The gentlemans recreation in two parts : the first being an encyclopedy of the arts and sciences ... the second part treats of horsmanship, hawking, hunting, fowling, fishing, and agriculture : with a short treatise of cock-fighting ... : all which are collected from the most authentick authors, and the many gross errors therein corrected, with great enlargements ... : and for the better explanation thereof, great variety of useful sculptures, as nets, traps, engines, &c. are added for the taking of beasts, fowl and fish : not hitherto published by any : the whole illustrated with about an hundred ornamental and useful sculptures engraven in copper, relating to the several subjects.

CHAP. XIII.

Of Horses for the Coach, Wagon, Burthen, &c.

I Need not say much concerning the Coach, Wagon, Carriage, Burthen, and the like, it being not quite so difficult to find Horses pro∣per for those uses, as for what hath been said in the fore-going Chapters.

For your Coach in Town Dutch or Flanders Horses are best (for which see Chap. V.) in the choosing of which observe that they be well quartered and short Backt; that they have strait and sound Limbs; that they Trot well and nim∣bly; that their Eyes be good, and that they carry good Bodies; not but that I would have you examine them at large, according to all the Rules of Beauty and Goodness: But because the contraries to what I here particularly name are the most frequent and usual faults in these kind of Horses.

In the Country, or for Travelling, our English Horses are the best, if well chosen; for their size the best is about Fifteen Hands and an half high, and they must be Squat and well Trust, with sound Legs and Feet, &c. In observing their Trot, take notice if they lift up their Feet nimbly and evenly, and keep their middle Joynts behind wide asunder, 'tis very good.

For Carriages, Wagons, Servants, and all sort of Drudgery, you have nothing to do, but to make choice of plain and strong Horses that are

in health and vigour, and withal free from Ma∣ladies, their business being nothing but Servile labour; only be sure that your Baggage Horses above all have short and strong Backs, and be of a pretty large size.