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
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
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
labors yoo finde his impediment you shall not for this disease slacke your iourney but the first day with all gentlenes easie pace let him bring you to your Inne and as soon as you are lighted make him be very well rubd and drest and store of litter laid vnder him then imediately take a pinte of very good Ceres sacke and make it more then luke warme in the fier then take halfe a pinte of sallet oile or for want thereof halfe a pint of sweet butter melted then brew the sacke and it together and giue it warme to the horse with a horne then binde a Couerlet or Blanket about the horse and let him stand vpon the bridle for an hower after at which time come to him and tye him so as he may lye downe at pleasure then locke the stable doore and let no body trouble him for three or foure howers after for hee will grow extreame sicke and so that if you did see him you wold think him at the point of death when you are disposed to go to bed go to your horse and if you find him laid along very sicke respect it not but making the manger cleane put therein halfe a pecke of cleane oates and three penniworth of bread broken small and a penniworth or two of hay and so leaue him till morning and be sure by morning he will not onely haue eaten vp his meate but be as cheerefull as euer hee was in his life and you shall see his colde breake away aboundantly and if you keepe him warme and suffer him to take no new colde bee sure the old will waste quite away with his trauell as for the perfuming him with Frankinscence or with Peniryall and Sage boild together or tickling him with goose feathers and oile de-bay or with a clout annointed with sope by thrust ing theÌ„ vp into his nose only to make the horse sneare or neese you may saue that labour for it is of little pur pose although our common Farriers vse it but if you will when you giue him any prouender sprinkle a little Fenegreeke and aniseedes amongst it for three or foure daies together it will not be amisse And also euer obserue that if your horse bee very leane which hath this colde that then with your sacke and oile you mixe at least two ounces of sugercandie beaten to powder CHAP. 18. Of the diseases of the eies and first of the waterish or weeping eies WAtterish eyes proceede euer either from rhumaticke and moist humours or else from some stripe or blowe either with rodde whippe or such like And the cuer is first let him blood vpon his eieveines then take Pitch Masticke and rossen of ech like quantitie and melting them together spread it with a stick all ouer the temples of his head then lay flockes as neare as you can of the horses coulour vpon it and make it lye like a plaster fast and flatte to his head then euery morning wash his eyes with white wine and put into theÌ„ the powder of Pomy-stone some Tartarum mixt with life honey and you shall perceiue as the humor doth decrease so the plaster will loosen and fall away CHAP. 19. Of bloodshotten whether they come by blowes itching rubbing or such like I Haue for mine owne parte seene none of our best Farriers vse any other medicine for this griefe then ould Martins water which is to take of rose water of malmsey and Fennell water of eache three spoonefulles of Tutia as much as you may easily take vp with your thumbe and your finger the powder of a doozen cloues mingle them together and being luke-warme with a feather dipt therein to wash the inward parte of the eie therewith Others lesse cunning I haue seene for this griefe to wash horses eyes with white wine and the powder of Sandiuer mixt together but for mine owne parte I haue found an other receite much better then either the one or the other and this it is take the whites of a coupple of Eggs and beat it til it come to an oile then put to it two spoonefull of rose-water two spoonefull of the iuyce of houslike and two spoonefull of the water of eie-bright mixe them well together then dippe therein little round plegents of Flaxe or Towe as big as a horses eie and lay them vpon the horses eies changing them as oft as they grow harde and drie and doubt not but in two or three nights it will cuer a very sore eie CHAP. 20. Of dimnes of sight Pin Web Pearles or spottes in the eies IF your horse either through fylme asker pearle pin web or any such like grosse matter growing vpon the ball of his eie haue his sight hindered if you aske the opinion of our best Farriers they will bid you take of Pomies stone of Tartarum of sall Gemma of each like quantitie and being beaten to fine powder to blow it into the horses eies others will bid you blow the powder of sandâ—voire into his eyes others the powder of burnt Allom of bournt oister shelles or of the blacke flinte stone all which are fretting and will breake any filme yet for mine own parte this hath beene my medicine to take of the water of eiebright three pintes and as much perfit good white wine then to infuse therein of the powder of the Pomyes and the blacke flinte stone of Tartarum of sall Gemma of Sandiuoir of white Copperis and of the drie rootes of Angelica of each of these two ounces and of greene Copperis foure ounces when these haue beene iufused together for the space of foure and twenty howers then you shal put theÌ„ altogether into a limbeck also a handful of a handfull of Tyme and halfe a handfull of Penirial distill these vpon a slow fire then you shall with the water thereof taken with a feather anoint the hoâ—sse both vnder the eye and aloft vpon the eye lidde but by no meanes within the eye and it will weare away any filme whatsoeuer CHAP. 21. Of the Hawe or Kyrnels within the eyes THe Hawe is a certaine hard gryssell or Kyrnell growing vnderneath the eye within the neither lidde it growes from the grosse and toughe humours and will spread sometime ouer more then one halfe of the eye and doth hinder the sight and make the eye to water the signe is you shall visibly see it wheÌ„ either the horsse showes hir eyes or moues his eye liddes the euer is onelie to cut them away in this manner you shall with one of your fingers put vp to the vpper lidde of the horsses eye and with your thumbe put downe the nether lid so that you may lay the Hawe bare to your sight then take a sharpe needle with a thridde and thrust it thorough the side of the Hawe and with the thridde draw the Hawe from touching the eye then take a sharpe pen-knife and cut the grissell away almost but not full out to the bottome â—ut as near
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
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
he that hath but one Stallion popes to inioy him long yet manie Mares for him yearely to couer let him obserue the order prescribed in this next Chapter CHAP. 6. Of couering Mares in the House the dyeting of the Stallion the time of the day for the Act and to know when shee hath coneiued ALbe this course wee are now about to treate of be much more troublesome and a little more chargeable then the former yet it is by manie degrees safer and in my conceite much surer Hee therefore that out of little meanes will preserue a good breede Let him first prepare to keepe some warme spott of ground as eyther Orchard Garden or such like with not being eaten al the yeare before may haue grasse readie to mow by mid April at what time you shal put your horse into the soyle feeding him thoroughlie with bread made of pease meale and mingled with barme and water well knodden baked in great housholde loaues then when you haue a Mare readie to be couerd let her as soone as the Sun is in setting be brought into some large emptie barne and there turned loose let then the Horse be also brought vnto her and turned loose where let him remaine with her all night till halfe an houre after Sunne rise then let him be taken and led into the stable and the first thing you giue him let it bee a sweete warme mash of malte and water after that let him haue grasse and prouender as before he was accustomed then let the Mare likewise be turned to grasse This order you shall obserue three nights together and there is no doubt but your Mare shal be sufficientlie serued In this maÌ„ner with this dyet your horse may well serue one after another ten or twelue mares during all which time of soyle couering your horse must by no meanes be ridden Now for as much as some English writers prescribe in this time of soile for your horses dyet dryed wheate or dride Pease and Wheate branne or cleane fytches and his mashes of wheate meale and water I for mine owne part doe dislike them all and this is my ground first for dride wheate albe it be a cleane heartie and strong foode yet it is agraine which of all other dooth soonest cloy a Horse is moste dangerous if a horse shall surfait thereon besides it is with vs heere in England of so little vse for Horses that when you shal giue it a Horse his nature vnaccustomed thereunto receiues it rather as a medcine then as any familiar foode and by that meanes takes little or no pleasure therein Lastly it is so costlie that no good Husband â—ut will grudge the expence except he were assured of some extraordinarie benefit thereby which I assure â—im he shall neuer reape Now for pease and branne who knowes not that â—ath any experience that it is of all foodes the moste â—ilde ingendering grosse humors bad nutryment occasioning hart-burning and manie other scalding â—assioÌ„s in a Horse And for fytches they are if possible worse then the other for besides that they are rancke fulsome and vnwholesome foode they haue also in â—em such a dangerous poyson that by surfetting vpon them they breede euen the plague amoÌ„gst horses For the mashe of Wheate and Water it is tollerable and may bee vsed but not in this time of couering because it carryeth neither the strength pleasant taste nor sweetenesse which Malt and water doth And thus much for the couering of Mares in the house There is yet another manner of couering of Mares and that is for such as eyther hauing some one principal Horse which they esteeme so pretious that they wil not adueÌ„ture him loose a night together least they mare either in her wooing or out of her toying knauishnes should giue him such a blowe as might either breede in him griefe or lamenesse yet are desirous to haue some one or two especiall Mares couerd with him or else it is for them who being desirous to get into good races are fayne to get leapes for their Mares eyther by courtesie bribes or stealth for these they must bee content to haue their Mares couered in hand which albe it bee not altogether so sure as the former prescribed was yet the Foales so begotten are altogether as good as the former and whereas some haue held opinion that the Horse being at hard meate that is at Hay and Prouender and the mare at grasse or the mare at hard meate and the horse at grasse that if these two shall ingeÌ„der together the mare will neuer conceiue or holde I haue found it meere vntruth for I haue knowne a horse the night before he shold haue runne for a wager who then was not onelie at hard meat but also in straite dyet which is the extreamest of hard meate couer a grasse mare which mare hath held to that horse brought foorth a foale which both for his shape vertue might well challenge his Syre He therfore that wil haue his mare couered in hand must obserue this order as soone as you finde your mare readie for the Horse which you may knowe by the signes before mencioned or if for a better assuraÌ„ce you may if you please bring some bad ston'd Iade vnto her and if you see her wrie her taile showe willinges to receiue him then it is most certaine she is ready then you shal halfe an houre after Sun-rise â—n the morning bring your mare into some close court â—r backe yarde neare vnto the Stable or for want of â—ch into some emptie barne then you shall cause the â—orse keeper to bring foorth the Horse in a watering â—ench with a strong long rayne and if at the first sight â—f the mare the horse as it is verie likely hee wil fall to â—ound or leape let not the keeper bee affrayde â—ut rather cherrish and fortefie the Horse in such salts â—nely let him so much as is in his power restraine â—im froÌ„ comming too suddainely to the mare that â—f it bee possible hee may bee readye when hee commeth to her and as soone as hee is vppon her let â—im haue all the libertie the Horse-keeper can giue â—im But whereas some would haue the Horse-keeper to helpe the Horse as by putting his yarde â—o the right place or such like I am vtterly against 〈◊〉 except it bee in case of great neede for it is so â—uch against the nature of a Horse so to bee handâ—d that I haue seene a Horse when he hath beene â—adie to couer a mare by such officiousnes of the keeper to come immediatelie off froÌ„ the mare leaue her â—nserued for more then an houre after As soone as â—e Horse hath serued the mare is comed from her â—ack let a stander by prepar'd for the purpose immediately throw a peale of colde water vpon the priuye partes of the Mare which wil keepe her from shedding the seede which naturally a mare wil doe and
ground a president And thus much for Mares and their barrennesse CHAP. 10. The vse of Mares when they are with Foale and of the casting of Foales AS soone as your Mares haue conceiued and are with Foale those great persons which keep their studds onely for breede and no other labour are to respect that they may goe in good short yet sweete pasture especially if they giue sucke and that for a month before and after Michaelmasse they be not chased strained or troubled for then is the time of their knitting and quickning so that a small rush at that time breedes aborsment which is the casting of their foales But for such men as must by labor make some especiall vse of their mares they must haue care that after their Mares haue conceiued they labour and worke them very moderately shunning by all meanes to put them to the cariage of heauie burthens or the toyle of hastie iourneyes but aboue all as before I saide a month before and after Michaelmas Mares that are with Foale and haue Foales sucking vpon them must haue in the Winter besides grasse good store of sweet hay and light Corne they must haue good shelter as house or houel dry layre The houses or houels where they eate their winter meate must bee large and spacious so that they may not bee throng'd vp together for feare by rushing or striking they bee forc'st to cast their Foales Some haue beene of opinion that the change of strange pastures and strange waters will make a Mare cast her foale but it is not so onelie a man may by dryuing Mares from pasture to pasture with vnruely chassing make them cast their foales with is the cause I would haue mares with foale seldome remoued or dryuen but that fresh pasture should doe them such hurt it is senceles As for the mast of Cedar trees the treading vpon Wolues or such-like all which some writers say wil cause aborsmevt we here in England need not feare them But for stinking smells as the shuffs of candles carrion or such like I hold it verie daungerous and doe often occasion aborssement fatnesse in a Mare is dangerous for aborssement also or if they scape casting their foales yet fatnesse puts a Mare to great hazard in her foaling which is the reason that many good breeders which I know willet their Mares after they are quickned be moderately trauelled or wrought till within some month or six weekes of their foaling but not any longer for the onely time of danger is at the first conception and at the time of teaming And thus much for this matter CHAP. 11. Helpe for a Mare that is in danger in foaling and other secrets MAres naturally contrarie to the custom of other beastes doe foale standing and as certaine ancient Writers report for I haue not at any time seen it the foales when they are new foaled haue vppon their foreheads a little blacke thing like a figge called Hypomanes which they say will procure loue the dam bites it off and eates it as soone as the foale is falne but if she be preuented therof she will neuer suffer the foal to sucke as if the tendernesse or naturall loue which a Mare beares to her yong sprung from this accidentall cause and not from the motion of her naturall inclination but for mine owne part hauing seene so many Mares foale as I haue done and neuer perceyuing any such obseruation I cannot imagine it any other then a fabulous dreame But to proceede to our purpose if your mare either by mischance or by naturall defect as by taking the Horse when she was too yong as vnder two yeares olde or vpon her first foale which euer hath the greatest perill be in danger at her foaling or put to extraordinarie torment in foaling you shal ease her by these meanes first one is of opinion that if you make one stand before the mare when she is in foaling that shall holde her nostâ—ls close in such sort that shee cannot take her breath it will procure her to foale with much ease but for the 〈◊〉 I doubt onely I knowe it will procure heâ— more speed in her businesse but the most 〈◊〉 and surest remedie for this euill is to take the 〈◊〉 part of the Crab-fish feere and beating 〈◊〉 to powder mixe it with sweete Wine and Sallâ— Oile and giue it the mare with a horne to drink and iâ— wil bring her ease presently of which I haue knowne good experience but if it shall faile then I woulde haue you take the helpe of some discrete woman whose better experience knowes best howe to handle such an occasion Now if after your mare haue foaled shee doe not scowe away her Secundine which is the skin wherein the foale is wrapped after that naturall maner which is requisite in such a case some thinke it best to giue her this medicin first to boile two or three haÌ„dfuls of fenel in water theÌ„ to take half a pint of that water as much old sweet wine a fourth part of sallet oile mingle them together vpon the fire theÌ„ when it is luke warm to power it into the mares nostrils and to holde her nostrils close after it which will bee a present meanes that she shal expel the former substaÌ„ce but for as much as this medicine is somewhat teadious in making and that a Mare should not be so long in scowring as this in compounding boyling and cooling I haue euer obserued that as soone as my mare hath foald to giue her a little bottle of green forrage that is the blades of young Wheate or Rye but of the two Rye is the better and it will both expel and clense a Mare presently touching the eating of the Secundine which moste commonly mares doe some think it is verie vnwholsome and that it maketh a Mare sicke and vnlustie which opinion I hold for great truth adding this with all that it is a greate hindrance to the Mares milke wherefore so far foorth as is in a mans power I would haue it preuented And thus much for this matter CHAP. 12. How to make a Mare cast her Foale SOme say it hath beene a practise amongst ancient Horsemen in times past that when they haue had a Mare vnworthylie couered as when a fayre Mare hath either by stealth or mischance taken some ill fauoured ston'd Iade or when a mare of some especiall hope or vertue as eyt her for ryding running or huÌ„ting is preseru'd from the horse and yet not withstanding through some negligence gets to the Horse and is couered In this case it hath beene a practise to force the mare so couered to aborsment which is to cast her Foale and it is a thing my selfe haue practised vpon a mare in whose speede I was infinitelie much perswaded the rather because I know this generall rule neuer to fayle that a mare which once giueth a Foale sucke shall neuer boast of that speede which in her maydenhood she
height all his ioynts being come to their true euennesse and at sixe yeres old his necke crest breast and buttockes come to their full beautie and comelinesse Nowe it is to bee noted that if any true bredde Courser doe either at two yeares olde or three yeares olde shew the beautie of a good shape appearing to the eye to be firmely knit round and close trust together with all those shapes which should be discerned in his full age such a Colt euer doth loose his shape at foure and fiue yeares olde and neuer recouereth it againe during his whole life after So that I conclude the worse shape a Courser carrie that two three and foure yeares of age the better hee will beare it at fiue and sixe and all his life after According to the growth of the Neapolitan so for the most part growes both the Ienet of Spaine the Turkes and Barbaryes As touching the continuance of a Horses goodnesse it often appeareth by the Horses hoofes For if they be tender and soft as for the most part your Flemings Almaines and Frisons are then are they but of short continuance as wanting much of their vigor and strength But if they haue hoofes which are strong hard and sounding as for the most part our English horses Neapolitans Ienets Turkes and Barbaries haue then are they of long life continuance and goodnes as wanting no benefite that nature can giue Other obseruations wee haue for the continuance of a horses goodnes as from the healthfulnesse of his bodie or inclination to infirmitie from his strength or weaknesse of stomacke or his good or bad disgestion from his sleepe or watching and many such like by whose excesse we may euer iudge of a horses good or euil habite And thus much for this matter CHAP. 16. Of the weaning of Colts of their ordering and separating according to their ages SO soone as your Foales haue suckt a yeare or within a month of a yeare which is till your Mares bee readie to foale againe which as neare as you can compasse would be about the middest of March you shall then some three or four dayes before the full of the Moone about nine or tenne of â—he clock in the fore-noone take all your foales from â—our Mares and shutte them vppe in a close house where they may neither heare the noyse of their dams â—ortheir dams heare their whinneing In this house would be either some fewe Oates in the sheafe some Hay or some other prouender not so much as will â—ll their bellies but so much as will sustaine nature The Foales hauing thus rested in this house all â—ight the next morning although one Authour woulde haue you putte them to their Dammes againe that they might sucke whilest they are able â—et in my conceyte it is verie insufficient aduice neyther woulde I haue you by any meanes to obserue 〈◊〉 but in steade of putting them vnto their dammes â—t them bee taken by the strength of men one â—fter an other and giue to each of them two or three slips of Sauen which done let them rest an houre or two without meate then after giue them both Hay Prouender and water as much as they wil eate till night but all night let them fast and the next morning giue them Sauen againe as before and in this sort vse theÌ„ for three mornings together This Sauen is the moste wholesomest thing in the world for young foales because all foales naturally what through the flegmatick humor of the milke which they sucke the raw movst coldnes of the grasse which they eate are euer subiect to great abouÌ„dance both of Maw-wormes Grubbes and Bots which as soone as foales are weaned wanting halfe the nourishment on which formerlye they fedde they then begin to feede and corrupt the vitall partes bringing vnto foales manye times a suddaine and vnexpected death nay I haue knowne from the corruptioÌ„ of these maw-wormes many times the gargil to proceede which is a disease little differing from the plague and is deserned onely by a great swelling about a foales face and neather chaps which swelling doth not rise aboue two or three houres before the foales death and when it ryses the Foale is past cure from all which mischiefes and diseases this receite of Sauen doth both saue and defend foales and truely before I knew or found out this medicine I haue seene foure or fiue foales which ouer night haue beene scoping and playing as wantonly as may bee and in the morning haue beene dead in the house whome when I haue with mine owne hands opened I haue found no other occasion of their death but the extreame aboundance of these maw-wormes since I vsed this Sauen I neuer had any that dyed When your Foales haue had Sauen giuen them thus three mornings together you shall then driue theÌ„ to that pasture wherein you intend they shall runne all the yere following which pasture wold be a firme hard ground and full of short sweete grasse and some cleare Springs pond or fresh riuer not as one of our English writers perswade keepe them fourteene dayes together in the house because after a Foale is a yeare old there is neither in him such fondnes towards his Dam nor such delight in milke which a foale naturally refuseth after he comes to sixe or seauen monthes of age as will inforce him to put himselfe into anye danger or hazard Now the reasons why your pasture for your weanâ—ings should bee so good is because if in this first yeare which is the spring time of their growthe your foales shall eyther indure thirst hunger or colde they will be come staruelings or such as wee call stockt foales which is small of stature weake both of bodie reines and full of euill diseases wherefore I would haue all good Horse-breeders the first yeare after the weaning of their foales to put vpon their foales all the strength â—ust and liuely-hood which may begot eyther by food or otherwise But as soone as your foales haue past the age of two yeares then I would haue you put them into some â—arge wilde hard and hungrie ground where by their vttermoste paine and trauell they may not fill their bellyes aboue once in the day which will be sufficient for their growth for by such meanes of sharpnesse labour and hunger they will be made hard durable and exceeding healthful where on the contrary part rankrancknes of grasse and fatnesse of bodie breedes both vnwholesome humors and incurable diseases so that by keeping such obseruations as are before prescribed you shall breed a Colt nimble hard and strong with good legges and sound hoofes free from surfet corruption of blood or outward members Now lastly according to the agreement of all good Horsemen I would haue you to seperate your horse-colts from your Mare Colts in seuerall pastures and your yearelings from your two yeares old and your two yeres from your three that none going together but such as
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
eschue it Yet euer I woulde haue you to keepe this caution in your minde that when you haue a horse of such qualitie to be verie carefull of him when you passe thorow any water and rather to let your correction go before your fault then your fault before your correction And thus much for a horses lying downe in the water CHAP. 12. How to correct a horse that is skittish and fearefull and findeth many Boggards THis fault of skittishnesse or fearfulnesse proceedeth from foure seueral grounds that is to say either from nature youth custome or imperfitnesse of sight If it proceede from nature then it is founde in horses of flegmaticke and melancholie complexions who out of their owne natiue cowardlinesse will start and be affraid of euery strange appreheÌ„sion of the eie and at euery suddaine noyse or clamor which their care shall receiue To helpe this defect in nature you must vse all the lenitie and gentle meanes that may be to fortifie and strengthen his valure so that when hee shall finde any affright as either at windmils blockes stones noyse of drums trumpets or such like you shall not at his first starting eyther with spurre rodde or threatning voice compel him to approach to the thing which he feareth but with gentle wordes and incouragements first make him stand still and a prettie space constantly to beholde the thing he feareth which done you shall with the motion of your legges and bodie by little and little bring him nearer aâ—d nearer to the thing he feareth which if he doe with great vnwillingnesse if he be a horse that knoweth what correction is you shall then quicken him vp and make him aproach to the thing he feareth by giuing him now then the euen stroake of both your spurres Assoone as you haue brought him to the thing he feares you shall then make him stand by it and smell vnto it your selfe all the while cherrishing him then you shall make him trott about it and cherrishing him make him againe smell vnto it But if it be a man who either through the strangenesse of his apparell or the carriage of some burthen the horse feares then you shal intreat the man to stand still till you bring your horse vnto him who assoone as your horse approacheth him let him first cherrish your horse then stroake him if there bee any grasse let him giue the horse some to eate and by this meanes he will bee so imboldned that he will not after be anye thing so readie to aprehend like amazement If it bee any sound or noyse which hee feareth you shall then acqaint him with those soundes by little and little as first in a low and scarse-heard sound after by degrees increasing the noise til it come to the vttermost loudnesse You shall also let him see and smell both the thing which soundeth and him that soundes and by these vses and acquaintances you shall both depriue him of feare and create in him a constant valure obseruing alwaies neither to doe nor suffer to be done vnto him any thing soddainely or with violence but after a moste temperate and modest fashion If the horses fearefulnesse proceede from his youth and youngnesse you shall then cause an olde ridden horse in whose valure you are assured to be ridden for a week or a fortnight continually before your colt who may leade him thorough waters thwart darke crosse wayes and vp and downe the streetes of market Townes where hee may see and heare all manner of noyses as the fire of Smithes shoppes the knocking and beating of Armorers Puterers Coopers Tinckers and such like with the passing too and froe of all sortes of people by which vse and acquaintance you shal soone finde him so valiant that he will not starte for any terror whatsoeuer But if his fearefulnes proceed from custom which is that hauing been formerly scar'd eyther with some vndiscreet foolish sights or with some strange noyses presented to the horse with amazement wheÌ„ce euer after he feareth the same sights noyses you shall first in the Stable after a gentle and familiar fashioÌ„ present the same sights noyses vnto him suffering them not all the day to bee from before his eies till with the acquaintance therof you see he neither respects or feares them which done you shal then take his backe ryding him into the fields cause those affrights which he most fears to be presented vnto him either by the corner of some turning lane vnder some hedge or in such a couert place as the horse may not perceiue them till he be close vpon them at which if he chance to starte you shall first stay till he haue throughly lookt vppon his feare then forcing him with your bodie and sometime with your rod and Spurre make him approach touch that which he feared then cherrishing him trotting him about it acquaint him but in this manner three or foure daies together and his fearefulnesse will soone forsake him If his fearefulnesse spring from his want of perfiâ— sight which is of al feares the most incurable you haue but only two helps to reforme it the first when hee apprehendes any feare to stay him and make him with better consideration behold the thing he feares then to bring him by the helpe of your rodde and spurre a little nearer his feare and then let him gaze at it againe then somwhat nearer stay againe thus by degrees bring him so neare that his owne sight may distinguish what hee feares which as soone as hee beholdes and knowes what he sees you shall see him without coÌ„pulsion presse to the thing he formerlie feared without anie amazement both touch smel to that hee feared to come neare Your second helpe is to haue a vigilant and carefull eye to his countenance as he trauelleth and when you shall perceiue him to pricke both his eares directly forward and so holde them any long space together or if you shall heare him snore or cracke in his nose or raise vp his head to a more extraordinarye height then vsuallie hee dooth carrie it vppon anye of these motions you shall bee assured that the Horse apprehendeth some amazement whereuppon you shall instantlye drawe him to a slowerpace and with all the encouragement you can giue him bring him leasurely to that he feares and if the horse of himselfe offer to stay you shall then both with your spurres and a Iert with your rodde compell him to goe forward yet but â—erie slowlie least taking any affright in the swiftnesse of his pace hee by flying out of the way doe not onelie indanger to hurt himselfe by some suddaine straine or slippe but also to cast or mischiefe his ryder Now that you may knowe the true Carractars of these feares and iudge in your riding which horse is infected with which feare you shall holde these obseruations First when you make an olde ridden horse leade you
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
sweepe it away and sift him fresh then that which you take away after it be well ayred sunnd againe will be as good as it was before and looke howe you doe at noone so you may doe at euening and night also You must also change the nature of his meate and not keepe him to one kinde of foode but giue him sometimes Oates sometimes bread holding him most to that foode which hee best liketh you shall also in the time of his rest let a pale of water stand by him that hee may drinke at his pleasure for some horses haue such hot stomacks that if they may not almoste to euerie bit haue a supp they cannot possibly eate and yet for all this you shall obserue your ordinarie howers for watering him abroad also and vse the exercise as is aforesaid but if your horse be grosse fat and a foule feeder which is calld a kettie horse then after you haue done as much as is prescrybed for your daies labour you shall not faile morning and euening for this first fortnight to ayre him as is showed you in this next Chapter CHAP. 5. Of the ayring of hunting Horses THe ayring of Hunting Horses is but at three seasons onelie to be vsed that is eyther in the first fortnight when they are first taken from grasse at what time they are so fat and foule that they cannot bee put to any labour without dāger or when they are in dyet for some greate match or wager so that they must bee kept in good breath with moderate exercise preseruing their chiefe strength and powers till the time of their tryalls or when a horse hath got anye straine griefe or mischance so that you may not ride nor galloppe him yet you would keepe him in good breath till his sorance be amended vpon any of these occasions ayring is your onelie remedie and this it is and thus you are to vse it Earely in the morning a ful houre and a halfe before Sun rise you shall come to your stable and after you haue made your Groome to put away your horses dung and to rub his head necke legges buttocks and bodie all ouer with a hayrie cloath then girding his cloathes about him with a sursingle and making them fast and close before his brest you shal then washing his Snaffle in a little bear put it in his mouth then bringing him foorth take his backe and with a faire foote-pace ride him vp to the top of the knole of some hill and there walk him vp down no more but in a foote-pace till you see the sunne bee risen vp faire in your sight then walke him fairely home to the stable and there let your Groome dresse him as before then ride him to the water after his water galloppe him then bring him home rubbe him and giue him prouēder vse him in althings as is before taught you only whē the sun is as it were at the instant setting or but a litle before as you did in the morning so you shall do in the euening take him foorth ayre him but then you shall not goe to the hilles but downe to somefayre valley or medow through which some riuer runs and there alōgst the riuer side you shall ayre him at least for an houre and a halfe so bring him home cause him to be well rubd chaft giue him a handfull or two of prouender and then followe your former directions During the time of your ayring your horse thus you shall see him gape yawne as it were shrugg his bodie take a delight pleasure in it you shall in ayring when your horse will at anye time take occasion to stand still as it were to gaze about or to listen to any thing giue him good leaue and in al his ayring suffer him to take his pleasure The profitte which doth redoūd by this ayring is this it makes a ketty ful horse emptie both his belly bladder and the sharpe ayre which in the morning is the purest vpon the tops of hils most cold and subtill that which comes in the euening from the humiditie of the water will so pierce into the poets of the horses bodie that it wil euen clense expell manie grose and suffocating humors it doth also tēper and cleare the blood makes the flesh firme hard tēpers the fat with such good qualities that it is nothing neare so readie to be disolu'd or molten To conclude an ordinary daies hunting takes no sorer of a horse then one of these earely or late ayrings After you haue thus for a fortnight aplied your horse with ayrings moderatelye exercisd him after his drink then you may the next fortnight with more boldnesse aduenture him into stronger labour CHAP. 6. The second fortnights dyet and first hunting AFter you haue with ayring and moderate exercise after his drinke brought your horse to some prettie state of bodie which is that his flesh ouer his short ribbes will not feele so soft and loose vnder your hand as before it did neither the thin part of his flanke is so thicke and full in your gripe as it was at his first taking from grasse nor that you doe finde the kirnels and grosse matter gathered together vnder his neather chaps altogether so greate as at the first they were then you shall proceede to a more strickt clensing of his bodie after this manner Earely in the morning about an houre or more before his accustomed time your Grome shal come into the stable and as soone as euer he hath put away your horses dung hee shall looke what meate your horse hath left in his maunger and if there bee any hee shall notwithstanding make cleane the Maunger and sifting the horse two or three handfuls of fresh Oates giue him them to eate and as soone as he hath done eating he shall brydle him vp turne him about then fall to dresse him After he is drest the Groome shall take a good hunting Saddle with hansome stirroppes and strong wollengarthes and girt it vpon the Horses backe then he shall throwe the cloathes ouer the saddle and so let the Horse stand vppon the Brydle till the Houndes and your selfe are readie to goe foorth on hunting which would be an houre or there abouts after Sun-rise at the furthest then you shal take your horses backe and that first day followe the houndes verie gentlie gallopping verie sildome and no long time together but crossing the fieldes to your best aduantage both obserue to make in with the Houndes at euerie default and also to keepe your horse as neare as you can within the crie of the dogs that he may take delight in their musicke and when you finde the chace to runne ouer anye faire earth as either ouer More Medowe Heath greeneswarth or grasse leyes al which my Countrie men of the north call skelping earthes because a horse may without any greate toile or paine throwe out his legges
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
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
two or three mile without much sweating or blowing if you would force h◠thereunto and that now the flesh of his bodie doth beginne to growe verie hard his flanke thinner and cleaner thē at your second fortnights beginning you shall then this third fortnight increase his labour and come to aknowledge of the vttermoste of his inward powers and how apt or fit he is or will bee for this pleasure to which you imploy him and you shall doe it in this sorte According to the manner prescribed in the second fortnight After your groome hath earelye in the morning giuen your horse a pretty quantitie of bread or wel fifted Oates and that he hath drest him saddld him and brydld him you shall then take him foorth a hunting and after you are come into the field and that your horse hath emptied himselfe in some reasonable sorte which questionlesse he will haue done by that time you can possible finde a Hare except your sport bee extraordinarily readie you shall the first chase the dogges break foorth a little fauour your horse yet not so much that you let the chace runne too farre before you but keeping your horse vpon a reasonable gentill galloppe followe it to the verie ending This first chase will as the northerne man saies racke your horses winde and so prepare him to his labour with which hee hath had a little acquaintance a fortnight before that if at first he were not emptied enough hee will now emptie himselfe thorowly and make himselfe fitt for the vttermoste you can put him vnto which done all the day after you shal hunt him soundly that is to say you shall follow the houndes as close as either is fit for a good Hunts-man or the halfe speede of your horse is able to beare you nay if you put him to a three quarters speede it shall not be amisse but to put him to the vttermoste of his speede you shall neuer do in the third fortnights trayning except you put on a resolution neuer to haue your horse good after if this day affoorde you such pastime and the chaces hold out so long are so many that they haue put your horse three or foure times into sounde sweates all ouer his bodie and that you see the sweate which rises vnder the Bridle and about the Saddle and gyrthes to rise vpon a white foame which is a great signe of glutt and foulnesse then vpon the finishing of your sport which would be about three of the clocke at the latest you shall ride him home and there rubbe him drie him and cloath him vppe warme as was before shewed you But if your sport haue beene so slacke that the following of the dogges hath not put your horse into any great sweat at all then towards the euening when it is almost time to goe home you shall make some horseman with a Cat in a string to lead a traine sente vppon such ground as you know your horse takes delight in for at least three or foure mile then laying your dogges vpon it follow the traine with a three quarters speed till it bee ended which will heate your horse thorowly and then gently ride him home and vse him as aforesaid then two howers after when you vnbridle him giue him Oates and Hempseed together which must be as a preparatiue to a stronger purgation then giue him hay and before you goe to bed a mash The next morning the first thing you doe you shall giue your horse the scowring of butter and rosemarie and after you haue chafed him set him vp and let him stande an hower or two then giue him some bread and about one of the clock in the after noone water him and giue him some more bread then let him stande till your ordinarie hower and then dresse him water him and giue him more bread or oates and vse him in all things as formerly in his dayes of rest The next day following take him foorth on hunting againe but in any case hunt him nothing so sore after the Dogges as you did the other day before till it bee after noone and then if you find in him good spirit and life I woulde haue you to giue him a chase or two after the Dogges soundly and towardes the euening to make him an other traine sente and torunne it somwhat more thorowly then the former that you may make him sweat hartilye then bring him home rubbe him dresse him drie him and cloath him vp exceeding warme then after hee hath stoode two or three houres vpon his bridle you shall giue him the scowring of Sacke and Sallet oyle adding thereunto a good quantitie of Sugar-candie or that of Muscadine and Sallet oyle putting likewise vnto it great store of Sugar-candie but that of Sacke Oyle and Sugar-candie is much the better especially if your Horse bee subiect eyther to colde or pose in the heade As soone as you haue giuen him this scowring you shall tie him so that he may lie downe and so let him rest till nine of the clocke at night at which time you shall giue him as much warme water as hee will drinke and a good quantitie of breade and Oates well sifted and mingled together then making his bedde soft let him rest for all that night The next morning as soone as you come vnto him you shall first looke vpon his dung whether hee haue voyded any grease or no whether hee haue or hee haue not it shall bee no great matter for the force of this last scowring will worke two three and sometimes foure dayes after then whether his dung keepe the perfite colour I or no or whether it looke more darke or blacke or whether it looke more redde and hie coloured If it looke of the right colour as is before shewed then it is a signe of health strength and cleannesse if darke and blacke then it is a signe that there is molten grease and other ill humours in his bodie which are not scowred out if it looke more redde and hie coloured then it is a signe he is inwardly hot and that his blood is a little distempered which moderate diet and coole exercise will soone amende if his dung be loose and thinne it is a signe of weakenesse if hard and in round pellets then it is both a signe of a hot hodie inwardly and that he feedes grossely eating eyther too much hay or els some part of his litter which you may amend by increasing the allowance of his prouender but if it keep an indifferent meane betwixt both these being neither too hard nor too soft but as it were like the ordure of a man and that it stinke and be so strong that you shall be inforc'd to burne perfumes in your stable then is it such as it should bee and is a signe your horse is cleane strong healthful and of good courage After you haue noted the temper of your horses body by his dung then you shall looke into
the Manger what meat he hath left vneaten by the computation of that which he hath left to eat consider how much he hath eaten â—han if you find he hath eaten nothing at all or verie little you shall then vnderstande that either the former dayes hunting hath dissolued much grosse matter in his bodie vpon which the scowring working somwhat sore makes him a little sicke and so doth forbear his foode or els your former dayes labor was a little more violent then in discretion it should haue beene but which soeuer it be it matters not for his stomacke will quickly come againe with moderat labor If you find he hath eaâ—en all his prouender and left none in the manger theÌ„ you must know that ouer night you gaue him not so much as you should haue done and therefore it shall bee good that the next night you double your proportion for it is a principall rule you must holde in this kinde of dieting to giue your Horse euer more meate then hee will eate and not as trauellers and Poulters doe keepe your Horse euer with an vnsatisfied stomacke for by that meanes being euer kept sharpe like a hauke as if hee laboured for his bellie whensoeuer hee comes to a good or full meale he caÌ„not chule but surfet The keeping of a hunting horse is and the keeping of other horses should bee contrarie for you must by little and little giue them so much that in the end they will eate no more and then if you throw neuer so much before them they wil eate no more then shall suffice nature being to themselues better phisitions then any man can bee but if you once stint them or keepe them hungry a meale or two then according to the olde prouerbe be sure the third will make a glutton wherefore hauing by little filled your horses bellie before you serue him for all night be sure then to giue him so much that you may find some vneaten in the morning Now lastly if you doe finde a little in the Maunger so that you see he hath eaten a good proportion then you may be assured he is strong and lustie and hath in him no touch of sicknesse After you haue taken these notes from his dung and meat you shal then cause the groome to dresse him water him and vse him in all poynts as in his former dayes of rest giuing him both good store meate and chaunge of meate that is one while breade and another while Oates giuing him moste of that hee takes most affection vnto The next day following this day of rest you shall take your horse forth on hunting againe but not to the ende you shall put him to anie labour but onely to keepe him in breath and to procure him a stomacke to his meate for all this day you shall not by any meanes galloppe him except now and then fiue or sixe score yardes but onely trott him from hill to hill that you may see and heare the Houndes but not follow the Hounds and thus spending the day till euening bring your Horse home without hauing anie one haire wette with sweate obseruing all he day as you ryde as oft as your Horse doth dung to turne about and looke vpon it for there is no question but that day he will voide verie much grease and filthines when you come home let him bee verie well rubd drest and warme cloath'd vp and verie well fedd that night both with Oates and bread As for his water you shall that day both water him in the morning as you ride him into the fielde and also water him in the euening as you bring him from the field and giue him no scowring at all The next day after this being a day of rest and feeding you shal vse your horse as in the daies of rest before specified where you are onely appointed to feede hard but to giue no scowring In the same maÌ„ner with al the same obseruations that you haue spent this weeke you shall also spend the next weeke following without anye augmentation or alteration and then be well assured you shall haue your horse in as good winde strength and cleannesse as is eyther fit or necessarie for a hunting Horse so that afterwards obseruing moderately to hunt twice or thrice a weeke according to the strength constitution of his bodie and euerie night when as you come from any sore hunting to giue him hempseede a mash You shal keepe him all the yeare fit for your pleasure and with out any danger either of winde breaking bursting blinding foundring or such like infirmities make him performe in labour as much as is contained within the compasse of his power onely thus much you must know by the way that after once you haue brought your horse to be cleane which you shall perceiue both by his long induring of labour without sweating by the clearenesse of his winde when he will runne three or foure mile and scarse blow at it and also feeling his flanke to bee thinne as contayning nothing but a double skinne and his chaps so cleane eyther from fat glut or kirnels that you may hide both your fists betweene them then you must by no meanes giue him any scowring after his riding except it be nowe and then vpon some sore daies hunting eyther a little hempseede or else boxe leaues and Brimstone or if he haue a little pose in his head then a little mustard-seede in his prouender other scowrings you shall vse none vnlesse it be when there is aparant sicknes Also after you haue made your horse cleane you shall by no meanes eyther through your negligence or for want of riding suffer him to growe foule again for so you shall be oft deceiued procure your self a double labor not haue one penny cost saued And thus much for your third fortnights dyet CHAP. 10. Why Horses should haue their sweats after the Dogges and of their cloathing THere be some HorsemeÌ„ which because they haue gotten particular names out of their ambitions to keepe particular reputations and to make men beleeue there is greater misteries in their doings then indeed there is wil wheÌ„ they should giue their horse any thorow sweat either steale from companye or from the Houndes and where no bodie may beholde them breake into a maine chace and so giue their Horse a sweate or else taking vnaccustomed houres giue their horse his sweates in obscure places from the ground of which custome it may be that some will demaund why I doe not obserue that rule but prescribe sweats to bee giuen after the Doges in any publique assemblie my answere is that because I am not a Scholler to men and fashion but onely to experience and reason therefore I eschewe all thinges wherein I can finde no probabilitie as I can neither doe in this too curious priuatnes or in binding my selfe to any one remote place Now for giuing a horse his sweates after the Dogges in
as is possible as thus that one horse shall not runne short of the other through the whole chases aboue his length or if he doe then to bee whipt vp by the Tryer you shall also especially if your horse be gelt and your aduersaries stond binde him from all reliefes and comforts as thus that there shal be no cold water cast either vpō the horses stones or into his mouth nor that any traine shall be led through any water aboue setlocke deep that no man shal cast straw or shal pissevnder the hunting horses bellie therby to prouoke thē to pisse also and such like helps which are only helps of aduauntage you shall also a gree vppon your place of meeting where the first traine shall begin according to the nature of your horse for if he be a horse of great speede and loues smooth earth then you shall haue your meeting amongst some light sandie fieldes or neare some drie heathes or plaines if he be a horse of slownes and roughnes then in deep clay fieldes amongst lowe groundes rotten green swarthe if it be your horses winde you presume vpon a gree to haue your traines the longer if it be his speede let them be vpon the faire ground but if it bee his truth then vpon the deepest foulest you can attaine too a good winde would climbe many hills but a thick wind would be kept vpō the leuel obserue by no means when you make a match to giue any oddes of waight for at the latter end of the day when horses are weak and burthen comes to bee felt halfe a pound waight is an vnspeakable aduauntage as for example let a man when hee hath runne till he is wearie but then cast away his hat and he shall finde himselfe infinitelie refreshed but let him take vnto him more then he had but the waight of a riding rodde and hee shall finde himselfe double oppressed to match a gelding against a stond horse especially in the spring is a great disaduātage for the horse is in his prime and the gelding in his weaning Lastly obserue to haue your ryder honest your tryer skilfull and your selfe patient and be assured the horse will doe his vtmost And thus much for matching CHAP. 12. The dyeting of a hunting Horse for a match WHen you haue made your horse cleane inough for ordinarie hunting and haue out of the strong conceite of his goodnes made a match against some other horse haue resend as necessarilie you must doe at least a month to bring him to the best perfection you shal then put him into the choycest dyet after this maner first you shall looke well vpon your horse and consider in what state of bodie he is as whether he be strong of body that is fat lustie full of courage and in the pride of lust so that when you but leade him foorth hee will leape and gambole about you or whether he be inclyning to weaknesse that is leane of bodie by vse of much hunting coole in his disposition and voide of alacritie and chearefulnesse so that he had rather stand still then either playe or vse other motion in which state of bodie if you finde him then the first week you shall do nothing but feed him with ordinarie breade and Oates especiallye with bread till you haue brought him to spirrit chearfulnes exercising him so moderately that albe you haue him abroad euerie day or euerie other day at least yet it shall bee but onelie to keepe him in wind and breath which must carefully be kept from corruption and not either to make him sweate or once to feele the paine of labour and in this feeding him you shall take great paines as beeing continunally euerie hower giuing him some thing as either breade or well dryd Oates and giuing it so by little and little that you may intice him to eate a greate deale and euer when you depart from him to leaue meate in his maunger when you come and finde any left to sweepe it away and giue him fresh till you haue brought him to hart and made him wanton which done you shall proceede to dyet him as shall be presentlie declared But if your horse be of sufficient hart and strength in the beginning then you shall for the first weeke hunt him three daies that is euerie other day reasonablie soundly in any wise obseruing both in his daies of toyle and in his daies of rest al the orders which are prescribed in the first week of your third fortnights keeping mencioned in the ninth chapter onelie because it is to bee intended that your horse is in a reasonable good estate of bodie alreadie you shal giue him no scowring but box-leaues and brimstone or else either Hempseede or mustard seede The second weeke you shall feede him with the best breade which in the seauenth chapter is cald breade for a match though you ride him on hunting euerie other day yet you shall not gallop him much or make him sweate aboue twice that weeke riding him more abroad to get him an appetite to his meate then for the vse of anie labour and this weeke you shall giue him few or no Oates but moste of the best breade for change of foode now and then of the ordinarie breade you shall obserue this weeke to water him when you ride him abroad both at his going foorth and at his comming home and when hee is in the stable to haue a peale of water standing by him cōtinually that he may drinke at his pleasure you shall this weeke abridge him verie little of his hay but let him haue a little bottle at due times before him yet more for scowring his teeth then satisfying hūger The third week you shal hunt him verie soūdly three daies that is euerie other day as thus Munday wednesday satterday Now for Mūday being the 1. day of the third week you shal only hunt him to giue him a warme sweat no more which if hunting the Hare will not doe then you shall ride him two trainesents at the least and when you come home keepe him warme feede him hard with the best bread giue him no scowring but Box-leaues and brimstone All Tuesday you shal let him take his rest and feede him with the best bread in such sort as is formerly shewed you for his daies of rest only you shal not let him go forth somuch as to the water but water him in the house Vpō tuesday at night you shal apply him with bread giuing him a little and a little at once till it bee twelue of the clocke at night and if he growe wearie of the best breade then for change you shall giue him some of the ordinarie breade and if he growe wearie of it also then you shall giue him a few Oates At twelue of the clock at night you shal take away his hay and putting fresh meate in the maunger let him rest till the spring of
water through his bodie and recouers his stomacke Now for letting your horse stand any long time in the water vp to the knees as many horsmen doe I for mine owne part like it not for it numbs and cooles the legs too much makes the horse apter to surbait only wheÌ„ you shall perceiue your horses codds or sheath to swell then I would if it be in the heate ofsommer haue you to swim your horse once a day either ouer some deepe riuer or in some deepe pond but if it be in the winter then I would only haue you to bath his cods sheath with cold water in the stable Now lastly if you haue the charge of great horses who out of their coragious spirits are not easilye to bee led the best is euer to water theÌ„ in the house but if your charge be of iourneying geldings then t is best watring them abroad and to chase them a little in your haÌ„d vp down after their water And thus much for water and the vses CHAP. 4. Of the dressing combing and currying of horses and of their diet in the time of rest TO enter into any phisicall distinctions or allusions of dressing and currying horses coÌ„paring theÌ„ with the six seueral kinds of frictions belonging to mans body or to repeat vnto you vse-lesse obseruations prescribed by the ancieÌ„t Italians which neither agree with our clime nor the conditions of our horses were a labor vaine and a greate depriuing of the industrious keeper of his best knowledges wherefore that I may in the plainest maner I can vnfold what necessary precepts beloÌ„g to the office I thinke it not amisse to begin after this maner First after your horse is taken into the house you shall put vpon his head a strong coller of broad double leather with two reynes of leather or els round writhen chaines with short links running easily through holes made for the purpose in the vpper great tree of the maunger in such sort that when the horse puts downe his head the chaines may fall downe to the ground and when he thrusts vp his heade they may rise to the top of the mauÌ„ger now the first night that your horse is brought into the house you shal onely giue him a bottle of wheate straw into the rack and so let him stand without litter or any thing els for that night he will doe nothing but emptie his belly of grasse The next day about nine of the clocke in the morning you shall take a double rope made of wheate straw twound exceeding hard together and with it rub his head face necke breast body bellie buttocks and legges then you shall giue him as much water as he will drinke and a fresh bottle of wheate straw if the other be eaten and so let him stand till foure of the clocke in the euening at which time as you did in the morning so you shall then rubbe him ouer with newe ropes of strawe then water him giue him fresh strawe into his racke and let him stand till eight a clocke at night at which time you shall take a great boâ—tell of wheate straw and spread it vnder his bodie laying it thickest before his fore-legges both because his heade may haue as it were a pillowe to rest vppon and also because horses naturallye will with their fore-legges put the straw backewarde This is called littering of Horses and when you haue thus done you shall let him rest till the next morning The third day I woulde haue you come to your Horse at seauen of the clocke in the morning and the first thing you doe after you haue opened your Windowes and washed your owne handes you shall take a shakeforke that is to say a forke of wood without any iron about it and with it you shall shake vp and thrust backeward all the horses dung and wet litter putting it from the planchers then you shall shake vppe all the drie litter which is vnsoylde forwarde and with your shakeforke thrust it vppe as hard as may bee vnder the maunger then with a shouell well shodde with yron for the purpose you shall shouell away all manner of filthinesse from the planchers and then with a beesome either of Birch or Broome you shall sweepe the planchers and stable so cleane as is possible and so gathering all the filthinesse into one place put it eyther into a Barrow or Basket and carrie it into such backe places as are for such a purpose This done you shall bring into the stable a Peale-full of faire water and place it hard by the hinder part of the stall where the horse stands then you shall take a watering snaffle and a headstall and after you see that the snaffle is cleane without dust or filthinesse you shall dippe it into the peale of water and then put it into the Horses mouth and so turning him about that hee may stande with his heade where his tayle did stande you shall with a seperated reyne tye vppe the Horse to the two Ringes which are fastned into the postes of each side him this done you shall take your rope of strawe well twound together and therewith first rubbe the Horses face and cheekes all ouer then with your finger and your thumbe you shall twitch away all those long and stiffehayres which grow close aboue his vpper eye brees and close vnderneath his neather eye brees for they hinder sight you shall likewise pull away all those long haires which growe about his nostrelles vnderneath his chappes and downe his necke to his breast then as you did before you shall first rubbe the right side of his necke his brest right shoulder and right legge the right side of his bodie and bellie the right buttocke and the right legge and then you shall goe to the left side and in althings do as you did vpon the right side This done you shall take a greate Spunge and hauing put it into the water you shall take it foorth and presse it a little then therewith you shall rubbe ouer your horses face then lay by the spunge and with your handes rubbe his face till it be as drie as may be then wash your handes cleaneagaine for there will come much filth and durtinesse from the horse and take the wet spunge and rubbe the right side of his necke therwith then with your hand rub that parte drie againe also and thus rubbing euerie seuerall part of his bodie with the wet spunge as you did with the twound strawe roape and drying them againe with your hands you shall bring away all the loose haires which are about his bodie this done you shall picke his sheath cleane from all durtinesse and you shall wash his cods and make his yarde cleane then you shall lift vp his docke and with a cleane cloath rub his â—uell and the particion of his haunches then you shall take hogs grease soote and a little tarre mixt together dipping a cloath therein annoint
all his foure hoofes or for want of it you may rubbe his hoofes with the vpper skinne of bacon for it is verie good also then you shall take a yarde of haire-cloath and rubbe his head necke brest bodie buttockes and legs all ouer therewith after it take a housing cloath made of Sack-cloath of such largenesse that it may lappe ouer before his brest and with a sursingle both broad and flat gird it about him putting halfe a dozen soft wispes betwixt the cloath and the sursingle vpon the top of his backe and halfe a dozen likewise betwixt the cloath and the sursingle of each side of his heart iust behinde the elbowes of the horse which doe not onely keepe the horse warme but withall defend the sursingle from pinching or galling if it bee either hunting horse or running horse you keepe then you shall for warmenesse sake wispe the sursingle round about yet you must be verie circumspect that your wispes be made verie soft great and flat not as I haue seene amongst some that are esteemed cunning so little so hard twisted together that after a horse hath bene laide down you may see the print of his wispes in his sides when he is bared which both puts the horse to great paine and makes him more vnwilling to lie downe when he is wearie Now there be some in this land which cannot indure to haue their horses cloathed at a therfore happily wil dislike this precept of mine for the cloathing of Horses saying it makes horses too tender takes froÌ„ theÌ„ abilitie of induring hardnes to them I say they are exceedinglye much deceiued for it is only those hard customes which makes theÌ„ vnable to indure any hardnes at al the reason therof is this that nature by such hardnes extremity being put to her vttermost force strength to maintain her liuelyhood wheÌ„ that hardnes at any time is exceeded she preseÌ„tly faints forgoes alher vigor vertue as thus for example it is as much as nature can wel doe to maintain a horse in any good state strength without cloathes in the stable if then by extremity he come to be compeld to liue without cloathes in the fielde in the extremitie of cold bitter weather hauing indured his vttermoste before now feeling it exceeded he presently growes faint sick oft times dyes suddainly whereas on the contrarie parte when nature is cherrisht fortefied by the helpe of housing cloathing and such like he gathers that strength and powerfulnesse that no extreamitie can daunt him the experience wherof we see dayly amongst hunting horses in their extreame matches Againe to come to a more familiar example let vs looke into our owne constitutions what creature is kept more hard both for hunger and colde then the plowe Clowne and who more daintie voluptuousâ—e then the Gentleman yet bring them both to one equall extreamitie and one Gentleman will both indure and bee seruisable when a hundred Clownes will die like sheepe in a rotte yeare because the straightnesse of their liues keept Nature euer leane and in weakenesse and of this when I was a poore commaunder in the warres I euer tooke a principall notice and held it for a maxime that the more choice eyther man or Horse is kept in the time of rest the more hee shall be able to indure in the time of trouble When you haue cloathd your horse vp as is before specified If hee bee a Horse of anye esteeme it shall bee good if you haue a hood for his head and necke made of Sack-cloath also which you shall tye to the noseband of his collor and to that parte of the Sursingle which is ouer his backe when all this is doone if hee bee a horse that will not bee quietlye lead abroad then you shall bring him a pealefull of verie faire water and let him drinke his fill then hauing both with a hard wispe and a cleane cloath made his maunger verie cleane you shall take off his Snaffle and turne him to the maunger then washing the Snaffle and hauging it vppe take halfe a pecke of Oates and putting them into a meale siffe dust them verie cleane and giue them to the horse to eate then put a bottle of Wheate-strawe into his racke sweepe the plaunchers and stable verie cleane again then lock vp the dore let him rest till it be twelue a clock At twelue a clocke you shall come into the stable first you shal make cleane the stable plaunchers theÌ„ dipping his watering Snaffle in some faire water you shall put it on his head and turne him about as you did in the morning then you shall take a sharpe payre of colling sheares and colle the inside of both his eares as close to the skinne as may bee and the vpper parte of his maine next his eares from the noddle or Crowne of his head downward into his maine for the bradth of three fingers if hee bee a greate horse or trauelling gelding but if he be either hunting or running horse then for the length of sixe inches both because his hayres shall not flie about his face as he gallops and so trouble him nor yet cause him to sweate about his eares to which a horse is too much subiect When you haue cold his eares and maine you shall then looke about his chaps and if he be subiect to much haire or roughnesse in those partes you shall then clippe it close away that thereby you may the easilyer feele the kirnels and grosse matter which is about the roots of his tongue by which you know when a horse is cleane when not cleane when he hath a colde wheÌ„ no colde Lastly you shal take his taile in your hand stretching it down straight by his hinder leg with your sheares clip it close by the vpper part of his hinder heele then taking a wet maine combe a wet spunge-combe first his fore top downe then his maine and lastly the vpper part of his taile from the setting on therof to the vttermost end of the short haires When this is done your stable swept and made cleane againe it will bee at least past three a clocke at which time I would haue you fetch in a cleane peale of water and place it as you did before then put your great spunge therein and your main-comb also then lay your writhen straw roapes and your hayre-cloath in some place adioyning vnto you then pull your wispes one by one from your sursingle and open euerie wispe and mixe the straw with the litter not as sloathfull keepers doe make your wispes last a weeke together so that a horse had as good lie vpon stones as vppon such wispes then you shall vnbuckle your sursingle and roule it vppe that it may bee flat and smoothe then take off his cloath and going fourth of the stable shake it and dust it verie wel then lapping it vp lay it by
forc'd to trauell our horse both to the decay or hazard either of his strength or courage Now for these two namely Exercise which doth the more it is vsed bringe the horse more strength vigor labour which the more it is vsed the weaker fainter it makes him doth belong two seuerall orders of gouernment or keeping if therefore your charge be the keeping of a greate horse whose exercise is but to bee ridden an houre or two euerie other morning you shall thus prepare him therunto at eight a clocke at night which is the night before your horse is to be exercised after you haue made cleane your stable rubbed your horse with your cloathes and littered him you shall then sift him a double allowance of prouender that is to say that which is due to him at that time and also that which hee shoulde haue the next morning then looke what hay you did ordinarily allow him other nightes you shall nowe giue him halfe so much this night and so let him rest till fiue of the clocke the next morning at what time as soone as you rise hauing made cleane your stable and put vppe his litter you shall wette his watring snaffle and put it on and turne him about then loosing his sursingle and taking off his cloath first with a hairecloath rub his face necke and bodie all ouer then with a wollen cloath and a linnen cloath doe the like especiallye rubbe his legges passing well then take his Saddle hauing three garthes and a paire of sufficient stirroppes and stirroppe leathers and set it vpon the horses back in the due place that is if the horse bee not low before rather more forwarde then backwarde and gyrde it on in this manner take the garth which is fast to the formost tabbe of the right side and buckle it to the hindmost tabbe on the left side and the hindmost garth on the right side to the formost tabbe on the left side and the middle garth to the middle tabbe on both sides and this is called crosse gyrding being the comeliest surest and least hurtfull manner of gyrding for it galles the least and holdes the saddle lastest you shall not at the first gyrde the gyrthes hard but in such sort that the horse may feele them and no more this done you shall buckle on his breast-plate and his crooper making them of equall straitnesse then you shall lace on his saker or docke and make fast his twinsell to the hindmost gyrthon the left side then with a wet maine-combe combe downe his fore toppe and maine and then throwing his cloath ouer him let him stand till you haue warning to bring him to his ryder at what time you shall take his bytt and hauing both the Chaule-band and the nose band open and the Kurbeloose you shall first wet it in a peale of cleane water then laying the reyne ouer your left arme you shal take the vpper part of his head-stall into your right hand and laying the mouth of the bytt vpon your left hand betweene your thumbe and your little finger you shall put the bytt to his mouth and by thrusting your thumbe and little finger betwixt his chappes compell him to open his mouth and to receiue the bytt which by obseruing this order hee can neither will not chuse but doe when the bytt is in his mouth you shall then buckle his noseband chaule-band and Kurbe in those due places as you haue seene his ryder formerlye doe then you shall wette his foretoppe and winde it vnder the fore-head band of his headstall then hauing combd his maine againe and drawne his garthes to their places you shall buckle a paire of large close spectacles made of strong leather before his eyes which will occasion him to leade quietlye then with your right hand you shall take him by the left side of the head-stall close vppon the Portsmouth and with your left hand holde both the reynes close together hard by the bytt and so going close by his left shoulder leade him either to the blocke or to such place as the ryder shall thinke conuenient then as soone as the ryder hath put the reynes ouer the Horses necke you shal presentlie shift your right hand to the right side of the headstall and laying your left hand vppon the right stirroppe leather you shall whilst the ryder mounts the horses backe stay the Saddle that it swarue not then when the ryder is setled you shall vnbuckle the spectakles and take them away referring the Horse to the discretion of the Ryder As soone as the horse hath beene exercised sufficientlie and is brought home the Ryder shall no sooner dismount his backe and deliuer him into your hand but you shall first vnloose his Kurbe and then presentlie leade him into the Stable for of all thinges I cannot indure this walking of Horses knowing that it was a custome first foolishlye inuented and nowe as vnprofitablye immitated for there is not anye thing which sooner makes a Horse take colde or breedes worse obseruations in the bodie then this cooling of Horses by walking When you haue brought your Horse into the Stable where you must haue formerlie prouided greate store of drie litter turning his head downe from the maunger and hanging the reines of the bytte vpon some hooke for the purpose you shall first rubbe his face then his necke fore-boothes bellye flancks and legges with drye strawe so cleane as may bee then with a Woolen cloath you shall rubbe him all ouer againe not leauing anye place which hee hath wette with sweate till it bee as drie as may bee then you shall loose his garthes to their vtmoste length thrust round about betwixt his garthes and his bodie as much drie straw as you can conuenientlie get in then vnlace his saker and take it away rubbing the docke of his tayle drie with a Wollen cloath then cast his cloath ouer the Saddle then take off his bytt and put it into a peale of water then wash his wattering Snaffle and put it on tie him to the ringes and so let him stand for at least two houres during which time you shall take his bytte out of the water and with a drye linnen cloath rubbe it as drie as may bee and then hang it vppe you shall also wipe his saker within folde vp the strings and lay it by also Now when your horse hath stoode vp thus vpon his bridle at least two or three hours is sufficiently cooled you shal then come to him and first taking off his cloath you shal loose his garthes and take away his saddle which done you shal first with drie straw and then with drie cloathes rubbe his backe till there bee not one wet haire left then you shal lay on his cloath againe and girding it slacke with the sursingle you shal stoppe him rounde about the bodie with great wispes then you shal with hard wispes of straw and woollen cloathes rubbe all his
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
either choller bloode fleame or melanchollie doe super abound the second in composition of the body when the members are diseased or deformed the third in the deuision of members as if it be in a fleshie part then it is called a wound or an vlcer if in the bones then it is called a Fracture Another saith sicknes is a maladie or greefe proceeding from the corruption and weaknesse of the vitall parts and deuids it into foure braunches as moist malladie drie malladie malladie of the ioynts and malladie betwixt the skinne and flesh the moist malladie springs from fleame and melanchollie as strangle glaunders and other fluxes the drie mallady springs from choller and blood as consumptions drie coughes and such like the malladie of the Ioynts is all griefes incident to Ioynts as splents spauens excressions swellings and such like and the malladie betwixt the flesh and skinne is the Farcion scab mangiues or such like Others make other definitions deuisions but all tending to one end they are needlesse to be repeated and it shall be inough for the diligent farrier if hee but retaine in his memorie that all inward infirmities are called sicknesses or diseases and all outward infirmities are called grieues and sorances and that he apply and moderate his medicines according to the violeÌ„ce of the disease increasing the streÌ„gth of his receites as the disease increases in power thus much for sicknes in generall As for the signs Characters by which diseases and sorances are to be known because I set them downe at large in the beginning of euery infirmity I will at this time forbeare to write or trouble you with them CHAP. 6. Of Feuers and the diuers kinds thereof together with their cures FEuers although our ordinary Farriers neither know them nor can cure them and therefore hold opinion there is no such thing yet for mine own part I haue had such experience and haue so certain ly found the effects of them in many horses that I dare auouch the disease to be common and in daily knowledge wherefore to speak generally of Feuers a Feuer is an immoderate heate or inflamation of the blood disturbing and hindering al the motions of the body and of these Feuers there are diuers kindes a Quotidian or continuall Feuer Tertians as euery other day a fit Quartans which are euery third day pestilent or or burning Feuers the first three proceeding from hu mors and spirits the last from putrifaction and inflamation of the blood ingendred by either too extream and violent exercise or by sursâ—it of rawe foode as of vndried pease or oates or of vncleanly food as chaffe pease pulse and such like The extreame heate of the Sunne or extreame coldnes of the aire will either of them ingender Feuers Now the signes to know a Feuer is you shall see him hang downe his head his eies being heauy and waterish his lippes will hang from his teeth and his flesh wil be loose his stones wil hang downe and his breath will be hotte he will gape oft and stretch out his limbes he will haue a kind of shiuering in his flesh and an extraordinary heate and beating of his pulses vpon the temples of his head he will drinke much and eate little and his vrine will looke of a high color bright cleare like aÌ„ber Now if you find these signes not to alter or cease but to coÌ„tinue in one strength and violence then you shall bee assured it is a Quotidian or coÌ„tinuall Feuer but if the motions alter and he bee one day wel and the next day il then it is a Tertian but if he be one day ill and two daies well then it is a Quartan for cure whereof some haue vsed this Phisick first to let him bloodin his teÌ„ple veins and pallat of his mouth and sometimes in the neck veine and to giue him the first day no meat but warm drink then after to giue him grasse or hay wet in water and to keepe him warme and walke him in a temperate aire and then vpon his amendment to giue him sodden Barley the huske being beat of as you beat wheat before you boile it Others vse for the cuer of this Feuer first to purge his head by squirting into his nostrilles either the vrine of a Man oâ— of an Oxe then giue him this drink take of IermaÌ„der 4. ounces of 〈◊〉 dragon and dride roses of each an ounce beate them to powder then put them into a quarte of old ale and adde thereto of sallet oile and hony of each foure ounces and giue this drinke luke warme Others haue prescribed other medicines some stronger some weaker some for Feuers in autumne some for Feuers in sommer some for spring and some for winter but I haue proued them yet neuer could find much profit by them the onely meanes that euer I found for these Feuers hath beene this as soone as you haue perceiued the visible signes of these Feuers first to note how the fits come and goe then to keepe the horse fasting for at least a doozen houres before the fitte come that nature wanting wherevpon to worke shee may onely worke vpon the diseased humour and so consume and weaken it then when you doe perceiue the fit to approach you shall take of strong ale a quart and boile therein of wormewood halfe a handfull of long pepper and graines two ounces of strong treakle two ounces of the powder of dride rue one ounce and when the third part of the ale is wasted take it from the fier and straine it and giue it the horse luke-warme to drinke or if you will you may in stead of this drinke take the yolkes of foure new laid egges beate them in a dish then put thereto eight spoonefull of Aqua vitae and mingling it well together giue it the horse to drinke then beeing warmely cloathed ride him vp and downe in some faire warme place till he begin to sweat and then set him vp in the stable lay more cloths vpon him and giue him litter inough vnder him and let him so sweate at least two or three howrs then abate his clothes with discretion Thus doing but twise at the most will assuredly mend any of these kind of agues as for the drinke which he shall drinke during this cuer let it be warme water wherin hath beene boiled Mallows Sorrell Pursline and Endiue and for his food let it be well dride oates and bread made of cleane beanes if during his sicknes he proue drye or costiue in his body you shall then giue him now and then halfe of a Rye sheafe eares and all to eat This manner of cuer is not onely good for these feuers but also for any other inward sicknes proceeding from inflamation of the blood or corruption of humors There is also an other Feuer which is called the pestilent or bourning Feuer and it hath all the signes and faces before shewed onely they are
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
noted that when he only reeleth the disease is easy to be cured but if he fall and grow mad then the cuer is almost desperate how euer thus you shall endeuour to cuer it First you shall let him blood in the temple veines and then you shall take foure spoonefulles of Aqua vitae and as much of the iuyce of garlicke and mixing them together warme them vpon the fire therewith chafe all the horses forehead and the napp of his necke then take two little round balles of flaxe or soft towe and dipping them therein stop them into the horses eares then with a needle and a threede stitch the tips of his eares together and do thus for 3. mornings together and the cuer wil be perfited yet during the cuer let him drinke no colde water but warme mashes of water and ground malte let him once a day be walkte vp and downe gently There bee some Farriers and my selfe haue often vsed it do cut the horse in the forehead vpon the rumpe and in the nape of the neck and to taint the places with turpentine and sallet oil or for want of oile with hogs grease but when I found how much the first receite went beyond this I left the practise thereof and the rather because it was foule and tedious CHAP. 13. Of the falling euill or falling sicknes THis disease of the falling euill I haue more read of in ould Italian authours and heard more talkt vpon by gentlemen traind vp to horssemanship in those cuntries thē either seen or takē notice offor I haue not in al the disea ses I haue known seen any I could compare vnto it so that what I write thereof is other mens opinions not my practise for I think a man may liue in England Nestors yeares before he see a horse fall into such an euill but to proceede to the disease Absirtus saith it is an infirmitie like a conuultion or crampe taking from a horse at certaine times all sence and feeling making him fall downe and loose the benefit of all his sences Vigetius saith the moone is a great worke-mistris in this disease in so much that a horse at sometimes of the moone will fall downe and be to outward appearance dead then on a sodaine againe rise to his meate and eate the signes thereof are his falling downe sodainly through the weakenes of his members and distention of sinews the quiuering of his body and foaming at his mouth if the grissell of his nose be colde it is a signe he will fall often if it be warme he will fall more seldome the cuer according to the Italians is first to let him blood in the neck veins and the temple veins then keeping him warme to annoint his body al ouer with the oil Petrolium his head ears with oile de-bay liquid pitch and tarre mingled together and to put some into his eares also thē by making him a canuasse cap quilted with wool to keep his head exceeding warme and then to giue him this drinke take of Raddish rootes two ounces of the hearb Panap and of Scamony of each one ounce beat them together and boile them in a quarte of hony and as oft as it is needfull giue him a spoonfull or two of it in a quarte of ale luke warme and put thereunto three or foure spoonefulles of sallet oile it is also good to blow the powder of mother-worte and pirethrum vp into his nostrilles and if this help not then to let out the humor by piercing the skinne of his forehead with a hot iron in many places CHAP. 14. Of the Apoplexie and Palsey THis Apoplexie differeth in outwarde appearance nothing from the falling euill for it is a depriuing of the whol body offence aad mouing but if it depriue but parte of the body or but one member then it is called a palsey it differeth from the falling euill but onely in this that the falling euill is a disease proceeding generally from the sicknesse of the whole body this only from the distemperature of the braine where grosse and fleamie humors are cropen in betwixt the pannackle and the braine but for mine owne part I haue neuer seene in horses this Apoplexie nor do I hold it a disease incident vnto them but that auntient horsemen seeing other diseases more violent at one time then an other or in one horse more then an other haue out of the ripenes of their wits giuen to such passions new names of diseases as when a horse hauing but only the staggers hath fallen down and as ordinarily they will doe layne for a little space as if he had bin dead they haue presently cōiectured it to be the falling sicknes or Apoplexie by which titles a man may very properly at any time terme the staggers Now for the palsey that I haue oft seene and it is muchincidētto horses chiefly to hūting horses in their first trayning or to rūning horses that come after tender keeping to take so den heats colds in hūting the signes are they will hold their necks awry go groueling sidelong and reeling they will haue most feeble legges and painefull heads which they will shew by shaking it yet notwithstanding they will eate their meate with all greedines The cuer is first anoint them all ouer their bodies with the oil Petrolium then with splents of wood binde the necke straight and making his stable very warme giue him this drinke take halfe an ounce of long pepper beaten to powder of Cedar two ounces of Nitre an ounce of Lacerpitiū as much as a beane and giue it him to drink in a quart of white wine ech morning a pinte for two mornings together and it will ease the palsey CHAP. 15. Of the witch or night-mare THis disease hapneth ofte vnto horses and foolish smiths thinke such horses are ridden with the witch and that the disease is supernatural and therefore some of them goe about to cuer it by hanging a naked sword ouer the horse all night as if it would scarre the diuell other seek to euer it by charms and night-spelles such as Maister Blundeuile for laughter sake repeats in his book which is to take a flint stone that naturally hath a hole in it and hang it ouer the horse and write in a bill In nomine patris c. Saint George our Ladies knight He walked day so did he night Vntill he her found He her beate and he her bound Till truly her troth she him plight That she would not come within the night There as Saint George our Ladies knight Named was three times Saint George And to hang this ouer the horse also This bable I know at this day is vsed of many ignorant smithes to cosen men of money but to speake of the truth of the disease indeede though some hold there is no such infirmitie yet I know by experience it is otherwise for it is a passion of the stomacke which being cloid with cruditie and rawe
one or other side or els falleth flat down and lyeth in a most vncomly manner vpon the neck it proceedeth from 2. causes either old age or pouerty of flesh and the cuer therof is thus first if it proceed but from pouerty of flesh be not vt terly falne down but leaning to one side you shall theÌ„ plat into his mane certain waights of such a sufficient poise as may either drawe the Crest vp straight or els make it leane to that side from whence it swerueth and then feeding him vp with good meat much chaÌ„ge of meate be assured that assoone as he is fatt his Crest will stand vp straight but if it be so vtterly falne down that no fatnes or feeding will recouer it you shal then hang the waights as is before said and then on the coÌ„trary side with a hot Iron made better then a quarter of an inch broad draw 3. lines thorow the skinne and no more the first at the bottome of the Crest close to the setting on vpon the neck the secoÌ„d in the midway between the bottom of the Crest and the roots of the mane and the third as neere the edge of the mane as may be which lines wil present this figure then you shall dayly til the skin be whole againe annoint the sore with warme sallet oile or els the cream of butter and vpon that side which your waights hang you shall annoint the neck of the horse in that place where the Crest is fallen with the oile of Spike and the oile Petrolium mixt together and made warme vpon the fier and it will straiten the skinne and make the Crest stand vp firme againe CHAP. 43. Of the Maungines or scabbe within the mane THis Maungines in the mane cometh from diuers causes as from corruption of blood abundance of hot humors or want of food somtimes from lowsines want of claine kee ping or from the infection of other horses which haue the same infirmity the signes are an apparant white scurffe or drie scab which will rise continually from his mane somtimes bring forth matter or els an extreame itch and incessant rubbing or a desire to stand knapping with other horses the cuer is thus take of nearueoile halfe a pound of quicksiluer a quarter of an ounce and beate them together with great labour till you be sure that you haue kilde the quicksiluer and brought the nearueoile which was of a darke greene color to be of a pale yellowish color then take of brimstone an ounce beaten to powder mixe it with the nearueoile then if it appeare somwhat thicke and stiffe you shal bring it ageine to a liquid ointment by mixing with theÌ„ a quarter of a pint of rape oile or train-oil wheÌ„ you haue made this ointment you shall then take an instrument of Iron made for the purpose and with it scrape all the scabbes and scurffe cleane away making the sore bleede and looke raw then take a little oulde pisse boilde with the powder of Iette and first wash the sore therewith then with the oyntment annoint it all ouer holding a fire shouell heated redde hot ouer the maine that the ointment may melte and sinke into the sore place and doeing thus but three or foure times the horse will be whole CHAP. 44. Of shedding the haire from the maine or tayle THere be two causes which makes a Horsse shedde his hayre from his maine or tayle the one is pouerty or misliking the other a certaine little worme ingendred by corrupt blood which eating the rootes of the haire makes it fall and wast the cure is thus you shall take of the fine ashes of ashe-wood halfe a pecke and as much of sope ashes when the sope boyler hath done with them and putting them into a vessell fill it vppe with running water and let it stand the space of three dayes then draine the water cleane from the ashes as you see salt peter men do and with that water wash the horsses maine and tayle twice a day and after each washing annoint the bottome of his haire with sope and the haire will be fixed CHAP. 45. Of the swelling of the Withers either by pinching or galling with an ill saddle or otherwise THere is no outward part of a horsse more tender or subiect to â—wellings brusings blisterings and other infirmities then the Withers of a horse somtimes proceeding from inward corrupt hmours and sometime from outward casualties as from naughty sadles and too heauie burtheÌ„s if it be so that you see the swelling is but little or of sleight moment you shall then but onely clappe a litle rotten litter vpon it it wil either asswage it presently or bring it to a head and break it and if it breake and runne you shall neade doe no more but heate a little butter very hote in a saucer and poure it vpon it and then mending the sadle where it did pinch his Withers will soone be whole Some Fariers vse in this case of swelling to make a poultus of mallows and smallage boild till they be soft and then mixe with it either hogs grease sallet oyle or fresh butter and so to apply it very â—ot to the swelling now whereas some vse to prickâ— oâ— scarifie the swelling with the point of a sharp knife that by all means possible I disallow for it both drawes to the swelling naughty humours and also breeds inflamation and putrifaction where else none would be Now if there be no swelling but only that the skinne is fridgd off you may dry vp that either with a little thicke creame and the soote of a chimney mixt well together and therewithall to annoint dry vp the raw palce or else by taking halfe a a pint of honey and blending with it as much vnsleakt lyme as will make it as thick as past then making it in a thin cake lay it vpon a â—le stone ouer a hote fire till it be so dry that you may beate it to powder then casting that powder vpon any vnskinde part it will presently bring on the skinne againe as for oyster shels cloath â—elt silke miâ—rhe or such like to be burnt they are nothing neare so good although none of them but in time will dry and skinne a sore CHAP. 32. Of great Impostumations in a horsses Withers IF a horsse either by too negligent a sufferance or by some most violent torment haue his Withers so extreamely pincht or brusd that their followes not only swellings of great quantitie but also great inflamations and putrifactions then you are with regard to respect the cure therof because if the tender grissell which is vpon the toppe of the shoulder blade should either be crusht or tainted there many times followeth cankerous sores and fistulating which to preuent as soon as you haue with applying either rotten litter or wette hay to the swelling made it ripe and rotten which you shall perceiue by the softnes you shall theÌ„ with a sharp
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
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