How to stand to view.

When a Horse is brought unto you to buy (being satisfied for his breed, his pace, colour and stature, then see him stand naked before you, and placing your self before his face, take a strict view of his countenance, and the cheerfulness threof: for it is an excellent glass wherein to behold his goodness and best per∣ections.—As thus—

His Eares.

If his ears be small, thin, sharp, short, pricked and moving; or if they be long, yet well set on, and wel carried, it is a mark of beauty, goodness, and metall: but if they be thick, laved or lolling, wide set, and unmoving, then are they signes of dulness, doggedness: and evil nature.

His Face.

If his Face be lean: his forehead swelling outward: the mark or feather in his face set high, as above his eys, or at the top of his eyes; if he have white starre: or white ratch Page  117 of an indifferent size, and even placed, or a white snip on his nose, or lip; all are marks of beauty and goodness. But if his face be fat, cloudy or skouling, his forehead flat as a trencher, (which we call Mare-faced,) or the mark in his forehead stand low, as under his eyes: If his star or ratch stand awry, or in an evill posture, or in stead of a snip, his nose be raw and unhairy, or his face gene∣rally bald; all are signes of deformity.

His Eyes.

If his eyes be round, big, black, shining, starting or staring from his head, if the black of the eye fill the pit or outward circumfe∣rence, so that in the moving, none (or very little) of the white appeareth, all are signs of beauty, goodness, and metall: but if his eyes be uneven, and of a wrinkled proportion, if they be little (which we call pig-eyed) both are uncomely signes of weakness: if they be red and fiery, take heed of Moon-eys, which is next door to blindness. If white and wal∣led, it shews a weak sight, and unnecessary starting or finding of Boggards: if with white specks, take heed of the pearl, pin and web: if they water or shew bloody, it shews bruises; and if they matter, they shew old over-riding, festred rhumes▪ or violent strains Page  118 If they look dead or dull, or are hollow, or much sunk, take heed of blindness at the best; the best is of an old decrepid generation: if the black fill not the pit, but the white is al∣ways appearing, or if in moving the white and black be seen in equall quantity, it is a signe of weakness, and a dogged disposition.

His Cheeks and Chaps.

If handling his Cheeks or Chaps, you find the bones lean and thin, the space wide be∣tween them, the thropple or wind-pipe big as you can gripe, and the void place without knots or kirnels; and generally the jawes so great, that the neck seemeth to couch with∣in them, they are all excellent signes of great wind, courage, and soundness of head and body. But if the chaps be fat and thick, the space between them closed up with gross substance, and the throple little, all are signs of short wind and much inward foulness: If the void place be full of knots and kirnels, take heed of the Strangle or Glanders, at the best, the horse is not without a foul cold. If his jaws be so strait, that his neck swelleth above them, if it be no more but naturall, it is onely an uncomely sign of short wind and pursickness, or grosness; but if the swel∣ling be long, and elose by his Chaps, like a Page  119 whetstone, then take heed of the Vives, or some other unnaturall impostume.

His Nostrils and muzzell.

If his nostrils be open, dry, wide and large, so as upon any straining, the inward redness is discovered, and if his muzzell be small, his mouth deep, and his lips equally meeting; then all are good signes of wind, health and courage. But if his nostrils be strait, his wind is little; if is muzzell be gross, his spirit •is dull; if his mouth be shal∣low, he will never carry a bit well; and if his upper lip will not reach his nether, old age or infirmity hath marked him for carrion. If his nose be moist and dropping, if it be clear water, it is a cold; if foul matter, then be∣ware of Glanders: if both nostrills run, it is hurtfull; but if one, then, most dangerous.

Teeth.

Touching his Teeth and their vertues, they are set down in a particular chapter; onely remember, you never buy an horse that wanteth any, for as good lose all as one.

His Breast.

From his Head look down to his Breast, and see that it be broad, out-swelling, and a∣dorned with many features: for that shews strength and indurance. The little breast is uncomely, and shewes weakness, the narrow breast is apt to stumble, fall, and enterfeire before: the breast that is hidden inward, and wanteth the beauty and division of many feathers, shewes a weak armed heart, and a breast that is unwilling and unfit for any violent toyl or strong labour.

His Fore-thighes.

Next, look down from his elbow to his knee, and see that those fore-thighs be rush∣grown, well horned within, sinewed, fleshy and out-swelling, for they are good signes of strength, the contrary shews weakness, and are unnaturall.

His Knees

Then look on his knees that they carry pro∣portion, be lean, sinewy, & close knit, for they are good and comely; but if one be bigger or rounder then another, the horse hath Page  121 received mischief: if they be gross, the horse is gouty: if they have scarres, or hair broken, it is a true mark of a stumbling jade and a perpetuall faller.

His Legs.

From his knees look down to his leggs, to his pasterns, and if you find them clean, ••an, flat, and sinewy, and the inward bought of his knee without seames, or hair-broken, then he shewes good shape and soundness: But if on the in-side the leg you find hard •nots, they are splinters; if on the out-side they are serews or excressions; if under his knees be scabs on the in-side, it is the Swift-cut, and he will ill endure galloping; if a∣bove his pasternes on the in-side you find scabs, it shews interfeiring: but if the scabs be generally over his leggs, it is either ex∣treame foul keeping, or else a spice of the Maunge; if his flesh be fat, round and fleshy, he will never indure labour: and if on the inward bought of his knees you find seams, scabs, or hair-broken, it shews a Malean∣der, which is a cankerous ulcer.

His Pasterns.

Look then on his pastern-joynt and his pastern; the first must be clear and well kni• Page  122 together, the other must be short, strong and upright standing: for if the first be big∣or sweld, take heed of sinew-strains and gourdings; if the other be long, weak or bending, the limbs will be hardly able to car∣ry the body without tiring

His Hooves.

For the Hooves in generall, they should be black, smooth, tough, rather a little long then round, deep, hollow and full sounding: for white Hooves are tender, and carry • shooe ill; a rough, grosse seamed Hoof, shewes an age or over-heating. A brittle hoof will carry no shooe at all; an extraor∣dinary round hoof is ill for foul ways and deep hunting. A flat hoof that is pumissed, shews soundering; and a hoof that is empty, and hollow-sounding, shews a decayed in∣ward part by reason of some wound or d•y founder. As for the crown of the hoof, if the hair lye smooth and close, and the flesh flat and even, then all is perfect; but if the haire be staring, the skin scab∣bed, and the flesh rising, then look for a Ring-bone, or a crown scab, or a quitter∣bone.

The setting on of his Head, his Crest and Mane.

After this, stand by his side, and first look •o the setting on of his head, and see that i• stand neither too high nor too low, but in • direct line, and that his neck be small at the setting on of the head, and long, grow∣ing deeper to the shoulders, with an high ••rong and thin mane, long, soft and some∣what curling; for these are beautifulll cha∣racters: whereas to have the head ill set on, is the greatest deformity, to have any big∣ness or swelling in the nape of the neck, shews the Poul-evill, or beginning of a Fi∣stula; to have a short thick neck like a Bull, to have it falling at the withers, to have a low, weak, a thick, or falling crest, shews want both of strength and metall: to have much hair on the mane, sheweth intolera∣ble dulness; to have it too thin, shews fury; and to have none, or shed, shews the worm in the mane, the itch, or else plain Mangi∣ness.

His Back, Ribs, Fillets; Belly, and Stones.

Look on the chine of his back, that it be broad, even and straight, his ribs well com∣•assed Page  124 and bending outward, his Fillets up∣right, strong and short, & not above an hand∣full between his last rib and his hucklebone, let his belly be well let down, yet hidden within his ribs, and let his stones be close trust up to his body: for all these are marks of health and good perfection, whereas to have his chine narrow, he will never carry a saddle without wounding: and to have it bending, or Saddle-backed, shews weakness.

To have his Ribs flat, there is no Liberty for wind.

To have his Fillets hanging, long or weak, he will never climb an hill, nor carry a burden.

And to have his belly clung up or gaunt, or his stones hanging down, loose, or a side, they are both signs of sickness, tenderness, foundring in the body, and unaptness for labor:

His Buttocks.

Then look upon his Buttocks, and see that they be round, plump, full, and in an even levell with his body▪ or of long, that it be well raised behind, and spread forth at the setting on of the tail, for these are comely and beautifull. The narrow pin-buttock, the hog or swine rump, and the falling and down-let buttock are full of deformity, and Page  125 shew both an injury in nature, and that they are neither fit or becomming, for pad, foot∣•loth, or pyllion.

His Hinder-thighs.

Then look to his hinder-thighs, or Ga∣•ains, if they be well let down even to the middle-joynt, thick, brawny, full, and swel∣ling: for that is a great argument of strength and goodness, whereas the •ank, slender thighs •hew disability and weakness.

His Cambrels.

Then look upon the middle joynt behind, and if it be nothing but skin and bone, veins and sinews, and rather a little bending then to •ait, then it is perfect as it should be. But if •• have chaps or sores on the inward bought •• bending, then that is a Selander. If the ••ynt be sweld generally all over, then he hath got a blow or bruise: if the swelling be particular, as in the pot, or hollow part, or •n the inside, and the vein full and proud: •• the swelling be sofe, it is a blood-spaven: •• hard, a bone-spaven, but if the swelling be ••st behind, before the knuckle, then it is a •urb.

Hinder-Leggs.

Then look to his hinder-legs, if they be lea• clean, flat and sinowy, then all is well; but i• they be fat, they will not indure labour. If they be sweld, the grease is molten into them. If he be scabbed above the pasterns, he hath the Scratches: if he have chaps under his pasterns, he hath rains, and none of these but are noysome.

His Tayle▪

Lastly, for the setting on of his Tayl, where there is a good Buttock, the tail can never stand ill▪ and where there is an evill buttock there the tail can never stand well: for i• ought to stand broad, high, flat and couche• a little inward.

Thus I have shewed you the true shapes and true deformities, you may in your choice please your own fancies.