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. XIX. How to judge of a Horses Vigour and Agility.

IT is very difficult to give certain directions, whereby to judge exactly of the vigou•• agreeableness, and strength of a horse: However besides what I have already 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the easiest way to know particularly his mettle, is to pinch him with your spur in one place, without frighting him with your legs, or giving him the least cause 〈◊〉〈◊〉 apprehension any other way, the manner of doing it, is when the horses is standing sh•••• to approach your Spurrs just to the hair of his sides only, which by horsemen is terme pinching; now if when doing it you find that the horse is concerned or in a man•••• trembleth, or is impatient under you, it is a token that he is sensible of the Spurrs, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 if you think he do not stirr enough, I think it will not be amiss to apply them 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pretty smartly, keeping him fast with your bridle hand that he move not out of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 place, and if he assemble himself and endeavour to go forwards, by signifying kind of impatience with the motion of his feet, and by champing upon the bit without thrusting out his Nose, it is a sign of heart and vigour; in a word a horse is said to•• mettled, when he is very sensible of the spurrs: There are some horses which shew great dale of mettle when they are pinched, but then they immediatly lose the app•••• hension of it, so that although they have a very sensible feeling, which proceeds 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from the thinness of their skin, yet they are of a dull and craving nature and disposition and are never agreeable, nor make use of their vigour, unless the rider have alway his spurrs in their sides: Now horses of this nature may be rather said to be ticklish, th•• really sensible of the spurrs, and even although they were really sensible, yet if the be lazy and have no regard to the stroak of the spurrs after it is past, which many time falleth out, in that case a man may say that the horse is vigorous but lazy, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thence conclude that he can have no agreeableness neither in the Manage, if he be o•• pable of it, nor for journey riding.

You are also to remember that there is a very great difference between a mett•••• Horse and a fiery one, a mettl'd and vigorous Horse should be esteemed but a frettin•• and fiery Horse is good for nothing; a Horse which is truely vigorous should be ca•••• and cool, ride patiently, and not discover his Mettle but when required; whereas frettful and fiery Horse, although he may give the same tokens of mettle when put•• it, as a vigorous, and have also really a great dale of vigour, yet he will be always very uneasy, because he maketh use of his mettle only to incommode and trouble the Rid•••• and not to serve him with it when he hath most use for it: The excessive desire which he hath to go frettingly and unseasonably forwards, when the Rider would not ha•••• him, doth make him become so unquiet, that he is oftimes ready to force the bridl•••• hand, and throw himself upon the Spurrs without giving the least obedience; few peop•••• know to distinguish fieriness from true mettle, and the most part when they would com∣mend their Horses, say they have the greatest fire in the World, which amongst Horse-m•••• is lookt upon to be rather a dispraising than commendation, and to express yet better th•••• fieriness, they say that he hath the greatest forwardness and eagerness can be, which is plainly to say he is fit for none but giddy headed people who know not what they would have; I have made this remark else where, for it is a method I always observe, to advertise the Reader frequently of matters of consequence, to the end that if he did not reflect upon them the first time, he may take notice to them the second; and I look upon this to be a very good method, especially for young people and Novices.

You are not to treat after this fashion Horses which have a great dale of strength and chine, or such as are very delicate, because with the least action that the Rider maketh as if he grasp hard with the Brans of his Legs, they will perform some vigorous action as pressing to go forwards, or leaping in one place, and if they find but in the least the

Spurrs, they will redouble their Leaps either in one place, or by pressing forwards yerk out two or three times, to advertise the Rider to close his Thighs and sit firm; but as these kind of Horses are not every Mans Merchandice, as those who sell them do very well know by the rate they put upon them, I shall discourse no more of them, it not being very proper to prescribe directions for the knowing of Horses, to such persons as daily dress and manage them, and who consequently should understand them to the very bottom.

There are some jades which have no other defence when the spurrs are applyed to them, but to strike out continually; a good honest Burgess or Citizen who were incom∣moded by such outstriking, would say that such a horse hath a great dale of strength, and that he would be very propper to make a Leaper for the manage; but in place of a better observation, I maintain, that the most part of horses which strike thus furiously out, doe discover their doggedness and ill nature, hoping thereby to free themselves from labour and exercise; for every horse which doeth nothing but strike out, hath more ill nature in him than strength, and a horseman who suffereth a horse thus to strike out beneath him, may be a knowing Gentleman, which is what we call a learned Clerk, but upon my word he is no good horseman, because it is always the Riders fault, if he suffer a horse to strike out beneath him oftner then once or twice; those who are skilful horsemen know if what I write ben't true.

There are other horses again, which when a man gives them the spurrs, will not en∣dure them nor go forwards, but as it were cleaving and fastening to them, strike cut and goe back, and cause themselves be beaten because they will not advance, and if you press them hard, they will then fall a pissing and not stir out of the place, these are called in French Chevaux Ramingues, or horses which kick against the Spurrs; if he be a Gelding he will with difficulty quit this humour, and out of meer hopes to recover him, I would not buy him; when Geldings have once contracted a vice they very rarely quit with it again, especially after they have had it a considerable time, and that it is become habitual; but if he be a Ston'd horse, he may then perhaps forget it for a time, if he be under the conduct of a good horseman, but if once he hath got the mastery over any of his Riders, he will then be just to begin a new again, such horses are called Ramin∣gues or Kickers against the Spurrs which resist, and as it were cleave to them, whereas a good horse should always fly the heels or spurrs: This is not to say, but Geldings al∣though guilty of any other vice but this of Kicking against the spurrs, may be very easily reduced, especially if they be not a long time accustomed to it and that they also be under the conduct of a good Rider: But if they be mounted by some Booby or silly Fellow, they will become soon worse than formerly; in a word every Gelding, Ston'd Horse, or Mare, which does not fly the spurrs, but obstinatly cleaves to and kicks against them, should not be received, but lookt upon as horses of a Cross and Dogg'd Nature; and which are altogether uncapable to serve agreeably.

When you mount a horse to try him, if he will not obey, but endeavours to goe where he himself hath a mind for it, and also makes use of all possible means to resist you, you are then to reject him, as a resty jade ought always to be, for a man should buy horses which have no other Will save that of their Rider; but then you must not con∣found kicking against the spurrs, with this vice of Restiness; for a horse which kicketh against the spurrs in French Cheval Ramingue, is he which cleaveth to and resists them, and instead of flying them or advancing, standeth still, leaps, strikes out, or goeth back, and doeth all he can to disobey you; these kind of horses never quit altogether this vice: Again a resty horse endeavours to go where he will and when he will, by resisting his Rider with all the obstinacy he is capable of, that so he may disobey him; such kind of Cattle are not at all to be meddled with.

In fine not to weaty the reader too much, I think the surest method is, to choose, when a man can do it, such horses as are very apprehensive of stroaks, and are afraid of the least appearance of them, which at the only closing or grasping with the legs or rather thighs, are afraid and allarum'd, and that without fretting or fieriness, that is, that they discover no more of their mettle and vigour, than what is required of them; it is with these qualifications that I seek them, after I find they have a good mouth, and I believe all people will be of my opinion; a horse which is free of any considerable fault, which walks deliberatly and securely, without needing too often the whip, and which without fretting goes from the walk to the gallop, and from the gal∣lop to the step again, without being disquieted, but alwayes champing upon his bit, which Trots with a glibness in his shoulders, and gallops easily, snorting a little thorow his Nostrils, if he gallops easily, he will certainly gallop a long time and with pleasure, because of his having a good wind; if he be well upon his haunches, and gives a token of

his being strong and nervous, having a swift and just Carrier, a light and easie stop, his head firm and well placed, and the Appuy or feeling of the Bit equal and just, I say if a horse have these qualities, he may be bought without much cause of complaint for his price, for there are Merchandices at all rates, and people doe not buy horses by the bulk or weight as they doe Oxen; A true size, Vigour, agreeableness, Suppleness, Lightness▪ and Strength, are things rare and scarce, and for which people pay very dear.

Many people would have a horse with all good qualities and yet give but little money for him, which is most unreasonable and what they cannot expect; because if a man se•••• at a low rate any horse, which hathall the good qualities above specified, it is a shre•••• token, that either he hath no skill at all himself in horses, or that the horse cost him no•• thing, being either gifted to him or stolen.

However, I give this advice to my Friends, in relation to the buying of Horse•• that they never give too dear a rate for any which are not sensible of the Spurrs, there is required no great skill to discover it, because by approaching one of them, a Ma•• will soon find if they answer it, neither should they give too great a price for such a have not good Mouths, which any man who is in the least skilful may easily judge of for having pushed on a horse in a carrier, it is quickly known if he stop readily; now whatever other good qualities a Horse may have, if he have not these two, of having a good Mouth, and being sensible of and obedient to the Spurrs, which every Man is cap∣able to judge of, I am of opinion he should not be bought at a dear rate, and that at most his price should not exceed thirty peices, let his size be what it will.

In Spain, When a Man buys Colts or young Horses, from those which keep a breed the price is regulate according to the age of the Colt, so that the people who buy them knowing how these of two, three, and four years old are to be sold, a Man hath as more to do but choose his Colts of what age he would have them, and then pay dow•• the price at which the Colts of that age are taxed, and thus he is sure not to be i•••• posed upon by too exorbitant a rate; but after these Colts have been once backt, and kept a little in the Stable, they then augment extremely their prices, which thereafte•• is no ways regulat, but according to the humour and fancy of the Seller, which is many times extrayagant and very dear.

Notes

• CHAP: XIX How to judge of a Horses Vigour, and agility.