Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A49535
|
The hunter a discourse of horsemanship directing the right way to breed, keep, and train a horse, for ordinary hunting and plates.
|
Langbaine, Gerard, 1656-1692.
|
1685
(1685)
|
Wing L374; ESTC R1219
|
62,186
|
102
|
Head towards the Manger let them be advanc'd to that height that one Horse may not molest or smell to another and so divide the Whole into as many equal Stands or Staulls as it will admit of allowing to each Room enough to turn about in and lie down at pleasure You may make one of your Staulls close which may serve for your Groom to lie in in case of a Match Sickness c. and where he may burn Candle without the Horse's discerning of it Behind the Horses I would have a Range of Presses made with Peggs in them to hang up Saddles Bridles Housing-cloaths c. as likewise Shelves to place your Curry-combs Brushes Dusting-cloaths Oyntments Waters or any other Necessaries upon Now that you may not cumber your Stable with Oat-Binns I think it necessary to tell you that the best way is to make use of the Invention of Mr. Farmer of Tusmore in Oxford-shire Which is done according as it is described by the Ingenuous Dr. Plot in his Natural History of Oxford-shire by letting the Oats down from a Loft above out of a Vessel like the Hopper of a Mill whence they fall into a square Pipe let into the wall of about four Inches Diagonal which comes down into a Cupboard also set into the wall but with its end so near the bottom that there shall never be above a Gallon or other desireable Quantity in the Cupboard at a time which being taken away and given to the Horses another Gallon presently succâ—eds so that in the lower part of the Stable where the Horses stand there is not one Inch of room taken up for the whole provision of Oats which Contrivance hath also this further Convenience that by this Motion the Oats are kept constantly sweet the taking away one Gallon moving the whole Mass above which laid up any otherwise in great quantities grow frequently musty Now I would have you have two made the one for the Oats the other for your split Beans and both let into your Range of Presses the Partitions may easily be made over head to separate your Oats from your Beans Or if you like not this way you may convert it into an Hay-loft or Chambers for your Grooms which you fancy but whatever you make choice of let the Floor overhead be seil'd that no Dust from above fall upon your Horses But if you have the convenience of a Rick-yard so that you keep your Hay abroad it is the opinion of some knowing Horsemen that to tuck it out of the Rick by little and little as you have occasion to use it makes it spend much better than it would otherwise do out of the Hay-Tallet As to the rest of its Perquisites a Dungâ—yard a Pump or a Conduit are necessary and if yoâ— can have that convenience some Pond or running River near hand But be sure never let the Front of your Stable be without Litter that by frequent practice your Horse may learn to empty his Bladder when he is come from Airing which will be both healthful for your Horse and profitable for your Land Having thus laid down a Modell for a Stable my next business is to tell the Groom his Duty I mean not those which generally appertain to all Servants such as are Obedience Fidelity Patience Diligence c. but those more â—ssentially belonging to this Office First then he must love his Horse in the next degree to his Master and to endeavour by fair Usage to acquire a reciprocal Love from him again and an exact Obedience which if he know how to pay it to his Master he will the better be able to teach it his Horse and both the one and the other are to be obtain'd by fair means rather than by Passion and Outrage For those who are so irrational themselves as not to be able to command their own Passions are not fit to undertake the reclaiming of an Horse who by nature is an irrational Creature from his He must then put in practice that Patience which I would have him Master of at all times and by that and fair means he shall attain his End For nothing is more tractable than an Horse if you make use of Kindness to win him Next Neatness is requisite in a Groom to keep his Stable clean swept and in order his Saddles Housing-cloaths Stirrâ—ps Leathers and Girths cleane and above all his Horse clean dress'd and rubb'd Diligence in the last place is requisite both in a daily practice of his Duty and in observing any the smallest Alteration whether casual or accidental either in his Countenance as Symptoms of Sickness or in his Limbs and Gate as Lameness or in his Appetite as forsaking his Meat and immediately upon any such Discovery to seek out for Remedy This is the substance of the Groom's Duty in general and which I shall treat of more at large as Occasion shall offer it self In the mean time since Bartholomew-tide is now come and the pride and strength of the Grass nipp'd by the severe Frosts and cold Dews which accompany this Season so that the Nourishment thereof turneth into raw Crudities and the Coldness of the Night which is an Enemy to the Horse abates as much Flesh and Lust as he getteth in the Day we will now take him up from Grass whilst his Coat lies smooth and sleek Having brought him home let your Groom so that Night set him up in some secure and spacious House where he may evacuate his Body and so be brought to warmer keeping by Degrees the next day stable him But tho it be held as a general Rule amongst the generality of Grooms not to cloath or dress their Horses till Two or Three days after their stabling I can find no Reason but Custom to perswade one to it But it being little conducive either to the advantage or prejudice of the Horse I shall leave it to their own Fancies But as to the giving of Wheat-straw to take up his Belly a custom us'd by Grooms generally at the Horse's first Housing I am utterly averse from it For the Nature of a Horse being hot and dry if he should feed on Straw which is so likewise it would straighten his Guts and cause an Inflammation of the Liver and by that means distemper the Blood and besides it would make his Body so costive that it would cause a Retention of Nature and make him dung with great pain and difficulty whereas full Feeding would expell the Excrements according to the true Intention and Inclination of Nature Therefore let moderate Airing warm Cloathing good old Hay and old Corn sâ—pply the place of Wheat-straw To begin then methodically that your Groom may not be to seeâ— in any part of his Duty I shâ—ll acquaint him that his first business is aâ—â—er he hath brought his Horse into the Stable in the morning to water him and then to rub over his Body with a hard Wisp a little moisten'd and then with a woollen cloath