An hipponomie or the vineyard of horsemanship deuided into three bookes. 1. The theorick part, intreating of the inward knowledge of the man.2. The first practicke part, shewing how to worke according to that knowledge. 3. The second practicke part, declaring how to apply both hunting and running horses to the true grounds of this art. In which is plainly laid open the art of breeding, riding, training and dieting of the said horses. Wherein also many errors in this art, heretofore published, are manifestly detected. By Michaell Baret ...

CHAP. 17. How the Man should know when to helpe his Horse.

AMongst all the worldly gifts that are bestowed on man there is none more precious then Time, for it is both the Procreatrix, and deuourer of all sublunary things, in regard that as in time they flourish, so in time they fade againe; and as those that are vegetatiue in time doe grow, so contrarily, in time they are cut downe; and againe, as there are but foure ir∣reuocable things, as Tempus, Iuuentus, Ʋerbum dictum, et Ʋirgi∣nitas,

so this of time is the chiefe of all the rest, because they are all comprehended in it, for without it there is not any thing can haue perfection.

Now therefore in regard it is such a necessary thing, that all other things are concluded, by it: it is requisite that a Horse∣man should haue knowledge how to vse it, and also how to distingush of this predicament (quando,) least (in not knowing when to helpe) hee should sooner spoyle then repayre. Wherefore that hee may the better answere to this interrogation (when) let him obserue the three (chiefe) parts of time, which is, the preter, the present, and the future; now the preter time being lost wilbe a good caueat for him to beware of the present, that in making true vse of it, it may bring profit to the future. Now for the better Iudgement how to vse the present time, he must abreuiate it till hee come to the pun∣ctum temporis, (which is nunc) because the horse is (onely) sen∣sitiue, and hath his chiefe apprehension by feeling, and there∣fore if he doth not helpe in the very instant, he cannot conceiue the mind of the man by his helpes, the which that the horse may the better apprehend, the man must be carefull to obserue as well the first motion, of the inward disposition, as of the out∣ward action, for the horse doth not commit any outward action, but it doth first proceed from the inward desire, which the man may very well perceiue, by some of these characters; as either by standing, or by the casting of his eye backe, so that the white thereof may be seene in the fore parts, or by the laying of his eares (either one or both) in his necke, or by the holding of his wind, or else by the trussing vp of his body, any of (all) which so soone as he shall perceiue, let him help him instantly, vpon the first show of any of the (foresaid) notes, least (if it come to the action of the body) it will not be reformed without cor∣rections.

Therefore he must obserue, that if he be desirous to haue him stoppe, if in his stopping, hee desireth to stand so firme with his body that it is not apt to moue againe at the first motion; then hee must helpe him at the very in∣stant, with the ierting of his feete forward (sodainely) vp∣on the stirrops, for that will helpe to set vp his body, more

roundly together, whereby he shall be more ready to obey the next motion. And if he looke (either) doggedly with his eyes, or else lay his eares in his necke, it argueth an intention of some rebellion in his desire: and therefore he must refell such pertur∣bations, by the sound of his voyce. And againe, if hee feele his wind to stoppe, or that he trusse vp his body, (more then ordi∣narily he should) then it is a signe of further disobedience; and therefore vpon the first feeling of which, the man must thrust him forward, (in his seate) to help his horse in his motion, that it may be the more quicke, and so cause him to bestow that strength of wind and body, in the quicknesse of his motion, which he would haue kept (otherwise) for the working of his desire. But if these helpes will not be sufficient for the preuen∣tion of such qualities, as are intended, (by the show of the said characters) and that (either through the sullennesse of the horse, or the negligence of the man) they must needs become to the action of the body: then they must be reformed by the helpes of correction, in the which he must be very carefull to proportionate it according to the quality of the offence, and the disposition of the horse; which I meane not (here) to speake of till I come to intreate of their vse.

And lastly, time is a great fortifier of the horses memory, not onely by the continuing of his labour, and abreuiating it, but also by the continuing and abreuating of rest, for if the man cannot distinguish betwixt, labour and exercise, to change the one into the other as occasion shall bee offered; there will bee great errors committed through his ignorance; for if he be any thing prone to obey the helpes, then he must exercise him by a little at once, and often, till hee hath gotten some habit by practise, but if he be of any rebellious disposition, then he must put both himselfe and his Horse to greater labour, till hee hath gained some obedience in yeelding to his helpes, and euer as he findeth willingnesse, so let him abreuiate his labour, till it come vnto a gentle exercise to delight the horse in his well do∣ing. And heere (in my iudgement) they are much deceiued, which fall into the extreame of lenity, as hath been said, that will not put a Horse to any thing more at the first then he will willingly doe of himselfe, whereby he doth get such a habit of

selfe-will, (as it may be termed) that when he shall be wrought vpon to be brought to obedience, then doth he proue so stub∣borne, that it will triple the paines, to reforme his desire, more then it would haue done at the first; nay, it maketh many horses to be accompted Iades, in regard they cannot tell how to ma∣n••ge them, to gaine that after which they let slip at the first. And the cause heereof is, that they worke by the figure Hyste∣ron Proteron, in setting the Cart before the Horse, which will excuse lapsis linguae, but will confuse opus formae, for they do che∣rish before there be obedience, whereas there should first be o∣bedience, and after they should cherish.

And also they must be carefull to respect the time of rest; for till he conceiue the minde of the man by his motions, hee must not rest long, and his exercise must be little and often, for if he rest long before he hath some ground, hee will forget betwixt times, and so be alwayes in learning, and by that meanes often∣times cause restiuenesse: for as long rest doth increase strength and courage in a Horse, and also doth ground that the better which he hath learned, whereby hee doth it with greater de∣light; euen so, long rest before hee be fit for it, doth bring strength and co••rage to the contrary effect. Wherefore these distinctions (of time) being truely obserued, he shall easily finde how profitable this particle thereof (when) is for the perfection of his labours.

Notes

• ^a Time the worker of all things.
• ^b There are three chiefe parts of time.
• ^c The distincti∣on of time is the ground of horsemanship.
• ^d Caracters to know the horses disposition. Theo. 34. ^b.
• ^a Obseruations for his stop.
• ^f When help•• faile correction must preuaile.
• ^g He ought to distinguish time by rest and la∣bour.
• Theo. 9. ^•.
• ^h The cause of mary I••d••s. 1 Pr. 18. ^a
• 1. Pr. 19. ^d.
• ^• Of the time of rest.