The perfect horseman, or, The experienced secrets of Mr. Markham's fifty years practice shewing how a man may come to be a general horseman, by the knowledge of these seven offices, viz. the breeder, feeder, ambler, rider, keeper, buyer, farrier / and now published by Lancelot Thetford, practitioner in the same art for the space of forty years.

The generall Rule.

The Generall Rule of election is, first the end for which you buy, then his Breed or Generation; his Colour, his Pace, and his Stature. These are said to be generall, because they have a generall dependance upon every mans several opinions: as the first, which is the end for which you buy, it is a thing shut up only in your own bosome.

Of Breed.

The other, which is Breed, you must either take it from faithful report, your own know∣ledge, or from some known and certain Cha∣racters by which one strain or one Country is distinguished from another; as the Neapoli∣tan is known by his Hauk-nose, the Spani∣ard by his small Limbs, the Barbary by his fine head, and deep hoof, The Dutch by his rough legges, the English, by his Gene∣rall

strong knitting together, and so forth of divers others.

Of Colour.

As for his colour, although there is no colour utterly exempt from goodness, for I have seen good of all, yet there are some better reputed then others, as the daple, gray for beauty, the brown-bay for service, the black with silver hairs for courage, and the Lyard or true mixt Roan for continuance. As for the ••orrell, the black without white, and the unchangeable Iron-gray, are reputed cholerick, the bright Bay, the flea-bitten, and the black with white marks, ate sanguinists; the black, white, the yellow, dun, and kiteglewed, and the pye▪ balld, are flegmatick; and the chesnut, the mouse-dun, the red bay, and the blew-gray, are melancholy.

Pace, as Trotting.

Now for his pace, which is either Trot, Amble, Rack or Gallop, you must refer it to the end also for which you buy; as if it be for the warrs, running, hunting, or your own pleasure, then the trot i•• most tollerable, and this motion you shall know by a cross moving of the horses limbs, as when the far

fore-leg and the near hinder-leg; or the near fore-leg and the far hinder-leg move and go forward in one instant. And in this motion, the nearer the horse taketh his limbs from the ground, the opener, the eve∣ner, and the shorter is his pace: for to take up his feet slovenly, shewes stumbling and lamenesse: To tread narrow or cross, shews enterfeiring or failling; to step uneven, shews toyl and weariness; and to tread long, shews over-reaching.

Ambling.

Now if you elect for ease, great persons feats, or long travell, then Ambling is re∣quired. And this motion is contrary to trot∣ting: for now both the feet on one side must move equally together, that is, the far fore∣legs and the far hinder-legs, and the near fore-leg and the near hinder-leg And this motion must go just, large, smoth, and nimble▪ for to treade false, takes away all ••ase; to tread short, rids no ground; to tread rough, shewes, rolling; and to tread un-nimbly, shewes a false pace that never con∣tinueth, as also lameness.

Racking

If yo elect for Buck-hunting; galloping on the high-way, post, hackney, or the like,

then a racking pace is required: and this mo∣tion is the same that ambling i••, onely it is in a swifter time and a shorter tread; and though it rid not so much ground, yet it is a little more easie▪

Galloping▪

Now to all these paces must be joyned a good gallop, which naturally every trotting and racking horse hath; the ambler is a little unapt thereunto, because the motions are both one, so that being put to a greater swiftness of pace then formerly he hath been acquainted withall, he handles his leggs con∣fusedly and out of order, but being trained gently, and made to understand the motion he will as well undertake it as any trotting horse whatsoever,

Now in a good gallop you are to observe these vertues. First, that the horse which taketh his feet nimbly from the ground, but doth not raise them high, that neither rol∣eth nor beateth himselfe, that fl••etcheth out his fore legs, follows nimbly with his hinder▪ and neither cutteth under his knee (which is called the Swift cut) nor crosseth, nor clap•• one foot on another, and ever leadeth with his far fore foot, and not with the near this hors•• is said ever to gallop most comely and most true, and it is the fittest for speed, o••

any swift imployment. If he gallop round, and raise his fore-feet, he is then said to gal∣lop strongly, but not swiftly, and is fittest for the great Saddle, the wars and strong encounters. If he gallop slow, yet sure, he will serve for the high way: but i•• he labour his feet confusedly, and gallop painfully, then is he good for no galloping service: beside, it shews some hidden lameness.

Stature:

Lastly, touching his Stature, it must be referred to the end for which you buy, ever observing that the biggest and strongest are fittest for strong occasions and great bur∣thens, strong draughts, and double carriage; the middle size for pleasure and generall im∣ployments; and the least for ease, streetwalks, and Summer Hackney.