goe backe carrie his head steadie to raine wel which is the chiefe principle and foundation of making of your horse for an horse which is perfect in these foresaid lessons vpon his trot you shall â—astly make him a perfect readie horse within the â—pace of foure or sixe moneths if so be he be of age and strength agréeable Kingdon I can not denie but that you haue tâ—ughâ—â—ne sufficiently howe to make my horse to do al these lessons vpon the trot but as touching his gallop you haue taught â—e nothing that I can remember Clifford I graunt but now I will teach you vpon this condition that you shall seldome or neuer gallop any horse till he be almost sixe yeares of age then when you haue trotted your horse as you shal thinke sufficient you may gallop him two or thrée turnes vpon ech hand and then ride foorth right in some furrow if he be a young horse of good mouth but if he be an olde horse and harde of mouth stop him in your ring and make him go backe fiue or sixe paces which done light from him flatter him giue him grasse to eate as is aforesaide and do no more with him that day Kingdon I maruaile not a little why you haue with such diligence taught mée all other lessons and would séeme â—â— hightly to passe ouer this of learning my horse how to gallop Clifford It is néedelesse to teach you any more for that euerie horse will take it too fast of himselfe and I neuer sawe in my life any rider that woulde not both gallop his horse too yong and also too too much Hovve to teach an horse to turne readily on both handes Chap. 5. Kingdon Hâ—â—ing alreadie taught my horse to raine wel carie his head steadie beare light on the hand trot stoppe goe backe and tread his rings vppon pasâ— trot and gallop both orderly and iustly and that he is of age and strength sufficient to make a mannage I would desire you to teach me howe and in what order I shall make my horse to turne readily on both hands without straining his backe and loinâ—s or otherwise disordering or weakning him for the I haue hard you saâ—e that the furrow turnes by Gryson taught doth greatly weaken the backe and loines of anie horse and also that diuers horses thereby are vtterly marred and made restie And also I haue often heard you saâ—e that you haue had good experience thereof in a bay horse of sir Thomas Scots in Kent and also in a roaâ—e horse of M. Gregorie Prises of Hereforâ— East and likewise in a grey gelding of sir Iohn Tracies in Gloucester shire and a dapple grey horse of Nassaws base sonne to the prince of Orange All which foure horses were disordered by turning them too short and that you reformed these two last named by causing them to make their mannage in a couple of large rings And afterwards hauing made them perfect therein then you caused them to make their turnes in lesse and lesse roomes in such sort that they were throughly reformed by meanes therof Wherfore I pray you to shew me in what order you did the same Clifford When thy horse is of age and can do al those lessons by thée aboue recited then thou shalt vse him to one ring and giuing him fiue or sixe turnes on the right hand vpon his trot then shall you turne out of the foresaide ring vpon your left hand as though you woulde marke out an other ring but you must not take one quarter so much compasse as your ring is in greatnesse And hauing brought your horse about enter into your foresaid ring on the left hand and hauing giuen him 6. turnes then shall you ride out of your rinâ— and change hands as before sée that always wheÌ„ you change hands you turne him as short as may be and also help him with your voice and contrarie calue of legge and with your 〈◊〉 by lâ—tting the point fall towardes his contrarie shoulder And when your horse can in this sorte gallop the foresaide ring and change from hand to hand in this order then shall you treade out a ring something lesser And hauing made him perfect in the same then shall you also make your third ring lesser than the second and so shall you by little and little make your horse turne so readily and perfectly as is possible without anie disorder for by your changing from hand to hand you shall teach him howe to make his mannaging turnes so readily and short as anie horse taught in a furrow did euer make noting alwaies that when you chaunge handes you helpe him in such sorte that you make him to turne in verie short roome and also with greater swiftnesse than when you gallop or trot aboute your ring Also it is verie good to change hands within your ring in this sort hauing giuen your horse sixe turnes on your right hand then shall you turne him so short vpon the same hand that you may ride to the other side of your ring right through the middle thereof where you shall cause your horse to turne on the left haÌ„d into the same ring this is a good waie to change hands but the former is much better for that in the first you turne your horse whole about in a verie narrow compas and in this you giue him but a quarter of a turne but it is verie good to make your horse perfect in them both Kingdon Hauing thus brought my horse to turne readily on both hands both vpon pase trot and gallop and that he wil change from hand to hand alwaies kéeping his gallop in one selfe ring which shall not exceede aboue the greatnesse of eight or ten paces about then woulde I desire you to teach me howe to acquaint my horse first wish his mannage without disordering him Clifford When he is perfect in trotting and gallopping the foresaide little ring then shall you make two rings of the selfe bignesse as before which woulde be distant one from an other thirtie or fortie paces That done make a right furrow or path betwéene them entring into one end of the same and ride to the other where you shal make two turns on your right hand on the foresaid ring that done you shall ride back againe in the self furrow to the other ring and giue him two turnes on your left hand this being done you shall ride againe to your right ring and giue him two turnes as at the first then shall you ride him backe againe almost to your left ring where you must stoppe him Thus shall you haue made foure turnes on your right hand and but two on the left which order you must obserue in al your doings to beginne with the right hand and ende with the same this shall be inough for the first time remembring that in giuing your horse anie lesson whatsoeuer till such time as he be a perfect readie horse that you neuer offer him it but
places of stop and turne where you shall turne your horse first vppon a soft pase in somewhat narrower compasse than you did before and hauing so giuen him sixe or eight turnes stop him and make him goe backe a little then giue him as many turnes on your left hand without once going out of the foresaid place and when your horse is thus perfect vpon his pase then may you offer it him vpon his trot and also change him from hand to hand sodainely without anie staying And when you will gallop him giue him but two turnes on an hand and then stop him and make much of him which being done giue him two on your left hand and then returne to your right hand as before and when he can do it verie perfectlie in this sorte then maie you vppon his galloppe cause him to make two turnes on your right hand and two on your left which being done yet giue him two more on your right hand then stop him and make him go backe and light from him euen in that place without doing anie more with him that daie Kingdon Sithence you haue taught me howe to make my horse to mannage vppon large turnes and also to turne readily on bothe handes as well on his gallop as trot nowe would I desire you also to teach me how to make my horse to manage perfectly in so braue and readie maner as is possible Clifford After he can turne as before vpon his gallop you shal-begin but to giue him one turne on an hand noting that you take not so much roome as when you gaue him two turnes hauing a special regard that you make him cloase his turne at your departure out of your place of stop and turne Kingdon What meane you by cloasing of his turne and by taking lesse roome than when I gaue mine horse two turnes I praie you teach me more plainlie for I doe not vnderstand your meaning therein Clifford I meane by taking lesse roome that you shoulde ride somewhat within the circle of your former ring that you should make your horse turne in lesse compasse or roome by one quarter than when you gaue him two turnes of an hand which you must do by a litle at once making him at euerie time you manage him to turne in something lesse roome according as you finde the disposition and aptenesse of your horse But if you will follow my counsell turne not your horse to short nor giue him to many managing turnes for that they wil greatly weaken the back and loines of the horse of the which thing you must haue a speciall care that you make him turne somewhat large and also when you manage him giue him not aboue sixe or eight of these turnes on an hand at once and as touching closing of his turne I meane that you shal not let him come out of the place that he turnes in till he haue brought his fore féete iust in the middle of the path by the which he did enter Kingdon What do you meane by turning of my horse somewhat large Clifford I meane by turning your horse somewhat large that you should giue him so much compasse in his turning as the largenesse of a cart or wagon whéele is in roundnes and that you make your path to come iust vpon the midle of his foresaide round place of stop and turne where you must cause your horse to stop turne when you wil manage him in forme as followeth When you haue marked out two such round places of stop and turne as hath béene before specified then shall you enter at one end of the path or furrow and ride to the other ende therof and when you enter into the foresaid round place to make a turne on your right hand sée that you turne first on your left hand so much as you may ride round about your circle before you come out of the foresaide place on your right hand and hauing walked your horse fiue or sixe turnes to acquaint him or put him in remembraunce what he shall doe Then may you comming out of the places of stop and turne put your horse into a soft gallop and ride therevppon to the other end and when you come to enter your place of stop turne sée that you staie your horse somewhat more vpon the bit than before to the ende you maie make him lift his féet the better and go the vprighter in his turning And in going about your foresaid circle sée that you kéepe him in his gallop and that you staie so much vpon the hand that he maie not go halfe so fast in his turning as when he gallops right forth and that you help him with your voice calues of your legs with your rod vpon the contrary shoulder and with the contrary spurre also if néed be but I haue euer found the inside of my foote to be much better to strike him withal than to giue him the spurre when I haue managed my horse for I will not giue a strawe for that manage that â—he inside of the foote and the sight of the rod with the point toward the contrarie shoulder is not sufficient to make him turne so readilie and swiftly as is possible And when your horse is thorowlie acquainted with his manage in this sorte you shall see him beginne to turne euen of him selfe so short as if he had béen taught two yeares in a furrow or ditch But in anie case sée that you take such compasse in turning of him as hath béen before taught for feare of straining your horses backe and loines when you shal chance to ride him vpon naughtie ground Kingdon And why I praie you is this called a mannage Clifford I knowe not whie it is called a maâ—nage but that it is vsuallie so called that am I sure of whensoeuer a horse doth vpon his gallop stoppe and turne in two such narrow places as hath béene before mentioned being distant the one from the other thirtie or fortie pases as this figure doth most plainlie represent vnto you the right fashion and true manner of the mannaging place vsed of all the best horsemen in Christendome at this daie Kingdon Whereas you saie I must enter into one ende of my managing place and when I come to the other to giue mine horse a tuâ—ne on the right hand I must first turne on my left so much as I may ride roâ—â—de about a circle in largenesse and fashion of a cart or wagon wheele and that I shal not enter within the compasse of the foresaide whéele or péece of ground of that largenesse but ride rounde about the same surely I doe not perfectly vnderstand your meaning therein Clifford But this figure shal most plainly make thée vnderstand my meaning herein and how thou shouldest doe the same for thou shalt finde the place where thou must enter first into the managing place marked with the figure of 1. and the furrowe also in the which thou shalt passe thy
managing path marked with the same figure and where thou shalt first stay thy horse vppon the bridle a little and turne something on thy left hand thou shalt find it marked with the figure of 2. and where thou shalt beginne to turne on thy right hand it is marked with the figure of 3. But thou hast to note that thou maist not depart out of the foresaide circle til thou hast brought thy horses forefeete vpon the figure of 2. which I call cloasing of his turne and when thou shalt come to the left place of stoppe and turne thou shalt turne on thy right hand from the figure of 4. to the figure of 5. and obserue the selfe same order in all points as thou diddest in the right place of stoppe and turne marked with the figure of 2. and 3. and the left is marked by the figures of 4. 5. and the place by which thou must enter and the mannaging path are marked with the figure 1. as before And the little péece of grounde which thou must ride about wheÌ„ thou wilt giue thy horse some compasse in his turning or the hollow pit after the earth is digged out as hath béene before taught is marked with the figure of 6. Kingdon Now I vnderstand perfectly by this figure and by your wordes what you meane by digging â—waie the earth within my mannaging rings and also what you meane by the compas of a cart whéele for that I see most plainely this péece of ground marked with the figure of 6. and a circle drawen round about the same within the which I must not enter when I manage my horse as you sale but I would desire you to shew me to what purpose I shall dig away the ground thrée foote déeper in the middle than vpon the out edges sith I maie not turne my horse anie shorter than before the earth was digged awaie Clifford As touching thy demaunde why thou shouldest digge awaie the ground I aunswere that thereby thy horse shall go a great deale the vprighter in his turning about a pit than vpon the plaine ground and he shall be in lesse daunger to slide with his hinder féete wherewith thou mightest marre thy horse for that it is verie dangerous to teach thy horse vppon anie slipperie or euen ground And whereas thou saiest thou must not turne thy horse anie shorter than when thou gallopest him in the managing rings herein thou art deceiued for the managing rings would be eight or tenne paces about which wil amount to fiftie foote in circuit or roundnesse if thou allow to euerie pase fiue foote as hath béene before taught but when thou hast digged away the earth and that thy horse can manage perfectly vppon his gallop then I haue taught thée that thou shalt giue him no more roome than the compasse of a cart or wagon whéele which will not amount to halfe so manie foote about Moreouer as touching the compasse that thou shalt giue him in his managing turnes it is not onlie easâ—e for the horse but also it is verie sure when thou shalt turne vpon slippie or naughtie grounde and thereby thou shalt not halfe so soone disorder thy horse as if thou shouldest turne him short yea I do assure thée that vnlesse thou take héede to turne thy horse somewhat large after hée beginnes to be verie perfect to manage vpon his gallop thou shalt be worse troubled with some horses to make them turne large for feare of falling vppon naughtie grounde than thou wast at the first with teaching them to turne short for the surest and best kinde of turning not onelie for anie horse but also for the rider when he shall come to seruice is the large turne as hath béene before taught for thou shalt hardly finde anie horse after he is throughly acquainted what he shal do that wil not turne too short euen of himselfe Kingdon I had almost forgotten two things the first is howe to remedie that horse which wil not cloase his turne perfectly at his departure out of his place of stop and turne the second is howe to remedie that horse that in his turning will prease too fast forward Clifford As touching thy first demaunde thou maiest make thy horse cloase his turne perfectly by giuing him two turnes on an hand at euerie such time as he will not close his turne wel at his departure wheÌ„ thou managest him vpon one turne as touching thy second demand howe thou maiest remedie thy horse that will go too fast in his turning force thine hand in all his doings in two sortes the first is as he is in his turning or gallopping when he begins to force thy hand out of order then thou must stop him and make him go back euer as he presseth to goe forward of himselfe make him goe backe so long till he will be glad to stand still with the reines loose vpon his necke and when thou wilt put him forward to do anie lesson do it verie gentlie vppon a soft pase at the first and faile not at euerie time as he beginnes his disorder to serue him as before And for euerie turne the thou giuest vpon his trot or gallop it shal be good to giue him fiue vpon a soft pase For I haue remedied diuerse of these horses that haue béene also somewhat hard of mouth by kéeping them both from trot and gallop by pasing them an houre and an half or two houres at a time in a painefull ring made in a pit or vpon an hil side and by stopping them oft and by making them go backe in the selfe same ring as before Thou maiest also remedie it by managing thine horse cloase by some wall by making him make his last turne with his head iust against the wall at euerie time that thou wilt stop him and let him stand stil a pretie while and make him go backe Kingdon Here you put me in remembrance to demaund two questions of you the first is of the pit on a hils side the other of the rings in the plaine ground and the reasons why you teach some horses always in the plain ground and others in a pit or on a hils side Clifford As touching thy first demaund I answere that the horses which thou hast séene me ride vpon plaine ground as well in trotting the large Ring pasing or gallopping the same or anie other lesson or exercise whatsoeuer were young horses of weake bodies by meanes that they were vnacquainted with trauel or else olde horses that were almost marred for lacke of exercise reasonable trauel and thereby were made weake of bodie and of short breath All which horses must be handled gentlie and be exercised according to their strength and as they increase in breath and abilitie of bodie thou maiest increase their trauaile accordingly which thing if thou obserue orderly thou shalt neither marre or disorder anie young horse nor thou shalt neuer finde anie olde horse of shorte breath for lacke of
taken in hand anie restiâ— or runawaie iades but that I haue perfectly reformed them whereas if I had offered diuers of them to turne in a furrowe it had béene vnpossible to remedie them nay rather I should haue made them ten times worse I crie you mercie poore horses for that I haue called you iades which is a name more proper to those beasts which do so beastlie misuse you Kingdon Now do I vnderstand howe to make a horse of good disposition to turne readily on both handes by riding him in a ring and changing him from hand to hand within and without the same and as hée is perfect in the large ring to cause him to treade out an other a little lesser and so still as he is perfect in the one to cause him to make an other lesser till I haue brought him to turne in so narrowe roome as is possible the which I must néeds confesse to be the most excellentest waie of all other for that hereby I shall neither hurt my horses mouth nor haue anie néede to pull him about with the one raine wherewith I might make him become weake necked to runne backward or to reare on end yea by turning my horse too short at the first I may not onely disorder him but also vtterly spoile his back loines and mouth and besides I may make him so restie that he will not do anie thing but it remaineth that you shew me how I shall make my ring in a pit or vppon a hilles side to reforme those horses that are strong of bodie lustie and wel able to endure trauaile and those that are hard of mouth and vnnimble of foote and that will leane on the one side in their turning and that are very stubborn and vntractable Clifford The ring which thou must make in a pit or vpon a hilles side differeth nothing in fashion from the other ring but in qualitie there is great difference for that the one in fiue times more painful thaÌ„ the other bicause in treading the one halfe of this ring you must ride vphill and the other halfe your horse goeth downehill which will make anie horse were he neuer so hard of mouth or vnnimble of foote or subiect to leane on the one side in his turning wonderfully mend his faults by oftentimes pasing him in the same and trotting him and sometimes gallopping him thrée or foure times about on a hand and then stopping him and making him goe backe which being done you must walke him in the selfe ring till he be in breath againe and then giue him his lesson as before so often as shall be agréeable with his strength and to take great héede that alwaies you giue him fiue times as manie turnes vpon his pase as you do either vpon his trot or gallop and when you chaunge handes you must obserue the selfe same order as hath béene before taught in all points and as touching the ring in a pit which is best of all other if the pit be little inough you may make your ring round about vpon the bankes thereof so high as your horse may get good footing but if the pit be bigger than you would haue the ring then may you tread it out vpon one side of the pit and make one part of your ring so high vppon the banke or side of your foresaid pit as your horse can get good holde with his féete and obserue the same order as in the ring vpon the hilles side these two last rings are not onelie sufficient to reforme al the forenamed faults but thou shalt also tenne times sooner haue made thy horse readie in these rings than in the rings vpon plaine ground besides that when thy horse is made he shall be so sure of foote that thou shalt hardly euer haue occasion to ride him on such ground but that vpon his gallop he will kéepe his féete sure without anie danger of falling Kingdon It resteth that you shew mâ— the rest of the 〈…〉 ing places with the vse thereof according â—â— y 〈…〉 pr 〈…〉 made before Clifford I haue shewed thée the best but bicause I haue taken so much paines to teach thée I would now for my credits sake be verie sorie not to make thée a good horsman in respect whereof I will shew thée another kind of managing place not vnproperly inuented and vsed of skilfull riders and also I will shew thée an other fashion riding place which is not amisse to be vsed at sometimes to recreate your horse with change of lessons which riding place I call a double S. which being ioined together is not much vnlike the figure of eight And the place where thou shalt first enter is marked with the figure 1. and where thou shalt beginne to turne thy horse on the right hand marked with the figure 2. and where thou shalt beginne to turne on thy left hand marked with the figure 3. here most plainly to be séene and where thou shalt enter this managing place at the first is marked with the figure 4. and where thou shalt beginne to turne thy horse first vppon the right hand is marked with the figure 5. and where thou shalt cloase thy turne when thou hast ridden aâ—â—ute the halfe circle is marked with the figure 6. and where thou must stop thy horse when he hath managed is marked with this figure 7. And when thou hast made a turne on thy right hand then maist thou ride to the other end and make an other on thy left beginning thy turne at this figure 8. which shal be closed when thou commest to the figure 9. Then maiest thou ride againe through thy managing â—urrow and giue thy horse an other turne on his right hand as at the first thus maiest thou change from hand to hand so often as thou shalt thinke requisite And when thy horse is perfect in managing in these two halfe circles vppon his gallop in such order as hath béene here taught then maiest thou by a little aâ—â—nce acquaint him to beginne to turne about thy halfe circle the other waie so that in processe of time you make him turne perfectly both the one way and the other about the foresaide halfe circle Friend Kingdon thy negligencâ— or lacke of remembraunce to demaunde those things in their proper places hath béene cause of some disorder for that the large rings which should haue béene in the beginning of this Booke in the chapter of treading the great ring are here placed out of al order Kingdon It is no matter in what order they be placed in the Booke for the diligent reader that will take paines to reade the whole worke shall here finde a most excellent order to make anie horse readie of what nature or disposition soeuer he be and also howe to reforme anie restife or run awaie horse perfectly Of the Bit and Cauison Kingdon HAuing made mine horse perfectly readie vppon the trench or brake with a mousroll and martingale I would desire you to
shal it be tolerable to draw thy left rain shorter through thy hand also the raines of thy bit so short the thou giue him no libertie to cast vp his head but thou must vse such discretion therin that thou staiâ— thy horse more vpon thy cauison then vpon thy bit hauing in this sort taken a due measure of thy raines thou maist vpon anie occasion offered by thy horse correct him by plucking thy right raine a little slaking it againe so often as thou shalt thinke néedfull And as touching thy demaund if the cauison be good I answere that it is excellent good if it be in his handes the vnderstandeth the true vse thereof but otherwise it is most vile By this that I haue sayd I would saie that thou shouldest staie thy horse vpon thy cauison altogether and notwithstanding thou must holde the raines of thy bit so short that thou giue him no libertie to cast vp or ducke downe his head Kingdon What meane you by this occasion offered and by plucking your raines a little and then to let them goe I sée no reason why I should not hold my right raine as hard as the left Clifford As touching the first demaund I answere that occasion is offered at anie such time as your horse will not goe backe nor kéep his ground but will presse forward when you would haue him stand still or when in his trotting or galloping he will go farther then you would haue him or that when you stoppe him he will force too much vpon your hand and also occasion is offered when he will not turne on your right or left hand in such sort as you would haue him But you must note the when he will not turne on your left hand that you draw the raine on that side a good deale straighter then the raines of your bridle for feare least that when you woulde straine your rains you force him too much with your right raines of the bit which is a most notable error and yet verie little considered of a number of vnskilfull men that doe not perceiue how that when they would bring their horse about on the left hand with the raine of their cauison by pulling their hand on that side of his manâ— they straine the right raine of the bit so as the horse cannot turne with his head but begins to goe backe to reare an end or to fall into one disorder or other and the rider not vnderstanding the cause doth fall to rating correcting his horse so long til he brings him home with such bloudy sides his mouth so brokeÌ„ his nose so mangled as would moue anie man of reason to pittie to sée that most noble beast of all other most commodious for the case of man to be misused by him that hath so much reason as to ouer master him but lackes that grace of temperance how to vse him thereby doth most shamefullie abuse him Thus much as touching your first demand and to your second I answere that you must hold your raines both a like straight saue when you turne your horse short then it shall be tollerable to holde your contrarie raine so short that you giue him no libertie to turne with his head that you drawe the other so much that he may vnderstand that you would haue him turne on that side But to the purpose I meane by pulling your hand or letting it goe that you should checke your horse vpon his nose wheÌ„ by temperate carrying of your hand you cannot rule him But in this aboue al other things you must vse great temperaunce which if you doe it is excellent good Also you must haue a speciall care when you holde your contrarie raine that you giue the horse so much libertie therewith that he may turne for by holding it too straight you shall vtterlie disorder him And furthermore as touching the right raine of your bridle when you turne on the left hand you may helpe him to turne as well with the bit as with the cauison by putting your forefinger of the right hande ouer the right raine of your bit and drawing it therewith two or thrée inches longer then the other raine which you must holde fast with the other raine of your cauison without opening of either of your handes and when you will turne on your right hand you may let the right raine of your cauison go and take holde of your raines aboue your left hand where you shall drawe your right raine some thing shorter then your left without opening your bridle hand in which instant you must holde your right raine stiffe till you haue drawen it some thing shorter then the left and then close your hand fast and take hold on the right raine of your cauison and the end of it also wherewith you maye drawe your contrarie raine so short as you shall thinke good thus turning on your right hande you may drawe the right raine of your cauison so much as shall bée néedfull to cause your horse to come about so often as you shall thinke méete but sée that you doe it verie gentlie Kingdon You haue héere vsed one tearme that I vnderstand not and that is when you saie I shall not checke my horse in the mouth with his bit that on the other side you saie I may checke him with the cauison when anie such occasion is offered as hath bene aboue by you recited therfore I praie you teach me what you meane therby Clifford By checking with the bit I meane that you should neâ—er plucke your hand sodainly but rather in all your doings draw it softly leasurely as is possible so that you may make your horse therby do your will and presentlie therevpon sée that 〈◊〉 slake it a little to the end that he may finde ease when he doth well which is the best meane to maintainâ— him in well dooing and by checking him with the Cauison I meane that you shoulde plucke your right raine in such sorte as you would plucke your friend by the cloake lap whom you are loth to offend at such time as you would speak with him And also you must note by the waie that at such time as you would thus checks your horse with your right raine you must holde the left raine so short the you cannot pluck your horses head aside if it chance at anie time that you finde it néedfull to checke your horse first with the one raine and then with the other you must take great héede that you let the raines of your bit go of such length that you checks him not with his bit in anie case and take great care that you checke your horse in this sort so many times as shall bée néedfull to make him vnderstand your minde and when he will yéeld in such sort as you would haue him then let your hand goe and torment him no more then you are forced of necessitie Kingdon You haue taught me
that it is good to beare a temperate hand both vpon my bit and cauison and also how much I should force him with the raines thereof but there yet remaines two things that I had almost forgotten and the first is the due place of the bit the other is how and in what order I shall take the raines of my bit and cauison both in one hand at once and also how I shall hold my hands vpon the raines of my bit when I ride without a cauison what you meane by drawing the raines of my bit softlie and letting it goe againe Clifford To thy first demaund I answere that the due place of the bit is that it hang halfe a â—ingers breadth higher then the tuskes of your horse and to some horses it is not amisse to hang it an inch higher then the tuskes or fanges of his mouth but the generall rule that thou shalt obserue héerein is that thou neuer let it hang so a side that it touch the fore named tuske for if it doe touch his tuske it shall cause him to checke vppon the bit and hurt his mouth so as it shall bleede And as touching thy second demaund thou shalt first take both the raines of thy cauison in thy left hand so close vnder the neather part or roote of your thumbe as you may holde him fast with your little finger and thumbe then shall you take the end of your bridle raines in your right hand betwixt your bodie and your bridle hand then shal you put your ring finger betwixt the raines of your bit without letting your little finger goe which you must holde fast vppon your cauison raines and the neathermost part of your thumbe also Then shall you cloase your thrée fingers so close as you can and hauing turned your bridle raines with your right hande ouer the middle ioynt of the fore finger of your left hande you shall holde your thumbe close vppon the Bridle raines so as you giue them no libertie to slippe through your hande hauing thus taken your bridle raines of a iust length and place the raines of your cauison aboue or ouer them I meane déeper in your fist then the raines of your bit for that you holde the raines of your Cauison in your full fist and the raines of your Bit but in the middle of thrée of your fingers Then shall you let the end of your bridle raines fall out of your right hande take hold of the right raine of your cauison and the end of the left also in your right hand then if your left raine bée too long you may draw it shorter by holding your right hande fast and slaking your left hand a little to let the raines of your cauison passe til you haue drawen it of such length as you may holde him therewith in such order as hath bene before taught Kingdon You teach mée héere how I should holde my right hande fast vpon the raines of my cauison and howe I shall slacke my left hand till I haue let the raines passe through so farre as they come to their iust length which iust length is when I may beare my horse altogether vppon the cauison and yet holde the raines of my bit so short that if I let slippe the lefte raine of my cauison but one inch I must staie my horse altogether vppon the bit but it resteth howe I shall drawe the raines of my cauison shorter at my pleasure without loosing my right hand or letting the raines of my bridle goe Clifford If thou bée not more sencelesse then a beast or more negligent then a Newter that will take neither parte till such time as hée sées which of them will profit him most I haue taught thée sufficientlie But because thou shalt knowe that I had rather loose my life then take in hand anie matter of importaunce and not bée able to ende or bring the same to perfection though not for thy sake who hath negligentlie lefte mining with thy penne whiles the golden vaine of my experience was most ripe and readie by riding into Sommerset shéere to make good chéere when in déede thou mightest haue béene tenne times better occupied in writing of this woorke which I haue begonne with the same purpose of minde that hath made mée patientlie to â—eare all these troubles and miseries as thou maiest read in the tenth part of my life which shall héereafter followe God willing which minde and purpose in mée was is and I trust in Gods grace shall continue so long as the breath is in my bodie onelie to profit my Countrie the true professours of Gods truth and aduauncement of his holie lawe But thou shalt nowe knowe that God whome I haue alwaies serued according to the grace which I haue receiued of him without the which I am not able to thinke one good thought of my selfe hath sent mée helpe where I least looked for it that is to saie by the meanes of that godlie man maister Anthonie Mooreland and by that good and learned man Ioseph Hynxman the one of them béeing Parson of Tortworth the other Butler to Maister Throckmorton which is a verie lowe preferment for a Batcheler of Art in my iudgement who besides his learning is also verie patient in taking paines Also little Anthonie Bowser I cannot héere forget sithence hée hath stoode so manie daies with mée vpon the cold stones in Maister Throckmortons Stable at Tortworth to drawe out the first draught or coppie of this my worke for the which mée thinkes hee deserues praise But to our purpose thou must drawe the raine of thy cauison through thy lefte hande without letting the raines of thy bit goe by letting all thy foure fingers goe loose and by holding thy bridle raines with the ende of thy thumbe and middle of the fore finger and then pulling thy right hand awaie from thy lefte hande that is to saie of greater distaunce in such sorte as thou séest a showmaker draw his thréede with his right hande when he holdes the left hand vppon the shâ—e which thou maiest imitate by holding thy lefte hand fast in his due place without mouing it either when thou drawest thy raines shorter or let them goe longer Kingdon Which call you the due place of the Bridle hand Clifford The due place of thy bridle hande is riâ—â—â— ouer thy horses crest and so high aboue the saddle â—â— thou maiest holde thy elbowe almost as farre backe as the huckle bone and holde it close against thy side without letting thy hand rest or staie vppon the saddle bowe If thy Horse bee readie that hée can raine well and carrie his head steadie this is the best waie but if it be a young or olde horse that wil cast vp his head then I haue taught thée before that thou shalt carrie thy hande close vppon thy horse his crest Kingdon Yet there resteth one thing that I would request at your hands and that is how I shoulde holde the raines
vnder followeth Hauing cast the horse vppon a softe dunghill I with a long knife cut awaie the flesh on the hanging or vnder side of the creast euen from the sore end thereof to the hinder end sixe inches broad and two inches thick and something more in the middle thereâ—f where it was thickest groping the creast with my two handes where it was thicke I cut and pared it so long till I made it iust of one thicknesse then holding the horse stil fast bound I couered all the place with great handfulls of Swines dung which I caused to be holden fast with mens hands for the space of an houre in which time the bloud was perfectlie stauncht then I let the horse rise led him into the stable and tied him in such sorte that hée could neither rubbe his necke nor lie downe and the next morning betimes I thrâ—we good store of burnt Allome vppon all the sore place and so I let him stande for the spaâ—e of two dayes neuer touching the wound for feare of making it bléede and at the two dayes end I faire and softly bathed the place with a lynnen cloth dipped in warme pisse and then hauing dryed the sore I threwe on burnt Allome beaten into fine pouder and after I perceiued it to bée well fastned and thorough drie I anointed him with Vnguentum album round about the edges of the sorâ— a quarter of an inch broade In this sorte did I dresse him euerie daie once on that side of the creast that did fall and howe I dressed the contrarie side héereafter followeth I did first plat or trace all his mane on the contrarie side and then I made fast with strong thongs or points of leather a cudgel of a foote and an halfe long to the ends of the foresaid plattings of the mane then I didde hang to the middle of the foresaide cudgell a péece of lead with a hole in it of such waight as did poise his creast and holde it vpright in his due place then did I burne long strikes beginning at his creast and ending euer almost as lowe as the point of his shoulder of the same side as the weight did hang and they were no more but an inch and an halfe one from an other and I burned them also well with an yron halfe an inch thicke but whereas I made but siâ—e great strikes if I had made twelue verie small ones it had béene much better bicause that when he had béene healed it would not haue béene halfe so much séene But to conclude I charged the burnt places with Pitch Tarre and Rozen molten togither and let my weight hang vntill he was throughly healed in both sides of his necke with this I set vp his crest so stiffe that it is not possible to stirre it neither to the one side nor to the other but it will presently returne into his proper place againe and so continue Of the vpper taint THis is a swelling in the backe or maister sinew of the foreleg and commeth by meanes that the horse striketh the sinew with the toe of his hinder foote it néedeth no signes for that you may easily perceiue it by the halting of your horse and by the long swelling that will remaine vppon the forenamed sinew you shall cure it perfectly by dressing him euerie daie once with a plaister made of Wine lées and wheat â—â—owar as hash beene before taught or else you may take blacke Sope and Bores grease of each like quantitie sealding hote make a plaister thereof so long and broad as the swelling with these two last named medicines I haue neuer failed to cure my horse of any grief in his legges that commeth either by straine or stroke and if at any time you make your horse go sound with the foresaid medicines and that some swelling remaineth or vile vitious sore that you can with no salue or medicine heale it then shall you burne all his leg with long strikes from the vpper part of the swelling vnto the neathermost parte thereof drawing your strikes downeward with the haire which order you must obserue in burning anie horse that you drawe your hand so neare as you can with the haire and that you make the edge of your yron very thin and burne your strikes thicke and also somewhat déepe and after his burning annoint his leg with blacke Sope two or thrée times but if it be a gelding turne him to grasse wherewith you shall finde him perfectly cured within a short space but if it be such an horse as you can not turne to grasse sée that you exercise him euerie daie twice at the least Of the paines scratches moulie heeles or anie other scuruie scalles whatsoeuer that may breede in a horses legges or heeles whether they come by meanes of euil humors or for lacke of good dressing or cleane keeping whether they be matterie and filthie running sores or drie scabs you shal cure them perfectly with this medicine TAke of Turpentine Hogs grease Honie and blacke Sope of ech like quantitie and hauing molten them vpon a soft fire take it off and put in a little bole Armoniacke finely beaten into powder then worke all these things well togither with a sticke in your right hand and a dish of wheate flowar by you that with your left hand you may put it in a little at once til you haue made it thicke like an ointment or soft salue then shall you make a plaister vpon canuas or linnen cloth so bigge as the sore and hauing first cut away the haire applie your plaister and dresse him in this sort once a daie vntill he be whole Of the Fistula or anie hollow vlcer that may breede in anie part of your horses bodie either by euil curing of a wound or by bruise stroke or wringing with an euil saddle vpon his wythers THis is an hollow filthie mattering vlcer and most commonly a great deale straiter at the mouth than within The cure First search the bottome therof with a Goose or Swannes quill or with a small rod well couered with fine linnen cloth and hauing found the bottom thereof cut it so large with a razor that the matter may haue frée passage downeward for otherwise it shall be hard to cure it by reason that the matter standing in the sore shall fret the good flesh and make the wound daily greater But take héede that in launcing it you cut not anie master sinew for a sinewe once cut will neuer growe togither againe hauing stanched the bloud with Swines dung you shall then take of honie one pinte of Verdegréese one ounce and boile these togither vpon a soft fire thrée quarters of an houre then hauing cleâ—â—sed the wound or sore by tying a teint of â—â—re or fine linnen cloth to the point of your quil with a thréede drawe it softly into the wound then cut off your quill or feather so long that you may take good holde in the neather end of the teint that
of one moneth Kingdon Why shall I ride my horse foorth right and not rather in a ring Clifford For that your horse being faint and vnacquainted with trauell your ring turne shall be too great a trauel for him at the first and shal too too much weaken and discourage him but after you haue exercised him as before hée shall be become so strong therewith that his ring turnes wil not be so gréeuous vnto him as they would haue béene at the first by the one halfe The second Chapter treateth of the horses lessons and at what time of the daie it is best to teach him Kingdon HAuing taught me to make my horse gentle I woulde also haue you teach me at what time of the daie it is best to ride him and also what lessons he hath to learne Clifford As touching thy first demaund I aunswere that it is best to teach him in the morning before he drinke or eate his prouender by meanes whereof you shall auoid the danger of straining his winde or filme breaking him And also for that you may haue leasure ynough before bed time to drie and dresse him And as touching your second demaund you shall first teach your horse to tread the great ring both vppon pase and trotte and sée as well in doing the same as all other his lessons that you make him raine wel caâ—rie his head steadie and goe vpright in his turning Secondarily you shall teache your horse to stoppe and go backe Thirdly to aduance Fourthly to gallop the great ring or field gallop Fifthly to turne readily on both handes Sixtly to make a sure and perfect manage Seauenthly and lastly you shall learne him to take his gallop and caréer readilie Of trotting the great ring and what order is to be obserued therein Kingdon SIthence you haue taught mée howe to make my horse gentle it shal not be amisse to teach me what order I shall obserue in learning him to tread the great ring for that I haue often times heard you saie that by treading the great ring vpon his pase trot and gallop and by obseruing good order time and measure therein that it is not onelie sufficient to make him raine well trot well carrie his head steadie and to beare light but that the whole making of your horse depends vpon the orderly vsing of him in this foresaide lesson Clifford As touching the order to be obserued therein you shall enter first vppon a softe pase giuing him eight or tenne turnes on your right hand and as manie on the left you shall chaunge in this order from hand to hand till you haue giuen him so many turnes as shall be agréeable to his strength which being done ride him foorth right thirtie or fortie paces where you must stop him by strayning your bridle hand and by speaking vnto him gently with a soft voice saying hallow boy hallow looking that he stand right in his path or furrowe which woulde be made for that purpose in some hanging or falling ground Hauing thus stopped your horse let him stand stil a preatie while at which time you must flatter and scratch him in and vnder his mane It shall be good also to giue him a little grasse to eate to light from his backe and leade him home doing no more with him that daie Hauing thus acquainted your horse throughly with this lesson vpon his pase then shall you offer him to trot the same by helping him with your voice and calues of legs onelie Kingdon But what if he will not goe with the helpe of my voice and calues of my legges Clifford Then it is too soone to trot him for I woulde not aduise you to offer him his trot in anie case nor yet from his trot to his gallop before he do it willingly with the least helpe that may be without force or compulsion Kingdon What number of turnes shall I giue him vpon his trot and also were it not good to giue him a plaine cannon and cauison I pray you tell me Clifford Vnles his mouth be verie good you your self as good as euer Gryson was or Xenophon I would not counsell thée in anie case to vse anie other thing to teach him vpon than a trench brake or snafle till such time as he be a perfect readie horse and as touching the number of thy turnes that I must referre to thine owne iudgement who shall knowe best thy horses strength Hovv to learne your horse to go backe Chap. 3. Clifford AFter your horse can stoppe and kéepe his furrow or path iust you shal learne him to goe backe by straining your bridle hand and by speaking vnto him first with a soft voice back back and if néed be you may helpe him with the point of your rod vpon his knées but if he will not goe backe with all these helpes then you muâ—â— vse a footeman with a cudgell in his hand who standing right before him and threatning him must also correct him on his fore legges if néede be Kingdon How often shall I vse my horse in this order Clifford Vntil he do it both lightly and readily and faile not that at euerie time you stop him to make him go backe fiue or six pases at the least so withall that you vse it not halfe so much to an horse of a good mouth as to him that is hard mouthed Kingdon After my horse can tread his rings both vpon pase and trot and can both stop and go backe then I pray you teache mée which is the best way to make him aduance that I may not distemper his mouth nor disorder him Clifford The best way that euer I found to make an horse aduaunce is this here following After you haue put a cauison on his head turne him about in his roome and make the two cordes thereof fast to the two postes then offer hym to aduaunce by striking him on the breast with a sharpe rodde and by speaking vnto him with a chéerefull voice saying vp vp boy vp which voice you must vse alwaies when you woulde haue your horse aduance and likewise when you would haue him goe backe alwaies vse this word backe backe not altring your voice and when you would haue him turne to speake vnto him with a chéerefull voice saying turne boy turne yea and though he lift vp but one of his féet and offer as though he would lift the other flatter him and make much of him and giue him a litle grasse or prouender to eate which being done you may offer him his lesson againe by speaking vnto him as before and touching him with the rod a little at the first noting that when you haue gotten him to lift his féete both together that you flatter and féede him as before and do no more with him in one half houre at the least in this order you shall most easily teach your horse to aduaunce Kingdon Yea but this is in the stable without a man on his backe and therefore when
teach me what bit I shall giue at the first Clifford You shal giue him a plaine canon without any playing rings or roughnesse in his mouth and let the esses of your curbe be verie great to the end that it may not gall the horses chin for the small curbe shall gall him much sooner than the great besides that you may hold him tenne times better with the great curbe than with the small Also take héede that you take the chéekes of your canon long rather than short for with the long chéekes and great curbe you shall be able to holde your horse not onelie from going away but also from casting vp of his head if you holde your bridle hand close vpon the mane and as touching the hand vppon the bit I woulde haue you beare it so light as is possible so that you kéepe your horse from going away and that he raine with his head in due place without casting his head vp or ducking it downe and I woulde haue you also take great héed that you neuer chocke your horse in the mouth therewith nor pull your hand sodainely at anie time but softly and leasurely for feare of making him to checke vpon the bit which is a most vile vice and commeth most commonly either by plucking your hand too sodainely or by letting the bit hang too side in his mouth or for that the bit is too rough it may come also by holding too hard an hand vpon him which is one of the worst properties that may be in anie horseman for it is not good to let him hang vpon your hand or bridle but also that you feede him with the bit and oftentimes that you let it go so loose the he may rest his necke and mouth Kingdon What meane you by holding his head in his due place Clifford I meane that he should carrie his head in such sorte that when you would make him stand against a wall he may touch the same with his forehead and nose both iust togither Kingdon But by holding mine hand close vppon the mane I shall not be able to féede my horse with the bit nor giue him anie more libertie when he doth well than when he doth ill Clifford By slacking your bridle hande holding the endes of the raines in your right hand you may let your rains go when he doth yéelde to the bit and when he doth offer to cast vp his nose or to go faster than you would haue him then drawe the raines softlie through your left hand so much as shall be requisite And as touching the cauison I would not haue you to put your cordes crosse wise through the rings thereof in such sorte that you may strain it straight to your horses head least you be not able to let it looser when he doth well than when hée doth offend for that shall greatly discourage him for both the godlie and wisest trauaile with greatest pleasure where they gains glorie and praise and so an horse where he findeth most ease after he doth vnderstād what he shall do vnder such a riders hands can as wel I say consider these things and vse them in time and order accordingly Thus you shal hardly euer sée or perceiue any contrarietie of wil betwixt these two bodies although the one be reasonable and the other vnreasonable but that a man would thinke when he shall sée such an horse man ride that both they had but one wil and one mind But to our purpose you shall make fast a strap of leather to the right ring of your cauison and a buckle to the left ring thereof in such sort that you may buckle it so straight as you shall thinke méete but I would aduise you to let it be rather an inch too wide than one wheate corne length too straight for there is not anye thing the doth more disorder an horse than needlesse paine and correction or rather as I may terme it foolish torment procéeding through ignorance of a more presumptuous beast than the horse himselfe for whatsoeuer he is that lacketh reason he differeth nothing from a beast but in name Kingdon Why shall I buckle my cauison with a strap of leather and not rather put the cordes through the rings thereof with the which I may straine it close to his head and also giue him ease inough by letting mine hand go when he doth well Clifford As touching thy demaund I answeare that by meanes of the strap thou maiest make thy cauison serue thée to double vse by putting thy martingall thereon it shall serue thée in steade of a musroll and as touching that which thou saiest thou canst giue him ease inough I answere that that ease which thou shalt giue hym by letting thine hand goe shall be no other than that thou giuest vnto thine owne legge thy boote being too straight gartered by pulling vp thine hose with thine hand But by the vse of the foresaid strappe and buckle it is farre otherwise for that thereby thy cauison shall hang so loose that it shall not gréeue thy horse at anie time but when he doth offend onelie Kingdon By this meanes my cauison shal hang so loose that it shall be readie to fal off my horses nose and also when I would straine the raines thereof it shal come vp so high behind that it shall serue me to small purpose Clifford Thou maiest remedie it for hanging ouer his nose with a small strap of leather made fast at the one end to the middest thereof and the other ende to the headstall betwirt his eares and as touching that which thou saiest it wil vse it is easily remedied by making a little short chaine fast to the two nether sides thereof of such length as the cauison being on the horses head and the chaine in his mouth it may keep it in his due place Kingdon I must néedes confesse that this is the best waie to make a cauison for my horse that euer I did sée or heare of for that it shall not gréeue him but when he doth offend nor shall be able to stirre out of his due place but I woulde desire you to teach me how to vse mine hand vpon the same also whether it be good to ride an horse therewith or not Clifford As touching thy demaund I answere that thou shalt take the left raine thereof so short in thy bridle hand that thou maiest staie thine horse something more therewith than vpon the bit then shalt thou take the right raine in thy right hand and the end of the left also in such sort as thou maiest drawe the left raine with the right hand shorter at thy pleasure without letting thy bridle raines go or opening of either of thy handes noting that thou straine thy right raine equally as much as the left but I would aduise thée to carrie a maruelous temperate hand vpon thy cauison for feare of offending thy horse to◠much therewith vnlesse it be vpon great occasion then
of my bit in my hande when I ride without a cauison and also howe I shall vnderstand what you meane by drawing my hande softlie and letting it goe againe Clifford As touching thy first demaund thou shalt holde thy raines in all pointes as thou doest when thou ridest with thy cauison sauing that thou must put thy little finger and ring finger betwixt the raines and then holde the ende thereof in thy right hande with thy rodde so as thou mayest draw them shorter or let them longer as hath béen before taught And as touching thy second demaund when thou wouldest stoppe thy horse whether vppon pass trot galloppe or câ—riere I would haue thée drawe thy hand softlie till thou hast brought it so hard or straight as thou maiest stoppe thy Horse and euen in the same instant that he is so stopped as thou wouldest haue him and beginnes to aduance or yéeldes to the bit by going back or other wise thou shalt presentlie let thy hand flacke a little and take so much againe as shall be requisite yea I would aduise thée to haue so great a care not to plucke thy hand sodainely nor to drawe it too straight nor carrie it too hard in trauailing or otherwise exercising thy horse as thou wouldest haue to thine owne féete when thou passest on a narrow foote bridge which lieth ouer a déepe ditch or hollowe gulfe in rainie and foule weather Kingdon Séeing that you now giue me occasion to demaunde you a question of the rod I desire you to shew me whether it is better to carrie the point thereof forward right ouer my horses creast and eares or to turne the point thereof backward towards my right shoulder Clifford It is much better to carrie thy rod with the point forward ouer thy horses creast than with the point vpward toward thy right shoulder for when thou carriest the point forward thou holdest thy rod in thy ful fist readie to strike thy horse withall and when thou carriest it with the point vpward towards thy right shoulder thou hast no more but thy forefinger ouer it by meanes whereof thou canst not so readily helpe thy horse vppon his left shoulder to the end that he shoulde do well nor correct him when he doth offend Kingdon I can verie well both help and correct my horse vpon the right and left shoulder when I haue no cauison or false raines but when I haue a cauison or false raines then can I correct my horse vppon his left shoulder as before but on his right shoulder I can doe no more but helpe him vnlesse I will let the right raine of my cauison fall out of my right hand Clifford But thou maiest correct him aswell not onelie vpon his right shoulder but also vpon his right side or buttock without letting the right raine of thy cauison goe if thou wilt but 〈◊〉 the point of thy rod downeward Of Vices Kingdon SIthence you haue heretofore taught mée howe to make a horse of good disposition readie I woulde also haue you to teach me howe to reforme those horses that are euill giuen to anie vice and first of the horse that ducketh downe his head Clifford I neuer found anie horse hauing that vice but that I could reforme him by striking him vpoÌ„ the left shoulder with the rod not failing to answere him at euerie time at the same instant that hée doth offend till hée leaue his fault thou maiest also correct him with the bit by chocking him therewith in the mouth and by giuing him the spurre but these two last corrections are not halfe so good as the first for that if he be tender of mouth by chocking him with the bit thou shalt make him learn that vile vice of checking or casting vp his head if he be hard of mouth and light of spurre thou shalt vtterly marre his mouth and force him to runne awaie Note that in reforming all vicious horses thou must haue a speciall care to search and to finde out the nature and disposition of euerie of them which when thou hast found thou must vse that temperaunce that a wise captaine should in gouerning his souldiors which consisteth not in forcing them to doe his wil but with skill and order in making theÌ„ do as much therof as is possible for them to be brought vnto without disorder or discontentment Kingdon It séemeth me your comparison is verie grosse to compare the gouernement or 〈…〉 rance that shoulde be vsed vnto men to horses Clifford In respect of the beast I graunt but if thou well consider what the reason of man is and howe farre the vnderstanding of the brute beast is inferiour vnto him thou shalt easily perceiue that it is more requisite for him that shall take vpon him to teach a horse to be far more patient and temperate for him than that gouerneth men for that man doth far surpasse the beast in vnderstanding what is taught him But in the rider it is requisite he haue patience and can well dissemble which if he haue and can vse in his due time and place he shall hardly euer find anie horse of good disposition but hée shall make him continue the same or anie so euil but that he shall easily reforme them in short space Hovv to remedie that horse that checketh and casteth vp his head Kingdon YOu haue giuen me good instructions alreadie but yet by the waie I pray you shew me howe to reforme that fault in a horse that checketh or casteth vp his head with the bit when you offer to do any thing with him vpon the same Clifford First giue him a plaine canon without plaiers or water chaine in the mouth then buckle it fast with two porchmouthes to the two rings of your cauison that done take a strappe of leather with a buckle vppon the same put it through the foresaide two rings then buckle it and therewith straine the cauison something close to the horse his head then take away the curbe from the canon for the strap and porchmouths is sufficient to serue your turne as well as the curbe and be farre more better in respect of the fault I haue manie times ridden with the same a runawaie or hard mouthed horse and more easily haue gouerned him therewith than with the curbe and also haue diuers times trotted young horses that haue béene tender or delicate of mouth in the same order which if I had first giuen them the curbe they woulde haue taken the vice of checking or casting vp the head but by obseruing this order and after by giuing them a curbe of double leather haue preuented the aforesaid vice Kingdon But if my cauison be long it will holde the head of the bit so farre backeward that the chéekes thereof cannot be brought to their due place which will be verie troublesome and vnséemely and the raines of the bit being strained the cauison wil be readie to fall down ouer the horses nose Clifford If thou be so ignorant
that thou canst not make thy cauison of fit length for that purpose and also putte a strappe of leather to the middle of the cauison and make it fast to the headstall betwixt the horses eares in such order that the cauison cannot fall then thou shalt shewâ— thy selfe to be more fitter to kéepe horses than come to me to learne to ride Hovve to correct a Horse that will reare and fall backe vpon a man Clifford THat comes through the fault of the rider for that he curbeth his horse too straight or giues him too hard a bit or stops him too sodainely or by checking him with the bit or by letting it hang too low in his mouth or by bearing too hard a hand vpon him or by giuing him too cruell correction in teaching him to aduaunce or by putting him to too much trauell at one time Kingdon I graunt it may come by anie of all these foresaide ways or meanes but I had rather you woulde teach me how to remedie it then shew me how it comes Clifford I wil teach thée how it comes to the ende that thou maiest take héede that thou commit not anie such fault by the which thou maiest bring thy horse to disorder And as touching the remedie first ride him without a curbe as hath béene before taught or else with a trench mousroll and martingale and take héed you tie not your martingale too short at the first and when you will ride him leade him foorth of the stable into some déepe marrish or rotten ground with a couple of footemen each of them hauing a corde in his hand made fast to the brake and when you are come into the foresaide place raine your horse first to the saddle bowe that done let the two footemen offer to leade him foorth gently and if he will not goe foorth but offer to reare an end then let the two footemen strike him on the fore legs with their cudgels which they must carrie in their right hands for that purpose holding the cordes in their left handes it shall be requisite also to haue one behinde him that may at the same instant whip him wel vpon the two flanckes and when you haue made him go gently being rained on the saddle then may the rider take his backe and when he is vp take awaie your two cords and offer to put him forward noting that at the same instant that he offers to stand still to reare an end you strike him on the fore legges and let the footeman whip him on the flanks as before And this order being obserued you shall within the space of fiftéene daies make him leaue his fault so cleane as though he had neuer had it remembring alwaies that when he beginnes to reare you let your bridle go and take holde on his mane with your left hand and when he goes without rearing make much of him and torment him not Kingdon With what shall I strike my horse on the fore legs and why shall I ride him in a marish ground Clifford With a good cudgell beating him therewith ouer the shinnes beneath his knées it were better if thou haue store of rods to take fiue or sixe vnder thy girdle with their points hanging downeward to the end that when thou hast broken one thou maiest draw out an other for that he feareth a rod more than he doth a cudgell And as touching the marrish ground he shal haue more mind to saue himself from sincking in it than to reare an end in the which passing to and fro you shal verie wel tame him and acquaint him with the correction by striking him sometimes on the legges And afterward being come to the firme ground carrie your rod or cudgell alwaies in such sort that it may almost touch his knées and you may also touch him a little therewith in going by meanes whereof he shall haue more minde to knéele than to reare Kingdon By riding my horse in a marrish or rotten ground I shal not onlie tyre him but also stand in doubt to leaue him behind me as I haue known diuers ignoraÌ„t souldiors to do in Ireland by means of their brainsick hastines Clifford If thou be so ignorant that thou canst not choose thy ground of a reasonable déepnesse and also to ride so few turnes therein as thou maiest leaue thy horse both in strength and courage it shall be more reason that thy Horse ride thée then thou him note that when the horse is acquainted with this correction you may always afterward ride him on the hard ground the footeman following him as before and forget not to carrie your cudgell also in the selfe sorte as you did at the first Hovve to correct that horse that will not go from the stable or when he meets any other horses vpon the way wil sodainly stand stil and not go from them and also being in company with other horses wil not depart the same Clifford I Haue diuers times holpen such a horse by riding him without spurres with a short whip onelie whipping him therewith vpon his cods neuer ceasing til I haue made him to go forwarde and also by striking him with the great end of my foresaide whip staffe betwéene his two eares if néede so require for this is a verie good correction but verie dangerous for the poll â—uill I haue also ridden vpon a horse in Flaunders that had this fault which being afore the 〈…〉 nie I vpon him haue offered to play his pageant so that not hauing leasure to tâ—kâ— my whip I haue béene forced to strike him 〈◊〉 the two eares with the pommell of my sword wherâ—with I haue made him gallop more than foure English miles you may also haue two footemen the one with â— whip and the other with a goâ—de and when he beginnes his pageant let them come behinde him and correct him in the tenderest places of his body as hath béene before taught Kingdon I haue séene some horses that would not stirre for anie correction Clifford But if thou do but onelie pricke him with the goade about his nose and mouth thou shalt quickly make him stirre though he be neuer so vile of nature Kingdon How shall I remedie that horse I praie you that wil lie downe when he is corrected Clifford Throw water vppon his head and into his eares then shalt thou quicklie sée him rise thou maiest also cause a cloth to be cast vpon his head and thrée or foure footmen to holde it down close about him kéeping down his head till he be almost smothered to death and when he riseth let the footemen beate and rate him with a terrible noise but sée that thou neither spur nor strike him but let him go gently at his owne ease Hovve to correct that horse which is hard of mouth and will run awaie with his rider Kingdon I Praie you before you depart teach mée howe I shall reforme that horse which is hard of mouth and will neither stop nor do
legge or shinne beneath his knée with your right hand and leane your right shoulder close to the horse his left shoulder and with your left hand pull downe his head as hard as you can speaking to him gently saying to him couch couch and if he profer as though he would lie downe make much of him and let him rest a while then beginne to beate him softly againe till he lie downe Thus may you teach anie young horse to lie downe in the space of thrée houres so that with a little exercise the first and second day you shall make him so perfect that he shal lie downe at the first time that you profer your red to his forelegs But if you will teach an olde horse to lie downe that is stubborne and froward of nature then must you put a sharp pricke in the end of your foresaid cudgell and let it not excéede the length of a wheate corne without the cudgel and when with soft striking you can not make him lie downe then may you pricke him in the legge with the foresaid pricke and you shal see him presently fall down vpon his knées you sée that he will not lie downe with his hinder partes then holde the bridle fast and holâ—â— your shoulder close to the horse then shal you strike him faire and softly vpon the elbow of his fore left legge so long til you make him lie down with his hinder parts which when he doth vnbuckle your surcingle take off his bridle and giue him grasse or prouender to eate and flatter him and make much of him but if he start vppâ— sodainely before you would haue him then it shall be good to giue him two or thrée strokes with your rod and presently to force him to lie downe as at the first but if he rise not till you woulde haue him then make maruelous much of him and giue him such things to eate as he most desireth and when you haue made him rise claw and rub him and profer it him no more in the space of an houre In this order haue I neuer failed to make anie horse lie down at my pleasure of what age nature or disposition soeuer he was Kingdon But what if my horse wil start vp sodainely when I would take his backe in the field Clifford Then take him fast by the chéeke of the bridle with your left hand and whip him wel with your right hand behind the saddle and cause him to lie downe presently and by this meanes you shal reforme him Of a horse that yarketh behinde in his gallopping AT euerie time he yarketh in his gallopping whip him well behinde vpon his flancke as néere his coddes as is possible and so continue the correction as often as the horse shall make this fault thus you shall quickly recouer him Kingdon But I did demaund of you in the beginning how I should dresse mine horse after that he was ridden therefore I praie you teach me what order I shall obserue therin Clifford That was wel remembred of thée I giue thée thanks for I had almost forgotten that but now I shall most willinglie shew thée of all the waies that I tried which is best Thine horse béeing walked as before till hée bée thorow colde thou shalt shake litter inough vnder him with the which thou must rub his legges well and also betwixt his fore bowes and hinder legges that béeing done vnbridle him and rubbe his head well and also his necke and brest then may you giue him some hay or strawe to eate Kingdon But were it not good to let him stand halfe an houre on the bit and not to rubbe his legges till he be thorow colde and drie and also to take off his saddle and to put a cloth on him and also stuffe him rounde about with strawe Clifford As touching thy first demaund I answere not with opinion but with experience that it is much better thy horse being colde as hath béene before taught to vnbridle him and let him eate his meate than to stand still vâ—on the bit And as touching thy second demand I answere it is naught to let thine horse stand vnrubbed for that the mire drying on his legges shall not onelie make him stiffe but also cause his skinne to be so drie that it will chap and bréede scabbie and mouldie héeles yea I doe assure thée I haue throughlie tried this waie but I could neuer find anie so good as to rub mine horse till he be drie as touching the vnsadling of him I haue also tried it by the space of tenne yeares together in all which time I could neuer be without the horse léeches helpe but in twelue yeares that I haue obserued this order héere following I haue not had néed of the horse-leech to drench my horse at anie time for anie disease comming of colde no nor seldome of anie other Take had thou vnsaddle him not nor so much as slacke one of his girses but hauing rubbed him well thou shalt couer him with a single cloth making the corners therof fast vnder his girses and take héede thou neuer giue him water nor prouender vntill such time as thou hast dined although thou ride him earlie in the morning but if it be in winter put a good handfull of haie in it to the end it may hinder him and make him drinke leasurelie which also shall some thing abate the coldnesse of the water And it shall not be amisse in colde and extreame wether to let thy horse drinke but halfe his fil and often times to beate him awaie suffering him to take but a little and a little at once by meanes whereof he shall not sodainlie coole his stomacke wherwith he might fall into some extreame feauer and when thou hast done giue him his wet haie in the manger to eate Kingdon I shall marre my horse if I let him not drinke his fill Clifford Thou shalt not hurt him I warrant thée for that at night thou mayest giue him inough without anie daunger Kingdon But at what time I praie you shall I vnsaddle him and dresse him Clifford By that that I haue sayd I would haue taught thée the after thou hast watered thy horse thou shalt first rub well his head and then his bodie and legges first with strawe and then with haire cloth that done combe his mane and put on his coller which thou must alwayes take off when thou rubbest his head the béeing done giue him his prouender and vnsaddle him not till night that the doores windowes of the stable be shut then mayest thou currie and dresse him without anie danger By obseruing this order giuing my horse fenegreke in his Oates after his iourney and not letting him rest but by walking him abroad euerie daie or euerie other day easilie softlie without heating him I haue in thrée yeres and thrée moneths wherein I had charge of Monsieur Villiers horses not giuen one drench or medicine to so much as one of
neather edge thereof cleanâ— through to the quick at the one end of the loose place then at the other â—â—d of the horne so loosed from his fooâ—e there shall you begin to cut another slit in such sort as you may plucke the loose péere cleane awaie then may you sée whether there be proude flesh high gristell or little wartes or buttons of vitious and vile flesh then may you cut them awaie with a rasoâ— and laie on pouder of duâ—nt Allome and a plaister made of the medicine before recâ—ted in the Chapter of the shoulder splent and make a doote for him till hée bée whole thus may you heale your horse of anie such griefe of false quarter perfectlie without anie danger the false quarter is no other thing but a clift or open right euen â—om the top of the horses hoofe to the bottome thereof and it will be so painfull that it will cause the horse to halt and it will bleede in the trauailing vppon harde ground and néedâ—th no other cure but with a drawer to cut awaie the horne of each side thereof halfe an inch on euerie side of the slit so as you may take awaie the hoâ—ne an inch broad euen from the toppe thereof to the bottome by this meanes the horne shall growe downe whole and soâ—nd thou must dresse him as before put a boote vpon his foote Of a pricke in the sole of the foote with a channell naile rustie yron stub or sharpe stone THe cure Open the mouth of the sore and hauing searched the bottome with a quill then powre in Turpentine and hogs greasâ— together boiling hot put therin a little fine flaxe or cotton made of linnâ—â— clothes dresse him in this sorte twice a daie and in a péece of leather as before that the medicine fall not out Of the Horse that is grauelled THis commeth by reason that grauel getteth in vnder his shooe and so fretteth the horne the signes to knowe it be these the horse will halt and if you put your knife point betwixt his héele the spring of his shooe you shall straight perceiue the grauel which wil crash vpon your knife The cure Take off his shoo pare his foote picke out the grauell and mend the shooe and set it on againe and put therein a little Turpentine shéepes Suet and Waxe molten together and stuffe it well with a little Towe or Flaxe Of the Surbate THis seldome hapneth to a horse with a good hoofe those that are flat footed are most subiect to this disease it commeth by trauailing on hard wayes in the Summer time or else by riding him vpon stonie and hard mountaines The signes to knowe it bée these the horse will halt much more vppon harde ground than vppon softe I neuer had anie horse lame of this griefe but one and that on one foote onlie which horse I cured in this sorte I roasted a couple of egges hard hauing first powred hot Sallet oile in my horses foote I thrust the hot egges in also and tyed them fast with a cloth ouer his foote and letting him stande all night I found him sound the next morning and so continued all my iourney which was aboue thrée score French leagues Of the rotten or matering frush THis commeth for lacke of paring and cleane kéeping of the foote The signes to know it are these the horses frogge or frush will runne of filthie and stinking water The cure Take off the shoo and pare his foote well if you will wast your labour and charges you may â—aie anie other medicine vnto it but I for my part neuer vsed anie other medicine than to pare my horses foote as hath béene aforesaide and to kéepe it cleane Of the manginesse in the taile and mane THis commeth commonlie by the meanes of dust falling out of the racke and for lacke of combing his mane and for want of currying and rubbing him vnder his mane fast by the rootes thereof The cure If it bée in the mane let him bloud on the necke and cut awaie the haire a finger breadth cleane through the middle of his mane euen from the wythers to the â—ares so as on what side so â—uer you turne the mane no man can perceiue one haire thereof to bée cut then shall you with a hotte yron so bigge as your little finger burne all the place where you cut his haire euen from the one end to the other of his mane then fill all that same burned place or surrowe full of blacke Sope and if you would kéepe your horse from itch it shall not bée amisse when that you perceiue the haire to come again to burne him as before and this will cause his mane to be a great deale the finer and thereby shall be the lesse subiect to itch If it be in the taile wash him with strong lée and Sope. Of the falling of the creast THis commeth most commonlie when a fat horse falleth leaâ—e by sicknesse or trauaile it néedeth no signes for that you may easilie know it by meanes that the horses creast will hang all on one side it was my fortune to finde one of these horses at Sir Henrie Cromwels in Huntington shéere This was a blacke baie horse in the Quéenes Stable named baie Storie he had turned him to grasse for a Stallion and hauing shewed him to me and commended him for a meruailous readie and seruiceable horse with all he tolde mée that if I would venture to dresse him according to the order set downe by that famous Marshall Martine Almon that hée would venture his Horse for quoth hée as he is I estéeme him nothing at all but in fine he read me his booke shewed me the figure and I burnt the horse accordinglie but séeing him neuer a whit the better but that in time I sawe his creast beganne to sattle downe as lowe as euer it did I sitting vppon the barre by him one daie I set my left hande on his mane and pulled ouer his creast on the right side and then fastning my right hande close vppon the skinne at the fore edge of his shoulder a foot and some thing more beneath his creast and then letting my left hande goe and helping my right hande also with my left to holde the foresayd skinne I therewith holde his creast so vpright as euer it did stand in all his life by which triall I founde that if that skinne coulde be so shrinked and kept vppe short that it was the onelie waie to holde vppe his creast but I founde that it was waxed so great for that it had béene fallen foure yéeres that if I had set it vp by the foresayd meanes that then it would fall on the other side I deuised with my selfe a great manie of daies what were best to doe and I euer carrying so obstinate a minde that I disdayned to haue begunne anie thing which I shoulde not bée able to performe at the â—â—ngth it came to my minde to dresse him as héere
anie other lesson but when it shal please himselfe Clifford I euer thought so that thou wouldest still trouble me with foolish questions haue I not alreadie sufficientlie taught thée how to maister anie horse in such sort that he should obey and not to tell me how the horse hath a wil of his owne Kingdon I graunt that you haue spoken some thing as concerning the same but I praie you let it not be grieuous vnto you to teach mée more exactlie and that not onelie how to remedie it but also what is the principall cause thereof Clifford First as touching the cause thereof thou must note that some horses haue it by the imperfection of nature for that their iawes are so narrow and their heads set so right forwards vpon their neckes that it is not possible for them to râ—ine well but the most part of horses takes it throughâ— the vnskilfulnesse of the rider by bearing too hard a hand vppon them by ouer riding them or by too sharp corrections out of due time before they make their horse to vnderstand what he should do by meanes wherof they make him so fearefull and timerous that he becomes desperate and not knowing what to doe he falleth to running awaie to goe backward or to reare an â—nd or else becomes so sencelesse that he will not go for anie beating no although you would kill him This by the waie but to the purpose First put on your horse a ca 〈…〉 n without a curbe but you must haue a speciall care that you carrie so temperate a hand vpon your cauison as may be that you distemper not your horse by soo much tormenting him therwith Also force him with the bit as little as is possible hauing in this order bridled your horse ride him faire and softlie in some faire or large ring a foote pase and hauing walked him ten or twelue turnes vpon one hand then stop him and make him goe backe but if you cannot make him goe backe by gentle meanes yet striue not with him in anie case but giue him as many turnes on the other hande Thus changing from hand to hand you shall giue him so many turnes as you shall thinke conuenient taking héede alwaies that to all such horses you vse no extremitie before you haue sought to win him by all gentle meanes possible Hauing in this sort throughlie acquainted your horse in this lesson then you may begin to trot him noting that vpon his trot you stop him often in the foresaid ring and also make him goe backe if it may bée with gentlenesse if not yet flatter and speake him faire to the end that you may encourage him not onelie to do that lesson but anie other that you shall teach him in tune Kingdon But if my horse will not go backe it shall be to small purpose to trot him in the ring for that I haue heard you saie it is not possible to make a horse to stoppe well and to beare light vpon the hand except you first teach him to goe backe and that he will doe it both lightlie and readilie Clifford Haue I not taught thée before how to make a horse goe backe by riding him in a déepe waie hauing high bankes on each side to vse the helpe of a footman with a cudgell in his hande and by striking him on the fore legges if you cannot by threatening make him goe backe Kingdon I graunt you haue taught mâ—â— but that 〈◊〉 to â— young horse and with a trench but this is â—o an oldâ— horse with a bit and cauison and therfore I thinke it to be verie hard to make him doe it vpon the cauison and bit for that I haue séeme diuerse horses to be made desperate by tearing and pulling them too much with the cauison and also the number is not small of those that I haue séene by teaching them vpon the bit haue their mouths cleane marred therewith but I neuer knewe anie horses mouth hurt with a trench or brake Clifford Ah I con thée thankes for finding out so notable an errour as that is for to confesse the truth there was neuer young horse made so well mouthed by teaching him vppon the bit and cauison but that he might haue bene made a great deale better vpon the trench or snaffle or olde horse of anie fault so well reformed as with the same Kingdon Then woulde you haue mée to ride my horse till I had made him goe backe with the snaffle or brake onelie Clifford Not so for I would not haue you ride him onlie therwith but also that you adde a musroll and martingale thereto without the which you maye neuer ride anie horse with a brake and also I woulde not onelie haue you to ride your horse therewith till he can goe backe but also till he be perfectlie recouered of this fault or anie other whatsoeuer Kingdon But I haue séene some horse so wilfull that they would neither stop nor goe backe for anie of these helpes by you taught Clifford Nor I neuer found anie but that I could helpe by this correction héere following At the same instant that he refuseth to goe backe for all those corrections or helps take the one raine of your trench within a foot of your bit lappe it about your hand and pull his head so néere your knée as it is not possible for him to goe awaie spurre him on the contrarie shoulder and whippe him well behinde your saddle also with your rodde or short whippe winding and turning him from hand to hande so long till you make him gladde to doe your will note that in anie case you holde your raines so short that hée may not goe out of his place and that you neuer vse this but in great extremitie and vpon good ground for feare of sliding or falling Kingdon Shall it be inough to serue my horse in this sort one time onelie Clifford If he offend but once then hast thou no reason to torment him often but it shall bée requisite at euerie time he doeth refuse stubburnlie to doe his lessons to serue him in like order by meanes whereof thou shalt make him to doe all those thinges that thou desirest without once to bée so hardie as to offer to runne awaie Kingdon But I haue knowen some horses so stubburne and craftie that at what time you woulde pull him a side with the one raine hée will holde his head out right with such strength and also goe awaie so spéedelie that it is not possible for anie man to staie him Clifford I must néedes confesse that thou hast set me hard but thou shalt knowe that the God of Israel whom I serue to whom all glorie is due of all knowledge and inuention hath giuen me grace with credit to performe whatsoeuer I haue taken in hande by meanes whereof if thou be able to demaund all the questions that is in this Art requisite I haue no doubt but to answere thée not with learning for
may know himselfe to be throughly maistred by this inuention Hauing vsed him in this sorte so much as reason requireth to whose rule I woulde haue thée haue a speciall regarde in such extremities as those be thou maiest somewhat slacke thy cordes in such sort that thou straine not thy horses head therewith Then take his backe and offer him gently to tread out a ring in the selfe place In doing whereof I woulde haue you to speake him faire flattering and vsing him gently to the ende he may finde ease in obeying your will and also that he may perceiue the better wheresore he is corrected And afterwarde when hée shall offer to run awaie or malitiously refuse to doe his lessons let your bridle go and drawe the ende of your corde so much as shall be requisite By this meanes you may easily staie your horse from going awaie euen with the strength of one of your fingers which being done correct him sharpely with the spurrâ— on the contrarie shoulder as before taught and the rod also that being done slacke the corde and offer hym his lesson againe and faile not that at euerie time he doth erre to correct him in this order by meanes whereof you shall in shorte time haue him as obedient as euer was scholler to his schoolemaister Kingdon But were it not better to ride him in some déep way and hauing footmen with staues and burning strawe in the endes thereof to put it in his nose or to runne him in the fielde till he be wearie Clifford It were verie good for a foole or madman Kingdon Wherfore both learned wisemen haue so taught me Clifford I graunt them to be both learned and wise but in teaching such bables they bewray their want of skill in this art for consider I praie thée howe that horse is reformed that the rider can not commaunde when it shall please him without the helpe of anie footeman but by this last remedie by me taught thou shalt maister anie horse without helpe and make him that he shall not once dare offer to run awaie Hovv to remedie that Horse that will turne but on the one hand Clifford YOU shall remedie him in this sorte following put a false raine on the side the he wil not turne on if you ride him with a bit for if you ride him with a trench you shall not néede of a false raine This béeing done turne him on that hand in some large ring and giue him at the least tenne or twelue turnes at a time then giue him two or thrée on the other hand afterwarde turne him on the other hande againe as before for in obseruing this order and by holding your false or trench raine on that side so short that he can haue no libertie with his head you shall quicklie remedie him if you giue him no short nor narow turnes till he be perfect in the large and that you bring him not sodainlie from a large ring to a little but as he is perfect in the large ring so euer must you make him tread his ring lesse lesse by a little at once til you haue brought him to tread his rings in as small compasse as shall bée requisite Kingdon But I haue knowen some horses that when you would offer to turne them they will turne on the contrarie side in despite of your téeth Clifford Haue I not taught thée in the last Chapter with a strap of leather to turne a runawaie horse by the which thou maist remedie this fault easilie if thou wilt take héede thou turne him not too short at the first but orderlie and leasurelie as hath bene before taught Kingdon But I haue séene you to a horse of maister Throckmortons vse a more easier waie in my iudgement and a farre more readier Clifford I praie you tell me in what order was that for I haue now cleane forgotten it Kingdon I sawe you vnbuckle the raines of the brake take the right raine thereof and put it through a ring that was made fast to your saddle with a double péece of leather that went twice about the fore point of your saddle trée and hauing past it through the foresayde ring you did also put it through the eie of your brake where the other end thereof was first made fast and I sawe you with drawing the end thereof holde your horse in such sort that he was not able to goe awaie but onelie to turne on the right hande notwithstanding you dyd breake your rodde on him and spurred him till he bled and afterward hauing loosed the foresayd raine buckled it in his former place then offered him his lesson which he did before stubburnlie refuse to do I then saw him do it with such willingnesse that in my iudgement the horse made a double amends for his former falt yea and though you did prouoke him by riding him till hée was almost wearie yet did he not dare once offer to goe awaie at the which I did not a little mâ—ruaile knowing him to be so stubburne a horse and so notable a runawaie that in the space of halfe a â—ere and more before your comming he stoode still because no man was willing to ride him Clifford Thou sayest troth thou maiest also in like manner take a cord of two fathome of length nesse the two ends thereof first through the greate eyeâ— of your bit or brake and afterward passe them through the two patterell buckles of your saddle and then make fast the side of the cord so the eie of your braue and when your â—â—rse doth offer to runne awaâ—e you may drawe one side of the foresayd cordes by meanes whereof you shall most â—astlie staie him as before but in correcting him if hée turne so fast and many times that you cannot endure the same then may you let that â—aine goe and pull the other by meanes whereof you shalt not onely correct your horse but also be well able to endure his turning Hovve to remedie a horse that will lie downe in the water Clifford AT what instant he lies downe in the water cause thrée or foure foot men to leaps â—n his head and keepe him downe vnder water till he be almost drowned Hovv to correct the horse that will not carrie his head right Clifford HOlde your spurre close in his side till hée looke that waie which when he doth take awaie your spurre and make much of him as soone as he forgets that correction see that you remember him as before till he leaue his fault Kingdon I haue knowen diuerse of those horses verie well reformed in their going but afterward when you would giue them a managing turne they will dowe their heads on the one side Clifford Take a strap of leather with a button at each end â—ut full of slits to the end you may shorten and lengthen it at your pleasure passe the one end therof through the eie of your cauison bit or brake the other end
being verie cold the aire wil vtterly spoile thy horse which can haue no power on him so long as he is going with a man on his backe Also if your horse be stubburne or giuen to reare on end or leap on his kéeper with his fore féete it shal be very perillous to walk such horses in your hand not onely in respect of the kéeper but also of the horse who hauing once beaten his kéeper or broken froÌ„ him he shall therby become so stubburne the no man shall be able to lead him without great danger of the which horses I haue had good experience in Flanders with Monsieur Villiers with Monsieur De la Roshpo one of them being marshal of the camp as aforesaid the other general of the Infancie the army theÌ„ being at Eclow the Erle De la Roshpo had a bayhorse which slew two of his grooms wherwith he became so cruell fiercâ— not only in biting striking but with rearing on end the he would dash out their brains and break their bones whosoeuer he could take hold on Also Monsieur Villiers had a bay horse named Souldier which horse when I had ridden him one daie lighted to make much of him which hath alwaies â—â—n my coÌ„mon vse when my horse hath done wel the horse did leape vpon me rend almost all my clothes of my backe bit off my fore finger to my great griefe feare of the beholders who all ran awaie for feare of the furie of the horse which was so great that not one of them was so hardie as once to help me Kingdon I pray you before I go anie further teach me howe I may without perill kéepe or dresse any such horse for that you told me Monsieur Villiers gaue two horses to MoÌ„sieur de la Roshpo for the same horse and afterward hauing doth the foresaide ill conditioned horses vnder your hands the space of thrée yeares you had neuer anie groome hurt nor your selfe put in hazard with either of them which can hardly sincke into my head for that an horse beginning to bite and leape on his kéeper with his foreféete is hardly or neuer to be reformed Clifford I graunt they are not to be reformed but thou shalt easily maister them with these inueÌ„tions here folowing in such sort that a boy of sixtéene yeres of age may dresse them saddle them bridle them leade them in the hand leape on them and light from them without anie perill either to kéeper or rider First when you woulde bridle your horse you must make fast a strong cord to the noseâ—and of his collar in this sort Goe to the horse on the one side of the barre and drawe his head to you so farre as the contrarie raine will giue you leaue then make fast the forenamed cord which you may easily do without anie daunger then tie him therewith to the racke and then you may bridle him with your watering bit or false trench which false trench is a most necessarie thing for such an horse for that he being brâ—deled therewith you may not onelie dresse your horse without danger but also if occasion serue you may put on your bridle without danger and let the trench remaine on his head noting that you leaue the rains of the foresaid trench so long as you may tie him therewith to the two postes of his roome being turned about Kingdon I graunt that I may thus kéepe mine horse from biting me but what shal I do that he strike me not with his foreféete whiles I thus bridle him Clifford If he be so froward that he will not let thée handle his head then take a good whip and whip him well and hauing so whipped him offer to touch him as before which if he refuse then whip him againe obserue this order so long till he be glad to let you handle his mouth which when he will doe make much of him and bridle him in suffering whereof sée that thou vse him gently if he offer to bite thy hand take a left hand gantlet and dash him in the mouth when he offers to bite thine hand that being done take a long rudgell and begin to touch him therewith vpon his hinder legges and if he strike whip him as before so long till he endure to haue both his legges and féete easily rubbed and touched with the same then begin to rubbe him gently with your hands and after put foure pasturnâ— on his feete and let a cord passe on ech side from the hind foot to the fore foot which would be of a sufficient length by this moâ—ns may you dresse your horse saddle and bridle him without danger either of biting or striking and also your horse may both lie downe rise with the same so easily as though he had nothing on for I haue alwaies vsed in the camp when I must make my stable in a â—â—rne or great house where I had no bars betwixt them to tie all their legs with side langalls made of great haie roapes which I did alwaies carrie with me for that purpose Kingdon I pray you teach me what those side langals are for I know not what you meane therby for that I haue neuer séene any of them Clifford In the north part of England they are coÌ„mon also in Scotland and it is made in this sort first take a péece of a cord of fiue foot of length and make a knot on ech ende thereof then passe the said knot through the two eies of your cord which must be on the ends of the same for the purpose theÌ„ may you shift your knot backward or forward so long til you make the two ends therof fit for your horses féet then put one on his hind foote the other on his forefoot noting that daily you change the foresaid langal putting it one daie on the one side another day on the other for feare of galling him it shal not be amis at the first to line it with cotton or cloth after he is acquainted therwith he wil not hurt himselfe though you make it of rough or hard cord I haue also séene the Albanians vse a much more easier fashion for the euerie kéeper may make it himselfe Cut a péece of cord of such length aâ— may come froÌ„ the hinder foot to the forefoot of your horse a knot being made on ech end therof then take two péeces of smal cord double theÌ„ make a great one make knots vpon both ends thereof let it be of such length as it may méet iust about the horses féet as your pasturn doth then with a great cudgel sharped at the end opeÌ„ the forenamed great cord passe the small cord through the same behind the knot and when you shal put it on your horse wind the loup that wil remaine of your foresaide small double cord til you make the end therof so strait the you can no more but passe the forenamed
not be able to stirre anie waie And thy bridle hand lying ouer the head thereof shall not be able to fall out at anie time and as touching thy caske thou must carrie it on the right side behinde thy hinder bolster with the beauer thereof backewardes and the creast vpwardes so as although thou march all night in the raine yet shall it be drie when thou wouldest put it on thy head this is a much better waie than to hang it at your saddle bowe or to march with it vpon your head which two waies are so troublesome and painfull that a number of good souldiours thereby doe lacke their caskes when they come to seruice which thing manie times is the cause that they leaue their liues behinde them or else doe make them that they dare not doe so much as they might hauing béene armed on their heads yea I neuer account him a good souldiour that will ride without his headpéece nor him a wise Captaine of harquebuziers that will lette his souldiours goe without their murriâ—â—s swordes and daggers But to our purpose you shall put your hâ—tte in your pocket or else into your bréech in at your codpéece or you may make a silke string fast to the inside of your hat with a great button vpon the same and hauing putte the foresaide string vpon your saddle howe you may drawe your button vp so close that it is not possible for you to loose your hat The end of the fourth Booke The fift Booke The first Chapter of Diseases Of the colde in the head THe signes to knowe it be these thy horseâ— eies and countenance wil be very heauie he wil not hold by his head not to eate his meate and there will run at his eies and nose cléere water The cure that I haue manie times vsed was in this sort put on his head a beggarly biggen and also purge his head with this medicine take of vforâ—iuâ— haâ—â—an ouncâ— finelie beaten in powder then mingle it well with halfe a pound of fresh butter and then hauing annointed the points of a couple of gâ—â—se or swannes feathers thrust them into his nostrels but first you must make fast to the two neather endes thereof two thréedes so as you may tie them to the noseband of his bridle in such sort that they cannot fall out of his nose then it shall not be amisse to walke him abroade if it be warme weather but if the weather be colde to walke him in the house with a man on his backe an houre at the least then maie you vnbridle him and take out the quilles which being done wipe cleane his nose and putte his head into a bottomlesse bagge hauing tied it fast ouer his eares with â— strappe or corde And if it be too wide for his head you maie double it in one side and pinne it with a pinne of wood close to his head then take a chasingdish of coales with frankencense therevpon helde in the foresaide bagge or sacke in such sorte that the sume thereof maie enter into his nostrels and hold it so for the space of one quarter of an houre this is a verie good waie to purge anie horses head yet would I wishe you to vse it verie seldome and but vppon verie great occasion Of the cough comming of cold THe signes to knowe it be these when thy horse drinkes he wil let the water runne out at his nose and in his coughing he will voide filthie tough â—â—eame at his mouth to cure it take of fenegréeke of galinâ— of synâ—mon of saffron of tunnericke of long pepper of Aniâ— séede of licoras of ech one of them a peny worth beate al these things togither in a morter and put them into thrée pintes of Ale or Béere and adde therevnto halfe a pinte of hunnie and hauing made it luke warme giue it your horse to drinke when he is fasting in the morning and let him not eate anie meate in sixe houres after And it shall be good to walke him one halfe houre faire and softlie so that you driue him not into anie sweat When you haue brought him into the stable shake litter inough about him and cloath him with a reasonable warme cloth so that he sweate not And take héede that you exercise him euerie daie once vpon a soft trot one houre or two at the least but sée that your exercise be such as he sweate not for that shal doe your horse more harme than good yea I haue many times cured my horse onelie with reasonable exercise and giuing him grasse to eate and Fenegréeke in his prouender which is the surest kind of killing the cough aboue all other Another for the same TAke of Butter halfe a pound of Fenegréeâ— as much of Ellecompane sixe ounces Hauing beaten your Ellecompane and Fenegréeke to small pouder in a morter with a rolling pinne for that purpose mingle them all together and hauing wrought theÌ„ well in this sort colde if then it be not stiffe inough to make it in balls then may you adde therevnto a little wheat flower and make it in sixe or eight great bals and when you will giue them to your horse holde vp his head as high as you can Then hauing taken out your horses tongue with your left hand thrust one of the balls into his throate as farre as you can then let his tongue go till he haue swallowed it thus may yo◠〈…〉 e him two or thrée of your bals at once then may yâ—◠〈…〉 dle him and let him stand one houre then shall you g 〈…〉 him another third part of your medicine as before and then shall you bridle him and let him stand the seconde houre Thus shall you giue your horse his medicine at thrée seuerall times without doing him anie harme and the third part of the medicine being giuen let your horse stand thrée houres more at the bare racke vpon the bit which will be sixe houres in all then may you vnbridle him offer him some wet hay to eat or grasse if it may be had let him not drinke before night and let his water be warmed with a little grinded mault or wheate bran therein for the space of ten daies Of the drie cough THe signes to knowe it be these he will cough â—erie drilie and often without voiding anie thing either at nose or mouth The cure Take of oile of Baies halfe a pound of Butter as much then take of garlike one pound beate it together vnpilled and being well beaten with the end of a great cudgell in a dish then adde your butter and oile to your garlike then hauing made it in balls with wheat flower giue this medicine to your horse at sixe seuerall times and let him not eae anie meat til it be night nor drinke till the next morning and let him drinke warme water for the space of xv daies nor anie drie meat if grasse may be had but if you cannot haue grasse then dust
knot the turning wil kéep it so close that it is not possible for your horse to vndo the same Kingdon I grant that this forenamed langall is very good to let mine horse that hée shall not strike his kéeper with his fore or hinder féete nor to leape into his manger nor hang himselfe in his halter nor to strike any other horse but yet I haue séene diuers horses will turne their tailes and dung in their fellows roome by meanes whereof the other horse coulde not lie cleane which is a filthie thing therefore I pray you shewe mâ— what I shall do to kéepe him right in his roome Clifford Take the said langall from his foreféete and tie a péece of cord therevnto then make an hole in his taile tree or else must you driue a stake into the ground and make fast the langall thereto This is not onelie good to holde your horse right in his roome but also it is sufficient to kéepe him from striking his fellowes and to let him from leaping into the manger and hanging himselfe in his halter Kingdon How shall I leade such a diuellish horse when I shal bring him foorth to the rider and how shall I take his backe that he hurt neither him nor me Clifford Take a cudgell of thrée or foure foote of length make an holow in each end thereof then sowe a buckle vpon a péece of leather a spanne long with the which thou must buckle the one ende of thy staffe to the eie of thy bit and passe a cord through the other end and make it so fast as you may hold your horse therewith Kingdon I graunt that this is sufficient to holde anie horse if he be neuer so diuelish that he cannot bite me but what shall I doe that hee leape not on me with his forefâ—ete Clifford Take a péece of strong leather hunger two inches broad two foote and a quarter of length or two foote and an halfe if your horse be verie great then make fast to ech end thereof a round ring of yron so big as shall be requisite to serue the foresaide péece of leather then cut two other péeces of leather hunger of like breadth and let one of them be two foote of length and the other two foote and an halfe and make them fast at the one end in the foresaid ring cut the points of the two foresaid péeces of leather so narrow that you may set a stirrop leather buckle on the shorter and that the other end may easily passe the foresaid buckle wheÌ„ it must be made fast And when you would leade foorth your horse put one of your foresaid péeces of leather about his foreleg and then passe the point thereof through the great ring and draw it close to his leg and put the other end thereof about his hinder leg of the same side through the other ring and drawe it close as before which being done buckle the two endes thereof fast with the saide buckle Thus may you leade your horse with your staffe and side langall get vpon him and light from him and the rider being vp you may loose awaie your staffe and also loosing your buckle of the foresaide side langall it will flée all loose without lifting vp one foot of the horse either when you put it on or take it off With this inuention haue I neuer failed to maister anie horse how diuelish soeuer he was and by continuall vsing of the same I haue made them that being in seruice I might at my pleasure get vp or downe hauing one to staie him by the head while I did alight on the one side and make an other leape vp on the other side at the same instant Thou maiest also make two holow péeces of leather much like vnto two great bosses to the which thou maiest fasten a litle strap of leather of such length that it being put ouer the horses head in the place of the headstall the two forenamed bosses may fall iust ouer the horses eies Then take an other peece of leather of such length as the horses forehead is of breadth and make it fast to the fore part of the two forenamed bosses and make other two straps fast so that you buckle them vnder the horses iawes or throat and before his rider get vppe make the same fast that he can not see and after he is mounted take it away and when he hath ridden him and wil alight you must put it on as before vntill such time as you haue brought him into the stable and this is a very good way but nothing comparable to the first for that with the one he is but deceiued but with the other he is ouer maistred Hovv to teach a horse to lie downe flat vpon his bellie that he shal not rise till you bid him Kingdon I Haue forgotten one thing which aboue all things I haue desired to learne that is to teach a horse to lie downe close vppon his bellie for that it is not onelie good in seruice when a man is armed but also it is excellent when you are hurt or maimed and haue not anie bodie to helpe you vp also it is good when you will lay horsemen in an ambuskado I haue long desired that you should teach me the same for that at sir Ihon Tracies in Gloucester shire you did once learne a horse to lie downe in the space of halfe an houre and so that he neuer forgote the same but woulde at all times doe it when his rider should take his backe verie gently euen with the profering of your hand to his legges by vsing this voice Couch couch Clifford You shall teach your horse to lie downe in this sort first shake litter inough vnder him and tread it down or beate it fast so as the horse may not driue it vppon heapes with his féete then put on his head a watring bit and hauing tide him with two cordes to the postes of his roome so low that he may easily put his head to the ground then shall you put a paire of soft pasturnes the one on his hinder foote and the other on his fore foot on the further side and let the cord go betwixt them of a sufficient length to kéepe him that he shal not reare then may you tie a long corde to the foote of your manger on the right side of your horse and make the other end fast to the pasturne of his right hinder foot then shal you put a third pasturne on his néere fore foote and hauing passed a surcingle about his bodie and through the foresaid pasturne then shall you buckle vp his néere foote so neare his bellie as you shall thinke necessarie you must sée that the buckle lie néere to the midle of the horses backe to the end that when he is laid downe you may â—astly loose the surcingle hauing thus tied your horse you shall beginne to strike him faire and softly with a little cudgel vpon his right