The first Bread:

Take three pecks of clean Beans, and one peck of Wheat, mix them together and grind them, then boult it through a reasonable fine Raunge, and knead it up with great ••ore of Barm and lightning, but with as little water as may be, labour it in the Trough painfully, knead it, break it, and after cover it warm, and let it lye and swell; then knead it over again, and mould it up into big loaves, like twelve∣peny houshold loaves, and so bake it well, and let it soak soundly; after they are drawn turn the bottoms upward, and let them cool.

At three daies old, or thereabout, you may give this bread, but hardly sooner: for no∣thing is worse then new bread; yet if necessi∣ty compell you that you must sooner give it, or that the bread be clammy or dank, so as the Horse taketh distast thereat, then cut the loaf into thin shivers, and lay it abroad in the Sive to dry; then crumbling it smal with his oats, you may give it safely.

But to return to my purpose, when you Page  60 have taken a loaf of this bread, chip it very well, then cut it into thin slyves, and put three or four thereof (small broken) into his oats you had before sifted, and so give them to him▪

About eleven a clock come to him, and by ceremonies give him the same quantity of bread and oats, and so leave him till after∣noon.

At one a clock in the afternoon (if you in∣tend not to give him a heat the next day) feed him with bread and oats as you did in the fore-noon, and so consequently every meal following for that day, observing every acti∣on and motion as before shewed.

But if you intend the next day to give him an heat (to which I now bend mine aym) you shall then only give him a quart of oats clear sifted, but no hay, and so let him rest till evening.

At four a clock before you put on his bridle, give him a quart of clean sifted oats, and when they are eaten; bridle him up, dress, cloath, saddle, air, water, exercise, bring home and order, as before shewed, onely give no hay at all.

After he hath stood an hour on his bridle, give him a quart of oats, and when they are caten, put on his head a sweet muzzel, and so let him rest till nine a clock at night▪

Page  61Now as touching the use of this Muzzell, and which is the best, you shall understand, that as they are most usefull being good and rightly made, so they are dangerous and hurtfull, being abused and falsly made. The true use of them is to keep the horse from eating up his litter, from gnawing upon boards and mud-walls, and indeed to keep him from eating any thing but what he re∣ceiveth from your own hands.

These Muzzels are somtimes made of lea∣ther, and stampt full of holes, or else close, but they are unsavoury and unwholsom: for if it be allomed leather, the allom is offen∣sive; if it be tann'd or liquored leather, the Tanners ouze and grease are fully as unplea∣sant. Besides, they are too close, and too hot, and both make an horse sick, and cause him to retain his dung longer in his body, then otherwise he would do.

The best Summer Muzzell, (and indeed the best generally at all times, is the Ner∣muzzell, made of Strong pack-threed, and knit exceeding thick and close in the bottom, and so inlarged wider and wider upward, to the middle of the horses head; then bound about the top with Tape, and on the near∣side a loop, and on the farre-side a long string to fasten it to the horses head.

The best Winter-muzzell (and indeed Page  62 tolerable at any time) is that which is made of double Canvas, with a round bottom and a square lattice window of small tape before both his nostrils, down to the very bottom of the muzzell, and upward more then a hand∣full: this must also have a loop and a string to fasten it about the horses head.

At nine a clock at night come to the Sta∣ble, and after by ceremonies done, give him a quart of oats clean sifted, and when they are eaten, put on his Muzzell, toss up his litter▪ and so leave him.

The next day early in the morning, come to the horse (if he be standing, but if he be laid▪ do not disturb him) and whilst he is lying take a quart of oats clean sifted and rubbed between your hands, and wash them i• strong Ale, and give them to the horse; when they are eaten bridle him up, and dress him then saddle as before shewed; being ready to depart, give him a new laid Egg or two then wash his mouth after it with a little Beer or Ale, and so lead away: at the doo• urge him to empty, then mount and ra•• him gently to the course, ever and anon ma¦king him smell another horses dung.

When you are come within a mile o• thereabout of the starting-post, alight and take off his body-cloath, and Breast-cloath and girt on the saddle again: then sending Page  63 away your Groom both with those Cloaths, and other dry Cloaths to rub with, let him stay at the la•t end of the course till you come: then your self rack your horse gently up to the •tarting post, and beyond, making him smell to that post, as you should also do to the first post, (which we call the weigh∣ing post) that he may take notice of the be∣ginning and ending of the course. There start your horse roundly and sharply, at neer a three quarters speed, and according to his strength of body, ability of wind, and cheer∣fulness of spirit, run him the whole course through: But by no means do any thing in extremity, or above his wind; but when you find him a little yeild, then give him a little ease, so that all he doth may be done with pleasure and not with anguish; For this manner of training will make him take de∣light in his labour, and so increase it; The contrary will breed discomfort, and make ex∣ercise irksome.

Also during the time you thus course him, you shall note upon what ground he runneth best, and whether up the hill or down the hill; whether on the smooth or on the rough, on the wet or on the dry, or on the levill or the earth somewhat rising; and according as you find his nature, so main∣tain him for your own advantage.

Page  64When you have finished the heats, and a little slightly gallopt him up and down to rate his wind and cheer his spirits, you shall then (the Groom being ready) ride into some warm place, as under the covert of some hedge, wall, bushes or trees, into some hollow dry ditch, pit, or other defence from the air, and there light, and first with a glassing-knife or (as some call it) a scraping knife, made either of some broken sword blade, some old broken Sythe, or for war▪ of them, of a thin piece of old, hard o•ke• wood, and fashioned like a long broad knife, with a sharp edge, and using this with both your hands, scrape off all the sweat from your horse in every part (buttocks excepted) till you find there will no more arise; eve• and anon moving him up and down: The• with dry cloathes rub him all over pain∣fully (buttocks excepted) then take of the saddle, and having glassed his back and rub'd it neer dry, put on his Body-cloth and Breast-cloath, and set on the saddle a∣gain, and girt it, then mount and gallop him gently forth again a little pace, eve• and anon rubbing his head, neck, and body as you sit, then walk him about the field to cool him; and when you find he driet• apace, then rack him homeward, sometime Page  65 racking and sometimes galloping; but by no means bring him to the Stable, till you find him throughly dry.

When you are come to the Stable dore, •intice him to empty, then set him up and tie him to the Rack, and (as having prepared it before) give him this scouring, made in this manner.