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IF you have an old Horse you have a desire to part withall, and would sell him for a good price, first put him into good case, then next counterfeit the mark in his mouth, which you may do thus: take a small Iron about the thick∣ness of a Goose quill, or not so thick, and heating it red hot burn a little black hole in the tops of
the two outmost teeth, of each side the neather chap before next the Tushes, and then with an Awl blade prick it, making the shell fine and thin, then with a sharp scraping Iron make all his Teeth white and clean; having done this, take a fine Lancet, and above the hollow of the Horses eyes which are shrunk down, make a little hole only through the skin, and raising it up put in a quill that is very small, as a Duck or Ravens quill, and then blow the skin full of wind till all the hollowness be filled up; then taking out the quill, lay your finger on the hole a little while, and the wind will stay in, by which means to all outward appearance the Horse will seem but six years old at the utmost.
If you would speedily make an Horses coat smooth, slick, soft, and shining, be sure that you first with good store of cloathing keep the Horse warm at heart; for this you must observe, that the least internal cold will so operate on the external parts of an Horses body, that the hair will stare after a very strange manner; next cause him to sweat often, for that will raise up the dust and filth, which causeth his coat to be both foul and hard. Observe, when your Horse is in his greatest sweat, take an old blade of a sword or Sythe, and turning the edge towards the hair, scrape or curry away all the white foam, sweat, or whatsoever filth shall be raised up, by so do∣ing in a very little time you will cause his coat to be both smooth and even.
Or you may effect your desires this way, when at any time you shall have occasion to open a Vein preserve some of your Horses blood, and therewith rub him all over, letting the blood to remain on his coat eight and forty hours, then curry and dress him well, and this will not only make the hair lye even, but shine like Jett.
Take half a pound of unfleckt Lime, and boil it till a fourth part be consumed, then put there∣unto an Ounce of Orpiment, then take hereof and spread it on Leather, and lay it to that part of the Horse from whence you would have hair taken, this in six hours will take the hair quite a∣way.
Or you may take Rust and Orpiment, and whilst it is scalding hot wash the part therewith, and in a very little time the hair will fall away.
There may be necessary occasions for the use of either of these medicines, but I would not advise you to abuse it as some have done, and have been justly hanged for their pains, that is, they have by these means taken out a star in the forehead of an Horse they have stoln, or some observable mark about his body, and have made hair grow of a∣nother colour in the place, by which means the right owner knew not his own Horses when he saw them. See more of this in the foregoing Sections of making artificial Stars.
Give me leave to tell you that the art of keep∣ing of an Horse from neighing at any time is of excellent use, especially when upon service in the
Wars you would not be discovered by the Horses neighing or making a noise; thus it is done, take a woolen cloth, and tye it fast in many folds a∣bout the midst of your Horses tongue, and be∣lieve this, if not from my experience, yet from your own you may, as long as the tongue is so tyed, so long will the Horse be restrained from neighing or making any extraordinary noise with his voice.
It is a very usual thing for an Horse of a naugh∣ty nature, and dull spirit to be soon restiff, or so tired that he will not go one foot farther, though it be not on a journey; nay sometimes this ill quality proceedeth from a certain sullenness: to cure him of this fault make a running suickle of a small cord, and put it about his Cods and Stones, so that it may not easily slip, then draw the rest of the cord between the girths and the Horses body, bringing it up just between the Horses fore legs, and as you sit in the saddle hold the end of the cord in your hand, when you perceive him to begin to grow restiff, then by pulling the cord, cramp him by the Stones, and by that means you will force him to go forward, and by thus using him fourteen or fifteen days he will lose that evil quality of standing stock still.
If your Horse upon the road begin to faulter and will not go forward, take two or three small pebbles, and put them into each ear, and you shall find that he will speedily mend his pace:
But if you would preserve your Horse from ty∣ring, after the first days journey, coming to your Inne at night cause him first to be very well rub∣bed
down, then take a quart of strong Ale, and put therein an Ounce of very fine powder of Eli∣campane, and having brewed them together, give it your Horse for to drink, in the morning provender him very well, and give him withall some more of the Elicampane.
I have known those who have only tyed a bunch of Penny-royal to the mouth of a bit or Snaff, and by the comfort that the Horse hath received thereby, he hath performed his journey with wonderful alacrity.
Others take very good Virginia Tobacco, and putting it into a glass close stopt, dry it against the Sun, then pound it very small, and mingle it with an equal quantity of Cockle shells, then with the Oyl of Dill and Oyl of Cloves, make the powder into Paste, then make it into balls about the bigness of Walnuts, and so keep them close in a Gally pot; when you travel carry some of these with you, and as you find your Horse begin to tyre, give him one thereof at a time.
But the best receipt I have met withal is, when you find your Horse to tire to take off his Saddle, and with an herb called Arsmart rub his back all over very hard, then lay some Arsmart under the Saddle, then ride him gently, and if there be any Vigour left it will make him go on a∣pace.
For an Horse to distinguish his Master amongst a number of people when he gets into the crowd
seems a very wonderful thing, and indeed it is no less for an irrational creature so to do, or contrary to the nature of the beast to follow his owner is very strange, yet frequent experience giveth us to understand that it hath been done; and thus you must do, if you would have the like performed.
Take a pound of Oat meal, and put thereto a quarter of a pound of Honey, and half a pound of Lunarce, and make a Cake thereof, and put it into your bosome, as near your Arm pit as you can, then apply your self to some bodily exercise till you sweat, then rub the Cake upon the sweat, having so done, restrain your Horse from all sorts of food for twenty four hours; after the expira∣tion of that time give your Horse the afore men∣tioned Cake to eat, let him digest it well, and then turn your Horse loose, and you will find that he will follow you; but if you perceive it is but with some indifferency, then you must renew the Philtre, that is to say make another Cake, and doing therewith as you did before, give it him to eat, and then try him again, and then you shall find he will (like a Dog that hath lost his master) hunt you up and down when he hath lost you, and though you should be environed with never so great a multitud he will know you from the rest; every time he thus finds you out spit in his mouth, and anoint his tongue with your Spittle; this will so ingage him as never to forsake you.
If you find your Horse of a dull sloathful na∣ture,
or that he is wearied and tyred through tra∣vail or some other means, then shave him on both sides, the breadth of the palm of your hand, just upon the spurring places, then with a Lan∣cet make half a dozen small Orifices on both sides, then raising the skin from the flesh, put into each hole some burnt Salt; this will make the sore rankle, and so let it remain three days, then mount him and spur him well in the sore places, after this wash the sore with stale Urine, Salt, and Nettles boiled together, this will cause the spur∣ring places to smart so grievously that he will ne∣ver abide the spur after.
To make the Sore whole take Honey, and a∣noint his sides, or rub his sides with the powder of glass and it will work the same effect.
To make hair grow long where it is short, thick where it is thin, or very soon in any bare place, is an art that must not be slighted, since the want of hair is a great deformity and eye-sore to any Horse: to the intent you may supply such defects you must take this course: get the Urine of a young Lad or Boy, and therewith first wash the bare place; after that take Lye made of un∣fleckt Lime, Ceruss, and Litharge, and with it wash the aforesaid place often, and it will quick∣ly procure Hair to grow, not only long but thick.
This is an excellent way, but there are several others not much inferiour to it, for variety sake I shall here insert some of the best.
Take Agrimony pounded and infuse it in Goats milk, and therewith wash that place
whereon you would have the Hair speedily to grow.
Or take the Dung of Goats, Allom, Honey, and Swines blood, incorporate these well toge∣ther by stirring them over a fire, and when well imbodyed, take thereof and anoint thee bare place therewith.
Some take Nettle seed bruised, with Honey and Salt mixt; others the root of a white Lilly beaten, and boiled in Oil; others the juice of a long Onion, or the juice of Radishes; others Tar, Oil Olive and Honey boiled together; last∣ly, others take the soot of a pot or kettle, and mingling it with Oyl and Honey anoint the bare place; but in my opinion, and according to my long experience there is nothing more efficacious for this purpose than to take green Wallnut shells and burn them to powder, and mix the powder with Honey, Oil, and Wine, and anointing the place therewith, you will find an increase of hair even to wonder.
Since this art of quick fatning poor hunger-starved, sickly, and diseased Horses hath been found out, many and several cheats have there∣by been put upon the buyer, purchasing Horses fair to the Eye, which in a little time after have discovered themselves to be what they are, in∣firm and only boulster'd up by art, and not worth the riding.
The Receipt is thus: take of Wheat meal a
sufficient quantity, of Cummin seeds two Ounces, of Anniseeds a quarter of a pound, of Carthamus two drachms, of Brimstone two Ounces, of Sal∣let Oil a pint and half, a quart of Honey, and of White-Wine a pottle, first take your hard Sim∣ples and pulverize them, then commix them with your humid Simples, work them together into a paste, and make thereof balls or loaves as big as a penny white loaf: Mornings and Even∣ings when you water your Horse dissolve in his cold water one of these balls or loaves, crum∣bling it between your hands, and let him drink thereof; if you find that he refuse it by being not accustomed to the like taste, let him fast till he be willing to drink thereof, and so will he be glad to take it at last: after twice tasting hereof he will refuse any other liquor for it.
By the way let me tell you, though Jockeys and Horse-coursers make use hereof to cheat and a∣buse people, yet it is a most soveraign Medicine, not only to fatten any Horse, but is also a most admirable scourer, not only feeding, but clean∣sing the body from all peccant and malignant humours whatsoever.
Mark well the feet of that beast you intend to buy, and see that they be little, for broad feet e∣ver are the tokens of dulness; let his Pasterns be short, his legs large, broad and flat, a thick large breast, with well raised shoulders, and a quick full eye.
With your hand feel between his chaps whe∣ther
the Horse hath any Glanders, or that he be not troubled with a Curb, Splent or Spaven, and by the waving of your hand to and fro before his eyes you will soon discover any impediment in his eyes.
The mark in his mouth will discover his age if he be not above seven years old, but if that do not visibly appear, feel all down his Tail, if his Strunt be smooth without any knobs at the end you may adventure on him, having not seen half his best days; but on the contrary, the knobs do show he hath not many good days to come.
Now if you would discover any secret malady or imperfection lurking internally and not dis∣coverable by the eye, then let him run at the halters length till he sweat, and he will discover an old cold by his cough, and by his drawing of his breath, that he is either pursy or short winded, or if he be lame you will find where the grief li∣eth by the favouring of one leg or other.
Take special notice when you ride him whe∣ther he frequently turn up the white of his Eye, or layeth his Ears to his pole; if he do, my life for yours, he is a sullen ill conditioned Jade, if he be Wall-eyed he is so much the worse: but if when you come into the stable you perceive the Horse to stare nimbly about him sometimes on this side and sometimes on that, and then again quite behind, it argueth he is lively, full of met∣tle, and hath a good stomach, then take him out and riding him observe to turn him as short as you can, by which means you will discover whether he be swayed in the back or not, and if the hair in the spurring place be white, the spur hath been
often used in that place to correct his sloth and heaviness.
The most marketable Horse, and the fittest for all sorts of business is one that freely eats his pro∣vender, hath broad loins, strong feet, his pace is easie, his nature gentle, and is swift and light of foot. Now take this for an infallible rule in tra∣vail, that if upon some occasion you stop him in his course, he fall a pawing with his foot, it ar∣gueth much impatiency in him for being detein∣ed, and undoubtedly will perform his journey ve∣ry well.
First, if you intend your Mare shall go through with her conception, give her convenient rest af∣ter her covering, and do not hazard the loss of the seed injected by travel.
Be not over covetous of having too many colts from one Mare if you rate her at a good value, and let her not be covered till she be about five years old, and let it be before the full of the Moon, and when the sign is female if you desire a Male Colt, if a female let the sign be male, and after the full.
To facilitate the conception set the Horse with the Mare two or three days by times, but suffer them not to copulate, only do this to heighten their desire to each other; after this let him cover her, and immediately after he hath withdrawn himself from her, pour a pail of cold water on the ridge of the Mares back, this will make her knit the better, but suffer them not afterwards to come together.
The way to know whether your Mare be with Foal is to throw some water into her ear, if she only shake her head and not her body too, she is then with foal, otherwise not.
If you would have your Colts be good Trot∣ters, let your Stallion be of the Neapolitan breed or a Barbary; as for Amblers, there is none better than your Spanish Jennet or the Irish Hobby.
Of all beasts whatsoever the Legs of a Colt grow least; wherefore if his Legs be long, you may conclude of the length and height of his stature, and by the bigness of the Legs his strength and greatness is to be known: House not your Colts till they are three years old.
When your Colt is fit to back, take notice if he have a long back; if so, then fit him with a large Saddle, and before you mount him make him thoroughly acquainted with the Saddle, putting it often on, and taking it as often off; girt him by degrees, till you can make him en∣dure a strait girting; let him smell to the Saddle, and dangle the Stirrops, to make him the more familiarly acquainted therewith.
Forget not to anoint your Bit, when you first put it into your Horses mouth with Honey and the powder of Liquorish, or Honey and Salt will do as well; but be sure at no time that you put any Bit or Snaffle into your Horses mouth without washing it.
Mount not your Horses back before you have
the Bridle-reins fast in your hand, and do not, when you alight at the brow of an hill, drive your Horse before you, lest you run the hazard of losing the reputation of a prudent Horse∣man.
If your Horse be fiery and full of metal, do not fret or be angry with him, but win him by patience and fair means; but if you find him dull and sluggish quicken him with your Spur, with this proviso, that having spur'd him much, you will, when you find conveniency, rub his Spur∣galls with water and salt.
Now as as to Horses, several Countries pro∣duce Horses of different natures: as for exam∣ple, as Mr. Markham observeth, the Greek or Turkish Horse is of an excellent constitution, be∣ing swift, bold, well-headed, tall and strong. The Arabian Horse is as swift as the wind and very beautiful to the eye.
The African or Barbary is full of courage, swift and nimble, and will not with the Turkey Horse either deserve or endure much beating. The Friezland Horse is fiery, yet not well con∣ditioned, but as for your Flemish Horse he is the worst of any. I cannot but approve of the Spanish Jennet being very good, swift and light of foot, but the Neapolitan for all uses is most excellent and beautiful; now for great bur∣thens, constant labour and long travel the En∣glish Horse exceedeth all that have been named hitherto.
Your Irish Horse is generally well breasted, but I never saw any but what had thin and very uncomely buttocks, being evil-natured, very sul∣len,
weak and unfit for much labour; those that are tolerably good are very scarce through the whole Country.
Your Horse being in health, feed him with such dry meats as shall not swell his body, as Straw, which is excellent good to take up the belly of a running Horse, Hay, Oats, sometimes a little Wheat, Beans, Barley, bread made of Beans or Pease, neither are Fitches to be despised, and in the giving them observe this order; first give him some hay, then water, and lastly his grain or provender.
When you are upon a journey, look first to your Horse before you look to your self, seeing that he be well rub'd down, well littered with fresh straw, and be sure that you feed your Horse betimes, for all night, that it may the better con∣coct, and that he may the sooner take his rest. I would not advise you to give him of Provender a greater quantity than three pints at a time; there is nothing that feeds better and fattens more speedily than bread made either of Beans, Pease or Fitches well cleansed.
If you would have your Horse to feed with an extraordinary appetite, take Wine and Salt and rub his mouth therewith.
In a journey, whether at baiting or at night, coming to your Inn, let not your Horse either eat or drink whilst he is hot, but first let him be re∣duced to his proper temperament.
In the extremity of heat and cold, the labour of your Horse must be always moderate.
Take not, after travel, the Saddle off your Horses back too suddenly.
What-ever you do, let no Poultry come with∣in your Stable; for should your Horse lick up a feather, or swallow any of their dung, which ca∣sually fell into the Hay or Provender, it is of a dangerous consequence.
Make it frequently your business to ride your Horse on stony ground, for by so doing you will reap the benefit of hardening his Hoofs, which will the better enable him to tra∣vel.
Have a care of letting your Horse stand near any Mud-wall, for I have known Horses, not a few, which have coveted to eat thereof to their very great prejudice; and let his bed be made not of Barley-straw, for some Horses love to eat thereof, which is unwholsome; but let it be of Wheat, or rather of Oaten Straw; for that is soft, and if eaten very wholsom.
It is the opinion of all, that to sprinkle water upon the Hay you give your Horse is wholsom, and most sovereign to mingle Fenugreek with his Provender, the first is good for the wind and the latter for the worms.
If your Horse happen to be brought very low and much impoverished by too much labour or some great surfeit, get Mares-milk and give it him eight days together, and you will perceive a very sensible recovery.
The best hours for watering are between seven and eight in the morning, and four and five in the evening.
You are to take notice, that an Horse takes much delight in rubbing and combing, and therein he seems to be sensible what is good for himself;
for it preserves his health, and keeps the strength of body and legs.
In the Canicular or Dog-days, you must have a special care that you do not ride your Horse frequently into the water to qualifie or allay his natural or any other contracted heat.
Be mindful of often picking and cleansing the bottoms of your Horses feet, and stuff them well with Oxe or Cow-dung, and now and then an∣oint his hoofs with fresh Grease and Turpen∣tine.
When you ride, forget not to look often to your Saddle, and see that it wring or pinch him not, and that his shooes be fast on, and that there be no Gravel, Stub or Nail got into his foot.
Lastly, according to Northern observation, use no other walking than your self upon your Horses back, that is to say, you must ride him gently to his Inn, so cooling him by degrees; when in the Stable, shake Litter under him, and see that every part of his body be rubbed, till it be drie, not omitting his head; then unbridle him, and give him Hay, but slack no girt in two or three hours, and when he drinks, let it be but little for fear of too hasty cooling his Stomach.
The Smithfield Jockeys, as some sort of Horses, are much the better, either for the breed or Coun∣try from whence they came.
There are several Jockeys in every Country of
England, but none so expert as such as were spaw∣ned in York shire, who have generally such a na∣tural love for their Horses, that their inclinations lead them to ride before they can well go: this makes them generally more knowing in Horses than others, not only as to riding, but as to the several humours and constitutions.
It is proverbially said, that Shake a Bridle over a Yorkshire-Tike's grave and he will rise again; I dare not justifie the truth hereof, but this I may, That many of them will not long be without an Horse if they have but money enough to purchase a Bridle; as for a Saddle, they can make that themselves, so little (and yet so commodious) that they can carry it in their breeches without discovery.
Further, to prove them Horsemen even from their Cradles; look into the Inns, especially of London, and for one Hostler of any other Coun∣try, you shall find ten either of York-shire or Lan∣cashire; and they are naturally very subtle and crafty.
To give you a particular account of the hu∣mours and practices of these Jockeys and their Hostlers, would be a task which would take up too much time, and would afford matter enough to swell a volume from it self. I shall therefore briefly give you an account of so much as I shall think convenient.
This Trick is used by Horse-coursers to make an artificial mark appear in the Horses mouth,
which can hardly be discerned from what is re∣al and natural, and thus they do it; when an Horse is grown very old, they first make him ve∣ry fat, which they do with much ease and in a short time, either by mingling Carrets among their Oats, or by Markham's fatning Balls, or se∣veral other ways they have; and having so done, they then take an Awl or Bodkin, and having wrought the Horses Tooth therewith, they clap in a piece of Sheath; this will look so like the natural mark that several men of excellent judg∣ment in Horses, nay Horse-coursers have been deceived thereby, as I. P. and L. S. can testifie by woful experience, at an Horse-fair in Northam∣pton-shire.
Your Jockeys have an excellent and present Remedy for a dull and heavy Jade, and that is by beating of him in this manner: they first take him out of the Stable in a morning, and hav∣ing gotten ready a good Bulls-pizle or a smart Whip, they beat and whip the Horse un∣mercifully; then they turn him into the Stable, and in the after-noon they come to him again, and there beat him again in the same manner as they had done abroad; and thus they fail not to do twice a day morning and evening for six or seven days; after this, when ever they come into the Stable, they whip him more or less: the Horse being thus accustomed to continual whip∣ping,
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will dance and caper when ever he seeth his Master come into the Stable; but the cunning Jockey will never use his whip or rod when he brings any Customer to look upon him, that he may infuse a belief that this prancing is the effect of his great mettle, and not of the fear of punish∣ment.
Besides; that he may thus caper when he is ridd in Smithfield, the Boy that rides him (as com∣monly they make use of such Cattle for their purpose) hath frequently a fling at him before he is put to sale; this makes the poor beastfling and flounce, when the Boy mounts him, as being too sensible of what punishment he is to un∣dergo.
Thus many men are abused; for though the Horse thus prance the length of Smithfield, the Buyer will find him in half a score miles riding that he will not stir one foot further.
Take a quarter of a peck of Oats, and take the root of Elicampane, and having washt it ve∣ry clean, cut it small and mingle it with the Oats, and let him eat hereof the night before your Market; if you add a spoonful of Honey there∣unto it will be much better.
The next morning, as he is ready to go out, take a glass full of Sack, and pour one half there∣of into one Ear and the other part into the other Ear, and then clap your hands upon his Ears,
holding them fast a little time, that he may not shake out the Wine, then letting him go, straight∣ways mount him, and he will go for two or three hours as merrily as any Horse whatever. Pro∣batum.
In former and later times it hath been believed by some (how prudent I cannot tell) that there was no better way to make a resty dull Jade to prance and caper, than to take a live Eel, and through his mouth convey it down the Horse's belly; I know not many more ways more speedy to dispatch him; for you must not think that the Eel can presently and in an instant pass out of his stomach into his Guts, or if he did, I do but think what woful work he would make there, but much worse in his stomach if he continue there; for certainly his motion would so disturb the vital parts, that it would render him uncapable of liv∣ing two minutes.
I have known some that have made their Horses look plump & fair to the eye, in 14 days, by only mingling Carrets with their Oats; but that which never fails to fatten an Horse speedily for sale is, take of Elicampane, of Cummin-seeds, of Turme∣rick, of Anniseeds of each two ounces, of Groun∣sel an handful; boil these well together with three heads of Garlick cleansed and stamped in a gallon of strong Ale; then strain it well, and give the Horse to drink thereof a quart made
warm in a morning fasting; then ride him till he be well warm'd, then set him up and cover him well, and do thus five or six mornings; after this, for seven or eight days together, take of the fine powder of Elicampane, and the fine powder of Cummin-seed of each a like quantity; mix these well together, and put thereof half an ounce into his Provender, g••ving him thereof three times a day.
Though the story may be old, yet it is new to those who never heard it, and I can assure you it is very true.
A Jockey had an Horse which was comely e∣nough to ••ight, yet he could not put him off, he used several projects, but none would take; as first, he would often cheapen his own Horse, and often bid within ten shillings of the price he was profer'd for, which the Rider was by agreement to refuse, to make others the more eager to buy him: when that would not do, he got some friends to cheapen his Horse by turns, and yet this procured never a Chapman; having tried se∣veral other ways, at length he pitch'd on this: he sets up his Horse till friday the next Market-day for Smithfield; the day being come, he got up before Sun-rising, and having gotten a couple of his Confederates mounted as he was, as soon as the Sun appeared, (which was in the midst of Summer) he rode from the Sun in Charterhouse-lane to the Sun in Aldersgate-street, and from thence to the Bell-Inn, and there rested till the
Sun was gone down, and then rides him through Smithfield (having somewhat heated him, to make him look somewhat like a Traveller) a Gentleman seeing the Horse, calls the Rider, and demands the price of his Horse; truly Sir, said he, I am very loth to sell my Horse, but were I minded so to do, this is no proper time; for I protest, said the Jockey, I have rid him this very day from Sun to Sun and never drew bit, my occasions being very urgent; and if you will not believe it, there are now two Gentle∣men (meaning his own Comerades) at the Bell-Inn in Aldersgate will justifie it, this made the Gentleman so eager (finding the price much low∣er than he imagined, and the Horse so well af∣ter so long travel and hunger) that he bought him; but in six days after he could not ride him the length of Long-lane.