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. LXXIV. How to dy the Manes and Tails of Horses, of either a Scarlet or Gold Colour, which will continue fresh and live∣ly for a long time; as also to make a White Star in a Horses Fore-head.

Sect. 1.

SInce the third Impression of this Book, People have begun to Dy their Horses Manes and Tails of a Scarlet Colour, as is practised by the Hungarians, Polonians, and Cravats, which Colour maketh a pretty enough show upon White Horses, I therefore fancyed it would not be disagreeable to the Reader, that he here find an easy

Method to perform it, which I have many times experimented, and with very 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Charges: It is to be observed that they are only the white Manes and Tails 〈◊〉〈◊〉 can receive this Colour, and of whatever Colour the Horse be it matters not, I providing his Mane and Tail be white, they will take on the dye, but the hairs 〈◊〉〈◊〉 are black will continue so, and receive no other Colour but the natural; The Secret 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is this.

Take two Ounces of a Root which you will find in the Druggists, called M••dde; Latine Rubia Tinctorum, beat it coursly, and put it into a glazed Pot, which will•• dure the fire, with an English Pint and a half of Claret Wine, and a small Glasfull•• Olive or Walnut Oil; put the hair of the Horses Tail or Mane into the Pot, stoppe it all closs about with a course Cloath, or Wisps of Hay or Straw, that none of it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 evaporate; then hold beneath the pot, a Chafin-dish full of burning Charcoal, Coal-cinders, blowing it with a pair of Bellows, and keeping it so until the Li•• hath boiled about a quarter of an hour; and that the Horse may not feel the he•••• the Fire, you are to cause hold a Board betwixt the Chafer and Horse, taking 〈◊〉〈◊〉 care that there be only the hair in the Pot, and nothing of the Horses Dock, be•••• he could not suffer it; when it hath boiled about a quarter of an hour, take 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Mane or Tail out of the Pot, and wash it immediatly in a Pail of clean Water, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which it will be of a beautiful Scarlet Colour: but if it should not prove to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 deep enough Dy, then close it up in the Pot a second time, and make it boil 〈◊〉〈◊〉 some fresh Liquor, for a quarter of an hour as before, after which wash it again 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Water; this colour will remain so long as the hair continueth, although the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Mane should be washt once every day.

I beleive the Root of Alkanet or Orchanet would perform the like effect; howeve•• never made tryal of it, but seeing it hath the Quality to dy Red, as well as M•••••• there is a great probability that it would succeed; it is easie to make tryal of it.

Sect. 2. How to Dy the Mane and Tail, of a Yellow or Gold-Colour.

THere is a Root, called Terra Merita, which being made use of as the fore will in all probability tinge the Mane and Tail of a Yellow or Gold•• lour, however I will not be positive in it, having never experiment•• but the trial of it will not cost much, if you use it after the same method 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Wine and Oil, as you did the Rubia Tinctorum.

Sect. 3. How to make a White Star in a Horses Fore-Head.

I Promised to give in this Book, a Method for making a Star or white Ma•• Horses fore-head, but I have observed it to succed so ill, that I do not advi•••• to rely much upon it, nor to trouble your self to enquire after other methods for it, because the Hollanders who practise it daily, to make their Horses, which are ••••∣ly black, resemble those who have naturally Stars in their Fore-heads, do thereby

ny times render them more ugly than beautiful; therefore without warranting any thing relating to it, if you have such a design, I shall tell you that they cause rost a large Onion amongst hot Embers or Ashes, and being almost throughly rosted, they divide it in two, and dip it into scalding hot Walnut Oil, after which, they immediatly ap∣ply the flat side of it, to that part of the fore-head where they intend to make the Star, and there keep it for half an hour, after which they take it away, and anoint the scald∣ed Place with the Ointment of Roses; in a short time the Scarf-skin falls away, and there grows up in the new one, some white hairs, but the Star in the middle remains always without hair, as may be observed in all such Horses, which people have attempt∣ed to mark artificially after this manner.

Notes

• CHAP. LXXIV How to Dy the Manes an•• Tails of Horses, &c.
• Sect. 1.
• Sect. 2.
• Sect. 3.