The parfait mareschal, or Compleat farrier. Which teacheth, I. To know the shapes and goodness, as well as faults and imperfections of horses. II. The signs and causes of their diseases, the means to prevent them, their cure, and the good or bad use of purging and bleeding. III. The way to order and preserve them, when upon travel, to feed, and to dress them. IV. The art of shoeing, according to a new design of shoes, which will recover bad feet, and preserve the good. Together with a treatise, how to raise and bring up a true and beautiful race of horses: as also instructions, whereby to fit all kinds of horses with proper bits, whereof the chief draughts are represented in copper-plates. / Written originally in French by the Sieur de Solleysel Escuyer, sometime one of the overseers of the French Kings Royal Academy of Riding, near to the Hostel de Conde in Paris. And translated from the last Paris impression, by Sir William Hope of Kirkliston Kt. Lieutenat Governour of the Castle of Edinburgh. By whom is also added as a supplement to the first part, a most compendious and excellent collection of horsemanship, taken from the best and most modern writers upon that subject, such as Mr. De la Brow, Pluvinel, and the Great Duke of Newcastle. Part I.

CHAP. XXX. Of Leaping Horses, and how to Dress them.

THere are many Ignorant and presumptuous People,* 1.1 who in a smileing and deriding manner, say they will make any horse a leaping horse, And why, because forsooth they can make a horse leap over a stick, like a Jackanaps or Doge, or make him leap over a Barrel, Rail, Hedge, or Ditch. I confess if that were all, there would be many leaping Horses, because there is hardly any Horse but will do it without any great Art, but their ignorance is very much to be pitied in this, for such leaping is vastly different from the leaping of a Horse in the Mannage, because for Horses which leap over Hedge and Ditch, a Man must lay the Reins of the Bridle on his Neck, and so put him forewards, which is a leap of their fashion, but not such a leap as is performed in the Mannage, for where they give a Horse the Reins to make him leap, we hold him and help him up with the hand to leap, and also with our heels at the same time, if there be need, for it, and thus the Horse obeys both the hand and the heels at the same time, and hath an excellent Mouth and a good Apuy, both upon the Barrs and the Curb.

So that a Gentlemans Hunts boy, though he can leap his Masters Golding over a Hedge, will not make him leap upon the Barrs and Curb with a Snaffle, since his Snaffle hath no Curb, and never worketh upon the Barrs as I have else where tol•• you, but upon the

VVeeks and Lips of a Horses Mouth, besides, mannaged Horses will leap in one place, and not at leap-frogg two or three yards forewards, without le••ting you feel them upon the hand, as their Horses do, thus doth their ignorance make them talk of things they do not understand, nay some Horsemen have been so foolish, as to think they could make a leaping Horse, with laying brush faggots before him to leap over, so far have they been mistaken.

Again, some would have leaping Horses to be of a huge and vast Strength, have an ex∣cellent Mouth and perfect good Feet, in which last they do not say amiss, for good Feet are very requisite, else a Horse dares never light upon them for fear of hurting himself, no more then a Man who hath the Gout dares leap, and therefore such a Horse will never Rise as he should, to perform his Leaps perfectly.

As for a good Mouth, I could indeed wish that a Horse which is designed for a Leaper had one, that is, a good Apuy which is neither too hard not too delicat; but such a one as can endure a good pressure upon the Barrs, and so to suffer the Curb, which is what is to be understood by a good Mouth, yet I must tell you, there have been many rate leap∣ing Horses, which have not at all gone upon the Curb, but upon the Barrs, for which they were not to be commended, but it was better for to have them leap so, being so rare Horses, then not to suffer them to leap at all, because they went not upon the Curb.

But for the third Property of a leaping Horse, which is that he should be very strong; is I think a very great Errour, because it is not the strongest Horses which are fittest for the delight of the Mannage, especially to be leaping Horses: And the Reason is, when Horses are very strong, they must be Galloped a long time before you can abaite the strength of their Chines, and all that while they will do nothing but Yerke, and gives such disor∣dered Countertimes and false leaps, that the best Horseman in the World shall never make good Leapers of them, so you see they are not the strongest, but best disposed Horses, which are the fittest to be made Leapers.

I shall yet further confirm this Truth by a Comparison taken from Men, for take one of the strongest Fellows you can get, and I shall bring a little Man that shall outleap him several feet, yet that strong Fellow would Crush the little one to Death in his Armes, so you see it is not Strength, but Disposition that fits Horses as well as Men for Leaping. Its true, that sometimes a great and strong Fellow will outleap a little Man, but that is rare, because the Spirits of such bigg Men, are more dilated and diffused than in little Men: The like is I assure you in Horses as well as amongst men, for there may be a strong Horse disposed for leaping, and that horse will no doubt be an excellent Leaper, but for the most part, they are weak Horses which are most disposed for leaping, Sometimes also Horses which are very weak, find themselves so pincht upon the haunches with Corvets, that they find ease in leaping, thus you see then that Horses are generally more disposed by Nature than Art for leaping, which is when they are full of Spirit, and light, so that Horsemen have nothing almost to do in making leaping Horses, but only to give them the time, which is the greatest part of the Art, which is to be made use of in making of them, and he who thinks to show more of his Art in dressing a Horse for leaps, in stead of showing his skill, discovers only more of his own ignorance and folly: Therefore the short and only true way to dress all leaping Horses, is this which followeth,

First then, For Capriols walk your Horse foreward, and then cause him make one leap, presently after raising him high upon a pesate or two, and staying and keeping him upon the hand, and thus augmenting your leaps, and diminishing your pesates, he will by little and little leap perfectly, and after he is perfect upon a streight line forewards, then you may put him upon Volts or Circles, and continue the same Method, but the Circles must be a little large at first, and you must remember when you raise him to leap, that you help him with your Rod behind, as I have already shown you in the Chapter where I discourse of all the Helps, and do it with one or more Strokes as you please, so it be done in time, which is when he is raised before, and alwayes when you are done leaping, cause him make a high pesate or two.

As for your Seat it must be streight, and your Stirrups a little shorter than ordinary, suppose a hole or so, for too short would throw you out of the Saddle, and too long would disorder your Seat, and make you lose your Stirrups, you must also keep your Toes a little down, to slack your Nerves from the Knees downwards, or else the Horse would bolt too much forwards each leap, for a leaping Horse should never go forewards above a foot and a half at most with one leap, and when you raise him, instantly put your breast out, which will make your shoulders go a little back, though unsensible to the Beholders, for if you did it not just as the Horse rises before, it would be to late to do it when he rises behind and strickes out.

I must also tell you, that your Thighs and Knees must be as closs as if they were glewed to the Saddle, and for your Bridle hand, you must alwayes make it work the Outward Rein, to bring in the Horses Outward Shoulder, and narrow him before and enlarge him behind, that so he may be pressed upon the inside of the Turn and at Liberty without, that his Croup may go a little out, and be the more Free and at Liberty; for were his Croup subjected or bound up he could not leap, therefore the Outward Rein is to be used for all leaps whatso∣ever, either straight forewards or upon Circles, and here I will also tell you a kind of Secret for the Hand when you are Leaping a Horse, which is this, the Bridle being a little longer than ordinary, raise your Horse well, and every time when he is beginning to rise be∣hind, put your Bridle hand a little foreward, to hold him up before, and stay him there u∣pon the Hand, as if he hung in the Air, and so help him in every Leap, taking alwayes the just time, as if it were a Ball at the Bound. See Plate fifth figure seventh and eight.

Now all Leaps are made upon the Hand, and no way else, therefore see that your Horse be well s••ttled upon the Hand, before ever you offer to try if he will Leap, because nothing disorders a Horses Mouth more than leaping, and this much of Capriols, which is certainly the most perfect Leap that a Horse can make, as for Balotads and Croupads, they are to be taught the very same way, the difference consisting only in the way of Helping with the Rod, which is fully explained in the Chapter of Aids to which I referr you, and so I conclude this Chapter of Leaps.

Notes

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  CHAP: XXX.