A new method, and extraordinary invention, to dress horses, and work them according to nature as also, to perfect nature by the subtility of art, which was never found out, but by ... William Cavendishe ...

A strange Conceit of a GREAT MASTER.

THere was a Great Master, that would Ride his Horses Twice a Day; saying, That if he could Dress a Horse in Six Months, Once a day Riding of them, he was sure he could Dress a Horse in Three Months, Riding them Twice a Day; Wherein he is much Deceived: For a Horse being Flesh and Blood, cannot indure per∣petual Travel with little Rest; and no Exercise is more Violent for a Horse than in the Mannage. Nay, of Necessity, Riding so much One Morning, he will not Recover it of a Day or Two: And if a

Horse Oppose the Man, which all Horses will do at First, and are Vitious, one must Correct him Soundly; and, How will you Ride him in the Afternoon again? Dull him you may, and take off his Spirit, make him Hate the Mannage, and make him like a Vaulting Horse, rather than like a Live Horse. Nor can you ever Give him his Meat, VVater, or Rest, in Order; the Want of which must make him Sick, and subject to many Diseases; and Shortly after, Death will follow: and there is your Twice a day Riding him, which Makes him fit for the Hunts-Man to Dress him for his Doggs.

Some say again, That they will Ride no Horse Twice a Day, but Horses that are very Vi∣tious, and of great Strength: I have seen many Horses that are Vitious, but few of such great Strength. For, if the Horse be very Vitious, you must Correct him Soundly, and Ride him so Long until he Obey you, in some small Measure; and then I am sure you have Ridd him so Violently, and so Long, as he will Hardly be to be Ridd the next Morning; and Less, to be Ridd any

more that Day: And if the Horse be so Docil as to Obey you in Every Thing, certainly the Best way is to take but a Little of him that Morning, to Encourage him to do so again; and the more to Encourage him, not to Ride him until the next Morning again: so he will be Pleasant, Lively, and in Lust, and take Pleasure in you, and the Mannage; and Learn more Thus in a Months Riding him but Once a day than he shall in three Months, Riding him Twice a day.

Have not all Schollars Play-dayes? and certain Hours of Rest in their daies of Study? All Trades-Men, Holy-dayes to Rejoyce themselves in? States-Men, Divertisments from Business? And Good Preachers Preach not every Sunday? Have not Lawyers also their Terms, and Vacations; and even Carriers Horses Rest Christmas, and other Holy-dayes; and so Cart-Horses, Brewers Horses, Coach-Horses, Hackney-Horses, Running-Horses? And shall only Horses of Mannage be Galley-Slaves? There is no Reason for that. No, not Doggs can Hunt every day, or Gray-Hounds Course every day, or Spaniels Range every day; or

Hawks Fly every day; there are hundred Ex∣amples of it, but These are Sufficient to let you see the great Folly, and Ignorance, of those that will Ride their Horses of Mannage Twice a Day.

Just like the Polander, being Sick, whose Phy∣sitian gave him Nine Pills to be taken, Three every Night, for Three Nights together; who very Wisely considered, That if Three Pills every Night, for Three Nights together, would Recover him; That then, taking All the Pills One Night, would Make him Well Presently. And so did, and had Almost Purged himself Out of this World.

So any Horse-man that will Venture to Make a Horse as well in Three Months, with Two Lessons a Day, as another in Six Months with One Les∣son a Day, may be sure to Kill his Horse, sooner than Teach him, and to shew himself Ridiculous in his Undertaking.