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. XLVIII. How horses of value should be fed and ordered, when staying at home.

THose who search after the secret to fatten horses, keep them well bellyed, and finely Coated, and also preserve and augment their strength and vigour with a small quantity of provision, have a great deal of reason for it, especial∣ly seing it is a thing possible, provided they do not labour much: for it is nothing but the regular method of feeding them at certain hours, and orderly dressing, which maketh them fat and lusty, and not the great abundance of food, nor rest alone, which preserveth them plump and hearty; a man needs not therefore much trouble himself, to enquire after certain Powders, which people fancy have a vertue of themselves 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fatten horses, without observing any other precaution but to cause horses eat of, and be accustomed with them: for upon my word, there is no other secret or Powder whereby to perform this so well, as to observe a me hodical way of feeding 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dressing, which if exactly followed, there is no need of looking for any new ones; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as there are many persons who with satisfaction practise this, so it would be al••••∣gether to no purpose I should in this place propose it, did I not think the omiss•••• of it would be prejudicial to, and offend those who are but young beginners; its then only upon their behalf, that I here set down the method, how horses of Value such as horses of mannage, journey-pads, or fine hunting horses should be ordered while they reside at home, and for the exact keeping of which, there is required more exactness, than for these which are more common, about whom there nee•••• not be taken so much pains and care; however a man may add or pare from this as he shall think fit and convenient.

You shall then observe, over and above the other directions I am to give you, Th•• horses which are lean stand in need of a greater allowance of food; then those which have been a long time plump and in good case, but that when once they are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and accustomed to hard meat they may be maintain'd with one half, nay the third part of that meat, which you allowed them when making up, provided alw•••• that they work but moderatly; for I assure you great and violent labour ••••∣sumeth all.

The allowance of food for horses of mannage, is less than for any other horses whatsoever, because they have but a moderate labour, and which although viole•••• is not of long continuance; but the greater the labour is, the greater should be their al∣lowance of Hay and Oats, besides that the labour of mannaged horses, if right ordered, cannot properly be called a work, but only an exercise, for evacuating of their bad humors, and to excite their Appetite.

Before I come to particulars, I shall establish four Maxims, which it will be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to know, for the better understanding of all the rest.

The first is, that Hay commonly spoileth those horses which eat too much of i•••• especially if they be past Six years old, but if under that age, a horse will be very little prejudged although he be suffered to eat hay moderatly; and provided be be not too fat, nor incline to become too charged with flesh, a man needs not fear th•••• Hay will either make him Pursy, or alter his flank.

There are some Gurmandizing or greedy-eating-horses, which all day long eat their litter, which is the straw that is thrown beneath them to stand upon; a man should absolut••ly hinder this, because when their litter hath but served two dayes, it both spoils their wind, and maketh them sweat much, so that if a man had any extraordinary labour to put them to, they would become Pursy; but this eating of their litter is very easily prevented.

The second Maxim is, That for every horse which is fat and resting at home, that is, which either works and travels not at all, or but very little, new threshed wheat straw is better for him than hay, because his wind is better preserved by it, it alters not his flank, and also the fat and flesh which it produceth is alwayes more firm then that of hay, as likewise, as people say, more dureable, conforme to the French proverb; Cheval de paille, Cheval de bataille, Which I English thus.

A horse that's fed with straw of Wheat, Is firm in flesh, and fit for Feat.

In fine a horse fed only with Wheat••straw and Oats, may be kept at rest in the stable a full year without spoiling, whereas if he had eat hay he would appear old, and become very dull and heavy in the space of three months.

But some persons who have only one horse, will perhaps say that they shall pre∣vent his resting so much, and remaining so long in the stable without doeing any thing, but if he be hurt or become lame they will be necessitate to do it, and those who have great stables of horses, know very well that when they have been much travelled, especialy at the close of a Campaigne where they have been extremely fatigued, there is a necessity to give them rest, and that for a considerable time, that so they may recover.

Horses which are Light-bellyed, and have not their flanks altered, agree better with the eating of Hay than straw, also they are excepted out of the proceeding Rule, because the hay cause; them to drink lustily, and the abundance of water tempers and qualifies that heat, which dryed them up and hindered them to take a Belly; yet Hay considered as Hay, would seem more fit and proper to take away a horse's Belly than give him one, because by its naturall heat, it should do him more prejudice than straw which is not so fiery, but as it obliges horses to drink much, by reason of it's being charged with a nitrous Salt which provokes thirst, the quantity of drink extinguishes it's fiery and heating quality, how great soever, and so the horse, which is no more consumed by that fire which contracted his Belly, is put in a con∣dition to have it enlarged; therefore a man should make no difficulty to give hay to such kind of horses, and every lean horse which eateth heartily, and drinketh lustily, and proportionably to what he eateth, will be very soon fat and full flanked.

For horses which are very lean, a man will not very suddenly fatten them with Straw, therefore Hay is much more proper for them, if their flanks be not altered, for if they have the least inclination to Pursyness, hay is nought for them, because of the reasons I shall hereafter give you in the second part, when I discourse of horses which is broken-winded or Pursy; and although people very justly say, that such a horse hath his flank altered, because he hath a little feeling or touch of Pursyness, yet you must not imagine That that alteration proceeds from heat, because heat is no∣thing but an accident of Pursyness, and its essentiall cause flows from a cold principle which is heavy, slow, and Viscuous phlegm, that not only obstructs and stops the conduits of respiration, but also those passages through which the blood runs, for refreshing and nourishing the Lungs, in the time of its perpetuall circulation; but the accidental heat proceeds from this that betwixt the Pulmonary artery and Vein, there is in the Parenchyma, or bloody and fistolous substance of the Lungs, Anastomoses or passages from the Veins to the Arteries, which being many times obstructed, do occasion that accidental heat in the Lungs, by reason of the heat which is communicated to them from the Heart.

Horses which are inclined to be charged with flesh in their necks, or to become Thick-necked, should not eat too much wheat straw, because it will increase their fleshy∣ness, as experience will teach you, but, unless it be in these few exceptions, our Maxim holds alwayes good, Excepting also Spanish horses, which as they grow old become smaller and thinner Necked, contrary to all other horses, and I am also of opinion, that a Spanish horse which hath a thick and well turned neck, is better than if he had it more slender, because his mouth is more certain and firm with it, neither will he be so subject to Beat upon the hand, or Chack in the Bridle, and therefore will consequently have a better Appuy, or feeling of the pressure of the Bit upon his Barrs.

The Wheat-straw in Languidock is most excellent, because, being tread upon the peoples feet who thresh it, it is beat and softned, and consequently more appetiz•• it is not, but that without this Treading it might be cut aboundantly small, but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it could not without a great deal of trouble, be made so soft and toothsome 〈◊〉〈◊〉 other way, as it is this.

We are not however wholly to banish Hay, and therefore there should alway a small quantity of it be given to horses before Watering, to excite their thirst; and peo•••• find difficulty to maintain some horses in a good case with straw alone, with•• he help of some hay; therefore I think they should alwayes have six or eight po•••• weight given them every four and twenty hours, unless there be some reasons, wh•••• oblige a man to give them none at all.

The third Maxim for the right feeding of horses, is, Never to suffer them to drink 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cold or sharp water, as I have already remarked when I discoursed of what was be observed when horses are upon journey; because such kind of water weak•••• their stomach, engenders crudities, and causes obstructions in the Liver; it is fro•• that also that Collicks and Grips in the belly do commonly proceed; cold and sha•••• water prevents and retards a horses growing fat which is lean, and if he be alr•••••• fat, will make him the sooner become lean, and in a bad condition: In a word, it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 most unwholsome for him.

The water of great Rivers is excellent for horses, although those indeed whi•••• are too rapid are not so very good; Spring or Fountain Water is better than th•••• of Draw-wells, although people are necessitate in many places to make use of this fo•• lack of better: Water which hath had time to settle, or hath been taken a pretty whil•• from the Well or Fountain, is better than that which is immediatly drawn, exce•••• in time of an excessive cold, in which water which is new drawn hath a kind 〈◊〉〈◊〉 warmness; and is therefore more wholesome for horses to drink immediatly, than th•••• which hath been suffered to cool, by being a considerable time drawn before it be made use of.

I assure you good water contributes to the keeping a horse fat and plump; the Water of the River Seine is so very excellent for horses, that at Paris people see ••ew of them that are very Lean, whereas in Hilly-countreys where the waters are sharp and peircing, there are few found which are fat; it is not That the Seine-water alone fatteneth them about Paris, as many people fancy, it only hath not a macerating qual∣ty, which many other waters have; and besides, people there cannot endure horse which are Lean, neither are any such brought thither to be sold, because peop•••• know that no horses go off there, or are easily sold, but such as are fat and in good co••∣dition: I knew a person, who payed ten Crowns a Month for Seine water for his horse to drink.

The fourth Maxim is, To keep your horse fat, because being Lean, he can never 〈◊〉〈◊〉 so beautiful, neither can a man expect any thing in perfection from him, whethe it be for the mannage or any other service; It is true, there are some lean horses whi•••• will fatigue more than fat ones, whereof there are also some which are not mu•••• worth, and many times not at all fit for any great fatigue, but if such lean horses we•••• fat, they would be yet better, and work with a great deal of more vigour, and a•••••• if those which are fat and not much worth were lean, it would still be so much the worse.

However, this Maxim hath some exceptions; for there are certain Cravates which fatigue better being lean, than when they are fat, but their number is small and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 considerable.

I don't pretend by this Maxim, that horses which are too fat are better than others upon the contrary they are of less value, and inconvenient, especially in the excess•••• heats, for then they immediatly weary, disgust easily, are subject to foundering in t•••• body and grease melting, and are theresore very little fit for service; however they a•• alwayes better than those which are lean, for it costs a man nothing to macerate 〈◊〉〈◊〉 extenuate them, but they are not immediatly made fat and plump, when aman ha•••• a mind for it.

A man may then receive these four Maxims for true ones, and that not only for lar•• horses, but also for all other sizes, and most pityfull jads: You shall also observe, th•••• a horse which is abundantly fat, hath been accustomed a considerable time with ha•• meat, and which persormes but a regular and moderate labour, will be maintain•• with so small a quantity of food, that those, who have not been Eye-witnesses to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 will have difficulty to be persuaded of it.

I have seen the largest size of Coach horses, which did not each of them daily eat above a bot••e or ten or twelve pounds of hay, a botte or bundle of straw, which is betwixt eight and nine pounds and two thirds of a French Bushell of Oats, which is about eight English Quarts, and yet were fat and full skinned; and before I regulate this proportion of food to them, they were alwayes sick, for having ate too much, but afterwards kept their health very well.

Now for a man to fancy, that large Coach-horses which fatigue much, or are not both very fat and well accustomed with hard-meat, can be maintained at this rate, is mightily to deceive himself, therefore a man should take very exact measures, before he positively determine any thing in it.

Notes

• CHAP. XLVIII How horses should be fed and order'd at home.