which side shall haue the leading of the first traine that Tryer to whose lot it falles after hee hath conferred with the Rider and knowes the nature and disposition of his horse hee shall appoint some discrete horsman that is able to follow his directions to leade out the traine he shal tell him vpon what earth he shall leade it and howe long or howe short he shall make it according to the Articles Thē after the match-horses are started the Triers shall ryde by them or behinde them so it be not within a horses length for feare of treading vppon their heeles which were an inexcusable errour in a Trier and if either of the match-horses shall latch or loyter behinde and not ride so neare as hee ought by the Articles The Trier of the contrarie part shall first commaund him to ride nearer which if immediatly hee doe not then the Tryer shall ride to him and giue the match-horse a iert with his rodde if that preuaile not hee shall not leaue ierting the Horse till he haue brought him within the compasse of his lawe and then hee may beate him no more If it happen that the match-horse which leades the way vppon the occasion of anie turne which the traine hath made doe turne vppon eyther hande and then the Horse which followes being a good distance behinde doe for his aduauntage seeke to crosse and thwart ouer to the formost horse which is most foule ryding and so to gaine ground the Tryer of the contrarie part shall ryde vppe to him and both commaund him to ryde faire and with his Horse shoulder him vp whether he will or no till hee come to the place where the first Horse turned against which if the Rider striue it is lawfull for the Tryer to take his Horse by the heade and make him ride his true ground for many of those aduantages in a dayes hunting will amount to more ground then will suffice for the tryall of the match As sone as the traine is ended then the Riders are to light from the match-horses for there is commonly allowed them betweene euery traine halfe an hower to rub and trim their horses to drie away the sweate During which time the second traine is in making now it is the Tryers office whilest the horses are in rubbing that each of them looke not to the Horse of whose side hee is chosen but to the Horse against whom he is chosen to looke that the groom which rubs him vse no decit in rubbing as to haue his hands annointed with any comfortable oyles or confections and then taking occasion to pull out his horses tong to stroke or wipe it which is very foule play and therfore helde vnlawful for any man groom or other to put his hand in his horses mouth but onely to rubbe him with woollen and linnen cloathes till hee bee drie The Tryers shall not suffer the match-horses to bee rubbed longer then their due time but assoone as the houer is come to commanud the ryders to mount which if either of them refuse it is lawfull for the other which is readie to ride away and leaue him and beeing gone from him the distance which commonly is twelue score or twentie scor the match is wonne and lost If in the traines there be any leapes the Tryers shall see that if one Horse follow another that then the hindmost horse leap in the same place where the formost did leape or else it is lawfull to bring him backe againe if they ride cheeke by cheeke then they shall leape one within a horse length of another The Tryar shall precisely note the manner of that Horses ryding against whome he is chosen and according to the aduauntages which hee perceyues so shall hee instruct the Ryder for whose side hee is chosen as when to ride softly when fast when to leade and when to followe He shall also as hee rydes marke which grounds are best for the Horse whose part hee takes and which are the worst for the Horse which he is agaynst and accordingly so he shall appoint the making of the traines If any traine shall bee made longer then the agreement of the Articles either of the Tryars finding of the fault and beeing sure it is a fault it is lawfull for him to stay the Horse of whose syde he is and not to suffer him to ride further in that traine and if the other Horse will ryde forwarde still hee may doe it vppon his owne hazard When al the traines are ended and that the Wild-goose chase is begun the Triars then shal with all faithfulnesse and care keepe the horses as neare as they can together and if either of them shal fal short one of the other by no means to spare whipping of the hindmost till either they bring him vp to the formost or else that the formoste getting his lawe of the hindmost doe win the wager and when the Tryers shall beholde the matche brought to this exigent then hee which is chosen for the formost horse shall if neede require ride to the formoste horse and help his rider to whip him on till the wager bee wonne The Tryers shall also during the wilde goose chase take great care that no by stander as it is a common custome gallop his horse before the match horses seeming as though either he rid vpon other busines or else that his Horse runnes away with him when as in truth he doth it to leade or dyrect one of the match horses which hauing strength enough to runne yet will refuse to runne except hee see some other horse leade him the way The Tryers shall also at the latter end of the day when horses are almost spent take care that the throng of such as ride by do not presse in vppon the horses but that they may haue both libertie of way and ayre enough for the breath of other horses is verie noysome to a horse when he growes wearie The last and principall note of all other which the Tryers shall take is when hee comes first into the field to marke how the horse is girt which is of the contrarye part and by some speciall markes or obseruations about the tabs to know how his garthes do hold of one straightnes or how they alter for if you find after a traine or two that they growe slacker and are anye thing at all more drawne vp it is an euill signe but if after a traine or two more they slacke againe the second time or whensoeuer they slack the second time be most certainely assured that the horse is faint neither is he able to indure much riding after This rule of all other is moste certaine and doth without deceit declare a horses inward inclynation where on the contrarie part as long as a horse keepes his bodie and holdes his garthes fast and straite so long hee is euer in good strength lust and courage Many other obseruations there be which for as much as
the day is troublesome both to the horse and man yet I know these baytings are much more troublesome neither would I haue any man to vse them for wheÌ„ the horse hath his limbs chaft and heated with his trauell and then is set vp till they be growne stiffe and staâ—ke and so presently put to his labour againe then I say the verie paine and griefe of his limbes do so trouble him that except he be of an extraordinarie spirit he wil be much subiect to faintnesse in trauell besides to make your horse iourney continually vpon a full stomacke is both painfull and bredes sicknesse wherfore I conclude these baits are good for none but Carriers Poulters Iades whose labours not being aboue foote pace may euer like Asses haue their prouender bagges at their noses And thus much touching a horses exercise and labour CHAP. 6. Of sleeping waking fulnesse and emptinesse SLeepe in a horse as in euerie other beast which hath moouing is a most necessarie and especiall thing neither can a horse liue without it wherefore it is the place and office of euerie good keeper to haue a careful regarde to the rest of his Horse and to note both after what manner he sleepeth and how long hee sleepeth for if a horse sleepe verie muche it is a great signe of dulnesse and fluxe of grosse and colde humours in the braine but if he sleepe for the most part standing it is a token that he hath some inward paine in his backe or bodie and feareth to lie downe lest he cannot rise againe without much torment if a Horse lie much yet sleepe but a little it is a signe of weake ioynts frettized feete or limbes beaten with trauell if the horse neither sleep nor lie much but as it were wake continually it is a signe the horse hath both a pained bodie and a troubled mind insomuch that he can not possiblie liue long both because hee wantes that which giueth the greatest strength to Nature and also the chiefest meanes both of blood and disgestion sleepe being indeede nothing else but certaine sweete vapors which ascending from the heart numbes the braine and keepes the bodie for a time sencelesse so that euery keeper should haue a carefull eie ouer his Horse to see how hee sleepes when and how long time then how hee wakes when he wakes and after what manner hee wakes for if he wake much his brain is diseased if he wake often or sodainlie his heart liuer or stomache is grieued and if hee wake seldome or with much adoe then his whole powers are ouercome with some colde humor Next vnto these obseruations the carefull keeper shall looke to his horses fulnesse or the filling of his bellie I do not meane those phisicall fillinges which consist in humors either generallie or particularlie distributed ouer the bodie consisting in quantitie or qualitie for they are obseruations fit for the farryer but to that fulnesse which onelye consisteth in the excesse of meate wherefore the keeper shall note well the temper of the horses feeding that is whether he fill sodainly or slowly and according to his filling so to temper his dyet and to giue him the lesse or the more meate according to his appetite keeping the grosse horse emptie the longer before his trauell and the tender horse with meate till your foote be readie to be thrust into the stirrop for the full horse with suddaine labour wil soone burst the emptie horse with much fasting will not bee able to indure anye violence through faintnesse Next to your horses filling you shall note his manner of emptying that is the state of his bodie whether he be costiue or sollible or whether his vrine haue a free or troublesome passage by the rule of them you shal feede your horse more as lesse as thus if your horse be sollible or free of vrine you through that helpe of nature may aduenture to feede him the harder for albe hee fill much yet he holdeth not that fulnesse any long season but hauing an easie disgestion bringes his bodie soone to a temperate emptinesse but if hee bee costiue or haue straite passage for his vrine although fasting be the greatest cause of costiuenes yet when you prepare your horse for a iourney you shall not neede to feed him so extreamely neither shall your meate bee for the moste part any drie food but rather moiste washt meate of which foodes I shall haue cause to speake more largely in the book of running Horses Now you shal vnderstand that fulnesse and emptinesse are phisicke helpes one for another the full horse being to be cured by emptinesse as fasting purgation letting blood or such like and emptinesse to be cured by fulnes as by restauratioÌ„ or renewing of those powers which are decayed so that the keeper carefully obseruing these rules shall so quickly perceiue anie imperfection in his horse that a sleight preuention shall quickly auoide the greatest mischiefe And thus much for sleepe and feeding CHAP. 7. Of the soile or scowring horses with grasse and of other foodes TOuching the opinions of Horsemen for the scowring of Horses with grasse they be diuers and intricate some holding forrage which is the blades of green Corne as of wheate or barley to be the best some three leaued grasse some young thistles and such like so also there is a difference amongst them for the time in scowring one alowing but fifteen daies another a month and another the whole summer neither are they certain in the place where the Horse should be scowred for some would haue it in the stable some in a large parke or fielde and some in a little wald plot of ground not aboue the quantitie of one or two Akers Now to reconcile all these and to bring them to as orderlie a coÌ„formitie as is fit for a reasonable vnderstaÌ„ding I will declare mine opinion First if your horse bee either Hunting horse running horse or one that hath been vsd to much trauell or iourneying I holde it verie necessarie that he be scowred with grasse either in some parke close or other spacious ground where he may haue sweete feeding fresh springs or riuers to drinke at and good shelter both to defend him from flies and Sunneshine the time to bee for foure monthes that is to say from the beginning of May to the end of August in which time he will not onelie scower and purge himselfe of grosse and corrupt humors but also after such cleusing grow strong fat and full of health and liuelinesse recouering by such rest and libertie that weakenesse stiffenesse and numbnesse of ioynts which his labour before had brought vnto him But if your horse bee a beast of great courage and onely wantonlye kept eyther for your mornings exexrcise in riding or for seruice in the warres so that hee will neither indure with anye patience abroad nor hath beene put to anie such extreamitie that he standeth neede of recouerie then I wold haue you
a straight legge which in an ouer-curious eye might appeare a little too slender which is all the fault curiositie it selfe can finde They bee naturally of a loftie pace they bee louing to their rider easie to bee taught most strong in their exercise and to conclude so good in all poynts that no forraine race hath euer borne a tytle of so much excellencie The Horses of the Iles of Sardinia and Corsica are the nearest of all other horses to the Courser of Naples onely they bee somewhat shorter bodied and of somewhat a more fierce and fierie nature but that by the temperance of a good Rider is casie to be qualified and conuerted to an excellent vertue Gesner amongst his other absurdities saith they bee exceeding little horses whereas indeed they carry proportion with horses of the best stature Next these the Turkie horse is an excellent beast I doe not meane those horses which haue beene bred in the Turks first dominions as in the vpper parts of Scithia Tartaria Parthia Medea Armenia Capadocia other his Asian countries albe if we wil beleeue the report of old writers each of these Countries haue seuerall good races as Sithia and Tartaria for greatnesse of bodie Parthia for limbe and courage Media for beautie and comelinesse of shape Armenia and Capadocia for heauinesse of head and strength of body with many other such like descriptions but sith for mine owne part I haue neuer found grosser vntruthes I speake for horse-manshippe onelye then in the recordes of these olde Writers and for-as-much as mine experience and as I thinke the eye of our Nation hath had little dealing with Horses of these Countries I will omit theÌ„ referre the curious who only delight in nouelties to reade Absirtus Vegetius Gesner and such like who may happily please their eares but neuer better their experience and for mine owne part I will write of the horse of Greece which for as much as it is now vnder the Turkes gouernment the Horses that come from thence are called of vs Turkes of which I haue seene diuers ridden some and knowne them bred vppon in many parts of England but first to report what others write of the Horses of Greece One saith they haue good legges great bodies comely heades hie of stature and well made forward but not backeward because they are pinne buttockt they bee verie swift and of exceeding great courage Now another saith they be foule ill shaped rough ouer all their bodies great shoulders ill dispositions Camell-backt vnsure pac'd and crook'd legged Now how these contrarie descriptioÌ„s can agree I vnderstand not only they say the better horse is of Thessalie the other of Thracia but for mine owne part touching those Turks which I haue seene all which haue beene said to come from Constantinople which is a part of Thrace they haue beene Horses of most delicate shape pace and mettall they haue not beene of any monstrous greatnesse but inclining to a middle size or indifferencie of height they are finely headed almost as the Barbary they haue most excellent forehandes both for length depth and proportion their limbs are straight yet rather small then great their hoofes are long and narrow a great signe of swiftnesse their coats are smooth and short and all their members of sutable qualitie they are of great courage swiftnesse for I haue seene them vsed at our English Bell-courses Naturally they desire to amble and which is most strange their trot is full of pride and gracefulnesse Next the Turk I place the Barbarie which are horses bred either in one of the two Mauritanias or in Numidia or the lesser Affrick they are beyond all horses whatsoeuer for delicacie of shape and proportion insomuch that the most curious painter cannot with all his Art amend their naturall lineaments They are to be knowne before all horses by the finenesse of their proportions especially their heades and necks which Nature hath so well shap'd and plac'd that they commonly saue Art his greatest labour they are swift beyond other forraigne horses and to that vse in England we onely imploy them yet are their races onely vpon hard grounds for in soft or deepe grounds they haue neither strength nor delight they are exceeding well winded which breedes in them a continuance of their swiftnesse Their colours for the most part are gray or flea-bitten I haue seene blacke and bay but not so generally they seldome or neuer founder they aske lesse care then others in keeping beeing both of such temperate diet and such abilitie of body that they seldom surfeit onely they are especially such as I haue seene of such little and slender stature that they are vnfit for the warres or to support armes Next these horses of Barbarie I place the Iennet of Spain which albe Gesner in his ignorant discriptions reports to be a horse of great stature buttockes short weake and vncomely of bodie fat and bigge slow and cruell to his rider yet those which better know by their experience then he by his readings And for my selfe both those I haue seene here in England and also those I haue seene in Spaine and other places of the King of Spains dominioÌ„s assure me of the vntruth of such writings For the Iennet Indeed is a horse but of a middle stature finely made both head bodie and legges his buttocks though they be long yet are they well shap'd and strong but whereas some write they doe exceede al horses in swiftnes or for that Old wines tale of breeding with the west wind and ouer-running all winds I haue in them as little beleefe as there is in such tales little possibilltie onely this I thinke that the Ienes being a horse of great mettall and courage and therewithall of nimble light and actiue proportion may passe a carrere that is runne some twelue or twentie score with great puissance swiftnesse but for running our English courses which commonly are three or foure miles we haue not seene any such vertue or goodnesse in them their limbs for the most part are weake and slender yet in the warres they are esteemed to be of wonderfull prowesse and indurance they are coÌ„monly full six yeares old or more before they come to any perfection of shape for they grow one yeare before and another behind And the last thing which is complete in them is their crests they are many of them naturally giuen to bound to performe saluâ—s aboue ground but by reason of their weake lymbs they continue not long without lamenesse their trot is somewhat long and waueing but if at any time they be put to amble they it take naturally Next this I place the Polander or horse of Poland which is a beast but of a middle stature well composed and knit togither their limbs and ioynts are exceeding strong in all proportions like to our true bred English horses their heades are somewhat fine and slender verie
foote in the stirrop and to heaue your selfe from the ground three or foure times togither which effected you shall instantly cherrish him and then before you mount you shall look that the headstall both of the Trench the Musroll lie close behind his eares that the Musroll lie in his due place ouer the midst of his nose that the trench lie neither too hie nor too low but rest iust aboue his nether tush that the reynes of the trench be strong then you shal looke that the Saddle keepe his true place and that the gyrths be close and fast that the stirrops be not slipt and that the crooper be not too strait lastly and most principall according to the opinion of la Broue and for mine owne part I holde it one of the best notes amongst all his precepts you shall confidently and with a heedfull eye marke the countenance gesture of the horse which is euer the largest Index or Table for a man to finde out his secret disposition for if hee clap both his eares close to his necke or if hee clappe downe but one and pricke forward the other if hee turne the eye next to the man backward as if he would looke behinde him or if he snore or cracke in his nostrils all these are verie euill signes shewes that hee is displeased wrathfull and intendeth mischiefe which wicked purposes you may driue from him by vse of the former chasings but if you see his couÌ„tenance vntroubled his eye cheerfull and liuely and his eares carried in due comelinesse you may be well assured of his gentle disposition It is good also to haue a respect to his maner of standing for when a horse doth stand but firme vpon two feete or three feete heauing and fauoring the other it is an euill signe of a churlish disposition but when he standeth fast of all foure it is a signe of meeknesse Hauing satisfied your mind in all these caracters and found euerie thing to your contentment you shall then by rubbing the horses nose vppon the palme of your hande or by offring something to the horses nose to smell drawing your hande inward you shall see him pull in his heade and fashion his reyne to which proportion I would haue you buckle downe your Martingale so that carying his heade in that place he may haue no more but a feeling of the Martingale All these things obserued you shall then put your foote in the stirrop and after you haue heaued twice or thrice vp and downe from the ground and sometime brought your leg halfe way ouer the Saddle downe again at euery motion cherishing the horse exceedingly you shall at last put your legge cleane ouer seate your selfe fast in the saddle that is to say with your bodie straight vpright neither bending forward nor leaning backward your eyes fixt betwixt his eares and your nose directly ouer the pommell of the Saddle which shall euer be a rule for you to know if your seat be comely the chine of your backe must directly answer the chine of the horse your thighs and knees must be close and fast to the Saddle your legges hanging straight downe as when you stand vpon your feete the ball and heart of your feete must rest vpon the stirrops your toes and heeles must be so orderly placed that when you onely moue your head and not your body on the one side to looke to your stirrop your toe may answer with the tip of your nose Now for the cariage of your hands during the time you exercise your horse vpon the trench it must be thus 〈◊〉 you must take the reynes of the treÌ„ch fold the one side ouer the other making each side of an euen length somwhat short then laying both your hands vpon the reynes about an handfull one from another you shall neither draw your hands to the saddle pomell nor close to your bodie but placing them ouer the midst of the horses crest coÌ„tinually labor to bring vp his head which with a sweet hand comming and going with gentle motions you shall easily doe in your right hand you shall carry your rod with the point directly vpright by your right shoulder or if you carry it trauato crosse wise ouerthwart your brest and vp by your left shoulder it shall not bee vncomely Bâ—ing in this order mounted seated and accoutered after you haue paused and cherish your horse you shall by thrusting your feete forwarde somewhat stiffely vppon your stirrop-leathers moue your horse to goe forward which if he doe not because he vnderstands you not his keeper shall forthwith lead him some doozen paces forward where pawsing a while both your selfe and the keeper shall cherrish him Then shall you thrust him forward again and so continue till the horse finding your meaning will goe forward of himselfe which will be at the most not aboue an houres worke and note that in al his goings you respect not how he goes neither which way he goes so he goe at all but the first day suffer him to take the incertaintie of his owne pleasure Assoone as you haue brought him to go forward you shal then in the gentlest manner you can ride him home and light from his backe at the blocke where you must not light sodainly but with many heauings risings halfcommings off and on againe you must dally with him continually mingling with euerie motion store of cherishings If when you are lighted off he offer of himself to depart away and will not stay at the blocke you shal force him to come againe to the blocke where you shall mount vpon his backe againe and neuer leaue him till he stand still at the blocke whilest you ease his Martingall his gyrths and other implements which when he doth you shall giue him something to eat and so deliuer him to his keeper CHAP. 4. Of Helpes and Corrctions and of the vses and seuerall kindes thereof BEfore I proceede any further into the Horses lessons because it is reputed the moste substantiall part of Horse-manship to knowe when to helpe how to correct and at what time to cherrish I wil spend some little time therein And first for helpes in Horse-manship Gryson and the other Italians wil allowe but seauen that is the voice or tongue the rodde the brydle the calues of your legges the stirropes the spurres and the ground he aloweth also as many corrections which are likewise the voice the rod the brydle and so foorth as before is mentioned but for the cherishing he speakes but onely of two wayes which is either the voice or the hand now for that both helpes and corrections hold but in their doing this difference that to help goeth before as to preuent a fault and correcting comes after as punishment for a fault I will speake of them seuerally And first for the voice as it is the sound which naturallye all creatures moste feare so it is in disorders
hee tooke them vp wherefore the fittest time and place to make a horse aduance is at the stoppe onelie and you shall doe it in this manner After you haue trotted your horse in some grauelly or sandy way about a dozen or twentie yardes you shall there stop him and in the verie instant that you stop him that is euen as you drawe vp the reynes of your Trench you shall clap both the calues of your legges hard to his sides holding the reynes constant firme still but if at first he will not aduaunce as there is no likelihoode he should not yet vnderstanding your minde but rather offreth to retire backe you shal then by thrusting your feete forward stiffe vpon your stirrop leathers not onely keep him from retiring but also thrust him forward into his trot againe as far as before where stopping him and giuing him againe the same helpe with the calues of your legges it may bee then the horse perceyuing you will neither suffer him to goe forward nor backward neither yet to stand stil he wil out of the amazednesse of his owne coniectures shew some strange motions all which you shal diligently heede obseruing that if he take vp but one foot and set it downe againe that instantly you ease your hand and cherish him which done trott him forth againe and vpon the stoppe doe the like not ceasing vntill you haue inforst him to take both his fore-legges from the ground in a round and comely order and so set them downe againe But if you shall perceiue that in this lesson he sheweth exceeding slouth and dulnesse and out of the peeuishnesse of his nature albe hee vnderstand your will yet will not performe your will in this case you shall nowe and then in steade of the helpe of the calues of your legs giue him your spurres one after another but in any wise not both together for that will bring him not to aduauncing but to bounding an Arte yet too earely for his learning you may also for your better speede and to moue spirit and quicknesse in the horse now and then as you helpe him with the calues of your legges giue him a good iert or two with your rodde ouer the left shoulder To some horses of good mettall the shake of the rod wil be sufficient when you haue brought your horse that hee will aduance with the helpe of the calues of your legges only you shall then accustome him to doe it twice thrice or foure times togither euen so oft as it shall please you to giue him warning by the former helpes not forgetting to cherish him exceedingly so oft as he doth performe your pleasure Now for obseruations in this lesson first you shall obserue that you make him stoppe and aduaunce vpon his foote-pace then vppon his trott both slowe and swift and lastly vppon his galloppe yet let your greatest exercise at the first bee vppon a swift trott for it soonest brings a horse to lightnesse nimblenesse and vnderstanding Next you shall obserue that when you stop your horse and giue him the helpe of the calues of your legs that you carrie your leggs so euen and straight by your horses sides that as it were by an vnperceiued motion you may helpe your horse not be discerned by ignorant gazers which indeed is the true grace of horsmanship and not like our S. George riders carrie your leggs beyond the fore-shoulders of your horse so that euerie time you bring them to the horses sides you fetch a coÌ„passe as if you would strike your legs thorow him both to the scorne of Art and the dislike of all iudiciall spectators which fashion is by much too much practised here in England and makes many times our riders excellent inward knowledges to be vtterly condemned for their outward practise and for mine owne part I neuer saw either Italian Frenchman or other stranger equal some of our English riders in any thing but in the couertnesse of their motions which I must confesse is wondrous praise-worthie because by such Art a horse appeares to do what he doth rather by nature theÌ„ mans industrie where on the contrarie part when the mans motions are so grosse the horse how well spirited soeuer seemes to doe nothing but like a cart-â—ade which hath the whip euer vpon him Next you shall obserue that when your horse aduaunceth before that he couch his hinder loynes towards the gronud and that hee so conueniently trust vpon his hinder feete that he slide vpon them and as it were digge vp the ground before him which if he do not you shal then obserue euer to stop him vpon hanging or descending ground with his head downe the descent insomuch that vpon necessitie he cannot aduance but he must couch his hinder parts Then you shall obserue that your horse aduaunce not too hie or reare vpright or that raising vp his fore-leggs he cast them not out ill fauouredlie as if he wold spraule or strike with them any of these faults if you perceiue you shall vse those remedies formerly prescribed in the chapter against horses that will reare vpright Lastly you shal obserue that your horse do not aduaÌ„ce at any time no not so much as at his stopp except you giue him the helpe of the calues of your legs for auoidance whereof and for asmuch as horses naturally after they haue got the tricke of aduauncing will vpon any sleight correction or displeasure fall to aduaunce and rise before you shall therfore neuer but vpon great extremitie vse the help of your spur in aduancing nor to stop oft in a short course neither shall you although it be the rule of Grison teach your horse to aduaunce by the helpe of your voice as by crying Hup hup or such like nor with the sound of your rodde onely without the helpe of your legges for such customes doe bring disorders breeding in the horse such an extraordinarie lightnesse that he wil aduaunce when you would haue him goe forwarde and in his wanton or sullen motions be so contrarie to your will that he will fall in the ende to plaine restifenes Now for the vses and benefits of these three lessons there is none so ignorant that knowes not the necessity of stopping because it is the onely ground of order and obedience and also that it should be sudden and in an instant because in seruice the pressing forwarde of one yarde more then should bee is oft times the losse of both horse horsman with many other reasons both probable and effectuall which I will omit because I will not be too tedious Next for the vse of retiring or going back it is almost as necessarie as going forward for as it chargeth and annoyeth the enemie so this auoydeth and saueth the Rider giuing him leaue in his combate to take his best aduantage it maketh a man retreite honourablie from his foe both with his face vpon him and vnder the gard of his owne sword
as the vse of trauell or the first knowledge of the first English gelding which geldings we find more naturally addicted to ambling then any stonde horse whatsoeuer which I take to proceed either from the impediment of their sores when they are first gelt or else from the coolnes of their natures when those instruments of heate and lust are taken from them Now for the vse of this pace it is onely for longiourncys where either our necessary busines or seruice to the state or any other perticular affaire calles vs foorth into the world and makes vs change our domesticall quiet for much labor and toyle in trauaile Now for the commoditie thereof it is the case of our bodies preseruing vs from aches conunlsions chollickes gallings and such like tormens it is a maintainer of our healths by helping vs to vse the best exercise with sufferance and moderation it is the best preseruer of our estats in this world making vs follow our owne affaires with our owne diligence and not like men imprisoned to trust to half speaking soliciters to conclude take away the ambling horse and take away the old man the rich man the weake man nay generally all mens trauells for Coaches aâ— but for streets and carts can hardly passe in winter And thus much for the generalitie of ambling and the profite CHAP. 2. Why Foales amble from their dammes and how to make them amble if they doe not THe reasons why a Foale may amble wheÌ„ it suckes vpon the Dam or that the first pace which it is seene to treade may bee an amble are many diuers besides those which I haue repeated in my small treatise as namely weakenesses springing from the first generation or conception or else mischances in foaling as wheÌ„ a foale falles in hollowe ground vneuen ditches or such like vilde places where the foale striuing to get vpon the feete but cannot doth beate it selfe into such weakenesse that when it is got vpon the feete and should goe it is not able to trot but euen through extreame faintnesse shiftes his feete into this pace of ambling besides these as I said there are other more stroÌ„g causes of Foales ambling as namely if a Foale be foaled with weake hooues so that when it comes to stand vpon the feete the cronets of the hoofes doe sincke inward and are painefull to the Foales going In this case the griefe of the hoofes keepe the Foale that it cannot trot but is forcd for ease sake to alter the natural pace and to amble This weakenes of the hoofes you may plainely deseerne both by the fashion of the hoofe which will bee flat and thinne and also by the Cronet of the hoofe which will not bee swelling outward as it should bee but flat and sunke inward without any semblance and these horses for the most pare doe seldom liue long nor haue many good conditions another reason there is for the ambling of Foales and that is if any man shall come to the Mare when â—he hath newe foaled and scaring the Mare make the Foale start vpon it feet before it be lickt ouer or that the soles of the hoofes are hardned if this hapen it is most certaine that the foale wil neuer trot but presently falles to amble from these such like occasions hath sprung the opinion that Foales naturallye doe amble and owners not seeing them haue anye other paces strongly imagine that ambling is the childe of nature when indeed it is the bastard begot by mischance and weaknesse But if it bee so that for as much as those amblers which thus doe amble euen from the wombe of their Dams are euer the perfitest swistest and most certainest in their pace as hardly knowing at least neuer vsing any other motion it bee your desire to haue your Foales to amble thus vnder their Dammes albe for mine owne part I haue little fancie or lyking therein yet it is to be done three seuerall wayes the first and best is if you take a Foale when it is two or three dayes olde and that you see it trotteth perfitely and with a fine sharpe Butteris or pairing knife spare the hoofe of the Foale so thinne as may bee so that it cannot treade vpon the ground but with much sorenesse and then put it to the Dam again and you shalsee it presently through the tendernesse of the feete refuse to trott and instantly strike into an amble And if after the hardning of the hoofs you find that out of spirit and courage it fall to trot again then you shall pare the hoofes again and so in a short time you shal see it will vtterly forget trotting The second way but somwhat worse to make a Foale amble is to take soft linnen ragges and therewithall to garter vppe the Foales hinder legs three fingars aboue the cambrell but not to doe it verie straight so to let it run a week or ten daies in which space it is most certaine the foale wil fal to a readie amble which as soone as he doth you shall immediatly vngarter his legges for the vse of the garters is but only to bring him to the alteration of his pace The third way worst way is to watch the mare when she is in foaling assoone as she hath lickt it done her office you shall goe vnto the foale and before it bee able to arise from the ground you shall with your hands raise vp the hinder partes from the ground making it stand vppon the hinder feete and kneele vpon the fore knees and so staying it by the hinder loynes compel it to rise vp before as for the moste part oxen and kine doe and if a man will put anye trust in antiquitie This manner of raysing a Foale first from the ground will make it amble and for mine owne part though I haue been too scripulous to approue it yet such strong reasons do gouerne me that I doe beleeue it is moste possible and as likely as either of the former which I haue experienced Now although these three seueral practises will bring to effect the thing you looke for yet each of them hath their seuerall euils and doe manye times create those mischeifes which doe exceede and blemish the vertues for which they were first put into vse except there bee such Arte Iudgement and discretion mixt with the practise as may both warrant and defend it from following euills As first the paring of a foales hoofes so young and bringing him to such a tendernesse of treading makes him euer after whilst he is a horse soft footed when he comes to tread vpon stony or soft ground you shall see him snapper and many times tread false onely out of the tickle and quick feeling of his feete besides the paring a Hoofe so young makes it grow thick flat so that when the foale comes to be a horse he will neither beare his shooes so well as otherwise he would haue done but also bee much
a pastern only it must not be so thick stubborn but smooth gentle yeâ—very strong This peece of leather you shal buckle about your horses farre fore-leg some 4 or 5. fingers or more aboue his knee you shal buckle it so gently that by no means it pinch him or with the straitnes stop the passage of the blood in his veines also wheÌ„ it is buckled on you must so place it that a strong tournel of iron being cunningly fastned within the leather may stand iust behind his leg looking towards his hinder leg this done you shal take another peece of leather made in euery proportion like to this former buckle it about your horses far hinder leg some foure inches or there abouts aboue his cambrel and the iron tournell thereof shall stand before his legge looking to his fore-legge then you shall take a strong corde made all of haire and fasten it to both the tournels making it by no meanes either longer or shorter but of the iust and due length which is betwixt his legs and then looking vpon your worke you shall see that you haue so linckt his hinder leg to his fore leg that the horse cannot possibly put forth his fore-legge to go but he must draw his hinder legge after him When you haue don thus to his farre fore-legge and his farre hinder legge then you shall take other two peeces of leather like the former and another cord of haire of the same length like the former also and in euerie respect as you haue linckt together his right legs so you shall also lincke together his left legs which we call his narre legs then you shall take a peece of garthwebbe and making it fast to the middest of the haire rope on the farre side you shall then bring the garth-web ouer the horses backe and make it fast to the haire rope oâ— the narre side this garth-web is but onely to hold vp the cordes from falling to the ground or troubling the horse as he goeth Now forasmuch as I cannot in wordes so perfitly describe this manner of tramelling as may giue satisfaction to those which haue neuer seene it before I thought good by a more liuely representation of these figure therof to better your knowledge in the doing it wherefore when your horse is trammelled aboue the knee he will carrie the forme of this figure Many I know will wonder at this manner of tramelling a horse aboue the knees houghes because it hath been seldome or neuer vsep by any man for mine own part I haue neuer seene it vsed by others but haue beene induced theruÌ„to out of mine own reason and practise because the faults daÌ„gers which I can any way behold to beloÌ„g to tramelling is if a horse be at first tramelled vnderneath the knees and houghes and bee of a hot and fierie spirit if then the Rider indiscreetely shal compell his Horse to goe any thing hastily or that the horse out of his own furie will not stay the leasure of the man in such a case the horse may happen at the first setting foorth of his feete to ouerthrow himselfe and then being downe what with his striuing and the strength of his tramels hee may get that mischiefe which will neuer forsake him whilest hee liues after This to preuent I would haue you in any case at the first to tramell your horse aboue knee as is before shewed you for in so doing you shall giue his legges that libertie helpe and nimblenesse that neither your owne rashnes nor the horses madnes shal bring him within the compasse of any euill as good proofe in your triall shall witnesse When your horse is thus tramelled aboue knee which in any case I would haue you doe either in some emptie barne or in some faire greene close you shal then as gently as you can lead him forward by little and little make giâ—e goe faster and faster till you see him strike into a faire amble which he cannot chuse but doe because his feete are so linkâ— and tied together that he cannot remoue any of his fore-legges but the hindmost legge of the same side must follow it you shall practise him thus to leade and amble in your hand three or foure times euerie day for the space of two or three dayes then if it be in the sommer time I would haue you turne him into some close or conuenient peece of ground thus tramelled as is before said and there let him run at grasse for the space of a fortnight or three weekes not failing but euery day twice a day to take him vp ride him either vp down the close or in some other conuenient peece of ground for the space of an houre together in which time you shal see he will get the perfite vse of his legs the true stroke of his amble without stuÌ„bling or other maner of amazement Now you shall vnderstand that this maner of tramelling horses aboue knee bringeth one other commoditie and that is it maketh a horse to stretch and put foorth his legs in large strides bringing both ease and comelinesse to his pace and not to twitch them vp sodainly and set them downe againe as if he did dance or stood stamping all in one place which fault onely proceedes from tramelling a horse somewhat too early vnder the knee and making his tramels for want of true measure a little of the straitest After you haue thus practised your horse in the tramels aboue the knee and made him both through riding and running in them at grasse day and night so perfit that he will take his pace forward both cunningly and speedily you shal then take them off and put the leathers which are vpon the fore-legs aboue the knees vnder his knees about the small of the legs some handfull or there-abouts aboue his neather pasterns and the leathers which were aboue the houghs of his hinder legs you shall put vnderneath his cambrels about an handfull aboue his fetlocks then you shall take the haire cords and when the horse stands euen and iust vpon all his foure legs each leg standing opposite and iust one against another you shall fasten them of their true length which is from leg to leg of a side vnto the iron tournels as was beforesaid so that when your horse is thus tramelled vnderneath the knee he may carry the proportion of this figure following When your horse is in this sort tramelled vnderneath the knees houghs you shall then in the self same maner as you did before when you trameld him aboue the knee first with all patience and gentlenesse leade him vp and down in your hand making him go in his tramels which will all at the first be very troublesom vnto him a great deale more vnnimble by as much as they are of more force and correction then the former as coÌ„manding the weaker and more pliant members but howe vnnimbly or vntowardly
like in proportion to the Irish Hobbie their necks crests are well raised vpright and exceeding strong their eares are little and extraordinarily short they haue exceeding strong backs broade chines and the best hoofes of any horse liuing which is the reason that they are many times trained vp made stirrers as being horses which take an especial delight in bounding yarking and other strong saults aboue ground which most cōmonly they do with such couragious violence smartnes that they haue been seene many times to throw their shooes frō their fect with an almost incredible furie they are also exceeding good in trauell and will indure iourneying beyond many other horses they are also exceeding good in the coach as some of our English Nobilitie haue experience equall or beyond most of the best Flemmish races onely their generall fault is their littlenesse of stature Next the Pollander I place the high Almaine horse who is generally of an exceeding great and high stature And albe he haue neither neatnesse nor finenes in his shape yet is there great strength in all his proportions so that howsoeuer other men esteeme him for the shorke or the manage yet I account him best for draught or burthen they are much vsed in the warres but I thinke like their Country-men rather for a wall or defence then either for assault or action they are great slow and hard trotters Next them is the Hungarian horse who hath a great flat face crooked nose and thick head great eies narrow nostrils and broad iawes his maine rough thicke almost extending to the grounde a bushe tayle weake pasternes and a leane bodie generally his deformities are so well coupled together that they appeare comely hee is of a temperate courage and will abide much hardnesse by reason whereof they are of much vse in the warres Next the Hungarian I recken the Flemming who in most of his shapes differeth little from the Almaine His stature is tall his heade shorte and thicke his bodie long and deepe his buttocke round and flat his legges bigge and rough and his pace a short hard tro the principall vertue both of the Horses and Mares is in the draught in which they exceede all other horses otherwise for the Saddle they are both vneasie slothfull the Mares are tall large and wondrous fruitfull Next these I place the Friesland horse whose shape is like the Flemmings but not full so tall he is of a more fierce hot courage then the Flemming which makes him a little better for seruice as being able to passe a short carreire to manage beat a coruet and such like but for his inward disposition it is diuelish cruell and ful of al stubborne frowardnesse they are apt to all restiffe and malicious qualities if the discretion of the ryder preuent not their frenzie their pace is a short and hard trot Next them I place the Sweathland horse who is a horse of little stature lesser good shape but least vertue they are for the most part pied with white legges and wall eyes they want strength for the warres and courage for iourneying so that I conclude they are better to looke vpon then imploy Next and last I place the Irish Hobbie which is a horse of a reasonable good shape hauing a fine head a strong necke and a well cast bodie they haue quicke eyes good limbs and tollerable buttocks of all horses they are the surest of foote and nimblest in daungerous passages they are of liuely courage very tough in trauell onely they are much subiect to affrights and boggards They will hardly in any seruice ioyne with their enemies the reason I imagine to bee these first they are for the moste part bredde in wilde races and haue neyther communitie or fellowshippe with any man till they come to the Saddle which many times is not till they come to seauen eight nine or ten yeares olde at what time the countrie rysing doe forciblie driue the whole studd both Horses Mares Colts and Fyllies into some bogge where being layde fast they halter such as they please to take and let the rest goe This wilde bringing vp and this rude manner of handling doth in my conceite ingender this fearefulnesse in the Beast which those ruder people know not how to amend This Horse though he trot very wel yet he naturallie desireth to amble and thus much I thinke sufficient touching these seuerall kindes of Horses and their generations CHAP. 3. Of the mixture of these former races for which purpose each is best and for the breeders commoditie HAuing in the former Chapter declared the kindes Generations shapes and dispositions of all such Horses as eyther our nation hath been acquainted withall or my selfe hath tryd in mine owne experience it shall bee meete that now I mixe these races together showing which will agree best with our clymate for what purpose and howe they bring the best commoditie First for the agreeing with our clymate it is not vnknowne to all Horse-men and men either of greatnesse or experience that al those races of which I haue written haue beene and are daylie bred in this kingdome and that of so great vigor worth and goodnes that euen their owne nations haue not brought fourth anie of better estimation as by infinit instances I can approue were it not both teadious and needelesse Wherefore for me to enter into a Phylosophycall discourse touching the height of the Sunne the disposition of the ayre or the alteration of heats and coldes drawing from their effects the causes or hindrances of conception were to trouble my felfe to no purpose and to tyer others with idle ceremonies But for as much as diuers men compose their breeds to diuers purposes some for the wars seruice or pleasures of great Princes some for swiftnesse in running or toughnes in hunting some for easinesse of pace and the vse of trauell some for the draught and the portage of great burthens I will as plainelye as I can show how each race should become pounded First if you couet a race for the warres or the seruice of Kinges the Neapolitan courser is of all Stallions the best to whome I would haue ioyned the sayrest English Mares that can be gotten The next to him is the Turke who would bee mixt with the Neapolitan Mare whence springes a braue race next him the Horse of Sardinia or Corscica who begettes a braue race from the Turkie Mare lastly the Iennet of Spaine breeding vpon the fayrest Flaunders Mares To conclude any of these Horses vppon faire English Mares beget much brauer Horses then of their owne kindes and fayre English Horses vppon any of these countrie Mares doe begette moste seruiceable beasts but if you will breede onelie for swiftnesse then the Barbarie Horse is onelye best breeding eyther vppon a Mare of his owne countrie vppon Turkie Mare or English the Turkie Horse vpon the English Mare likewise doth
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
inioyed both because al her powers organs and instruments of strength haue then a contrarie imployment and also because nature in foale-bearing looseth the pride and luster of her greatnes Againe if you preserue your Mare for beautie and eye-pleasure the bearing of foales vtterly taketh away that delight because the wombe being stretcht out the vdder broken and the full parts falne there is little more then the head limbs which a man caÌ„ call beautiful he therefore then which hath eyther swift mare or beautifull mare which is vnworthylie couered if he would disburden her of that euill burthen there is no course but to make her cast her Foale which although some writers holde may be doone two waies that is either by strength of hand or vse of medicine yet for mine owne part for that handy course I vtterly dislike it both for as much as I know it can neuer be done but to the great hazard of the mares life also because I haue seene some mares die in the deed dooing for that which is to bee done by hand is not to bee doone tyll the Foale be so great that it haue hayre at what time they cause one to thrust his hand into the wombe of the mare and to crush the head of the foale how monrous immodest vnnatural this is who caÌ„not Iudge but for the medieinable course it is lesse dangerous by all degrees more tollerable Yet for as much as I haue euer vsed such experymeÌ„ts but in extreamity and that the medicines are all in other mens records I will for modestie sake referre them to their writings and at his instant saue my selfe a labour in repetition aduising all Horse breeders and Horsemen whatsoeuer rather to indure the inconuenience of mischances then the mischiele of these subtile knowledges CHAP. 13. The vse of Mares when they haue foaled of the sucking of Foales and of other helpes and vses IT is to be intended that according to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are prescribed in the first chapter of this booke all your 〈◊〉 hold be in that grouÌ„d which being plamâ— and most voide of water furrowes ditches and such like is the safest from danger in foaling but when your mares haue al foaled if then you haue any fresh and vâ—bitten ground which not being racke deepe nor soft but sweete grasse short bit and hard to tread on with good shelter and fresh water it shall be good to put your race mares and their foals therin to the end that their milk may spring that your foales may come to a fulnesse of strength beautie and courage in which albe some Authors giue aduice â—o chase and rechase your mares vp and downe the ground at certain times as the best meanes to bring the mares milke into her Vdder yet I am of a contrary opinion knowing this by due proofe that such exercise doth rather hurt then good because whatsoeuer is don vnwillingly is done with paine that painfulnes takes away the sence of profite as for bringing downe the milke that the foale it selfe euer doth whom as hee sucks you shal euer see with his nose and head to iump and strike against the Vdder of the mare which is to no other purpose but to break the kernels of the mares Vdder and to haue the milke haue its passage so that to conclude I would haue your mares run with al the quietnesse that may be knowing this principle that all horses and mares which are either in lust or strength will out of their owne natures either against raine wind or stormes run chase and scope about the grouÌ„d where they pasture so that where nature is so good a helpe constraint need to be of little vse Now for the sucking of foales although one man writes that all Authors do agree that foals should suck two yeres at least nay that after the Spanish manner they shold suck til they couer their dams I for my part as I thinke all good English breeders are of a contrarie opinioÌ„ for how euer in the daies of Plinie Aristotle or Anatolius two years might be thought litle inough yet in these our dayes we find it ful one year too much wherefore leauing the variable opinions of sundrie men I coÌ„clude that in the races of Princes Noblemen and Gentlemen for a foale to sucke a yeare complete that is from his owne foaling till his dam foale againe is a time full out sufficient but for the husbandman who may not loose the worke and labor of his mare it shall bee sufficient for him if his foale sucke but full sixe Moneths complete and howe euer some men haue written that Foales sucking so small a time must necessarylie want much of their inward pythe strength and healthfulnes yet by proofe I knowe it doth not generally hould so and for mine owne part I could almost giue consent to the wayning of all foales at sixe and seauen monthes were it not for the greate danger of the Gargill and maw-worme which vnto foales wayned so young are diseases both incydent common so that in conclusion I would haue those which are of abilitie to let their foales sucke a yeare no more For those which want means to make their hazard at sixe monthes and vpward For the housing of foales at their first foaling which is the opinion of Varro and some others I am vtterly against it because as I haue formerly written the perfect Horse must euer in one yeare haue the taste of two winters and therefore in Gods name let your Foale taste the worst of winters farewell Now for the exercysing of your Foales to eate prouender after they be fiue or sixe monthes old which is likewise the opinion of Varro it is exceeding good and nothing more necessary but that the prouender shold bee either ground Barly or dride Barley and wheate branne mingled together That might in those countries wherein he was experyenst be tolerable because peraduenture there was no other choice but with vs heere in England where we haue so many choices of good foodes that foode is of all other the vildest and worst both because it affordeth the worst nutryment and also both Barly and wheat bran are of a hot burning nature ingendering hot feauers and other drye diseases The prouender best for foales then is olde Oates in the sheafe the ouer chaueing of wheate garbadge which is wheate eares and the straw chopt altogether and now and then barly in the chaffe or if your foales grow drie in their bodies and costiue then now then a sheafe of Rie amongst them This maner of feeding will not onely make them acquainted with the seuerall taste vse of meates but also breed such familiaritie betwixt them and their keepers that they wil be much more domesticall and tame then otherwise they would be which is a great benefite both to the breeder and also to him which shall be the rider but in any wise let not their keepers handle or
they will especially if they be aboue sixe months olde when they are gelt such swellings doe euer beginne fiue daies after the gelding you shall then notwithstanding someof our English writers giue precepts to the contrarie cause those Foales which doe swell to be chafed vp and downe an houre together both morning and euening till the swelling cease which it will doe in lesse then a weekes space holding this obseruation that if the foale be aboue a yeare olde when it is gelt then the more it rotteth the better and safer is the cure Now as you may geld foales so you may also gelde elder Horses nay horses of almost any age that with great safenes also as I haue diuers times approued in mine own experience without the vse or help of any oâ—er instrument or medicine then such as in those cases â—re vsd about foales Lastlye touching the manner and way to gelde foales or horses all be there bee sundry practises yet there is but one sure and perfit methodde Some there are which wil take eight or ten stroÌ„g horse â—ayres knit them fast strait about the horses cods â—oue his stones so with the continuaÌ„ce eating of â—e haires make the colts stones to rot fal away but â—is fashion of gelding I do vtterly dislike for it is both 〈◊〉 daÌ„ger to mortifie the meÌ„ber bring it to Gangeran which is deadly without cure also it is so paineful â—at neither horse nor foale can indure it without the â—azard of madnes Others vse after they haue slit the â—od takeÌ„ out the stone to cut the stone away only â—o melt a little yellow wax vpoÌ„ the roote of the strings so to anoynt the cod with fresh butter and let the â—orse or colt goe but that is not so good neither because vpon such a cure a flux of blood may followe which may kil either horse or foale The only perfit certaine way therfore to geld either foale or horse is after you haue slit the cod and taken our the stone betweene a paire of nippers made of wood for the purpose theÌ„ with a sharpe knife to cut away the stone then with a hot calteryzing yron to seare the cords strings of the stone then to melt vpon them waxe Deare-suet and Venice Turpentine made together in a plaister then to fill the inside of the cod with salte and to annoint the outside of the cod the horses sheath and all betweene his thigh his bodie with fresh butter and so to loose him and put him into a close house â—or three or foure daies if it bee a Foale or Horse of age but if it sucke vpon the Dam then turne it to the Dam the danger of the cure is past And thus much for the gelding of Horses or Foales CHAP. 18. When and at what age to take vp Colts for the Saddle and of their first vse and haltering TOuching the taking vp of Colts that they may be broke and come to the vse of the Saddle there bee sundrie opinions according to mens seuerall experiences yet there is but one most substantiall allbe the rest haue their groundes of probabilitie and reason for if when you take vp your Colt that you may make him for the vse of the Saddle you also determine at the same time to put him either to trauell vpon the high way or to the exercise of any vyolent lessons as galloping the large Ringes passing a Careyre or managing either in straite or large turnes then I say to take vp your Colte at foure yeares olde and the vantage is full soone enough or rather with the soonest but if according to the rule of good Horsemanship you intend when you take your Colt vp first onely to make him but acquainted with the saddle Stirrops garthes crooper brydle watering trench musrole martingale other such necessarie implements as are needeful in those cases And that for the Ryder the Horse shall the first Winter but only learn to know his waight in what manner to receiue him how to goe or walke vndet him and with what quietnesse to part from him making all his exercises recreations and benefites and not labors or seruices In this â—ase and with a firme resolution thus to order your â—orse you shall then take him vp at three yeares olde â—nd the vauntage which is at three yeares old and as â—uch as between the time of his foaling and the midst â—f October but if you shal faile in this course either â—ut of indiscretion or furie or finding your horses aptnesse to preceed your imagination put him to any violence or extremitie you shall not onely indanger the Swaying of his backe and the dulling of his better spirits but his ioynts being tender and vnknit make him â—ut forth wingals and bonie excressions which are splents spauens curbs and ringbones or such like wherefore the onely thing I can aduise any horseman â—nto in the whole worke of horsmanship is vnto temperance and patience especially in the beginning because the choysest time for taking vp of Colts to the saddle is in my conceite at three yeares olde and the â—antage chiefly if they bee Neapolitans Ienets Turkes â—r Barbaries and keeping the obseruations before prescribed For if horses of their breede and spirit shal run wilde and vntamed without either acquaintance with â—e man or the furniture needfull in riding till they bee â—oure or fiue yeares olde they wil be of that stubbornnesse furie disobedience that they will not only put â—e ryder to a three-fold greater trouble then the other which are but three yeares olde and vauntage but also â—pon the least contention or crossing of their natures â—ter into restise dogged rebellious qualities which 〈◊〉 reclaime asks as great labor industry as to bring a horse of good qualitie to his best perfection Againe if a man will but measure time by an euen proportion if a horse be foure yeares olde and the vauntage ere he be haltered he must of necessitie be full fiue ere he bee reclaimed from his wildnesse made familiar with the man brought to be shod to take the saddle with patience then before he be made to receue the man to haue his heade well placed and his raine right fashioned before he will trot foorth-right in a comely order change turnes on both handes trot and gallop both large and strait rings and performe other ground manages he must needes bee full sixe yeares olde Then before hee come to the vse and perfectnesse of the bytt or to perform those saults and manages aboue ground which are both delightfull to the beholders and wholsome for the health of such as haue them in practise he will accomplish full the age of seuen so that more then halfe of the horses life shall be spent in precept and instruction whereas beginning at three yeares olde and the vauntage a horse out of his youth and ignorance will
strike and yarke at his keeper with his hinder heeles or turne himselfe crosse in his stall to strike at the horse which stood next him in these cases I haue vsed it but in no other You shal whilest your colt is in taming as neare as you can suffer neither fantasticall men nor apish boyes to come into your stable who with toying or other foolish affrights may moue those distemperatures in a colt which will hardly be reclaimed In this maner as I haue prescribed for one colt so must you vse the rest one after one if your number be neuer so many And how euer other riders perswade you to take vp your yong mares for the saddle a yeare sooner then your colts yet I cannot be induc'd to be of that opinion but would haue both one age and one time of the yeare obserued in both kinds And thus much for the taking vp and taming of colts CHAP. 19. Of the cutting of Colts mouthes or tongues and of the drawing of teeth to helpe the bit to lie in his true plae THe braine of man being a busie and laborsome workemaister to bring to our desires the depth and secrets of that Art which we professe often times out of its owne contriuings brings to our â—owledge such false shapes and experiments as â—ing but onely clad in the colours of Art for loue to â—r selues and to our owne inuentions wee are wilâ—g to Intertaine them not onely as grounds but euen the arts best perfectioÌ„ Hence it hath come to passe â—t some of the best horsemen of the old-past-old-past-times â—ing got both by rule and practise more speculation this Arte then other men did not yet thinke â—eir skill great inough except they could both finde â—lts and approue reasons to controll and amende â—e worke of nature of which sort Laurentius Russius most principall who amongest his better knowledges hath set downe certaine precepts for the drawing of a horses teeth affirming peremptorily that is impossible for a Horse to haue a good or perâ—e mouth except his two tushes of his nether â—appe the two wongge teeth of the same next to â—e tushes bee first drawne out because saith hee if a â—orse bee once heated or chaft it is impossible for the rider to hold him froÌ„ running away hauing those teeth and thereupon prescribes the maner of drawing them out which should be with an instrument made for the purpose like a crooked paire of Pincers And the teeth being drawne to dresse the gums with salt or with Claret wine honie and pepper warmd together or with wine and honie onely till the sore place be whole To make answere to these allegations First that the generall proposition is not good and that the horse should not loose any teeth at all euerie one knowes that hath seene the worke of nature that in her creations shee hath not made any thing superfluous nor can we how euer out of our follies wee suggest inconueniences diminish one iot of what shee hath made but by bringing to the beast farre greater mischiefes For the teeth being the strength of his food the maintainers of his life and the instruments both of his defence and strength take any of them from him and what shall become of those powers And againe a horse hath not any one tooth which in true iudgement a man can say may bee spared for first the two first rankes of teeth which are euen before serue him onely but to cut vp and gather his meate of which in number they are not commonly aboue twelue both aboue and below and who can alow him a lesser proprotion Next those which stand higher in the vpper parts of his chaps which we call his grinders or woing teeth they are to chaw shred his food being gathered vp to make it fit for disgestion they are in nuÌ„ber commonly not aboue ten of a side both aboue and below which are so few that if you take any of them away you doe not onely take away his strength but a great part of his life also as for his foure tushes they â—e to holde in his foode as he gathers it and so to conâ—ey it vp to his grinders so that you may see euerie â—oth hath such an especial office that not any of them â—n be spared Now where hee saith a horse cannot haue a good â—outh except these teeth before named be drawn out 〈◊〉 if the bytt lying vpon the horses tushes shold by that meanes be defended from the chap so that the horse â—uing little or no feeling of the bytt should therefore â—e vnto the bytt no obedience longer then during his â—ne pleasure To this I say all Horse-men knowe â—t the true place of the byt is directly aboue the two â—shes the neather side of the mouth of the byt resting â—t vpon the tush but against the tush so that the tush â—a stay and helpe for the byt and no hindrance but the â—mer Author would haue men imagine that if the â—t rest aboue the tush that then there cannot be space â—ugh for the bytt to lie betwixt the tush and the â—ngge teeth but whosoeuer pleaseth to looke into â—t part of a horses mouth shall finde that there is full â—re inches betwixt the tush and the horses wongge â—th and I hope there was neuer any mouth of bytt â—de so broad especiallye in that part which lyeth â—on the chap. Thus you may see this curious inuention if it bee â—kt into with a right sence is both needeles and friuolous yet because of the greate authoritie of the Author I know it hath beene retayned and held authenticall by sundrie horse-men and by one of our English authors is not onely commended but also left in reâ—rd to posteritie which Author to showe the loue he beareth to noueltie hath to this deuise of drawing of teeth added another of his owne of selfe like nature and vertue and that is for as much as hee supposeth that a Horses mouth may naturally bee so shallow that the bytt cannot haue any firme resting place but shall bee inforced to lye vppon his tushes or else so inconueniently that it will much disturbe both the Horse and man hee would therefore haue you to make some expert Horse farrier to slit vp the weekes of your Horses mouth equallie on both sides of his cheekes with a sharpe raysor and then to seare it with a hot yron and so heale it in such sorte as the sydes thereof may no more grow together but appeare like a natural mouth to whome I make this answere that I imagine neither hee nor any other Horse-man hath heere in England seene a horse of that shallownesse of mouth which wold not giue place for a reasonable bytt to lie in or if they haue surely I knowe it hath beene so seldome that I holde such Horses rather of a stigmaticall then naturall proportion but suppose there are Horses of such shallownesse of mouth yet I say they ought not to
extreamitie the stroake of your rodde betweene his eares La Broue is of opinion that to take from a horse this fault and to breede in him an acquaintance and familiaritie both with other horses the vse of trauell that it is verie good now then to hunt your horse amongst other horses sometimes to follow the chase Questionlesse it cannot doe amisse in his sence and his reason is verie well to be allowde of for hee doth not meane our English manner of hunting but the French manner where the chase is neither so swift so painefull nor so long induring as ours heere in England are for to tak a horse in the fulnesse of flesh and fatte keept in the height of pride and ease and runne him but one sent after our English houndes and amongst our hunting horses beleeue it he shall be the worse for it the whole yeare after albe his keeper performe his full office and dutie but the meaning of La Broue is moderate exercise and trauel either in hunting or otherwise amongst other horses according to the abilitie of the horse brings a horse from such vilde corruprions of minde nature and to such peaceable acquaintance with other horses that neither in trauell in the land of peace nor in seruice in the warres he will show any barbarous or rude disposition CHAP. 8. Corrections against restifenes and the seuerall kindes thereof REstifnes proceedeth from two causes Nature or Custome Nature as if the horse be of base and vilde spirit or of too stout and couragious feircenesse Custome as from the tolleration and sufferance of the vnskilfull ryder who either wanting knowledge how to correct or valure to dare to correct fortefies by his ignorance or cowardise those errors in the horse which with much arte and difficultie are reclaymed Now for naturall restifnesse that which proceedeth from basenesse is when a horses exercise exceedes his owne will or that hee is a little wearyed foorth of faint spirit he immediately giueth ouer and will doe iust nothing That which proceedeth from pride of courage is when any labour exceedeth his owne appetie he immediately falles to plunge striking byting or such like thinking to ease himselfe by the disease of his ryder as for those plungings or leapings which a horse doth vse at the first mounting I holde them rather to come from ignorance then restifnesse and are soone amended Customary restiuenesse is when a horse findes his ryder affraide of him and that hee rather suffers him in his euil then dares to punish him from whence the horse takes such stoutnesse that what hee will doe hee will doe and more he will not doe euen in dispight of his Ryder Of these kindes of restifnesse that which comes of custome is the worst because it addes as it were to these another worse then any that is when naturall restifnesse and customarie restifnesse meete both in one subiect and so ioyning both their forces stretch art to his highest knowledge Wherefore to begin first with such horses as are restife out of the basenesse of their natures if such a one you chance vpon and that he will not by any meanes goe forward you shall then leade him to some straight wall and there mounting his backe offer to put him forward which if he refuse to doe you shall your selfe 〈◊〉 stil without offer of correction and make some standers by with long poales beate him about the thighes â—d legges rating him with their voyces without ceaâ—g till he goe forward which assoone as he doth let â—em leaue striking and begin you to cherish him in â—is sort let them pursue him from one ende of the wall 〈◊〉 the other seuen or eight times togither at the least â—ntill such time that with the verie motion or thrusting â—orward of your legges hee will freely and of his owne â—ccord goe forward And if at any time during this exâ—rcise he shall cast his buttockes or hinder legges from â—he wall you shall forthwith cause the standers by with â—heir poales to beate him about the houghes till he carâ—ie his bodie euen It may be at the first rather then he will goe forwarde he will runne backward but respect 〈◊〉 not let the staÌ„ders by vse stil their correction til he â—ake his way according to your owne fancie which â—one light from his backe cherish him and giue him â—omething to eate and so lead him to the stable where â—fter he hath rested two or three houres take him out againe applying him as before and doe thus three or â—oure times a day for the space of foure daies at the least and there is no doubt to be made of his reclaiming but for the vse of this in the plaine field â—or vppon newe plowed ground I holde it altogether preposterous and against Art albe Grison agree with it for the plaine fielde giueth too great libertie for other as grosse disorders and for the newe plowed ground the horses fault proceeding from weaknesse and faintnesse of nature that were euen the way to make him growe desperate in his faintnesse yet thus farre I will excuse Grison that in his dayes I thinke the vse and benefite of the straight wall was eyther not knowne or at least not practised Nowe where as some horsemen in reclaiming such horses vse al violent courses neuer ceasing beating and striking the horse till they force him to gallop and run euen to the vttermost of all his force this I dislike as much as the other for whereas in these cases of restifnesse a horse shold haue the vnderstanding of his fault giuen him in the plainest maner that might bee these violences take both from the horse the apprehension of his euill and from the man pacience to deliuer the cause of his euill Other horsemen I haue seene and it was the ancient practise of old Clifford to tie a long cord platted fast in the haires to the sterne of the horses taile and when the horse refused to go forward to haue a stander by to pull at the cord with all his force as if he would haile the horse backward whereat the horse out of his doggednesse rather then he would be haild backe would presse forward which as soone as hee offred to doe the by-stander let goe the cord and the rydâ—r cherisht the horse But if it happen so that none of these corrections will auaile then I would haue you vpon his standing still to make a stander by take a drie wispe writhe it hard about a Poâ—le then set it on a flame of fire and bringing it before the face of the horse thrust it against his buttockes and against his cods and there is no question to be made but hee will goeforward and onely to be feared that hee will doe it but with too great violence for fire of all things is that element which a horse will not indure you may if you please and if his stubbornnesse drawe you therevnto cause some
stander by to prick him in the buttock with a hot burning yron or goad but the former corrections I thinke will be sufficient Now for the horse whose restynes proceedeth from pride and stoutnesse of courage which oft is found in sanguine and chollericke complexions you muste vnderstande that his faults are plungings boundings and such fierce disorders wherefore if at any time you finde him so addicted you shall immediately put vpon him the Musroll and the Martingall binding the Musroll to such a straitnesse that when hee shall at any â—ime exceed the limits of his trench the due proportion of his best reine hee may foorth-with feele the pinching of his Musroll And if you shal till this error be reclaymed take from him the vse of the bytt and onely vse the Musroll Martingale and Trench you shal doe much better for this is a generall rule and infallible and I dare verie well auerre it vpon many sufficient and experienced trialls that any horse of what nature or qualitie soeuer hee bee I will keepe him from all disorderly plunging or leaping with the Musroll and the Martingall onely for the reason is this if a Horseman bee vppon such a restiffe horses backe and first see that the Martingall holde the horse to the orderly proportion of his reyne and then the ryder hold vp his head so as by no meanes hee may thrust it betweene his legges or win it to such a loosnesse from the riders hand that he may yarke vp his hinder partes at his pleasure then of necessitie it must folow that the horses head being held at such a constancie betweene the ryders hand which holdes vpward and the Martingale which holdes downward that there is left vnto the horse no possible meanes or abilitie to disorder by plunging Wherfore to conclude if his restifnes consist onely in disorderly plunging there is not in all the Art of Horsmanship a more infallible remedie then the Musroll and the Martingall Other remedies I know both Grison La Broue and diuers other Horsemen haue prescribed which carrie in them sufficient reason but much care more toyle and most losse of time as for exaÌ„ple to ride a horse in the open field if whilest he is in the exercise of his lessons you shall perceyue that he prepareth himself for such disorders that then vpon such imaginations you shall begin to rate him beate him about the head and vpon the fore-legs when it may fall out your thought may erre and then your corrections preceding his faults may out of desperatenesse beget a fault the horse neuer thought of so that in this your too great haste to preuent a fault you may ingender a fault And I hold it more in excusable when with lesse trouble it may bee preueuted then with the expence and losse of time hardly reclaymed Others vse to ride with a sharpe naile in their hand with which they pricke the horse continually behinde vpon the rumpe neuer remouing the punishment till the horse leaue his stubbornnesse This sounds in mine experience verie grosly for such compunctions and tortures wil euen force the best and most gentlest disposed horse to leap plunge and disorder then if a man will suffer a horse of free and stout courage nay more compell such a horse to plunge whilest he is able you shall not onely reclaime him from that vice but also from all vertues for it is the hie way to kil such a horse and of this I haue good experience for I had once vnder my hande a Mare bredde from an excellent race of Coursers which out of her hie pride and stomacke was naturally giuen to this vice of plunging which when I perceyued and noted the manner of her leaps which were euer exceeding hie and so round that she would haue fetched twentie or thirtie together all in the compasse of her length by meanes whereof shee would plunge her Riders so blinde that not any man was able to sit her my selfe beeing then young and somewhat idly witted intending to trie experiments I reclaymed that Mare onely to mine owne vse and for mine owne Saddle to which shee was as gentle and as orderly in all vses as any beast whatsoeuer but to all other men so diuelish and full of stubbornnesse that I neuer sawe any man whatsoeuer hee was that was able to keepe her backe insomuch that of diuers Horse-men I wanne diuers wagers amongst whome a Coatchman that was a stronge rough Ryder and had receyued of her two or three falles whether mooued with passion or desire of conquest I knowe not but when my selfe was at dinner and the whole housholde also hee tooke the Mare priuately with a great Horse Saddle on her backe into a straitewald place which was not aboue seuen or eight yards square and their taking her backe as he confest hee thought she gaue him aboue twentie falles but he not desisting did continue till she was able to coÌ„ntinue no longer and in the end maistered her and made her to trot about gently but the next morning I found the Mare deade in her Stall which amazing me I opened her with mine owne hands both to find the cause of her death being so suddaine and also for other experiments and I found that her rimme was hroken her cal cleane consumed and her heart swelled as bigge as fiue hearts and the blood about it as blacke as I eat which signes assured me the cause of her death but by no means it would be confest till almost a quarter of a yeare after when both griefe and furie being spent the Coach-man of himselfe declared the maner of his trial from whence I conclude that whosoeuer to a horse of right breed courage and complexion wil giue or inforce libertie of plunging he shall as mine old maister worthy maister Storie was wont to say neither euer be good horsman nor euer make good horse but if the horses frenzie and rebellious nature be either so great that the former rules preuaile not or the Riders vnderstanding so little that out of true Arte and iudgement in ryding he knowes not well how to reclayme him from these plungings I woulde then haue him to watch his horse and for three or foure nights and dayes by no meanes suffer him to sleepe or close his eyes which hee may doe either by keeping candells light in the Stable or else by some extraordinarie noyse or other diligence After he is thus ouer watcht 〈◊〉 â—e is readie to sleepe as he standes you shall take him foorth and ride him vppon some newe plowed peece of ground and if you chuse your houres for this purpose to bee at such time as the nightes are darkest It is a great deale the better and by this meanes onely I haue seene most desperate horses reclaymed prouided alwayes that you obserue in the time of your ryding to ride him with the trench Musroll and Martingall There be diuers horses which haue such euill habits of
chearefulnesse for as to horses of great mettal and couragiousnesse all torture extremitie prouocation is to be auoided so to these melanchollye and dull Iades there is nothing to bee done without violence quicknes sodainnesse of voice and helpe of correction prouided alwaies that such motions be euer attended on with such temperatenes that by no meanes they drawe the horse either into amazement or desperation but that hee may knowe that all his punishment dooth proceede from his owne sloath and disobedience And allbe I doe to the reclayming of this dulnesse prescribe you but onelie three daies labours yet you must vnderstand that if euery one of these daies works aske you a weekes worke you must not thinke much or holde your time mis-imployed For mine owne parte I haue beene my selfe three monthes in bringing a horse to spirit and lightnesse and in the end thought it the best part of my labour After your horse will trotte forward freelie with good courage stoppe and retire at your pleasure You shall then for a weeke or tenne daies onelieâ— exercise him in trotting forward or round about some greate heathe plaine or greene fiâ—lde first a mile then two mile after three mile not stopping him aboue once in a mile or a mile and a halfe by this exercise continuall labour at least once in a day or not aboue twice at the moste you shall bring him to such lightnesse of head nimblenesse of foot and sence of correction that nothing you shall put him to as long as you keep your selfe within the limits of reason will be either troublesome to you or laboursome to the horse Some there are as namely Grison and his Schollers who to the reclaiming of a horse subiect to this dulnes sloathfulnes of spirit would haue you ride him vpon newe plowde lands reasoning thus that the deepnesse of the landes will make him plucke vp his feete bestirre himselfe with more labour and so consequently bring him to more quicknesse and sharpnesse of spirite But vnder the reformation of his more auncient knowledge I am of a cleane contrarie opinion and so is also La Broue who absolutelie holdes deepe lands rough waies the worst meanes to bring a horse to spirrit or lightnesse for if dulnesse proceede from the coldnesse and weakenesse of nature ingendering faintnesse and floath then must that which bringeth foorth toyle and labour without any ease or rellish of pleasure not onelie increase that faintnes but bring it to the verie heighâ— of all cowardise as thus for example a Horse that sloathful dull in so much that you shal hardlie force him to go vpon the paine smoothest ground thinke you he wil trott in deep landes where stepping euerie foot in earth aboue the pasterne sometimes wherewith his best force hardly drawing his leggs after him shall feele nothing but toile beyond his strength no it is most impossible but forth with he growes desperate and where before vpon the plaine ground hee woulde haue gone a little by this ouer-sore vse he will neither vpon plaine nor deepe ground goe at all and from hence many times springeth the groundes of restifnes tyring basenes of courage yet I doe not somuch dislike the vse of the new plowde ground that I vtterlie prohibite it but as I discommend it for these faint dull horses so I commend it for such horses as are of too ficrie mettall who out of the pride of their courage will obserue no temper in their going but one while trotting another while prauncing and another while offering to gallop they both disorder themselues and trouble their rider for these double minded Iades whose fantastical lightnes incertain spirits transports them beyond al compasse of moderation there is nothing better theÌ„ the new plowd landes which with the labour toyle wheruÌ„to they wil put a horse they easily correct his madnes makes him with carefulnes diligence attend to his labor the wil of his rider Now if your horse haue mettall courage strength in ough only out of his stubbornnes of nature wil not shoe it you shal theÌ„ not only ride him in deep grounds but also prouide that those grounds be ascending and mountainous by labor wherupon he shal be compeld â—o take vp his feete more roundlye and with greater strength then on the leuel earth and be forced to more vse of his strength then on the other groundes which when at any time he shall slacke for such slacknesse feele correction he will forthwith thrust out the best of his powers nothing being more contrary to his nature courage then the induraÌ„ce of torment When you haue by the method before taught broght your horse to a quicknes lightnes of spirit that he wil trot freely vnder you answere to the motioÌ„ of your body yeeld with obedience to the coÌ„maundmeÌ„t of your hand yet wheÌ„ you sput him you find him no more to be moued with the sharpnes of that correctioÌ„ theÌ„ with the ease of the other helpes as if he had no more feele of your spur then of the calfe of your leg or the Iert of your stirrop leather when this you finde you must conclude that your horse is dul vppon the spur if you let him passe with that fault vnreformed then when other helps shal faile you there shal be nothing left whereby eyther to bring grace or quicknes to your horses lessons or to show by the testimonie of his obedience by what arte and rule you hold him plyant to your commaundement When therefore your horse is dull vpon the spurre you shall at first forbeare to spurre him for any sleight fault or omission but rather vse the correction of your voice or rod but wheÌ„ he shal fal into any grose error especiallie such an error whereof hee hath had fore knowledge then you shal spur him soundly that is you shall giue him halfe a dozen strokes together as neare as you can all in one place that close behind the hind most garthe making euerie stroake at the least to draw blood which done the fault amended you shall then cherrish him and by no meanes spurre 〈◊〉 againe till you haue the like occasion which once offered do as you did before thus I wold haue you doe three or foure times in a morning obseruing not by any meanes to giue that stroake which shall not fetch blood nor to spurre him for anie fault at all but such as shall deserue and haue at least halfe a dozen stroakes together Your horse being thus wel spur'd blood drawn vpoÌ„ both his sides as soone as you bring him into the Stable cause the Groome to bathe both his sides with olde pisse and salt rubbing the same into the sore place so violently that it may search into the verie bottome of the prickes This medicine will keep the sore place either from rotting or ranckling yet notwithstanding it will keepe the sore place
chiefly when your Colt is young and foolish you make an olde ridden horse to leade him the way and to treade out the rings before him for it will both giue him good encouragement and also keep him from amazement disorder yet your horse being brought to the carriage of his head to perfitnesse of his pace and readines of the way so that he will keepe an euen pathe before he come to the vse of these ringes this helpe of an old ridden horse will be a great deale the lesse needfull Some will wonder and happilie out of that wonder mightly condemne me because the fashion of my rings are different from all those showed by former authors for Grison and other writers would haue the first rings to be Ioyned together then as it were from betwixt them to goe the straight furrowe where they would haue the horse stoppe and turne about in a narrowe compasse These ringes they woulde haue to bee trodden out vppon newe plowed ground they woulde haue a certaine number of turnes to bee obserued of both handes with diuers other such like Cautions to which I am clearely opposite for first that the ringes should be ioyned together I dislike because the chang being so sodaine and vnexpected and a colt so Ignorant and vnnimble the sodainnes thereof cannot chuse but eyther breede disorder or make the colt weake neckt because such quicke changes doe euer compel the ryder to vse that reyne of the inside more then in arte it should be then when hee commeth at the ende of the straight furrowe where hee must stoppe that there he should turn about in any narrower compasse then the former ringes is against arte because a horse ought not to bee taught any straighter compasse till the larger be made perfit Next that they should be trodden out vppon new plowed ground that is no good generall rule For as before I saide It is onely but for such horses as out of the greatnesse of their courages are of such distempered humors that they will neither goe nor learne with patience which faults being as they ought to be reclaimed before hee bee brought to the vse of these ringes why after the fault is amended the horse should indure punishment I neither vnderstand nor allowe wherefore for mine owne part I would haue the ringes made on such ground as might bee most easie for the horse to treade vpon surest for soote-hold and moste pleasant for the horse to delight and continue vpon Lastly for the certaine number of turnes which they would haue obserued as so manie times two or so many times three and such like by no meanes either increasing or decreasing that I am as much against as anye of the rest for this Horsemen knowe there is no creature whatsoeuer which doth so much obserue custome or beares in his remembrance the forme and manner of thinges taught him as the horse dooth so that holding him to anye constant number or anye prescript forme when you shall eyther exceede or deminish what you haue accustomablye vsed you put such doubtfulnesse in his minde that from thence proceedeth disobedience and restifnesse wherefore for mine owne part I both haue and euer shall till I be controled by a much better master obserued neuer to obserue any certain number in my turnes but euer to proportion them according to the aptnesse strength and agilitie of my horse But leauing to discourse vppon other mens mistakings and to returne to my former purpose When your horse hath beene exercised so long vpon these two distinct and seuerall ringes that hee will pace or trot them either slowe or swiftlye with all comelines and perfitnes which commonly in a month or lesse you may bring to passe that you finde in his dooing thereof neither error nor disobedience you shall then begin by little little to make him galloppe those ringes as first in the swiftnes of his trot to gallop two or three stroakes then to trot againe then gallop fiue or sixe paces more then trot againe thus increasing by stroke and by stroke till in the endefinding in him both a willingnes an abilitie you make him gallop the wholering about taking into your minde this maxime which is allowed both by La Broue and others not by any meanes to let your horse galloppe till hee bee moste perfit in his trot least by making a confusion in his paces you vtterly disable him for any pace whatsoeuer during the time that you thus teach your horse to galloppe these ringes you shall diligentlie keepe this obseruation first not to correct him either with spur or rod for anye offence hee shall commit in galloping but vpon the appehension of any fault to stay him from gallopping and to put him into his ttott againe and in his trot to correct such ordinarie errors as shall happen as the writhing of his bodie bowing in of his necke inward or the casting out of his hinder partes Secondly you shall obserue that in his gallopping he carrie his head in as constant and firme a place and his necke with as comely and gracefull a reyne as when hee trotteth in his greatest pryde so that if eyther hee offer to thrust out his nose or topresse and hang his head vpon your handes you instantly stoppe him from gallopping and make him trot againe labouring him therein till out of the pride of his courage he will gallop and keepe his best beauty which when hee doth you shall not then continue him so long therein till he be wearie and so growe in dislik of his owne goodnes but after two or three stroakes performed to your contentment you shall put him againe into his trott and cherrish him This order obserued with care and diligence you shall make your horse take more delight in gallopping then trotting after hee feeles the ease which cōmeth by the constant carriage of his head hee will not disorder it or beare it in other place albe an ignorant ryder should thereto compell him Lastly you shall obserue in his gallopping that hee take vp his legges roundly and loftelie one after another that forelegge which is outmoste going euer as it were before the other and his hinher legges following the fore-legs one after another both closely roundly trogether the beating of his hoofes going so distinctly one after another that they make as it were a kinde of musique in their sounding To these obseruations you must accompany the helpe of your bodie which being as it were a fixt member with the horse must in euerie motion moue as he moueth without either disorder or contraritye You shall also to quick en him in his gallopping helpe him now and then with the calue of your leg or by letting him heare the noyse of your rodde ouer his head for other helpes of more violence I doe not allowe Now for as much as young horses partly out of their owne willingnesse partly out of a naturall feare they
carrying his head constantly without disorder you shall then after he hath stopped and paused a while as it were to fetch his breath and calld together his wits make him retire and goe backe in this maner First you shall drawe both the reynes of your Trench euen together a little more hard then ordinarie towards the pommell of your Saddle And if your horse happen as it is most likely out of his want of knowledge to stand still and rather presse his mouth vpon the Trench then by going backe yeeld to your hand In this case you shal immediately ease your hand with the same motion of ease drawe it tenderly in againe dauncing as it were with your handes and making them come and goe with swift yet verie soft motions till in the end hee remoue some one of his feete which how confusedlye so euer he doth yet notwithstanding cherish him that hee may vnderstand your meaning is but the remoouing of his legges which done beginne againe and labour him as before it may be then he will remoue two of his legges at which againe pause and cherrish him continuing thus to doe till you haue made him goe backe a step or two which when hee doth you shal immediately cherish him light from his backe and giue him somewhat to eate then hauing walkt vp and downe awhile you shall take his backe againe and solicite him as before obseruing that at the first beginning of this lesson you neither respect nor correct your horse because he goeth backe either ilfauoredlye or vnnimbly because this lesson of all other lessons is moste vnnaturall and fearefull as well because hee hath not the vse of his sight therein as also it is a motion quite contrarie to that he first learnd of nature so that at first you must be satisfied if he doe but go back though with little or no comelinesse After you haue brought your horse to goe backe a step or two if then he sticke and will goe backe no further you shall then by no meanes hale or pull at his mouth but vsing the former tender motions of your hand turne the point of your rodde downward before his brest not striking him but letting him feele the rod at which if he stirre not you shall then giue him a Iert or two with your rod vpon the brest if that auaile not then you shall giue him a good stroake first of the one side then of the other with your spurres at which if hee either start presse forward or goe sidelong bee not you mooued but staying him vse againe the same helpes and the same corrections without ceasing till you haue made him retyre at least sixe or seauen paces which when hee doth albe neuer somuch ill fauoredly immediately forget not exceedingly to cherrish him If it so fall out that your horse at his first beginning to learne to goe backe eyther out of his dulnesse of spirit or doggednesse of nature will not withstanding all your paine and gentill instructions eyther disobedientlie rebell or like an insensible blocke stand still without spirit or motion in eyther of these extreamities you shall make a stander-by to stand at the place of stoppe who as soone as you offer to make your horse retyre shall with a rodde in his hand threaten him but not strike him saying vnto him backe backe but if the horse notwithstanding continew in his stubbornenesse hee shall then with the bigge end of his rodde giue the Horse a rappe or two vppon the nose yet this correction I would haue to bee verie sildome vsed for feare thereby the horse grow fearefull of the man which is a vilde error but rather to make the stander-by to take the horse by each side of the Musroll and so thrust him backe but by no meanes let him handle the cheekes of your bytt albe it be the vse of many horsemen for feare the distemprature of his band breed disorder in the horses mouth After the by stander hath thus three or foure times thrust your horse backe by that meanes giuen him a full knowledge of your meaning if then your horse shall not vppon the first motion of your hand retyre and goe backe you shall then neither spare the correction of your Spurres by striking them one after another neither the vse of your rodde by Ierking him soundlye ouerthwart the brest and shinnes nor the threatning of your voice nor anye punnishment those three helpes can inflict vpon him till with obedience he fulfill your minde and retire at the first motion This lesson of retyring you shall not cease dayly to labour him in till hee bee so perfect that hee will retire when you will as farre as you will and as swiftlye as you will yea euen with such speede that taking his legges croswise nimbly and cleane from the ground hee may not onelie seeme to trot but trot indeed backward which is a lesson which showes in the ryder great art and in the horse greate nimblenesse and obedience All the obseruations you shall respect in this lesson is that your horse in his retyring carrie his head and reyne close and perfect and yeelding his head inwarde to your hand and not outward from your hand which if he doe you shall correct him by drawing the Martingale so much straiter as his head in thrusting out seemes to haue got libertie Next you shall obserue that hee retyre backe as iustlye and in as euen a furrowe as he trotted forward not thrusting his hindâ— partes awry oâ— going backe croswise or vneuen which if he doe the same corrections which are prescribed for the amendment of the like fault in the stoppe will reclaime this error in retyring Lastly you shall obserue thaâ— in your Horses retyring you a little draw your owne legs backeward yet not so much that either it may be so groslie perceiued by your beholders that you may loose the beautie of your seate nor with that closenes that you touch the horses sides and mooue amazement but in such moderate and comelie order that it may bee onely by your selfe and no other iudged then when your horse hath retyred so far as you thinke sufficient you shall immediately thrust your feet forward stiffe vpon your stirrop leathers which will presently stay him from retyring any further When your horse will stop firmly and surely with a good grace and an humble obedience and when hee will retire backe either as swiftly or as slowlye as you will and as farre as you will you shall then teach him to aduance before which is not onelye an exceeding great ornament and grace vnto all the horses lessons but also so necessary and profitable that without it a horse can neither manage turne vpon either hand or doe any other ayre or salt with beautie or comlines To aduance before is to make a horse raise both his forefeete together from the ground set them down instantly in the same place with as good comelinesse as
that I finde much strength of reason as first besides the pleasure a horse naturally takes to followe houndes of which I haue somewhat spoken before the diuersitye of grounds ouer which a horse is coÌ„peld to run as somtimes ouer plowd fields sometimes ouer plaine pastures or medowes sometimes ouer lay-lands or vpon beaten high waies somtimes amongst moale-hils and sometimes amongst broken swarth's bringes vnto him a two folde profit one in his experieÌ„ce by making him cunning vpon euery kind of earth the other by streÌ„gthning his winde giuing him new breath with the alteratioÌ„s of the ground euery horse-man hauing this care as wel for his own safegard as his horses not to let him run so violently vppon deepe and daungerous earthes as vpon smooth plaine groundes another reason is a horse that takes his sweates after the dogs takes it not suddainely or sa a man would say with one winde but temperately and at leasure the horse hardly at any time running halfe a mile together without some stop or stay for as the houndes fall in their sent so the horse staies in their running and recouering new breath takes his sweate without anye sence of paine like a man that were placd in a hot-house whereas if to his sweate should be ioynd paine and faintnesse hee would soone take dislike in his labour and not being a horse of approued mettall soone fall to tyring The last reason is that gallopping and labouring amongst other horses is such an encouragement and comfort chiefly to a young horse that he doth as it were forget his paine by seeing the labour of his companions out of an ambition incideÌ„t to horses couets many times to do more then any reasonable horseman would haue him whereas when a man takes a contrarie course it cannot chuse but bring foorth contrarie effects and so swarue both from arte and reason There is another error as grosse as the grosest whatsoeuer which I haue seene much vsed amongst our keepers of hunting horses and that is as soone as they haue taken their horses into the stable then they haue immediately laid vppon them two or three cloathes some of canuase some of wollen and some of sacke-cloath without either consideration or reason almost thinking that a horse cannot be in good keeping if hee bee not as it were almost ouerburdned with cloathes some of the best professors of this art in the worldes repute not being able to â—giue a sound reason why a horse is cloathed at all much esse why they weare so many cloathes except it be this that such a Iockie such a Florrie or such a Lorrie did so doe and therefore wee which is no good reason except horses were al of one temper indeed the truth is that if a hunting horse were of that abilitie that hee were able to indure without cloathing it were not amisse to keepe him as thinne as may bee but in as much as neither their bodies nor such extreame labors can indure nakednesse I holde it moste meete that they be cloathed yet would I haue them to wear no more then sufficient nor as if they were olde sicke or diseased to weare furrd coates in Haruest Nowe to know when your horse hath cloathes sufficient or when he is too light clad you shall keepe well this note and obseruation when you first take your horse into the stable you shall cloath him with a good single cloath of strong Canuas made long and of good compasse so that it may fould double about his hart come and tie before his breast hansomly then you shall marke how his haire lies especially vpon his necke which at that time of the yeare muste of necessitie lie plaine and smooth then after more sharpe weather begins to come in if then you perceiue his haire to begin to rise or stare then you may be assured hee feeles inward colde and it is necessarie that his clothing bee increased so that then I would haue you lay on another cloath which if it bee made of woollen it is so much the better and for any of our English horses I thinke will bee cloathing sufficient but if he be a horse of a more tender nature as eyther Barbarie Ienet or such like and that his haire notwithstanding still stares and standes vp you shall then lay vpon him another cloath making this your rule that till his haire lie smooth and flatte to his skinne hee hath not cloathes inow and when it doth lie flat though it bee but with one cloath as single as a sheete yet it is cloathing as much as he should weare Thus if you doe but looke into the true nature and disposition of your Horse and obserue but the outwarde Caracters which hee will shewe you it is almost impossible you shoulde erre in his keeping And thus much for sweating and cloathing CHAP. 11. Of making a hunting match the obseruations and aduauntages AFter you haue made your Horse cleane within and brought him to purenesse of wind great strength able performance when you finde he is able to indure out a dayes hunting soundly and to take his heates and coldes stoutly without eyther faintnesse or shrinking which is the onely testimonie and principall vertue in a hunting horse and because I haue not hitherto spoken particularly of them I will tell you before I proceede further what heats and coldes are To endure heates and coldes is when a horse hath run out a maine chase three or foure mile so that all his bodie is all â—uer of an intire sweat theÌ„ the dogs being at default or the traine being ended to haue your horse in the cold frâ—stie weather to stand still till that sweate be dried vpon his backe nay sometimes till it bee euen frozen vpon his back so that the cold may pierce him as much inwardly as before the heat did and then to breake forth into another maine chase do as much or more then he did before his courage appearing to his rider rather to encrease then decrease That horse which can doe thus the oftest together is the worthiest horse and the best to bee esteemed for I haue seene manye goodly horses that for the first chase could bee held within no limits but after the cold hath pierst to his heart his courage hath so failed him that the second chase hath craued much compulsion and in the third he hath flatly tyred which hath only beene for want of exercise and hardning Also if you see your horse after his heat when hee cooles to shrinke his bodie in and to draw his foure legs together then be assured his courage failes him and he will hardly endure another case after also if in his cooling you see his gyrths wax slacker then they were at the first so that you find his bodie and belly shrinke and grow slenderer then they were it is the greatest signe that may bee of faintnes and tyring if a hotse after he comes to be
him when hee doth as you would desire which obseruation will so fortefie him that through delight and feare hee will wholy frame his actions and motions according to your will and arte in ryding 〈◊〉 Now when you haue thus by hourely and incessant labour brought your horse by little and little as from one step to two from two to three and from three to foure to such perfitnesse that hee will amble some twelue or twentie score yardes vpon plaine ground well and truely then you shall onely by exercise and riding him euery day more and more and putting him euerie day to groundes of more incertainty and roughnes In the end make him so cunning and perfit that no ground or hie way will bee too difficult for him to treade vpon and truely thus much I must say for Ambling that as it is a motion of all motions moste easie to be taught vnto any horse so it is the hardest of all other lessons to be confirmed and made of continuance in any horse whatsoeuer except there bee a certaine naturall inelynation in the horse setled adicted to the pace of ambling before the beginning of your labour wheÌ„ce it comes that many of our horse amblers wil make any horse amble for a small road or the length of a faire or market yet when he comes to incertaine waies or long iourneyes then he is as farre to seeke in his easie pace as if he had neuer beene taught the motioÌ„ wherfore mine aduice is wheÌ„ you haue brought your horse thus from his gallop to strike an amble which euen nature it selfe driues him into that you bee not too hastye either to put him vnto foule ruttie or rough waies or by iourneying to ouer toile him in that he hath but newly learnt till by former exercise and increasing by degrees you finde him both apt able to performe as much as you shal put vnto him This method of teaching I haue seene pursued by sundrie of this profession and haue heard many arguments in defence of it against other manner of instructions but for mine owne part I thinke of it as I thinke of the former that the toile is vnorderlye the vnderstanding thereof thrust into a horse barbarouslye and the good effects which it should worke are both in certaine and void of continuance it doth as the method before described doth that is marre the horses mouth disorder his reyne takes from him all the beauties of a good countenance it puts a Horse in great danger of ouer-reaching and striking one foote vpon another from whence many times comes Quitter-bones Crowne-scabbes and such like sorances which are euer to be auoided where there is a better way to compasse that which we labour for To this manner of teaching horses to amble I may verie well ioyne another which many yeares agone I sawe practised by a Scottish Ryder whome then in my first beginning I had heard great coÌ„mendations of for this art so that wheÌ„ I fouÌ„d him curious to shoe me hisskil I haue watchd and dogd him in priuate to take notes from his riding and I found his order to make a horse amble was first to ride his horse into some deepe new plowde field and there to galloppe him vp and downe till the horse for want of winde was not able to galloppe any longer then eo giue him breath and so to galloppe him againe til he found the horse grow faint then to bring him from the lands and in some euen faire way to put him to amble by the straitning his bridle hand holding vp his head aloft so that the horse might not well see the way before him The wearinesse he had formerly brought the horse vnto vpon the deepe lands would make him vnwilling to trot the straytning of his head putting â—im forward with his spurs would thrust him faster forward then footepace and the want of seeing his way would make him take vp his forefeete in such a fashion that hee could well vndertake no pace but ambling this I haue seene him doe twice and sometimes thrice a day so that what horse soeuer he began with all in the morning hee would euer make amble before night by which meanes he got much fame and wealth but for mine owne part although I know there is nothing bringes a horse sooner to amble then wearinesse and ouer-riding yet that it should be my practise to instruct horses by such a rule I cannot but infinitelie dislike it and it needes no further discommendations then the bare title it moste properlie beares which is to make horses amble by ouer riding them and surely I thinke it was first found out either by some chollericke person who seeking to make his horse amble by one of the former rules and finding him not at the first dash to answere his expextation hath presentlie out of his furie falne to spurre and galloppe him whilst hee could stand and so almost tyring his horse hath vpon his wearines as all horses are found him a great deale more willing to amble or else it hath proceeded from such a one who riding some long iourney vpon a trotting horse in hard waies hath when the horse was wearie as it is the propertie of all horses found him of his owne accord alter his pace and fall to plaine ambling but whosoeuer or how soeuer it is or was found out for mine owne part I cannot either commend or giue alowance vnto it onely for your satisfaction deliuer the maner thereof that when your own desire shal take from you the beleefe of reason you may then out of your owne experience either allow or disalow what heerein hath beene dylated vnto you And thus much for this kinde of ambling which procedes from the worst violence CHAP. 5. How to make horses to amble by the vse of waights NOt farre different in nature though much more temperate in qualitie is this manner of teaching horses to amble by the vse of poise or waight for albe it doe not wearie a horse in bodilye labour yet it wekens makes feeble his meÌ„bers by suffering an extremitie greater then his strength is able to contend with for if his burtheÌ„ be kept within the ability of his power then it workes no new thing but keepes him still in the state of his first creation whence it comes to passe that if you will make a horse amble by waight either that weight must exceede in massines or troublesomnesse or else no more preuaile then if such weight were not vsed at all This manner of ambling is verie generally vsed in this kingdome by sundrie professors yet not all of one fashion but according to the humors or inuentions so the manner thereof doth alter for I haue seene one horseman bring his horse to amble by waight after this manner he hath first caused to bee cast in the fashion and compasse of a pasterne greate rowles or wreathes of leade of the weight of some sixe
soeuer hee goes at the first with these tramels it matters not so that you be but patient indure euery disorder in him without troble or rigor for euē the very paine which he shal feel whē he giues any disorderly twitch or straine will so molest and torment him that he will amend euerie thing of himselfe if you will giue him time without any other molestation and I perswade my self for I haue euer found it so that the former cunning which he learned in his first tramels wil haue brought him to such a perfitnesse that when these are put on hee will finde no more trouble or difficultie then if hee wore not any trammels at all but howsoeuer after you haue thus made him perfect in these kinde of Trammels that hee will leade gentlye in your hand vp and downe either as slowly or as swiftly as you please you may thē set a saddle vpon his backe and put the garthweb which holdes vppe his Trammels behinde the hinder croutch of his Saddle iust ouerthwart his fillets and then you shall mount his backe and tide him in some faire euen road halfe an houre together and then bring him home to the stable and giue him some prouender then about two houres after you shall take him foorth againe and ride him as you did before and thus you shall ride him three or foure times a day for three or foure daies together and if it be in the Sommer time if then you let him runne at grasse night and day with his Tramells on his legges and ride him as is before described it wil be much better for his pace obseruing that during al the time of your riding in this first beginning you put not any thing into his mouth but a plaine smoothe and full snaffle neither shal you by anie meanes giue the horse any chockes in his mouth or gag vp his head but beare your hand in an orderlie and constant manet like a horseman being assured that what falt soeuer the horse shall commit in his pace or the motion of his legs the tramels will correct sufficiently without any other assistance After you haue thus for a fortnight ridden your horse in these Trammels vppon plaine and smoothe grounds you shall then for the next fortnight exercise him in his Trammels vppon rough rough waies as where hee may tread sometimes in ruts or vppon broken swarthes you shall also now and then ride him ouer plowde lands and sometimes vp hils and sometimes down hils till you haue brought him to such nimblenes and courage in his pace that no ground hee can treade vpon shall come amisse vnto him you shall also this fortnight bring his pace to al the swiftnesse you can by thrusting him forward with all the life courage you can deuise and somtimes by giuing him a good iert or two with your rod or by giuing him now and then a good stroak or two with your spurs Thus when you haue brought him to the perfitnes of his pace so that he will doe it both cunninglye readily swiftly and without any stammering or strayning of his tramels so that you might verie well aduenture to ride him without any tramels at al you shal thē for a weeke before you take off your tramels if hee bee a horse which you make for any greate mans saddle put into his mouth such a bytt as shall bee fit and answerable to the temper sweetnes or hardnesse of his mouth with it you shal ride him in his tramels al that weeke three or foure times a day first vpon plain smothe grounds then by little little vpō rougher rougher til you haue exercisd him vpon euerie kinde of ground whatsoeuer and that hee wil take his pace both as readily as speedily with the bytt as before he did with his snaffle neither offering to strike falser shorter nor with faster motions then hee did with his snaffle when you haue brought your horse to this perfection so that neither exchange of way nor the exchange of byts or Snaffles moues him to anie disorder then you may boldly take away his tramels altogether and onely make good thick thumb-roapes of hay you shal folde wreath thē as you make a rush ring about the neather pasternes of al your horses foure legs which is between the cronet of the hoofe and the sewterlocks as you may see discribed in this figure following Hauing thus wispt al his foure legs and made them that they will sticke close and fast about his pasternes you shall then mount vpon him as you rid him with the tramels so you shall ride him with these wispes that is to say the first weeke you shall ride him verie gentlie and onelie keep him in a moderate and reasonable amble suffering him to take his pace of his owne accord without either your ayde or compulsion the next weeke you shall for the first three daies put your horse to the swiftnesse of his pace and make him amble out thorowlye giuing him now and then the iert of your rod or the stroak of your spurs the 3 other latter daies you shal thrust him vpō vneuē rough waies where the hollownes and incertaintie of his treading may expresse vnto you the perfitnesse and nimblenesse of his pace and in all this fortnights riding you shall carrie your bridle hand a little more constantlye and firmely then you did before when you vsd the tramels that you may be readie to helpe the horse if at any time hee happen to treade false which I am perswaded he will verie sildome or neuer do if you rightly keepe the obseruations before prescribed whē you haue thus exercised your horse with these wispes and found his pace perfect as before then you shall take away the wispes from his forelegs keep only those about his hinder legs on still and so ride him for another weeke the vertue whereof is that those wispes will both make him keepe his pace and also cause him by keeping his hinder feete neare to the ground to followe his forelegs close and make his pace more easie After you haue finished this weekes exercise also then you shall take away his wispes which are behinde and make account that your worke is fully perfited so that now you may aduēture either to ride or iourney your horse when you please and whether you please for be well assured the pace which is thus giuen vnto a horse is the moste certaynest of all other and will neither alter nor be forgot either through dfficultie or want of practise for the vnderstāding maner therof is giuen vnto a horse with such case and plainnesse the faults are corrected so instantly and with such a naturall comelines that euerie horse takes an especiall delight and pleasure in the motion and the rather when he feeles that the pace is as indeede it is much more easie to his owne feeling then the trot and as it were a reliefe vnto
Coaches yet I would haue all good Coachmen know that such motions are both vnfitt vncomelye and moste hurtfull for Coach-horses not onelye taking from them the benefit and delight in trauell but also making the Horse to mistake his corrections and when he growes to any faintnesse or dulnesse or comes into any such ground where the depth therof puts him to his ful strength nay sometimes the coach stickes wil not come away at the first twich if then the coach-mā iert them forward with his whip they presentlye fall to coruet leape refusing to drawe in their greatest time of necessitie Now for the manner of keeping them and dyeting them they are in all pointes to be drest pickt and curryed like your ordinarie trauelling horse and to haue their foode and walkings after the same manner onelie their allowance of prouender would be of the greatest size for their labour being for the moste part extreame and themselues generallye Horses of grosse nature their chiefest strengthes moste often dependes vpon the fulnesse of their bellies In iourneying you shall vse them as is before taught for iourneying horses onelie if they be either Flemish Horses or Flemish Mares and by that meanes bee subiect to paines and Scratches then after your iourneye when you haue bathed your Horses legges with pisse and Salt-peter you shall then annoint all his pasternes and Fetlocks with Hogs-grease and mustard mingled together and if he haue either scratches or paines it will kill them if he haue none it wil preuent them from growing keepe his legs cleane howsoeuer he be disposed Now for the harneysing or attyring of Coach-horses you must haue a greate care that the long pillowe before his brest be of gentle leather full round and verie soft stopt and that the little square pillowes ouer the point of his withers and tops of his shoulders bee likewise verie soft for they beare the weight of his harnesse and some part of his draught you shall see that the hinder part of your harnesse which compasseth the neather part of his buttocks and rests aboue the horses hinder houghes bee easie and large not freiting or gauling off the hayre from those partes as for the moste part you shall see amongst vnskilfull Coachmen the draught breadthes or Coach treates which extend from the breast of the horse to the bridge tree of the Coach must bee of exceeding strong double leather well wrought and sewed which till you bring your horse to the Coach you must throw ouer your horses backe cros-wise your headstall and reynes of your bridle must likewise bee eyther of strong leather or els of round wouen lines made of silke or threed according to the abilitie of the owner or the delight of the Coach-man yet to speake the truth those lines of silke or threed are the better because they are more nimble and come and goe more easily as for your bits and the proportion of your checks they are formerly discribed and must be sorted according to the qualitie of the horses mouth Now forasmuch as I cannot so sufficiently in words figure out the proportions of euery seueral part of these harnesses neither in what sort they shal be ordered because they alter according to the number of the horses two horses being attired after one sort three after another foure different frō both to giue a full satisfaction to euery ignorant Coachman I doe therefore aduise all that are desirous to better their iudgements in such knowledges to repaire to the stables of great princes where cōmonly are the best mē of this art there to behold how euery thing in his true proportion is ordred frō thence to draw vnto himselfrules for his own instruction only these sleight precepts I will bestow vpon him first that he haue euer a constant sweete hand vpon his horses mouth by no meanes loosing the feeling thereof but obseruing that the horse doe rest vppon his bytte and carrie his heade and reyne in a good and comelye fashion for to goe with his heade loose or to haue no feeling of the bytte is both vncomelye to the eye and take from the horse all delight in his labour Next when you turne vppon eyther hande you shall onelye drawe in your inmost hande and giue your outmost libertie as thus for example If you turne vpon your left hand you shall drawe in your left reyne a little straiter which gouerns the horse vpon the left side and the right reyne you shall giue libertie vnto which gouernes the horse on the right hand so that the horse of the neare side with the left hand comming inwarde must necessarily whether he will or no bring the horse of the farre side which is the right hand to follow him and in these turns you muste euer bee assured to take a full compasse of ground both according to the length of the Coach and the the skil of the horses for there is nothing doth amaze or disturb a coach horse more thē whē he is forst to turn sodainly or straiter then the Coach will giue him leaue whence hee first learnes to gagge vp his heade to loose his reyne and to disorder contrarie to his owne disposition You shall also make your horses after they haue stopt stand still constantly and not to fridge vp downe pressing one while forwarde an other while backwarde both to the disease of themselues and the trouble of others the Coachman also shall not vppon euery sleight errour or sloathfulnesse correct his horse with the ierte or lash of his whippe for that will make them dull vppon the correction but he shall rather nowe and then scarre them with the noyse and smart sounde of the lash of his whippe suffering them onely to feele the torment in the time of greatest extremitie you shall when you first intende to breake a horse for the Coach for two or three dayes before you bring him vnto the Coach cause him to bee put vnto the Cart placing him in that place which Carters call the lash so that hee may haue two Horses to follow behinde him whom together with the loade that is in the Cart hee cannot drawe away and two horses before him which with the strength of his traytes will keepe him in an euen way without flying out either vppon one side or other Thus when you haue made him a iittle tame and that hee knowes what it is to draw and feeles the setling of the neather part of the coller vnto his breast then you may put him vnto the coach ioyning vnto him an old Horse which hath both a good mouth and is of coole qualities that if the younger horse shall fall into any franticke passion yet his stayednesse may euer rule and gouerne him till custome and trauell haue perfitely brought him to knowe his labour I haue seene a Coach man who hath put too young horses vnbroken into a Coach together and I haue seene them runne away ouer-throw and breake the
ayring and also that you may haue greate respect to his dung obseruing both the temper the colour and the slyminesse and whether there come from him anye grease or no which if hee doe auoide it is an apparant signe of his foulenesse if he doe not it is a good token of his cleanesse After his ayring you shall set him vp chafe his legges and giue him a handful of bread letting him stand till nine of the clocke at night at what time as you did in former nights so you shall nowe giue him a good quantitie of breade rub his head face necke hodie and buttocks with a haire cloath stirre vp his litter and so let him rest till the next morning obseruing according to the expence of these three daies so to spend the first fortnight coursing your horse euerie third day both that you may bring him to an acquaintaÌ„ce with his race also that you may come to the better iudgement of the state of his body for if in this first fortnight you find your horse to drie inwardly and grow costiue which is the natural fault of ruÌ„ning horses then you shall vse moist washt meat the oftner put more butter into your bred in time of necessitie giue him a handful or two of rye sodden but if you finde him naturally giuen to losenesse which is sildom found in this dyetting then you shal put no butter at al into your bread you shall feede him with washt meate wel dride and giue him wheat eares both before and after his ayrings you shal chip his bread little or nothing at all let it be baked somewhat the sorer Now after this first fortnights keeping if you finde your horse a little cleaner then he was that he is strong in good lust then both for your ayrings dressings dyetings watrings and other obseruations you shal in al things do as you did in the first fortnight onelye with this difference that in your coursings you shal not be so violent or draw him vp to so hye a speede as formerly you did but play with him and as it were no more but galloppe him ouer the race that thereby he may take pride delight in his labour onelye once in each weeke that is in the midle of each weeke beeing at least fiue daies betwixt one and the other if your horse be young strong and lusty you shall giue him a sweate in his cloathes either vpon the race which you must run or else vpon some other ground fit for the purpose but if your horse be old stiffe ortainted then you shal giue him the sweates in his cloathes within the Stable the manner of each sweate is in a former chapter described and these sweates you shall giue verie earely in the morning as an houre before sunne rise that he may be coolde haue his mash giuen him and be curryed and drest soone after eleuen a clocke in the forenoone the day following the latter of these two sweates you shall earelye in the morning before you goe forth to ayre him giue him the scowring of Muskadine Sallet-oyle and Sugar-Candie as is mentioned in the booke of hunting and then leade him forth ayre him but in any case keep him not forth aboue half an houre at the most but bring him home set him vp warm tye him so that he may lie downe lay him an handfull or two of Oates before him and so let him rest till twelue or one a clocke in the afternoone at what time you shall water him dresse him and feede him as you did in the former daies of his resting After this sweate thus giuen you shall euerie third day for exercise sake gallop your horse as gently ouer the race as may be onelie to keepe his legges nimble and his breath pure till the fourth day before the day of your wager vppon which day you shall giue your Horse a sound and as my Countriemen of the North tearme it a bloudie course ouer the race then after he is colde brought home as soone as you haue chaft his legges well you shal take a mussell made of Canuase or Leather but Canuase is the better of which mussell I haue spoken more particularlie in the booke of hunting This mussell you shall put vpon your horses head fasten it between his eares yet before you put it on you shall throw into it the powder of Annyseedes wel beaten in a morter which is all the spice you shall vse about your horse and euerie time you take off or put on the Mussel you shall put more powder in This powder of annyseede is for the horse to smel vppon because it openeth the winde-pipe and sometimes to licke vppon because it comforteth the stomacke and strengthneth a horse in his fasting you shall also haue diuers mussels that when your horse with his breath and such like moist vapors hath wet one made it noisome you may then put on another which is drie and so keepe him sweete and cleanely washing his foule Mussell and drying it before the fire that it may serue at another season After you haue musseld vp your horse that he can eate nothing but what you giue him you shall let him rest for an houre or two and take away the wheate-straw from his racke not suffering him to haue any more racke meate till the wager bee past After hee hath stood two houres you shall come to him and giue him two or three handfâ—ll of wheate eares and after them a sweete mashe then mussel him vp againe and let him stand till it be betwixt twelue and one a clocke in the after noone at what time you shall first take off his cloath and currie dresse him verie sufficientlye then hauing cloathed him vp warme againe you shall take off his Mussell and giue him out of your hand bit by bit to the valewe of a pennie white loafe of your dyet bread then you shall giue him in a clean dish the valew of a quart of water theÌ„ you shall giue him as much more breade then offer him as much more water and thus giuing him one while breade another while water giue him a good meale according to the constitution of his bodie and the strength of his appetite then put on his Mussell and so let him stand till betwixt fiue and sixe of the clock in the euening at what time you shal take your horse foorth to ayre him and after he is ayred you shall bring him home and hauing chaft his legges you shall take a cleane boule or tray of wood for you must vnderstand after your horse is put into the mussell you shall suffer him no more to eate in the maunger and into that boule or tray you shall put a good haÌ„dful of Oates washt in the whites of egs dride which if you perceiue he eates verie greedilye you shall then giue him another handfull and so a third then in a dish you shall offer him a
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
askt of his Maister what meate hee had giuen the Horses made aunswere Lambe-pye enough Maister And truely could it feede them as well as it puts them in affright a Horsecorser might very well spare other foode for howsoeuer they get meate it is most assured they neuer want blowes Now when they haue thus beaten their Horses souÌ„dly in the house that they will start flye and leape against the VVals then bringing them into the common rode where the Horsecorser vses to ryde his Horse for the sale which is not aboue forty or threescore yards in length you shall see him no sooner set his Boy or Seruant vpon the Horsses backe but presently ere the Boy bee well setled you shall see the Horsecorser giue the Horse two or three good blowes vpon the sides with his Cudgell and the Boy also to augment his Maisters torment will no sooner haue his Legge ouer the Horses backe but both his Spurs shall be fast in his sides and if the poore Iade through these torments chaÌ„ce to whisk his taile which is a plaine signe he doth nothing out of his free Spirit you shall see the Horsecorser giue the Horse such a stroke vppon the very sterne of his taile that as if hee would euen break it in peeces he will make the Horse hold it so close to his Buttockes that to the death hee will not moue it which will deceiue a very good iudgment touching his mettall Thus by these torments you shall see him bring his horse to such a sencible fearfulnesse that for the ordinary rode of a Faire or a Market he will make him go with such spirit and madnes of passion that as if he had no feete but wings you wil rather feare his fury then his dulnesse whereas when either he shall come to temperate keeping or ordinary trauell you shall soone finde by his tyring how those false Fyers were created Another tricke Horsecorsers haue to make their Horsses being dull to shew braue Spirits and that when all other meanes fayles them will quicken them vppe for the length of a roade as long as there is any life in their bodyes and this it is They will take a very fine sharp Nalle and raysing with their finger and Thombe the skinne from the flesh vpon each side of the spurre veine euen iust in the common spurring place pricke the skinne through twice or thrice and then they will take the powder of Glasse beaten as small as is possible to be gotten and with it rub the places that were prickt so that the powder of the Glasse may enter into the hoales and then lay the haire smooth and plaine againe this will bring the Horse to such a sorenesse and tendernesse of his sides that it is worse then death to him to haue any thing to touch them so that whether a Man haue spurs or no Spurs yet the horse will goe and shew Spirit beyond all expectation onely this you must obserue that whensoeuer you dresse your Horse thus in the Morning that then at night you annoint his sides with Turpentine and the powder of lett mixed together and his sides will be as well within twelue houres as if they had neuer been poysoned And for mine owne part I haue tryed this tricke vppon a Iade which hath beene tyred by the Hye-way and I haue found him that where before the more a Man spurred the sooner hee would stand still Now if a Man did but make offer to touch his sides he would shew quicknesse and striue to goe with more willingnesse then when hee was first taken forth in the morning Many other deceites they haue to quicken a dull Iade but these are the most vsuall and do soonest deceiue a plaine meaning Now if his Horsse haue beene formerly foundred or frettized vppon his feete then bee sure before hee brings him to any great shew for the sale he wil chafe ride him vp and downe at least halfe a quarter of an hour before that hauing gotten heate and warmeth into the horses limbs he may then bring him to the view of any man and as long as the horse is hote or treades vppon soft ground a very good eie shal hardly perceiue imperfection in his feete and if a Horse-courser haue such a horse you shal see if at any time he chance to set hâ—m vp he wil not yet let him stand stil but he wil euer be beating or stirring him and if his hoofes be rugged or wrinkled as frettized hoofs for the most part are so that if a horseman shal see them he wil easily discerne his faulte or if the horse haue ring-bone paines scratches splents or anye eie-sore about the neather ioynt then the first thing the Horse corser doeth is to ride his horse into the durt and by dawbing his legs to hide his faultes if the horse be subiect to swelling in his legs then the first thing the horse-courser doeth is to ride his Horse into some water or to bathe the horses legs with cold water for that wil keepe downe the swelling til his legs be drie againe If the horse haue had any secret strain in the foreshoulder the horse-corser wil ride him very seldome when he rides him you shal neuer see him turn him narrow but both vse him gently and take large compasse If the horse haue a little halt it is the tricke of the horse-corser that looke vpon which foot he halteth from that foot commonly he wil take off his shoe or with his knife cut off a little of the skinne from his hecle and then not forbeare to protest that his halt is the want of the shooe or else by reason of that smal ouerreach which in anye mans eie wil bee of no great moment and yet make a good Iudgement thinke it is the cause of his halting If the horsse haue the Glaunders and haue run at the nose for many yeares before so that it is become in common experience in curable and that the horse is neare his last date in this case the horse-corser wil not faile but in the morning before his horse goes to the sale hee will first blowe into his Nosthrils a good quantity of Neezing-powder then take two long feathers of a Goose winge and dipping them either in the iuice of Garlicke or in a little Oyle de-bay thrust them vp into the horses Nosthrils euen to the top of his head and rub them vp and downe then after hee hath cast the filth out of his Nosthrils a good space the horse-corser will take of garlick a good quantity beeing well brused in a Morter and a good quantity of strong mustard and mixing them well with new Ale he wil with a horne put some thereof into each of the horses Nostrelles and so holde it in with his hand by keeping his Nosthrils close together and then after his horse hath neezd and sneard a space the filthines wilstop and then the horse-corser wil ride him forth for t is most
company is about him anie of these constant and vnsprity carriages are signes of dulnes wherefore when you discern any of them in a horse you shal presentlie make the rider to alight from his backe and as if you would view the horse you shal laie your hand vppon his Buttockes thighes and sides and as if you wold trie the loosnes of his skin you shal pluck it from the Flesh and if you finde he starts or is displeased thereat be then assured that horse hath been soundlie beaten You shal also with your hand pul vp the skin in the spurring place and if you find he either choppes downe is heade as if hee would bite or that hee shrinkes his bodie Whiskes his taile or shakes his heade it is an euident token he hath had his sides rubbed with Glasse or something else to make them tender Or if these obseruations cannot satisfie you then the best course is to ride the horse your selfe and if vppon the verye first mounting him you find he is al spirite and mettle you shal then ride him foorth of company and when you are alone giue him leaue to goe at his owne pleasure without forcing him and if then you finde that of his owne accord he is willing to be temperate and that he is euer most madde when he is in most company then you may be assured that horses mettle is not his owne but hath absolutely bin forest into him either by beating or some worse practise besides if it be his owne mettle yet it is a true rule that the more extreame furious a horse is the lesse wil be his indurance in trauel neither is he woorthy of any confidence wherefore euer your best spirit is that which is most temperate that wil neither giue any signe of sloth nor easily be moued to any violence Now after you are resolued touching his mettle and inward spirit if then you would knowe whether he haue bin foundred fretized or be vnsound of any of his limbs you shal attend til the horse-corser set him vp in the stable and after he hath stood a while you shal mark the maner of his standing when no body troubles him and if you perceiue him first to ease one foot then another and that he cannot stand a mynute of an houre togither without hitching from one foote to another as if he would dance then you shal be resolued that questionles that horse hath either bin fretized or foundered and hath stil remaining in his feete a most vnnatural heate for the sounde horse you shall see stande constantly and euen vppon all his feete without anye signe or shewe of wearinesse in his feet which a horse that is thus tainted is not able to endure But if you perceiue that he doeth not hitch and moue thus from foot to foot only he thrusts one of his forefeete more from him then the other or treades not so surely vpon one of his hind feet as vppon the other if this you do behold then be assured that that horse hath had some il and dangerous straine the anguish whereof remaines stil amongest the bones and sinnewes yet that griefe is euer in the neather and not in the vpper ioynts as for younge splents Spauens Ring-bones Curbes Paines scratches or any such sorance as durt or myre may couer bee sure to see the horse when his legges are cleane and if your eie cannot pierce deepe enough into the imperfections be not ashamed to let your fingers make a search and they wil discouer whatsoeuer haire or skinne keepes hidden if either you know what the diseases are or can iudge of them when you feele them If you feare him for hauing gowty and sweld legges you shal then watch to see him when his legs are dry or after he hath stood an houre or two vnstirred or earely in the morning before his legs bee wet and he wil easily discouer such a soraunce but if you cannot come to the sight of the horse at such conuenient times you shall then as you handle the horse about the nether ioynt euen close by his fetlocke with your finger and your thumb presse the flesh very hard where you find it thickest and if after you haue prest it you feele anye dintes or hollownesse where your Thumbe or Finger laye then you may very wel be assured that that horse with the least Trauel will haue gowty and swelled legges for though cold water and labour do disperse the humor yet in the neathet part of the ioynt will euer remaine some naughty substance If you seare the Horse for secret staines as those which are in the shoulder in the Hippe and in those vpper parts of the Lymbs you shall then take him by the Bridle and setting your backe to his shoulder turne him once about in as straight and narrow a compasse as is possible first of one side then of the other and as hee turnes you shall marke how hee handles his feete and if you finde he brings not his outmost Legge ouer his inmost but that his inmost Legge failes him so that hee dare not firme it vppon the ground but moues it both out of due time and in an vncomely order it is then a manifest token that he hath had some straine in the vpper part of that Legge which hee dare not trust vppon the ground in a straight turn because such narrow turnings do euer writh and aproue the vpper ioyntes onely As for halting and couering it with vaine excuses the best discouery thereof is neuer to trust a Horsecorsers protestations but the more he vowes the lesse do you credit him and so by mistrusting the worst that may happen you shall preuent a mischiefe that would happen Now if you feare any Glanders broken wind consumption or other inward infirmity you shall with your hand grype him very hard about the Wessen pipe close by the root of the tongue and so holde him a good space till you compell him to cough twice or thrice then if assoone as hee hath cought you see him beginne to champ or chew with his teeth as if he did eate something which indeede is nothing but filthinesse which his coughing brings vp then it is an aparant signe that either he hath the Glanders or some inward growne cold if his cough be hoarce it is a signe of corruption and putry faction in his lungs but if it be dry clayn and hollow it is a great signe that his winde is tainted which by the beatyng of hys flanke after a little labour or by the swift motion too and fro of his tayle you may more plainly dyscerne for if his wind be sound then his flank will ryse very slowly and his taile will not be seen to moue but at great leasure And from these obseruations you shall discouer a World of such deceites which do depend and are coherents to his former mischeefes As for mone eyed Horsses which some call the Lunatick eyde as it is a disease
vppe and downe and shewed both to Princes and to the common people which were so farre beyond conceit that it was a generall opinion and euen some of good wisedome haue maintained the assertion that it was not possible to bee done by a Horse that which that Curtall did but by the assistance of the Deuill but for mine owne part I knowe that all which so thought were infinitely deceiued and these two reasons leade mee thereunto that first I perswade my selfe the Man was exceeding honest And secondly that I know by most assured tryals that ther was no one tricke which that Curtall did which I will not almost make any Horse do in lesse then a months practise and that for as much as euer I saw him doe which I perswade my selfe was as much as other Men I euer found a dyrect rule and Method by which the Horse was gouerned and dyrected And thus much I thought good to write touching the excellency of a Horses aptnesse and vnderstanding CHAP. 5. How a Horse may be taught to doe any tricke done by Bankes his Curtall ALthough La Broue do much discommend and dispraise the teaching of a horse to do these vnnecessary and vnnaturall actions which more properly do be long to Dogges Apes Munkies and Baboones yet because Mens natures are so apt to delight in nouelties in as much as I desire to giue satisfaction to all humours whatsoeuer vpon profit and reason and because these vnprofitable to yes shew in a Horse an extraordinary capacity an obseruant feare and an obedyent loue all which are to be esteemed worthy qualities I will shew you in this breefe relation by the example of two or three tricks how you shall make your Horse to doe any other action as well as any Dogge or Ape whatsoeuer except it bee leaping vpon your shoulders climbing vppe houses or vntying knots all which are contrary to the shape and strength of his greate body but for fetching or carrying as commonly Dogges doe for counting numbers with his feete or for chusing out any particular person amongst a multitude or any other such like motion those you shall perceiue are to bee taught with great ease and assurance if a man will imploy his labour thereunto and not neglect the principall obseruations which necessarily depend vpon such instructions You shall therefore know that if you will haue your Horse fetch and carry either Gloue Handkerchife Hat or any such like thing you shall first bring your Horse to an especiall loue fear and knowledge of your person by this meanes You shal not suffer any Man whatsoeuer to rubbe dresse or so much as to speake to the Horse but your selfe only neither shall you let him haue any foode Drinke or other nourishment but what he receiues from your hand and to that end you shall continually keepe him in the Mussell you shall seldome bee from him but either picking or trimming him you shall when you walke abroade take him in a string abroade with you and make him so conuersant and familiar with you suffering no other Man to giue him either faire word or faire looke that in the end the Horse finding that hee receiues neither food nor comfort from any Creature but your selfe he may so wedde his inclination vnto yours that as if it were a Dogge which would follow his Maister so you shall make your Horse to attend and followe you vppe and downe whichis an easie thing to bring to passe as you may perceiue by many foot-cloath Horses in the Cytty vvhich onely through a little custome will follovve their keepers vvhethersoeuer they goe novv you must obserue that vvhilest you make your Horse thus to loue and delight in your company you must also make him stand in awe and feare of your displeasure correcting him euer with a sharpe rod when he doth any thing contrary to your will and both cherrishing him and giuing him something to eate whensoeuer hee doth any thing to your liking and in correcting him you must euer obserue to acquaint him but with one torment as if it be with the Rodde then you shall by no meanes vse Whippe Cudgell or to strike him with your fists and to this actuall torment you shall euer adde but one word of terrour or threatning so likewise in cherrishing besides foode you shall vse but one manner of clapping or clawing him nor but one certaine worde of encouragement for as the vse of many wordes many corrections and many chirrishinge makes him he can neither vnderstand any word any correction or any cherrishing perfectly so the vse of one single worde certainely to one purpose makes the Horse as perfitly by custome know the meaning thereof as your selfe that speakes it as thus for example If your Horse out of ignorance bee about to doe contrary to your will then to vse this word Be wise at which if he do not stay and take better deliberation but wilfully pursue his error then to correct him and vse this word Villayne or Traitor or such like so you vse but one word and when he doth as you woulde haue him to cherrish him and vse this word So boy in a short space you shal bringe him to that knowledge that he wil wholy be directed by those words and your commaundement you shal neuer at any time giue him any food but when he doth something to deserue food that knowing alwaies the cause why hee hath foode hee may with more diligence regard and obserue you in whatsoeuer you do Now when you haue thus made your horse acquainted with obedience and louing vnto you ready to obserue euery thing which shal proceed from you when he knowes perfectly the diuersitie of your wordes and the cause of your great tormenting and punnishing him when you haue brought him to an empty body an hungry appetite so that euen for his belly sake he wil dubble his diligence for it is a general rule that neither flying Hawke nor setting Spanyel must bee kept more empty then a horse in this case then you may begin to teach him to fetch your gloue first by making him take your Gloue into his mouth and holding it then by letting the gloue fal to the ground and making him take it vp and lastly by throwing the gloue a pretty way from you and making him fetch it and deliuer it vnto you euery time he doth to your contentment yow shal giue him two or three bits of bread and when he offends you then two or three strokes or if you finde him verye wilful or vnapt to conceiue then as soone as you haue corrected him you shal put on his mussel and let him stand for at least six hours after without meat and then proue him again yet you must haue great patience in teaching him at the first and not leaue him by any meanes til he doth something fashion himselfe to your liking and after once you perceiue he doeth vnderstand you then if he doe
amisse you must by no meanes ouerslippe punnishment for the greatest difficulty is in the firste entrance to learne and whether he doth wel or il or whatsoeuer hee doeth you shal by no meanes chaunge your words or vse more speech then what he perfectly vnderstandes Til hee wil very readilie receiue your gloue you shal by no meanes make him take it from the grounde and til he wil take it from the grounde as quicklie as you can let it fal you shal not by anie means make him fetch it for to haue two lessons imperfect at once wold make a confusion in the horses memory and before you make him perfect in anie of these three you shal by continuall vse and calling vpon him make him know his own name so that whensoeuèr you pronounce it he may whatsoeuer he is doing lift vp his head and look you in the face which is a signe he attends your pleasure and to bringe al these thinges to passe there is no other Arte to be vsed then labour and industrie ioyned to the obseruations al-l readie prescribed and there be some horses which after they are acquainted with the man and his meanings will performe al this in lesse then one weeke other horses I haue seene which haue bin a month about one of them wherefore when you wil try these conclusions you must not think much with anie labor When your horse wil receiue your gloue take vppe your gloue and fetch your gloue you shal then make him carrie a Gloue whether you wil in this sort first you shall make him receiue it in his mouth and then pointing out a place with your rod you shal say vnto him Deliuer and not leaue repeating that word sometimes more sharpely sometimes gently til he lay or at lest bow his hed down with it to that place where your rod pointed and then you shal cherrish him and giue him bread thus you shal labor and apply him euerie houre when he is hungry till you haue made him that he wil carrie to anie place against which you pointe your rod and when you saie Deliuer then to let it parte from his mouth Now you must obserue that whilst you teach him thus looke to what place you point your rod to that place also you must most constantly place your eie not remoouing it to anie other obiect til your wil be performd for it is your eie and countenance as wel as your words by which the horse is guided whosoeuer did note Bankes curtal might see that his eie did neuer part from the eie of his ma ister when your horse wil thus by the directions of your rod and your eie carrie anie thinge you will to the place you shall appoint him vnto then you shall so hourelie practise him therin that in the end if you do make neuer so slight a signe with your rod so your eye be constantly fixte yet the horse will beare it towardes that place which as oft as hee doeth you shal cherrish him and giue him food then you shal cause two or three by-standers to stande a prettie distaunce one from another and then giuing the horsse the Gloue you shall with your rod point at him to whome you woulde haue him carrie it and assoone as hee comes neare or but towardes the party you point at he shal put out his hande and receiue the Gloue from him and you shal then cherish the horsse and giue him breade and thus you shall do to euery seueral By-stander diuers and sundry times till the Horse bee so perfit that he will goe to which or whom you will point at and when he doth erre neuer so little you shall not faile first to bid him Be wise and then if he amend not instantly to correct him this done you shall make two by standers to stand close together and then poynting at one of them if the Horse mistake and looke more towards the other you shall byd him Be wise and then if he turne his head towards the other hee shall presently receiue the Gloue and you shall cherrish the Horse this by labour and practise hee will grow so eunning in that if there be neuer so great a company looke but vppon what you fixe your eye or to what obiect you beare the point of your rod to that onely the Horse will carry what is deliuered him wherin you are but only to help him thus farre that when he is neare the party you giue him comfort and cause the party to take what the Horse bringes then after to giue a greater grace to the action or to make fond people wonder you may blind-fold the Horse and taking any mans Gloue in secret after vnblindfold him and bid the Horse beare the Gloue to him whom from you took it which by the direction of your eye and rod he will presently do Now if you will teach your Horse to reckon any number by lifting vp and pawing with his feete you shall first with your rodde by rapping him vpon the shin make him take his foote from the ground and by adding to your rod one certaine word as Vp or such like now whē he will take vp his foote once you shall cherrish him giue him Bread and when hee sets it vppon the ground the first time you shall euer say one then giue him more bread and after a little pause labour him againe at euery motiō giuing him a bit of bread til he be so perfit that as you lift vp your rod so he will lift vp his foot and as you moue your rod downeward so he will moue his foot to the ground and you shall carefully obserue to make him in any wise to keep true time with your rod and not to moue his foot when you leaue to moue your rodde which correcting him when he offends both with stroakes and hunger he will soone be carefull to obserue after you haue brought him to this perfectnesse then you shall make him encrease his numbers at your pleasure as from one to two from two to three and so fourth till in the end hee will not leaue pawing with his foote so long as euer you moue your rod vp and downe and in this by long custome you shall make him so perfect that if you make the motion of your rod neuer so little or hard to bee perceiued yet he wil take notice frō it and in this lesson as in the other you must also dyrect him by your eie fixyng your eyes vpon the rod and vppon the Horsses feete all the while that you moue it for it is a rule in the nature of Horsses that they haue an especiall regard to the eye face and countenaunce of their keepers so that once after you haue brought him to know the helpe of your eye you may presume he will hardly erre except your eye misguide him and therefore euer before you make your Horse doe any thing you must first make him looke you
then the setting on of the pommell Diuers horsemen vse and it is also the opinion of Grison when they take from the Horse either the headstraine chaine or Cauezan to put to the eyes of the bytt false reynes for they correct a horse if his head be vnsteadie incertaine or wrything to one side or other and of this opinion also is absolutely La Broue from both which I thus farre differ that I would not haue the false reynes put to the eyes of the byte for theÌ„ the false reyne and the perfect reyne worke so contrarie one to another that which of them you moste vse from the other you take all his opperation as for example if you will beare your horse vpon his bytt then cannot your false reynes be felt or serue they for any purpose because then the Kurbe is in vse which kurbe cannot bee felt when the false reynes are vsed for the drawing in of the false reynes draweth the Kurbe from the lip whereas when a horse comes to be ridden onely with the bytt the Kurbe should neuer bee from his feeling as the thing of most delight and commaundment and againe the false reynes thus placed doe so drawe the mouth of the bytt out of his due place and sometimes so presse the lippe with the straitnesse of the cheeke that I haue found them rather the begetters of thâ—se vices then the reformers and yet I doe allow the false reynes both for an amender of these falts and for the moste principall instrument to breed the best acquaintance betwixt the Horse and the bytt but then I would neuer haue them vsed but to the smoothe Cannon made with the flying Trench and the false reynes to be put onely to the flying Trench the figure and vse of which bytt you shal see in his due place Now to proceede to the vses fashions and properties of seuerall byts you shall vnderstand that the first bytt a Horse shold weare should be a smoothe Cannon for it is of all byts the sweetest as carrying in it no offence or dislike the fashion wherof is contained in this figure following The plaine smooth Cannon This Cannon ordereth and sweeteneth the Horses mouth helpeth to settle the head fashion the reyne and bringeth pride and lightnes to his pace but for asmuch as nature is a diuers worke woman and giueth not to euerie creature euerie perfection but that in euerie member there may be some imperfection it shal be necessarie for the horseman to haue a diligent eye to euerie part of his horse especially to his mouth whence commeth the ground of all order and disorder and if hee shall perceiue that the tongue of his horse shall be so vnnaturally bigge and round that this plaine Cannon consisting of euen proportion shall lye so hard pressing vpon his tongue that it robbe him of his delight which both your eye may discerne if you looke and also the effectes will show which are gaping wrything the mouth or thrusting out the tongue you shall then make your Cannon with aduauntage according to this figure in the next page The Cannon of aduantage This mouth for this purpose La Broue commendeth and his reason is exceeding good for it giueth libertie to the tongue offendeth not the barres and keepeth the mouth in tendernesse and sweetnesse but where he proceedeth further and for a more libertie to the tongue giueth allowance to the cannon with the vpset mouth made in fashion of this figure The Cannon with the vpset mouth To this I can neither out of mine experience nor reason giue any authority for I haue euer since I could first gouerne a brydell beene mearely opposite to all vpset mouthes ports trenches and byts of crueltie as holding them rather to be inuented eyther to showe caprytchyousnes of câ—ing mens braines or else to busie the byt-maker with superfluous worke or to make the ignorant beleeue there is a curyositie in the arte more then either sence or reason can diue into as I will declare heere after more amplye yet if such an imperfection be in the greatnesse of the horses tongue that it must of necessitie haue more libertie then the second figure of the Cannon can allow I then thinke it not vnfit to make vse of this other Cannon made all of one peece which many yeares a goe I haue found to good purpose and now finde it by La Broue commended to eternall memorye the figure whereof is this This mouth giueth all libertie possible to the tonge presseth not the gums nor draweth in the lippes but giueth that spatiousnesse to euerie seuerall member of the horses mouth which can be desired Now after you haue made your horse perfect vpon one of these mouthes which neuer should bee vsed without the helpe of the Cauezan then the next bytt you shal vse and which is the first bytt wherewith you should ride your horse without any other help is the smooth Cannon with the flyâ—g trench made according to this figure The Cannon with the flying Trench This Cannon with the flying Trench is of al bytâ—s the onely assured best for the finishing and making vp of your horse for it consisteth of as much helpe and correction as anie of the former cannons doe with the helpe of the Cauezan and all those helpes and corrections being within the mouth and both naturall propper to euerie bytt breeds that knowledge and vnderstanding in a horse that no other doth for this flying Trench is to be made in all proportion like a plain full english Snafle hauing at each outward end a round ring whereunto you must fasten your false reynes which false reynes in ryding you must hold in this sort the left side reyne you must lay vpon the perfect reyne of your bytt vnder your thumbe the right side reyne you must holde of euen length with the other in your right hand vnder your rod and when you will haue your horse to feele the bytt and Kurbe you shall rayse your hand vp to the top of the Saddle pommell and when you wil sweeten the Horses mouth by easing the Kurbe and bytt you shal descend your hand to the wythers of the horse for raysing your hand drawes vp the reynes of the bytt and le ts loose the false reynes and putting down your hand drawes strait the false reynes and eases the bytt by which meanes you may keepe your horse in what sweetnesse and temper of mouth your selfe best please This flying Trench is a great helpe to a Horse in all his Turnes and Manages and a correction when hee refuseth the exchange of eyther hand it keepes the head staide the mouth from wrything and the lippe from being suckt inward to withstand the Cannon When your horse is absolutelie perfect vpon this byt both in euerie turne of each seuerall fashion all kind of Manages short and long each Salt ayre or other motion aboue ground according to the nature abilitie or aptnes of the horse you shall
then forbeare to ride him any longer with the Cannon for to holde him to that mouth continuallie or to iourney him therewith would in time bring his mouth to an insencible dulnesse both by reason of the smoothnesse and fulnesse and also for want of a little pleasant roughnesse which should sometimes in trauell reuiue and quicken the horses sences A gaine though euerie horse ought and will be brought to perfection and perfitenes with the Cannon yet shall the carefull ryder during the time of his instruction finde such diuers tempers of Horses mouthes some being too tender in generall some too hard some tender below hard aboue some hard belowe tender aboue with diuers other infirmities some cōming from nature some frō custome and some from other euill habits that he shall be constrained to trie his best wits to finde a bytt sutable and fit to amend the faults of which hee shall haue plaine vnderstanding wherfore to make you acquainted with other byts that you may helpe such errors as you finde I will heere deliuer mine opinion If your horse be of a temperate and good mouth sweete sensible and without fault then the next byt you shall vse after the Cannon shall bee the plaine Scatch the figure whereof is this The plaine Scatch with a watryng chaine aboue But if your horses mouth be shallow and not great yet very tender and good then instead of the Scatch the Mellon of some cald the Oliue byt is the next best byt hauing onely a watering chaine aboue and those mellons or Oliues must be very smooth and full of holes which the Horse wil take great pleasure to sucke and champe vpon whose figure is this The Mellon or Olliue But if your horse doe sucke in his lippe to defend the byt from his gums if his barres be tender and his gums a little hard or if he put out his tongue you shall then take that bytt which is called the peare bytt whose figure is this The peare bytt But if your Horse sucke vp his tongue haue hard Barrs a large mouth or if he defend very much with his nether lippe or wryth his nether chappe you shall then take that byt which we call the Campanell and it must be round and imbost but if his mouth be litle and straite the bytt must be flat both which shapes are comprehended in this figure The Companell or Bell byt If your horse haue a hard drie mouth couets by lowe reyning to rest and lay euen the waight of his heade vpon his bytt as if hee disdained to beare anye part of his owne burthen or if hee continue the thrusting out of his tongue and will not be reformed then you shall take a Scatch with two turning rowles which is the hardest bytt I would wish any hors-man to vse and is made in the fashion of this figure following A Scatch with turning rowles For the same faultes for the which this Scatch with turning rowles is to be vsed I haue seene some horsmen vse that bytt which wee call the Bastonet or Ieiue bytt which is made with rounde buttons or great rough rings made high like wheeles and sometimes filed rough like a Sawe sometime sharpe like the rowel of a Spurre but of what fashion so euer it be it is naught nor of any great vse but amongest such as are tyrants ouer horses yet for satisfaction sake and that you may know it to eschue it the fashion of it is conteyned in this figure The Bastonet Of all these byttes both Grison La Broue and some others haue written verie largely skilfully thinke them as indeed they are mouthes sufficient enough and diuers enough for any horseman to approue anye practise with But for mine owne part I haue in mine experience both prooued and taken especiall note of two other byts which they haue omitted and haue found them to exceede almost all these other byts for some especiall purposes The first of which byts I cal the Ball byt or poppie byt because the cheife peeces are made round like a ball yet smoothe and inden'ted like those round heads which containe the seedes of poppie the fashion whereof is presented in this figure The Ball bytt or poppye byt The other I call the ryng bytt for it consisteth all of ringes one smoothe the other rough and mingled with sundrie small players according to this figure in the next Page following The ring Byt. Both these Byts are exceeding sweete and good for a perfite mouth they make a horse labour his nether lippe take delight in the Kurbe and keepes his mouth close but of the two the ring byt is the harder for being all of one equall bignesse it presseth the tongue and gummes more and were it not for the moouings of the Rings it were a byt of great extremitie and might verie well haue place of the hardest but beeing as it is it is of a good composition and will breede obedience euen in the stubburnest nature These two byts I haue founde aboue all other most excellent for tracconers I meane ambling Geldings or small Nagges such as are preserued onely for the vse of trauaile or iourneying and for such men as not professing the Arte of Hors-manship respect onely their owne ease and their horses patience For albe the hand be extraordinarie rude yet it can hardly distemper a horses mouth with one of these byts Againe these two byttes of all other I haue noted to bee moste excellent for Coach-horses or Chariot-horses where the man sitting farre behinde the horses and gouerning them with such a long distance cannot by any meanes carrie so temperate a hande neither helpe so readily nor correct so gently as he which sitteth on the backe of the horse for by reason of the farr distance his strainings are more violent and his eases more liberall the first breeding in a horse a dislike the latter a will to doe euill both which these two seueral mouthes so temper that I perswade my selfe the most skilfull Coachman cannot take exception against eyther of their vses for his office To all these mouthes for byttes which I haue formerly prescribed in this Booke which may well be remembred by the name of close byttes many excellent and singular horsemen partly out of their practise and partly out of their Arte and inuention which euer out of the best knowledges produceth the rarest deuises haue added in steade of the plights which fold the two partes of the bytte together another Peere in fashion of a round hoope or a halfe moone which they call a Port and some times this Port must consist of one peece and then it is called a whole Port sometimes of two peeces and then it is called a broken Port. The fashion of both which are conteined in these figures The whole Port. The broken Port. After these ports were inuented and put in practise their cruelty being by many degrees greater then could be found in the close bytt