The art of riding conteining diuerse necessarie instructions, demonstrations, helps, and corrections apperteining to horssemanship, not herettofore expressed by anie other author: written at large in the Italian toong, by Maister Claudio Corte, a man most excellent in this art. Here brieflie reduced into certeine English discourses to the benefit of gentlemen and others desirous of such knowledge.

CHAP. 7. (Book 7)

By what meanes to teach a colt to vn∣derstand the helps of the rod, the heele, and the voice.

WHen you haue brought your colt to trot well straight foorth, stop firmelie, and make his large turnes iustlie: I would haue you remember that as yet you shall not stop him vpon the decline of anie hill or steepe place. From this time foorth you may vse a rod; and when so euer he committeth anie fault, presentlie correct him therewith, & accompanie your correction with your voice. As for example: if he goeth not well forward, you may with a certeine cherk of your lips prouoke him forward, adding therto a stripe or two with your rod vpon his bellie, iust betwixt the sursingle and your heele: whereby he shall at one instant, or at sundrie times, tast of three cor∣rections.

So soone as the horsse trotteth well, stoppeth and can make his large rings iustlie, you may put him vpon the cannon, which would be somwhat worne before, suffering the curbe to be verie

loose, and the reines verie slacke. But after from time to time you may gather them vp by little and little, drawing them to the iust length, ma∣king the curbe and cannon to stand in the true place.

And to the end the horsse may become the more assured and accustomed to the bridle, you must (while he is warme and doing his ordinarie lessons) faire and easilie by degrees drawe the reines to the true length, and then with discreti∣on straine them more or lesse, till the reines be brought to the iust length, and the curbe vnto the true place.

If the horsse shall not go in the rings as he ought, but leaneth more on the one hand than on the other, or goeth out of the path; then must * 1.1 you helpe him both with the rod, your heele, and voice altogether: which must be doone in this case, according to the rings and the qualitie of the fault committed. As for example: if you would incourage the horsse to go with more speed, saie, Via, via, beating him on the contrarie shoulder with the rod: and if you would yet en∣crease his speed, then say, Via, via, via, & in the same instant strike him on the contrarie shoul∣der, and likewise with the contrarie heele.

Moreouer, it seemeth in mine opinion verie

conuenient, when you trot the ring vpon the right hand, that then notwithstanding you keepe the reines iust, yet you should raise the right hand some what aboue the left, and also a little aloofe from it; to the end you may carrie the rod with the point thereof towards the left shoulder. Besides that, whensoeuer a greater helpe is re∣quired, you must raise your right hand much higher, beating the horsse as it were with the whole rod vpon the same shoulder. Then chang∣ing hands, with the selfe same order you shall turne the rod towards the right shoulder, from time to time touching the horsse vpon the same shoulder, and (deseruing it) to vse greater cor∣rection.

True it is, that these corrections ought to be * 1.2 vsed, rather to enforme the colt how to vnder∣stand the first lessons, than for the correction it selfe. For afterwards you shall dailie in∣crease your corrections, and be∣come more sharpe and terri∣ble in voice, and other∣wise, as the colt gi∣ueth occa∣sion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The vse of the rod, the heele, and the voice.
• * 1.2

  The vse of the forsaid correcti∣ons.