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: XXXIX. Of flat feet, and such as have their soles round and high, call'd in french pieds Combles.

THose Horses which have Flat-feet, if they be young, their feet will alwayes spread, and so be in danger of growing ill shaped, therefore they should be Shoed after the manner following, to keep them insensibly from spread∣ing, especially if the horse be worth your pains; Above all things, if your horse hath Flat-feet you should barr the pastern Veins: This operation is good, but however it is not absolutely necessary, unless your horse hath his soles round and high, yet this is not to say, but that the doing of it contributes very much to the amendement of Flat-feet; for to do it, you must know that in the pastern there are two Veins below the joint, the one upon the inside, and the other upon the out; which Veins must be barred, that so you may put a stop to the superfluous humour, which falleth down upon the lower part of the foot, and causeth the sole grow round and high, and also the Coffin-bone or little foot, which is the bone in the middle of the Coffin, to push it self down, which through time, maketh the foot become round at the sole, in french Comble; the Veins of the fore-legs being stopped in four places, and the wounds be∣ginning to heal up, which will be seven or eight dayes after you have barred the Veins, you must do what followeth.

But first, to barr the pastern Veins right, you must only tye them near the joynt with a fine threed, to the end that you retard not their cure; a little silk is very good for that purpose; then cut the Vein beneath and let it blood; if it blood too long, you may bind up the Orifice with a large band and a Compresse.

If for Flat-feet you cause barr the Veins, you will come sooner to your purpose than if you had omitted it; but that doth not hinder this following method to be very good, although you should not have barred him.

You must then cause forge, according to the following figure, A. C. D. F. See plate third, fig. 9th; shoes very streight in the quarters, and which do not turn in a circle, nor follow at all the shape of the quarters of the foot, but whose branches from the toe A. D. to the spunges, C. F. must be very streight, and you must cause peirce the holes G. H. I. L. very near the edge: You must also place those shoes so, that you may have about the thickness of two Crowns of horn to take away at the Toe A. D. with the cutting knife, and they having their branches streight, there will without doubt be a good deal of horn to take off at the sides A. B. C. and D. E. F. which are retrenched by the shape of the shoe within the pointed line, as you may see in the figure.

Having then a shoe made after this fashion altogether flat, and the branches near streight, cause pare his foot but very Gently and fit the shoe to it; for although it rest a little upon the sole it matters not, because by no means you must make your shoe vaulted or hollow, and fasten the shoe with very thin nails, taking but a slender hold for fear of pressing the Vein, or meeting with the quick; your horse being shod with this kind of shoe which I have been ordering, put a restrictive in his foot made of chimney foot and turpentine, boyled together upon a slow fire, alwayes stirring it

untill it be pretty thick, and apply it scalding hot, with hurds above it; and bec•••• when the shoes are not vaulted, you will have difficulty to get in thin slices of w•••• to keep fast the restrictive, because the shoe will almost touch the Sole, therefore af•• you have put in the hurds, you must tye a cloath about his foot to hold all fast, the Restrictive will help to put a stop to the growing so much of the sole, and will also ce∣tribute very much, with the stopping of the Pastern Veins, to put a stop to all th•• superfluous nourishment which went to the sole and Coffine bone; put also upon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Coronet by way of a plaister some hoof salve spread upon hurds, applying it to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 onsett of the hoof to cause his foot grow, and renew the plaister every four daye which doeth a great deal better then only to anoint his feet every day, because 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Oyntment, being tyed on with hurds and alwayes remaining upon the horn, hath me•• time to moisten it and cause it grow, than the simple anointing of it.

You must not work your horse for five or six dayes, that so he may be used to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shoes, which will at the first press his foot, but if after that time he meane it, you must then let him alone untill he be wholly accustomed to them: and if he halt•• extraordinarly, it's like that he may be then prickt, to which you must take good no••e and cure it, as I have taught you in the 2d part: You must continue to shoe him after the method, every new Moon, always by degrees making the shoes straiter, not mu•••• at the the quarters, but considerably at the Toe, A. D. which you must retrench and keep short by all means imaginable, as you see it marked in the figure by the cir∣cular line A. D. which is marked with points; after three or four shoeings your horse will have changed the shape of his feet which was unpleasant, into a better: Now it is a certain Rule, that you must alwayes make use of this way of shoeing, three o•• four dayes after the change of the Moon, to cause your Horse's hoof grow the better which is what we desire.

If the feet which grow too much at the sole, have the heels straiter nearer the shoe than above, then you must not retrench the sides of the foot, A. C. D. F. as I desired y•••• before, but you must cause shoe them with panton shoes (in French fers à pantouffle enlarge their heels; for besides, that these shoes will open the heels, they will also hinder the sole to grow so much downwards, and so the foot will take a better shape: When you shoe with a Panton Shoe, it must follow the Circumference of the foot, and the Branches must not be streight; you must also keep the sole strong, without taking an thing almost from it, otherwayes your horse will half, so then you are to take nothing from the sole, heels, nor any other part when you shoe him, but only the crust, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that which rises like a scurf, and you must alwayes shorten the Toe by cutting it wa•• the Cutting-knife proportionally as you shall find occasion; make the Shoe altogether flat without vaulting it, for although it rest a little upon the sole it matters not, because you are to force the foot to grow less: His Fore-feet being shoed, cause him sha•• with them all day long, amongst his own dung being a little moistned, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 him not work for eight or ten days, untill he be accustomed to those kind of shoe afterwards you may step him abroad upon easy ground, to strengthen his feet.

The reason, why the foot being restrained with this kind of shoeing, taketh i•• right shape again, is because those Horse's which have flat feet, and round soles, ha•• too much nourishment in their soles, and particularly at their Toes, and too like at the upper part of their feet; now that the pastern veins furnish this superfluous nourishment, is evident when people take out a Horse's sole, because to stop the blood which in great abundance floweth from the foot, people are necessitate to tye the Pastern with a cord, that is, they press those two Veins, which I have before ordered you to barr, and that tying stoppeth the Blood, which being stoped, as having no more passage to go to the under part of the foot, which it did too much nourish and moisten, it followeth of necessity that the sole must dry and shrink in, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which the Panton Shoe will contribute very much; because it opening the heel near the shoe, will also constrain the superfluous nourishment, which went to the Sole and T•••• to remain above, and nourish the heel which was dryed, and by the means of the hoo•• salve the foot will be moistned, and the nourishment kept there, which is what 〈◊〉〈◊〉 desired, and in the mean time the heel enlarges, and the Toe and sole shrink in, are grow less; this method is also good for Flanders horse's, whose feet change the horn, for in the time that their feet alter, it giveth them a good shape, but if their feet be already bad, you must take another course with them.

If the horse's sole be round and lower than his hoof, which happeneth more 〈◊〉〈◊〉 some than others, so that some will have their foot so ill shaped that it will resemble an Oyster-shell, and is just renversed in a manner, so that it is impossible to shoe then

without hollowing or vaulting their shoes which will make them go uneasily, and also through time cause their feet at the soles to become round, like the segment of a Ball, which is what in french is called Des pieds Combles.

The shortest and best remedy for such feet is, to barr the Pastern veins, and seven or eight days after the operation, to cause make him Panton shoes with strait spunges, and extraordinarly thick on the inner edge; they must also be altogether flat and not vaulted, for it is to be remarked, that almost all the round or high soled horse's have narrow heels near the shoe, and the Smiths thinking to make them go easily, make them hollow shoes which rest only upon the horn in the outside of the heel, and by that means, because the shoes by degrees constraine the foot, they make it grow daily straiter at the heel; the little bone also which is in the middle of the Coffin presses downwards towards the sole, the Toe grows long, and so the feet become ill shaped and unserviceable; now to help and rectify all these inconveniences, the Pan∣ton shoe being forged and peirced near the edge of the Toe, as I told you, you shall Cut more or less from the horse's Toe with the Cutting-knife, as you shall think fit; then fit the shoe so, that the slopings or thick parts of its spunges may enter within the corners of the Frush, and being flat at the Toe that it may rest upon the horn, but although it rest also a little upon the sole it matters not, and fasten it with thin nails; also put into his foot a restrictive made of Chimney Soot and Turpentine boyled together, and anoint his hoof with hoof salve, then let his feet strengthen and be eased of the pain, which that new manner of shoeing will occasion, and that for the space of twelve days or more untill he leave halting, afterwards cause him work by de∣grees, and after three or four shoeings, if the horse be not old, his foot will have taken a good shape: This which I speak is not by speculation, but founded upon a great ma∣ny experiences.

It is a great abuse to vault shoes when People may forbear it (and it may for the most part be omitted) because the foot being nailed and made fast to the shoe, it groweth and taketh the shape or form of the shoe, and nature finding that passage open, through the inclination which she hath to furnish a superfluous nomishment to the under part of the sole, presseth alwayes that way, and is also helped by the hollow shoe, to give that round form to the feet, which rendereth a horse unserviceable for the street or upon hardground; so that people are necessitate to send them to draw the plough, which had they wanted that fault, would have been good, and might have served for a Coach.

It happeneth also that when a horse travelleth upon vaulted shoes, he treadeth on∣ly upon the middle of the shoe, for it cannot all equally touch the ground, because of its roundness; so that it hindreth the horse to goe so firmly as otherwayes he would, and also maketh him slip.

The surest way therefore, is to rectifie such bad feet in the beginning, and espe∣cially in the time when horses alter or change their horn, which is the first six Months after they come from Flanders.

But supposing that your horse's feet be yet in a condition to be helped, you must restrain their growth in the soles as I have shown you for the flat feet; or if his heels be narrow, shoe him with a Panton shoe, and after the former fashion without vaulting or hollowing it, you must also but pare little from his feet, and leave his sole strong, shorten his foot at the Toe, and put these panton shoes upon him; If his heels I say be narrow near to the shoe: Then put the restrictive into his foot which I ordered before, or otherwayes let him stand with his feet being shoed after the fashion I have been showing you, in his own dung being kept a little moist that it may not heat, and let him stand so until he halt no more, alwayes keeping the dung moist upon which he standeth; at the same time put about his foot a Charge or Softner reasonably warm, or hoof salve as I have before ordered you: You must also renew two or three times the application of the restrictive, and the Charge or hoof-salve, keeping him alwayes shoed after the former manner, but if his foot after shoeing be very high and round soled, you must then let him stand eight or ten dayes upon his Litter.

If the horse have his sole but a little raised, or that it be not as yet absolutely round beneath, after twice or thrice shoeing it will be helped, but the more it is out of shape the more time will it take to rectifie it: It is to be observed that flat feet, at least the most part of them, have their heels narrow near the shoe, so that the smiths hollowing or vaulting very much their shoes, make them rest upon the outsides of the heels, and by that meanes make them become narrower; now quite contrary to this method, you must cause shoe your horses with panton shoes, so that causing their heels

to open you will contribute to the shrinking in of the sole and under part of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 foot, as I have told you before and cannot tell you it too often.

But if your horses foot be extraordinary high or round in the sole, you must with∣out delay bar the pastern Veins, which will be the only means to give a good shoe to those flat kind of feet, for without this operation any other will have no great 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fect; because the main design is to put a stop to that superfluous nourishment which goeth to the sole, and to force nature to furnish that nourishment to the upper p•••• of the foot, which the shoeing with panton shoes will doe, even without retrenching and cutting his hoofs at the sides, if you but only with the Cutting-knife cut as retrench his Toe, and that you keep his sole strong without almost taking any this from it, so that being shoed with shoes which are not vaulted, although they rest little upon the soles, yet they will not cause him halt much even although they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Panton shoes: Afterwards fit the shoe, and providing it rest not altogether upon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sole it is enough, seing you left the sole expresly for that purpose strong enough, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fasten the shoe with very thin Nails. When he is shoed, you shall fill his feet with Ta•••• scalding hot, or with the restrictive before mentioned, or otherwayes keep the•• amongst his moistned dung.

It's true, this is to keep the horse a long time without having any service of hi•• but oftentimes for not taking that care of him, and giving that rest, hebecometh alto∣gether unservicable, as I have seen a great many, for not taking notice to them 〈◊〉〈◊〉 time; there are some which have such kind of feet that will yet be somewha•• serviceable, but according as they need help, people take more or less care of them.

The smiths, whom I ordered to shoe some horses after this method, did it at first out of meer complysance, thinking that every man had liberty to spoyl his ow•• horse and ruine his feet, but afterwards finding this method of shoeing with pant•• shoes, and barring the pastern veins to succeed well, they protested to me that it was only the experience they had of them, which convinced them of their usefulness. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the best way is, to prevent the disease, and to hinder your horses in the beginning: have round or high soles; because horses which are brought up in moist and ma•••• Countries and especially those which come from Holland, Frizland, Oldenburg, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the other adjacent Countries, are very subject to have their Feet spoilt when they a••∣ter or change the horn; For besides the bad form and nature of such hoofs, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 horse Merchants at Paris and other places, dry up the whole hoof with a great deal Cow-dung: To prevent then your horses feet to become Comble, or high and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the soles, you must use all the means imaginable, for it is not enough to buy the with good Feet when they come to France or England, but you must also prefer and maintain them in that condition.

The first shoeing of Coach-horses is of consequence: So that you are then but make the horn level where the shoe resteth, and not to take any thing from the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but as it were to clean and whiten it, because it hath been already made too holles shoe him just, and peirce your shoe a pretty distance from the edge, but you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 drive your Nails low, for if you should peirce your shoe near the edge, the Nails w•••• in driving split the horn, which hath been already too much weakned by the ho•• Merchant, who had no other design but to make his horses feet appear hollow: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 must then cause peirce your shoe at a pretty distance from the edge, so that the Nails 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not easily split the horn, but for fear of pricking your horse you are to drive them 〈◊〉〈◊〉 what lower than ordinary, and drive a Nail just at the Toe, to the end that the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 may stay longer on without shifting it's place, and may remain streight upon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 foot; You are not at all to retrench his quarters nor open his heels, but let the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 follow the compass of the horses foot, and by this means you shall preserve his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and they will be alwayes good.

Those Smiths, who think to give ease to their horses by enlargeing their shoes vaulting them a little, insensibly spoil their feet, because they follow the form the shoe and so become mishap't; for the more that you enlarge your shoe at 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the more you must enlarge it the next shoeing, and that is the way absolutely to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 your horse; for it is far more difficult to rectifie your horses feet and give them age shape when once deformed, then in the beginning when they have good feet and the horn altering, to preserve them, because they are then capable of receiveing any for you intend to give them: Horses which have big and large feet, although they not flat, yet are more subject to have them easily spoilt then any other, if people t•• not care at every shoeing to retrench them, untill the nature of the horn be chang This is what I thought good and necessar to be practised for this kind of bad feet

shall in the following chapter, continue to speak of other sorts of bad feet than these I have already discoursed of.

Those who need horses for the Plough, and who live in a soft countrey, that is to say, where there are few hard or flinty stones, they should certainly buy such horses as have so high and round soles that they can be no more serviceable upon the streets in Parit, London, or any other great City, especially if they be young, and that they judge they will do their business after they are recovered, for I have known such horses given for twenty Crowns, which, had they had good feet, would been worth fix times more; all they have to do, is to bar the pastern-Veins and shoe them as I have told, leting them rest only for a month to strengthen their feet, and have the wounds healed up, which were made in barring their Veins; afterwards keeping their hoofs anoynted, they will work and gain their expences, and in six months or a year their feet will be so recovered, that they will be in a condition for any kind of service; and I also assure you that by this method, such horses will in a years time have pretty good and well shaped feet, which before had them as flat as an oyster shell, of which I could give several examples I my self have had experience of in and about Paris. Let this suffice for horses which have flat and bad shap't feet, and also high or round soles.

Notes

• CHAP: XXXIX Of flat footed and round soled horses.