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. 3. (Book 3)

How to teach your horsse in the figure like vnto a snaile, which Maister Claudio calleth Caragolo or Lumaca.

AFter you haue vsed your * 1.1 colt vnto the rings aforesaid, till he trotteth perfectlie well; then shall you put him vpon a cannon made fit for his mouth and stature: which doone, ha∣uing ridden him twentie daies therewith, you must faire and easilie trot him in a large ring, and by little and little bring him into a straight com∣passe, first pasing, and after trotting him. Then when you haue brought him as it were within the compasse of an elne, you shall change hand, by litle & litle, inlarging the ring till you come vnto the same widenesse wherein you began: and there vpon the same hand you shall put him straight into the other Caragolo; wherein being, you must vse the same order which you did in the former; restraining or drawing in the horsse as afore. This doone, turning towards the right hand, you shall gather into the streightnes of the other Caragolo: which order you ought to ob∣serue,

so long as by your discretion shall be thought fit. Then shall you (hauing first giuen your horsse breath in the middest of the Carago∣lo) put him foorth and stop him.

Then pawsing a while in that small ring, you shall giue the horsse two or three turnes, leaning on that hand which you thinke fittest. From thence you shall passe foorth, passing in the ma∣nage path, vntill you come into the other small ring, when making proffer to stop, you shall put him foorth two pases, & so first in the one and af∣ter in the other interteine him, turning him in the one end & then in the other of the manage, wherein as you pased him, so may you trot him eight or ten times. But in trotting, I wish that so soone as you be come to the ring, you should end with a stop, and then suddenlie thrusting the horsse forward halfe the waie, make an end vpō that hand which seemeth most necessarie, there stopping him for good, and presentlie dismount. This manner of lesson M. Claudio calleth Caragolo or Lumaca, because it resem∣bleth the forme of either. But for the better conceiuing there∣of, behold the figure it selfe.

[illustration]

The profit that commeth by this kind of ma∣nage is great, and much greater than that pro∣ceedeth through vse of the rings aforesaid: for it worketh all those effects which they doo, and with more facilitie reduceth the horsse to good order in turning and managing. Besides that, the same is a motion sightlie and pleasing: for it cannot be denied that to turne in the beginning large, and so by little and little restraining the horsse, first pasing, next trotting, and lastlie galo∣ping easilie or frankelie, is a motion verie sight∣lie and contentfull to the lookers on. Also such an artificiall kind of manage sheweth great apt∣nes, nimblenes, courage, strength & obedience in the horsse, likewise much skill and order in the rider. I may saie more ouer in cōmendation of this manage, that by vse thereof onelie, a horsse may be made readie and perfect, which by vse of the two or the three rings may also be, but with much difficultie. Who so shall also consider well therof, may perceiue, that by meane of this Ca∣ragolo, a horsse is taught to turne vpon the ground, which the Italian termeth Raddoppiare terra terra. I doo therefore perswade euerie horseman to excercise his horsse more in this than anie other kind of manage, as well for the reasons aforesaid, as the rather thereby to giue

him breath, make him obedient, and for manie other respects too long to be here expressed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A descripti∣on of this Caragolo or Lumaca see pag. 12.