and bodie and gallop smoothely thereupon you may then thrust out your horse and for a quarter of a mile or halfe a mile according as the chace holdes out galloppe him faire softly vpon the hand after the Houndes that hee may learne how to handle his legs how to lay his bodie and how to change and alter his stroake according to the change and alteration of the ground as if the ground be plaine and leuel then to lay downe his bodie stretch foorth his legges and to goe more speedily away but if the ground bee ruttie and full of false treading which wee call broken swarthe or if it bee ouer ridge and furrowe so that the horse in his gallopping rises and falles then hee must gather vp his bodie round close strike shorter and thicker to the intent he may auoide ruttes or setting his forefeete in the bottome of furrowes which if at any time by mischance hee doe yet carrying his bodie so round and vpright hee will euer haue that strength at commaundment that he will neither stumble nor fall ouer to which perfection you can no way bring him but by moderate exercise and custome and keeping him euer within his winde that whensoeuer he ends gallopping hee may bee in his best strength and haue alwayes a desire to do more then you will suffer him thus and by the rule of these obseruations you shall hunt your horse till it be betwixt two and three of the clocke in the after noone at what time you shall couple vp your Hounds and then consider the estate of your Horse whether hee haue had anye great exercise or no that is whether he haue sweat any thing or nothing for to sweate exceeding much the first day you must by no meanes suffer him and if you find he haue sweat a little then you shall ride him gently home but if he haue not sweat at all then you shall vpon some faire skelpe earth gallop him till you make him sweat but you must doe it so gently that you neither grieue him with the labour nor make him desire the quickening of the spurre in his gallopping but that all he doth may bee done as it were out of his own voluntarie wil courage When you haue made him wet the haires that are at the rootes of his eares and some fewe vpon his necke and flanke with sweate which are all the places you must at first by any meanes make him sweate in then you shall ride him gently home and as soone as you are lighted from his backe you shall cause him to be set vp in the stable then tying his head with the Bridle vp to the racke where there muste neither bee hay nor any thing els make two groomes at the least one of one side the horse and another of the other with good store of fresh stawe which must lie vnder him rubbe his heade and face first then all his foure legges then his necke bodie bellie buttockes and generally euerie part of the Horse till they haue not left about him any one wert or soule haire then let them vngyrd his gyrths and take off his Saddle and immediately clap about his bodie and his heart two yeards of some thick strong cotton then lay on his cloathes which ordinarily he wore and hauing gyrt them on with the sursingle let it bee stopt round about with soft wispes and so let him stande for the space of two houres or more then you shall come vnto him and vnbridle him and then sift two or three handfull of Oates and mixe with them a good handfull of Hempseed and giue it him to eate then put into his racke a little bottell of Hay and so let him stande till betwixt eight and nine a clocke at night at what time comming to him you shall giue him to drinke a sweete mash of ground mault and water luke-warme which if at first he bee daintie to drinke on respect not but placing it in such sort vnder him that hee cannot throwe it downe let it stand by him all night that hee may drinke at his pleasure Then you shall cuâ—e him in small peeces the valewe almost of halfe a pecke of ordinarie hunting breade the making and nature whereof shall bee prescribed vnto you in the nexte Chapter then putting another small Bottell of Hay into the racke thrusting vp his litter hansomelye that his bedde may be softe and rubbing his heade necke and buttockes downe with a haire cloath let him stande till the nexte morning Now forasmuch as in this first dayes hunting there are many obseruations to bee noted I thinke it not amisse to giue you a tast of them before I proceed any further first therefore you ought to obserue that in the morning wheÌ„ you come into the field that you doe not put your horse to any gallop for at least two houres which time you shal spend in trotting walking him after the dogs manie times standing still to make your horse dung and emptie his belly which whensoeuer he doth you shall cherish him and with oft standing stil and now then whistling your horse doe what you can to prouoke him to pisse which is the wholsomest thing of all others then when you finde that your horse by his oft dunging and pissing is reasonably well emptied you may begin to gallop him in manner before shewed Next you shall obserue the nature and inwarde qualitie of your Horse which is whether he bee of a temperate and sober spirit one that will doe no more then you put him vnto nor striue to go faster then you would haue him or whether he be a Horse of fierie and forward spirit one that will chafe frette and sweate as much for anger that hee is kept backe and restrayned as the other when hee is runne a whole sente and soundly spurred if you finde him of dull and sober mettall then you shall galloppe him the oftner but the lesse while together that you may bring him to a delight in hunting nowe and then awakning him with your spurres but by no meanes as I sayde beefore bringing him to the height of his winde or the vttermost of his strength But if hee he a Horse of hot and free mettall then you shall gallop him the seldomer but the sorer thrusting him nowe and then vppon deepe and ouerthwart earth that by feeling the paine of labour and the daunger which his fierce and mad running draws him vnto when he is ready to ouerthrow in euerie furrow hee will euen by those corrections and the benefite of his owne knowledge come to a more moderate temper in his running and so much the better and sooner if you as in true Art you ought to do by no meanes either with spurre or rod compel him to doe anye thing but that all the myscheefes he feeles may onely come by his owne voluntarie furie you but onely giuing libertie to his frowardnesse then you shall obserue vpon what earth
quart of water then another handfull of Oates and another quart of watter and thus you shall giue one after another till you haue giuen him a good meale likewise then put on his Mussell and let him stand till betwixt nine and ten a clocke at night at what time you shall come to him and as you fedde him at noone with bread and water so shall you nowe feede him with bread and water likewise then putting on his muzell rubbing him and raising vppe his litter let him stand till the next morning The next day is a day ofrest so that after you haue ayred him in the morning you shall then onely feede him as you did the day before onely you must vnderstand that these three dayes before your race day you shall in your ayrings be longer abroad then vsually you were wont to be both that you may keepe him in perfite breath and suffer no grosnesse to increase and also to procure him a good stomacke and a longing appetite After two of your foure dayes is thus spent in ayring and feeding the third day you shall spende in the same maner also both touching his ayrings and feedings but the time betwixt his meales you shall spend in colling his eares maine chappes eye-browes and other parts of his bodie that are charged with superfluous haires you shall wash scowre both his maine and taile with sope and water then if at the race day you meane to haue it frizeld and brodered out brauely to the showe you shall plat them both in as manie seuerall small plats or strings as you can conuenientlie knit euerie seuerall plat and string in as manie knots as you can deuise for the lesse your plats are and the more knots you knit the brauelyer will your horses maine or taile curle and the gallanter it will appeare to the beholders This day also you shall see that the Smith shooe your horse both easily and sufficiently according to the nature of the course that is to say if the course be vppon soft greene swarth totten more or durtie earth then you shall shooe him with halfe shooes both because they preuent ouer-reaching which often chaunces in such grounds and also giues foot-hold inough which is al the necessitie in such a course but if the race bee vpon harde heathes hie wayes or flintie or chaukie grounds then you shall shooe him with whole shooes neither halfe so broad nor halfe so thick as the hunting shooe After your horse is thus prepared the next day following which is the day before your race day you shall ayre order feed your horse as you did in the former dayes onely you shal giue him no water at all After you haue finished watring and feeding him at twelue of the clocke in the after noone till your wager â—e past onely you shall feede him with what meate he hath most stomacke vnto both in the euening and at nine a clocke also giuing him as much quietnesse and rest as you can deuise vpon the race day in the morning before the spring of the day you shal take forth your horse and ayre him then when you haue brought him home you shal giue him after his legges haue beene well rubbed and annoynted with Linseede Oyle or Traine Oyle as manie tostes steept in Muskadine and dried as he will eate or if out of the daintinesse of his stomacke he take dislike vnto them you shall onely giue him halfe a pecke of fine cleane Oat-meale well dryed then put on his muzzell and so let him take his rest till you haue warning to prepare him for his course which as soone as you haue you shall the first thing you doe take halfe a pint of Sacke and hauing brewed it well with the powder of Anne-seeds and Sugar-candie giue it your horse then lay his cloathes hansomly in good order about him stopping the sursingle round about with soft wispes then if you haue anâ—e couering of silke or other finer cloath for the showe as for the most part noble meÌ„ great persons haue theÌ„ you shall lay in the vppermost hide both the other clothes and the wispes also then you shall vnplat both his maine and taile seuering euerie haire one from another then you shall wash his Snaffle in a little beare and put it in his mouth then with some fine riband or lace you shall tye vp his fore toppe so that it may not dangle or hinder his sight and whilst you are doing these thinges you shall make other Goomes doe nothing but rubbe his legges thus when you haue fitted euerie thing conuenieÌ„tly you shall take Vineger into your mouth and spirt it into your Horses nostrels and so lead him towards the race in such manner and forme as was shewed you in the horses first course after you come at the race end when you haue rubd his legges and as much as you can prouokt him to pisse and dung then you shal vngyrde his cloathes set on your saddle spirt vinegar into his nostrels then mount his backe and when the watchword is giuen start him runne him according to your arte and courage CHAP. 7. Obseruations to be vsed and inconueniences which happen during the dyeting of running Horses NOw for as much as there be diuers general obseruations which you shal obserue during the time of dyeting your horse I will as neare as I can set them downe in such sort as may bee best fitting for your memorie wherefore first you shall obserue that once or twice in a weeke when you giue your horse any oates to giue him a little Mustard-seede mingled therewith which wil make your horse neâ—se purge his head of all grosse matter You shal also obseru that wheÌ„ your horses duÌ„g lookes of a paalish yellow collour is of an indifferent hardnesse both in substance and smell like to the ordure of a man that then it is best the horse in strongest temper You shall obserue that after your horse comes to the strength of feeding that his dung smels strongly that then euerie time you come into the stable you burne either Iuniper Frankensence Stoâ—ake or some other perfume both to take away the euill smell and to comfort the horse Also you shall obserue that if your Horse be an exceeding grosse feeder and that he wil eate vp his litter in great aboundance that then you may put him into his mussell for a fortnight or three weekes before the race day but if he be a horse of a tender and daintie stomacke so that you shall with great difficultie make him eate any thing at al in this case you shal not put him into the Mussell at al aboue one night before the race day for the vse of the Mussell is onelye but to keepe him from foule and vnwholsome feeding and to prepare and get him a stomacke also you shall obserue that when you giue your horse a playing course that is to say when
of it selfe although naturally it rotte more inwardly then outward the cure is to ripen it either with rosted sorrell or with rotten litter or else with scalding hote hogs-grease making him a cap to keepe his necke warme when it is almost ripe and ready to breake you shall take a small round hote yron and thrust it from the nether side of the swelling vp to the toppe where it is most ripe so that the corruptiō may haue issue downward then you shall make a tent of drie spunge and dipping it in hogs grease and turpentine molten toge ther thrust in the tent as you thrust in the yron this tent will keepe open the whole be low then you shall lay vpon the tent the plaster of waxe turpentine and honey and thus you shall dresse him twice a day till he be whole obseruing not to tent with drye spunge any longer then whilst you would keepe the wound open if you finde it heale but softly you shall take of turpentine washt in nine waters a quarter of a pound and put to it the yolke of an egge and a little english saffron and mixing them well together tent the sore therewith till it be whole CHAP. 27 Of the the Viues or great Kirnels The Viues are certaine great kirnels which growe from the root of the horsses eare downe towards his throat betwixt his neck and his nether chappe they are inwardlie full of little white graynes like salte cornes there is no horsse but hath them only they are not painefull till grosser humours resorting to that part inflame them and make them swell the signe is onely the swelling which is apparant and the cure is thus apply vnto them either rosted sorrell or els a plaster of pitch hogs-grease molten and boild together till such time as the Kitnels rotte and breake and with the selfe same medicine also heale them againe Now for as much as our common Fariers vse for this griefe with a hote yron to draw a line from the the eare to the chappe and then to crosse those lines with other lines after the fashion of a ragd staffe and then pulling the Kirnels out with a pair of pinssers to cut them away and then onely to fill the hole with salte I would haue you know it is a very foule maner of cure and dangerous besides be he neuer so cunning that doth it that parte of the necke will neuer bee so slender as it was before nor will the markes of the hot iron euer be taken away CHAP. 28. Of the cankerous vlcer in the nose THis disease proceedeth from salte hotte fretting humours occasioned by corruption of blood kidneies or the vessels of seede which is so poysonous and sharpe that it not onely consumeth the flesh but also if it bee not preuented will eate throgh the grissell of the nose there is nothing which sooner brings it then surfeit of rawe meat or extreame cold the signes be you shall see much blacke and putrified blood come from his nose and somtimes yellow disiested matter which will stinke vildely The cuer is take of greene Coperis and Allome a like quantitie as of each a pound of Venis turpentine white Coperis of ech a quarterne boile them in a pottle of running water till almost halfe be consumed then take it from the fier and strayne it and put thereto halfe a pinte of life honey and a quarter of an ounce of Safron then holding vp the horses head with a squirte you shall squirt this confection made luke warme into his nostrilles then let his head go downe that hee may throw out the filth and after you haue done thus three or foure dayes if then you see the matter is not so aboundant as it was you shall neede then but onely by fastning a soft cloute about a sticke to dippe it into the confection and thrust it vp into his nose dressing him so twice a day til the sore be whole CHAP. 29. Of bleeding at the nose HOrses are as subiect to bleede at the nose as men are and the selfe same causes procure it as when the vein which endeth in the nose is either opened or broken by any blowe or stroake vppon the face or by any violent strayning of the body as by extreame labouring when the horse is not cleane as I haue seene a horse at the end of his course gush forth of bleeding or as I haue seene when a horse cannot dung the very strayning himselfe hath made his nose bleede sometimes the very buandance of blood and pride of good keeping wil make the nose bleede but that is euer in yong horses the signe to know it from the vlcerous nose is the blood will bee cleare and of a pure colour the other blacke and filthie The cuer is to take clothes dipt in cold water and apply them one after another to the nape of his necke and the temples of his head and it will staunch the blood or digg vp a sodde of earth and lay it to the nape of the horses neck and it will staunch it also but if these faile take a porrenger full of his blood and boile it vpon the fier till it come to a powder then with a cane blowe the powder into his nostrills and it will staunch the blood but if your horse be much subiect to bleeding and bleede often then I woulde haue you to let him blood in the necke veine to alter the course of the blood and stop his nostrills full of hogs dung for that is very good to staunch blood CHAP. 30 Of the diseases of the mouth and first of the bloody rifts in the pallat of the mouth THis griefe I haue seene come diuers waies as if you suffer some foolish smith to drench your horse ofte and he by his rude handling as they seldome take care do with the corde wherewith hee holdes vp the horses mouth gall or frette the skin off vpon his barres or roofe of his mouth then letting it passe vnlookt to the sore will fret and turne to this disease or if your horse be vsed to eate rough stumpie hay which growing in whinnie grounds is ful of sharp prickes and stumpes those prickes and stumps wounding and galling the pallat of his mouth will make it ranckle and bleede and vtter forth much corruption The cuer whereof is thus first wash the sore place with vinegar salte till it be raw then take honey well mixt with the powder of iet rub it vp on the sore and it will soone heale it CHAP. 31. Of the bladders or Gigges in a horses mouth THese Bladders or Gigges are little swellinges like paps which grow vpon the inside of a horses lippes next to a horses great Iawe teeth they haue litle blacke heads and are so painefull that they will make a horse forsake his meate and how euer some thinke they come either by eating too much grasse or by grosse dusty or pricking meate yet it is not so for
principally respect both the quantitie and qualitie the one for surcharging the other for too grosse feeding the quantitie that your Mares and Colts may not bee throng'd vp and as it were kept in a pin-folde wanting libertie to scope and runne vp and downe at pleasure then which there is nothing more commodious and the qualitie which is the scituation fertilnes of the soyle For the scituation it would be ascending with hilles dales those hilles open vppon the fresh ayre if the plaines be full of Moale-hills it is much better For the fertilnes it wold be a ground neither exceeding ranke nor extreame barreine but of an indifferent mixture rather inclyning to barrennes then much rancknes apportioning to the fruitfulnesse of the ground the number of your Mares in such sort that they may neither want foode nor surfett with too great aboundance neither grow so exceeding fat that they be either disabled for bringing foorth or indangered with rotting which onelie springs froÌ„ such grossenes nor brought so weak with want of foode that they neither take delight in generation or for lacke of strength die with hunger-bane an indifferent meane must therefore be obserued which must be applyed according to the nature of the grouÌ„d obseruing this order eyther to increase or diminish the number of your race-mares as you perceiue them eyther growe fatte or leane in the place of their abyding Some are of opinioÌ„ that as much ground as will serue a Cowe will serue a Race-mare and I am not much opposite to that opinion onelie I holde it a proportion som what with the moste for I haue found in mine owne expeâ—eÌ„ce that the ground which wold summer but eighâ— Kine well hath sommerâ—d a douzen Race mares very sufficiently but for as much as euerie countrie nay almoste euerie Lordship differeth one from another eyther in fruitfulnes or barrennes there cannot be appoâ—ioned any certaine number or stint to euerie ground but it must bee referred to the iudgement of the owner either to increase or decrease his stocke according as they either prosper or decay GrouÌ„ds that be rancke marrish cold wet are most vilde to breede vpon for the foode being vnwholsom the layre vnnaturall and the treading incertaine the foales that are bred thereon are heauie slowe fat headed great bellyed round leggd and weake ioynted chieflie in the pasterne your ground therefore as before I saide must lie hye and firme and such commonly are the Parkes of Princes and great Persons whose imployments in my conceite are moste fitte for this purpose mixing with the delight of Deare the delightful benefit of a braue race of Horses in which euen Kinges of the best memories haue taken vnspeakable pleasures whosoeuer therefore hath eyther Parke or impal'd ground for a lesse fence will hardlie serue a good race which hee purposeth to this vse of breeding must first know that he must not keepe it as one entyre ground but with a sufficient rayle of so conuenient a height as may controle a Horses leaping deuide it into three seuerall pastures the first containing the Launde or plainest part of the Parke where there is least shelter water furrowes or drye ditches which must bee for your Mares to foale in and after their foaling for the stallyon and the Mares to runne together in in which it shall be good if there be no other water more then some sayre fresh Pond Now the reasons for all these choyces are these first that it should bee plaine and without shelter because a Foale at the first foaling would haue all the bitternesse and sharpenesse that the latter end of the Winter can put vppon it which will so harden and knitte him that when the warmth of the Spring and Summer shall beginne he will prosper more in one weeke then another contray-vsed in a Month and when the Winter shal come vppon him againe he shall holde both his flesh and courage when others shall hardly hold life in their bodies this being a rule amongst all good breeders that euerie Foale should haue two Winters in the first yeare Next that there should be no water furrowes nor drye ditches is because a Mare out of her owne disposition euer couetteth to foale in the water or so nere as she caÌ„ get by which meanes I haue knowne many foales drowned And againe in that a Mare commonly foaleth standing she lesse respecteth where she foaleth whether in the water by a ditch side or other where The next pasture you are to diuide would consist partly of good ground partly of bushes brouse and some hie or thick trees for shelter it would be ascending and that ascent plaine and open vpon the ayre Moale-hills small gutters vncertain treading is verie good in this ground Also if some fresh riuer or rundle issuing from a cleare spring runne through this ground it is much the better And in this ground you shall sommer your Mares and Foales as soone as the Stallion is taken away the reasons for the former choyses are these first it must be good ground because it may make your Mares spring with milke next for bushes and brouse it is that a Foale taketh great delight in and makes them hard The shelter of trees is to defend the heate of the Sun the stinging of Flies To be mountainous plaine is that a Foale may by the sharpnesse of the ayre euery morning and euening recouer stomacke strength and liuelihood or by scoping or galloping vp and downe the hill come to a purenes of winde and a nimblenes of bodie For Moale-hils smal gutters or other vncertaine treading they are to bring a Foale by his wanton gallopping and playing about them to a nimblenesse and truth of footmanship to a fine treading and a suretie of not stumbling That the water should bee either fresh riuer or spring is because the puritie thereof ingendreth no euill nutriment or grosnesse but rather sprightinesse and quicknesse The third or last ground wherin I would haue you winter your mares Foales would bee of reasonable fruitefulnes free from al enundation or ouerflow of waters it would be also vpon the knole of an hill and if conueniently it may be full of trees or bushes for shelter On the top of the hil I would haue you build certaine crosse houells of stone or other close stuffe ouer which you may stack your Hay Oates or other winter prouision the quantitie whereof you must measure according to the number of your Mares Foales The opeÌ„sides of your houells I would wish to lye East west the closse endes north south insomuch that in what quarter so euer the winde or wether standeth they may haue warmth shelter from the same Within these houels I wold haue rackes wherein to put the Hay or Oates in the strawe which will not onelie sauâ—much from losse spoyling but also increase the appetite of a Foale by labouring at the same I would also haue vnder the
England but not any expert breeders I haue heard hold strong argument against this opinion of mine for early couering of Mares concluding that to couer Mares in May is somewhat of the soonest reasoning thus that forasmuch as Italie Spain and other Countries much hoter then ours couer not their Mares before mid-March or the beginning of April ours that through the coldnes keeps grasse slow and long ere it spring may right necessarily stay a month after them but they are deceiued in their iudgements For albe our clime be colde and that grasse be long in growing yet this is a certaine rule that if a Mare haue meate inough to sustaine nature in any good fashion she wileuer haue milke inough to bring vppe her Foale Againe if a Foale fall early in the yeare as the yeare increases so both meate and milke increases but if a Foale fall in the prime time of the yeare then as the yeare decreases so meate and milke decreases so that the Foale tasteth in his first month his best foode and when he can eate least hath the greatest plentie which is contrarie to rule Lastly our Winters being almost double to the Winters in those hot Countries if our Foales haue not a little taste or seasoning of Winter before our Winter begin they wil hardly as before I said indure our Winters An other Argument those Horsemen haue which is that our Mares wil not couet the Horse before May but that is more absurd then the other for all men of experience know that a Mare which is not with foale will euer couet the Horse before mid-March at what time if she be suffered to goe ouer shee will not desire the Horse for a Month after Againe if the Mare be with Foale it is an infallible rule that as soone as shee hath foaled she will euer couet the Horse nine nights after so that it is rather a naturall course then the pride foode which makes a Mare couet or not couet the Horse Now the signes to know when a Mare coueteth the Horse be these They will runne extraordinarilie vp and downe and sildome rest in anie one place and their coursing for the moste part is euer towards the North or South they will pricke vp their tailes wooe one another and leap one vpon another they wil pisse oft and as some doe report in their writinges if they may not haue the Horse in the extremitie of their desire they will runne madde The time of the yeare beeing thus from the beginning of March till the end of Aprill or May and your Mares being readie for the Horse the next rule is the manner of their putting together t is moste true that for Princes and great Persons who haue multitudes of Mares and great choice of Horses to whom the spoying of a horse or the goeing ouer of a Mare is no losse The onelie best manner of couering is to put your Stallion into a well fencst ground full of fresh water good shelter and cleare water where hee may runne from March till the midst of May and then to put vnto him so many Mares as with good conueniencie his strength is able to indure serue which must be preportioned according to his youth and strength Plyny is of opinion that a good Stallion may couer fifteene Mares and our English horsemen haue ordinarylie preportioned twelue and ten but for the best Horses that haue beene within my experience I haue found eight at full suffycient vnlesse a man would neuer expect more of the Horse then that one two monthes Ieruice For a Horse then if youth strength and lustinesse eight Mares are a ful number but if he be old or feeble then foure is enow fix to many According to this preportion hauing seuered your Stallions Mares into their proper places You must appoint such as may be carefull of the fences least either your stallions shold breake one into another and so eyther marre the determination of your breede or spoyle theÌ„selues by fighting For Horses like Deare are Iealious of their mares as may appeare by their keeping them together not suffering them to stray or feede a sunder as in such cases you may easilie obserue and which as some thinke is the cause that they are more apt for generation and doe conceiue more speedily and truelie for the first second or third mare I am of the same opinion but that it holdeth so in the rest I differ for a Horse which is at such liberty and is of a mightie spirit doth so extreamly and with such disorder spend himselfe that in lesse then one weekes space he bringes such feeblenes vpon him that he is almost disabled for the purpose you imploy him and for mine owne part I haue knowne diuers excelleÌ„t horses that haue kild themselues with the violence of their lust Yet as before I said for such as haue multitudes of mares there is no other meane but the sufferance of this hazard As soone as you shall perceiue that al your Mares be couered which necessarilie must bee within the compasse of six weekes because euerie emptie Mare at that time of the yeare desireth the Horse once in a month you shal foorth-with take your horse froÌ„ your mares for it is not good to let him goe any loÌ„ger for these reasons first for the losse of his vse seruice which may be after his recouerie to some good purpose but chiefly least if he run too long he spoile what hee hath formerlie created for a Mare contrarie to the kinde of other beasts is of so strong a lust that albe she haue conceiued yet if she be proud in flesh fat full and lustie she will notwithstanding desire and take the horse againe which if at any time she do she immediatly casteth the Foale where withall formerly she went which experyment I haue known diuers times approoued yea euen when a mare hath bin within almoste amonth of her reconing for which cause I would haue you euer obserue to remoue your stallyoÌ„ so soone as he hath doon his office And thus much for the races of Princes and Potentates Now for such priuate Gentlemen as hauing but one StallyoÌ„ yet diuers mares they may by no meanes run the hazard of this former course least by spoyling their horses they loose both their hope benefit together wherfore it behooueth theÌ„ to obserue an other course yet not in mine opinioÌ„ according to the demonstratioÌ„ of some of our late English writers by turning mares single and by one vnto the Horse whilst hee runneth in some priuate â—enc'st ground as some pond-yarde or such like for this taketh as sore of the Horse as the other course first mencioned or rather sorer by as much as the change and nouelties of new Mares brought almoste at the end of euerie three daies fresh vnto him stirreth inflameth him with a more greedy eager â—ust then otherwise he would haue if they were his coÌ„tinuall obiect therfore
inioyed both because al her powers organs and instruments of strength haue then a contrarie imployment and also because nature in foale-bearing looseth the pride and luster of her greatnes Againe if you preserue your Mare for beautie and eye-pleasure the bearing of foales vtterly taketh away that delight because the wombe being stretcht out the vdder broken and the full parts falne there is little more then the head limbs which a man caÌ„ call beautiful he therefore then which hath eyther swift mare or beautifull mare which is vnworthylie couered if he would disburden her of that euill burthen there is no course but to make her cast her Foale which although some writers holde may be doone two waies that is either by strength of hand or vse of medicine yet for mine owne part for that handy course I vtterly dislike it both for as much as I know it can neuer be done but to the great hazard of the mares life also because I haue seene some mares die in the deed dooing for that which is to bee done by hand is not to bee doone tyll the Foale be so great that it haue hayre at what time they cause one to thrust his hand into the wombe of the mare and to crush the head of the foale how monrous immodest vnnatural this is who caÌ„not Iudge but for the medieinable course it is lesse dangerous by all degrees more tollerable Yet for as much as I haue euer vsed such experymeÌ„ts but in extreamity and that the medicines are all in other mens records I will for modestie sake referre them to their writings and at his instant saue my selfe a labour in repetition aduising all Horse breeders and Horsemen whatsoeuer rather to indure the inconuenience of mischances then the mischiele of these subtile knowledges CHAP. 13. The vse of Mares when they haue foaled of the sucking of Foales and of other helpes and vses IT is to be intended that according to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are prescribed in the first chapter of this booke all your 〈◊〉 hold be in that grouÌ„d which being plamâ— and most voide of water furrowes ditches and such like is the safest from danger in foaling but when your mares haue al foaled if then you haue any fresh and vâ—bitten ground which not being racke deepe nor soft but sweete grasse short bit and hard to tread on with good shelter and fresh water it shall be good to put your race mares and their foals therin to the end that their milk may spring that your foales may come to a fulnesse of strength beautie and courage in which albe some Authors giue aduice â—o chase and rechase your mares vp and downe the ground at certain times as the best meanes to bring the mares milke into her Vdder yet I am of a contrary opinion knowing this by due proofe that such exercise doth rather hurt then good because whatsoeuer is don vnwillingly is done with paine that painfulnes takes away the sence of profite as for bringing downe the milke that the foale it selfe euer doth whom as hee sucks you shal euer see with his nose and head to iump and strike against the Vdder of the mare which is to no other purpose but to break the kernels of the mares Vdder and to haue the milke haue its passage so that to conclude I would haue your mares run with al the quietnesse that may be knowing this principle that all horses and mares which are either in lust or strength will out of their owne natures either against raine wind or stormes run chase and scope about the grouÌ„d where they pasture so that where nature is so good a helpe constraint need to be of little vse Now for the sucking of foales although one man writes that all Authors do agree that foals should suck two yeres at least nay that after the Spanish manner they shold suck til they couer their dams I for my part as I thinke all good English breeders are of a contrarie opinioÌ„ for how euer in the daies of Plinie Aristotle or Anatolius two years might be thought litle inough yet in these our dayes we find it ful one year too much wherefore leauing the variable opinions of sundrie men I coÌ„clude that in the races of Princes Noblemen and Gentlemen for a foale to sucke a yeare complete that is from his owne foaling till his dam foale againe is a time full out sufficient but for the husbandman who may not loose the worke and labor of his mare it shall bee sufficient for him if his foale sucke but full sixe Moneths complete and howe euer some men haue written that Foales sucking so small a time must necessarylie want much of their inward pythe strength and healthfulnes yet by proofe I knowe it doth not generally hould so and for mine owne part I could almost giue consent to the wayning of all foales at sixe and seauen monthes were it not for the greate danger of the Gargill and maw-worme which vnto foales wayned so young are diseases both incydent common so that in conclusion I would haue those which are of abilitie to let their foales sucke a yeare no more For those which want means to make their hazard at sixe monthes and vpward For the housing of foales at their first foaling which is the opinion of Varro and some others I am vtterly against it because as I haue formerly written the perfect Horse must euer in one yeare haue the taste of two winters and therefore in Gods name let your Foale taste the worst of winters farewell Now for the exercysing of your Foales to eate prouender after they be fiue or sixe monthes old which is likewise the opinion of Varro it is exceeding good and nothing more necessary but that the prouender shold bee either ground Barly or dride Barley and wheate branne mingled together That might in those countries wherein he was experyenst be tolerable because peraduenture there was no other choice but with vs heere in England where we haue so many choices of good foodes that foode is of all other the vildest and worst both because it affordeth the worst nutryment and also both Barly and wheat bran are of a hot burning nature ingendering hot feauers and other drye diseases The prouender best for foales then is olde Oates in the sheafe the ouer chaueing of wheate garbadge which is wheate eares and the straw chopt altogether and now and then barly in the chaffe or if your foales grow drie in their bodies and costiue then now then a sheafe of Rie amongst them This maner of feeding will not onely make them acquainted with the seuerall taste vse of meates but also breed such familiaritie betwixt them and their keepers that they wil be much more domesticall and tame then otherwise they would be which is a great benefite both to the breeder and also to him which shall be the rider but in any wise let not their keepers handle or
shall then as hee aduanceth with your rodde giue him a good ierte ouerthwart his knees and threaten him with your voice by saying wilt thou villaine wilt thou or such like and as oft as he aduaunceth so often strike him not ceasing till hee keepe his feete fast to the ground neither strike him in any place but ouerthwart his knees onely But if the violence of his naughtinesse be so great that hee not onelie aduaunceth contrarie to your minde but also in his aduauncing reareth vpright so hie that either hee commeth ouer backward or else is in great daunger of the same you shall then vpon the proffer of such wickednes and euen in his rising giue him the libertie of his head and with the euen stroke of both your spurs together make him leape forward This being done in due time so oft as occasion is ministred I haue many times seen to reclaime a horse from this fault but if he bee so infinitely desperate that it will not preuaile you shall then cause him to be ledde foorth into some plaine peece of ground hauing a long string fastned to the reyne of his brydel you shal as he trotteth before you force him to stop and rise vp before which if he dooth any thing extraordinarily hie you shal then with the strength of your own hands pull him quite backewards and assure your selfe after you haue but giuen him two or three such falles you shall neuer afterwards compell him to rise so hie that he will bring himselfe into like daunger For a horse naturallie is as much affraide of falling and as loath to hurt himselfe as any man is wherefore when by this meanes he commeth to the knowledge of his euill he will without any more warning eschue it and this course in all my practise I haue found most infallible yet forasmuch as the vse of the Musroll and Martingall is an ordinarie way to represse and keepe a horse from this fault I would wish euery horsman first therefore to make vse of them and where they faile then to make triall of those experiments which are before rehearsed And thus much for horses that will reare and come ouer with their riders CHAP. 11. How to correct a horse that will lie downe in the water as he passeth thorow OF this fault I haue had great experience and find it to be most incident to horses of chollericke complexions or to such as are foaled in the dogge dayes which is from the midst of Iuly till after the midst of August or to such horses as wee call Cades which are those that neuer sucke their dams but vpon their first foaling are put vp into a house and brought vp vpon the finger These horses haue many times this fault of lying downe in the water with which if at any time you shall encounter you shall thus seeke to reclaime him First you shall faire and softly pace him through some water not aboue knee deepe being hard and firme in the bottome and if you shall finde him offer to stande and draw in his hinder feete as if he would lie downe you shall immediately giue him the euen stroke of both your spurres three or foure times together and make him gallop thorow the water with all violence which done after you haue paused a while you shall pace him backe againe and if he offer to lie downe againe you shall as before make him gallop thorowe againe but if after you haue done thus twise or thrise together hee notwithstanding still proffereth to lye downe you shall then cause two or three footemen to follow you into the water who assoone as he profereth to lie downe shall suffer him but immediatlye when hee is downe they shall with all their strength holde him downe and ducke his head vnder the water holding it there a good space then letting him take breath ducke his head againe vnder the water and this they shall doe twice or thrice before they let him rise all the while rating him with their voyces and striking him with their handes but not by any meanes with any roddes or cudgels albe Grison commend them both for I haue seene that course bring a horse into great desperation After you haue vsed him thus twise or thrise with the helpe of footmen there is no doubt to be made but he will vtterly refuse to lie downe especially when he eyther seeth or heareth the footemen followe him you shall therefore then cause the footemen to forbeare and onely your selfe ride him into the water yet before you ride into the water you shall make fast with a strong thong of leather to each side of your Saddle-tree iust vnder both your knees two large and strong rings of Iron so that nothing but the rings may appeare without the pannell to these rings you must fasten two cordes that are plyant and will runne and goe easily These cords you shall passe from the rings thorow the eye of the bytt trench or snaffle then thorow the rings againe and thorow the eye of the bytt trench or snaffle and then winde the remainder of the cords about the pōmell of the saddle but in any case let that which passeth from the rings to the eye of the byt be so slacke that it may giue the horses head all the libertie possible then when you come into the water if the horse offer to lie downe you shall suffer him and with all nimblenesse you can auoiding his backe looke vpon what side he lyeth most and setting your foote against the saddle plucke the corde on that side it will immediatly not only pluck his head vnder the water but also keepe him that he cannot rise then at your pleasure you may let the cord goe and giue him breath If thus you shall but vse him twise I dare venture much of my reputation in horsemanship he will neuer need it the third time Now forasmuch as some authors giue aduise to put a cord with a running knot about the horses stones to crampe him therwith in the water I for mine owne part vtterly dislike it for I haue seene a horse so vsed who through his violence and strugling in the water hath so pincht himself that his stones haue not onely sweld but also impostumated and rotted so that there was no remedie but to geld him to the great blemish of the horsman and danger of the horses life wherefore I would aduise all yong riders to approue no more but the former practise til such time as their owne experience Art can createthem better knowledge If when you haue in maner aforesaid reclaimed your horse frō this vice he shall after eyther through the violence of nature or the forgetfulnesse of the correction begin to fall to it againe if vpon the first proffer thereof you doe but put him in remembrance and quicken him vp with your spurres and rate him with your voyce you shall soone perceiue he will amend and
purpose And first for his breed if he be either bastard Courser bastard Ienet or bastard Pollander his breed is not amisse for I haue knowne of all these sortes of bastards excellent hunting horses Now if you demaund what I meane by this worde Bastard it is when a horse is begotten by any â—f these Countrie horses vpon a faire English Mare or by a faire bred English Horse vpon any of these Countrie Mares but neither to flatter other Countries nor to take from our owne that which is due vnto it the worlde dooth not affoorde in all poyntes both for toughnesse and swiftnesse being ioyned together a better Horse then the true bredde English Horse for hunting which assertion shoulde I maintaine by the best proofe which is example I coulde repeate so manye instances as were sufficient to fill vppe the rest of this volume but I will not at this instant bee so troublesome Next to his breede you are to respect his colour and markes which forasmuch as I haue most amplie set them downe in the first Chapter of the former booke of ryding I will referre you thereunto and not tyer your eare with oft repetitions your last obseruation is his shapes which although also I haue in the other booke set downe largelie yet I must here giue you other notes because a hunting Horse hath certaine proportions and secrete figures which doe more agree with goodnesse then beautie First therefore you shall looke to the shape and proportion of his minde obseruing that it be milde tractable louing and familiar with the man free from dogged maliciousnesse melancholie sullennesse or lunaticke frenzie but for wantonnesse running away leaping plunging or other apish trickes so they proceede not from hate or enuie neuer respect them for they are like the conditions of shrewed boyes which we say will make good men no other but the faces of good spirit and courage and beeing tempered with Arte make the Horse not worse but much better Now for his inwarde shape his head should be somewhat long leane and large with a spacious wide chaule both thinne and open his eare if it be short and sharpe it is best but if it bee long and vpright it is a signe of speede and good mettall His foreheade long and rysing in the middest the feather thereof standing aboue the toppe of his eye his eyes full and rounde his nostrils wyde and without rawnesse his mouth large and hairie his throppell within his chaule as much as a man can gripe by no means fleshly or so closed with fatnesse that a man can hardly finde it as many fine shaped Horses are the setting on of his heade to his necke woulde bee strong but thinne so as a man may put his hande betwixt his necke and his chaule and not Bull-cragge-like thicke and full that one cannot easilye discerne where his chappe lyeth his crest strong and well rysen his necke straight firme and as it were of one peece with his bodie and not as my countrey-men say withie craggd which is loose and plyant The throppellor nether part of the neck which goes from the vnder chaps to the brest should when the horse reyneth be straight and euen not bending like a bowe which is called cocke-throppled and is the greatest signe of an ill winde If the neather chaps and that neather part of the necke also bee full of long haire and bearded downe to the setting on of the breast it is a signe of much swiftnesse a broad strong brest a short chyne an out ribbe a well hidden bellie shorte and well knitte ioyntes flat legges exceeding shorte straight and vpright pasternes which is a member aboue all other to be noted his hoofes both blacke and strong yet long and narrow and for his maine and taile the thinner the more spirit the thicker the greater signe of dullnesse to bee as some tearme it sickle hought behinde that is somewhat crooked in the cambrell ioynt as Hares and Greyhounds are is not amisse though it bee a little eye-sore And for mine owne part I haue seene many good which haue borne that proportion And thus much for the choise of hunting horses their breedes colours and outward lineaments CHAP. 3. At what age Horses shauld hunt of their first taking from grasse and of their housing ALlthough I haue often seene and those which followe this pleasure doe dayly see Horses trayned vppe to hunting at foure yeares of age and some not so much yet for mine owne part I woulde haue no Horse trayned in that exercise till hee bee past fiue at the least as hauing changed all his teeth and his ioynts beeing come to their vttermost largenesse for to put him to the violence thereof in his former tendernesse doth not onely weaken his ioynts and makes him putt out sorances but also euen appaalls his minde and takes away much of his naturall courage bringing rhumes to the heade stiffenesse to the ioynts melancholy thoughts to the minde and all other effectes of olde age before those which shoulde bee his best dayes come to bee numbred Your horse therefore being full fiue yeares olde and the aduauntage you shall take him from grasse aboute Bartholmew tide or within a Weeke after at the furthest for then Frosts beginning to come in which nippe and kill the pride of grasse making it not so nourishing as before it was and the colde Deawes falling from aboue making the Horses haire beginne to stare which though but fewe Horse-men regarde yet is a rule as worthie as anie other to bee respected it is fitte that you suffer your Horse to runne no longer but in anie case take him into the Stable whilest his haire lyes smooth close to his necke and bodie and that his stomacke haue receyued no ill sustenance by the rawe coldnesse of the season When your horse is thus taken from grasse and set vp in the Stable the scituation fashion and commoditie of which Stable is shewed hereafter in the fift Booke You neede then but onely looke vppon him and your eye will tell you whether he be fatte or no if he be fatte as of necessitie hee must bee hauing runne all the former Summer vnlesse hee be vnsounde and diseased and so not fitte for your purpose you shall then let him stande all that night and the next day vncloathed and giue him no foode but a little Wheate strawe and water and two howers before you giue him anie water you shall giue him foure or fiue handfulls of Rie well sunn'd or dried This Rie will clense away his grasse emptie his great bagg and yet keepe him in good lust and spirit The seconde day at night you shall make a Groome rubbe him all ouer with a harde wispe and then girde about him with a Sursingle stopping it with soft wispes a single Canuasse cloath then if his Wheat strawe bee spent put more into his Racke and throwe some also vnder his bodie to lye vppon and so let him stande
that night and the nexte day also with nothing but Wheate strawe Rie and water The third day at night you shall rubbe him againe ouer with nothing but an hard wispe then cloath him againe and let him stand with nothing but wheate-straw till the next morning at what time as soone as you come vnto him looke first vppon his dung and if you finde that all the dark greene colour which formerly it had is gone and there is no signe of grasse left in his bodie but that now his dung is of a pale yellow colour neither inclyning to blacknes nor drines you shall then neither giue him any more wheate-strawe nor any more Rie Now by the way although I haue giuen you this rule of giuing your horse rye for the first three daies after hee is taken from grasse yet you shall out of your owne discretion gouerne it according to these obseruations First if your horse be new taken from grasse because all grasse is scowring if his dung be more soft then ordinarily other horses be which is a signe he is of a colde constitution subiect to much solliblenes you shall then forbeare the first night to giue him any Rie at all because nature beeing a better worke-mistris then arte takes vpon her that labour and if the other two daies also his bodie hold the same temper you shall then also forbeare giuing him any Rye instead therof giue him after each watering three or foure handfuls of Oates well dry'd and sifted the Oates being good sound and ful and not like your southerne Oates light and emptie which in the north wee call skeggs is the foode which onelie doth soonest deceiue a horse but if you finde alter your horse hath stood at wheatestraw a day or more which indeed is a verie binding food his bodie begin to drie that his dung come from him in hard round pellets not without much strayning and some paine as you may perceiue by the thrusting out his belly then you shal giue him Rie in the maner before prescribed and not otherwise for although it bee comfortable yet it is a kinde of scowring and not to bee giuen to a horse in any sort but by the way of medicine And thus much for their age taking from grasse and first howsing CHAP. 4. Of the first fortnights dyet exercise and dressing WHen your horse hath his bellie taken vp and the grasse scowred foorth you shall then lay your hand vpon his side by his short ribbes and to his fillets if you feele his fat to be soft apt to presse down vnder your hand you shall then knowe that his fatt is vnsound and not good so that the least violent exercise will soone melt it and being once molten if then by art medicine and good keeping it be not auoided or taken away then the fat belonging to the outward partes of the body falles into his legges making him haue swolne legges gowtie and vnnimble which though vnskilfull Farriers attribute too other causes yet this and no other is the originall and that you may be the more assured therof you shall know it by these obseruations his legges will onely swell wheÌ„ he standeth in the Stable but when you ride or exercise him abroad the more you chafe him the more the swelling will fall and he wil come home at night with his legges as slender as if they had no imperfection but the next morning they will be swelled as big as they were before The reason heereof is this the greasse which is falne downe into his legges with standing still cooleth so coniealeth bindeth together with other grosse humors which euer accompanie and flowe vnto the weakest parts not onely stopping the naturall course of the bloode but also occasioning paine and much swelling wheras when he comes to be laboured or exercised the heate of his trauel like fire to frost disolues what his rest had bound vp so melting the grease againe dispeirses both it and the other vnwholsome humors generally into euerie member of the horses bodie which is applied with like labour and so his legs comes to their first smallnes then when â—est comes again the griefe begins againe with rather more then lesse torment this disease with many is held incurable but therin they are mistaken yet how so euer it be to be cured I know it is so difficult that a man cannot haue too great a regard to preuent it Now for the inward fat which is that which remaines within his stomacke in his small guts his great bagg if that after it be once molteÌ„ it be not scowred takeÌ„ away but suffered to remaine in his body putrifie it breedes those mortal deadly diseases of which a horse sildome escapes as pestilent feauers srettings of the guts coÌ„sumptions such like The effects of this mischiefe being not descerned or appearing to outward sence many times til at least halfe a yere after whence it comes to passe that 〈◊〉 of horses are lost in this kingdoÌ„e only for want of some fouâ—e pence cost and a little preuention men oft imputing to sodaine death witchcraft such like toyes The death which themselues wilfully gaue and might as easilie haue saued which to preuent you shal obserue this method after you haue laid your hand vpon his body found his fat soft and vnsound you shall then also thrust your hand betweene his neather chappes and if there you finde much fatnesse greate round kirnels or anye thicke vndisolued substance you shal then know that as he is outwardly ful of vnsound fatnesse so he is inwardly stuft with much glut and pursines so that neither his winde can haue free passage nor his bodie indure much labour your arte then must bee to harden and make his outward fat so firme and vndisoluble that it be a fortifier and augmenter of his strength and to clense away his inward glut with such comfortable medicine and moderate exercise that his winde courage and powres of his minde being freed of all grosenes may appeare in his labour to be more then redoubled which thus you shall doe First you shall take away his wheate-straw and instead thereof you shall put into his racke a little bottle of hay as bigge as a penny bottle in an Inne which hay would be sound and well gotten yet rough course and not exceeding pleasant in taste wherby the horse taking no great delight to feede thereupon may rather chewe eate it to scower his teeth then either to fill his stomacke or satisfie his hunger Assoone as you haue taken the strawe fourth of his racke and giuen him hay you shall then in the morning by fiue or sixe a clocke which is the houre your groome should come into the stable make him after hee hath put away the horses dung thrust vp his litter and made his stal cleane and sweet take a smoothe snaffle washt either in some fayre water or in
he gallops most vnnimbly and vpon that earth vse to gallop him most yet with such leysure and gentlenesse that hee may haue both time to know and time to amende his fault Lastly you shall obserue after your Horse begins to eate bread whether vpon that foode he be quicke or slow of disgestion as before in the first fortnight and if you find that he be quicke of disgestion that is that he keepes his bread but a little while in his bodie as for the most part your fierie and free Horses doe then you shall but onely lightly chip your breade and so giue it him both crust and crumme together but if he be slow of disgestion which is that hee keepes his meate long in his bellie then you shall cleaue your loaues in the middest and giue vnto your Horse nothing but the crumme onely for the crumme is quick of disgestion and soone turnes to blood cruditie and excrements and the crust is slow of disgestion and askes by meanes of his hardnesse and drynesse a double time before it be concocted After you haue thus spent your first hunting day as soone as the next morning appeares you shall come to the stable and the first thing you doe shall bee to make your keeper thrust the horses dung from his litter on which you shall looke and by treading vpon it with your feete and opening it you shall see whether you can finde any grease eyther without or within it or whether it be slimie or greasie outwardly if their be neither grease nor other slimie matter to bee perceyued but that his dung holds the same state and colour which formerly it did before he was hunted then you shall know that your first dayes hunting did take nothing at all of your Horse but that his bodie holds one certaine state still which is a warning vnto you that you may the next hunting day almost double your exercise but if you finde that there be any little grease come from the horse or that his dung be but outwardly greasie which you shall knowe by the shining of his dung or by white spots like sope spots which you shall see within his dung or if his dung bee of a darke colour or harder then it was theÌ„ you may be assured that both your horse is extreame foule and that your labour was fully sufficient so that the next day you hunt you shal increase his labour but a little more When you haue taken these obseruations from his dung you shall then make your Groome dresse him and after hee is drest as you did the first fortnight so you shall then ride him to the water galloppe him after his drinke and then giue him either 5. or 6 handfuls of wel sifted Oates or a good quantite of bread cut in small peeces which you thinke he hath best stomacke vnto as thus if the last meate you gaue him before were Oates then now you shal giue him bread if it were bread then now Oates for the oftner you alter the better wil be his appetite yet you must make bread his principall foode because it is moste strong most healthfull and best nourishing both of winde and body Thus you shall keepe this day of rest as you kept him the first fortnight the next day following you shall hunt him againe as you did the first day onely a little increasing his toyle according to his nature strength and aptnesse in hunting and when you bring him home to obserue al the rules dyets keepes foodes and obseruations which are formerly discribed in this and the other Chapters And thus you shall hunt your horse in this gentle maner foure times a week for a fortnight together feeding him onelie with ordinarie bread and Oates giuing him no scowring but mashes and hempseede CHAP. 7. Of hunting breade both ordinarie as for trayning of Horses and extraordinarie for matches or Wagers THere is nothing dooth so much stumble mens mindes and make them affraide of keeping hunting horses as the verie remembrance and charge of keeping them which by the folly of ignorant and foolish keepers who to make the arte and secrets greater then indeede they are or to giue a false colour to their owne knowledges as if in their skils were misteries beyond coniuration or else as I thinke to get vnhonest polling pence to their owne purses they tell noble spirits good mindes whose birthes and places are farre beyond comerce with these vnder offices yet desire to haue euerie thing in best perfection of such strange and vnnecessarie expences of such huge and monstrous proportions for foode and such diuersities of corne and of so much difficultie and attention that as if a hunting horse would almoste leaue no corne for the poore to feede on or had a stomacke as infinite as such a keepers follye they make good mindes so wearie of the pleasure and so fearefull to meddle with a charge worse then vsurie that they by all meanes possible not shunne the sport but say as I haue heard some Gentlemen doe that one Hunting horse is more chargeable theÌ„ the keeping of halfe a dozeÌ„ ordinary â—ourneying Geldings but they are deceiued for this I dare auouch to all the world and I would haue all Gentlemen knowe it that if he which vndertakes to keepe a hunting Horse be a man skilful honest and of good conscience then looke what alowaÌ„ce any Nobleman or gentleman will allowe to his footecloth or horse for his own saddle which cannot be lesse then a pecke at a watering which is two peckes a day that euen that allowance and fortie shillings a yeare more shall keepe any hunting horse whatsoeuer as sufficientlie eyther for pleasure or else for match as if you should alowe him ten folde double the proportion and hee which demaunds more wrongs both himselfe and his maister Now he that eyther loues sport or a good horse and wil not alowe one fortie shillings a yeare to see him in best perfection for my part I could wish he might be depriued pleasure and haue a torment in my conceite worse then the rack that is to ride of a Iade that is tyred But to proceede to my purpose and that you may see the greatest charge which belongs to a hunting horse I will followe on the manner of breade making and first for the ordinarie breade which is that wherewith you must feede the moste part of the yere you are thus to compound it Take a strike of cleane Beanes two peckes of wheate and a pecke of Rye grinde these together and then sift them through a teâ—se then kneade it with good store of barme and water but let your water be scalding hot that it may take away the strong sauour of the Beanes when you haue knodden it well then lay a cloath ouer it and let it bee also well trodden then moulde it vp into great loaues like Housholde loaues hauing as neare as you can gesse about a pecke in a loafe then bake
it as you bake good houshold breade and no otherwise and let it bee at least two daies old before your horse taste any of it But if the horse for whome you make this bread be exceeding sollible and much subiect to losenes in his bodie then you shall put in no Rye at all but if he be of a hot body and subiect to more then ordinarie drynesse then you shal ouer and besides the Rye put to the former proportion of corne about two pound of sweete butter The natures of the aforesaid graines are these First the Beanes are the moste strong and naturall foode for a Horse that can be being neither so pursiue fulsome nor breeding such rawe cruditie as pease doe therefore where beanes are to be gott I would haue no pease vsed Then the wheate is comfortable light of disgestion soonest couerts to good blood Lastly the Rie is sollible euacuating so that being mixt with the other two graines which are drie and binding it makes the breade of a reasonable indifferent composition The barme makes the bread light so that it doth neither loade nor cloythe stomacke the scalding water takes away the strong sauour and the butter is a purge comfortable wholsome and not against nature This breade hath in it sufficient strength and vertue to bring a horse to good abilitie of bodie and purenes of winde neither wold I haue any man either for the trayning vp of young Horses or for the ordinarie pleasure of hunting to vse any other breade but this onely but if you make any match for any great wager wherein you are to be exceeding circumspect and carefull for in their losses doe indeed consist the charge and care of hunting horses and to which I will neuer giue any man incouragement yet if you haue made a match and that your horse must be brought to the vttermost perfection that may be then you shall make him another sort of breade somewhat finer then the former after this manner you shall take of cleane beanes well dryd a strike of oate-meale two pecks and of Rye two peckes grinde all these together and boult them through an ordinarie boulting cloath then take as much new ale and the barme beaten altogether as will serue to kneade it and if you will bestowe the whites of fortie egges vpon it the breade wil be so much the better both for the horse and his winde After the dowe hath beene well knodden with handes you shall then cause the Baker hauing his feete cleane scowred and washt to goe into the trough and treade it exceedingly then you shall couer it with cloathes and let it lie till it swell euen to the toppe of the trough which it will in short space doe then kneade it againe so moulde it vp in great loaues as you did before with the former breade so bake it sufficiently but by no meanes ouer bake it Better breade then this cannot bee made for hunting and though there bee some horsemen of my knowledge which will bestowe vpon bread a great deale of more charges as by putting hot spices and other such like toies therein thinking that more cost brings more worshippe yet knewe they how vilde and vnwholsome it is surely they should neuer reape for their labours so much as god a mercie for take it from mee for a generall rule whensoeuer you see any man vse spices to a hunting horse that is sound and of good constitution he is neither good keeper nor can giue anye good reason for his dooings more then our common Smithes doe for their medicines which is they haue seene such a man doe it before them CHAP. 8. Of all manner of purgations or scowrings that are fit for hunting horses and of their natures vses and operations PVrgations which are the emptiers voiders of all superfluous humors which doe anoy the bodie with their euill qualities bringing eyther sicknesse vlcers or mortallitie I doe not meane amplie to dylate vpon in this chapter because they are more properlie belonging to the sicke horse then to the sound and their simples so curions strange and violent in working as goes beyond the skill of euerie ordinarie keeper and for as much as I haue in the booke of diseases spoake as much as is necessarie concerning them and their natures in case of sicknesse I will heere onelye trouble you with those purgatiue receyts which are onely meete for hunting-horses or running horses being sound of bodie and in perfit strength and liuelyhood which are cald of the Northerne men scowrings which in true signification is the same that a purgation is yet in that that their workings are somewhat different because the purgation doth clense away those sicke and vnwholsome humors which are growne to an euill alreadie the scowring none but those which in time would grow to be coÌ„tagious I will let onely the names holde the differences betweene them and only heere speak of scowrings The first scowring which is of al other the gentlest most wholesome is the mash and it is made in this manner take a pecke of ground mault and put it into a peale then take a galland and a halfe of water boyling hot from the fire and put it to the mault then with a staffe mash and stirre them together at least halfe an houre till taking the water vpon your fingar you feele it as sweete as honye for euer the sweeter it is the stronger it is then let it stand till it be luke warme and then giue it your horse This mash is to be giuen to any horse after his labour especiallye to such as are weake or leane for as it scowreth away molten grease and loose humors so it comforteth the spirits and ingenders strength it is good also for a fatt horse as it is before shewed you vpon his first labour so that you vse with it as is likewise shewd you another scowring which is of a stronger nature for to vse it onely of it selfe wil feede a horse and make him more fat and pursie it is also exceeding good and onely to be vsed in any sicknesse whatsoeuer for to speake the truth of it it is the horses oâ—ly Aleberrie The next scowring is hempseede cleane drest to bee mingled with his Oates the nature whereof is exceeding gentle and without all offenee to the stomacke it is the best scowring to beginne with all for it doth neither offend the horse in tasting nor workes vpon any matter but what nature is willing to expell and his office is only to purge the stomacke and intralls The next scowring is take Rosemarie and chop it verie small then take a quarter of a pound of verie sweete Butter and worke them together then breake it in peeces and role it into sundrie pellets somewhat bigger then the wall nuts and then holding vp the horses head put them geÌ„tly down his throat then ride the horse gently vp down halfe an houre
vse it at al nor at all to take his hay from him The day before his match I wold haue you to spend in trimming your horse as colling of his main eares chaps nostrels and fetlocks vpper parts of all his fourelegs in seeing that his shooes be good strong light easily and fast set on also in annointing all his fore legs and chaffing them with soueraigne oyntment and other medicines all which because they most properly belong to the office of the groome or keeper you shall find thâ— in the fift booke largely declared where I onely write of that office Now when the night before the match day is come you shall lodge your self in the stable close by the horse and hauing candlelight burning where your self may haue vse of it but your horse not see it you must be exceeding watchfull and as before I said feed your horse with whatsoeuer he will best eat as bread of any good kind oats otemeale or wheat â—ares now and then giuing him out of your hand a lock or two of sweet hay to scowre his teeth To euery handful of meat he eates you shall giue him a dish-full of water and thus you shall apply feeding of him till within two houres or three at the most before the houre in which you are to go forth into the field and then you shall bridle him vp cause your groome to dresse him and in euery point make him fit for his leading forth And when you are at the pinch to go forth you shall haue readie a pint of good Sacke well brued with Sugar-candie and instantly giue it him with a horn theÌ„ throwing the clothes ouer his saddle making theÌ„ fast hansomly about him you shal make the groome lead him gently in his hande to the appointed place of meeting where when your aduersarie hath met you and that the tryers are readie the traine led forth or if you hunt the Hare the Hounds vncoopled you shall then after you haue drawne vp your girths fast and firme for as touching your bridle stirrop leathers and other implements about your horse you must looke to their fitnesse before you come forth of the stable you shall then mount vpon your horse and so fall to your busines CHAP. 13. Of the riding of a match and of the aduantages in ryding FOr as much as the wel dyeting and cleane keeping of a horse is not the onely meanes either of winning or loosing of a match but that there must also be ioyned thereunto an especiall Arte and dexteritie in ryding whereby through the gouerumnt of the hand the constant carriage of the mans bodie and the temperate disposition of the minde neither sodainely tempted to furie nor to slowe in reuiuing a horse in the time of necessitie I thinke it not amisse in this chapter to speake something touching riding and the aduauntages therein And because the hunting of traine sents is onelie proper to matches and no other exercise and whosoeuer is able to ride a traine sent well and like a Horseman cannot but ride any chase else verie sufficientlie I will therefore in this place suppose the match which is to be ridden to be onely with traine sents and a wilde-goose chase wherefore first for the riding of a traine sent your best aduauntage is the goodnesse of your seate by sitting firme and strongly in your saddle without eyther moouing or iogging too and fro therin but as if you were made of one peece with the horse to beare your selfe entirely with him in all his motions and rather with the forwardnesse of your bodie to helpe him then with any backward or coÌ„trarie gesture to appeare to be borne against your will by your horses furie or both loose motions and contrarie motions are troublesome to a horse whence it comes that for mine owne part I dislike much the custome of many of our northerne riders who if you note them in matches will as they ride stand vp straight vpon their stirrop leathers so that if you come behinde them you may see day betweene their legs being strongly conceited that such raysing vp of themselues dooth ease the horse and makes him the lesse feele their burthen but they are infinitely deceiued for such raysing vp of themselues dooth both trouble and a maze the horse because a man cannot stand vp stifflye on his stirroppes but his legges perforce must touch and cleaue to the Horses sides as for the most part our match-hunters are his spurres also must needes fridge vpon his sides which doth not onely trouble but moue affright in the horse in true rule a horsman shold neither let his spurre nor legge touch his horse but when he will either correct or helpe his horse Besides the danger in such sort of ryding is woorse then all the rest for when a man standes vpon his stirrop leathers and forsakes the holde of his knees if the horse shall but chaunce either to stumble trippe or start in his running the Ryder hauing forsaken the strength of his seat must of necessitie fall ouer his horses eares and so either indaunger his necke or the horses running ouer him Next to the constant carriage of your bodie you must be sure to â—arrie your armes chiefly from the elbowe to the shoulder close to your bodie and not as I haue seene many of our match-hunters doe let them flie loosely vp and downe as if you had no commandement of them or when you are either cast behind in a rase or when your horses sloath craues the vse of your rod not to fetch your hand as hie as your head to giue your blow and so ride lashing and lashing as if at euery stroke you would cast your arme from your shoulder but onely by making vse of that part of your arme from your elbow to your wrist fetch your blow stifly and sharply and by that means one blow shall do more good then twenty for it is the far fetching of the blow but the quick deliuerie that breeds the paine of correction neither the number of the strokes but the time maner of striking for to lie beating a horse coÌ„tinually as I haue seene some doe a whole sent thorow doth euen dull make the horse carelesse of the rod wheÌ„ as vsing it seldom sharply it will make him spring and straine whilest there is life in his body And as you thus temper your hand for yur rod so you must also gouerne your leg your spurre and not for euerie sleight fault or sloath strike him with your spurs but first helpe him with the calues of your legs when toile and wearines makes him carelesse of them then you shal ad the stroake of your spurs when you strike do it soundly that you may euerie time make the blood follow and in any case neuer spur oft together in one place for feare of making him dull vppon the spurres nor by any meanes turne your heeles inward before the for most
foure legges exceedingly then combe his maine and taile with a wette maine-combe take off his snaffle turn him to the maunger put on his coller sift and giue him his allowance of Oates and putting a bottel of hay in his racke let him rest with his litter vnder him till the euening then you shal hang the Saddle where the Sunne shines hottest that the pannel may drie and if the Sunne shine not then you shal drie it before the fire and then with a smal sticke beate the pannel and make it softe you shal also rubbe the stirroppes stirropp-leathers garthes and euerie buckle about the saddle exceeding cleane then in the euening about foure of the clocke you shal currie dresse rubbe picke annoynt water and feede him as hath beene formerlye shewed you in his dayes of rest keeping euerie tyttle and euerie obseruation Now if your horse be not for exercise but for labour and iourneying about your worldlye businesse you shal then thus prepare him first the night before you are to take your iourney about eight of the clocke as soone as you haue made cleane your stable rubd and littered your horse you shall first giue him as much watter as hee will drinke then a double allowance of prouender and as much hay as he will conueniently eate then you shall annoint all his foure leggs with traine oyle and see that his shooes be good strong rough easie and his feet wel stopt and so let him rest till verie earely in the morning at what time you shall currie and dresse him as sufficiently as in anie of his daies of rest then you shall gird on the saddle in which you meane to ride which would bee both easie light and square easie for your owne seate light that it may not suddainly make the horse sweat and square that it may not pinch gall or wound him when hee is sadled you shal giue him a little water but nothing nere so much as he would drinke and his full allowance of prouender which as soone as he hath eaten you shall bridle him vp and trusse his taile shorte aboue his houghes and so let him stand till you be readie to take your iourney After you are mounted you shall for the first houre or two in your iourney ride verie temperately as not aboue three mile an houre in which time your horse will bee resonably emptyed and then you may put him fourth as your iourney requires it shall be good if in your iourney you come to the descend of anye great Hil to light from your Horses backe and to walke downe the hill a foote taking occasion by standing still a while or by whistling to see if your horse will pisse which if he refuse to doe theÌ„ it shal be good for you your selfe to pisse vnder the horses bellie it wil without al question prouoke your horse to pisse you shal in your trauelling as neare as you can keep one certaine pace in your trauell and not one while galloppe another while amble or trot and another while go foote pace or stand still for there is nothing which either sooner tyres a horse or brings him to surfeites or takes froÌ„ him delight in his labour When you come within two or three or foure miles of the Inne where you meane to rest all night you shall in the conuenientest place you can finde as either in some running brooke or riuer or some faire fresh pond water your horse suffering him to drinke as much as hee will and in this watering of your Horse you shall obserue to ride him into the water a haÌ„dful at the most aboue the knees no further for to ride him vnder the knees will indanger the foundring him in his feete and to ride him vp to the bellie will hazard foundring him in the bodie After you haue watered your Horse you shall gallopp him gentlie vpon the hand for twelue score or there about and then in his ordinarie iourneying pace ride him to his Inne and as soone as you are lighted presentlye set your Horse vppe into the Stable by no meanes although it bee the generall custome of our Nation suffering anye Ostlers or idle Boyes to wash him for it is the onlie venemous poyson worst euill you can bestowe vppon your Horses bodie sometimes foundring him sometimes thrusting him into the fit of an Ague and when it workes the best yet it strikes such an inward cold into his bodie that the Horse is worse therefore sometimes for a yeare after when you haue set your Horse vppe tyed his head to the emptie racke and put greate store of litter vnder him you shall then first with drie wispes rubbe his bellye foreboothes vnder his flanks betwixt his thighes and bodie then shall you rubbe all his foure legges passing cleane with your handes wet in water scowring all grauell and durt both out of his Fetlockes pasterne and euerie other crannie which is about any ioynt especially 〈◊〉 the bottome of his brest betweene his forelegges and betwixt his ribbes and his elbowes also betweene his flanke and his bodie then with drie wispes you shall rub and make cleane his face head neck buttockes and euerie other member not leauing whilst there is one wet hayre about him then shall you with drie wispes make cleane his stirrops and stirrop leathers and vnloosing his garthes one by one make them cleane also then making your housing cloath â—die without which I would haue no keeper to ride if his horse be of anye estimation take off your saddle and with drie straw rub his backe verie soundly then laying a good deale of strawe vpon his backe gird his cloath ouer it with your fur single and stoppe him round about with great wisps then you shall vnlose his taile and if it bee durtie you shal wash it in a peale of water and after you haue wrung it well you shall tye a greate wispe of strawe within it to keepe it from his legges If you 〈◊〉 no housing cloath for your horse then you shall not so suddainelye remooue your Saddle but after your horse is sufficientlie rubd you shall then stoppe his garthes with great wispes round about Manye Horsemen vse as soone as they bring their Horse into the Stable to knit a thumbe roape of Hay or strawe as straite as may bee about the vpper part of the horses docke and doe imagine it will preseruâ— him from taking colde and doubtlesse it is verie good indeed After you horse is in this wise rubd dride and clensed from sweate and filthinesse you shall then take vp all his foure legs one after one with an Iron picke all the durt and grauell from betwixt his shooes and his feete and then stoppe them vppe close with Cowe-dung then you shall put into his Racke a pennye bottle of hay on which you shall let him towâ—e and pull with his bridle in his mouth st ll whilst you shake vp his litter hansomlye about him take
your saddle and if the pannel be wet drie it by some fire then with a sticke beate it and make it soft then pull off your owne bootes and refresh your selfe to your owne contentment in which businesse hauing imployed your selfe an houre or more then come into the stable and take your horses bridle and put on his collar then wash the byt or Snaffle in faire water drye it with a linnen or wollen cloath and so hang it vp hansomelie then after your horse hath eaten hay a quarter of an houre or more you shal in a siue sift him half a peek of cleane Oates or Pease and Oates which your Horse likes better and giue them him then if hee haue eaten all his hay you shall giue him an other bottle and so let him rest till your selfe haue supped After supper you shal come to your horse and turne vppe his cloath euen to his sursingle and either with a haire-cloath or with drie wispes you shall rub his bodie all ouer especially vnder his bellie and betweene his legs then you shall looke vpon his backe whether your saddle haue pincht or wrung his backe and if it haue you shall lay a little wet hay vpon the swelling and presentlie cause some sadler to mend your saddle then you shall look if the heate of your saddle haue not rays'd any warbles or little knots vppon his back which is verie common with fat horses and if it haue you shall bathe them with a little Sacke heated in a saucer and they will be well the next morning This done you shal sift him another halfe pecke of Oates and giue them him then whilst hee is eating them you shall with hard drie wispes rubbe al his foure legs as drie as may be and then take a quart of mans vrine and put therto foure ounces of sault-peeter and hauing boild them vpon the fire and stirred it well togither take it off and being reasonable warme bathe al his legges therwith exceedingly then let him stand for an hower or two after then you shal take a Peale full of colde water and put thereto as much hotte water as will make it luke warme and so giue it your horse to drinke then sift him another halfe pecke of Oates and giue them him then giue him as much hay as shall serue him all night the proportion whereof you may gesse by his former keeping and putting his litter close and warme about him let him stande till the next morning at what time according to the haste of your affayres you shall come to him eyther earlyer or later and the first thing you doe after you haue put away his dung you shall put off his cloath and currie rubbe and dresse him as sufficiently and in such manner as hath beene formerly declared vnto you then cast his cloath ouer him and let it hang loose about him then bring him a little colde water and let him drinke but not halfe so much as hee woulde then giue him an other halfe pecke of Oates and whilest he is eating them put on your owne boots and prepare your selfe for your iourney which done come to your horse and if he haue eaten his Oates then you shall saddle him trusse vp his taile brydle him tie him vp to the bare racke hauing taken his hay away then take vp all his foure feet and plucke out the cowe dung wherewith you stopped them and picke them exceeding cleane then let him stand till you be readie for your iourney Now if it be so that the occasion of your iourney be so great that you cannot obserue any trauelling pace but are forst to gallop your horse at least twenty or thirtie or fortie mile together in this case I would not haue you by any meanes to water your horse before you come to your Inne but hauing set him vp warme and rubbed him drie as is before shewed you shall then before you giue him hay or any thing else take a pint of verie good Sacke and warming it luke warme giue it your Horse with a Horne and so let him rest halfe an hower after and then giue him hay and order him as was before shewed onely in steade of warme water late at night you shall giue him a warme mash of mault and water for that with the helpe of trauell will bring away his molten grease if the next day following you are to ride him as violentlye also you shal then when you are readie to take his backe giue him a pint of Sacke and Sugar-candie well brewde together and in your trauell euer fauour him as much as you can in the beginning and put him forth as violently as you please at the latter ende of your iourney If you happen vpon such an Inne where you can neithere get Sacke nor Sugar-candie then if you take strong Ale brewed with great store of Ginger or Sinamon it will bee as good If your horse bee of a tender and daintie stomacke so that he will refuse his pouender as for the most part hot mettald horses and yong horses vnacquainted with trauell will doe then you must take the greater paines and be euer feeding them neuer giuing them aboue an handfull at once till they haue eaten to your contentment You shall also change their meate oft as thus after an handfull of cleane Oates you shall giue an handfull of Pease and Oates and after Pease and Oates halfe a dozen bits of bread And thus by alteration of foode you shall both make your horse eate well and also strengthen his apetite but if contrarie to this your horse bee both a great eater and a grosse then you shall feed him so oft and with such large proportions that you bring him to stand and blow vpon his meate as it lyes before him But this you must not doe by any meanes suddenly or at one time when your horse is hungrie for that were to kill him or make him surfeyt but you must doe it by such leasurable tymes that nature hauing no more then shee is able to disgest may in the ende come to bee orderly satisfied at what time and not before you may bee assured your horse is in perfite strength and keeping The first principall note or rule which euerie good keeper shall obserue when hee comes into any straunge stable is with his owne handes to cleanse the racke from all dust filth hay or hay-seedes and to rubbe the maunger also as cleane as may be in euerie part least anie infectious Horse haue stoode there before which is most dangerous and for preuention whereof I would euer haue you in an Inne to let your horse eate his prouender in a Skuttell or some other cleanly vessell and not in the maunger Now lastly where as the most of our English trauellers doe vse especially in the Sommer to bait or rest their horses at the noone time of the day supposing it prepares them the better for their iourney although I know the heate of
onelie to put him to the soyle within the house that is to say you shal from the beginning of Iune till the beginning of Iulye feede your Horse onely with grasse no longer during the time you shal neither cloath him dresse him nor ride him onely you shall keepe his plaunchers cleane from dung litter him with nothing but the off all or reffuse grasse which he puls into the maunger but will not eate you shall also during this soile time feede him with prouender in such sort as you did at other times onelie I would haue his prouender to be beane-bread well baked as for his grasle if the first three daies of soyle time you doe giue him 〈◊〉 t is exceeding good and after the sowrest grasse you can get as that which in Orchardes growes vnder fruite trees or else such as growes in Garden alleys for the more sowrer and courser the grasse is the better it scowreth and in this case you should respect no feeding neither should you mowe any more grasse at one time then your horse can conuenientlie eate in the instant as for making your horse to neese much or to purge his head much by fumigation in the soile it is needlesse for the grasse it selfe will doe it sufficientlie without anie other medicine If your Horse during his time of being in the soile happen to swell in his sheath or about his cods it shall be exceeding good in that case once or twice a day either to swimme him or ride him through some water that will reach aboue the horses midde bellie but for making a daylie exercife of swimming him without anie speciall occasion I doe greately disalow it for it both straines a horses limbes and brings him within the danger of Crampes and conuultions neither doe I allowe although it be the practise both of the Italians and some of our English keepers to giue a horse when hee is in soyle either scowring or Purgation as either sodden Rye Mellons greene Figges the intralles of a Tench or Barbell mixt with white wine or anye such like trumperie for I haue seene where such like courses hath beene taken that the horse hath falne into such an vnnaturall scowring that no possible meanes would stop it till the horse hath dyed with the violence Others haue vsed in the soyle in stead of wholsome and drie prouender which is fittest to be mixt with such cold moist and raw food to giue their horses either sodden beanes well salted and wheat bran or Coleworts and bran or else boyld Bucke all which are both vnwholsome full of rottennesse and breed many foule diseases wherfore I aduise all keepers to be carefull to eschew them and rather to take leasure and feede with such foods as are both healthfull natural of which kinds you haue had alteadie formerly declared And thus much touching the Soyle and the scowring of horses in the sommer season CHAP. 8. Of the passions which are in horses and the loue which keepers should beare vnto them LEauing to make any philosophicall discourse or to argue of the passions or affections which are in horses how they haue their beginnings from sense and their workings according to the course of nature It is moste certaine that eueire horse is possest with these passions loue ioy hate sorrow and feare the first two springing from the alacritie chearfulnesse and good disposition of the minde by which the Horse is made to be familiar with the man obedient kind and docible the other three from the corruption and putrifaction of nature by which he becomes fierce mad and full of amazement so that it is the office of euerie keeper out of his Iudgement and experience to learne to know when and at what time his horse is opprest or troubled with the Fluxe of any of these affections that hee may by the applying of fit remedies abate and suppresse them in the excesse of their greatnesse which nothing doth at anye time sooner bring to passe then the mildenes and gentle disposition of the keeper towards his Horse for it is most certaine that when keepers of Horses eyther out of their chollericke furies or ignorant misbehauiours doe anye thing about a horse eyther rashlye violentlye or with the vse of vnnecessarie torment that they onelie by such indiscretion doe create in horses all those euill affections from whence any restife qualitie doth proceed and therfore euerie keeper must with all lenitie and sobernes both in word and action procure the loue of the horse which he keepeth And yet I doe not meane that a good keeper shall be altogether so voide of indignation that hee shall suffer his horse to runne into any kinde of vice without the touch of correction for thereby I haue seene manye horses so dissolute and disobedient that they haue gone beyond the power of reclayming whence it hath come that some Horses haue slaine their keepers and some haue doone almoste as euill in other courses A good keeper therefore must knowe when to correct and when to cherrish not giuing either blowe or angrie word but in the instant of the offence nor to punish or strike the horse any longer then whilst his present fault restes in his memorie Also I would haue the keeper to obserue that where gentlenesse and meekenesse will preuaile there by no meanes to put in any vse eyther terror or torment for as the keepers greatest labour is but to procure loue from the Horse so the onelie thing that is pleasant to the Horse is loue from the keeper insomuch that there must be a sincere and incorporated friendshippe betwixt them or else they cannot delight or profit each other of which loue the keeper is to giue testimonie both by his gentle language to his horse and by taking from him any thing which he shall beholde to annoy or hurt him as moates dust superfluous hayres flyes in Summer or anye such like thinge and by oft feeding him out of his hand by which meanes the Horse will take such delight and pleasure in his keepers companye that hee shall neuer approach him but the horse will with a kinde of chearefull or inward neying show the ioy he takes to beholde him and where this mutuall loue is knit and combined there the beast must needes prosper and the man reape reputation and profit And thus much for the horses passions and the keepers affections CHAP. 9. The Office of the Coachman and obseruations for his place THe vse of Coaches hath not beene of anye long continuance in this kingdome especially in that general fashion as now they are vsed for if formerlie they were in the hands and for the case of some particular great persons yet now eyther thorough the benefits which are found by them or through the vnaccustomed tarenesse of them they are growne as common as hackneyes and are in the handes of as many as either esteeme reputation or are numbred in the Catalogue of rich persons wherefore since
perceiued more violently and haue greater shoes of paine sicknes differing absolutely but in this effect which is the horse neuer shiuereth or shaketh as hauing the effect of coldnesse but continually bourneth as being vniuersally distempered with heat glowing which you shall plainely perceiue by his continuall desire to drinke and sciple neuer satisfied till the colde water be in his mouth and by laying your hands vpon his fore leggs vnder his knees or vpon the temples of his head which two places will bowne more then any other parts of his body The cuer of this pestilent Feuer though our Farriers hold it incurable is thus First you shal let him blood in the neck vein theÌ„ you shall lay to the â—eÌ„ples of his head this plaister Take of the iuice of Camomile 4. spoonefulls of Goats milke 4. spoonefulles of the iuyce of Sage foure sponefulles and of sallet oile foure spoonefulles then take a handfull of dride rose leaues whethér of a rosecake or otherwise and be ate all these in a morter till it be made one substance then take foure spoonfulles of strong wine vineger and with it stirre them altogether and if it be very thinne then take as many moe rose leaues and beat with them till it be as thicke as a plaister then spred it vpon a cloth and strow vpon it the powder of three or foure nutmegges then warme it hote vpon a chafing dish and coales and apply it to the horse as aforesaid then you shall gine him to drink water boild with Violet leaues Mallowes and Sorrell but if the fit hold him violently you shal take three ounces of lane treackle and dissolue it in a pinte of Malmsey and put thereto the iuyce of two or three Lemans and giue it him in a horne to drinke and it will presently put away the fit the nature of this Feuer beeing so pestilently hotte is to furre the mouth and to breed vlcers and sorenes both in the mouth and throat wherefore you shall carefully euery day looke in his mouth and if you perceiue any such thing take but the sirrop of Mulberries and with a small squirt strike it into his mouth and it will heale the sore immediately for it is of such vertue that a man once knowing it will hardly be without it but if you cannot get the sirrop of Mulberies then take a pinte of running water boile therin two ounces of allom and halfe a handfull of Sage and with that wash the sore place and it will heale it If the heate and drines of this disease keepe the horse so costiue that he can by no meanes dung you shall then onely giue him this Glyster Take of new milke halfe a pint of sallet oile a pinte and halfe a pinte of the decoction of Mallowes and violet leaues and to them put an ounce of sence and halfe an ounce of ceÌ„tuarie administer it luke warme with an elder pipe made for the purpose and these remedies I assure you will not onely helpe this Feuer but also many mortall and dangerous diseases also diuers other medicines are prescribed for this Feuer by other authors but the simples are so strange and the compositions so phantasticall that for mine owne part I haue carried the receits to skilfull Apothecaries who haue vtterly disavowd the knowledge of such simples so that after I could neuer giue credit to the practise The last Feuer is called the Feuer accideÌ„tall because it is a Feuer which comes by the violence and paine of some grie uous receiued wound and of all Feuers it is most coÌ„mon and most dangerous for when wounds are accoÌ„ panied with Feuers the horse seldome escapes death and for mine owne part I cannot boast of any great cure I haue done in this case onely my rule hath been to keepe the vitall parts as strong as I coulde with coÌ„fortable drinks made of Ale aniseeds sugercandie to giue him to eat half a doozeÌ„ sops or tosts steept in Muscadine according to the forme before shewed in the book of running-horses this I assure my selfe if the wound be curable will take away the Feuer thus much for the cuer of Feuers CHAP. 7. Of the Pestilence or Gargill THe Pestilence howsoeuer other authors do seriously write both of it and the causes froÌ„ whence it springes as from labour hunger sodaine motion after rest surfeit corruption of humors corruption of aire vapors exhalations influence of planets and such like yet I say if I knowe the pestilence it is plainely that which we call amoÌ„gst men the plague amongst beasts the murreÌ„ amongst horses the gargill it proceedes from surfeit and rawe disgestion after proud keeping ingendring corrupt poysonous humors or els from the infection of the aire or the foode whereon the horse feedeth it is ofal diseases most infectious and mortal and for mine own part I haue had no perfect experience of it but onely in young foales which are apt to take it especially if they be wained too yong the signes to know it is the sides of their heads euen to the rootes es their eares so downe all vnder their chaps will swell exceedingly and be wondrous hard their eyes the inside of their lippes wil be very yellow and their breathes will bee strong and noysome Now you must vnderstand that when these outward signes appeare then the disease is incurable so that to set down theresore any cuer is a thing impossible only this is the best preuentioÌ„ to giue your foales for 3. daies together both at the fall of the leafe and the spring euery morning 3. or 4. slipps of Sauen as is shewd in the book of breeding but if this disease happen to horses of elder age which is surest knowne by the losse of that horse which first dyeth then you shall seperate the sound from the sicke and putting them into a fresh aire after they haue beene let blood both in the necke veines and their mouthes you shall then giue ech of them to drinke halfe a pinte of sacke and halfe a pinte of sallet oile mingled together the next morning after you shall giue euery one of them a pinte of strong ale and the shauings of the yellow tips of the old staggs horne or the shauings of the yellow tippe of the sea-horse tooth both which if you cannot readily get then you shall giue theÌ„ strong ale and treakle boild together to ech a good draught and doubt not but it will both expell and preuent the force of the infection As for Aristoloch Gentian Mirh and such like which some prescribe to bee giuen for this disease I do not thinke the authours thereof euer sawe the practise nor will I counsaile any man to trye them knowing the former to be sufficient CHAP. 8. Of the inward diseases of the head and first of the head ach THe head of a horse is subiect to diuers diseases according to the inward compositions thereof as from the pannickle
which couers the braine comes head-ach rhumes and mygrams from the braine frenzie sleeping euill and palsies and from the conduites of the braine come the staggers night-mare cramp catarres and such like but first to speake of the headach it is a disease that most commonly pro ceedes of a cholericke humour bred in the pannickle or els of some outwarde cause as of a blow of colde or ill sauors the signes thereof is only heauines of countenance watring of his eies forbearance of his food the euer is take either Storax or Frankinscence and throw it vpon a chafing dish and coals vnder the horses nose so that the smoak may ascend vp into his head and when he is thus perfumed you shall binde to his temples the same plaster which is formerly set downe for the pestilent feuer and questionles it will help him in twice or thrice applying CHAP. 9. Of Frenzie or Madnesse in Horses MAdnes is a fault very much incident to horses and I haue had much experience thereof and as farre as I can cōiecture it proceeds only frō the torment of the brain or pannickle whē they are either corrupted with naughty bloud or inflamed with the heate of poisonous humors many other discriptions the antient Italians make of the frenzie of a horse saying it proceeds not from the head alone but sometimes from the torment of the heart liuer or spleene which a man may know by a horses bitting and tearing of his own flesh and with his feet beating vpon his body but for such mad horses as I haue seene their madnes hath issued from the braine onely and the signes from whence I haue gathered it haue beene these they wil haue heauy countenances but fiery eyes they will beat their owne heads against the walles bite at any thing sodēly and as they stand they will gnawe vpon the manger when they lie they will lay their fore-legges ouer their heads and now and then beate their heads with their legs they will forsake all foode or if they do eate they will snatch their meate hastily and seldome chew it the cuer is to let thē blood very much in the shackle veins to draw the humors frō the vpper parts then to take halfe a pinteo fmilke and halfe a pint of sallet oile mingled together and giue it him to drink three mornings together which don other three mornings you shall take halfe a handfull of Sage halfe a handfull of Minte and halfe a handfull of hearbe of grace boile them in a quarte of white wine till it come to a pinte then straine it hard and giue it the horse to drink luke-warme and during these sixe dayes let him bee fed with bread made of beanes and rie but by no meanes let him haue so much as hee will eate let him also drinke no cold water and let his stable be kept exceeding darke and warme if for this disease you giue him to drink mans ordure and wine mixt together it is very good or to chafe all his body ouer with blacke Elleborus boild in vinegar is good also especially to chafe his head and temples as for gelding him or burning him vpon the head with hote irons I like it not for it is against rule to a horse of good temper will bring madnes CHAP. 10. Of the sleeping euill or lethargie THis sleeping euil or lethargy in a horse proceedeth of cold fleame moisture about the braine dulling the sences bringing a drowsie heauines ouer the whole body the signes is onely his cōtinuall sleeping from which with great industry hee will hardly be reclaimed the cuer there of is thus first let him be kept waking with noises and affrig his whe ther he will or no then let him blood in the neck vein and giue him to drinke water wherein is boyled Sage Camomile and motherworte and mingling with it Salte Vineger and wheate bran after he hath drunke this three morningstogether you shall then perfume him by blowing into his nostrils the powder of strong Tobacco wel dryed and you shall chafe his head with Tyme and Pennitiall sodden together in vineger also to burne brimstone vnder his nose is very good and in his prouender to giue him hempseede is very good and in his oates you shall put fennell seedes and parsley seedes many other medicines there are but none more effectuall then these already named CHAP. 11. Of a horse that is taken AHorse that is taken our common Farriers say to be planet strooke and to be as it were lamed or benūbd of his sences by some supernaturall influence and therefore hold it altogether vncurable but they are deceiued fot a horse is said to be taken when he is sodainely depriued of his feeling and mouing and it proceedeth sometimes from the imperfection of the braine when it is either opprest in the hinder parte from whence the great maine sinew of the whole body goes with too much fleame or too much choller but most generally oft nest it cometh by some extream or sodaine colde which after some great heat striking into the veines ouercommeth all naturall heate and bringes insensiblenes The signes are numbnes wāt of motion and the cuer is thus first you shal giue him the scowring of butter and garlicke as is shewd before in the book of hunting horses then you shall take Aqua vitae and beeing warmde vpon a chafing dish and coales let two or three groomes chase and rub him therewith ouer all his body which done lap clothes made most exceeding hotte round about him and letting him haue good store of litter force him into a sweat after he hath swet an hower or there about mo derately bate his clothes and then annoint him all ouer with oile debay and it is not to be doubted but he will recouer his former feeling Some of our auntient Farriers in this case haue laide the horse all saue the head in a soft dunghill till warmth sence come into the horses limbes and it is not contrary to the cuer yet I haue found it better by much for the cōuulsion of sinewes or crampes then for this disease and nothing neare so good as the former remedie If your horse when he is thus taken be leane poore and faint then it shall be good for you to giue him to drinke euery morning a pinte of Malmesey brewde with the powder of sugar cynamon and cloues and warmed vpon the fier his dyet during the cuer woulde bee thinne his prouender oats and his drinke warme water CHAP. 12 Of the staggers THe Staggers is a dizines in the head proceeding from corrupt blood and grosse humors poysoning the braine by which many times it driueth a horse into frenzie and madnes The signes thereof is heauines of head and countenance dimnes of sight forsaking of his meat staggering and reeling as he goes and sometimes falling downe and beating of his head piteously against the walles manger and plaunchers wherein is to bee
disgestion stoppeth the powers of the body and makes the horse for want of breath in his sleepe to struggle and striue most violently the signes thereof are you shall in the morning when you come to your horse find him all of an exceeding great sweat and if the passion haue gone from him but a little before you shall perceiue him to breath very short and his flanke will beate very fast Now for as much as horses that are newly taken from grasse or horses that haue beene grosse fouly fed are subiect to much sweating in the night you are to haue great respect to the state of the horses body and if when your horse is cleane of body or if more one night theÌ„ another you find him thus extraordinarielie to sweat you may assure your selfe of this disease The euer whereof is giue him two morninges together a pintâ— of sacke halfe a pinte of sallet oile and two ounces of sugercandie mingled together and it will purge him cleare of the infirmitie CHAP. 16. Of Crampes or Coâ—vultions of Synewes or Muskelles CRampes or Convultions of Sinewes or Muskels are violent coÌ„tractions or drawings together of meÌ„bers either vniuersally about the whole body or particularly as in one member they proceede either from causes naturall or cau ses accidentall if from causes naturall then they come from fulnes or emptines from fulnes as from surfeit of meate or drinke or the want of vacuation of humors from emtinesse as from too much blood-letting too much purging or too much labouring all which filles the hollownes of the sinewes with colde windie vapors which are the onely great causes of convultions if they come from causes accidentall then it is from som receiued wounde where a sinew is but half cut a sunder or but prickt which presently causeth a convultion ouer the whole body the signes of the generall disease is the horse will carry his necke stiffe not be able to stirre it his backe will rise vp like the backe of a cammell or bend of a bow his rumpe will shrinke inward his foure legges will stand close together and his bellie will be clung vp to his back-bone being downe he is not able to rise esdecially vpon his hinder loines of this disease I haue had experience to my full contentment the euer is thus First put him into a sweate either by burying him all saue the head in a dunghil or els by applying hot blankets doobled about ecah side of his heart and body then after his sweat annoint all his body ouer with oile Petrolium for it is much better theÌ„ either debay or oile of cypres then giue him to drinke halfe an ounce of Lacerpitiuâ— as much Cummin aniseedes fenegreeke and old sallet oile infused into a quarte of Malmesey then keeping him warme and feeding him with good beane bread and warme mashes made of grownde malâ—e and water his Synewes will com to their former abilitie but if the conuultion come accidentally as by the pricke or halfe cut of a Synew then you shall search for the Syuew so prickt or cutte and with a paire of sheeres clip it asunder and the convultion will cease but if it be but a cramp onely and so but in one member then if you do but chafe or rub the member pained with a hard wispe or a hay rope the griefe wil vanish CHAP. 17 Of the Pose or colde in the head OF all the diseases that are incidente to horses there is none more commoÌ„ or more worthy of euer then this cold or pose in the head which according as it is new or olde great or little as the humors do abounde and are thicke or thinne so is the disease of more or lesse daunger the signes to know it is his heauines of head and countenance or els by his coughing if when he cougheth there come from his nose nothing but clean and thinne water theÌ„ is his colde neither great nor oulde but if vpon his coughing there come any yellow or filthy thin water theÌ„ is his cold neither new nor little therfore wheÌ„ you see the filth you shall then with your hand gripe him hard about the vpper part of his wessen and stop his winde compelling him to cough and if when hee is forst to cough you see any hard or thicke matter come from his nose or after he hath cought if then you see him chew as if he were eating something which indeed is nothing but corrupt fleame and filth which comes from his lunges then beÌ„e assured hee hath as dangerous a colde as is possible also a horse that hath such an extreame colde if you holde your eares to his nostrilles will rattle as he breaths also if you giue him any water you shall see he cannot drinke or if hee doe drinke the water as he drinkes will come forth of his nostrilles you shall also when you put your hand betweene his nether chaps feele about the rootes of his tong great hard kirnels and much grosse matter with many other such like signes The euer whereof is thus if the colde be but a pose that is newly taken and of no great force so as the horse neither casteth at his nose nor cougheth often if then you do but morning and euening ride him forth to the water and hauing drunke galloppe him gently a quarter of an hower together till he be warme and so set him vp in the stable it will put away his pose in lesse then a weeks exercise but if it continewe and rather increase then abate you must imagin then some rhu matike moist humor which feedeth his colde whereupon you shal giue him the scowring of butter garlicke for three mornings together as it is prescribed in the booke of hunting horses and after the giuing you shall ride him vp and downe for an hower or better and it wil purge his head as aforesaide But if his colde bee of long growth and very contagious then you shall keepe his head and body very warme giue him this drink take of strong Ale a quarte of the best treakle three ounces of long pepper and graines as much of the iuyce of garlicke two spoonefulles and boile all these together and giue it reasonable hotte to the horse in the morning fasting then ride him vp and downe for an hower and so set him vp obseruing by no meanes to giue him any colde water for a weeke at least but if it so chaÌ„ce that this long grown cold be not yet come to such ripenes that either the horse cougheth or casteth filth from his nose for indeede when a horse coughes the worst of his colde is past but it lies in his head and throate which for want of knowledge you cannot perceiue and then hauing instant occasion to ride some serious iorney when you are vpon his back both by his heauines and want of courage besides the ratling in his throate which you shall plainly hear when he
the blacke as may be for feare of making the horsse bleere eyed thē wash the sore with the water of eye-brighte with white wine or with beare and it will doe well CHAP. 22. Of Lunatike or Moone eyes LVnatike eyes or Moone eyes though the antient Italian horsmen could giue no reason or signes of them yet I know this by mine owne experience that they proceede from hote salt humours dispersed and distilled frō the braine by ouer riding or other violent and extreame exercise the signes are hee will see at sometimes of the Moone better then at other sometimes whence comes the name of the disease his eyes when they are at the best will looke reddish when at the worst red and fiery the cure is first vppon the temples of his head yow shall lay the plaster of pitch rossen and masticke as is afore showed then with an yron somewhat bigger then a wheate-strawe you shall burne vpon the balle of his cheekes vnder his eyes on each side three holes to the bone and annoynt them dayly with a little fresh butter and if you please you may in stead of those holes slit the skine with a knife and put in a rowell of leather as shall be showed you hereafter where I speake of row elling After the sore hath runne eight or ten dayes yow shall heale it by taking away the rowell laying on the sore a plaster made of turpentine honey and waxe of each like quantity boyld together and during the time that the sore doth runne you shall twice a day put into his eye with a feather a little life honey and feare not the amendement CHAP. 23 Of the Canker vlcer and Fistula in the eye THis disease proceedeth from the salte humours and corruption of the bloode descending downe from the head into the eye the signes whereof are the eye white redde and bloody and vpon the eye-lids will be little angry redde pimples from whence will runne a kind of lie or water which will scalde the checke as it passes and the eye it selfe will bee full of gumme and corrupte yelllow matter the euer is first to let him blood on that side of the neck on which the eye is sore then with a very smale fine instrument of steele or siluer you shall search all the pimples to see if you can find any hole or hollownes amongst them and if you find any you shall search the depth thereof then make a tente fitte for the hole and dippe it in the water I before prescribed for the pinne and webbe and so put it to the bottome of the hole euery other day making the tent shorter and shorter till the hollownes bee filled but if you find no hollownes then you shall twice a day rubbe the pimples with this water till they bee bloody and rawc take of Rochallome of greene Coporas of each a quarter of a pound of white Coporas halfe an ounce and boile them in somewhat more then a pinte of running water till halfe be consumed then take it from the fire and when you apply it to the sore eye let it be luke warme and in foure or fiue dressings it will dry vp the Vlcer CHAP. 24. Of diseases belonging to the eares of a horsse and first of the laue eares or hanging eares THis disgrace of beeing laueearde albeit it is not a payne or griefe to the horsse yet it is so foule a sore both to the eye of the owner and to euery behoulder that it euen drowneth and obscureth al other vertues whatsoeuer it is an infirmitie proceeding from nature it is ingendred in the first creation and although few of our Fariers either haue indeuored themselues or know how to helpe it yet such hath bin mine earnestnesse to know the vttermost secret in that art that by trying many conclusions in the ende I hitte vpon a certeine cure for the same and haue within haue within this little space helpt sundry horses for the signe thereof the name is sufficient and it will plainely showe it and the cure is thus take your horses eares and place them in such maner as you would desire they should stande and then with two little boards or peeces of trenchers three fingers broad hauing long strings knit vnto them bind the eares so fast in the places wherein they stand that by no means or motion they may stirre then betwixt the head and the roote of the eare you shall see a great deale of wrinkled empty skinne which with your finger and your thumbe you shall pull vp and then with a very sharp payre of sizers you shall clip away all the emptie skinne close by the head then with a needle and a little redde silke you shall stitch the two sides of the skinne close together and then with a salue made of Turpentine waxe Deares suet and honey of each like quantitie melted together heale vp the sore which done take away the splents which held vp his eares and you shall see his eares will keepe the same place still as you sette them without any alteration this is as certain as the healing of a cut finger CHAP. 25. Of the Impostume in the eare ALL Impostumes come either from blowes brusinges or gathering together of many grosse humours in one place and of all impostumes there is none worsse then that bredd in the eare of a horsse because proceeding from the braine it many times corrups the same the signe thereof is only the apparant showe and the cure is this take a handfull of Sorrell and lapping it in a Burre-docke leafe lay it in hot bourning imbers and roste it as you would rost a warden then taking it forth of the fire opening it apply it as hote as is possible to the Impostume which is within the eare shifting it euery day till it hath both ripened and broke the Impostume which the yelke of an egge wheate flowre honey and hearbe of grace will do also when it is broken and the corruption well come forth then you may heale the sore with the salue made of Turpentine waxe hony and Deares suet but if you find the horsse haue paine in his eare but no swelling then you shall only stoppe his eare or eares with blacke woole dipt into the oile of Camomile and it will helpe him CHAP. 26. Of the Poll euill or Fistula in the Necke THis disease is an Impostumation like a Fistula growing betwixt the eare and the poll or nape of the neck and is bred by flemie and grosse humours gathered together in that part or else by some bruse or straine taken either by some blow or by some halter or necke-band for that part of all parts about the head is most tender this disease is most incident to cart horsses because the rudenesse of clownes seldome respect where they strike the signe thereof is the horse will carry his nose outright and his necke stiffe you shall also perceiue the swelling which in the end will breake
I haue seen theÌ„ in young sucking foales the signes are the visible appearance of them and the cuer is to slit them with a small rasor and then thrusting out the corruption to wash the sore place three or foure times a day with running water reasonable warm wherin hath formerly beene boild good store of Allome Sage and a little honey till it be whole CHAP. 32. Of the Lampas THe Lampas is a great swelling or excression of the flesh in the roofe of a horses mouth in the very first furrow adioining to the formost teeth which swelling as hie as the teeth and somtimes ouer the teeth make that the horse can neither gather vppe his meate well nor chewe it when it is gathered it proceedes onely from pride and aboundance of blood the signes are the visible sight thereof and the cuer is first to put a peece of wood as bigge as a great rouling pinne betweene the horses chappes and then with a crooked iron to bourne away all the superfluous flesh to annoint the sore place onely with salte CHAP. 33. Of the Canker in any part of the mouth THE Canker in the mouth is a venemous and fretting vlcer which proceedeth from the wearing of rustie bittes or from the vnnaturall heate either of the braine or stomacke which distilling in salte rhumes into the mouth doe breede rawe and fretting vlcers the signes are rawnes of the mouth or tongue blisteringes white furringes and such like The cuer is take strong vineger two spoonefulles and as much of the powder of Allome as will make the vineger thicke and with it rubbe the sore place three or foure times a day for two or three dayes together till it bee rawe and bleede then take a quarte of running water fiue ounces of Allome of honey sixe spoonefulles of woodbine leaues Sage leaues and collobine leaues of each halfe a handfull boile all these together till one half be consumed and wash the sore therewithall three of foure times a day till it be whole CHAP. 34. Of Heate in the Mouth and Lippes A Horsse will haue in his Mouth sometimes an extraordinary heat when he hath no vlcer which will make him forsake his meate and it proceedeth from the stomacke the signes whereofare the immoderate heate of his breath and the whitenesse of his tongue which when you perceiue the cure is first to let him bloode in the roofe of his mouth after he hath likt and chewed off his blood a good prettie space then you shall wash his mouth tongue all ouer with vineger and salt and then anoint it with the sirrop of Mulberies doe but thus twice a day for two or three dayes and the horsse will doe well CHAP. 35. Of the tongue being hurt with the Bitte or Snaffle A Canker which commeth by wearing a rusty Bitte and the hurt which comes of the rude haÌ„dling of a chain bit are two contrary diseases for the one doth impoisen the other doth but only seperate wherfore if your horses mouth or tongue be but only brused or hurt with a len bit the cure is first to wash the sore place with Allome water and then to anoint it with life honey and english saffron well beaten and mixt together and when you ride your horse to haue a cleane cloath foulded aboute the Bitte or snaffle and to annoint it with the same salue and this you shall doe twice a day till the sore be whole to choppe the leaues of a blacke bramble and swines larde together and binding it in a fine cloth then dipping it in honey and annointing the horsses tong therewith as some of our Smithes doe is good but nothing neare so speady a medicine CHAP. 36. Of the Barbbs or Pappes vnder a Horsses tong EVery horsse naturally hath vpon his neither chaps vnder his tonge two long wartes like pappes which we call Barbs which how euer some horse-men doe hold will hurt a Horsse yet for mine own part I could neuer perceiue it in all my practise nor would I haue them taken away yet if any one either out of strong belief in the paine or out of curiositie or will will haue them taken away as I haue seen smild at many that would you shall not as our common Smithes do clip them away with a paire of sheeres for there doth followe them such fluxe of blood that in so doing I haue seen them put beyond their skiles how to staunch them but the cure is to hold vp the tongue and taking hold of the barbe with a small payre of mullets with a fine yron made of purpose to feare them away and then to annoint them with the oile of bitter Allâ—ons till they be whole CHAP. 37. Of paine in the Teeth and of the Woolfes PAine in a horsses teeth commeth either from pride and corruption of blood or els from cold rhums if from bloode the signe is his gooms will swell and haue as it were blebbes about them if froÌ„ rhume he will continually slauer and that which commeth from him will be thinne and waterish the cure is with a sharp knife to race him alongst his gummes close vnder his teeth both of the inside and outside and then to rubbe them all ouer either with pepper salt wel mingled together or with claret wine and pepper heated vpon the fire or else with chalk and vineger or after they are washt to strow vpon them the powder of pomegranat pils Now for the woolfes which are two sharp teeth more then nature allowes growing out of the vpper iawes nexte to the great teeth which pricketh the neether chappe so that the horsse is not able to eate his meate although for mine owne parte I haue not seeâ—e such an vnnaturall accident yet if you bee acertaind thereof you may if you will vse ould Martins medicine which is after the horsses head is tide to a post and his mouth opened so as you may looke therein to haue a long instrument of yron made lik a Carpenters gouge and setting the edge thereof close to the bottomme of the tooth by the gumme and with a mallet in your other hand to giue a good knocke vpon the instrument which not onely entring into the tooth but also loosening it and setting it awry you shall then by holding the instrument firme and hard still and resting it vpon the chappe of the horsse wrest the tooth out of his head and then putting falte into the hole close it vppe but in my conceipte it were a much better and more safer cure if when your horsses mouth is opened you find the horsses teeth to be very extraordinarily sharp that then you take a long sharpe file made for the purpose and therewith reasonably to blunt all his iawe teeth for that would bring your horsse ease without any vnnaturall torment CHAP. 38. Of the Cricke in the Necke THe Cricke in the necke is a kind of conuultion or sorenesse of the sinewes it commeth either by the
a day for nine dayes together it will knitte his backe prouided that you let him run at grasse without labour for at least two months after the cure Of weakenesse in the backe Chap. 50. VNto the backe is incident another weakenesse besides these strainings which proceedeth not from any casualty or mischance but only from the confluence and fluxe of moyst and cold humors which bee nummed and dull the vitall parts of the backe bringing the horse to such a weakenesse that he many times fals downe flat to the ground and cannot rise againe Our best Farriers call it the fretting of the reines hold it generally to bee mortall For mine owne part I haue not seene the disease aboue twice my cure thereof is thus Take of Venice-Turpentine and after you haue washed it well take iust so much of Honny and mixt with it beating them very well together then take as much refined Sugar beaten to powder as will make it as thicke as Paste then roule it in round Balles as big as a little Wall-nut and couering them ouer with sweete Butter giue him euery morning for fiue Morninges together three of those Bals and it will restore and strengthen his back Of Hide-bound Chap. 51 HYde-bound is when a Horses skinne is so strained and bound vnto his bones that a Man can with no possible strength pull it vp with his hands it proceedeth onely from the weakenesse of the body and pouerty of flesh the signes to know it is the handling of the Horse his leanenesse and the clinging vp of his belly to the Chine of his backe The cure although many of our best Farriers make it very curious and haue sundry drenches and drinks to little purpose is of al other cures most easie for you shal no more but let him blood in his neck veine for a month following â—eed him with nothing but sweete Hay and boyled Barly hauing care that you boyle not so much together but that your Horse may eate it whilst it is sweet and fear not the loosenesse of his skin nor the swelling of his flesh with fatnesse Of the Strangle or Glanders or the mourning of the Chine Chap. 52. THe Strangle is a disease for the most part incident to Foales or young Colts and somtimes to Horses of elder age it is a fluxe or ingendring togither of many humors about the roots of the toong between the two nether chaps inflaming impostumating those Kernels which naturally grow about the rootes of the tongue which kernels are called Glandes from whence some Farriers suppose the name of Glanders came first and I am of that mind also For betwixt the Strangle and the Glanders is but this difference that when those kernels do swel and impostumate outwardly that is to say when they riâ—e betweene his Chaps like a huge Bile so that they hinder a Horse from swallowing his meat and as it were strangle and Choake him with tough and vndisolued matter and in the end breakes outwardly forth like an ordinary impostunation and so vanisheth then wee call it but the strangle but if it doe not breake outwardlie but that the inflamation ImpostumatioÌ„ exulcerates inward and so like a foule Fistula avoyds all the foule matter at the Horses Nosthrils then we call it the Glaunders and it is a much harder cure But that the Strangle should be as some of our English Authors suppose the same disease which wee call the Squinancy or Quinzie I canot immagine it for it hath no semblance of such an infirmitie onely I take the Viues to besomewhat a kin to that sicknes Now for the Strangle it proceedeth either of cold and raw disgestion as that which is in Foales or else of some sodaine cold taken and lingâ—ing without remedy in a Horse groweth in the end â—o this euil The cure of the strangle is thus assoone as you perceiue the swelling to rise you shal take a wax candle and holding it vnder the horses chaps close to the swelling burne it so long til you see the skin bee burnt thorough so that you may scarifie it and raise it from the flesh which done you shal take a broad peece of leather and spread the reupon a good thicke quantity of blacke shoomakers wax and lay it vpon the sore and it wil not onely breake the fore but heale it also but if eyther by some extreame colde or other disorder in keeping this disease breake inwarde and so turne to the Glaunders you shal first perfume his head with Brimston and Frankensence mixt together and burnt vpon a chafing dishe of coales and then you shal poure into his Nosthrils half a pint of sallet oyle an ounce of Niter and sixe spoonefuls of the iuice of Leeks and doing thus but four mornings together it stil cure any Glaunders if it haue not beene aboue halfe a yeares continuance but if you can get the oile of Oates and poure it into his Nostrils iâ— is most certaine it both cureth this disease and the mourning of the chine also Of the Cough and the seueral kinds Chap. 53. COughes come either by chaunce or infirmitity by chaunce as by eating a feather dust or suchlike the helpe is to giue him a crust of hard breade and a little Water after it if by infirmity then it is either a wet cough a drie cough or a rotten cough if it be a wet cough it comes onely of moist rheume and is knowne by the clearenes of the water which comes from his nostrils if it be drie he auoids nothing if it be rotten he auoids nothing And thogh euery one of these haue seueral cures yet if for three mornings together you wil but giue your horse a pinte of sacke halfe a pint of salet oile an ounce of the oile of Anni-seeds and three ounces of Sugar-candy it wil both take away the cough and heal any putrifaction of the lungs whatsoeuer Of the shortnes of breath and the causes Chap. 54. SHortnes of breth or pursines comes by soden riding after a horse is fild or new fed the signe is his panting and inability to trauel and the cure is to giue him either a coupple of new laid Egs shels and al or els a pint of milke and sallet oyle mixt togither Of a consumption Chap. 55. A Consumption is nothing but an exulceration or putrifaction of the lunges and the cure is for fiue morninges together to giue him the same drinke prescribed for the wet or dry cough Of griefe in the Brest Chap 56. THis disease comes by the coruption of loode or the abundance of humors gathred togither about the brest accasioning swelling the cure is to slit the swelled part and to put in a trowel and anoint it with a little sweet butter til the sore be whole Of the Anticor Chap 57. THe Antichor is a disease proceeding of corruption of blood and spirits it onely paineth the heart and is ofte mortall the cure whereof is to let
wound which comes by gunshot you shal mixe with your salue a good quantitie of varnish but if the horse bee burnt with lime then you shall adde some olde barme or east if the horse be byt with a mad dog you shal vse in your salue Goates dung or the fat of hung beefe Of being shrew runne chap 92 If your horse be shrew-runne you shall looke for a briere which growes at both endes and draw your horse thorow it and he will be well Of the warble or Felter chap 93 To kill the warble or felter bathe your horse either in stronglye or with burnt sacke and vinegar mixt together Of stinging with suakes 94. chap 94. Annoint the sore with Sallet-oyle Saffron â—iue the horse to drinke coaro milke and the shauings of iueâ—y Of eating Hens dung chap 95. You shal giue your horse the scowring of butter sauÌ„ders To kill licc or Flies chap 96 Annoint the horse mith sope quicksiluer stauesaker mixt together but if he be troubled with flies theÌ„ wash his body with water wherin herbe of grace hath been boyled Of broken bones chap 97. The best salue for broken bones is oyle of mandrag or oyle of Swallowes Of taking vp of veanes chap 98 T is good to take vp veanes for griefe in the legs as farcies spauens or such like or for the quitter bone scabbe or Scratches and for no other infirmities Of glisters chap 99 The best glister is to boile mallowes and then to straine the water and put to a quart of water a pinte of fresh butter halfe a pinte of sallet oyle administer it warme to the horse Purgations chap. 100. Touching purgations to be receiued inwardly looke in the booke of hunting and by the name of scowrings you shall finde plenty Of calteryzing chap 101 For Calterizing it is neuer to be vsed but either to stay the Fluxe of blood or when incision is to be made amongst veanes or sinewess wherefore to calterize a large wound your iron must be thin sharpe and flat to calterize a little orifice it must be blunt and round yet by howe much it is the hotter by so much it is the better Certaine speciall receites chap 102 Turpentine and the powder of iet mixt together will drawe out any venome or poyson from any wound whatsoeuer To bathe a horse with tansey and vardiuice will kil the farcie and the water wherein the greene barke of elder hath beene boild being mixt with sallet-oyle will cure the glaunders The end of the seauenth booke CAVELARICE OR That part of Horse manship discouering the subtile trade of Hors-corsers together with an explanation of the excellency of a Horses vnderstanding and how to make him doe Trickes lyke Bankes his Curtall and of drawing drye-foot and other Acts both naturall and vnnaturall The eight Booke AT LONDON Printed for Edward VVhite and are to bee solde at his shop at the little North-doore of Paules at the signe of the Gunne To the Honorable and most worthy Knight Sir VValter ASTON SIr how dearely I loue you and with what zeale I wish I could doe you seruice I would this poore trybute of my labours could giue a true testimony that then you might know what power you haue in a poore Creature but since neither it nor any lymits can bound thinges infinite conceiue of mee according to the square of your owne Noble thoughts which I perswade my selfe euen to aparant errours would lend most Charitable constructions I haue in this volume darrd a bold enterprize the rather sith there was neuer before this day moe Champions either in perfect skill or in strong imagination of their skill that may easily bee inflamed to rise vp against me but I haue chose you for one of my honorable defenders not that you shall stand betwixt me and my hazzard but be a meanes to bring me to an equall combate for I know my selfe to be so safely armed with Art experience and the grounds of reason that I feare no malignity but an vnlawfull counsell which to preuent those Noble Princes and your selfe whom I haue chosen I hope will bee my protectors to whose mercy and gracious opinions I prostrate me and my labours Geruase Markham To all the busie Horsecorsers both of the Citty and Country wheresoeuer IMagin not because I haue discouered vnto the world those secret deceits wherewith the world is hourely beguiled that I with a more spleeny spirit do condemne you then all other trades whatsoeuer for if the Marchant will haue a dark shop to make bright sulled ware if the Shoe-maker will cut Leather but halfe tand the Carpenter worke his Timber halfe seasond if the Baker will not giue his true waight the Butcher will not forgoe his imbosture of prickes nor any trade whatsoeuer but will preserue to himselfe some disception beleeue it I conclude you as good and loue you as much as any and think it agreeable with the law of reason that you haue as much preuiledge as any whatsoeuer in this worldly Charter But forasmuch as some because they deceiue themselues make no conscience in deceiuing others and thinke the gaine most honest how euer gathered by the hand of corruption I thought it not amis to make my selfe a warrant without authority and to lay open what with long experience and diligent obseruation I haue noted and sometimes purchased at too deere a reckoning both to fortify the honest against vnconscionable practise and to make theÌ„ loath those grosse deceits of which euen Boyes and Babes may detect them which if it reape thankes from them that reape profit I haue my wish if it offend the contrary I respect not because they may amend their losse if they will buy with care and sell with a good conscience Farewell G. M. CAVELARICE The eight Booke CHAP. 1. Of Horsse-corsers in generall THere is not any ground Arte science or Handicraft whatsoeuer which hath beene so exactly found out eyther by Nature or the power of the greatest Wisedome but Time and Mens corruptions hath poysoned them with some one or other disception as euen the very food of our souls how is it prophaned with a world of scysmes in Philosophy at this day how many Hereticks in Physicke what numbers of Mount-banckes in Astrologie what false star-gazers in Musick what Minstrelcie and to conclude in all what can man do that is vertuous which one will not imitate in a like vizard Hence and from this auncient knowledge of sufferance being founded by an ydle ignorant couetousnesse hath sprunge this deceit or impostume vpon the face of Horsemanshippe which wee call Horse-corsing Now that you may know what a horse-corser is least by mistaking mine application I may be held to condemne those which are both honest and vertuous you shall vnderstand the Horse-corser whose subtle trade I discouer is hee who passes from Fayre to Fayre and from Market to Market to buy lame tyerd diseased and tainted horsses and then with one
ayring and also that you may haue greate respect to his dung obseruing both the temper the colour and the slyminesse and whether there come from him anye grease or no which if hee doe auoide it is an apparant signe of his foulenesse if he doe not it is a good token of his cleanesse After his ayring you shall set him vp chafe his legges and giue him a handful of bread letting him stand till nine of the clocke at night at what time as you did in former nights so you shall nowe giue him a good quantitie of breade rub his head face necke hodie and buttocks with a haire cloath stirre vp his litter and so let him rest till the next morning obseruing according to the expence of these three daies so to spend the first fortnight coursing your horse euerie third day both that you may bring him to an acquaintaÌ„ce with his race also that you may come to the better iudgement of the state of his body for if in this first fortnight you find your horse to drie inwardly and grow costiue which is the natural fault of ruÌ„ning horses then you shall vse moist washt meat the oftner put more butter into your bred in time of necessitie giue him a handful or two of rye sodden but if you finde him naturally giuen to losenesse which is sildom found in this dyetting then you shal put no butter at al into your bread you shall feede him with washt meate wel dride and giue him wheat eares both before and after his ayrings you shal chip his bread little or nothing at all let it be baked somewhat the sorer Now after this first fortnights keeping if you finde your horse a little cleaner then he was that he is strong in good lust then both for your ayrings dressings dyetings watrings and other obseruations you shal in al things do as you did in the first fortnight onelye with this difference that in your coursings you shal not be so violent or draw him vp to so hye a speede as formerly you did but play with him and as it were no more but galloppe him ouer the race that thereby he may take pride delight in his labour onelye once in each weeke that is in the midle of each weeke beeing at least fiue daies betwixt one and the other if your horse be young strong and lusty you shall giue him a sweate in his cloathes either vpon the race which you must run or else vpon some other ground fit for the purpose but if your horse be old stiffe ortainted then you shal giue him the sweates in his cloathes within the Stable the manner of each sweate is in a former chapter described and these sweates you shall giue verie earely in the morning as an houre before sunne rise that he may be coolde haue his mash giuen him and be curryed and drest soone after eleuen a clocke in the forenoone the day following the latter of these two sweates you shall earelye in the morning before you goe forth to ayre him giue him the scowring of Muskadine Sallet-oyle and Sugar-Candie as is mentioned in the booke of hunting and then leade him forth ayre him but in any case keep him not forth aboue half an houre at the most but bring him home set him vp warm tye him so that he may lie downe lay him an handfull or two of Oates before him and so let him rest till twelue or one a clocke in the afternoone at what time you shall water him dresse him and feede him as you did in the former daies of his resting After this sweate thus giuen you shall euerie third day for exercise sake gallop your horse as gently ouer the race as may be onelie to keepe his legges nimble and his breath pure till the fourth day before the day of your wager vppon which day you shall giue your Horse a sound and as my Countriemen of the North tearme it a bloudie course ouer the race then after he is colde brought home as soone as you haue chaft his legges well you shal take a mussell made of Canuase or Leather but Canuase is the better of which mussell I haue spoken more particularlie in the booke of hunting This mussell you shall put vpon your horses head fasten it between his eares yet before you put it on you shall throw into it the powder of Annyseedes wel beaten in a morter which is all the spice you shall vse about your horse and euerie time you take off or put on the Mussel you shall put more powder in This powder of annyseede is for the horse to smel vppon because it openeth the winde-pipe and sometimes to licke vppon because it comforteth the stomacke and strengthneth a horse in his fasting you shall also haue diuers mussels that when your horse with his breath and such like moist vapors hath wet one made it noisome you may then put on another which is drie and so keepe him sweete and cleanely washing his foule Mussell and drying it before the fire that it may serue at another season After you haue musseld vp your horse that he can eate nothing but what you giue him you shall let him rest for an houre or two and take away the wheate-straw from his racke not suffering him to haue any more racke meate till the wager bee past After hee hath stood two houres you shall come to him and giue him two or three handfâ—ll of wheate eares and after them a sweete mashe then mussel him vp againe and let him stand till it be betwixt twelue and one a clocke in the after noone at what time you shall first take off his cloath and currie dresse him verie sufficientlye then hauing cloathed him vp warme againe you shall take off his Mussell and giue him out of your hand bit by bit to the valewe of a pennie white loafe of your dyet bread then you shall giue him in a clean dish the valew of a quart of water theÌ„ you shall giue him as much more breade then offer him as much more water and thus giuing him one while breade another while water giue him a good meale according to the constitution of his bodie and the strength of his appetite then put on his Mussell and so let him stand till betwixt fiue and sixe of the clock in the euening at what time you shal take your horse foorth to ayre him and after he is ayred you shall bring him home and hauing chaft his legges you shall take a cleane boule or tray of wood for you must vnderstand after your horse is put into the mussell you shall suffer him no more to eate in the maunger and into that boule or tray you shall put a good haÌ„dful of Oates washt in the whites of egs dride which if you perceiue he eates verie greedilye you shall then giue him another handfull and so a third then in a dish you shall offer him a