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. CXXVIII. A Fomentation for a Lean and Tyr'd Horse.

HOrses that are Hidebound are not at all nourish'd by their Food; and besides the Use of internal Remedies, they stand in need of Fomentations, to loosen their Skin from their Flesh and Bones.

Take the five opening Herbs, Dandelion, which is a kind of wild Succory, Hart's-tongue, Wormwood, Agrimony, St. John's-wort, Leaves and Flowers; Bay-Leaves, Marjoram, Mint, Bawm, Penny-Royal, Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Thyme, wild Thyme; The five opening Roots, namely, the Roots of Grass, Madder, Eringo's, Capers, and Rest-Harrow: I do not propose so great a Variety of Plants, with a Design to recommend a scruplous Nice∣ness in making use of all that are here mention'd, but only that you may have the Conveniency of chusing such as may be procur'd with the least Difficulty. Cleanse and stamp the Roots, and put a Handful of each Kind into a Kettle, with Lees of Wine; after they have boil'd for a considerable time, add a convenient Quan∣tity of the Herbs, and boil 'em three Hours longer: Then take a Handful of the Herbs and Roots as hot as you can endure to hold 'em in your Hand, and rub the whole Body of your Horse, till it be well moisten'd; and immediately after rub his Flanks, Belly, Throat, and all the rest of his Body with Ointment of Mont∣pelier, chafing it in with your Hands to make it sink: Then dip an old Table-Cloth, or any other worn and us'd Piece of Cloth, in the hot Lees that remain in the Kettle, and lay it double on the Horse's Body, covering him entirely with it; and over that lay one or two Quilts, binding 'em on with a Surcingle or two, if there be occasion; or you may few the Ends of the Quilts together. Twenty four Hours after unbind the Quilts and Cloth, and renew the Fomentation, repeating it twice afterwards, as before.

The main Scope and Intention of these Fomentations, is to draw the Spirits and Nourishment to the dry Skin, that it may be loosen'd from the Horse's Body.

After the Fomentations, you must keep your Horse close cover'd for some Days, to prevent his catching of Cold, by reason of the Tenderness of his Skin; and after∣wards give him the last Clyster prescrib'd in Chap. CXXIII. The next Day give him the following Medicine, to loosen his Belly.

To loosen the Belly of a Tyr'd Horse.

Mix a convenient Quantity of the Roots of sharp-pointed Dock, chopt small, with two Pounds of fresh Butter, and beat 'em together in a large Mortar, to a Mash, making it up into Pills of the Bigness of Tennis-Balls, which must be given to the Horse with a Quart of Wine, keeping him bridl'd six Hours before, and four Hours after. If he retain his Appetite for his Meat, give him the following Purgative four or five Days after.

A Purging Remedy for a Tyr'd Horse.

Take of Aloes an Ounce and a half, Sena Leaves an Ounce, Agaric half an Ounce, Mercurius dulcis, and Scammony prepar'd with the Steams of Brimstone, of each two Drams, Anniseed and Cumminseed, of each one Dram, four Cloves, and two or three Pugils of Cinnamon: Beat all the Ingredients to a gross Powder, and mix 'em with a Quart of Emetic Wine, which the Horse must drink up immediately; only the Aloes, Scammony, and Mercurius dulcis must be mixt a-part with every Draught, lest they fall to the bottom. After your Horse has taken the whole Powder, rinse his Mouth, the Pot, and the Horn with about half a Pint of Emetic Wine. Instead of this Reme∣dy, you may use the purgative Oil, describ'd in Chap. XCVI. or the purging Medicine, recommended in Chap. CXXXVIII.

You must always observe to keep your Horse bridl'd five Hours before the taking of a Purge, and at least four Hours after; and assoon as he has taken it, you must walk him for the space of half an Hour.

'Twill be convenient to allow a Breathing-time to Nature, after the Operation of the last Remedy is over: In the mean time feed your Horse as before, and enure him to travel by degrees. Some Horses recover without much difficulty, but the Cure of others will require your utmost diligence.

You may conclude that your Horse is in a fair way of Recovery when he eats and drinks heartily, and both the Quantity and Consistence of his Excrements are agree∣able to Nature; for tho' his Appetite be strong and firm, if his Dung be either ex∣cessive in Quantity, or too soft, 'tis impossible for him to thrive.

Note; That your Horse must be let blood the Day before you apply the first Fomentation.

Since few Persons are endu'd with so large a stock of Diligence and Patience, as as is necessary for an exact Observance of the above-mention'd Directions; to ob∣lige those who are Lovers of Ease, I shall subjoin a Remedy that alone suffices to per∣fect the Cure, if it be not absolutely impracticable, tho' the Horse's Hide be glu'd to his Bones.