it in water from a pottle to a quart then strain it and to that water put a pint of Urine and a pint of Muskadine of Aniseeds Licoras Cominseeds Long Pepper in pouder of each an ounce twenty Raisins of the Sun stoned and brused and of Sugercandy two ounces let all these symmer on the fire and not boyl till they be incorporate then take iâ— off and to one halfe therof which is a suffiacient drench put a quarter of a pound of sweet butter and four spoonfuls of sallet-oyle then being luke-warm give the horse a third part of the drench and after it a new laid egge then another third part and after it another egge then lastly all the rest of the drink Then ride him pretty roundly after it for near an houre and let him fast another houre keep warme and feed as at other timer At noon give him a mash and the next day give him the other half For a desperate dry cough Take a pint of burnt Sack Sallet oyle and red wine vinegar of both a quarter of a pint of Fenegrick Turmerick â—ong peper and Licoras of each a spoonfull in powder and give it the horse half at the one nostril and half at another and doe this twice week and ride him after it and let him fast two houres and keep his head and breast warm For the ordinary water you may give him for a fortnight let it have good store of sliced English Licoras steept into it For a cold long setled Take three heads of Garlick and rost them in the embers then mix them with three spoonfulls of Tarre as much powder sugar and halfe a pound of hogges grease then with Aniseeds Licoras Elicampane Fenegreek and Cominseeds make it into paste and give as much at once as a Ducks egge For a dry Cough or wasted Lungs Take Elicampace the flower of Brimstone Licoras Fenell seed Linseed of each an ounce searc't syrop of Elicampane an ounce and of clarified hony a pound work the powders and these together and to a pint of sweet wine put two ounces of these and give it the horse morning and evening ride him after it and let him fast an hour after riding give no cold water but with exercise A Cordiall powder for any ordinary cold and to prepare a horse before travell to refresh him in travell and to preserve him from mischief after travel Take of English Licoras Elicampane roots of each an ounce of Sugercandy an ounce and a halfe beat them to fine powder and searce them Keep the powder in a box and when you have occasion to use it if it be for a cold then give half an ounce in a pint of Sack if it be in travell then give it in sweet wine or strong Ale but if in Ale then take a quart and give it both before travell and in your Inne or at home immediately after travell To break a festred cold to dry up glanders and to heal the ulcer or canker in the nose Take a pint of verdjuice and put to it so much strong mustard made with wine Vinegar as will make it strong and keen thereof then take an ounce of roche Allom in powder and when you give this to the horse as you fil the horn so with a knife or spoon put some of the Allom into the horn and so give it the horse part at both nostrils but especialy that nostrill which runneth most then ride him a little after it and set up warm and give no cold water without exercise Thus do divers mornings For the Glanders Take Cominseeds Grains and Fenegreek in powder of each halfe an ounce of Diahexaple a quarter of an ounce beat this in a mortar with a quarter of a pint of verdjuice three spoonfuls of Sallet oyl and two spoonâ—tl of Aquavitae then put al together to a quart of old Ale with a good slice of sweet butter and set it on the fire till it be ready to boyl then being luke warm give it the horse part at the mouth and part at both nostrils then ride him pretty roundly for an hour and set up warm let him fast an hour and if you perceive sickness to grow give him a pint of new milk To stay the glanders for a time being incurable Take the green bark of Elder and beat it in a mortar and strain it till you have a pint thereof then put that juice to a pint of old Ale and warm it on the fire with a good lump of sweet butter and a nounce of sugarcandy and so give the horse ride him after it let him fast an hour and keep warm Do thus divers mornings For decayed or stopped Lungs which we call Broken wind Take halfe a pint of Coltsfoot water or the syrop of Coltsfoot but in the syrop it will best dissolve and put into it a dram of Balsamum Sulphuris and give it the Horse in the morning fasting then ride him a little after it be sure to keep warm and give no cold water without exercise Do thus every other morning giving it one morning at the mouth and another at the nostrils till you find amendment A scouring when others will not work Take of sweet Butter a quarter of a pound half so much Castle Sope and halfe an ounce of Aloes beat them together then add of Hempseed two spoonfulls of rosin half a spoonfull of sugarcandy an ounce all bruised â—ine work it into a paste and give it the horse in balls immediatly after his heat or when you have warmed him and stirred up the grease and foulness within him OUTWARD SORRANCES The Signes of outward Sorrances OUtward Sorrances are discerned when any member or part in an horse is disfigured or evill affected by the loss of true shape disability in motion the increase or decrease of number and quantity the disproportion of place or the separating of things knit and united And these accidents have divers names as Imposthumes Ulcers or wounds when they are in fleshy parts Excretions or Fractures on and in the bones Ruptures in the veins convulsions in the sinews and Excoriations upon the skin The first is known by outward swellings rotten or bloody sores the next by utter disability in the member or else plain halting The next by Wens and Knots both soft and hard the next by gordgings and haltings and the last by scurf and leprosie Now forasmuch as the greatest part of Sotrances and especially those which are most hid and obscure are found our by halting I will shew you the severall manner of haltings and what they signifie If the horse halt before and lift not up his leg but in a manner traileth it after the other it sheweth a new hurt on the top of the shoulder If he cast his leg outward or go Bakerlike and not bend the knee it is either an old hurt on the top of the shoulder or if new then it is a shoulder-plat or rending betwixt the shoulder and the body if
that he is sure there is foulness and lastly to the estate of body that he may rather augment then decrease vigor So shall his work be prosperous and his actions without controllment To conclude Two months I allow for preparation and according to that time have laid my Directions Mine humble suit is out of a sincere opinion to Truth and Justice so to allow or disallow to refrain or imitate The first ordering of the Running-horse according to the several estates of their Bodies This office of the Feeder albeit in general it belong to all Horsmen yet it particular it is most appropriate to the Feeder of the Running-horse because other general horses have a general way of feeding these an artificial and prescript form full of curiosity and circumspection from which whosoever errs he shall sooner bring his horse to destruction then perfection Therefore when an Horse is matcht or to be matcht for a Running course you art principally to regard the estate of body it which the horse is at the time of his matching And this estate of body I divide into three several kinds The first is if he be very fat foul and either taken from grass or soil The second if he be extream lean and poor either through over-riding disorder or other infirmity And the third if he be in good and well-liking estate having had good usage and moderate exercise If he be in the first estate of body you shall take longer time for his feed as two moneths at the least for he will ask much labour in airing great carefulness in heating art and discretion in scouring and rather a strict then liberall hand in feeding If he be in the second estate of body which is poor then you shall also take a longer time as you may yet you need not so much as in the former both because Grass cannot much hurt and exercise may go hand in hand with feeding This horse would have moderate and cheerfull airing as not before or after sun rather â—o increase appetite then harden flesh gentle heats more to preserve wind then melt glut and a bountifull hand but far from cloying in feeding If he be in the third estate of body which is a mean betwixt the other extreams then a moneth or six weeks or a fortnight or less may be time sufficient to diet him for his Match Now as this estate participates with both the former so it wou'd borrow from them a share in all their orderings that is to be neither too early nor too late in airings â—aborious but not painfull in heatings nourishing in scouring and constant in a moderate way of feeding Now as you regard these general estates of bodies so you must have an eye to certain particular estates of bodies As if an horse be faâ— and foul yet of a free and spending nature apt quickly to consume and lose his flesh this horse must not have so strict aâ— hand neither can he endure so violent exercise as he that is of an hard and kettty disposition and will feed and be fat upon all meaâ—â— and all exercises Again if your horse be in extreme poverty through disorder or misusage yet is by nature very hard and apt both soon to recover his flesh and long to hold it then over thiâ— horse you shall by no means â—old so lâ—beraâ— an hand nor forbear that exercise which otherwise you would do to the horse which iâ— of a tender nature a weak stomack and a freâ— spirit provided always you have regâ—rd to his limbs and the imperfection of lameness Thus you see how to look into the estateâ— of Horses bodies and what time to take foâ— your matchings I will now descend to theiâ— several orderings and dyeting And because in the fat Horse is contained both the leaâ— Horse and Horse in reasonable estate oâ— boâ—y I will in him shew all the secrets aâ—â— observations which are to be imployed in the feeding of all three without any omission oâ— reservation whatsoever For truth Sir â— have vowed unto you and truth I will preseâ—â— you The first Fortnights feeding of an Horse for Match that is fat foul and either newly taken from Grass or Soil If you match an Horse that is fat and foul either by running at grass or standing at soil or by any other means of rest or too high feeding you shall after his body is emptied and the grass avoided which will be three or four days for the first fortnight at the least rise early in the morning before day or at the spring of day according to the time of the year and having put on his Bridle washt in beer and tyed him up to the rack take away his dmng and other foulness of the stable then dress him well as in the Office of the Keeper When that work is finished take a fair large Body-cloth of thick Houswifes Kersie if it be in winter or of Cotton or other light Stuffe if it be in summer and fold it round about the horses body then clap on the â—addle and girt the foremost girth pretty strait but the other somwhat slack and wisp it on each side his heart that both the girths may be of equal straitness Then put before his breast a Breast-cloath sutable to the Body-cloth and let it cover both his shoulders Then take a little Beer into your mouth and spirt it into the horses mouth and so draw him out of the stable and take his back leaving a Groom behind you to trim up your stable to carry out dung and to toss up the litter For you are to understand that the horse must stand upon good store of fresh dry litter continually both night and day and it should be ever Wheat-straw if possible or Oat-straw if forced by necessity As for Barley straw and Rye-straw they are unwholsom and dangerous the one doth heart-burn the other causeth scouring When you are mounted rack the horse foot-pace for you must neither amble noâ— trot for they hurt speed at least a mile or two or more upon smooth and sound ground and as neer as you can to the steepest hillâ— you can find there gallop him gently up those hills ond rack or walk him softly down that he may cool as much one way as he warmeth another And when you have thâ—â— exercised him a pretty space and seeing the sun beginning to rise or else risen rack down either to some fresh river or clear pond that is fed by a sweet Spring and there let him drink at his pleasure After he hath drunk bring him calmly out of the water and so ride him a little space with all gentleness and not according to the use of ignoranâ— Grooms rush him instantly into a Gallop for that brings with it two mischiefs either it teaches the horse to run away with you as soon as he is watered or else refuse to drink fearing the violence of his exercise which follows upon it When you have used him
quart at a meal seeing there be many horses that will eat a much larger proportion and to scant them to this little were to starve oâ— at the best to breed weakness But if I be understood rightly I set not this down as an infallible Rule but a President that may be imitated yet altered at pleasure For I have left you this Caveat That if your horse eat this with a good stomack you may give him another leaving the proportion to the Feeders discretion because it is impossible in writing to make one measure for all stomacks And for minâ— own part I chose the quart as the most indifferent proportion for albeit many horses will eat more yet I have known some that would hardly eat this And believe it what horse soever shall but eat this and in this manner he shall neither starve lose strength nor be much hungry So now again to the giving of Heats Four considerations in giving of Heats Now touching Heats you are to take to your self these four Considerations 1. That two Heats in the week is a sufficient proportion for any horse of what condition or state of body soever 2. That one heat should ever be given on that day in the week on which he is to run his Match as thus Your Match-day is a Monday your Heating-days are then Mondays and Fridays and the Monday to be ever the sharper heat both because it is the day of his Match and there is three days rest betwixt it and the other heat If the day â—e Tuesday then the heating days are Tuesdays and Saturdays if Wednesday then Wednesdays and Saturdays by reason of the Lords day if on Thursdays then Thursdays and Mondays and so of the rest 2. You shall give no heat except in case of extremity in rain or foul weather but rather to defer hours and change times for it is unwholsom and dangerous And therefore in case of showers and incertain weather you shall have for the horse a lined hood with lined ears and the nape of the necâ— lined to keep out rain for nothing â— more dangerous then cold wet falling into the ears and upon the nape of the neck and Fillets 4 Lastly observe to give the heats the weather being seasonable as early in the morning as you can that is by the spring of day but by no means in the dark for â— is to the horse both unwholsom and unpleasant to the man a great testimony oâ— folly and to both an act of danger and precipitation The second fortnights feeding Now to come to the second fortnight feeding touching your first approaching to the Stable and all other by respects aâ— cleansing and the like you shall do all things as in the first fortnight onely before yoâ— put on his Bridle give him a quart of oats which as soon as he hath eaten bridle him up and dress him as before shewed then cloath saddle air water exercise and bring him home as before shewed onely you shall not put hay into his rack to tear out but let him eat it out of your hands handfull after handfull and so leave him on his bridle for an hour more then come to him and after rubbing and other ceremonies sist him a quart of oats and set them by then take a loaf of bread that is three days old or thereabout and made in this manner The first Bread Take three pecks of clean Beans and one peck of Wheat mix them together and grind them then boult it through a reasonable fine Raunge and knead it up with great â—â—ore of Barm and lightning but with as little water as may be labour it in the Trough painfully knead it break it and after cover it warm and let it lye and swell then knead it over again and mould it up into big loaves like twelvepeny houshold loaves and so bake it well and let it soak soundly after they are drawn turn the bottoms upward and let them cool At three daies old or thereabout you may give this bread but hardly sooner for nothing is worse then new bread yet if necessity compell you that you must sooner give it or that the bread be clammy or dank so as the Horse taketh distast thereat then cut the loaf into thin shivers and lay it abroad in the Sive to dry then crumbling it smal with his oats you may give it safely But to return to my purpose when you have taken a loaf of this bread chip it very well then cut it into thin slyves and put three or four thereof small broken into his oats you had before sifted and so give them to him About eleven a clock come to him and by ceremonies give him the same quantity of bread and oats and so leave him till afternoon At one a clock in the afternoon if you intend not to give him a heat the next day feed him with bread and oats as you did in the fore-noon and so consequently every meal following for that day observing every action and motion as before shewed But if you intend the next day to give him an heat to which I now bend mine aym you shall then only give him a quart of oats clear sifted but no hay and so let him rest till evening At four a clock before you put on his bridle give him a quart of clean sifted oats and when they are eaten bridle him up dress cloath saddle air water exercise bring home and order as before shewed onely give no hay at all After he hath stood an hour on his bridle give him a quart of oats and when they are caten put on his head a sweet muzzel and so let him rest till nine a clock at night Now as touching the use of this Muzzell and which is the best you shall understand that as they are most usefull being good and rightly made so they are dangerous and hurtfull being abused and falsly made The true use of them is to keep the horse from eating up his litter from gnawing upon boards and mud-walls and indeed to keep him from eating any thing but what he receiveth from your own hands These Muzzels are somtimes made of leather and stampt full of holes or else close but they are unsavoury and unwholsom for if it be allomed leather the allom is offensive if it be tann'd or liquored leather the Tanners ouze and grease are fully as unpleasant Besides they are too close and too hot and both make an horse sick and cause him to retain his dung longer in his body then otherwise he would do The best Summer Muzzell and indeed the best generally at all times is the Nermuzzell made of Strong pack-threed and knit exceeding thick and close in the bottom and so inlarged wider and wider upward to the middle of the horses head then bound about the top with Tape and on the nearside a loop and on the farre-side a long string to fasten it to the horses head The best Winter-muzzell and indeed
from the knees and cambrels downwards either with clarified Doggs grease which is the best or Trotters oyl which is the next or else the best Hoâ—s grease which is sufficient and to work iâ— in with the labour of his hands and not with fire for what he gets not in the first night will be got in the next morning and what is not got in the next morning will bee got in when he comes to uncloath at the end of the course so that you shall need to use the oyntment but once but the Friscase or Rubbing as oft as you find opportunity Observation for water Our Feeder shall observe that albeit I give no direction for watering the horse after the heats yet he may in any of the later fortnights finding his horse clean and his grease consumed somwhat late at night as about six a clock give him water in reasonable quantity being made luke warm and fasting an hour after it Also if through the unseasonableness of the weather you cannot water abroad then you shall at your watering hours water in the house with warm water as aforesaid Nor need you in this case heat all your water but making a little very hot put it into a greater and so make all luke-warm If you throw an handfull of Wheat-meal Bran or Oat-meal finely powdred but Oat-meal is the best into the water it is very wholsome Observation for the ground to run on Our Feeder shall observe That if the ground whereon he is to run his match be dangerous and apt for mischievous accidents as strains over-reaches sinew bruises and the like that then he is not bound to give all his heats thereon but having made the Horse acquainted with the nature thereof then either to take part of the Course as a mile two or three according to the goodness of the ground and so to run his horse forth and again which we call turning heats provided always that he end his heat at the weighing-post and that he make not his course less but rather more in quantity then that he must run But if for some especiall causes he like no part of the course then he may many times but not ever give his heat upon any other good ground about any spatious and large field where the horse may lay down his body and run at pleasure Observation from Sweat Our feeder shall take especiall regard in al his airings heatings and all manner of exercises whatsoever to the sweating of his horse and the occasions of his sweating as if an horse sweat upon little or no occasion as walking a foot pace standing stil in the stable and the like it is then apparent that the horse iâ— faint foul fed and wanteth exercise If upon good occasion as strong heats great labour and the like he sweat yet his sweat is white froth and like sope-suds then is the horse inwardly soul and wanteth also exercise But if the sweat be black and as it were only water thrown upon him without any frothiness then is the horse clean fed in good lust and good case and you may adventure riding without danger Observation from the Hair Our Feeder shall observe his horses Hair in generall but especially his neck and those parts which are uncovered and if they lie slick smooth and close and hold the beauty of their naturall colour then is the Horse in good case but if they be rough or staring or if they be discoloured then is the horse inwardly cold at the heart and wanteth both cloathes and warm keeping Many other Observations there be but these are most materiall and I hope sufficient for any reasonable understanding THE OFFICE OF THE KEEPER How to keep any Horse for pleasure Hunting or Travel c. I Would have our Keeper of these ordered Horses to rise early in the morning of day or before according to the season of the year and to sift the Horse the quantity of three pints of good old and dry Oats and put to them an hand full or two of spelt Beans hulls and all and so give them to the Horse Of Dressing and Watering After he hath eaten them let him dres him that is to say he shall first curry him all over with the Iron comb from the head to the tail from the top of the shoulder to the knee and from the top of his buttock to the hinder cambrell then dust him all over with a clean dusting cloath or with an horse tail made fast to an handle then curry him all over with the french brush beginning with his forehead temples and cheeks so down his neck shoulders and fore leggs even to the setting on of his Hooves so alongst his sides and under his belly and lastly all about his buttocks and hinder leggs even to the ground then you shall go over again with your duster then over all parts with your wet hands and not leave as neer as you can one loose hair about him nor one wet hair for what your hands did wet your hands must rub dry again you shall also with your wet hands cleanse his sheath his yard his cods and his tuell and indeed not leave any secret place uncleansed as ears nostrils fore-bowels and between his hinder thighs Then you shall take an hair-cloath and with it rub him all over but especially his head face eyes cheeks between his chaps on the top of his fore-head in the nape of the neck down his leggs feetlocks and about his pasterns Lastly you shall take a clean woolen cloath and with it rub him all over beginning with his head and face and so passing through all parts of his body and limbs before spoken of Then take a wet mane-cloath and comb down his mane and tail Then saddle him and ride him out to water warm him both before and after water very moderately and so bring him home dry without sweat then cloath him up after you have rubbed his head body and leggs and let him stand on his bridle more then an hour Ordinary-Keeping After he hath stood an hour give him the former quantity of provender and the same in kind After he hath eaten his provender give him into his rack a pretty bundle of hay and so let him rest till noon At noon give him the former quantity of provender and the same in kind and so let him rest till evening onely renewing his hay if there be occasion At evening dress him as in the morning then ride him forth to water and do as you did in the morning When you come home and have cloathed him up let him stand on his bridle as before then give him the former quantity of provender so let him rest till nine a clock at night at which time give him the former quantity of provender and a pretty bundle of hay and so let him rest till the next morning Also observing ordinary keeping ever after your dressing and at such times as you find best convenience to
you find in your horse heaviness of countenance extream loosness or extream costiveness shortness of breath â—othing of meat dull and imperfect eys rotten or dry cough staring hair or hair unnaturally discoloured a staggering pace frantick behaviour yellowness of the eyes or skin faint or cold sweat extraordinary lying down or beating or looking back at his body alteration of qualities or gestures not casting of the coat leanness hide-bound and the like All these are apparant signs of distemperature and sickness Signes from the Dung It is necessary to observe the horses dung for it is the best Tel-troth of his inward parts yet you must not judge it by a generall opinion but by a private discourse with your self how he hath been â—ed because food is the onely thing that breeds alterations as thus If he feed altogether upon grass his dung hath one complexion as green if upon hay then another as a little more dark If upon little provender then inclining to yelow But to avoid both curiosity and doubt observe well the complexion of his dung when he is in the best health and the best feeding and as you find it alter so judge either of his health or sickness as thus If his dung be clear crisp and of a pale yellowish complexion hanging together without separation more then as the weight breakes it in falling being neither so thin nor so thick but it wil a little â—â—aâ— on the ground And indeed both in savour and substance resembling a sound mans ordure then is the horse clean well fed and without imperfection If it be well coloured yet fall from him in round knots or pellets so it be but the first or second dung the rest good as aforesaid it matters not for it only shews he did eat hay lately and that will ever come away first But if all his dung be alike then it is a sign of foul feeding and he hath either too much hay or eates too much litter and too little corn If his dung be in round pellets and blackish or brows it shews inward heat in the body If it be greasie it shews foulness and that grease is molten but cannot come away If he void grease in gross substance with his dung if the grease â—e white and clear then it comes away kindly and there is no danger but if it be yellow or putrified then the grease hath lain long in his body and sickness will follow if not prevented If his dung be red and hard then the horse hath had too strong heats and costiveness will follow if it be pale and loose it shews inward coldness of body or too much moist and corrupt feeding Signes from the Urine THough the Urine be not altogether so materiall as the dung yet it hath some true faces as thus That Urine which is of a pale yellowish colour rather thick then thin of a strong smell and a piercing condition is an health full sound and good urine but if it be of an high red complexion either like blood or inclining to blood then hath the horse had either too sore heats been over-ridden or ridden to early after winter grass If the Urine be of an high complexion clear and transparent like old March Beer then he is inflamed in his body and hath taken some surfit If the urine carry a white cream on the top it shews a weak back or consumption of seed A green urine shews consumption of the body A Urine with bloody streaks shews an ulcer in the kidnies and a black thick cloudy urine shews death and mortality Of sickness in generall Whensoever upon any occasion you shall find the horse droop in countenance to forsake his meat or to shew any other apparent sign of sickness if they be not great you may forbear to let blood because where the blood is spent the spirits are spent also and they are not easily recovered But if the signes be great and dangerous then by all means let blood instantly and for three mornings together the horse being fastning give him half an ounce of the powder called by me Diahexaple and by the Italians Reginâ— medicina the Queen of medicines brewed either in a pint of Muskadine or Malmsey or a pint of the syrop of Sugar being two degrees above the ordinary Molosses or for want thereof Molosses wil serve the turn and where all are wanting you may take a pint either of dragon water or a quart of the sweetest and strongest Ale-wort or in extre mity take a quart of strong Ale or Beer but then warm it a little before the fire This must be given with an horn and if the Horse have ability of body ride him in some warm place after it and let him fast near two hours after the riding At noon give him a sweet mash cloath very warm and let him touch no cold water Now touching the exact and true making of this rare powder which I call Diahexaple because no man that I know Apothecary or other doth at this day make it truely partly because it is an experiment but lately come to my knowledge by conference with learned Physicians and partly because our medicine makers are in Horse physick less curious then they should be through which errors there is produced to the world an abundance of false mixtures which both deceiveth the honest Hors-master kills the harmless horse and disgraceth the well-meaning Farrier To repair all which I will here set down the true manner of making this admirable powder together with the vertues and operations thereof The true manner of making the true Diahexaple Take the roots of round Aristologia wash them scrape them and purifie them as clear as may be then take Juniper Berries unexcorticated and Bay-berries excorticated take the purest and best drops as Myrrh and the finest shavings of Ivory of each an equall quantity beat all but the Myrrh together and search them fine Lastly beat the Myrrh and search it also then mix and incorporate all together press it hard into a gally-pot and keep it and use it as you have occasion The vertues of true Diahexaple This powder or indeed Methridate called Diahexaple or the Queen of Medicines is most excellent soveraign against all manner of poyson either inward or outward it cureth the biting of venemous beasts and helpeth short wind and pursickness Dodoneus It mundifieth cleanseth suppleth and maketh thin all gross humours it healeth all diseases of the Liver and Stomack helps digestion and being given in a pint of Sack it cureth all colds it is good against consumptions breaks flegm helps staggers and all diseases of the head Gerrard It recovers tyring and weariness and takes away cramps and convulcions dries up the Skurvy breaks the stone opens all inward obstructions and helps the yellows the gargil and the dropsie Diascorides It cures all diseases of the lungs as glanders and rottenness gives ease to all gripings and windiness of the belly provoketh urine takes
away infection and kils worms Gale â— A Drink to open an Horses body and cleanse it Take a quart of new milk Sallet-oyl hony each half a pint an ounce of London treacle and the yolks of six eggs beat all together and then put to it licoras sugar-candy anise-seeds all in powder of each an ounce and infuse all together so give it the horse ride him after it set up warm and let him fast above an an hour The true manner of making those cordial Balâ— which cure any violent cold or Glanders which prevent heart-sickness which purge away all molten grease which recover a lost stomack which keep the heart from fainting with exercise and make a lean horse fat suddenly Take Aniseeds Cominseeds Fenegreekseeds Carthumus seeds Elicampane roots and Colts foot each two ounces beaten and searced to a fine dust two ounces of the flower of Brimston then take an ounce of the juice of Licoras and dissolve it on the fire in half a pint of white wine which done take an ounce of Chymicall oyl of Aniseeds then of sallet oyl hony and the Syrop of Sugar or for want of it Molosses of each half a pint then mix all this with the former powders and with as much fine wheat flower as will bind and knit them all together work them into stiff paste and make thereof Balls somwhat bigger then French Walnuts â—ull and all and so keep them in a close Gallipot for they will last all the year Yet I do not mean that you shall keep them in the pot in balls for so because they cannot lye close the air may get in and do hurt as also the strength of the oyls will sweat outward and weaken the substance therefore knead the whole lump of paste into the Gallipot and make the Balls as you have occasion to use them Now for the use of these Balls because they are cordiall and have divers excellent vertues you shall understand that if you use them to prevent sickness then you shall take a Ball and aniont it all over with sweet Butter and give it the horse in the morning in the manner of a Pill then ride him a little after it if you please otherwise you may chuse and feed and water him abroad or at home according to your usual custome And thus do 3 or 4 mornings together If you use them to cure either cold or glanders then use them in the same manner for a week together If you use them to fatten an horse then give them for a fortnight together But if you use them in the nature of a scouring to take away molten grease foulness then instantly after his heat and in his heat Again if you find your horse at any time hath taken a little cold as you shall perceive by his inward ratling if then you take one of these Balls and dissolve it in a pint of sack and so give it the horse it is a present remedy Also to dissolve the Ball in his ordinary water being made luke warm it worketh the life effect and fatneth exceedingly To give one of these Balls before travell it prevents tyring to give it in the height of travel it refresheth the weariness and to give it after travel it saves an horse from all surfeit and inward sickness For the Bots or any Worms Take a quart of new milk and as much hony â—â— will make it extraordinary sweet then â—eing luke-warm give it the horse early he â—aving fasted all the night before then bridle â—im up and let him stand tied to the empty â—ack for two hours then take halfe a pint â—â—white wine and dissolve into it a good â—poonfull or more of black soap and being â—â—ll mixt together give it him to drink â—en ride and chafe him a little and let him â—â—t another hour and the Worms will aâ—oid Another for Worms more ready more easie Take the soft Down-hairs that grow in the â—rs of an horse and which you clip away â—hen you coule him and the little short tuft â—hich grows on the top of the Fore-head â—derneath his fore-top and having a pretty â—antity mix them with a pottle of oats and â—â—â—e them to the horse and it helpeth A Purgation when an horse is sick of grease or costiveness Take a pint of old white Wine and oâ— the fire dissolve into it a lump as much aâ— an Henns Egge of Castle-sope and stiâ— them together then take it off and put in to it two good spoonfulls of Hempseed beaten an ounce of sugar-candy in powder and brew all together then having waâ—med the horse to stirre up his grease another foul humors give him this to drink and walk him up and down a little after â— to make the potion work then set uâ— warm and after a little stirring him in hâ— stall if he grow sickish give him liberty tâ— lye down then after two hours fasting givâ— him a sweet Mash then feed as at otheâ— times For Laxativeness or extream Loosness Take a quart of red Wine and on the fire put into it an ounce and an halfe â— Bolarmonie in powder and two ounces aâ— an half of the conserve of Sloes mix thâ—â— together after take it from the fire aâ— put to it a spoonfull or two of the powdâ— of Cynamon brew all together and give it the horse but let him fast two hours after it and let him eat no washed meat Hay is wholsome so is Bread and Oats if they be well mixt with Beans or Wheat but not otherwise For the stone or pain of urine by winde causing sickness Make a strong decoction that is to say boyle your first quantity of water to an halfe part three times over of keen onions clean peeled and parsley then take a quart thereof and put to it a good spoonefull of London Treacle and as much of the powder of Egge-shels and give it the horse And thus do divers mornings if the infirmity be great otherwise when you see the horse offended For an Horse that staleth blood Take knot-grasse Shephards purse Blood-wort of the hedge Polypodium of the wall Comphrey Garden Blood-wort of each an handfull shread them fine and put them into a quart of Beer Ale or milk and put to them a little salt a little soot and leaven mix all to gether and give it the horse to drink For a growing cold Take the juyce of Licoras London Treacle Aniseeds Turmereack Fenegreek and long pepper of each an ounce the hard Simples in powder then of Suger-candy two ounces and with as much English hony as will suffice incorporate all together and make thereof Balls as bigge as a good pullets egge and give the horse two or three in the morning fasting After he hath taken the Balls give him two new laid eggs then rid ehim and at noon give him a Mash keep warm and do this twice or thrice For a more violent cold causing rotting in the head Take the bigge Elecampane root slice it and boyl
in turning short he favour his foot if griping his withers he complain if he halt more when he is ridden then led the offence is on the top of the shoulder If standing in the stable thrust forth his foot and favour it then search his foot and if in that be found no prick no dry founder no surbat then it is in the mid part of the shoulder or the coffin joynt If halting he bow down his head to the ground and step short and thick then it is in the forepart of the shoulder at the breast If in handling his elbow hard he twitch up his foot suddenly from the ground the offence is there If on his shank bones in their severall places be splents excressions windgalls or Maleanders and they sore they will occasion halting as any other outward Sorrance upon any other member Heat on the Crownet shews pain in the Coffin joynt In halting before to trip on the Toe shews pain in the heel to favour the Toe shews payn in the Toe to halt more on uneven ground then one the even shews pain in the feet and in going from you and comming to you may be discerned whether the outward or inward quarter but to clear all doubts the Pincers will shew any pain in the foot whatsoever If your horse halt behind and in halting go sidelong and not in an even line the grief is in the hip and yet but new or in the Fillets and may be new or old If it be old in the hip the hip will fall and then no cure If in halting he tread onely on his hinder Toe and no offence in the foot then the pain is in the stiffell If in halting he bend not his hough or ham and no outward Sorrance yet the pain is there If he halt through any offence in his leg from the ham to the pastern outward Sorrance or swelling will shew it and so likewise for the other parts below it For soar Eyes dim Eyes and Moon eyes Take Lapis Calaminaris halfe an ounce and heat it red hot and quenchin it a quarter of a pint of Plantane water or white wine do this eight or nine times then beat it to powder and put it to the water then add half a dram of Aloes and a scruple of Camphire in powder and let them dissolve drop this into the eye Another for eyes of like nature Take a pint of snow water and dissolve into it three or four drams of white Vitrioll and with it wash the horses eyes three or four times a day and it helpeth For a white Film or Skin over the Eye Take the root of the black Sallow and burn it to ashes then put to it a like quantity of Sugar and grated Ginger finely searc'd blow this into the eye morning and evening For any sorenses in the eyes as Pearl Pin or Web or Bruise Take a new laid egge and rost it very hard then cleave it in sunder longwise and take out the yelk then fill the empty holes with white vitriole finely beaten and close the egge again then rost it the second time till the vitriole be molten Lastly beat the egge shell and all in a mortar and strain it and with that moisture dress the eye If in stead of the vitriole you fill the holes with Myrrh finely searc'd and hang the egge up that it may drop and with that moisture dress the eye it is every way as good onely it is a little stronger For foul eyes sore eyes or sight almost lost There be some that for this great offence in the eye put in two fine small rowels long-wise in the temples of the head just behind the eyes But for mine own part I not much fancy it because I fear it breeds more evil humor then it brings away besides soreness and disgrace therefore in this cure my practise is thus Take Tacchamahaca Mastick Rosin and Pitch of each like quantity and being molten with flax of the colour of the horse lay it as a defensive on each side his temples as big as a twenty shillings piece then underneath his eyes upon the cheek bone with a round Iron burn three or four holes and anoint them with sweet butter then take a handfull of Seladine and wash it clean in white wine but let it touch no water then bruise it and strain it and to the quantity of juyce put the third part of womans milk and a pretty quantity of white Sugarcandy searc'd thorow a piece of Lawn and with a feather quill or otherwise drop it into the sore ey morning and evening Thus do for the worst of sore eys but if the offence be not extream then you may forbear both the defensitive the burning and the rowels and onely use the medicine The Master Medicine for a back sinew-strain or any strain shrinking or numbness of sinews Take a fat sucking Mastive whelp fley it and howell it then stop the body as full as it can hold with gray snails and black snails then rost it at a reasonable fire when it begins to warm bast it with six ounces of the oyl of Spike made yellow with Saffron and six ounces of the oyle of Wax then save the droppings and what moysture soever falls from it whilst any drop will fall and keep it in a Gallipot With this anoint the strain and work it invery hot holding a bar of Iron before it and thus do both morning and evening till a mendment Another in nature of a charge for a back sinnew-strain Take five quarts of Ale and a quarter of a peck of Glovers specks and boyl them till it come to a quart then apply it hot to the grief and remove it not for five or six days For a strain in any yart new or old Take of sheeps suet a pound of sheeps dung two handfull chopt hay an handfull Wheat bran a pint sweet Sope a quarter of a pound boyl all these in a quart of strong Beer and a quart of the grounds of strong Ale till it come to a thick pultiss then take it from the fire and col it with halfe a pint of wine vinegar and a quarter of a pint of Aquavitae then apply this very hot to the grief and give him moderate exercise For a strain or sinew-bruise Take Comin-seeds and bruise it gross then boyl it with the oyle of Camomile and put to it so much yellow Wax'as will bring it to Cerrot and spread it on either Cloth or Leather and hot apply it to the grief For old strains or cold cramps Take Aquavitae Oyl de Bay Oyl of Swallowâ— Bolearmonie Boars grease black Sope of each half a pound boyl them till the Aquavitae be incorporate then take of Camomile Rue red Sage and Misseldine of each an handful dry them and bring them to powder then mix it with the oyntment and bring all to a gentle salve With this anoynt the grief and hold an hot barre of Iron before it chafing it in
with new milk from the Cow For Scratches held incurable First let him blood in the shackle veins the spur veins and the â—ore toe veins onely letting it be three days between the bleeding of the one Toe and the other then with an hair-cloth rub the sores til they be raw and bleed then take a quart of old urine and a quart of strong brine and put to them halfe a pound of Allum and boyl it to a quart With this hot wash the sores wel then take the sperm of Froggs in March and put it into an earthen pot and in a week it will look like oyl then take both the oyl and the round things which you shal see in the sperm and spreading it on a cloath bind it to the soars and do this divers times For any Splent Spaven Curb Ringbone or Excression First clip away the hair as far as the excression goeth and a little more then take a piece of Allumd Leather made as big as the place you have bared and fitted to the â—ame proportion then take a little Shooe-makers Wax and spread it round about the very edge or verge of the same leaving all the inward part empty and not touched with the Wax Then take the herb Speargrass or Spearwort which hath the vertue to raise blisters and bruising it lay some thereof upon the Leather in the empty place and bind it fast thereon suffering it so to lye 〈◊〉 if it be in the Spring or Summer time when the herb hath its full strength near half a day but if it be in winter then it is not a miss to renew the strength of the herb if you add to it a drop or two of the oyl of Origanum and let it lie half a day fully and be sure to tie up the horses head for fear of biting it away When you take away the herb rub the place well and anoynt it with Train-oyl warm or else lay on a Diminium plaister Another for a foul Splint Take Nerve oyl one ounce Cantharides the weight of sixpence and as much of the oyle of Vipers boyl them lightly then with this anoint the Splint cross the hair and heat it in with a hot Iron then tie up the horses head to the Rack for 24 hours then squeeze out the corruption and do this twice oâ— thrice For a Splint and to dry up windgalls First heat the Sorrance with an hot pressing Iron then vent it in severall places with your Fleam then take a spoonfull of salt half a spoonfull of nerve oyl a peny weight of verdigrease and the white of an egg beat all to a salve and dipping flax hurds therein apply it to the grief For Pains Mâ—les and Rats-tails First take away all the scabs and make the sore raw then with strong mustard made with wine vinegar anoint them all over and do this every night The next morning take half a pound of green Copperas and boyl it in a pottle of running water with an handfull of sage and so much hyssop a quarter of a pound of Allume and as much strong mustard and with this bath the sore twice or thrice a day For Malander or Selander Take the oyl of bay an ounce half so much sugar and a good quantity of the oyl oâ— froth which cometh from green broom stalks being laid in the fire mix it wel and with this anoynt the soars and it kills and dryes them up For the Swift-cut and to heal all wounds Take a pint of white Wine and put to it two or three spoonfulls of honey and stirr them and boyl them to a salve then take it from the fire and put to it halfe so much Turpentine as there was honey and stirre all together With this salve somwhat hot anoint the soars twice or thrice a day and it is a most speedy healer For any Maunge or Scab in a clean fed Horse First let blood then take a quart of old Urine or Vinegar and break into it a quarter of a pound of good Tobacco then set it on a fire of embers and not boyl and so let it stew all night with this water wash the infected places whether it be in the Mane or otherwise and it helpeth For any Maungie or universall Leprosie in a foul surfeited Horse First let blood in the neck-vein and take a way good store then curry off all the scurf and take verdjuce and vinegar a pint cow-piss a pint train oyle a pint old urine a pint put to them an handful of wild Tansie an handful of Bay salt a quarter of a pound of brimstone as much Alome two ounces of verdigrease and four ounces of Bolarmonie boyl all well together With this very hot wash the horse well and if you put to it the quantity of a pint of blood you take away it is not amiss do this twice or thrice For a Canker foul Ulcer Leprosie and to make hair grow Take a quart of Tar and on the fire put to it half a pound of Bores grease an ounce of Copperat a quarter of a pound of Saltpeter two ounces of wax a quart of honey a quarter of a pound of Rozme two ounces of verdigrease a quart of Lynseed oyl and seeth them till half be consumed then strain it keep it in a close pot Then when you will use it take of it warm and apply it to the soar it doth both heal draw and make hair grow For a Fistula or Pol-evill Take Euforbium with Mastick mix them together then seeth them well with French Sope and make a tent and put it into the Fistula and it will consume the evill moisture For a foul Farcy Take Tar and fresh Hogs grease of each half a pound Hemlock an handfull Arsesmart three handfull and as many Nettles boyl these in a pottle of old Urine and apply it very hot to the swelling but touch it not with your hand for it is too sharp Lastly take a pint of white wine vinegar a quarter of an ounce of verdigrease and a little bundle of Hyssop beat them in a mortar and boyl it to an half pint then with Balls of flax put it luke-warm into both his ears and stich the tips together then tye his head up to the Rack for two hours Do thus twice For a most desperate Farcy Take the herb called Clay-clayes which is a weed growing by the water side having a great broad round leaf and is green on the upper side and white on the neather Rew of each a like quantity beat them and strain them then to a pint of that juice put of Housleek a handful half a pint of Aquavitae and two good spoonfull of pepper beaten and fearc'd Of this liquor take a pint and give it the horse to drink then with round balls of flax dipt in the same stop up both his ears then with the strained bruisings of all the herbs rub the soars and stop the holes if there be any hollowness do thus
bathe all his fore-leggs from the knees and Cambrels downward with cold water for it is wholsome and both comforteth the sinews and prevents scabbs and swellings Keeping in Travell and Sport Thus you shall do concerning his ordinary keeping at home where the Horse hath rest and that you may dispose of hours as you please but if you be either in travel in sport or other occasion so that you cannot observe these particular times then you must divide the main and whole quantity of meaâ— into fewer parts and greater quantities and so give them at the best convenience ever observing to give the least quantity before travel as a third part before mounture and the two other when you come to rest Nor would I have you to distract your mind with any doubt or amazement because I prescribe you five severall times of feeding in one day as if it should either over-charge you or over-feed your horse questionless there is no such matter when you look into the true proportion for it cannot be denied that whosoever is worthy of a good horse or good means to keep a good horse cannot allow him less then one peck a day nay the Carrier Carter Poulter and Packhorse will allow half a peck at waterings and this allowance which I set down comes to no more for fifteen pints of oats and one pint of spelt beans upheaped makes two gallons and that is one peck Winchester measure Now to give it at twice it fills the stomack more makes the digestion worsâ— and the appetite weak whereas to give less but more oft the stomack is ever craving the digestion always ready and the appetite never wanting so that health without disorder can never be a stranger therefore once again thus for ordinary keeping Of giving Heats Hunting and Travell But if you intend to give an heat as to hunt gallop travell or the like which I would wish you to do once twice or thrice a week according to the ability of your horse then observe all your former observations onely the night before give him little or no hay at all In the morning before his heat very early and before his dressing give him three or four handfull of clean sifted oats washt either in strong Beer or Ale Then dress him saddle him and give him his hear he having first emptied himself well Ordering after Labour After his heat , or end of labour rub him carefully and bring him dry into the stable then after he is cloathed up let him stand on his bridle at least two hours then give him a little bundle of hay to teare out upon his bridle and an hour after feed him as hath been before shewed onely with his first oats give him an handfull or better of hemp-seed well dusted and mixt At night warm him a little water and give it him luke-warm with a little fine pounded Oatmeal thrown upon it then an hour after give him his provender and a pretty bundle of hay and so let him rest till the next morning The next morning do all things as in his ordinary keeping Some especiall Precepts If he be a choice horse let him stand on litter both night and day yet change oft and keep the planchers clean If he be otherwise then use your own discretion If you intend to travell or journey in the morning then give no hay or but little the night before if you journey in the afternoon then give no hay or but little in the morning If your horse sweat by exercise take off the sweat before you rub him with the Glassing-knife which is either a piece of a broken sword-blade or a piece of a broken Syth for this will make a clean a smooth and a shining coat In journeying ride moderately the first hour or two but after according to your occassions Water before you come to your Inne if you can possibly but if you cannot then give warm water in the Inne after the Horse hath fed and is fully cooled within and outwardly dried Trotters oyl is an excellent oyntment being applied very warm and well chafed into your horses limbs and sinews to nimble and help stifness and lameness And Dogs grease is better therefore never want one of them in your stable Of washing and Walking Neither wash your horse nor walk your horse for the first indangereth foundring in the body or feet and breedeth all surfaits the latter is the ground of all strong colds which turn to glanders and rottenness but if necessity compell you to either as foul waies or long stays then rather wash your Horses leggs with pailes of water at the stable door then to indanger him in either pond or river And for walking rather sit on his back to keep his Spirits stirring then to lead him in his hand and with dull spirits to receive all manner of mischiefs This I think sufficient for the office of the Keeper THE OFFICE OF THE AMBLER Observations in Ambling THere is not any motion in an horse more desired more usefull nor indeed more hard to be attained unto by a right way then the motion of Ambling and yet is we will beleeve the protestations of the Professors not any thing in all the Art of Horsmanship more easie or more severall ways to be effected every man conceiving to himself a severall method and all those methods held as infallible maxims that can never fail in the accomplishment of the work Mens opinions and Errors But they which know truths know the errors in these opinions for albeit every man that hath hardly a smell of Horsmanship can discourse of a way how to make an horse amble yet when they come to the performance of the motion their failings are so great and their errors so gross that for mine own part I never yet saw an exact Ambler I confess some one man may make some one horse amble well and perfectly nay more then one peradventure many and thereby assume to himself a name of perfection yet such a man have I seen erre grosly and spoyl more then his labour was able to recompence But leaving mens errors because they are past my reformation I will onely touch at some principall observations which in mine opinion I hold to be the easiest the certainest and readiest for the effecting of this work and withall glance at those absurdities which I have seen followed though to little purpose and less benefit Ambling by the plowed field There is one commends the new plowed lands and affirms that by toyling the horse thereon in his foot pace there is no way so excellent for the making of him to amble but he forgets what weakness nay what lameness such disorderly toyle brings to a young horse nay to any horse because the work cannot be done without weariness and no weariness is wholsome Ambling by the Gallop Another will teach his horse to amble from the Gallop by sudden stopping a more sudden chocking him in the cheeks of the mouth