according to the ancientest Farriers is to take a quart of sweete milke of hony a quarterne and giue it him luke warme then walke him vp and downe for the space of an houre after and so let him rest for that day with as little meate and drinke as may be and by no meanes suffer him to lye downe The next day when the horse is fasting take of rue a handfull of Sauin as much and being well stampt put thereunto a little brimstone and a little foote of a chimney beaten into fine powder put all these things together in a quart of wort or new ale and there let them lye in steepe the space of an howre or two then straine it hard through a faire cloath and giue it the horse to drinke luke warme then bridle him and walke him abroad the space of an howre then set him vp and let him stand on the bit two or three howres after and then giue him a little hay Other Farriers vse only to giue the horse for this disease the warme guts of a new slaine henne or chicken being thrust downe the horses throate and sure it is passing good especially if a little salt be mixed with them and this must be done three mornings together fasting keeping the horse from drinking three or foure howres after Others vse to take three ounces of the rootes of Caphers beaten with halfe so much vinegar and put it downe the horses throate or else a pint of milke a spoonfull of sope giuen the horse to drinke or brimstone and milke giuen to drinke all be very soueraigne Others vse to binde about the snafle or bit mans dung new made and so ride him therewith Others take of Gentian Aloes and Sauin of each halfe an ounce and brew them together with hony and strong ale Others vse to take onely a quart of cold sweete wort Others take Sauin Southerwort or else wormewood and the tops of broome small chopt and mixe it with the horses prouender Others vse to giue the horse to drinke luke warme elder berries sodden in milke Others vse to giue the horse with his prouender his owne haire chopt small and mixt with bay salt Others put hot embers in water and presently straine it and giue it the horse to drinke Others make little round balles of honey and the fine powder of chalke and putting them into ale make the horse swallow them Others vse to take especially for the long wormes a halfe peny worth of Fenegreeke of anise seedes a quarter of a pound a halfepeny worth of bay berries as much licoras and as much turmericke and a little quantity of brimstone beate them into powder put them into a quart of ale and giue it the horse fasting luke warme to drinke then ride him an howre after then set him vp warme foure and twenty howres after Others vse especially for the Truncheons to take two spoonefull of the powder of wormewood finely fearst and put it in a pint of good malmsey and after it is brewd a while let it stand and soake all night then giue it the horse in the morning fasting then keepe him without meate or drinke foure houres after Others vse to giue the horse to drinke two spoonefull of wormeseede as much brimstone or powder of Sauin with a quart of malmsey ale or beere Others vse to take as much blacke sope as a wal nut and as much brimstone beaten to powder and a heade or two of garlicke pild bruised and put into a quart of good ale and giue it the horse luke warme to drinke This medicine also may be administred to a Mare great with foale if she be troubled with the bots or other wormes so that the blacke sope be left out for it is a violent purger and may kill the foale in the mares belly yet for mine owne part I neuer giue any inward physicall medicine
his backe with oyle wine and Nitre made warme and mingled together But the best cure according to our English practise is first to wash all the yard with white wine warmed and then annoynt it with oyle of roses and hony mixt together and so put it vp into the sheath with a little bolster of canuase keep it from falling downe and dresse him thus once in foure and twenty howres vntill he be recouered and in any case let his backe be kept as warme as is possible both with cloth and a charge or plaister made of Bolearmonicke egges wheat-flower Sanguis Draconis Turpentine and vinegar or else lay next his backe a wet sacke or wet hay and a dry cloth ouer it and that will keepe his backe exceeding warme CHAP. 83. Of diseases incident to Mares and first of the barrennesse of the wombe THe onely disease incident to the wombe of a Mare as farre fourth as our Farriers are experienced is barrennesse which may proceed from diuers causes as through the vntemperatnesse of the matrix being either two hot and fierie or two cold and moist or too dry or else too shorte or too narrow or hauing the necke thereof turned awry or by meanes of some obstruction or stopping in the matrixe or in that the Mare is too fat or too leane and diuers other such like causes Now the cure thereof according to the old Farriers is to take a good handfull of leeks and stampe them in a morter with foure or fiue spoâ—nefull of wine then put thereunto twelue flies called Cantharides then straine them altogether with a sufficient quantity of water to serue the Mare therewith two daies together by powring the same into her nature with a glister-pipe made for the purpose and at the end of three daies next following offer the horse vnto her that should couer her and after she is couered wash her nature twice together with cold water There be others which vse to take of Nitrum of sparrowes dung and of Turpentine of each like quantity well wrought together and made like a suppositary and put that into her nature and it will cause her both to desire the horse and also to conceiue There be some of opinion that it is good to put a nettle into the horses mouth that should couer her Of all which let onely experience be your warrantise CHAP. 84. Of the pestilent Consumption in Mares THere is a certaine pestilent consumption incident to mares when they are with foale proceeding from cold fleame gathered by raw foggy food in the winter season which descending from the kidneyes doth oppresse the matrixe and makes the mare consume pine away so that if she be not holpen she will want strength to foale her foale The signes are a sudden leannesse and a drooping of spirit with much dislike of meate and a continuall desire to be layed The cure is to powre into her nosthrels three pints of fish brine called Garume three or foure mornings together and if the griefe be very great then to take fiue pints and it will make her vent all fleame at her nosthrels CHAP. 85. Of the rage of Loue in Mares IT is reported by some of our English Farriers that mares being proudly high kept will at the spring of the yeare when their bloud begins to waxe warme if they chance when they go to the water to see their own shadowes therin that presently they will fall into an extreme loue therewith and from that loue into such a hot rage that they will forget either to eate or drinke and neuer cease running about the pasture gazing strangely and looking oft both about and behinde them The cure of this folly is presently to leade the mare to the water againe and there to let her see herselfe as before and that second sight will vtrerly extinguish the memory of the first and to take away her folly CHAP. 86. Of Mares which cast their Foales THe occasions why Mares cast their Foales that is to foale them either before their times or dead are very many as straines stroakes intemperate ridings rushings hard wintring or too great fatnesse and such like Now you shall vnderstand that this aborsment or vntimely casting of a foale is most dangerous to the life of the mare for nature being as it were detained from her true and perfect custome which is the preseruation of health cannot chuse but giue way to the contrary which is death and mortality and the body and pores being set open to the aire before it be able to defend the cold cannot chuse but be suffocated with vnwholesome vapours If therefore you haue a mare at any time which doth cast her foale and withall falleth sicke vpon the same you shall presently take her into the house and set her vp very warme then giue her two spoonful of the powder Dyapente well brewd in a pint of strong sacke and feede her with sweete hay and warme mashes for at least a weeke after CHAP. 87. Of Mares that are hard of foaling If it happen by any mischance or otherwise that the passages or other conduites which leade from the matrix be so straitned that the mare cannot foale and so be in danger of her life then it shall be good that you helpe her by holding and stopping her nosthrels with your hand in a gentle manner that her breath may not haue passage and she will foale with a great deale more ease and much sooner and sure the paine is nothing because a mare alwaies foaleth standing Now if at any time when your mare hath foaled she cannot auoyd her secundine which is the skinne wherein the foale is wrapped in that naturall maner as she ought you shall then take a good handfull or two of fennell and boyle it in water then take halfe a pint of that and another halfe pint of old wine and put thereto a fourth part of oyle and mingle them altogether ouer the fire and being but luke-warme powre it into the mares nosthrels and hold her nosthrels close with your hand to keep it in a prety while after and no question but she will voyd her secundine presently CHAP. 88. Of making a Mare to cast her Foale IF at any time you would haue your mare to cast her foale as hauing present occasion to vse her or in that the foale is not worthily inought begot you shall take a pottle of new milke and two handfuls of sauin chopt and bruised and putting them together boyle them till one halfe bee consumed then straine it very hard and giue it the mare luke warme to drinke then presently gallop her a good pace then set her vp do thus two mornings and before the third she will haue cast her foale Other vse with their hand to kill the foale in the mares belly but it is dangerous and the former medicine is more sufficient And thus much of the infirmities of mares Now let vs returne againe to horses and
better horses But to return to my purpose the Farrier who goeth about to purge a horse by purgation must consider the nature of the horses disease and the strength of the horse and with them ioyne the nature strength and quantity of the medicine he must also consider the climate vnder which the horse is bred the time of the disease the time of the yeare and the time of the day for as the diseases and the humours which cause the diseases are sundry so they must be auoyded by sundry medicines sundry wayes compounded according as experience from a continuall practise shall instruct you wherein you are to obserue that weake delicate and tender horses are not to be purged with that violence which strong stubborne and sturdy horses are and therefore in such cases the quality and quantity is to be looked into of euery simple The climate is to be respected as whether it be hot or cold and the time of the disease for some diseases must be purged at the beginning as feuers pestilence yellowes staggers all violent inward diseases and some not till the matter be throughly disgested as colds strangles and apostumations Now albeit the sicknesse proceed from cold humours yet you must not administer as hot simples in summer as in winter nor in the contrary case so cold things in winter as in the summer whereby you see the season of the yeare is to be respected Then touching respect of the day you are to obserue that day to be best which is most temperate sith too much heate maketh a horse faint and too much cold doth hinder the medicine from working A little regard is to be had to the wind weather for a moyst day with a South winde is to be preferred before a North winde with a dry day Now the best howre of receiuing any potion is euer in the morning after he hath fasted from meate and drinke all the night before As soone as your horse hath receiued any pill or potion let him be walked or gently ridden vp and downe one howre at the least and then set vp and suffered to stand on the bit two howres after wel littered cloathed and stopped but if you perceiue that he beginneth to grow sicke as most commonly horses will then you shall suffer him to lye downe assoone as his sicknesse is past you shall offer him a mashe of malt and water luke warme for any other meate keep him fasting till his medicine haue done working Now to come to particular receipts and medicines themselues you shall vnderstand that although the ancient Farriers do make but two kindes that is to say pils and purgations yet I diuide them into three that is to say scourings pils and purgations Scourings are those wholesome naturall and gentle purging medicines which stirring vp no great fluxe of humours do onely keepe the body cleane from such euils as would grow being euery way as wholesome in health as in sicknesse and may most properly be termed preparatiues or preparers of the body to entertaine more stronger medicines To speake then first of the most gentlest and naturall scouring it is only grasse being giuen to a horse only fifteene dayes together and no more for after that it fatteth and not scoureth Next vnto grasse is forrage which is onely the blades of greene corne as wheat rye barley and such like being giuen seuen dayes and no more Next is greene thistles being cut vp and giuen the horse to eate the space of fiue daies and no more and the last of this nature is the mash made in this manner take a pecke of ground malt and put it into a peale then take a gallon and a halfe of water boyling hot from the fire and put it to the malt then with a staffe mash and stirre them together at least halfe an howre till tasting the water you feele it as sweete as hony then being luke warme giue it the horse to drinke All these scourings do onely but cleanse the guts and coole the body adding comfort to the spirits and ingendring strength onely the mash is to be vsed after labour or in stead of drinke in the time of any great sicknesse Scourings of a little stronger nature are these first when you giue your horse any prouender to mixe with halfe a pecke of oates a handfull or two of cleane drest hemp seede or else to take a good quantity of boxe leaues and put them into a pewter dish then set them before the fire and let them dry leasurely till they be so hard that you may crush them to powder then take as much of the powder of brimstone as there is powder of boxe and mixe them together and amongst halfe a pecke of oates mixe a handfull of this powder and giue it the horse to eate both these scourings are to be vsed after labour especially when the horse hath sweat much These two scourings worke vpon no matter but what nature is willing to expell they purge the stomacke head and intrailes they kill all manner of wormes and dry vp fleame Scourings of the strongest nature are to take of sallet oyle halfe a pint and of new milke from the cow a pint brew it together and giue it the horse luke warme or else take a pint of muskadine and halfe a pint of sallet oyle and being mixed together giue it the horse to drinke or else halfe a pint of oyle and a pint of sacke mixt together and giuen the horse to drinke luke warme These scourings cleanse the head body and guts of all fleame or molten grease which any violent labour hath dissolued they are exceeding good for any manner of cold or stoppings in the winde-pipes Now for pils you shall vnderstand that the first and easiest are these either to take twenty cloues of garlike cleane pild and bruised then a quarter of a pound of sweete butter and so rolle vp the garlicke in foure or fiue balles or pellets as big as two wal-nuts a peece and so taking out the horses tongue thrust them downe his throate one after another or else to take a quarter of a pound of butter and as much red saunders beat them well together in a morter then make it into foure or fiue balles and put them downe the horses throat Pils of a somewhat stronger nature are to take a handfull of rosemary leaues and chopping them small mixe them with a quarter of a pound of sweet butter and then making it into round bals giue them vnto the horse or else take round peeces of raw mellons and thrust them downe the horses throate or else to take fiue greene figges and put them downe the horses throate The strongest pill is this take of lard two pound layd in water 2 howres then take nothing but a quarter of a pound of the cleane fat thereof and stampe it in a mortar thereto put of licoras of anise seedes and of fenugreeke of each beaten into powder one
spread a liuely heate and feeling ouer the whole body and of frictions both according to the opinion of the old Farriers also all the best of this present age these are the most soueraigne Take of damaske roses one pound of old oyle a pint of strong vinegar a pint and an halfe of mints and rew beaten into powder of each one ounce and a halfe together with one old dry nut beate them and mingle them well together then being strained and made luke warme if it be in the sommertime and that the Sunne shine hot take the horse abroad but if otherwise keepe him in the stable and heating a barre of yron exceeding hot hold it ouer and on each side the horse and with the oyntment rubbe and chafe the horse all ouer against the haire vntill the horse beginne to sweate then cloathe the horse very warme and let him stand This friction is excellent against all winter feuers or any inward sicknesse that cometh of cold Take of blacke Elleborus two or three handfuls and boyle it in a sufficient quantity of strong vinegar and with that rubbe and chafe all the horses head and body quite ouer once or twice a day and it is most excellent against frenzy madnesse or any drynesse or scallynesse of the skinne Take oyle de bay or Dialthea and annoynt all the horses body all ouer therewith holding a panne of coales or a hot panne of coales neare the oyntment to make it sinke in or else make him a bathe of running water wherein is boyled rew wormewood sage Iuniper bay leaues and hyssope and bathe all his body therewith either of these are most soueraigne for the mourning of the chine or any disease of the liuer lungs or spleene Take wine and oyle and hauing mixt them together chafe and rubbe the horses body therewith and it is most soueraigne for any inward sicknesse especially of the liuer To bathe a horse in salt water is very wholesome both for the horses skinne and also for any disease of the stomacke Lastly take of mallowes of sage of each two or three handfuls and a rose cake boyle them together in water then being boyled till the water be all consumed then adde a good quantity of butter or â—allet oyle and mixing them together bathe all the horses foure legges therewith and all the parts of his body also and there is nothing more soueraigne for a horse that hath bene tyred or ouer-trauelled To let bloud and with that bloud and oyle and vinegar presently to annoynt his body helpeth most sorts of infirmities CHAP. 96. Generall Drenches or Medicines for all the inward diseases or surfaits in Horses THere is no medicine more soueraigne for all diseases which breede in a horses body then to take two spoonefull of the powder called Diapente and brew it with a pint either of sacke or muskadine and so giue it the horse to drinke fasting in a morning and do this at least three mornings together especially when the horse beginneth first to droope The next to this is to take of selladine two handfuls both root and leaues choppe them and bruise them then take of rew as much of redde sage and of mints as much and of aloes halfe an ounce boyle these in a pottle of beare or ale till the one halfe be consumed and then giue it the horse luke warme to drinke 〈◊〉 foure ounces of Diapente and mixe it with foure ounces of clarified hony and keepe it in a close glasse and giue halfe an ounce thereof with a pint of sweete wine to the horse to drinke and it is an excellent drench Take of licoras an ounce of anise seedes of comin seedes of each halfe an ounce of Elicampanam rootes as much of turmericke and bayes of each a quarter of an ounce of long pepper and fenugreeke of each two drammes beate these small and searse them and put fiue spoonefull thereof into a quart of ale warmed with a little butter or oyle it is very soueraigne for any disease coming of cold causes Take a quart of good ale or wine a raw egge beaten mingled with twelue scruples of quicke sulphure and foure scruples of Myrre made into powder and giue it the horse to drinke it is a good drench The powder of brimstome mixt with sweete wine is a good drench also The roote of the sea onion the rootes of popler called in Greeke Rhammos mingled with common salt giuen in water keepeth the horse long in health Take fiue pound of fenegreeke and bruise it seeth it in water till it waxe thicke adde a pound of sweete butter an ounce of linseede oyle and as much of the oyle of nuts mingle them well together and giue it the horse in three or foure dayes to drinke by a pretty quantity at a time Selladine simply of it selfe or rew simply of it selfe boyled in beere or ale and as much brimstone as a wal-nut is an excellent drench for any long taken surfaite Garlicke and housleeke beaten together in a mortar and then boyled in beere or ale from a pottle to a quart then mixt with licoras anise seedes and sugarcandy and a pretty quantity of oyle is an excellent drench for any inward sicknesse which doth proceede from hot causes as is the Frenzy the Anticor and such like And thus much of generall drenches and their vses CHAP. 97. How to make the powder called Diapente THis word Diapente is as much as to say a composition of fiue simples for the receipt is thus compounded Take of Genâ—ian of Aristolochia of Bay berries of Myrre and of the shauings of Iuory of each like quantity beate them into very fine powder and then searce it This powder is praised to be a soueraigne preseruatiue or medicine against all inward diseases and therefore I would wish euery Farrier and all such as are the maisters of good horses neuer to be without it CHAP. 98. A most famous Receipt which is both a singular Drench and a singular Oyntment TAke of Euforbium halfe an ounce of Castoreum one ounce of Adarces halfe a quarter of a pound of Bdelium halfe an ounce and halfe a quarter of pepper a quarter of a pound Foxe-greace halfe an ounce Opoponax one ounce Lacerpitium three quarters of an ounce Amoniacum halfe a quarter of a pound pidgions dung as much Galbanum halfe an ounce Nitrum one ounce one quarter Spuma nitri three quarters of an ounce Ladanum a quarter of a pound Perethrum bay berries of each three quarters of an ounce Cardanun two ounces seede of rew halfe a quarter of a pound seede of Agnus Castus one ounce parsley halfe an ounce dryed rootes of Trees or flower-deluce one ounce one quarter hyssop Carpobalsamum a quarter of a pound oyle of flower-deluce a quarter of a pound and halfe a quarter oyle de bay as much oyle of Spikenard three quarters of a pound Oleum Cyprinum three quarters of a pound and halfe a quarter
are either hard or soft the hard commonly will corrode the soft will continue long Item If you thrust your finger vpon any swelling vpon a horses legges then if it presently rise againe and fill then is the hurt new and recouerable but if the dent do remaine and continue still behind then is the hurt old and cometh of cold humors and askes great art in the healing Item When soares begin to matter then they heale but if the putrifaction be great then beware they rot not inwardly Item All cauterizing or burning with hot Irons straineth things enlarged dryeth vp what is too much moistned dissolueth things gathered together or hardened draweth backe things which are dispersed helpeth old griefes for it ripeneth dissolueth and maketh them to runne and issue forth matter Item You must sometimes burn vnder the soare to diuert humors and somtimes aboue to defend and withhold humors Item It is euer better to burne with copper then with yron because yron is of a malignant nature steele is of an indifferent vertue betwixt both Item All actual burning is to burn with instrument and potentiall burning is to burne with medicines as are caustiks and corrosiues Item If you vse oft to blow pouders into a horse eies it will make him blind Item By no meanes take vp any veines in the forelegges vnlesse great extremity compell you for there is nothing that will sooner make a horse stiffe and lame Many other obseruations there are which because they are not so generall as these be and that I shall haue occasion to speake of them in other particular chapters I thinke it here meete to omit them and the rather because I will not be tedious CHAP. 7. Of the diseases in the Eyes and first of the weeping and watering Eye THe eies of a horse are subiect to many infirmities as first to bee rheumatike or watry then to be bloud-shâ—tten to be dimme of sight to haue the pinne and webbe the haw the wart in the eye the inflammation of the eies the canker in the eye or a stroake in the eye of all which some come of inward causes as of humours resorting to the eyes and some of outward causes as heate cold or else by some stripe or blow And first to begin with the rheumaticke or watry eye you shall vnderstand that according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers it doth proceed many times from the fluxe of humours distilling from the braine and sometimes from the anguish of some blow or stripe receiued The signes are a continuall watering of the eye and a close holding of the liddes together accompanied sometimes with a little swelling The cure according to the opinion of some Farriers is to take of Bole-armonicke of Terra-sigillata and of Sanguis Draconis of each a like quantity make them into powder and then adde vnto them as much of the white of an egge and viniger as will make them moist and then spread it plaister-wise vppon a cloth and lay it to the horses temples of his head aboue his eyes and do this three daies together Others vse to let the horse bloud in the veines vnder his eyes then to wash the eye twice or thrice in the day with white wine then to blow into the soare eye with a quill the powder of Tartaz Salgam and cuâ—tell bone of each like quantity or else take the yolke of an egge roasted hard and mixe therewith the powder of comen and binde it hot to the eye and so let it rest a night or more Other Farriers vse to take of pitch and rosen and of masticke a like quantity melt them together then with a little sticke hauing a clout bound to the end thereof and dipt therein annoynt the temple veines on both sides a handfull aboue the eyes as broade as a twelue pence and then clappe vnto it immediatly a few flockes of like colour to the horse holding them close to his head with your hand vntill they sticke fast to his head then let him bloud on both his eye veines if both eies be sore and then wash his eies with white wine Others vse onely to take a pretty quantity of life hony and to dissolue it in white wine and to wash the horses eies therewith and sure if it proceede from any blow it is a medicine sufficient inough but if it proceede from any rheume or inward causes then you shall take ground Iuy beaten in a mortar and mixt with waxe and so laied to the eyes like a plaster or else boyle wormewood in white wine and wash the horses eyes therewith also to spurt beere orale now and then into the horses eyes will cleare the sight passing well CHAP. 8. Of the Bloud shotten eye proceeding from any cause whatsoeuer FOr any bloud-shotten eye proceeding from any cause whatsoeuer either outward or inward you shall take according to the opinion of the most ancient Farrierss of rose water of Malmsey and of fennell water of each three spoonefull of Tutie as much as you may easily take vp betweene your thumbe and your finger of cloues a dozen beaten into fine powder mingle them well together and being luke warme or cold if you please wash the inward puts of the eye with a feather dipt therein twise a day vntill the eye be well or in stead hereof to wash the eye either with the white of an egge or with the iuyce of Selladine Others vse to take the toppes of hawthornes and boyling them in white wine wash the eye therewith Other Farriers take a dramme of Synoper and as much of life hony and as much of wheate flowre mixe them with faire running water so that they may be liquid and thinne then seeth them with a very soft fire vntill they be thicke like an oyntment and therewithall annoynt the eye But the best receipt that euer I found for this griefe is to take take the whites of two egges and beate it till it come to an oyle then put to it two spoonefull of rose water and three spoonefull of the iuice of housleeke mixe them well together then dippe therein little round plegants of flat cakes of soft towe as bigge as a horses eye and lay them vpon the horses eyes renuing them as oft as they grow hard and in a day or two it will make the horses eyes sound againe CHAP. 9. Of Dimnesse of sight or Blindnesse DImnesse of sight or blindnesse may happen to a horse diuers wayes as by some straine when the inward strings of the eyes are stretched beyond their powers or by the violence of great labour or by the supporting of a great burthen beyond the horses ability or by some blow or wound any of these are mortall enemies to the eyes and sight The signe is the apparant want of sight and an euill affected colour of the eye Now for the cure it is thus If the sight be gone and yet the ball of the eye be sound then you shall take according
to the opinion of some Farriers a pretty quantity of May butter with as much rosmary a little yellow rosen with a like quantity of â—â—â—ladine then stamp them all together fry them with the May butter then straine it and keepe it in a close boxe for it is a iewell for sore â—ies and annoint your horses eyes therewith at least twice a day it is also good to heale any wound Other Farriers vse to let the horse bloud in the eye veines and then wash his eyes with red-rose water Others vse to take the gall of a blacke sheepe and beate it and straine it and then to wash the eyes therewith Others vse to burne the horse vnder the eyes that the ill humours may distill forth and then to annoint his eyes either with the marrow of a sheepes shanke and rose water mixt together or else with the iuice of ground Iuy Other Farriers vse to take a Mould-warpe and lapping her all ouer in clay burne her to ashes and then to take of that powder blow it into the horses eyes Other vse to take an empty egge shell and fill it with baysalt then burne it till it be blacke then adde to it of burnt allome the quantity of your thumb beate them together to fine powder then mixe some of this powder with fresh butter and wipe it into the horses eyes with a feather then clappe the white of an egge dipt in flaxe ouer his eyes do this once a day for a seuen night after but once in two dayes this is most excellent for any filme and also for a pearle Others vse to take two dry tile-stones and rubbe them together and blow the powder of it with a quill into the horses eyes three or foure dayes together CHAP. 10. Of the Pearle Pinne Webbe or any spot in the Horses eye THe Pearle the Pinne the Webbe or any vnnaturall spot or thicke filme ouer a horses eye proceedeth for the most part from some stroake receiued yet the pearle which is a little round thicke white spot like a pearle growing on the sight of the horses eye comes many times from naturall causes and euen from dâ—scent of Sire and Damme as I haue oâ—ten found by experience The signe is the apparant sight of the infirmity and the cure according to the opinion of the most ancient Farriers is to take sixe leaues of ground Iuy and a branch of selladine and bray them in a mortar with a spoonefull or two of womans milke and then straine it through a cleane linnen cloth and put it into a close glasse and then droppe of it as much into the horses eye at a time as will fill halfe a hazell nut shell and it is the fittest to be done at night onely do thus thrice at the least and for three daies after keepe the horse as much as may be from any light Other Farriers vse to annoint the horses eyes with the marrow of goates shankes or Deeres shankes and rose water mixt together or else to wash his eyes with the iuice of the berries and leaues of ground Iuy or other Iuy mixt with white wine and to blow into his eyes the powder of blacke flint or of land oysters but that powder must be made so exceeding fine as by art in scarcing can any waies be brought to passe And then for the taking away of any filme or pearle there is no medicine more souereigne There be other Farriers which vse to take the leane of a gammon of bacon dry it therof make a powder blow it into the horses eye Others vse to take white ginger made into very fine powder blow it into the horses eies yet before you so do if the web haue continued any long time it shall not be amisse first to annoint the horses eye with capons grease Others vse to blow into the horses eye the powder of elder leaues dryed or else the powder of mans dung dryed or the powder of a gray whetstone mixt with the oyle of hony and put into the horses eie Others vse to take the yolke of an egge with salt burnt beaten to powder and blow it into the horses eye or else the powder of the cuttell bone Others vse to take either elder leaues dryed or mans dung dryed mixe it with the powder of the shel or bone of the crab-fish and blow it into the horses eye Others take Tutty beaten to powder with a quill blow it iust vpon the pearle Other Farriers vse to take and sure it is not inferior to any medicine whatsoeuer a good quantity of white salt lapping it round vp in a wet cloth put it into the fire and burne it to a red coale then taking it forth and breaking it open you shall finde in the midst thereof a white chore as bigge as a beane or bigger then picke out that chore and beate it to powder and mixe it with a little white wine then after it hath stood a while take the thicke thereof that lyeth in the bottome and put it into the horses eye and with the thin wash his eye do thus once a day till the pearle be consumed Others vse to take the iuice of rue and put it into the horses eye or else to make a hole in an egge put forth all that is within it and fill the shell with pepper and closing it in an earthen pot put it into a hot burning ouen till it be white hot then take it forth and beate the pepper to powder and blow thereof into the horses eye Others vse to take of pommis stone of Tartarum and of Sal gemma of each like weight and being beaten into very fine powder to blow a little of that into the horses eye continuing so to do till the eye be well Others vse onely to blow the powder of Sandeuoire into the horses eye affirming that it alone hath sufficient force and vertue to breake any pearle or webbe in a very short space without any other composition but surely I haue found the powder of flint and the powder of white salt burnt to be much more stronger CHAP. 11. Of the Haw in the Horses eye THe haw is a gristle growing betwixt the neather eye lidde and the eye and it couereth sometimes more then the one halfe of the eye It proceedes of grosse and tough fleamy humours which descending downe from the head and knitting together do in the end grow to a horne or hard gristle The signes thereof are a watering of the eye and an vnwilling opening of the neather lidde besides an apparant shew of the haw it selfe if with your thumb you do but put downe the nether lidde of the horses eye The cure is first take a needle a double threed put it through the tippe of the horses eare which done put the needle likewise through the vpper eye lid of the horse vpwards and so draw vp the eye lidde and fasten it to the eare then
proper and due to euery horse but when either through rankenesse of bloud or aboundance of corrupt humours resorting to that place they begin to be inflamed then they become very foule sorrances and impostumations most dangerous they are inwardly very full of little white salt kirnels and they breede great paine in the horses throat This disease as farre forth as I can finde by any demonstration is the disease which in men we call the squinansie or quinzy and not as some of the old Farriers suppose the strangle for that hath no coherence with the infirmity For the signes of the disease there needes small repetition insomuch as the griefe is apparant to the eye and the cure according to the opinion of the oldest Farriers is thus If you see the kirnels to ranckle and swell you shall take the horses eare and laying it downe alongst the necke of the horse at the very end or tippe of the eare cut a hole through the skinne of the necke the length of an almonde or better and then with a crooked wire picke out all those kirnels which you finde inflamed which done fill the hole full of salt then about the end of three dayes you shall finde the soare beginne to matter then wash it either with barke water or with the iuice of sage then take of hony of sweet butter and of tarre of each halfe a spoonefull and melte them together and as soone as you haue washt the soare cleane put into it of this oyntment the quantity of a beane and so dresse the horse once a day vntil he be whole There be others of our most ancient English Farriers which for this sorrance vse first to draw the soare right downe in the midst with a hot Iron from the root of the eare so farre as the tip of the eare wil reach being pulled down vnder the root againe draw â— strikes on each side like an arrow head in this forme then in the midst of the first line lance them with a lancet and taking hold of the kirnels with a paire of fine thin pinsons pull them so farre forward as you may cut the kirnels out without hurting the veine that dore fill the hoale with salt and heale it vp as aforesaid Now the most of the Italian Farriers vse this cure First take a sponge steeped well in strong vinegar and binde it vnto the soare place renewing it twice a day vntill the kirnels bee râ—tted that done lance it in the neathermost part where the matter lyeth and let it out and then fill vp the hole with salt finely brayed and the next day wash all the filth away with warme water and a sponge and then annoint the place with hony and fitch flowre mixt together but in any case beware during this cure that you touch not the kirnels with your bare finger for feare of venoming the place which is very apt for a fistula to breede in Now there be other English Farriers which vse either to ripen the soare by laying to a plaister of hot hogges grease or a plaister of barley meale mixt with three ounces of raisins sod well together in strong wine or else they cut out the kirnels Now whether you cut them out burne them out or rot them out of all which I hold rotting the best you shall euer fill the hole with nettles and salt being chopt and mixt together or else taint it with tents dipt in water and mixt with sallet oyle and salt Others vse to burne them downeward with a hot Iron in the midst from the eare to the iaw bone drawing two crosse stroakes and then lance it in the midst and plucke out the kirnels and fill the hole with bay salt and the croppes of nettles well chopt together or else put onely salt into the hole and take the croppes of nettles well chopt and mixt with baysalt and two spoonefull of strong vinegar and straine it put in either eare a spoonefull thereof and put some black wolle after it so bind vp his eares Others vse to ripen them either by laying to the soare wet hay or hot horse litter as soone as they are ripe which you shall know by the softnesse to lance the skinne and take out the kirnels and then fill the hole with the powder of hony and vnsleckt lime mixt together and burnt Others vse after the kirnels are ripened taken out to take of Egrimony hony and violet leaues of each like quantity stamping them well together to plaister the soare therewith till it be whole Others vse after the kirnels are taken out to wash the soare with copporas water and then to tent the hole with flaxe dipt in the white of an egge and after to heale it with waxe Turpentine and hogges grease molten well together CHAP. 21. Of the Strangle THe strangle howsoeuer our old Farriers make a long discourse thereof is not as they suppose a kinde of quinzy but a meane inflammation of the throate proceeding from some cholericke or bloudy fluxion which comes out of the branches of the throat veines into those parts and there breedeth some hot inflammation being stirred vp either by some great cold in winter or cold taken after labour it is a great and a hard swelling betweene the horses neather chappes vpon the roots of the horses tongue and about his throate which swelling if it be not preuented will stoppe the horses wind-pipe so strangle or choake him from which effect and none other the name of the disease tooke his deriuation The signes of this disease besides the apparant sight thereof and the palpable feeling of the same is the horses temples of his head wil be hollow his tongue will hang out of his mouth his head and eyes also will be swolne and the passage of his throat so stopt that he can neither eate nor drinke and his breath will be exceeding short The cure thereof according to the most ancient Farriers is with a round small hot Iron to tâ—rust a hole through the skinne on both sides the wessand and then after it beginneth to matter to mixe butter Tanners water and salt together and euery day annoynt the soare therewith till it be whole Other of the ancient Farriers vse first to bathe the horses mouth and tongue with hot water and then annoint the soare place with the gall of a bull that done giue him this drinke take of old oyle two pounds of old wine a quart nine figges and nine leekes heades well stamped and brayed together and after you haue boiled these a while before you straine them put thereunto a little Nitrum Alexandrinum and giue him a quart of this euery morning and euening also you may if you will let him bloud in the palate of the mouth and powre wine and oyle into his nosthrels also giue him to drinke the decoction of figs Nitrum sodden together or else to annoint his throat within with Nitre oyle
from the eating of rough hay full of whims thistels or other pricking stuffe or else prouender full of sharpe seedes which by continuall pricking and fretting the furrowes of the mouth do cause them to ranckle swell and breede corrupt and stinking matter and without speedy preuention that vlcer will turne to the foulest canker The cure thereof is according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers to wash the soare places very cleane with salt and vinegar mixt together and then to annoint it with hony Other Farriers vse especially if the palate be much swelled to pricke the roofe of the mouth with an hot Iron that the humour may issue out abundantly and then to annoint the place with hony and onions boyled together till they be whole CHAP. 25. Of the Gigges or Bladders in a horses mouth THese gigges bladders or flaps in a horses mouth are little soft swellings or rather pustules with blacke heads growing in the inside of the horses lips next vnto his great iaw teeth they will sometimes be as great as a wal-nut and are so painfull vnto him that they make him let his meate fall out of his mouth or at least keepe it in his mouth vnchawed whereby the horse can in no wise prosper they do proceede either of eating too much grasse or naughty rough pricking hay or prouender they are most apparantly to be felt and the cure is according to the opinion of the oldest Farriers first to draw out the horses tongue of the one side of his mouth and then take a lancet and slit the swellings the length of a date and then with a probe picke out all the kirnels like wheate cornes very cleane then take the yolke of an egge and as much salt as will temper it thicke like leauen then make it into little balles and thrust into euery hole one and do so once a day vntill it be whole Other Farriers vse after they haue slit them with an incision knife and thrust out the corruption onely to wash the soare places either with vinegar and salt or else with allome water Others vse with a small hot Iron to burn the swellings and then wash them with beere and salt or ale and salt and it will heale them Now that you may preuent this disease before it come it shall be good to pull out the horses tongue often and to wash it with wine beere and ale and so shal no blisters breede thereon nor any other disease CHAP. 26. Of the Lampasse THe lampasse is a swelling or growing vp of the flesh which ouergroweth the vpper teeth which are the shearers in the vpper chappe and so hindreth the horse from eating They do proceede from aboundance of bloud resorting to the first furrow or bare of the mouth I meane that which is next to the vpper foreteeth it is most apparant to be seene and therefore needeth no other signes The cure is according to the custome of the oldest Farriers first with a lancet to let them bloud in diuers places of the swelled flesh then take an Iron made at one end broad thin and turned vp according to this figure and heating it redde hot burne out all that superfluous sweld flesh which ouergrowes the foreteeth and then annoint the soare place with fresh butter till it be whole Others vse after it is burnt out onely to rub the soare place with salt onely or wash it with salt and vinegar till it be whole Others vse to take a hooked knife made very sharpe and very hot and therewith cut the swolne places in two parts crosse against the teeth but if they be little swelled then cut but the third ranke from the teeth and so let him bleede well then rubbe it with a little salt and the horse will be well but if you finde afterwards that either through too much burning or cutting or through the eating of rough meate that the wound doth not heale but rather ranckleth then you shall take a saucer-full of hony and twelue pepper cornes and bray them together in a mortar and temper them vp with vinegar and boyle them a while and then once a day annoint the soare therewith till it be whole CHAP. 27. Of the Camery or Frounce THE Camery or Frounce in horses are small pimples or warts in the midst of the palate of the mouth aboue and they are soft and soare they will also sometimes breede both in his tongue and in his lippes it proceedeth sometimes from the eating of frozen grasse or by drawing frozen dust with the grasse into their mouthes sometimes by eating of moist hay that Rats and other vermine haue pist vpon and sometimes by licking vp of venome The signes are the apparant seeing of the pimples or whelkes and a forsaking of his foode both through the soarenesse of them and through the vnsauourinesse of the food that he hath eaten before The cure according to the opinion of the oldest Farriers is first to let him bloud on the two greatest veines vnder his tongue and then wash all the soare places with vinegar and salt then get the horse new bread which is not hot and giue it him to eate and the horse will do well inough Others vse with a hot Iron to burne the pimples on the head and then wash them with wine and salt or ale and salt vntill they bleede and they will soone heale Other Farriers vse to take out his tongue and to pricke the veines thereof in seuen or eight places and likewise vnder his vpper lippes also and let him bleede well then rub euery soare place with salt very much then the next day wash all the soare places with white wine warme or else with strong vinegar and rubbe it againe with salt then for two or three dayes let the horse drinke no cold drinke and he will do well CHAP. 28. Of the Canker in the mouth A Canker is said of the ancient Farriers to be nothing but a rawnesse of the mouth and tongue which is full of very soare blisters from whence will runne a very hot and sharpe lye which fret and corrode or rot the flesh wheresoeuer it goeth The signes are the apparant sight of the soare besides the forsaking of his meate because he cannot swallow it down but lets it lye halfe chawed betweene his iawes and sometimes when he hath chawed his meate he will thrust it out of his mouth againe and his breath will sauour very strongly chiefly when the horse is fasting This disease proceedeth oftest from some vnnaturall heate comming from the stomacke and sometimes from the venome of filthy foode The cure is as the oldest Farriers instruct vs to take allome half a pound of hony a quarter of a pint of collombine leaues of sage of each a handfull boyle all these together in three pints of running water vntil one pint be consumed and wash all the soare places therewith so as they may bleede and do thus once euery day vntill it be whole
then hauing a mallet in your right hand strike vpon the head of the toole a good stroake wherewith you may loosen the tooth and make it bend inward then straining the midst of your toole vppon the horses neather iaw wrinch the tooth outward with the inside or hollow side of the toole and thrust it cleane out of his head which done serue the other woolfes tooth on the other side in like manner and then fill vp the empty holes with salt finely brayed Other Farriers vse and I haue in mine experience found it the better practise only when the horse is eirher tyed vp or cast and his mouth opened to take a very sharp file and to file the woolfes teeth so smooth as is possible and then wash his mouth with a little allome water Now if the vpper iaw teeth ouerhang the neather iaw teeth so cut the inside of the mouth as is aforesaid then you shall take your former toole or gouge and with your mallet strike and pare all those teeth shorter by little and little degrees running alongst them euen from the first vnto the last turning the hollow side of your toole towards the teeth by which meanes you shall not cut the insides of the horses cheekes then with your file file them all smooth without any raggednes and then wash the horses mouth with vinegar salt Lastly if the paine do proceede from the loosnesse of his teeth then the cure is according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers first to cast the horse and pricke all his gummes ouer with a lancet making them bleede well then rubbe them all ouer with sage and salt and it will fasten them againe Others vse to let the horse bloud in the veine vnder his taile next the rumpe and then to rubbe all his gums with sage and to giue him in his prouender the tender croppes of blacke bryars or else wash all his mouth with hony sage and salt beaten together and by no meanes let the horse eate any moist meate for cold moist and marrish feeding in the winter onely breedeth this disease of loosnesse in the teeth and it is of all other most proper to the Sorrell horses CHAP. 33. Of diseases in the Necke and VVithers and first of the Cricke in the necke THe Cricke in the necke of a horse is when he cannot turne his necke any way but holdes it still right forth in so much that he cannot bow downe his head to take vp his meate from the ground but with exceeding great paine and surely it is a kinde of convultion of sinewes which proceedeth from cold causes of which we haue spoken very sufficiently before it also proceedeth sometimes from ouerheauy burthens that be laid vpon a horses shoulders or by ouer-much drying vp of the sinewes of the necke The cure whereof according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers is first to thrust a sharp hot Iron through the flesh of the necke in fiue seueral places euery one distant from the otther three inches but in any case beware of touching any sinew then rowell all the aforesaid places either with horse haire flaxe or hempe for the space of fifteene daies and annoint the rowels with hogs grease and the necke will soone be restored Others vse if the cricke causeth the horse to hold his head straight forward which sheweth that both sides are equally perplexed to take a hot drawing Iron draw the horse from the root of the eare on both sides the necke through the midst of the same euen downe the breast a straw deepe so as both ends may meete on the breast then make a hole through the skin of the forehead hard vnder the foretop thrust in a cornet vpward betwixt the skin and the flesh a handfull deepe then either put in a goose feather doubled in the midst and annointed with hogs grease or else a rowell of either horne or leather with a hole in the midst any of which will keep the hole open to the intent the matter may issue forth and this you shall keepe open the space of ten daies but euery day during that time the hole must be◠cleansed once and the feather or rowell also cleansed and fresh annointed and put in againe and once a day let him stand vpon the bit an houre or two or else be ridden abroade two or three miles by such an one as will beare the horses head and make him bring it in but if the cricke be such that it maketh the horse to hold his head awry vpon the one side which sheweth that but one side of the neeke is troubled then you shall not drawe the horse with an hote Iron on both the sides of the necke but onely on the contrary side as thus If hee bend his head towardes the right side then to drawe him as is aforesaid onely on the left side and to vse the rest of the cure as is abouesaid and if necessity do require you may splent the horses necke also straight strong with splents of wood I haue cured this cricke in the neck only by bathing the horses neck in the oile of peeter very hot and then rolling it all vp in wet hay or rotten litter and keeping the horse exceeding warme without vsing any burning wounding or other violence CHAP. 34. Of Wennes in the necke A Wenne is a certaine bunch or kirnell vpon the skinne like a tumor or swelling the inside whereof is sometimes hard like a gristell and spongious like a skinne full of soft warts and sometimes yellow like vnto rusted bacon with some white graines among Now of wennes some are great and some be small also some are very painfull and some not painfull at all They proceede as some imagine of naughty grosse flegmaticke humours binding together in some sicke part of the body And others say they proceed from taking of cold or from drinking of waters that be most extreme cold but I say that albeit they may proceed from these causes yet most generally they proceed frō some pinching bruising biting ripping or galling either of girthes halter coller or any other thing whatsoeuer The cure thereof is this take of mallowes sage and redde nettles of each one handfull boile them in running water and put thereunto a little butter and hony and when the hearbes be soft take them out and all to bruise them and put thereunto of oyle de bay two ounces and of hogges grease two ounces and warme them together ouer the fire mixing them well together that done plaister it vpon a peece of leather so bigge as the wenne and lay it to so hot as the horse can endure it renewing it euery day in such sort the space of eight dayes and if you perceiue it will come to no head then lance it from the midst of the wenne downeward so deep that the matter in the bottome may be discouered let out which done heale it vp with this salue Take of Turpentine a quarterne
and wash it nine times in faire water then put thereunto the yolke of an egge and a little English saffron beaten into powder and make a taint or rolle of flaxe and dip it in that ointment and lay it vnto the soare renewing the same euery day once vntill the wenne be cured Others vse in this case with a hot Iron to burne and seare away all the superfluous flesh then to heale vp the soare either with the ointment last rehearsed or else with the powder of hony and lime mixt together and this manner of cure is by much the speedier CHAP. 35. Of swelling in the necke after bloud-letting THe swelling of a horses necke after bloud-letting may come through diuers occasions as namely by striking through the veine so as some of the bloud being gotten betwixt the flesh and the veine it there corrodeth and turneth to an impostume or else by striking the veine with a rusty fleame whereby the veine rankleth or by some cold winde striking suddenly into the hole or lastly by suffering the horse too soone to thrust downe his head graze or feed whereby humours resorting to that place breedes a great impostumation The cure is according to the opinion of some Farriers to take hemlocke and stampe it and then to mingle it with sheepes dung and vinegar and so making a plaister thereof to lay it to the swelling renewing it once a day vntill it be whole Other Farriers vse first to annoint the place with the oyle of camomill warmed and then to lay vpon it a little hay wet in cold water and binde it about with a cloath renewing it euery day the space of a weeke to see whether it will grow to a head or else vanish away if it grow to a head you may then lance it and thrust out the matter then heale it vp by tainting it with flaxe dipt in turpentine and hogges grease molten together dressing it so once a day vntill it bee whole CHAP. 36. How to stanch Bloud IF your horse either by wound or other accident or by the ignorance of any vnskilfull Farrier that letteth him bloud when the signe is in that place bleed so exceedingly that he will not be staunched you shall then according to the opinion of the old Farriers lay vnto the wound a little new horse dung tempered with chalke and strong vinegar and not to remoue it from thence the space of three dayes or else to lay vnto it burnt silke burnt felt or burnt cloath any of which will stanch bloud Others vse to powre into the wound the iuice of coriander or else to let the horse chew in his mouth the leaues of periwinkle Others vse to take of bruised nettles and lay them to the wound or else wilde tansey bruised or hot hogs dung Others vse to take bruised sage lay it to the wound or else the coame about the Smithes forge or else a sodde of earth or bruised Hyssope or the soft croppes of hawthorne bruised or else to take the quantity of two ounces of the horses bloud and boyle it till it come to a powder and then put that powder into the wound but when all these faile as in some extremities I haue found them do then for your onely refuge you shall take the soft downe either of a Hares skinne or of a Conies skinne and stoppe the wound well therewith holding it hard to with your hand till the bloud stanch and if it bee any grieuous soare wound then as soone as the bloud is stayed spread a plaister of Bole-armonicke and vinegar mixt together ouer the wound CHAP. 37. Of the falling of the Crest THe falling of a horses crest is when the vpper part of a horses necke which is called the Crest leaneth either to the one or the other side and will not stand vpright as it ought to do It proceedeth most commonly from pouerty and hard keeping and especially when a fat horse falleth away suddenly vpon any inward sicknesse The cure according to the oldest Farriers is first to drawe his crest a full strawe breadth deepe on the contrary side with a hot Iron the edge of which Iron would be halfe an inch broad and make both your beginning and ending somewhat beyond the fall so as the first draught may go all the way hard vpon the edge of the maine close by the rootes of the same bearing your hand right downeward into the neckeward then answer that with an other draught beneath and so farre distant from the first as the fall is broade compassing as it were all the fall but still on the contrary side betwixt those 2. draughts right in the midst draw a third draught then with an Iron button of almost an inch about burne at each end a hole also in the spaces betwixt the draughts make diuers holes distant three fingers one from another as this figure doth plainely shewe you That done to kill the fire annoint it euery day once with fresh butter for a weeke or more then take of mallowes and of sage of each one handfull boile them well in running water and wash the burning away till it be raw flesh and then dry it vp with the powder of hony and lime Other Farriers vse for this infirmity first to cast the horse vpon some soft dung-hill or other easie place and with a long knife to cut away the flesh on the hanging or vnder side of the crest euen from the fore-end thereof to the hinder end sixe inches broad and two inches thicke or somewhat more in the middle thereof where it is thickest then groping the crest with your hands to pare the thickest part thereof till it come all to one thinnesse then holding the horse still fast bound to couer all the place with great handfuls of swines dung prepared for the purpose and held to the sore place an houre together til the bloud be stanched then let the horse arise and leade him into the stable tying him in such sort that he may neither rub his necke nor lye downe then the next morning take good store of burnt allome beaten to powder and strew it all ouer the soare place and so let him stand for two daies after without any stirring lest the wound should bleed againe then at the end of those two daies you shall bathe the soare gently with a fine linnen cloath dipt in warme vrine and then drying the soare againe throw more burnt allome vpon it and after annoint all about the out side of the edges of the soare with Vnguentum Album Camphiratum more then an inch broad thus you shall dresse him euery day once on that side of the crest which did fall then for the contrary side you shall draw his maine thereon and plat it in many plats which done you shall to those plats with thongs of leather fasten a cudgell of a foote and a halfe long then to the midst of that cudgell you shall hang a peece
Scab or Manginesse in the taile or generall falling of the haire Horses through the corruption of bloud or the fulnesse of rancke feeding or through ouer heating and labouring or by the infection of other horses do many times get the generall scab itch or manginesse in the taile and sometimes in the spring time horses are troubled with the truncheon wormes in their fundament which will make them rub their tailes fret the haire yet are free both from mange and scurfe wherfore if then you only rake the horse with your hand annointed with sope and pull out the wormes you shall cause the horse to leaue his rubbing but if you perceiue the haire to shed and fall from the taile through some small wormes that growes at the rootes of the haire or through some little fretting scurfe then you shall annoint all the taile with sope euen to the ground and then wash it with very strong lye after and that will both kill the wormes and scoure out the scurfe but if much of the taile be fallen away then you shall keepe the taile continually wet with a sponge dipt in faire water and that wil make the haire to grow very fast Now if in the horses taile shall grow any canker which will consume both the flesh and bone and make the ioints to fall away one by one then you shall wash all his taile with Aqua fortis or strong water made in this sort Take of greene copporas and of allome of each one pound of white copporas a quarterne boile all these together in three quarts of running water in a very strong earthen pot vntill the one halfe be consumed and then with a little of this water being made luke warme wash his taile with a little clout or flaxe bound to the end of a sticke continuing so to do euery day once vntill it be whole But if as I said before through the corruption of bloud foode or labour this scabbe itch or manginesse spread vniuersally into many parts of the taile you shall then likewise wash it with the same strong water vntill it be whole CHAP. 52. Of the generall Scab Mainginesse or Leprosie ouer the whole body THe generall manginesse or leprosie which runneth all ouer the horses body is a cankred filthy scurfe which couereth the same proceeding from abundance of melancholy corrupt bloud ingendred by infection or vnwholsome food or else by indiscreet labour The signes whereof are the horse will bee all mangie and couered ouer with a white filthy scurfe full of scabs and raw plots about the necke flankes and euill fauored to looke on and rubbing scratching and biting of all diseases there is none more infectious nor will more certainely kil a horse if it be not preuented Now the cure according to the opinion of the ancientest Farriers is first to let the horse bloud in the one side of the necke veine and within two daies after on the other side of the necke and within two daies after that in the flancke veines and last of all in the veine vnder the taile then wash all the sore places with salt brine rubbing them hard with a wispe of straw hard twisted so as they may bleed well and be all raw that done annoint the places with this ointment take of quicksiluer one ounce of hogs grease one pound of brimstone beaten into powder a quarterne of rape oile a pint mingle these things wel together vntill the quicksiluer be throughly incorporated with the rest and hauing annointed all the raw places with this ointment make it to sincke into the flesh by holding and weauing vp and downe ouer it a hot broad barre of yron and then touch him no more againe the space of two or three daies during which time if you see that he rubbeth stil in any place then rubbe that place againe with an old horse comb to make it raw and annoint it with fresh ointment But if all this will not helpe then with a hot yron round and blunt at the point so bigge as a mans little finger burne all the mangy places making round holes passing only through the skinne and no further for which intent it shall be needfull to pull the skinne first from the flesh with your left hand holding it still vntill you haue thrust the hot yron through it and let euery hole be a spanne one from another and if need be you may annoint those holes with a little sope and let the horse be very thinne diâ—â—ted during this curing time Now for mine owne part I doe vtterly dislike this burning for it is a foule manner of cure and breedeth much eie-sore in the horse and therefore other of our latter Farriers vse for this disease after they haue let the horse bloud in the necke veine to take a good quantity of fresh grease and mixe it well with the powder of chalke then put thereto a good quantity of the powders of brimstone and ellecampany roots and stirre them all well together then take a pretty quantity of quicksiluer and kill it with your fasting spittle or sallet oile mixe it with all the rest very well together and so annoint all the sore places about the horse with this ointment Others vse to take of lampe oile the fine powder of brimston of black sope of tarre of hogs grease and the soote of a chimney of each a like quantity then mixe them all well together by boiling them on the fire and then annoint all the sore places therewith as hot as the horse can suffer it alwaies prouided that the horse be let bloud before you vse the ointment Others vse after the horse is let bloud to take of oile de bay a pound and of quicksiluer one ounce and mixing them together neuer leaue stirring thereof till the quicksiluer be kild incorporated with the oile then annoint all the sore places therewith after you haue made them raw by rubbing them Other Farriers vse first to let the horse bloud then to wash all the sore places within two daies after with water wherein yong broome or the hearb of arsmanarck hath bin well sod in and smally chopt and mixâ— with a little soote and rubbe him well vntill the sore places bleed then take a pound of blacke sope a pottle of keene mustard foure peniworth of brimstone made into powder three peniworth of quicksiluer well killed with fresh grease two peniworth of verdigrease a quarter of a pint of grease stirre all these together in a vessell till the grease and other things be molten with labour and without fire and therewithall annoint all the sore places and with once annointing and twise washing this will cure him Others vse if the horse be young to let him bloud on both sides the necke and then to cut the skin downe the middest of his forehead two fingars in length then with a cornet open the skin an inch wide on both sides the slit and put therein thinne slices
of the greene roote of Ellecampane or Angelica which is the better so let them remaine vnder the skinne till the matter rot then crush it foorth after two or three daies and in twelue daies the rootes will fall out as it healeth and this will cure the mange prouided that you annoint all the sore places with the powder of brimstone verdigrease and oile oliue mixt vpon a fire very well together Others vse after bloud letting to rowell the horse vnder the necke that the euill humors may haue issue foorth then to rubbe all his body ouer with an hard haire cloth or an old curry combe vntill the horse bleedeth after that take of sulphur salt tartar of each a like quantity beate them and temper them with very strong vinegar and as much common oile and therewith annoint all the sore places or else take very strong vinegar the vrine of a boy vnder twelue yeares of age and the iuice of hemlocke mixe them together and wash the horse therewithall Other Farriers vse after bloud letting to annoint the horse with one of these ointments the sore hauing bene before rubbed till it bleed either with brimstone oile vinegar salte soote swines dung and vnsleckt lime of each like quantity well mixt and boild together or else with brine water sod with nettles or else with vinegar allume and salte-niter boild together or else wash the sore with beefe-broth then boile pepper beaten to powder verdigrease cheruell in fresh grease and annoint the horse all ouer therewith holding a chaffing dish and coales or a hot barre of yron to his body to make the ointment sinke in Lastly and as good as any of the rest after the horse hath bene let bloud take an old curry combe or a wooll card and rub euery sore place about the horse till it bleed then take of the oldest pisse you can get a pottell and of greene copporas three quarters of a pound mixe stir them well together then set them on the fire and boile them a while then as hot as the horse can suffer it wash him with the same after his washing is a littell dryed take of oile an ounce an halfe of quicksiluer 2 ounces of white Elleborus one ounce with a good quantity of swines grease mingle all these well together till no part of the quicksiluer can be seene and then annoint the horse all therewith and if the first time doe not cure him the second will most assuredly prouided that during the time of cure you keepe the horse with a very thinne diet CHAP. 53. How to know when a horse halteth before in what part his griefe is THere is nothing more necessary for any mans vnderstanding that shall haue occasion at any time to vse a horse especially for the skilfull Farrier then to know the reason why a horse halteth and where the griefe remaineth as well because those griefes lye most concealed as also because our kingdome is so full of subtill vnconscionable horse-coursers that they are carefull most to conceale that which may soonest cozen their neighbours you shall know then that no horse halteth before but his griefe must be either in his shoulders in his legges or in his feete if it be in his shoulders it must either be on the toppe of the shoulder blades which we call the withers or at the bottome of the shoulder blade ioining to the marrowbone which is the fore pitch of the breast or in the elbow of the horse which ioines the nether end of the marrowbone and the leg together Now for the general knowledge whether the griefe be in the shoulder or no looke if the horse do not lift vp his leg but traileth it vpon the ground then it is in the shoulder is a new hurt if he cast his leg more out in his going then the other and that almost with an vnbended knee then it is also in the shoulder and it is an old hurt if you take him by the headstall of the bridle and turne him as short as you can possible of both hands if then you see him when he is turned on the lame side to fauour his legge very much as he cannot chuse but doe then also his griefe is in his shoulder or if when a horse standeth in the stable he stretcheth out his sore legge and setteth it more forwarde then the other it is partly a signe the griefe is in the shoulder but not absolutely Now when you know generally that the griefe is in the shoulder then you shall learne to know in what part of the shoulder as thus if the horse halteth more when the rider is vpon his backe then when he is off then the griefe is on the top of the withers if when with your hand you gripe handle him vpon the top of the shoulder blades you find that he shrinketh much and offereth to bite at you not hauing had any gald backe before for that may deceiue you then assuredly the griefe is on the withers If the horse goeth bowing vnto the ground and tread his steps very thicke then it is a signe the griefe is in his brest betweene the nether parte of the spade bone and the vpper parte of the maribone and therefore if with your thumbe you presse him hard in that part you shall see him shrinke and be ready to fall downe Now if when you take his elbow in your hand betwixt your fingars and your thumbe and gripe it the horse presently taketh his foote from the ground and lifts vp his legge offering therewithall to bite at you then the griefe is only in the elbow Now if the griefe whereof a horse halteth be in his leg it is either in his knee in his shanke or else in the pastorne ioint If it be either in his knee or pastorne ioynt he will not â—ow them in his going like the other but will goe very stifly vpon them if the griefe be in the shanke then it is by meanes of some splent screw windgall or such apparant griefe most apparant to be seene Now if the griefe of his halting be in the foote then it is either in the cronet in the heele in the toe in the quarters or in the sole of the foote if it be in the cronet either the griefe will be apparant the skinne being broken of swolne some manner of way or else laying your hand vpon the cronet it will burne and glow exceedingly then he hath got some straine of the ioint within the hoofe if it be in the heele as by ouer-reach or otherwise then it is to be seene and he will tread altogether vpon the toe if vpon any of the quarters which is to be vnderstood from the midde hoofe to the heele then going on the edge of a bancke or hilly ground he will halte more then on the plaine ground and by the horses comming towardes you and going from you vpon such edge or bancke you shall easily perceiue
places or else with a sharp hot iron then annoint it still with the ointement before said but if you see that it will not goe away but swell still and gather to a head then launce it where the swelling doth gather most and is softest vnder the fingar and then taint it with flaxe dipt in turpentine and hogges grease molten together as is before shewed renewing the taint twice a day till the sorrance be whole CHAP. 60. Of the shoulder pighte THe shoulder pighte is when a horse by reason of some great fall rush or straine hath the point of his shoulder thrust out of ioint which is easy to be seen in that the pointe of the sore shoulder will sticke out much farther then the other and the horse will halte downe right The cure whereof as the old Farriers hold it is first to make him swimme in a deepe water vp and downe a dozen turnes for that will make the ioint returne into his true place then make two tough pins of ashen wood as much as your little fingar being sharpe at the points each one fiue inches long that done flit the skinne an inch aboue the point and an inch beneath the point of the shoulder and thurst in one of the pins from aboue downewarde so as both ends may equally sticke without the skinne and if the pinne of wood will not easily passe through you may make it way first with an yron pinne that done make other two holes crosse to the first holes so as the other pinne may crosse the first pin right in the midst with a right crosse and the first pinne would be somewhat flat in the midst to the intent that the other being round may passe the better without stoppe and close he iuster together then take a peece of a little line somewhat bigger then a whippe cord and at one end make a loope which being put ouer one of the pinnes ends winde the rest of the line good and straight about the pinnes ends so as it may lye betwixt the pinnes ends and the skinne and fasten the last end with a packe needle and a packe threed vnto the rest of the cord so as it may not slippe and to doe well both the pinnes and the cord would be first annointed with a little hogs grease then bring him into the stable and let him rest the space of nine daies and let him lye downe as little as may be and put a pastorne on the sore legge so as it may be bound with a cord vnto the foote of the manger to keepe that legge alwaies whilst he standeth in the stable more forward then the other and at the nine daies end take out the pins annoint the sore places with a little Dialthea or with hogges grease and then turne him to grasse Other of our latter Farriers vse first to lay good store of straw vnder the horse then put a paire of strong pastornes on his forelegges and another on his hinder then hauing throwne him vpon his back to hang him vp by the legs from the ground with two ropes drawne ouer some beame or baulke which will put the bone into his true place againe then hauing let him downe againe faire and softly loose the fore pastorne of the sound legge and with a cord before you let him rise tye the lame legge to the foote of the manger so shorte as in his rising he shall be forced to hold his legge before him for feare of putting his shoulder out of ioint and let him stand so tyed for the space of three daies and presently when he is vp burne all the point of his shoulder with a hot drawing yron checkerwise a ful foot square at the least let euery stroke be no more then an inch distant one from another and hauing burned him well charge all these burned places and all the rest of his shoulder with pitch rozen and tarre molten together and laid on something hot with a cloath tyed to a sticks end then clap floxe of the collor of the horse vpon it then charge him againe ouer the floxe and at the three daies end loose his foote and put a paire of pastornes vpon his feete and let him neither lye downe nor stirre out of the stable for the space of sixteene or twenty daies then may you leade him abroad see whether he go well or no and if he be not perfect you may then giue him as much more rest that will recouer him CHAP. 61. Of the swelling of the fore legges after great labour HOrses not much vsed to trauâ—ll will after great labour swell vpon their fore legges because heat and violent exercise will cause humors to resorte downe into the legges especially if such horses shal be inwardly very fat for the indiscreete labour will melt that inwarde grease and make it descend downe into the legges The cure according to the practise of some Farriers is to take a pound of nerue-oile a pound of blacke sope and halfe a pound of boares grease melten and boile them all well together and then straine it and let it coole then annoint your horses legges therewith being made luke warme againe and then keepe his legges cleane from dust Other Farriers vse to bathe his legges in butter and beare or in vinegar butter some with sheeps foot oile some with neates foote oile some with traine oile and some with pisse and salte peeter boild together of all which pisse salt peeter is the best after any such bathing you must roll vp the horses legs with hay ropes wet in cold water euen from the pastorne to the knee but in any wise not too straite for feare of doing hurte so let him stand continually when he resteth Now other Farriers somewhat more curious vse for the swelling of the legges this bathe take of mallowes three handfuls a rose-cake of sage one handfull boile them together in a sufficient quantity of water and when the mallowes be soft put in halfe a pound of butter and halfe a pinte of sallet oile and then being somewhat warme wash the swelling therewith euery daie once the space of three or foure daies and if the swelling wil not go away with this then take wine lees and cummin and boile them together and put thereunto a little wheate flower and charge all the swelling therewith and walke him often and if all will not serue then take vp the great veine aboue the knee on the inside suffring him not to bleed from aboue but all from beneath and it will take away the swelling CHAP. 62. Of a Horse that is foundred in his feete A horse is said to be foundred of his feete when he hath such a numbnesse pricking or tingling within his houes that he hath neither sence nor feeling of his feete but is in all respects like a man that by hard or crooked sitting hath both his feeteâ— asleepe as wee call it duâ—ing which passion we
rese him in the same manner againe then the third day annoynt the place with fresh butter continuing so to do the space of nine dayes and at the nine dayes end make him this bath Take of mallowes three handfuls a rose cake of sage an handful boyle them together in a sufficient quantity of water and when the mallowes be soft put in halfe a pound of butter and halfe a pint of sallet oyle and then being somwhat warme wash the soare place therewith euery day once vntill it be whole Others vse to cleaue a chickin or a pidgeon and to clap it hot to the swelling and it will abate it or else take Dialthea Agripa and oyle and mixing it together lay it to the swelling Others vse to take of frankinsence of rosen of tarre of Euforbium of turpentine and fenugreeke of each a quarter of an ounce of suet an ounce of oyle an ounce of waxe three ounces and three quarters of an ounce of Myrre mixe and melt them altogether and plaister-wise lay it to the soare place till it be whole or else take for this sorrance 3. quarters of an ounce of Sanguis draconis an ounce of bole-armony as much oyle three ounces of masticke and as much suet and as much swines grease melt and mixe them together and lay it to the swelling and it will take it away then make the shooes of his hinder feete shorter then the hornes of his toes by a quarter of an inch and let the horne hang ouer vncut away and make the foreshooe no longer then his heele but rather the shorter CHAP. 67. Of a neather Attaint or ouer-reach on the pasterne ioynt THe neather Attaint or ouer-reach on the midst and in the hollow of the pasterne ioynt is a little bladder full of ielly like vnto a winde-gall and though it be not apparant to the eye yet it is easie to be felt and may come as well by some wrinch or straine as by an ouer-reach and it will make a horse halt much The signes are the neather ioynt towards the feetlocke will be very hot and somewhat sweld and the little soft bleb will easily be felt The cure after the opinion of the old Farriers is take a small cord and roll him somewhat strait from the knee to the neather ioynt and then in the pasterne betweene the hoofe and the ioynt with a fleame strike him in the midst of the swelling and let out the matter then take the white of an egge and beate it with a little salt and then dipping flaxe therein lay it vnto all the swelling and then vnroll his legge and renew the salue twice a day till all the griefe be gone But in any case let him not be laboured or ridden whilest he is in curing CHAP. 68. Of an Attaint or ouer-reâ—ch on the heele AN attaint or ouer-reach vpon the heele is when a horse striketh the toe of his hinder shooe into his heele iust vpon the setting on of the hoofe and this ouer-reach if it be not looked vnto will fret and ranckle so much inward that it will endanger the horses hoofe and you shall commonly see by the cut the skinne hang ouer the horses heele and it will make a horse halt Now the cure is first to cut away the skinne and also the hoofe and the flesh till you haue made the soare euen plaine without any hollownesse then wash it very well with beere and salt then bind vnto it a little flaxe dipt in the white of an egge mingled with a little bole-armony renewing it euery day once the space of three or foure dayes and that will heale it CHAP. 69. Of the Mellet on the heele A Mellet is a dry scabbe that groweth vpon the heele sometimes through the corruption of bloud and sometimes for want of cleane rubbing and dressing when he is wet set vp it appeareth like a dry chap without any moysture and will bee sometimes as well on both heeles as on one The cure is according to the practise of the old Farriers to take halfe a pint of hony a quarter of a pound of blacke sope and mixe them together then put thereto foure or fiue spoonefull of vinegar and as much of allome as an hennes egge vnburnt and two spoonefull of rye flowre mixe them all well together and then lay it plaister-wise to the soare as farre as the mellet goeth and let it lye thereto fiue dayes and then take it away and wash all his legge and foote with salt beefe broth and then rope his legge all a day with wet hay-ropes and hee will be sound prouided alwayes that before you dresse him you euer take off the dry scab or scurfe and make the loare as cleane and as plaine as is possible CHAP. 70. Of false Quarters A False Quarter is a rift or open back seame sometimes in the outside but most oftest in the inside of the hoofe because the inside is euer the weaker part which sides are euer called quarters whence this sorrance taketh his name is called a false quarter as much as to say a sicke and vnsound quarter for it is as if it were a peece set vnto the hoof the hoofe not all of one entire peece as it ought to be It cometh many times by euill shooing and euill paring and sometimes by pricking the horse and such like hurts The signes to know it are the horse will halt much and the rift will bleede and when the shooe is off the whole sorrance is apparant to be seene The cure according to the ancient Farriers is to take off the shooe and cut away so much of the shooe on that side where the sorrance is as the shooe being immediatly put on againe all the whole rift may be vncouered then open the rift with a drawer and fill all the rift with a roll of tow dipt in turpentine waxe and sheepes suet molten together renewing it euery day once till it be whole and the rift being closed in the toppe draw him betwixt the haire and the hoofe with a hot Iron ouerthwart that place to the intent that the hoofe may shoot all whole downeward and when the horse goeth vpright ride him either with no other shooe then this or else with such a shooe as may beare in euery part but onely vpon the false quarter vntill the hoofe be hardened Others vse to annoynt it once a day with sheeps suet and oyle mixt together and that will close the rift Others vse to cut away the old corrupt hoofe and then take seuen whites of egges the powder of incence of vnsleckt lime of masticke of verdigrease and of salt of each three ounces mixe them well together then dippe in as much hurds as will couer the soare hoofe lay it on and then aboue it lay swines grease an inch thicke and likewise below it also bind this on in such sort that it may remaine vnstird a fortnight then renew it so againe and it will make perfect his
fortie howres the horse will be as sound as euer he was then take off the garter and rub the place that was gartered vp with fresh butter for it will be much swelled Now if this mischance of stifling happen vnto your horse in your trauell and that your occasions will not suffer you to stay for any of these cures then you shall take your horse either to some deepe pond or deepe riuer that hath easie going in and out and there swimme him vp and downe a dozen turnes which done you may after trauell him at your pleasure for the more he is laboured the sounder he will go Now if your horse be not stiâ—led but onely hurt in the stiâ—le either with some stripe or some straine then the bone will not stand out yet perhaps the place will be much sweld The cure according to the opinion of the old Farriers is to make a little slit in his skinne a handfull below the soare place and then with a quill blow all the skin from the flesh vpward then with your hand presse out the winde againe then thrust in a rowell of horse haire from the first slit to the vpper part of the stifle bone this done take a pottell of old pisse and boyle it to a quart and clense it well then take a handfull of mallowes and halfe a pint of fallet oyle and adde them to the pisse then boyle them well together then bathe all the soare place therewith euery day once the space of seuen or eight dayes and let him not stirre out of the stable during the cure and in twentie one dayes he will be sound Other Fariers vse only to take a pound of bole-armony a quart of red wine vinegar sixe egges beaten shels and all two peny worth of English hony as much Venice turpentine one quart of flowre and one good handful of bay-salt put all these in a pot incorporate them wel together then keep them close one night and the next day annoynt the soare place with some of it and thus dressing it once a day the space of nine daies it will make the horse sound CHAP. 73. Of the bone-Spauen or dry Spauen THe bone-Spauen or dry Spauen is a great hard knob as big as a wal-nut growing in the inside of the hough hard vnder the ioynt neare vnto the maister veine it groweth at the first like a tender gristell and by processe of time it cometh to be a hard bone causeth the horse to halt much This sorrance will come sometimes by nature or descent as when either the â—ire or the dam of the horse haue had the same disease somtimes which is most generall it cometh when a horse is laboured too yong for a horse in that part of his hinder leg hath smal bones knit all together vpon one cluster which being pressed before they be naturally hardened caÌ„not chuse but thrust forth these vnnatural excretions Otherwhiles it proceedeth from extreme labour heate dissoluing humors which do descend through the maister vein continually feeding that place with euil nutriment causeth the place to swel which swelling in coÌ„tinuance of time becometh so hard as a bone therfore is cald the bone spauen The signes are the apparant sight of the sorrance and truely for mine owne part I am of the mind of other Farriers that it is very hard absolutly to cure it yet that the eie-soare may be taken away the halting much eased is not hard for I haue done it many times Then to proceed to the cure therof according to the opinion of the old Farriers is thus First slit the skin iust ouer the head of the spauen or excretion and open it with a cornet and in any case haue a care that you touch not the maister veine but put it by then with your lancet lay the spauen all bare then with a fine chessell about a quarter of an inch broad or little more strike off the head of the spauen to the quantity of a quarter of an almond or according to the bignesse of the spauen then take two peny waight of verdigrease beaten to fine powder two peny waight of nerue-oyle and beate them all well together then laying some of it vpon fine lint lay it vpon the spauen then lay dry lint betwixt the medicine and the veine that the medicine may not touch the veine then lay a plaister of pitch rosen turpentine and hogges grease molten together all ouer the hough both to comfort the ioynt and to keepe in the medicine And thus dresse him the space of three daies and it will cleanse away the spauen euen to the bottome at the end of three dayes you shal wash away the corrosiue and the matter either with tanners water or with vinegar and lay no more of that salue thereto for hurting the bone then make a plaister of Diaculum and lay it vpon a linnen cloath and lay that plaister vnto the spauen renewing it euery day once for the space of 7. dayes and it will heale him vp Now there be other Farriers which vse after they haue burnt it in manner aforesaid and taken vp the maister veine to annoynt it with fresh butter till the burning beginne to scale and then take of sage and nettles of each a handfull and boyle them with 4. handfull of mallowes in faire water and then put thereto a little butter and with that bathe him euery day once for three or foure dayes till the burning be whole and let him not wet his feete during the cure Others vse to pricke the spauen with a sharp poynted knife then take a peece of a candle and lay a peece of browne paper vpon it and with an hot Iron melt the tallow after annoynt it with butter Others vse first to pricke the spauen well then to lay vpon it for three or foure dayes together euery day mans dung after that lay to it Galbanum till the soare matter and rheume and the humour come forth then wash it with vrine and lastly heale it vp with oyle and hony boyled together for that will bring on the haire Now to conclude that which I haue euer found to bee the surest and cleanest way to take the bone spauen quite away if it bee vsed with discretion and care is to take of Vnguentum Apostolorum of white mercury of each a like quantity but of mercury rather the more mixe them well together then after you haue cast your horse make a slit iust the length of the spauen so that you touch not the maister veine then opening it and laying all the spauen bare with a sharpe instrument sâ—all the spauen a little then make a plegant of lint iust so bigge as the excretion or bone spauen is then spreading some of the salue thereon lay it vpon the spauen then with dry lint defend all other parts of the member especially the maister veine from the corrosiue then lay the plaister of
pitch rosen turpentine and hogges grease before spoken round about his hough and so let him rest foure and twenty howres then take away all that medicine and scalling the bone a little if you finde the corrosiue haue not gone deepe inough then dresse it in the same manner the second time and that will be altogether sufficient then take of turpentine of Deeres suet and of waxe of each a like quantity and mixe and melt them well together then dresse the soare place therewith being warmed and lint or tow dipt therein and within a day or two you shal see the whole crust of the spauen come cleane away then may you with the same salue heale vp the wound and this hath neuer failed me in any practice CHAP. 74. Of the bloud Spauen wet Spauen or through Spauen THe bloud Spauen wet Spauen or through Spauen for all is one disease is a soft swelling growing on both sides the hough and seemes as though it went through the hough wherby it is called a through spauen but for the most part the swelling on the in-side because it is fed continually of the maister veine is greater then the swelling on the outside It proceedeth from a more fluxible and sleamy humour and not to viscous and slimy as the other spauen doth and therefore this neuer waxeth hard nor groweth to a bone and therefore it is a much easier cure then the other The signes thereof are like the other the apparant sight thereof and for the cure it is according to the opinion of the old Farriers in this manner â—irst wash the spauen with warme water and then dresse it with Cantharides and Euforbium in such sort as was at large shewed in the former chapter onely you shall not boyle them but onely mixe them together and dresse the soare therwith 2 daies together then annoynt it with butter and after burne it with a hot Iron both without within in manner as is shewed also in the former chapter but you shall by no means taint it then immediatly you shall take vp the maister veine let it bleed as was shewed before and then for the space of 9. dayes annoynt him euery day once with butter vntill the burning begin to scale then wash it with this bath Take of mallowes 3. handfuls of sage one handfull as much of red nettles boyle them in water vntill they be soft then put thereto a little fresh butter and bathe the place euery day once for the space of three or foure daies and vntill the burnings be whole let the horse come in no wet Other Farriers vse after they haue shaued off the haire and taken vp the veine to take of Mâ—stard seede of the great mallow roote and of oxe dung of each a like quantity and as much strong vinegar as wil mixe them together like a salue then beate them all well together and make thereof a soft plaister or else an oyntment and lay it vpon the spauen change it euening and morning and binde it in such sort to the sorrance with some peece of cloath that it may not fall off or be remoued and when the spauen is cleane gone lay vpon the place a plaister of pitch very hot and take it not off vntill it fall away of it owne accord Other Farriers vse vnto this former medicine to adde oyle de-bay turpentine and bole-armony And other Farriers vse but onely to take vp the veine both aboue and below the spauen and suffering it to bleed well then to knit vp the veine and annoynt it with butter till it bee whole and it will consume the spauen CHAP. 75. Of the Sellander THe Sellander is a certaine kind of dry scab growing in the very bent of the hamme of the hinder leg and it extendeth out into ill fauoured chaps or chinkes which if it bee not preuented by medicine it will fret in sunder the sinewes of the hough it is in all poynts like vnto a Mallander and proceedeth from the selfe like causes and requireth the selfe same cures therefore looke into the chapter of the mallander and whatsoeuer you finde there that will cure the Mallander the same will also cure the Sellander CHAP. 76. Of the Hough Bonny THe Hough bonny is a round swelling like a Paris ball growing vpon the very tip or elbow of the hough and commeth euer of some stripe or bruise but especially when he beateth his hough either against the post which standeth behinde him at the neather end of his stall or against the barre which doth diuide him from another horse which many raunish Iades will do when they seeke to strike at the horse that standeth next them Now the cure thereof is thus according to the opinion of the old Farriers take a round Iron somewhat sharpe at the end like a good bigge bodkin and let it be somewhat bending at the poynt then holding the soare with your left hand pulling it somewhat from the sinewes pierce it with the Iron being first made red hot thrusting it beneath in the bottome and so vpward into the ielly to the intent that the same ielly may issue downeward out at the hole and hauing thrust out all the ielly taint the hole with a taint of flaxe dipt in turpentine and hogges grease molten together and also annoynt the outside with hogges grease made warme renewing it euery day once vntill the hole be ready to close vp making the taint euery day lesser and lesser till it be all whole Now for mine owne part both for this sorrance or any other bruise in this part I haue found this cure euer the best First either with rotten litter or hay boyled in old vrine or else with a plaister of wine lees wheat flowre boyled together to ripen the swelling and bring it to putrifaction or else to driue the swelling away but if it come to a head then to launce it in the lowest part of the softnesse with a thinne hot Iron and so to let out the matter then to taint it with turpentine Deeres suet and waxe of each like quantity molten together laying a plaister of the same salue ouer it to hold in the taint vntill it be perfectly whole CHAP. 77. Of the Curbe A Curbe is a long swelling a little beneath the elbow of the hough in the great sinew behinde hard aboue the top of the horne which causeth the horse to halt after a little labour for the more his sinew is strained the greater is his paine and the more he hath rest the lesse is his griefe it commeth as the spauen comes either from descent or from great burthens when the horse is yong or else from some strain or wrench The signes are the apparant view thereof and the cure according to the old Farriers is first to shaue off the haire then pricke it with a fleame in three or foure places and for three or foure dayes together lay vnto it twice a day mans dung then lay
therewith vntill it be whole Others vse only to bathe the soare with beefe broth and then for foure or fiue dayes after to annoynt it with sope or else first to plunge his feete in scalding water twice or thrice bathe the soare in scalding water then haue ready a hard roasted egge cleaue it in the midst and clappe it to as hot as you can and let it lye bound all night vse this once or twice and you may aduenture to ride him Others vse to take pepper garlicke stampt coleworts and old hogges grease of each like quantity then beate them in a mortar till they come to a salue and so lay it to the soare renewing it once a day till it bee whole Others vse first to take vp the shackle veines on both sides then take the soft roe of a red herring mustard blacke sope and when they are well beat together boyle them in vinegar til they come to a salue apply it to the soare this will cure the Pains albe you do not take vp the shackle veines If you cannot readily get this salue you may take butter hony molten together it wil helpe them or else take a pound of hogs grease a peny worth of verdigrease 2. ounces of mustard halfe a pound of oyle de-bay a quarter of a pound of nerue-oyle halfe a pound of hony halfe a pound of English waxe one ounce of arsnicke 2. ounces of red lead halfe a pint of vinegar boyle all these together and make an oyntment of it then hauing clipt and made the soare all bare apply the medicine thereunto very hot and renew it once a day vntill it be whole Others vse to take 5. ounces of orpiment 5. of tartar once of verdigrease halfe an ounce of Sulphur as much of vitrioll made into powder the iuice of foure Citrions the whites of two egges with three ounces of sallet oyle let all these bee very well beaten together and applyed once a day to the soare and it will not onely heale this disease but any salt humour whatsoeuer Mingle with soft grease vinegar hony orpiment and arsnicke but let arsnicke bee the least and it will cure this disease so will also white waxe turpentine and Camphora mixt together Others vse to take a hundred blacke snailes in the moneth of May slit them and put them into a bagge with a pint of bay-salt then hang them ouer the fire with a vessell set vnder to receiue what drops from them and keep it in a close glasse then annoynt the soare euery day therewith and it will heale this sorrance Others take hony and vinegar of each a like quantity a little oyle and suet of a he goat of each a like also boyle them with a soft fire and stirre it well when it waxeth redde adde of verdigrease and vitriolle of each like quantity made into powder still stirring it till it bee red and thicke then being warme annoynt the soare place therewith once a day after it hath bene washed with warme water and this not onely helpes the paines but also any sorrance whatsoeuer of like nature about the legges Also greene copporas roach allome of each halfe a pound and a handfull of bay-salt boyld in a gallon of running water will heale it or else vnto it adde a pint of hony and boyle it ouer againe and it will bee the better then when you haue annoynted the soare therewith rubbe it after with the powder of glasse mustard and vinegar mixt together and afterward skinne it with creame and the inner rinde of Elder beaten to a salue which must be applyed to the soare twice a day at the least CHAP 79. Of the Mules or Kybe heeles THese Mules or kybed heeles are certaine drye scabbes or chappes breeding behinde vpon the heeles of a horse and so a little inward euen to the fetlocke in long chaps chiâ—ewes it proceedeth either from corruption of bloud or from being bred in wet marrish grounds or else from vncleane and negligent keeping in such manner as the Paines are bred this sorrance will make the horses legge to swell much especially in the winter and about the spring time and he will goe stiffly and halt much Now for the cure you shall vnderstand that whatsoeuer healeth the paines the same will in like sort heale these kybed heeles yet for more particularity you shall know that the old Farriers did vse for this sorrance if they tooke it at the beginning but onely to annoynt it for two or three dayes with sope and then after to wash it with strong vrine or beefe broth till it were whole but if it were of any longer continuance then first to cut away the haire and lay the soare open and plaine then take two ounces of vnslekt lime one ounce of sope and the white of an egge or else an ounce of vnslekt lime and as much salt and 3 ounces of foot and mingling them with strong vinegar annoynt the soare therewith and it will heale and kill them Other Farriers vse to calcinate Tartar and dissolue it in water then congeale it like salt and mingle it with sope like an oyntment and then dresse the soare therewith and this will in 48. howres heale any mules paines or scratches whatsoeuer If you take the iuice of the leaues and roots of elder it is very good to dry vp any of these euill humors CHAP. 80. Of Winde-gales Others vse to open the skin and put out the ielly then take a spoonefull of oyle de bay a spoonefull of turpentine a penyworth of verdigrease the white of an egge and a quarter of an ounce of red lead boyle them together till it come to a salue then lay it to the wind-gall and it will cure it or else after you haue let out the ielly take rosen sheepes suet brimstone of each a like melt them together and lay that vpon the wind-gall so it be not too hot and it will cure it Others take the rootes of comin and beate them well with a little salt and lay that to the wind-gall or else annoynt them with the iuyce of onions or leeke blades and that will allay them or else ground Iuy and wormewood with the rootes sod in wine and layd to the wind-gall will take them away Others of our later experienced Farriers take an ounce of white waxe an ounce of rosen two ounces of raw hony three ounces of swines grease two ounces of oyle of the yelkes of egges fiue ounces of oyle de bay mixe all these well together and straine them then rub them into the wind-gall by holding a hot barre of Iron against the oyntment and it will take the wind-gall away Now for the making of the oyle of yelks of egges it is thus First seeth the egges hard then stampe them and then seeth them in an earthen pot with a soft fire and so straine them Now this medicine will not onely heale the wind-gall but the ring-bone
also it is very good for the abating of the wind-gall for making the medicine to work the better to let the horse stand in a cold running streame an howre morning and euening The scum of the foure salts sod in mans vrine and layd to the wind-gall will take it away There bee others which take a pottle of vinegar a pound of orpiment a quarter of a pound of gâ—lâ—es and as much of the hearbe molleyne stampt small mingle these well together and put them into a pot then euery day therewith bathe the wind-gal and in three weekes it will dry them cleane vp it will also take away a curbe or a spauen or a ring-bone if you take them at the first breeding Other Farriers take of Ciuill oyle and brimstone of each like quantity and seeth them in mans vrine and stirre them well together after put in the quantity of a wall-nut of sope to keepe the haire from scalding off then bathe the wind-gall with this hot thrice together rubbing it well inâ— then annoynt it aboue with nerue-oyle oyle de-bay and make it by holding to it a hot barre of Iron or a hot-fire pan to sinke into the flesh and in three dayes it will dry vp any wind-gall Now for mine owne part the best medicine I haue found in my practise for this sorrance and the easiest is with a fine lancet to open the wind-gall making the hole no bigger then that the ielly may come forth then hauing thrust it cleane forth lap a wollen wet cloath vpon it and with a taylors hot pressing Iron rubbe vpon the cloath till you haue made the cloath sucke in all the moysture from the wind-gall and that the wind-gall is dry then take of pitch of rosen and of masticke of each like quantity and being very hot daube it all ouer the wind-gall then clappe good store of floxe of the colour of the horse vpon it and so let the horse rest or runne at grasse till the plaister fall off by it owne accord and be sure the wind-gall will be gone Now I am to giue you this for a rule that by no meanes you vse to a wind-gall either arsnike or resagall for commonly then the wind-gall will come againe neither must you burne much nor make any great incision for any of these will turne the soft substance of the wind-gall to hardnesse and then the horse will be lame without cure CHAP. 81. Of a Straine in the Pastorne ioynt or Fet locke A Horse may be strained in the fetlocke or pastorne ioynt either by some wrinch in the stable when the plaunchers are broken vnder him or by treading awry vpon some stone or vpon some cart-rout as he trauelleth by the way The signes whereof be these the ioynt will be swolne and soare and the horse will halt and the cure according to the old Farriers is take a quart of stale vrine and seeth it till the foame arise then straine it and put thereto a handfull of tansey and an handfull of mallowes and a saucerfull of hony and a quarter of a pound of sheepes suet then set it on the fire and seeth them all together till the hearbes be sodden soft and then being very hot lay this pultus to the ioynt and couer it ouer with a blew cloath and in 3. tmes dressing it will helpe the straine Other Farriers take of Dialthea halfe a pound and as much of nerue-oyle mingle them together and annoynt the soare place ther with chafing it wel with both your hands that the oyntment may enter in continuing so to do euery day once vntill the ointment be all spent and let the horse rest but if this will not preuaile then they will vse Cantharides as in case of the splent but I do not hold that cure conuenient because it will make a double griefe Therefore I had rather you should take pompillion nerue-oyle and blacke sope of each a like and heate them hot on the fire and then annoynt the soare place therewith and it will make the horse sound CHAP. 82. To remedy any manner of halting that commeth by straine stroke or any other accident NOw forasmuch as halting is such a generall sorrance amongst horses that not any man that is maister of a horse but euen in his smallest trauell is at one time or other vexed with the same I will heere before I do proceed any further set you downe certaine generall receipts selected and culd out of the priuate practise experiments of the best Farriers in Christendome of which I may giue the bolder testimony because I haue made practise of their vertues If then your horse haue taken any halt either by stiffenesse of sinewes straine wrinch stroke or any other accident if the griefe bee in his legge you shall take smallage oxe eye and sheepes suet of each like quantity chop them all together and boyle it in mans vrine and bathe all the legge therewith then with hay-ropes wet in cold water rolle vp his legge and he will be able to trauell the next day or if you seeth a pound of blacke sope in a quart of strong ale till it looke like tarre and anoynt the legge therewith and it will supple his sinewes bring them to their true course If you wash his limbs in the grounds of beere or ale made warme and then rope them vp in hay-ropes wet in the same it will recouer a straine If you take of the flowre of linseed of turpentine and of life hony of each a like and boyle them with white wine vntill they be thicke like vnto an oyntment then spread it on a cloath and lay it to the griefe and it will take away any atche or paine in the sinews likewise a plaister of wine lees and wheate flowre or a plaister of blacke sope and boares grease will doe the like If you mixe nerue-oyle oyle de bay and aqua-vitae together and warme it and chafe it in and vpon and about any straine it will take the anguish quite away If the griefe be in the shoulder or the hinder legge then burne him vpon the very ioynt by taking vp the skinne with a paire of pinsons and thrust the skinne through with a hot iron ouerthwart and if this cure him not then his paine is betwixt the thinne skinne and the bone which must then be rowelled If the griefe be in the shoulder or in the hippe or else where then let him bloud and sauing the bloud mixe therewith the powder of frankinsence and annoynt the horse with the same If the griefe be only in the sinews then take the plaister cald Sologliatium made of gum-dragant new waxe pitch and turpentine mixt together or else take the yelkes of two egges an ounce of frankinsence and a little branne and beate them well together and lay it to the paine If the griefe do proceed from a hot cause then let the horse bloud with that bloud mixe vinegar oyle anoynt him
fall away and in the meane time prepare a good quantity of old vrine when you see the coares ready to fall then boyle the vrine and put therein a little copporas and salt and a fewe strong nettles and with that water being warme wash out all the coares and all the corruption that done fill euery hole immediatly with the powder of sleckt lime continuing thus to do euery day once vntill the holes bee closed vp and if any bee more ranker then others fill those with verdigrease and during this cure let the horse bee thinly dyetted that is to say with straw and water onely vnlesse it be now and then to giue him a loafe of bread or a little other prouender for the lower hee is kept in flesh the sooner hee will heale and in any wise let his necke either bee yoaked in an old bottomlesse paile or else splented with the staues in such sort that hee may not come to licke any of his soares and the lesse rest hee hath the better will bee his amendment Now there bee other later Farriers which for this sorrance take a good quantity of mistellthoe hony and blacke sope and boyle them very well in old vrine and being very warme wash your horse all ouer therewith euery day once for the space of fiue or sixe dayes and it will helpe it Others vse to cut the horse two inches long downe the forehead and open it in the midst thereof on both sides two inches and put therto a tampin made of the inner rinde of Elder barke which is greene and looke that it lye crosse the cut for so it will destroy all the venemous humour in his body and it will heale him very perfectly hauing bene very oft approued Others vse to take a very sharpe bodkin and to thrust it crosse-wise through the neather part of the horses nose euen through the small gristle so that he may bleed well or else to let him bloud in the necke veine then feele the knots and as many as are sort lance them and let them run then take strong lye lime and allom and mixing them well together bathe all the soare â—herewith and it will cure him Others take a sharpe launce knife and in the toppe of the horses forehead somewhat aboue his eyes make a long slit euen vnto the skull then with a blunt instrument for the purpose loose the flesh from the scalpe a good compasse then take carret rootes cut into little thinne round peeces and put them betweene the skinne and the skull or for wante of carret rootes you may take redde dock rootes and see that they be a little beâ—ten or bruised before you put them in and once a day see that you thrust out the matter but by no meanes thrust out the rootes but if the rootes will not stay in then with a needle and a silke stitch the wound together that it may hold in the medicin then once a day annoint the wound with fresh butter this is held a very certaine cure for the farcy for looke how this wound thus made shall rot wast and grow sound so shall the sorrance breake dry vp and be healed onely the fault of this cure is that it will bee somewhat long in healing and is a foule eyesoare vntill it bee whole Now there be other Farriers which after the putting in of the rootes as is aforesaid vse to burne all the soare places round about with a hote yron and then with another blunt hote yron as bigge as a mans fingar to burne the soares in the midst till the white matter come foorth then with a paire of pinsons plucke out the knots this done annoynt all the soare places with sope and then dresse him no more the space of foure or fiue daies in which time you must prepare a good quantity of strong pisse with the which you must wash him euery day the pisse being first made scalding hote and rubbe the soares well vntill they begin to bleed then hauing dryed all the soare places throwe â—n the powder of vnsleckt lime or of burnt allome which will heale better then lime Now if you see that in any of the soares through negligent dressing there riseth proud flesh so high that you cannot câ—rrect it sufficiently with the aforesaid powder then may you burne any such place so soare or soarer as you did at the first and drâ—sle it as before Now there bee other Farriers which when they see the farcy to haue beene old and long gone and that it is so farre entred into one member or other that the member is disfigured they will then first â—urge the horse with some strong purgation of which you may find choice in a chapter before written and then vnder hiâ— belly put in one rowell either of haire or leather and on the pitch of his shoulder of his grieued legge if it bee before or else on the stifling place if his griefe be behind put in another rowell and so keepe those two places together with the issue in his forehead open vntill the cure bee finished then with an other hote yron burne all his legge downe with long strikes euen from the body to the hoofe not aboue an inch one strike from another the edge of the yron being not aboue a strawes breadth and draw your stroake euer downeward with the haire and burne him no deeper then that the skinne may looke browne Now when by this practise you haue cured the disease if then the member bee vnfashionable or by swellings out of all forme then you shall lay vnto the member a plaister made of wine lees and wheate flower rolle it with a wollen roller renewing it once in twenty toure howres till the member bee asswaged and this practise will heale any greate sweld legge if it be applied and continued with patience but if by former dressings burnings manglings or cuttings of some ignorant Farriers there be any extraordinary hard or horny substance growne about the member which the plaister aforesaid will not resolue then you shall take of virgine waxe halfe a pound of mirrhe one pound of raysins a pound of Galbanum halfe a pound of Costus sixe ounces of armoniarcke sixe ounces of swines grease two pounds put your swines grease first into an earthen pot and hauing placed it in a broad cauldron full of water then make a soft fire vnder it to the end that your water may boyle and when you do perceiue your swines grease is almost melted then shall you put in all your other simples except the Costus and when they are all molten which will aske fiue or sixe howres boyling at the least then your Costus which is a white roote being beaten into fine powder you shall adde to the aforesaid things after it is taken from the fire and incorporate them all very well together then make a plaister thereof vpon a peece of sheepes leather somewhat bigger then the soare and this plaister without renewing
into sundry branches according as the veine doth diuide you shall take the last knot of euery braunch which for the most part will be hard and not come to rottennesse and then slit them and fill them with your kniues point full of white arsnicke then those which you find to be rotten let the matter forth and annoynt them with blacke sope and arsnicke mixt together then within 2. or 3. dayes you shall see those which you drest with arsnicke simply to haue their coares fall out and the rest which you drest with blacke sope will dry vp then annoynt them all with fresh butter molten till they be whole Now if you do perceiue any new knots to arise then you shall dresse them likewise with arsnicke simply as was said before not leaue any vncured Now if the farcy be not very contagious but as it were newly begun then if you only take blacke sope arsenicke as beforesayd and annoynting your fingar and your thumbe therewith do but nippe and bruise euery knot and within two or three daies after they will dry vp and heale But if the farcy be fowle and desperate that is to say either vniuersally spread ouer the body or so gotten into any limbe or member that the limbe is deformed and hath lost his proportion so that a man can neither iudge which way the veines runne nor in what part the knots are most venemous because that healing one two new ones will arise In this case you shall first giue your horse a strong scouring or purgation according to the strength of his body of all which a pint of muskadine or a quart of strong ale with halfe a pinte of the oyle of oates is the most soueraigne then shall you take a penyworth of tarre and two good handfuls of pidgions dung and twelue penyworth of white mercury mixe all these very well together and make them into a salue then with a slice daube it all ouer the soare place leauing no parte of the member vncouered then heating a barre of Iron red hote hold it so neare that it may drye the salue vpon the soare then lay more fresh salue on and dry it in like maner let it so rest vntill it fall off and it will kill any farcy whatsoeuer at the first or second dressing Now there bee others which will stoppe the knots with the powder of verdigrease and of arsnicke mixt together or else wash the soares with Aqua-fortis but they are neither so good as the other before rehearsed CHAP. 112. Of the Canker in any part of the body A Canker is a poysonous creeping vlcer fretting gnawing the flesh in great breadth whose beginning is knotty not much vnlike vnto the farcy spreadeth it selfe into diuers places and being exulcerated gathereth together at the length into one wound or filthy soare from whence there runneth a thinne sharpe lye which galleth off the skin wheresoeuer it goes and so both increaseth the vlcer and maketh it more incurable It proceedeth from melancholy and filthy bloud ingendred either by rancknesse of keeping or else by too extreme pouerty and if this naughty bloud be mixt with sharpe and salte humors then it causeth more painefull and grieuous exulceration It also may proceede from some loathsome wound which is neither cleane kept nor well drest but in such sorte that the corrupt matter thereof poysoneth the other cleane partes of the body for signes of the sorrance there needeth no more but the description already mentioned And for the cure according to the opinion of ancient Farriers is first to let the horse bloud in those veines which are next the soare and make him bleed well then take of allom halfe a pound of greene copporas as much of white copporas one quarterne and a good handfull of salt boyle all these things together in faire running water from a pottle to a quart and this water being warme wash the soare therewith with a clout and then sprinkle thereon the powder of slecked lime continuing so to doe euery day once the space of fifteene daies and if you see that the lime doe not morâ—ifie the rancke flesh and keepe it from spreading any further then take of sope halfe a pound of quick-siluer halfe an ounce and beate them together in a pot vntil the quicksiluer be so well mingled with the sope as you can perceiue no quicksiluer in it with an yron slice or splatter after that you haue washed the soare with the strong water aforesaid couer the wound with this oyntment continuing thus to doe euery day once vntill the canker leaue spreading abroad And if it leaue spreading and that you see the rancke flesh is well mortified and that the edges beginnes to gather a skinne then after the washing dresse it with lime as before continuing so to doe vntill it be whole and in the dressing suffer no filth that commeth out of the soare to remaine vpon any whole place about but wipe it cleane away or else wash it away with warme water and let the horse during this cure bee as thinly dicted as may bee and throughly exercised now if this cankerous vlcer happen to be in the taile of the horse as it is often seene and which you shall perceiue as well by the falling away of the haire as also by the wound then you shall make a bolster either of soft cloth or spunge and wet it with vinegar both within and without and so bind it fast to the soare alwaies when it waxeth dry you must wet it againe do thus twice or thrice a day if it be done oftener it is better so shal you continue for three or foure daies and then heale it vp as you heale vp any ordinary wound that is with hogges grease and turpentine molten together or such like There be other Farriers which for the canker on the body doe take one ounce of the iuice of the roote of Affedeli three ounces of vnsleckt lime two ounces of orpiment or arsnicke put this in an earthen vessell close stopt and either boyle or bake it in an ouen till it come to a powder then first wash the soare with strong vinegar and after strow this powder thereon Others vse to take garlicke and beate it in a mortar with swines grease till it come to a salue and then hauing washt the soare either with vinegar allome water copporas water or old vrine then annoynt it once or twice a day with it till it bee whole Other Farriers take the hearbe Mullen and bruise it and mix it with salt and verdigrease and then dresse the soare therewith morning and euening for the space of three or foure daies then vse the same salue as long againe without verdigrease then lastly vse the hearbe alone but if at any time you see it doe beginne to waxe raw then beginne againe as is aforesaid and euer before you annoynt it wash it first with vinegar and grease mixt together Others take
vnto the setting on of the stone and presse them so hard that there may be no fluxe of bloud then with a thin drawing cauterizing Iron made red hot seare away the stone then take a hard plaister made of rosen waxe and turpentine wel molten together and with your hot Iron melt it vpon the head of the strings then seare the strings and then melt more of the salue till such time as you haue layd a good thicknesse of the salue vpon the strings then loose the nippers and as you did with that stone so do with the other also then fill the two slits of the codde with white salt and annoynt all the out-side of the codde and all the horses belly and thighes with hogges grease cleane rendred and so let him rise and keepe him either in some very warme stable or in some very warme pasture where he may walke vp and downe for there is nothing better for a horse in this case then moderate exercise Now if after his gelding you doe perceiue that his codde and sheath doth swell in any extraordinary fashion then you shall chafe him vp and downe and make him trotte an howre in a day and it will soone recouer him and make him sound without any impediment CHAP. 159. Of the making of Curtals or cutting off of the tailes of Horses THe curtalling of Horses is vsed in no nation whatsoeuer so much as in this kingdome of ours by reason of much carriage and heauy burthens which our horses continually are excercised and imployed withall and the rather sith wee are strongly opinated that the taking away of those ioynts doth make the horses chine or backe a great deale the stronger and more able to supporte burthen as in truth it doth and we daily finde it by continuall experience Now for the manner of curtalling of horses it is in this sort First your shall with your fingar and your thumbe grope till you find the third ioint from the setting on of the horses taile and hauing found it raise vp all the haire and turne it backeward then taking a very small strong corde wrappe it about that ioynt and pull it both with your owne strength and an other mans so straite as you can possible pull it then wrappe it about againe and draw it as straite or straiter againe and thus doe three or foure times about his taile with all the possible straitnesse that may be and then make fast the ends of the cord then take a peece of wood whose end is smooth and euen of iust height with the strunt of the horses taile setting it betweene the horses hinder legges after you haue tramelled all his foure legges in such sort that he can no waies stirre then lay his taile thereupon and taking a maine strong sharpe knife made for the purpose set the edge thereof so neare as you can gesse it betweene the fourth and fift ioynt and then with a great smithy hammer striking vpon the backe of the knife cut the taile asunder then if you see any blood to issue foorth you shall know that the corde is not straite inough and therefore you must draw it straiter but if no blood follow then it is well bound this done you shall take a redde hote burning yron of the full compasse of the flesh of the horses taile made round after this fashion that the bone of the taile may goe through the hole and with it you shall seare the flesh till you haue mortified it and in the searing you shall see the ends of the veines start out like pape heads but you shall stil continue searing them vntill you see all to bee most smooth plaine and hard so that the blood cannot breake through the burning then may you boldly vnloose the cord and after two or three daies that you see the soare beginne to rot you shall annoynt it with fresh butter or else with hogges grease and turpentine vntill it bee whole CHAP. 160. To make a white starre in any part of a horse IF you will at any time make a white starre either in your horses fore-head or in any other part of his body you shall according to the opinion of the most ancient Farriers take a tile stone and after you haue burned it beate it into fine powder then take lilie rootes dasie rootes white bryer rootes of each a like quantity and hauing dryed them beate them also into fine powder and mixe them with the first then with a razor shaue that part of your horse where you would haue your starre and then with this powder rubbe it so vehemently that you scarce leaue any skinne on then take a good quantity of hony-suckle flowres and a like quantity of hony the water wherein a moule hath bene sodden then distill them into a water and with that water wash the soare place the space of three daies together and keepe the winde from it and you shall presently see the white haires to grow for this receipt hath bene often very well approued There bee other Farriers which take a crabbe and roast it and being fire hote bind it to that part which you would haue white and it will scald away the old haire the next haire that groweth wil be white Other Farriers vse after they haue shaued the place to take the iuice of sharpe onions or leeks and to bathe the place very much therewith then to take barley bread as fire hot as it commeth from the ouen and clap it to the shauen place suffring it to lye so till it be cold and then after annoynt it with hony and the white haire will come Other Farriers vse to annoynt the shauen place with the grease of a moldy-warpe sodde and that will bring white haires Other Farriers vse after they haue shaued it to rub the place well with salte and then twice euery day for a fortnight to wash it with the broth wherein a mouldy-warpe and some swines grease hath bene sodden Other Farriers vse to boyle a mouldy-warpe in salt water for three daies together or else in strong lye and euer as one liquor consumeth to supply it with an other then with this decoction being warme annoynt the shaued place and it will bring white haires sodainely Other Farriers take the gall of a goate and rubbe the shaued place therewith and it will bring white haires also Other Farriers take sheepes milke and boyle it and in that wet a linnen cloth and being very hote lay it to renewing it till you may rubbe off the the haire with your fingar this done apply the milke to twice a day luke warme till the haire doe come againe which without all question will be white Other Farriers take the rootes of wilde cowcumbers and twice so much Nitrum mingled with oyle and hony or else adde to your cowcumbers Sal nitrum beaten and hony and annoynt the shauen place therewith and it will bring white haire Other Farriers vse to take a
peece of a bricke-bat and with it gently to rubbe and chafe the place till by the continuance therof you haue rubbed away both the haire and the skinne so broad as you would haue the starre and then after to annoynt it with hony till the haire come againe or else to roast a colewort stalke like a warden or an egge til it be stone hard and then as they come hote out of the fire to clappe either of them to the horses forehead and it will scald off the haire then to annoynt it with hony till the haire come againe Now to conclude and to shew you the most perfect absolute experiment which I haue euer found to bee most infallible it is thus you shall take a very fine sharpe long bodkin made for the purpose and thrust it vp betwixt the skinne and the bone vpward so long as you would haue the star and in thrusting it vp you shall hollow the skin from the bone the bignesse that you would haue the starre this done you shall take a peece of lead made in the true shape of your bodkin drawing out the bodkin thrust in the lead into the same hoales then you shall thrust the bodkin croswise the forehead vnderneath the lead and then thrusting in such another peece of lead you fhall see it in the horses face to present this figure which being done you shall take a very strong packe-threed and putting it vnderneath all the foure ends of the leads and drawing it with all straitnesse you shall gather all the hollow skinne together on a purse folding the packe-threed oft and oft about and stil straiter and straiter so that you shall see it then to present vnto you this figure this done you shall let it rest at least the space of eight and forty howres in which time the skinne will bee as it were mortified then may you vnloose the pack-threed and draw forth the leaden pinnes and with your hand close the hollow skinne to the fore-heade hard againe and shortly after you shall see the haire to fall away and the next haire which commeth will bee white and this experiment is most infallible Now there bee some Farriers which will not put in pinnes nor vse any packe-threed but onely will slit the fore-head and open the skinne on both sides and then put in either a horne or a plate of leade as bigge as the starre and so let it remaine till the skinne rot then take out the horne or lead and annoynt the place with hony and the water of mallowes sod and it will bring white haire and surely this experiment also is most infallible but it maketh a foule soare and is somewhat long in bringing his vertue to effect CHAP. 161. How to make a blacke starre or white haire blacke IF at any time you would make vpon a white horse a blacke starre you shall take a scruple of inke 4. scruples of the wood of Oliander beaten to powder incorporate this in as much sheepes suet as will well suffice and then annoynt the place therewith it wil make any white haire black Other Farriers vse to take the decoction of fearne roots and sage sod in lye and wash the place therewith and it will breede blacke haire but you must wash the place very oft therewith Other Farriers vse to take the rust of Iron gals and vitrioll and stampe them with oyle or else take soutter inke gals and rust and beate them well together and then annoynt the place therewith and it will turne any white haire to blacke CHAP. 162. To make a red starre in a Horses face IF you desire to make in your horses face or any other part a red starre you shall take of Aqua fortis an ounce of Aqua-vitae a penyworth of siluer to the valew of eighteene pence put them into a glasse and heate them well therein and then annoynt the place very well therewith and it will immediatly turne the haires to be of a perfect red colour only it wil endure no longer then till the casting of the haire and therefore at euery such time you must renew the haire againe if you will haue the starre to continue CHAP. 163. How to make haire to come very soone very thicke and very long IF you would haue haire to come very soone in any bare place or to grow thicke where it is thin or long where it is short you shal take according to the opinion of the most ancient Farriers the vrine of a yong boy and with it first wash the place after that take lye made of vnsleckt lime Ceruse and Litargie and with it wash the haire oft and it wil make it come soone long and thicke Other Farriers vse to wash the place with water wherin the roots of Althaea haue bene sod then after drye it gently with your hand and it will encrease haire much Other Farriers vse to wash the place with oyle mingled with the ashes of nut-shels burnt or else snayle-shels burnt and it will encrease haire also Other Farriers take Agrimonte pund with goats milke with it annoynt the place or else oyle wherein a mouldiwarpe hath bene boyled and annoynt the place with either of them and it will encrease haire very much Other Farriers take the dung of goats allome hony and the bloud of a swine mingle them altogether and stirre thâ—m till they be ready to boyle and being hot rubbe the bare place therewith Other Farriers take nettle seeds bruised with hony water and salt then rub the place therewith Other Farriers take the roote of a white lilly beaten and sodde in oyle and annoynt the place therewith Others take the iuyce of a long onyon or else the iuyce of radishes and annoynt the place therewith Others take tarre oyle oliue and hony boyled together and with it annoynt the bare place Other Farriers take the soote of a cawdron mixed with hony and oyle and anoynt the place therwith There bee other Farriers which take greene wall-nut-shels burne them to powder and then mixe it with hony oyle and wine and annoynt the place therewith and it will encrease haire wonderfully CHAP. 194. To make haire smooth sleeke and soft IF you will make your horses coate to be smooth sleeke soft and shining you shall with sufficient store of cloath keepe him warme at the heart for the least inward cold will make the haire stare then you shall make him sweate oft for that will rease vp the dust and filth which makes his coate foule and hard then you shall when the horse is in his greatest sweate with an old sword blade turning the edge towards his haire scrape or as it were curry away all the white foame sweate and filth which shall bee raised vp and that will lay his coate euen and make it smooth and lastly you shall when you let him bloud rubbe him all ouer with his owne bloud and so let it remaine two or three dayes and then curry
or Pissupprest in a Horse THe stone or pissupprest in a horse is when a horse would faine stale but cannot at all and therefore may well be called the suppression of of the vrine it proceedeth according to the opinions of my masters the old Farriers sometimes from the weaknesse of the bladder when the water conduit is stopped with grosse humours or with matter descending from the liuer or from some inflammation or hard knobs growing at the mouth of the conduit or for that the sinewes of the bladder are numbed so as the bladder is without feeling or it may come by keeping a horse in long trauell and not suffering him to stale but most commonly and oftest it cometh from obstructions in the kidneyes where by the causes aforesayd a certaine redde grauell being bred and falling downe into the conduits by the mixture of fleame and other grosse humours is there brought to be a hard stone and so stoppeth the passage of the vrine for the signes there needeth no more but this that he would faine pisse but cannot The cure according to the opinion of the most ancientest Farriers is first to draw out his yard and bethe it well with white wine and pricke it and scoure it well lest it be stopped with durt and filthinesse then put a little oile of camomill into his yard with a waxe candle and a bruised cloue of garlike but if that will not force him to stale then take of parsley two handfuls of coriander one handful stamp them and straine them with a quart of white wine dissolue therein one ounce of cake sope and giue it luke warme vnto the horse to drinke and see that you keepe him as warme as may be and let him drinke no cold water for the space of fiue or sixe dayes and when you would haue him to stale let it either bee vpon good plenty of straw or vpon the grasse or in a sheep-coate Others those of the best esteeme for Horse-leach-craft at this day vse onely to giue white wine cake sope and butter very well mixt together and let the horse drinke it warme Others vse to annoynt the horses belly first with warme water then when it is dryed to annoynt it againe with sallet oyle horse-grease and tarre mixt together and made warme and to hold a hot yron against his belly whilest it is in annoynting that the oyntment may the better enter the skin but I hold this medicine to be much better for the strangury or any other paine in the belly then for the stone yet it is approued good for all Others vse to take a pint of white wine or ale mixe with it a little garlicke and the whites of ten egges giue it the horse to drinke or else giue him the iuice of red cole-worts mixt with white wine or the roote of Alexanders bruised sodden in wine to drinke wash his yard with vinegar Others vse to take either wormewood southernewood or galingale or mallowes or pimpernell some of these or any one of these stampt and strained and giue it the horse with ale to drinke Others vse to take a pint of white wine halfe a pint of burre seede beaten very small two ounces of parsley seede halfe a handfull of hyssop halfe an ounce of blacke sope mixe them all well together and warme it and giue it the horse to drinke or else take vnset leekes and stampe them small and sope milke and butter and being mixt together giue it the horse to drinke Others vse to take a nutmegge and a handfull of parsley seed beate them to powder then take as much butter and mixe them altogether in a quart of strong ale and giue it the horse luke warme to drinke or else take the seede of smallage parsley Saxefrace the roots of Philupendula cherry-stone kirnels grummell seeds and broome seedes of each a like quantity beat them into fine powder and giue it the horse with a pint or a quart of white wine Now albeit all these medicines before rehearsed are in dayly practise and approued very soueraigne yet for mine owne part I haue found none more soueraigne then this Take a quart of strong ale and put it into a pottle pot then take as many keene radish rootes cleane washed being slit through and bruised as will fill vp the pot then stopping the pot very close that no ayre may come in let it so stand foure and twenty howres then straine the ale and the rootes very hard into a cleane vessell and giue it the horse fasting in the morning to drinke then ride him a little vp and downe and so set him vp warme and watch him and you shall see him stale This you must do diuers mornings together CHAP. 78. Of a Horse that pisseth bloud THere is nothing more certaine then that a horse many times will pisse bloud in stead of vrine the cause as the most ancient Farriers suppose proceeding from some one of these grounds either ouermuch labour or too heauy a burthen especially when the horse is fat for by either of them the horse may come to breake some veine in his body and then you shall see cleare bloud come out no vrine at all but if the bloud be mixt with vrine then they suppose it cometh from the kidneyes hauing some ragged stone therein which through great trauell doth fret the veines of the kidneyes and makes them bleed through which as the vrine passeth it taketh the bloud away with it also but for mine owne part I haue not found any greater cause for the pissing of bloud then the taking vp of a horse from grasse in the strength of winter as about Christmas and presently without a dayes rest in the stable to thrust him vnto a long and weary iourney from this cause I haue seene many horses after two or three daies iourney to pisse bloud in most grieuous manner The signes are needlesse The cure according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers is this First let the horse bloud in the palate of the mouth to conuert the bloud the contrary way then take of Tragagant which hath bene steeped in wine halfe an ounce of poppy seed one dramme and one scruple and of Storax as much and twelue pine-apple kirnels let all these things be beaten and mingled well together and giue the horse thereof euery morning the space of seuen dayes the quantity of a wal-nut infused in a quart of sweete wine Other latter Farriers vse to let the horse bloud in the necke and boyle that bloud with wheate and with the powder of dryed pomegranate pils then straine it and giue it him three or foure mornings together to drinke and let him by no meanes trauell thereupon or else giue him of husked beanes boyled with the huskes of acornes beaten smal and mixt together Others vse to make him a drinke with the rootes of Daffadill mingled with wheate flowre and Sumach sodden long in water and so
to be giuen to the horse with sweet wine or else to make him a drink of goates milke and sallet oyle straining thereunto a little frumenty or else to giue him sodden beanes Deeres suet in wine each of these are of like force goodnesse Now there be others which for this disease do take barley and seeth it in the iuyce of Gumfolly and giue him the barley to eate and the iuyce to drinke or else take the powder of licoras and anise seeds rold vp in hony and make round balles thereof and cast downe the horses throat two or three of them or else licoras anise seeds and garlicke bruised together with a little sallet oyle and hony and giuen in a quart of new milke to the horse to drinke is very soueraigne also and these two medicines last rehearsed are exceeding good also for any cold or glanders CHAP. 79. Of the Colt euill THe colt euill by the most ancient Farriers especially the Italians whose hot country affoordeth the beasts of more hot and strong natures then ours doth is thought to be a continuall standing together with an vnnaturall swelling of the yard proceeding either from some winde filling the arteries and hollow sinew or pipe of the yard or else through the aboundance of seede prouoked by the naturall heate of the horse but our Farriers who haue not seene that experience because our horses are of colder temper say it is onely a swelling of the sheath of the yard and of that part of the belly about the yard together with the codde also proceeding from corrupt seede which commeth out of the yard and remaining within the sheath there putrifieth and this iudgement we finde by experience to be most true Now you shall vnderstand that Geldings as well as horses are subiect thereunto because they want naturall heat to expell their seed any further The signes are onely the outward swelling of the sheath and codde and none other and the best cure is first to wash the sheath cleane with luke warme vinegar then draw out the yard and wash that also which done ride the horse twice euery day that is morning and euening into some deepe running water vp to the belly tossing him to and fro to allay the heate of members till the swelling be vanished and if you swim him now then it will not do amisse Others vse to bath his cods and yard with the iuice of houslicke or with the water wherein kinholme hath beene sod Now this colt euill will sometimes stoppe the horses vrine that he cannot pisse then you shall take new ale and a little blacke sope and giue it the horse to drinke Others vse to wash the horses coddes and sheath with butter and vinegar made warme Others vse to wash his yard and coddes with the iuyce of hemlocke or else take beane flowre vinegar and Bolearmonicke and mixing them together lay it plaister-wise to his sheath and coddes Others make him a plaister of wine-lees houslicke and branne mixt together and layd to his sheath and coddes but if the first receipt will serue I would not wish you to vse any other medicine CHAP. 80. Of the Mattering of the Yard THis disease of the mattering of the yard is seldome seene but amongst the hot races or breedes of horses as is the Ienet the Barbary and such like and it happeneth euer at couering time when the horse and mare both being too hot do burne themselues by which meanes there issueth forth of the horses yard much filthy matter The signes are the falling downe of the matter and a swelling at the end of the yard and the horse can by no meanes draw vp his yard or couer it within his sheath The cure is to take a pint of white wine boyle therein a quarâ—erne of roch allum with a large serring or squirt squirt in three or foure squirtfull into his yard one after another and be sure that your squirt go home vnto the bottome that the liquor or lotion may scoure the bloudy matter away this do fiue or sixe times euery day till the horse be whole CHAP. 81. Of the shedding of the Seede THe shedding of the seed or the falling away of the sperme in horses is none other then that which we call in men the running of the reines it cometh as our old Farriers say either by aboundance ranknesse of seed or by the weaknesse of the stones and seede vessels not able to retaine the seede vntill it be disgested and thickned but truly for mine owne part I thinke it cometh oftner especially amongst our English horses by some great straine in leaping or by teaching a horse to bound and making him bound the compasse of his naturall strength The signes are onely the shedding of his seede which will be white thinne and waterish The cure according to the ancient experiments is first to ride the horse into some cold water vp to the belly insomuch that his stones may be couered with water which done bathe his fundament with water and oyle then couer him exceeding warme and giue him euery day to drinke red wine and hogges dung till the fluxe of his seede stay but latter experience hath found this receipt better Take of red wine a quart and put therein a little Acatium the iuyce of plantan and a little masticke and giue it him to drinke and then bath all his backe with red wine and oyle of roses mixt together but other Farriers take Venice Turpentine and being washt beate it well with halfe so much sugar then make round balles as bigge as wal-nuts and giue the horse fiue euery morning till the fluxe stay CHAP. 82. Of the falling downe of the yard THe falling downe of the yard is when a horse hath not strength to draw vp his yard within the sheath but lets it hang downe betweene his legges ill fauouredly it cometh as our best Farriers suppose either through the weaknesse of the member by meanes of some resolution in the muscles and sinewes seruing the same caused by some great straine or stripe on the backe or else through extreme wearinesse and tiring The signe is only the apparant hanging downe of the member and the cure is according to some opinions to wash the horses yard in salt water from the sea or for want thereof with water and salt but if that do not preuaile then pricke all the outmost skinne of the yard with a sharp needle but yet as sleightly as may be not deep and then wash all the pricks with strong vinegar this will not onely make him draw vp his yard againe but also if at any time his fundament chance to fall this cure will put it vp againe There be other Farriers which for this disease will put into the pipe of the horses yard hony and salt boyled together and made liquid or else a quick flye or a graine of Franckinsence or a cloue of garlicke cleane pilled and bruised and bathe