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. LXXXV. Of the Vices of the Feet and Hoofs.

IN the first place I shall take notice of those Horses who have pretty handsome Feet, but their Hoofs are so brittle, that they are apt to break near the Holes that are made by the Nails of their Shooes. And the Loss of a Shooe, which usually happens on this occasion, may be the Cause of the Loss of the Horse.

The Hardness of the Hoof, if it be not accompany'd with Brittleness, may be easily cur'd; and is only a Defect by Accident. I shall in the second Part treat of the Vices of the Feet with respect to the Figure and Shape, and of the Manner of Shooing adapted to every particular Case.

You may easily know at first sight whether a Horse's Hoofs be brittle, for they will appear all broken about the Shooe: the best way is to shooe those Horses after the

Full Moon, and never during the Encrease, contrary to the Opinion of several Persons; after which you must anoint 'em every Day with the Ointment for the Feet.

In the Second Part I shall discourse largely of Feet that are ill-shap'd, flat, and form'd like Oyster-shells; but since I have reason to believe, that many of my Readers will not have the Curiosity to peruse those Chapters, it will not be improper to say some∣thing on that Subject here.

By the following Method you may rectifie a flat Hoof, which is commonly so weak, that the Horse cannot Travel unless his Shoes be made very hollow, and be∣sides, the least Sand or Gravel that enters between the Shoe and the Sole, makes him so Lame that he must be kept on the Trench for some time after. In the first place, you must take up the Pastern Veins in four several places, two in each Leg: Or you may bleed him plentifully in the four Pastern Veins, and delay the taking of 'em up till afterwards, then set on Pantosle Shoes to widen the Heels; for almost all those flat Feet have narrow Heels. 'Tis to be observ'd, that you must by no means weaken the Sole towards the Heel, when you pare the Hoof, but leave it as strong as you can; for otherwise these Shoes will certainly make the Horse halt: You must also suffer him to rest some Days after the Shoes are set on, and keep his Feet in his own Dung well moisten'd, that he may be enabl'd by the Moisture to wear these Shoes without any inconvenience. Besides, you must not open the Heels, but pare the Frush flat, for otherwise the Sponge on one side wou'd bear too hard against the Frush, and therefore the Sponges of these Shoes must not be made wide. If these Directions be observ'd, the Shoes will bear very little against the Frush; and tho' they sometimes press the Sole, there can be no danger since both that and the Frush are left very strong. Having Shoo'd the Horse thus, grease the top of the Foot, near the Hair every Day, and you will perceive it by degrees to acquire a more regular shape; after which you may take up the Pastern Veins, as I intimated before: For if the bleeding produce a good effect, the taking up of the Veins will certainly compleat the Cure; and in three or four Months your Horse will be able to wear flat Shoes, and by degrees his Foot will recover its perfect shape.

You will find the Reason of this Operation in the Chapter that contains directions for the Shooing of flat Feet: But since the following Ointment is necessary in this case, I shall take this occasion to communicate the description of it.

The Ointment of Plantane, otherwise call'd the Ointment for the Feet, to Rectifie the Hoof, and make it grow.

Take fresh Butter and Sheep's Suet, melted and freed from its Membrances, of each one Pound, White-Wax cut into small Pieces, and Common Turpentine, of each four Ounces, Oil-Olive six Ounces, put 'em altogether into a Bason, and melt 'em: Then add a Pint of Juice of Plantane, and as soon as you perceive 'em begin to boil, remove the Vessel from the Fire, then set it on again, and continue after the same manner for the space of eight or ten Hours till the Juice be wholly Consum'd without boiling; after which remove the Vessel from the Fire, and as soon as the Matter begins to thicken add an Ounce of Olibanum in Powder, stirring perpetually till it be quite Cold. This Ointment rectifies the Hoof, and makes it grow without occasioning a preter∣natural Heat, which is the usual effect of uncorrected Oils and Greases.

The Juice of Plantane tempers the heat of the other Ingredients, and therefore you must avoid boiling, which wou'd consume it before it had time to communicate its cooling quickly. In Winter you may apply an Ointment made of equal Parts of com∣mon Honey, Tar, and Tallow, mixt without heat or boiling; for 'tis a very effectual and cheap Remedy.

Connestable's Ointment to make the Hoof grow, and to render it soft and tough.

Of all those who pretend to Skill in this Art, there is not one who has not the Vanity to boast of some Secret Ointment for the Feet: And even some of our Farriers have the confidence to affirm, that their Ointment is absolutely incomparable, and able to make a Hoof grow an Inch bigger in Eight Days; but that never was, nor ever will be done; for besides the efficacy of the Remedy, the growth of the Hoof depends on

the Season, the driness or moisture of the Horse's Constitution, and the nature of the Foot. I must confess I dare not promise Wonders; but I can assure the Reader that the Composition of this Ointment is methodical, that the Ingredients are very agree∣able to the nature of the Hoof, that their Doses are exact and regular, and, conse∣quently, that if we may venture to establish the credit of a Remedy upon Theoretical Principles, this must certainly be endu'd with excellent Virtues, but that is not all, for I have found it by experience to be very successful; and Monsieur Le Connestable, who had the finest set of Horses that cou'd be procur'd in his Age, made always use of this Ointment.

Take new Wax, Goat's-grease, or for want of that, fresh Sheep's-Suet, and the fat of Bacon cut into small Pieces, and steep'd in Water twenty four Hours till it grow fresh, the Water being chang'd every three or four Hours, of each one Pound: Melt 'em together, and then add a large handful of the second Bark of Elder; and if it be in the Spring, two handfuls of Elder-Buds, when they are about the bigness of your Thumb. Boil 'em over a gentle Fire for the space of a quarter of an Hour, stirring 'em from time to time. Then squeeze the Matter thro' a course Cloth, and put the straining in the same Bason or Pot, with two Ounces of Oil-Olive, four Ounces of Turpentine, and the like quantity of Honey; after which remove the Vessel from the Fire, and stir the Ointment till it be quite Cold, then anoint the Hoof for the breadth of an Inch round the Hair, and repeat the Application once a day.

You must never anoint the Foot but when 'tis dry, and you must always take care to wipe off the Dust and dry Dirt before you lay on the Ointment.

All Books of Horsemanship are full of descriptions of Ointments for the Feet; and even every Farrier usually composes his own. I might imitate their Example, and swell my Book to as little purpose as they do theirs, but I am not so fond of multi∣plying Medicines, especially since I'm encourag'd by often repeated and successful Experiments to stick to the three Ointments mention'd in this Chapter, namely, The Ointment of Plantane, that of Connestable, and the other compos'd of equal quantities of Honey, Tar, and Grease. The first is chiefly useful when the Hoof is as hard as Glass, so that the Ointments that are apply'd to it glide along without piercing it; and the second and third are proper in all other cases. The last is cheap, and more effectual than all those costly and elaborate Medicines that are usually prescrib'd for the Feet. 'Tis to be observ'd that Spetch Grease must never enter the Composition of Ointments for the Feet, by reason of its heat, which will make the Foot ragged and full of Circles.

To make the Hoof grow very speedily.

Having spoken of the Vices and Imperfections of the Feet, 'twill not be improper to subjoin the method of making the Hoof grow; since it happens not unfrequently that a Horse who has Travell'd without Shooes till his Feet be worn and decay'd, re∣mains useless ever afterwards, for want of a sufficient hold for the Nails that must be driven into his Hoofs. Instead of observing the usual Custom to anoint the Hoof every Day for the breadth of an Inch about the Cronet next the Hair, you must spread the Ointment on Flax, wrap it about the Hoof for the breadth of an Inch round the Cronet at the Hair, and bind it on carefully, renewing the Application twice a Week, but keeping still the same Flax that was apply'd at first. This Method is more effectu∣al than that which is commonly practis'd, for the Ointment being kept constantly on the Hoof, will moisten and penetrate it, and consequently make it grow. You may apply any of the three above-mention'd Ointments according to the Nature of the Hoof.