THE School of Horsemanship.  
Wherein is discovered what skill and knowledge is required in a good Horseman, practised by perfect experience. And also how to reform any resty horse, of what nature and disposition so ever. Briefly touching the knowledge of the Breeder, Sadler, Smith, and the Horseleech.  
WITH A STRANGE AND rare invention how to make a new kind of rack, and how to teach a Horse to lie upon his belly until the Rider take his back.  
By Christ. Clifford. Gent.  
¶ Imprinted at London for Thomas Cadman, and are to be sold at his shop in Paul's Churchyard, at the sign of the Bible.  
1585.   

TO THE RIGHT Worshipful, Sir Philip Sidney, Knight.  
SIR, I have written of late, not by reading, but on mine own experience, a conference and discourse about the training of horses, and curing of their diseases, wherein albeit I dare profess to teach a readier & better way in training horse for service & travail, than hath been either yet set down of any, or put in practice by the delicate professors of this Art, yet my intention was not further then to serve the private use of my private friends, till at the last I offered it to the censure of a certain honourable Gentleman, whose singular good judgement & great experience in this matter I have ever esteemed above all others, who liked so well of this my labour, that he not only thought good it should be printed for the common use and profit of our Country, but also vouchsafed by setting of his hand to testify the same. Whereupon I have consented to the printing of it, & so have made it come to light under the good protection and countenance of your W. both because of your great knowledge and experience in Horsemanshippe, and in all other virtues, whereby ye draw to you the hearts of every one that knows you, and also for your special courtesy showed unto me: & therefore I have thus far presumed, till occasion of further service may occur to present you with other flowers or fruits of my experience, which is the only compass, rule, and square of this discourse. Humbile requesting that ye excuse or pardon the homely style and tenor of this conference, either because that true experience do need no ornament of words, or other ways because I am unlettered & have not Rhetoric at commandment. Which if it please you to accept after the ordinary of your countenance, I mean to enter further in other new and rare Engines for war, all of my own invention and experience. And thus I end, beseeching God to bless your life with all increase of Honour.  
Your most humble to command, Christopher Clifford.   

To the Reader.  
GEntle Reader, thou shalt find many things in this work placed out of order, for that I have lacked time and am unlettered, neither have been able to keep any servant whom I might command to write when I would, which hath been the cause that I have left out many notable things in this work, which thou shalt have hereafter, God sparing me life & ability thereunto. Perhaps some curious riders may find fault with my homely kind of teaching, for the, I set not down how they should teach their horses to curvet, nor how to torment them vainly with a chain or cavesson, which is one of the principal causes that they make their horses resty runaways, and hard mouthed, but my intent is not to teach any of them which make their horses more fit to dance on a carpet, then for any other kind of service, but only to teach those, whose noble minds delights in arms, and to have their horses made for service and travail, which is the thing whereunto God hath ordained that beast. Clifford take heed what you do, will you speak against the chain and curveting of horses? Me think that shows in you small skill in riding, sith they are both used throughout all Christendom. I know that this shall be the objection of those, that either knows not the difference between the snaffle & the chain, or else the will know it for no other cause, but that they will after an obstinate manner maintain it to be good, because they would differ from others in order of riding, and the reason why it is nought, is, that being once buckled to the horses head, as they usually do, or drawn close, it doth grieve the horse continually, as ●●ll when he doth well as when he doth err, in such 〈◊〉 that the horse not understanding the cause of his needless grief, falleth into a number of disorders. And the first reason why it is nought to teach a horse to curvet, is, because it doth greatly weaken his back and loins. The second, it is a most cruel torment to a man in arms, for that a number of i●des being given to curvet by nature, & used thereunto, will many times fall a curveting when his rider would not have him: and the third and last reason why it is nought, is, for that when you would encounter your enemy at hand strokes with your sword, these mistaught i●des will fall a dancing, which is a thing very dangerous, in fight with one horse against another, for the he never standeth surely, and therefore is in peril to be thrown down or else to give the riders back to the enemy; which is no less danger than his life is worth: but gentle Reader, I have not spoken this either of envy or malice against any particular person, for I protest before God and the world, that I have ever been of that opinion, that he is unworthy of credit either in are 〈…〉 or common wealth, that is not so void of envy and malice, that he shall take a thousand times more delight in pardoning of his enemies, than to be revenged of them, and for proof hereof, I do not only give free leave to all you to amend what so ever you find ami●● in my work without any respect of me, but only in respect to profit this our Country, & also that you do reprove me either by your gentle admotions, or by your letters, of all such things as you shall find by your own experience to be amiss, and I will assure you that I shall receive it thankfully at your hands.  
Thus leaving to trouble thee any longer (gentle ●●●der) until better opportunity he offered me to accomplish my promise above said, I bid thee most heartily farewell.  
C. Clifford.   

Sir john Tracie Knight, in commendation of this Book.  

IF Xenophon deserved immortal fame,  
Or gryson's glory from earth to sky did reach,  
If Carociolus gained a worthy princely name,  
Whose Books the Art of Horsemanship do teach:  
Then Clifford's praise what pen or tongue can tell,  
Whose pains herein, their works doth far excel.   

For who delight in gallant steeds doth take,  
To gallop them, or how curvet they must,  
Or he that seeks the fiercest colt to make,  
In bravest sort, to stop, and manage just,  
By this thy Book shall gain his whole intent,  
Adorned with Art and Skill most excellent.   

His rare conceits in this his Book he shows  
How stubborn jades reform aught to be:  
And all diseases, which by experience he knows  
How them to cure, you may both learn and see:  
The Saddler, and the Smith of thee may find their skill,  
So in their Art thou dost reform their ill.   

What honours then to Martial minds are due,  
What recompense is made for worthy pains,  
What thanks or gifts do Virtue still ensue,  
And what rewards both Art and Skill obtains,  
The same to thee for this thy good desert,  
Both strangers, friends, and country will impart.   
john Tracie Knight.   

The contents of this Book.  
ALL the principal points belonging to a good horseman, most plainly taught, according to my true experience, which I have well approved and tried by the space of 30. years, that is to say, of the Breeder, the Rider, Keeper, and the Saddler, of the Horseleech and Smith. Where, in the beginning you shall find certain brief notes necessary to be observed of the Breeder. In the first Book you shall find the Art of Riding, with a treatise how to use your hand upon the bridle and cavesson, so plainly taught, that it is not possible for any man of reason that is willing to learn this Art, but that he may make any horse ready, of what nature or disposition soever he be, and after an easier manner than hath been heretofore taught by any man. The second Book showeth to reform all kinds of resty horses, or hard mouthed runaways, both easily and plainly. The third Book entreateth of the keepers office, how to make your stable with a standing rack, that there may no dust fall, neither on the horses mane, nor on his head, a most rare invention: Also it teacheth you how to diet your horse, both when you travel and exercise him: And how to master all those horses that will bite their Keepers, or leap on them with their forefeet, at such time as they lead them in their hands, or that the Rider would take their backs. The fourth Book entreateth of the Saddler's office, how he should make his saddle, and what kind of saddle is best, both for service and travel: And also how every soldier may carry both his headpiece, and pistol, in such sort as it shall not trouble him any more than if he had nothing at all at his saddle: Also it teacheth how to make your headstall, to serve in steed of a collar, when you travel any journey, or that you are in service, a thing very necessary to be learned of all soldiers: It teacheth you also ●ow to make your cavesson, kerb, & divers other necessary 〈…〉tions very needful to be used of the Rider. The fift Book teacheth how to cure your horse of so many diseases as I have in all my life had experience of. The sixth and last Book showeth how you should shoo● your horse: and how to make that horse that hath evil feet, to have good hooves in very short space.   

Clifford's experience and opinion of breeding of Colts, and what Stalians and Mares are best to breed upon, and also what ground is best to breed an horse in.  

Of the Stalian.  
THe Stalian would be large of body, for that we see most commonly the Colts to follow the Stalian in bigness, although they be begotten of little Mares, or of Mares a great deal less than the Stalian. Let him also be of good colour, of good courage, well made: and above all things, see he be sound, and well marked, and that he be gentle, and of an approved durableness in travel: and as touching his colour, there is none evil that hath all his outward parts black, that is to say, his legs, tail, and mane, tips of ears, and his mouzel: nor none good that hath all his body of one colour, sa●e th● black and white: but the black is the best of the two 〈…〉 urs last named. And above all things see he have good hooves, that is to say, that they be little, and round, and hollow: for broad footed, long footed, and narrow héeled jades are nothing worth when they come to service or travel: for in service the broad foot will never keep a sh●● long, and in travel they will all be lame. But if your more have very good hoofs, than the Stalian with evil hooves shall be more tolerable: And as touching his age, the younger and lustier he is, the better: for I have seen an horse of four years of age get so good a colt, as an horse that was eight years of age. I have also rid 〈…〉 ●n horse of the Marshal Byrones, begotten of a Turkish Stalian that was 24. years of age, and I never found in all my life a better horse both for travel and service.  
As touching your mares that you mind to breed upon, the larger they are, the better: but if you chance to have any young mares that you mind to breed upon, take heed that you first make them to be rid and handled the 3. year, and that you put not them to the horse till they be 4. years of age, and it shall be good to handle them gently, and to let them have daily erercise in some moderate travel, for if you let them stand long still, you shall greatly weaken their bodies, and by sudden & extreme traveling of them after long rest, all fill them full of diseases, so as they shall be very unprofitable for a race: for it is not possible to breed sound colts, upon unsound mares and Stalians. Let them also be of good shape & colour: but the shape is much more to be taken heed of, than the colour, for that it is much helped by the Stalian, & when you would put them to the horse, the best way is, in my judgement, to let them run together at grass for the space of a month at the least. And see that your mares have no shoes on their hinder feet, for fear of hurting your Stalian, and let not your Stalian be too fat, and he would also be traveled a journey before you turn him out, to the end that he may be weary, so shall he not overheat himself at the first: and the best time of the day to turn him out, is, in the morning fasting very early before the heat of the day, & afterward, when he hath heated himself, the warmness of the Sun shall come, by means whereof he shall not take any cold: if he drive himself into any heat, it shall be good to cause a boy to follow him up and down, so as he may not rest till he be thoroughly cold. It shall not be amiss before that you turn your mares and Stalian together, to try whether they will stand still or not to the horse, by offering them some other nag or stoned jade, and if you see they stand still, them are they not in horsing: yet have I seen some jades, being mad on horsing that would strike the Stalian, and yet after they had been a little weary, would stand still enough. But if you have more such convenient ground, than may you let your Stalian serve your mares, either in the hand, or else in some large barn or close court. But you must put them together early in the morning, and late at night, and see the your Stalian be not too full for fear of hurting himself, & let him be well provendred.   

How to wean your Colts.  
Put them so far from your mares as they cannot one hear another, into some warm ground, where there is good store of long and sweet grass, and till they be two years of age it shall be good to feed them all the winter with fine hay abroad: for by keeping your colts at house in the winter, you shall mar them for lack of exercise. For there is not any one thing more enemy to health both for man and beast, whether he be young or old, than the lack of such exercise as shall be most agreeing with the quality of his age and strength. But if it be in such part of England, as the snow lieth upon the ground a month or six weeks together, it shall not be amiss to take them into the house all the night to let them eat: but in the day time I would have you turn them abroad, even from morning till night, but it were much better to make a house in the field, and place a double rack in the middle thereof: but see that you pave such on house, or gravel it: for if you plank it, it shall be very dangerous for marring your colts, by sliding thereon: and if you pave it not, it shall be all miry, which is very nought for your colts hoofs and legs, for the drier that they go, & the harder that the ground is, the sounder shall your horse be. It shall be good also the first Summer that your colts be weaned, that is to say, when they are a year old and the vantage, that if you shall perceive by going in good pasture the they shall wax very fat, than it shall not be amiss to eat the pasture shorter with more cattle, or else to put them in such ground as they may travel something more to fill their bellies. This order shall you observe the first two years, but the third year it shall be good to put them in some such high ground and short pasture, that they may travel almost the whole day before they fill their bellies, and take heed that they have trees or hedges to shadow them in in the heat of the day, and also to defend them from the cold in winter: and when you perceive them something pinched with the cold, you may give them straw & chaff to eat until it be the beginning of March at the least, than it shall be good to take them into the house for the space of a month, or six weeks, & give them straw to eat, & chaff, with a very little provender in it. But if you have no chaff, them it shall be good to give them two parts of chopped straw, & but one part of oats, & when you have made them gentle to be dressed, it shallbe good to lead them to the water, first with a double cloth girded with a surcingle, & after that they will go gently, you may saddle them, and lead them to the water, with the stirroppes lose, beating against their sides, but take heed the all the while they stand in the stable, you lay litter enough under them for fear of sliding: & after you have made them gentle to go with the saddle, it shall be good to turn them abroad every day when it is dry weather at 9 of the clock till 3. at afternoon into some field or large court nigh to the stable. If at any time after they are thoroughly acquainted with the stable, they come not home of themselves, fetch them not till through hunger they be glad to come. By this means you shall defend your horses when they are young from sickness and diseases, through exercising themselves on this wise, so as when they come to travel, they shall be sound & durable horses: By this the I have said, I would have said, that till your colts b● 2. years of age, you neither let them suffer hunger nor cold, but that you so nourish them as you see good breeders nourish their weaning calves, & the 3. & 4. Summer & winter, let them far somewhat harder than they did the 2. first years, & the 3. winter I would have you offer them no hard meat, till they be glad to eat straw & chaff, & that you give them no other thing the year nor the 4. winter neither, till such time as you take them up: but it shall be good the 4. winter to exercise them saddled with a pole or long staff, without any man on his back, as shall be hereafter more plainly taught.   

At what age it is best to take up a colt to ride him, & at what time of the year I may take up my horse to have him most gentle, and also to make him a good stable horse, and to eat his hard meat well.  Clifford. 
I Would not have you to back any horse until he be 4. years of age & eight months at the least, by the that I have told, I would have told you that it is not good to take up any horse to ride, till he be over 4. years of age so far into the 5. Winter, the he hath been glad to eat straw and chaff the space of one month at the least abroad before you take him up into the house, & also the you perceive him some thing to lose his flesh. And you shall not have made this horse thus bred & of this age, when he comes to six years of age, not only so ready as if you had taken him up at three & the vantage, or at four, but also he shall be worth when you have need 15. of those horses that you shall back at the former age.  Kingdon. 
If I let mine horse be almost 5. years of age before I back him, he shall become so strong & stubborn as no man shall be able to handle him, & also if I let him go abroad till he be glad to feed upon straw & chaff, he shall become lean, therefore I would think it much better to take up mine horse in the beginning of Winter before he lose his flesh.  Clifford. 
Where thou sayst thy horse will become stubborn, thou art deceived, for by trotting him saddled with a long pole the third and fourth winter, every second day, so long as he shall stand in the stable, in such order as shall be hereafter taught, thou shalt make him so gentle as thou wouldst wish: & thou sayest he shall become lean, and that thou thinkest it better to take him up at the beginning of winter, this is a dream me thinks indeed of an unskilful man, but I will not feed thee with vain things, but with experience grounded upon reason: for if thou take up thy horse in the beginning of winter, before he have tasted of any hardness, thou shalt never make him a good stable horse, for whiles the grass is better than hay, it is not possible that he should eat hay well, but after the substance of the grass is gone, so that it nourishes so little as good straw or chaff, & that the horse will feed thereupon very well, than it is time to take him up & not before, for there is no other reason to be found why our horses should not eat straw, but that we take them up while they are so greasy fat & idle by feeding them in deep pasturs where they may fill their bellies in two or three hours feeding, whereas in deed it were a great deal better after they be two years of age to let them go in such pasture, as they must travail almost half the day before they can fill their bellies. And whereas thou sayest they shall become lean, I warrant thee they shall become never a whit the worse therefore, for although thou ride him every second day gently, so that he sweat not, thou shalt within one month after he comes to the house, by feeding him with good straw and reasonable store of provender have fully recovered the former loss, which shall redound to thy double gain, for that he shall ever after be a good stable horse, that if he lack meat at any time, ye shall see him eat his litter with greater appetite than our dainty dieted jades bred as we usually do here in England, shall eat the best hay that you can give them.    


The first Chapter of this Book, of the School of Horsemanship, treateth how to back a young horse, at the first.  Kingdon. 
I Pray you teach me in what order I shall saddle, bridle, and back my horse at the first.  Clifford. 
AS soon as he is gentle to be dressed, saddle him, and lead him to the water, and so being saddled, with the stirrups beating lose on his sides, and when he will go gently therewith, lead him to the Smiths, and show him before you do any thing with him. That being done, bridle him with a snaffle, brake, or trench, which would not be rough, and also without players, for fear of hurting his mouth. Then may you bring him to a block, and offer to take his back, which if he refuse, then tie a long pole, staff, or pike, fast to the ●ies of your brake, which would have a hole in the end for that purpose, make also a hole in the other end, in the which you 〈◊〉 put a strong piece of cord, for to hold him by. This being done, get thee in some good ground, and let a footman or two, if n●●de be, set hands in the cord, which you may make fast in the end of the foresaid staff, which being done, let them stand still, and let a footman lead the horse close by the head, round about the foresaid two footmen five or six times, first on the one hand, and then on the other, to the end you may mark out a ring unto him, which you may do, by reason of the staff, which will keep him of a just distance from your foresaid two footmen, who must always stand still without moving out of their places. That being done, let the footman go from him, and force him to troth, first on the one hand, and then on the other, until such time as he will be content to let you take his back. Then shall you take his back if he be four years and a half of age, if he be but four, then shall you exercise him in this sort twice in the week, for the space of six months, without any man on his back: with the which exercise you shall not only make your horse strong, and disposed, but also, by raining him on the saddle bow, and by tying two cords to the buckles of his fore girt, and to the eyes of his watering bit or broke, you shall make him rain well, and carry his head steady, and also trot so bravely, as though he were ridden: by this means you shall make your horse to troth your ring, (your six months being expired) even the first day that you back him, so perfectly, as though he had been ridden every day: yea, and he shall be so well acquainted with this lesson, that you shall see him gallop it, both pleasantly and bravely, even of himself, yea, and by that time your horse comes to be six years of age, you shall have made him as ready as though you had begun to ride him at three years and the vantage: and he shall be better than three of those which shall be marred by riding them too young, for in th● world it is not possible to find a better horse than ours, if they were not marred by riding them to young, of the which thing, I have had good experience, in a bay horse, which her Majesty gave to Mounsieur at his being in England, which horse I have seen march from morning till night, with a man on his back, with such courage and countenance, that all the men of arms (the King of France being there) with their Turkey horses, Hungarians, Poles, Frisons, and Flaunders horses, and also with their Coursers, and jenets, could never do the like: which foresaid horse, I have seen far to surpass them all in any travail or exercise the he might be put unto, which is not only my judgement and opinion, but also I heard all the Captains and Riders, to affirm the same, and they would oftentimes say unto me, that we Englishmen knew not how good our horses were: for if we did, we would never seek horses of Spain and Italy.  Kingdon. 
Why shall I thus troth my horse with a pole, rather than with a cord?  Clifford. 
Because that he may hang himself by his legs sooner in the cord than in the pole, besides that, you cannot hold him from coming upon you, nor guide him so right in his rings: yea, I have divers times trotted a young horse, in this order without any man on his back, till he hath been so perfect, that at the first backing he hath trotted his ring so orderly, as though he had been ridden half a year, by the which means I did much strengthen my horse, of the which thing thou must have a special care, if thou wilt be a good horseman, not to decrease his strength, but rather increase the same.  Kingdon. 
This by the way, but to the purpose, my horse being four years of age & a half, and I being mounted, what lesson shall I give him first?  Clifford. 
First you shall ride him forth right in some lane, or deep high way, so far as shall be agreeable with his strength. And riding him once every day in this sort, so long till he will let you mount and descend gently, and also take his way readily, which, when he will do, it shall be enough to ride him once in two days, for the space of one month.  Kingdon. 
Why shall I ride my horse forth right, and not rather in a ring?  Clifford. 
For that your horse being faint and unacquainted with travel, your ring turn shall be too great a travel for him at the first, and shall too too much weaken and discourage him, but after you have exercised him as before, he shall be become so strong therewith, that his ring turns will not be so grievous unto him, as they would have been at the first by the one half.   

The second Chapter treateth of the horses lessons, and at what time of the day it is best to teach him.  Kingdon. 
Having taught me to make my horse gentle, I would also have you teach me at what time of the day it is best to ride him, and also what lessons he hath to learn.  Clifford. 
As touching thy first demand, I answer, that it is best to teach him in the morning before he drink or eat his provender, by means whereof, you shall avoid the danger of straining his wind, or film breaking him. And also, for that you may have leisure enough before bed time to dry and dress him. And as touching your second demand, you shall first teach your horse to tread the great ring, both upon pace and trot: and see as well in doing the same, as all other his lessons, that you make him rain well, carry his head steady, and go upright in his turning: Secondarily, you shall teach your horse to stop and go back: Thirdly, to advance: Fourthly, to gallop the great ring, or field gallop: Fifthly, to turn readily on both hands: Sixtly, to make a sure and perfect manage: seventhly, and lastly, you shall learn him to take his gallop and caréer readily.  
Of trotting the great ring, and what order is to be observed therein.  Kingdon. 
SIthence you have taught me how to make my horse gentle, it shall not be amiss to teach me what order I shall observe in learning him to tread the great ring, for that I have often times heard you say, that by treading the great ring upon his pace, trot and gallop, and by observing good order, time, and measure therein, that it is not only sufficient to make him rain well, trot well, carry his head steady, and to bear light, but that the whole making of your horse depends upon the orderly using of him, in this foresaid lesson.  Clifford. 
As touching the order to be observed therein, you shall enter first upon a soft pace, giving him eight or ten turns, on your right hand, and as many on the left: you shall change in this order from hand to hand, till you have given him so many turns, as shall be agreeable to his strength, which being done, ride him forth right thirty or forty paces, where you must stop him by straining your bridle hand, and by speaking unto him gently with a soft voice, saying, hollow boy, hollow: looking that he stand right in his path or furrow, which would be made for that purpose, in some hanging or falling ground. Having thus stopped your horse, let him stand still a pretty while, at which time you must flatter and scratch him in and under his mane. It shall be good also to give him a little grass to eat, to light from his back, and lead him home, doing no more with him that day. Having thus acquainted your horse thoroughly with this lesson upon his pace, then shall you offer him to troth the same by helping him with your voice and calves of legs only.  Kingdon. 
But what if he will not go with the help of my voice and calves of my legs.  Clifford. 
Then it is too soon to troth him, for I would not advise you to offer him his trot in any case, nor yet from his trot to his gallop, before he do it willingly, with the least help that may be, without force or compulsion.  Kingdon. 
What number of turns shall I give him upon his trot, and also were it not good to give him a plain cannon and cavesson? I pray you tell me.  Clifford. 
Unless his mouth be very good, & you yourself as good as ever Gryson was, or Xenophon, I would not counsel thee in any case to use any other thing to teach him upon, than a trench, brake, or snafle, till such time as he be a perfect ready horse, and as touching the number of thy turns, that I must refer to thine own judgement, who shall know best thy horse's strength.   

How to learn your horse to go back. Chap. 3.  Clifford. 
AFter your horse can stop and keep his furrow or path just, you shall learn him to go back, by straining your bridle hand, and by speaking unto him, first with a soft voice, back, back: and if need be, you may help him with the point of your rod upon his knees, but if he will not go back with all these helps, than you mu●● use a footman, with a cudgel in his hand, who standing right before him, and threatening him, must also correct him on his fore legs, if need be.  Kingdon. 
How often shall I use my horse in this order?  Clifford. 
Until he do it both lightly and readily, and fail not, that at every time you stop him, to make him go back five or six paces at the least, so withal, that you use it not half so much to an horse of a good mouth, as to him that is hard mouthed.  Kingdon. 
After my horse can tread his rings, both upon pace and troth, and can both stop and go back: then I pray you teach me which is the best way to make him advance, that I may not distemper his mouth, nor disorder him.  Clifford. 
The best way that ever I found to make an horse advance is this here following. After you have put a cavesson on his head, turn him about in his room, and make the two cords thereof fast to the two posts, then offer him to advance by striking him on the breast with a sharp rod, and by speaking unto him with a cheerful voice, saying, up, up boy, up, which voice you must use always when you would have your horse advance: and likewise when you would have him go back, always use this word: back, back, not altering your voice: and when you would have him turn, to speak unto him with a cheerful voice, saying: turn boy, turn: yea, and though he lift up but one of his feet, and offer, as though he would lift the other, flatter him, and make much of him, and give him a little grass or provender to eat, which being done, you may offer him his lesson again by speaking unto him as before, and touching him with the rod a little at the first, noting, that when you have gotten him to lift his feet both together, that you flatter and feed him as before, and do no more with him in one half hour at the least: in this order you shall most easily teach your horse to advance.  Kingdon. 
Yea, but this is in the stable without a man on his back, and therefore when he comes without, he will be as far to seek as ever he was.  Clifford. 
Canst thou not remember him in some deep way with thy voice, and also by helping him with the calves of thy legs, and strike him with thy stirrups upon the points of his shoulders, and with thy rod upon the right shoulder if need require, and if he will not for all these, then use a footman standing before him, as thou hast been taught before, and when he shall hear and see the rod coming towards his breast, he shall advance without any beating at all.  Kingdon. 
But I have found some horses so stubborn, that they would not advance, neither for spur, nor rod, nor hand, neither for footman nor rider.  Clifford. 
Mark, that when you teach your horse any thing in the stable, you give him litter enough under his feet, for with one dangerous slip or flide, you shall utterly his foolish keeper, or any other that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the horse, causing him to leap and cornet in his room, yet the rider shall bear the blame. But to the purpose, your horse being tied, as before, in his room, take ● stick of ● yard or an ell long, with a shar●e prick therein, which must ●● appear above the length o● a wheat corn without the end of the cudgel, and prick him in the breast therewith, so long, till he offer to lift his feet, which when he doth, make as much of him, as though he had advanced, to the end that you may make him understand your mind, with as little correction as is possible, and let him rest one half hour at the least: t●en shall you offer it him again, as before, which if you find, he doth it but untowardly, yet make much of him, and let him alone for that day: for the next morning, his breast being sore, with yesterdays pricking, you shall see him advance, even the first time you offer him th● cudgel. In this sort I made an horse of ●●r john Tracie● to advance, which neither he, nor I could do by any beating possible, nor whipping, until such time as I found out this invention, which is most notable: for, since that time I have tried it upon divers horses. Now, when you are mounted, it the horse refuse to advance▪ then let the footman remember him with the cudgel in some ditch or deep high way with high ●an●es ●● every side, to hold him in such sort, that he can not start out, nor lea●e aside. This is a much better wai●, than the straining of your hand, beating of your horse upon the shoulders, or striking him with your spurs, for that to an horse of great courage, it is very dangerous▪ for, you may thereby distemper his mouth, or cause him take some evil attach or other, yet I do not deny, but that it is good to offer your horse to advance by helping him with the calves of your legs, and with your stirrups upon the points of his shoulders, 〈◊〉 with the rod on the right shoulder.   

How, and at what time you shall learn your horse to gallop the great ring. Chap. 4.  Kingdon. 
AFter my horse can do all these lessons before taught, I would have you to show me in what order, and at what age it is best to learn him the field gallop.  Clifford. 
First, as touching his age I would not have you to gallop any horse until he be five years old, and the vantage, no nor until he be fix, if it be possible, and as touching the manner that you must observe in teaching him the same, when he can troth his ring perfectly, (as hath been before taught:) then may ye offer to gallop him sometimes, a quarter, or half way about the ring, and in his gallop, you shall help him with your voice, and the casues of your legs, at which time you must ●ear● your hand harder, than when you trotted him, to the end, you may make him lift his feet the better, and make him go upright in his gallop, which order observed, you shall most easily teach your horse to gallop.  Kingdon. 
But in what th●e may I touch him to gallop in ●his sort?  Clifford. 
You shall most easily do it in the space of two or three months.  Kingdon. 
But my horse will gallop of himself, being perfect in trotting the ring in the space of thirty days.  Clifford. 
Yea, but if you put your horse to every lesson, as so●e as he will learn it, you shall utterly spoil a young horse: yea, and you shall also by that means greatly weaken any old horse: you must as well in this, as in a● other your doings, have patience, and take great leisure: for if thou wilt use and observe these rules, already by me taught, and shall hereafter follow, thou shalt find it but a play to make any horse ready, in comparison of the great t●il● that our common riders do take, in making of their horses, or rather, in marring of them.  Kingdon. 
I pray you tell me what you mean by this patience.  Clifford. 
I mean, thou shouldest spend one whole year to learn thy horse to rai●● well, to carry his head steady, to bear light on the hand, to troth well, to stop, and to advance.  Kingdon. 
Wherefore should I spend a year in teaching him these lessons, ●●th I may teach him them in the space of three or four months, although I ride mine horse but twice a week.  Clifford. 
I grant: but one of these horses that thou shalt ta●e a years leisure with, in teaching the foresaid lessons, shall be more worth than five of those which thou shalt mar, with sudden teaching them, yea, and h● shall be at s●●t●en● years of age, a more lusty and serviceable horse, than thine shall be of twelve.  Kingdon. 
If I shall but only ride my horse twice in a week, in the ring, he will become so lusty and perfect in that lesson, that he will gallop whether I will, or not.  Clifford. 
I never said unto you, that you should ride your horse but twice a week, but that you should rather ride him thrice a week, 〈…〉ing but very few ring turns, after he begins to be perfect, but rather ride him forth right in some high way, a soft trot two or three miles at every time, by which means you shall make your horse, not only to rain well, bear light on the hand, and to troth well, but you shall also make him strong, and disposed to do all lessons that you shall put him to, noting always, that you give not the horse such t 〈…〉 ell as may decrease his strength, but rather increase the same, as is before taught.  Kingdon. 
By this account, you will have me to take up my horse, at four years and the 〈…〉 tag, and not teach him any thing, until he be five years of age, and the vantage.  Clifford. 
Nay, in saying so, you do ●e wrong, for I have taught you how to make your horse to troth, and to gallop your ring and the field gallop, to stop, and to advance, to go back, carry his head steady, & to rain well, which is the chief principle and foundation of making of your horse: for an horse which is perfect in these foresaid lessons upon his trot you shall ●astly make him a perfect ready horse within the ●pace of four or six months, if so be he be of age and strength agreeable.  Kingdon. 
I can not deny, but that you have t●ugh●●ne sufficiently how to make my horse to do all these lessons upon the trot, but as touching his gallop, you have taught ●e nothing that I can remember.  Clifford. 
I grant, but now I will teach you, upon this condition, that you shall seldom or never gallop any horse till he be almost six years of age: & then, when you have trotted your horse, as you shall think sufficient, you may gallop him two or three turns upon each hand, and then ride forth right in some furrow, if he be a young horse, & of good mouth: but if he be an old horse, and hard of mouth, stop him in your ring, and make him go back five or six paces, which done, light from him, flatter him, give him grass to eat, as is aforesaid, and do no more with him that day.  Kingdon. 
I marvel not a little, why you have with such diligence taught me all other lessons, and would seem ●● hightly to pass over this, of learning my horse how to gallop.  Clifford. 
It is peerless to teach you any more, for that every horse will take it too fast of himself, and I never saw in my life, any rider that would not both gallop his horse too young, and also too too much.   

How to teach an horse to turn readily on both hands. Chap. 5.  Kingdon. 
H●●ing already taught my horse to rain well, carry his head steady, bear light on the hand, trot, stop, go back, and tread his rings upon pas●, trot, and gallop, both orderly and justly, and that he is of age and strength, sufficient to make a manage, I would desire you to teach me, how, and in what order I shall make my horse to turn readily on both hands, without straining his back and loins, or otherwise disordering or weakening him, for the I have hard you sa●e, that the furrow turns, by Gryson taught, doth greatly weaken the back and loins of any horse, and also, that divers horses thereby are utterly marred and made resty. And also I have often heard you sa●e, that you have had good experience thereof, in a bay horse of sir Thomas Scots in Kent, and also in a roa●e horse of M. Gregory Prizes of Herefor●, East: and likewise in a grey gelding of sir john Tracies in Gloucester shire, and a dapple grey horse of Nassaws, base son to the prince of Orange. All which four horses were disordered by turning them too short, and that you reform these two last named, by causing them to make their manage in a couple of large rings. And afterwards, having made them perfect therein, than you caused them to make their turns in less and less rooms, in such sort, that they were thoroughly reform, by means thereof. Wherefore, I pray you to show me in what order you did the same.  Clifford. 
When thy horse is of age, and can do all those lessons, by thee above recited, than thou shalt use him to one ring, and giving him five or six turns on the right hand upon his trot, then shall you turn out of the foresaid ring upon your left hand, as though you would mark out an other ring: but you must not take one quarter so much compass, as your ring is in greatness. And having brought your horse about, enter into your foresaid ring on the left hand, and having given him 6. turns, then shall you ride out of your rin● and change hands as before: see that always, when you change hands, you turn him as short as may be: and also help him with your voice, and contrary calf of leg, and with your 〈◊〉 by l●tting the point fall towards his contrary shoulder. And when your horse can in this sort gallop the foresaid ring, and change from hand to hand in this order, then shall you tread out a ring something lesser: And having made him perfect in the same, then shall you also make your third ring lesser than the second, and so shall you, by little and little, make your horse turn so readily and perfectly as is possible, without any disorder, for by your changing from hand to hand, you shall teach him how to make his managing turns, so readily and short, as any horse (taught in a furrow) did ever make, noting always, that when you change hands you help him in such sort, that you make him to turn in very short room, and also with greater swiftness than when you gallop or troth about your ring. Also it is very good to change hands within your ring, in this sort: having given your horse six turns on your right hand, then shall you turn him so short upon the same hand, that you may ride to the other side of your ring, right through the middle thereof, where you shall cause your horse to turn on the left hand into the same ring: this is a good way to change hands, but the former is much better, for that in the first, you turn your horse whole about in a very narrow compass, and in this you give him but a quarter of a turn, but it is very good to make your horse perfect in them both.  Kingdon. 
Having thus brought my horse to turn readily on both hands, both upon pace, trot, and gallop, and that he will change from hand to hand, always keeping his gallop in one self ring, which shall not exceed above the greatness of eight or ten paces about: then would I desire you to teach me how to acquaint my horse first, wish his manage without disordering him.  Clifford. 
When he is perfect in trotting and galloping the foresaid little ring, then shall you make two rings of the self bigness as before, which would be distant one from an other thirty or forty paces. That done, make a right furrow or path, between them, entering into one end of the same, and ride to the other, where you shall make two turns on your right hand on the foresaid ring: that done, you shall ride back again, in the self furrow, to the other ring, and give him two turns on your left hand: this being done, you shall ride again to your right ring, and give him two turns, as at the first: then shall you ride him back again, almost to your left ring, where you must stop him. Thus shall you have made four turns on your right hand, and but two on the left: which order you must observe in all your doings, to begin with the right hand, and end with the same: this shall be enough for the first time, remembering, that in giving your horse any lesson, whatsoever, till such time, as he be a perfect ready horse, that you never offer him it, but that you acquaint him therewith, first on his pace, before you offer it him on his trot or gallop: for by rash, bedlam, and brainsick hastiness, not only horses are disordered and marred, but mighty armies also have been thereby overthrown, and utterly confounded. Note also, that when your horse hath done his lesson in this sort, walk him half, an hour, at the least, in the self rings, and path, upon a soft pace, observing the same order, in pasing that you did when you trotted him.  Kingdon. 
But how, and when shall I teach my horse to gallop these foresaid managing rings?  Clifford. 
When he is throughly acquainted with this lesson upon his trot, then shall you, when you have trotted him once about, give him the other turn upon his gallop. This being done, you shall ride to your other ring upon a trot, and enter the same with a swifter trot than you did before, making him turn once upon the same, and at the second gallop as before. Thus shall you change from hand to hand, as often as you shall think requisite: And when he shall be very perfect in this lesson, then may you put him to do it, all upon his gallop, noting, that as he is perfect in the large ring, you cause him to tread out an other pair of rings, of two paces less compass than your first. Thus shall you diminish the largeness of your ring, by little and little, till you have made him turn in so narrow room as is possible for him to do, so that you will take good heed, that you change not your horse from his managing rings of ten paces about in largeness, and thirty paces one from an other, till such time as he can manage in the same perfectly, lightly, and readily, so pleasantly, and willingly, that you and he shall seem as though you both had but one mind: and when your horse is in this sort very perfect, I would have you walk him out right upon a trot two or three miles without giving him any of these foresaid turns, and then at the next time you ride him, give him this lesson again: yea, I have ever used after my horse began to be perfect in these managing rings, to offer him the same but once in eight or ten days, and to ride him a little every other day, to exercise and acquaint him with travel, by which means I did not only keep my horse in strength, sound, and well disposed, but also that he did his lessons a great deal● more willing when I put him to do them: for continual beating your horse upon one lesson, shall too too much confound and disorder him after such time as he can do it willingly and perfectly, as is before said.  Kingdon. 
Then you will have me, when my horse can once manage in these large rings, that then I shall bring him by less and less room, by a little at once, as I find him willing and apt to take the same, which I must needs grant to be a very good way, for that I shall hereby neither disorder nor strain my horses back and loins, nor in any sort distemper his mouth: but I pray you, is there no other way to teach my horse to turn, but this?  Clifford. 
Yes, there is a most vile way to teach a horse to turn in a furrow or ditch made of purpose, which I used by the space of ten years in riding sir John Pollardes horses of Devon shire, sir Richard Greenuiles', sir Thomas Scots of Kent, and Master Ba●narde Drakes, in all which time, I could never make any horse, but that he would enterfure when he came to travel, but for the space of twelve years that I have observed this order here by me taught, I have not only kept any young horse from enterfuring, but also, I have made divers old horses, whose backs and loins have been almost marred by sudden and short stopping them upon naughty ground when they are extreme hot: at which time you must note, that your horse wants one quarter of the strength that he had when he was cold: and also, by causing him to beat his curvet, and by learning him a womanly or taffeta goats leap, or else, by bounding aloft with all four, as they term it, which thing, how unfit it is for any horse of service or travel, I commend me to all those which are soldiers or riders of experience, who I am sure will confess this not to be my opinion, but the thing which I have well tried, of which I would have you to have a special care, that as seldom as may be, you drive your horse into any such heats. And if at any time it chance thereby that your horse will not willingly do that that you would have him, but that he will be stubborn, and do his lessons out of all order, than I would wish you to walk him with a man on his back, in the same place by the space of one hour at the least, where you give him his lesson, by means whereof you shall throughly acquaint your horse therewith, and besides that you shall keep his legs exercised, till he be thorough cold, you shall also prevent the danger of marring your horse, by putting him in the stable where he must stand still, without exercise, which thing I do utterly disallow, for that experience hath taught me (to my cost and shame when I was young) that this is the only way, as hath been aforesaid, utterly to mar your horse, but by following the foresaid order, to exercise him when he is in any such extreme heat, I have found it a great deal better, and a more sure way to preserve him than to bring him to the stable, although I had there two men to rub him with litter enough under him, and warm clothes to cover him, all which things shall not half so well prevent the making your horse stiff in his legs, or the humours that shallbe then dissolved by the means of extreme heat, from having leisure or place in the body, thus exercised, to congeal through idleness. This (gentle reader) I know well enough, doth not belong to the rider's office, yet do I account him far unworthy of the name & authority, either of rider, keeper, or owner that is ignorant how to use his horse when he is ridden in any sort, whatsoever, whether it be to travel him, or to give him his lessons, running, galloping, or moderately to exercise him. This, by the way of communication, but to our purp●● there is an other way to teach your horse to turn in this sort, dig the earth out of the foresaid narrow rings, and make them three foot deeper in the middle than on the out sides, and cast all your foresaid earth, clean without your rings, and this shall be a very good place to manage your horse in at any time, and to teach him to turn: And when you will learn● your horse to turn very narrow and bravely, then enter into one of these foresaid places of stop and turn, where you shall turn your horse first upon a soft pace in somewhat narrower compass than you did before, and having so given him six or eight turns, stop him and make him go back a little, then give him as many turns on your left hand without once going out of the foresaid place, and when your horse is thus perfect upon his pace, then may you offer it him upon his trot, and also change him from hand to hand suddenly without any staying. And when you will gallop him, give him but two turns on an hand, and then stop him, and make much of him, which being done, give him two on your left hand, and then return to your right hand as before, and when he can do it very perfectly in this sort, then may you upon his gallop cause him to make two turns on your right hand, and two on your left, which being done, yet give him two more on your right hand, then stop him, and make him go back, and light from him, even in that place, without doing any more with him that day.  Kingdon. 
Sithence you have taught me how to make my horse to manage upon large turns, and also, to turn readily on both hands, as well on his gallop as troth, now would I desire you also to teach me how to make my horse to manage perfectly, in so brave and ready manner as is possible.  Clifford. 
After he can turn, as before, upon his gallop, you shal-begin but to give him one turn on an hand, noting that you take not so much room as when you gave him two turns, having a special regard, that you make him close his turn at your departure out of your place of stop and turn.  Kingdon. 
What mean you by cloasing of his turn, and by taking less room than when I gave mine horse two turns: I pray you teach me more plainly, for I do not understand your meaning therein.  Clifford. 
I mean by taking less room, that you should ride somewhat within the circle of your former ring, & that you should make your horse turn in less compass or room by one quarter than when you gave him two turns of an hand, which you must do by a little at once, making him at every time you manage him to turn in something less room, according as you find the disposition and aptness of your horse. But if you will follow my counsel, turn not your horse to short, nor give him to many managing turns, for that they will greatly weaken the back and loins of the horse, of the which thing you must have a special care that you make him turn somewhat large, and also, when you manage him, give him not above six or eight of these turns on an hand at once, and as touching closing of his turn, I mean, that you shall not let him come out of the place that he turns in till he have brought his fore feet just in the middle of the path by the which he did enter.  Kingdon. 
What do you mean by turning of my horse somewhat large?  Clifford. 
I mean by turning your horse somewhat large, that you should give him so much compass in his turning, as the largeness of a cart or waggon wheel is in roundness, and that you make your path to come just upon the middle of his foresaid round place of stop and turn, where you must cause your horse to stop & turn when you will manage him, in form as followeth: When you have marked out two such round places of stop and turn, as hath been before specified, then shall you enter at one end of the path or furrow, and ride to the other end thereof, and when you enter into the foresaid round place, to make a turn on your right hand, see that you turn first on your left hand so much, as you may ride round about your circle before you come out of the foresaid place on your right hand: and having walked your horse five or six turns, to acquaint him, or put him in remembrance what he shall do. Then may you, coming out of the places of stop and turn, put your horse into a soft gallop, and ride thereupon to the other end, and when you come to enter your place of stop & turn, see that you stay your horse somewhat more upon the bit than before, to the end you may make him lift his feet the better, and go the uprighter in his turning. And in going about your foresaid circle, see that you keep him in his gallop, and that you stay so much upon the hand, that he may not go half so fast in his turning, as when he gallops right forth: and that you help him with your voice, calves of your legs, with your rod upon the contrary shoulder, and with the contrary spur also, if need be: but I have ever found the inside of my foot to be much better to strike him withal, than to give him the spur, when I have managed my horse, for I will not give a straw for that manage that ●he inside of the foot, and the sight of the rod, with the point toward the contrary shoulder, is not sufficient to make him turn so readily, and swiftly as is possible. And when your horse is thoroughly acquainted with his manage in this sort, you shall see him begin to turn, even of himself, so short as if he had been taught two years in a furrow or ditch. But in any case, see that you take such compass in turning of him, as hath been before taught, for fear of straining your horses back and loins, when you shall chance to ride him upon naughty ground.  Kingdon. 
And why, I pray you is this called a manage?  Clifford. 
I know not why it is called a manage, but that it is usually so called, that am I sure of, whensoever a horse doth upon his gallop, stop, and turn, in two such narrow places, as hath been before mentioned, being distant the one from the other thirty or forty paces, as this figure doth most plainly represent unto you the right fashion, and true manner of the managing place, used of all the best horsemen in Christendom at this day.  Kingdon. 
Whereas you say I must enter into one end of my managing place, and when I come to the other, to give mine horse a turn on the right hand, I must first turn on my left, so much as I may ride ro●●de about a circle, in largeness, and fashion of a cart or waggon wheel, and that I shall not enter within the compass of the foresaid wheel or piece of ground of that largeness, but ride round about the same, surely I do not perfectly understand your meaning therein.  
 woodcut, diagram  Clifford. 
But this figure shall most plainly make thee understand my meaning herein, and how thou shouldest do the same: for thou shalt find the place where thou must enter first into the managing place marked with the figure of 1. and the furrow also in the which thou shalt pass thy managing path marked with the same figure, and where thou shalt first stay thy horse upon the bridle a little and turn something on thy left hand, thou shalt find it marked with the figure of 2. and where thou shalt begin to turn on thy right hand it is marked with the figure of 3. But thou hast to note, that thou mayst not departed out of the foresaid circle till thou hast brought thy horses forefeet upon the figure of 2. which I call cloasing of his turn, and when thou shalt come to the left place of stop and turn, thou shalt turn on thy right hand from the figure of 4. to the figure of 5. and observe the self same order in all points, as thou didst in the right place of stop and turn marked with the figure of 2. and 3. and the left is marked by the figures of 4. & 5. and the place by which thou must enter, and the managing path are marked with the figure 1. as before. And the little piece of ground which thou must ride about when thou wilt give thy horse some compass in his turning, or the hollow pit after the earth is digged out, as hath been before taught, is marked with the figure of 6.  Kingdon. 
Now I understand perfectly by this figure, and by your words, what you mean by digging ●waie the earth within my managing rings, and also what you mean by the compass of a cart wheel, for that I see most plainly this piece of ground marked with the figure of 6. and a circle drawn round about the same, within the which I must not enter when I manage my horse, as you sale, but I would desire you to show me to what purpose I shall dig away the ground three foot deeper in the middle than upon the out edges, sith I may not turn my horse any shorter, than before the earth was digged away.  Clifford. 
As touching thy demand why thou shouldest dig away the ground, I answer, that thereby thy horse shall go a great deal the uprighter in his turning about a pit than upon the plain ground, and he shall be in less danger to slide with his hinder feet, wherewith thou mightest mar thy horse, for that it is very dangerous to teach thy horse upon any slippery or even ground. And whereas thou sayest thou must not turn thy horse any shorter than when thou gallopest him in the managing rings, herein thou art deceived, for the managing rings would be eight or ten paces about, which will amount to fifty foot in circuit or roundness, if thou allow to every pace five foot (as hath been before taught:) but when thou hast digged away the earth, and that thy horse can manage perfectly upon his gallop, than I have taught thee that thou shalt give him no more room than the compass of a cart or waggon wheel, which will not amount to half so many foot about. Moreover, as touching the compass that thou shalt give him in his managing turns, it is not only eas●e for the horse, but also it is very sure when thou shalt turn upon slippie or naughty ground, and thereby thou shalt not half so soon disorder thy horse, as if thou shouldest turn him short: yea, I do assure thee, that unless thou take heed to turn thy horse somewhat large, after he begins to be very perfect, to manage upon his gallop, thou shalt be worse troubled with some horses, to make them turn large, for fear of falling upon naughty ground, than thou wast at the first, with teaching them to turn short: for the surest and best kind of turning, not only for any horse, but also for the rider, when he shall come to service, is the large turn, as hath been before taught: for thou shalt hardly find any horse, (after he is thoroughly acquainted what he shall do) that will not turn too short, even of himself.  Kingdon. 
I had almost forgotten two things, the first is how to remedy that horse which will not close his turn perfectly at his departure out of his place of stop and turn: the second is, how to remedy that horse, that in his turning will press too fast forward.  Clifford. 
As touching thy first demand, thou mayest make thy horse close his turn perfectly, by giving him two turns on an hand, at every such time as he will not close his turn well at his departure when thou managest him upon one turn: & as touching thy second demand, how thou mayest remedy thy horse that will go too fast in his turning: force thine hand in all his doings in two sorts, the first is, as he is in his turning or galloping, when he gins to force thy hand out of order, than thou must stop him, and make him go back, & ever as he presseth to go forward of himself, make him go back so long till he will be glad to stand still with the reins lose upon his neck, and when thou wilt put him forward to do any lesson, do it very gently upon a soft pace at the first: and fail not at every time as he begins his disorder, to serve him as before. And for every turn the thou givest upon his trot or gallop, it shall be good to give him five upon a soft pace. For I have remedied diverse of these horses that have been also somewhat hard of mouth, by keeping them both from trot and gallop, & by pasing them an hour and an half, or two hours at a time, in a painful ring made in a pit, or upon an hill side, and by stopping them oft, and by making them go back in the self same ring as before. Thou mayest also remedy it by managing thine horse close by some wall, by making him make his last turn with his head just against the wall at every time that thou wilt stop him, and let him stand still a pretty while, and make him go back.  Kingdon. 
Here you put me in remembrance to demand two questions of you: the first is of the pit on a hills side, & the other of the rings in the plain ground, and the reasons why you teach some horses always in the plain ground, and others, in a pit or on a hills side.  Clifford. 
As touching thy first demand, I answer, that the horses which thou hast seen me ride upon plain ground as well in trotting the large Ring, pasing, or galloping the same or any other lesson or exercise whatsoever, were young horses of weak bodies, by means that they were unacquainted with travel, or else old horses that were almost marred for lack of exercise & reasonable travel, and thereby were made weak of body, and of short breath. All which horses must be handled gently, and be exercised according to their strength, and as they increase in breath and ability of body, thou mayest increase their travail accordingly, which thing if thou observe orderly, thou shalt neither mar, or disorder any young horse, nor thou shalt never find any old horse of short breath for lack of exercise, nor any horse so disordered, but by exercising him according to his quality and ability of strength, thou shalt eastly recover him: yea, I do assure thee I have used more diligence, and taken greater pains, in searching out the nature and disposition of every horse according unto the diversity quality or breed, and how he might with most ease, and best force bring any horse to do his lessons in good order, and then in searching what he should do, for in my judgement, it is but a small matter to know what should be done, but it is a great matter to know how it should be done, so as thereby, thou in commanding observe this rule, to seek a great deal more how to command without offence: which shall be, when thou in commanding the wise and expert, shalt entreat them as friends, and not command them as slaves, and with the ignorant & rude sort, thou must entreat them as thou wouldst do children or fools, whom thou wouldst be loath to offend, not so much for the fear of that they may do against thee, but in respect of the shame and discredit that may happen unto thee, by abuse, where if thou hadst the true use, thou shouldest not only keep them from discontentment, but also, thou thyself shouldest thereby be by them well served: yea, I have been long of the opinion that he is far unworthy the credit to command, the hath not either by reason or experience, or else by learning the knowledge how to employ the most vilest person to some profit: yea, and that with the least offence to him that is possible, and to the other sort that are so stubborn, that you must be forced to use a bridle, to master them withal, yet let it be so gentle, that after they yield, for that there is no other remedy, that then they may perfectly know, that the cause why thou hast so overmastered them, is not of malice, but that they have forced thee through the quality of their fault, and thou art rather sorry for their correction, than that thou dost it to take any pleasure or delight to exercise this cruelty. If thou canst well ponder and consider these things, thou shalt use so great diligence, or to speak more plainly no such lightness, hastiness, and brainsick bedlemnesse, as thou mayest see a number of madmen, monsters, devils, or tormentors of horses use in teaching their horses, & going about to bring them to some order, who are utterly blind or destitute of that most noble rule, I mean the true art of government, without the which, though a number of ignorant men, chance to make some horses of good disposition ready enough, yet when they come to travel, we find them marred, by disordinate handling of them, and unreasonable usage: but as touching the horses that are of disposition stubborn by nature, where they make one, they mar five: yea, I do certainly believe, that all those that are ignorant in the nature and disposition of every horse that they shall presume to teach, are but in sort a kind of presumptuous men, for in this knowledge above all other, doth the whole ground of the art of Riding consist. I confess I have been somewhat tedious: But oh that thou didst know what grief it is to me, that I am not able here fulli● to make thee understand my experience and opinion in this matter, for lack of learning to set down the thing in words orderly which I have so perfectly attained to, by continual use & practise. But to our purpose, by that that I have said I would have said, the thou shalt ride all those horses that are weak, either for lack of age, exercise, or through evil handling, in rings made upon plain and firm ground, & that thou therein use such moderate travel, that thy horse may daily increase his courage and strength, fully as much as he profits in learning of his le 〈…〉 ns. And as touching thy second demand why I ride in a pit, or upon a hills side, that have I always found to be most excellent for any horse that is of great strength & courage, and also for such horses as are stubborn, of hard mouth, vnni●ible of foot, and that will lean too much on one ●ide in their turning, for the ring made in a pit or upon a hills ●●de, is a thousand times better to make your horse go upright in his turning, & to be ni●ble of ●nto, than to spur them, whip them, & hear so hard a hand upon them, that many times they do more harm to the horses mouth in one hour, than they are able to recover in one whole year.  Kingdon. 
Seeing this ring made in a pit, or upon a hills side, is so good to reform any horse that will lean on the one side in turning, or that is very unnimble of foot, I would desire you to show me (for my better understanding) the figure or form, not only of this ring, but also of all other rings and riding places, needful to be used to make a ready horse, with the largeness, fashion, and upon what ground is best.  Clifford. 
The more I teach thee, the more unskilful, I think, thou art. But because thou shalt not have any excuse of ignorance in this art of riding, I will show thee the true figure & largeves that is required in every riding place, even from the first to the last, save one, which is already most lively expressed in the chapter of managing thy horse. And first of the rings in the plain ground meet to be used for a young horse, at his first entering into his lessons, thou shalt make them in form as followeth: as touching their largeness, let one of them be 50. paces about at the least, according as this figure doth most plainly show thee: for thou shalt find thy entering place into the end of thy managing furrow marked with the letter A, and the place where thou shalt stop thy horse marked with the letter B in the self same furrow, where thou shalt stop thy horse when thou shalt have made an end of thy ring turns. And the right ring is marked with the letter C, and the left ring with the letter D, hear most, plainly to be seen: & the place where thou shalt enter into the right ring marked with this letter E, & where thou shalt departed the same ring to stop thy horse with this letter F, When he shall have done this lesson of treading the large ring.  
 woodcut, diagram  Kingdon. 
But shall I not turn my horse in this managing furrow when I have stopped him?  Clifford. 
No, thou shalt never turn thy horse in any furrow, for that is the only way to strain thy horses back and loins, to the utter undoing and marring of him, and also if the Rider lack knowledge, and that he be not very patiented, he may quickly make his horse so resty that he will neither turn nor yet go forward, and if thou wert not very forgetful, or else too too dull in understanding I have taught thee heretofore plainly enough how thou shouldest make thy horse first perfect in the great ring of fifty paces about, until he can tread this same first upon his pace, next upon his trot, and last upon his gallop, and that in all his doings that he reign well, and that he bear light his head.  Kingdon. 
How long time shall I use my Horse to these large rings.  Clifford. 
His age must be thy rule therein, for if he be but four years of age, than it shall be good not to give him any other ring turn, in a whole year at the least, yea, if it were mine own horse, I should think him marred, to use him to any other narrow turn, before he be five years and the vantage, by which vantage I mean six months.  Kingdon. 
Then if I take up my horse at four years of age, would you have me spend a year and an half in teaching him to tread the large rings only?  Clifford. 
No, thou mayest also teach thy horse to stop well, to keep his furrow just and right, as well in stopping, as in going forward, thou mayest also teach him to go back, to advance, and thou mayest acquaint him with travel, by riding him right forth every second day an hall mile, after that thou hast (upon his trot) given him so many ring turns, as shall be agreeable to his strength for the first half year, and the second half year you must ride him one mile, and the third half year, thou mayest ride him twice as much, if thou wilt take great heed, not to weary thy horse too much in treading these rings, this kind of travail shall make thy horse, not only light, but also he shall be very strong, and of a healthy and sound body: yea, this is the chiefest and principallest way, not only to make thy horse light, strong, sound, to rain well, to bear light on the hand, but also, that he shall be a durable horse, both for travail and service.  Kingdon. 
But if my horse be four years of age and the vantage, than would I know of you how long time I shall take in learning him his lesson, and exercising him in this sort?  Clifford. 
Then one year shall be enough, if thou meanest by the vantage six months.  Kingdon. 
I pray you teach me also how long time shall be sufficient, if my horse be five years of age before I give him any lesson.  Clifford. 
Then four months shall be enough, and yet this horse may be made as ready when he commies to six years of age, as he had been begun to be ridden at four years of age, yea, and I had rather have one of these horses of five years and an half of age, so that he be made gentle before, and his mouth unspoiled, than four of those Horses that shall be ●aught to young, for that the one, when he comes to be ready, will have no ability or strength of body, to maintain his doings, and the other shall be so strong, that before (with orderly handling) he become any thing weary, the rider shall not only have a good stomach to his breakfast, but he shall be glad also to rest himself.  Kingdon. 
But if so be I chance to find a horse of six or seven years of age, made gentle, and throughly acquainted with travail, how long time shall be sufficient to teach him to tread the foresaid large rings?  Clifford. 
Then in two months thou mayest have made him tread perfectly both upon pace, trot, and gallop, and in four months, thou mayest have made him both a ready and a serviceable horse: yea, I have made divers old horses that have been very hard of mouth, and that never knew how to tread a ring upon a trot, very serviceable horses within the space of six or eight months, and to bear so light on the hand as a man could desire, without using any other bit, than a plain Cannon, after I had perfectly reform him upon a trench in such order as hath been before taught.  Kingdon. 
Now understand I perfectly how to make my horse rain well, carry his head steady, and how to tread his large rings perfectly, and of what fashion they should be made. But now would I have you show me the fashion of the one ring, by you before mentioned, in the which you would have me to teach my horse to turn readily by changing him from hand to hand in the self ring.  Clifford. 
By this figure thou mayest understand the true fashion of the one ring, and how thou shalt change from hand to hand as well within as without the same ring.  
How to change hands within the ring.  
The place where you must come forth of your ring when you change hands without the same.  
The place by the which you must enter again into your ring when you have changed hands.  
How to change hands within the ring.  
The place by she which you must enter again into your ●●g when you have changeed hands.  
The place where you must come forth of your ring when you change hands without the ●ame.   woodcut, diagram Kingdon. 
Now I perceive when I ride my horse in a ring, how I must change hands without the same; by the little half round circle upon the out side thereof, and how I shall change hands within the same ring, by the strike that goeth right over the middle thereof, but I would request you to teach me how long I shall ride my horse in the same?  Clifford. 
Thou shalt ride thy horse in this ring in such order as hath been before taught, till he will not only tread it perfectly both upon pace, trot, and gallop, but also that he can change hands in very short room both without and within the same ring, still keeping his gallop, and that he will both rain well, carry his head steady, bear light on the hand, and go upright in his turning. And when thy horse is perfect in this ring, in such sort as hath been before taught, then shalt thou begin to tread out an other ring a little lesser, and observe the self same order as before: thus shalt thou decrease the greatness of the rings, by a little ●f once, without any disorder or straining of thy horse, till thou hast brought him to turn in so narrow a room as if thou hadst taught him in a furrow, and that you had a footman to thrust him about, as Pierce Ploughman thrusteth his Dame's mare to a block when she rides to the market, or if that thou hadst had one with a rod to strike him upon his contrary shoulder.  Kingdon. 
But ●● well as in a furrow turn? you have oftentimes persuaded me that it is much better.  Clifford. 
Y●●, and I dare avouch the same, that it is a thousand times better than the furrow turn, for that any man of reason may thereby make a ready horse without hurting or disordering of him, and I have myself never hurt nor disordered any horse by teaching him in this sort neither have I ever taken in hand any resty or runaway jades, but that I have perfectly reform them, whereas, if I had offered divers of them to turn in a furrow, it had been unpossible to remedy them▪ nay rather I should have made them ten times worse: I cry you mercy, poor horses, for that I have called you jades, which is a name more proper to those beasts which do so beastly misuse you.  Kingdon. 
Now do I understand how to make a horse of good disposition to turn readily on both hands by riding him in a ring, and changing him from hand to hand, within and without the same, and as he is perfect in the large ring, to cause him to tread out an other a little lesser, and so still as he is perfect in the one, to cause him to make an other lesser, till I have brought him to turn in so narrow room as is possible, the which I must needs confess to be the most excellentest way of all other, for that hereby I shall neither hurt my horse's mouth, nor have any need to pull him about with the one rain, wherewith I might make him become weak necked, to run backward, or to rear on end: yea, by turning my horse too short at the first, I may not only disorder him, but also utterly spoil his back, loins, and mouth: and beside, I may make him so resty, that he will not do any thing: but it remaineth, that you show me how I shall make my ring in a pit, or upon a hills side to reform those horses that are strong of body, lusty, and well able to endure travail, and those that are hard of mouth, and unnimble of foot, and that will lean on the one side in their turning, and that are very stubborn and untractable.  Clifford. 
The ring which thou must make in a pit, or upon a hills side differeth nothing in fashion from the other ring, but in quality there is great difference, for that the one in five times more painful than the other, because in treading the one half of this ring, you must ride uphill, and the other half your horse goeth downehill, which will make any horse, were he never so hard of mouth, or unnimble of foot, or subject to lean on the one side in his turning, wonderfully mend his faults, by oftentimes pasing him in the same, and trotting him, and sometimes galloping him three or four times about on a hand, and then stopping him, and making him go back, which being done, you must walk him in the self ring till he be in breath again, and then give him his lesson, as before, so often as shall be agreeable with his strength, and to take great heed that always you give him five times as many turns upon his pace, as you do either upon his trot or gallop, and when you change hands, you must observe the self same order as hath been before taught in all points, and as touching the ring in a pit, which is best of all other, if the pit be little enough you may make your ring round about upon the banks thereof, so high as your horse may get good footing: but if the pit be bigger than you would have the ring, then may you tread it out upon one side of the pit, and make one part of your ring so high upon the bank or side of your foresaid pit as your horse can get good hold with his feet, and observe the same order as in the ring upon the hills side: these two last rings are not only sufficient to reform all the forenamed faults, but thou shalt also ten times sooner have made thy horse ready in these rings, than in the rings upon plain ground, besides that, when thy horse is made, he shall be so sure of foot, that thou shalt hardly ever have occasion to ride him on such ground, but that upon his gallop, he will keep his feet sure without any danger of falling.  Kingdon. 
It resteth that you show m● the rest of the 〈…〉ing places, with the use thereof according ●● y 〈…〉 pr 〈…〉 made before.  Clifford. 
I have showed thee the best; but because I have taken so much pains to teach thee, I would now for my credit's sake be very sorry not to make thee a good horseman, in respect whereof I will show thee another kind of managing place, not unproperly invented and used of skilful riders, and also I will show thee an other fashion riding place, which is not amiss to be used at sometimes to recreate your horse with change of lessons, which riding place I call a double S. which being joined together, is not much unlike the figure of eight. And the place where thou shalt first enter is marked with the figure 1. and where thou shalt begin to turn thy horse on the right hand marked with the figure 2. and where thou shalt begin to turn on thy left hand marked with the figure 3. here most plainly to be seen: and where thou shalt enter this managing place at the first is marked with the figure 4. and where thou shalt begin to turn thy horse first upon the right hand is marked with the figure 5. and where thou shalt close thy turn when thou hast ridden a●●ute the half circle is marked with the figure 6. and where thou must stop thy horse when he hath managed is marked with this figure 7.  
 woodcut, diagram  
And when thou hast made a turn on thy right hand then mayst thou ride to the other end and make an other on thy left, beginning thy turn at this figure 8. which shall be closed when thou comest to the figure 9 Then mayest thou ride again through thy managing ●urrow, and give thy horse an other turn on his right hand, as at the first: thus mayest thou change from hand to hand so often as thou shalt think requisite. And when thy horse is perfect in managing in these two half circles upon his gallop in such order as hath  woodcut, diagram been here taught: then mayest thou by a little a●●nce acquaint him to begin to turn about thy half circle the other way, so that in process of time you make him turn perfectly, both the one way and the other about the foresaid half circle. Friend Kingdon thy negligence or lack of remembrance to demand those things in their proper places hath been cause of some disorder for that the large rings, which should have been in the beginning of this Book in the chapter of treading the great ring are here placed out of all order.  Kingdon. 
It is no matter in what order they be placed in the Book, for the diligent reader that will take pains to read the whole work, shall here find a most excellent order to make any horse ready of what nature or disposition soever he be, and also how to reform any restive or run away horse perfectly.   

Of the Bit and Cavison.  Kingdon. 
Having made mine horse perfectly ready upon the trench or brake with a mousroll and martingale, I would desire you to teach me what bitten I shall give at the first.  Clifford. 
You shall give him a plain canon without any playing rings or roughness in his mouth and let the esses of your curb be very great, to the end that it may not gall the horses chin: for the small curb shall gall him much sooner than the great, besides that, you may hold him ten times better with the great curb than with the small: Also take heed that you take the cheeks of your canon long rather than short: for with the long cheeks and great curb you shall be able to hold your horse, not only from going away, but also from casting up of his head, if you hold your bridle hand close upon the mane: and as touching the hand upon the bit, I would have you bear it so light as is possible, so that you keep your horse from going away, and that he rain with his head in due place, without casting his head up or ducking it down: and I would have you also take great heed that you never chock your horse in the mouth therewith, nor pull your hand suddenly at any time, but softly and leisurely for fear of making him to check upon the bit, which is a most vile vice, and cometh most commonly either by plucking your hand too suddenly, or by letting the bit hang too side in his mouth, or for that the bit is too rough: it may come also by holding too hard an hand upon him, which is one of the worst properties that may be in any horseman, for it is not good to let him hang upon your hand or bridle, but also that you feed him with the bit, and oftentimes that you let it go so lose the he may rest his neck and mouth.  Kingdon. 
What mean you by holding his head in his due place?  Clifford. 
I mean that he should carry his head in such sort that when you would make him stand against a wall, he may touch the same with his forehead and nose both just together.  Kingdon. 
But by holding mine hand close upon the mane, I shall not be able to feed my horse with the bit, nor give him any more liberty when he doth well, than when he doth ill.  Clifford. 
By slacking your bridle hand, & holding the ends of the rains in your right hand you may let your rains go when he doth yield to the bit, and when he doth offer to cast up his nose, or to go faster than you would have him, then draw the rains softly through your left hand so much as shall be requisite. And as touching the cavesson I would not have you to put your cords cross wise through the rings thereof, in such sort, that you may strain it strait to your horse's head, lest you be not able to let it loser when he doth well, than when he doth offend, for that shall greatly discourage him: for both the godly and wisest travail with greatest pleasure where they gains glory and praise, and so an horse where he findeth most ease after he doth understand what he shall do under such a rider's hands, can as well, I say, consider these things, and use them in time and order accordingly. Thus you shall hardly ever see or perceive any contrariety of will betwixt these two bodies, although the one be reasonable and the other unreasonable, but that a man would think when he shall see such an horse man ride, that both they had but one will and one mind. But to our purpose, you shall make fast a strap of leather to the right ring of your cavesson, and a buckle to the left ring thereof, in such sort, that you may buckle it so strait as you shall think meet, but I would advise you to let it be rather an inch too wide, than one wheat corn length too strait: for there is not any thing the doth more disorder an horse than needless pain and correction, or rather as I may term it, foolish torment proceeding through ignorance of a more presumptuous beast than the horse himself: for whatsoever he is that lacketh reason he differeth nothing from a beast but in name.  Kingdon. 
Why shall I buckle my cavesson with a strap of leather, and not rather put the cords through the rings thereof, with the which I may strain it close to his head, and also give him ease enough by letting mine hand go, when he doth well.  Clifford. 
As touching thy demand, I answer, that by means of the strap thou mayest make thy cavesson serve thee to double use, by putting thy martingale thereon it shall serve thee in stead of a musrol: and as touching that which thou sayest thou canst give him ease enough, I answer, that that ease which thou shalt give him by letting thine hand go, shall be no other than that thou givest unto thine own leg, thy boot being too strait gartered by pulling up thine hose with thine hand. But by the use of the foresaid strappe and buckle it is far otherwise, for that thereby thy cavesson shall hang so lose, that it shall not grieve thy horse at any time, but when he doth offend only.  Kingdon. 
By this means my cavesson shall hang so lose that it shall be ready to fall off my horse's nose, and also when I would strain the rains thereof, it shall come up so high behind, that it shall serve me to small purpose.  Clifford. 
Thou mayest remedy it for hanging over his nose with a small strap of leather made fast at the one end to the midst thereof, and the other end to the headstall betwixt his ears: and as touching that which thou sayest it will use, it is easily remedied, by making a little short chain fast to the two neither sides thereof, of such length as the cavesson being on the horse's head, and the chain in his mouth, it may keep it in his due place.  Kingdon. 
I must needs confess that this is the best way to make a cavesson for my horse that ever I did see or hear of, for that it shall not grieve him, but when he doth offend, nor shall be able to stir out of his due place: but I would desire you to teach me how to use mine hand upon the same, & also whether it be good to ride an horse therewith or not.  Clifford. 
As touching thy demand, I answer that thou shalt take the left rain thereof so short in thy bridle hand, that thou mayest stay thine horse something more therewith than upon the bit: then shalt thou take the right rain in thy right hand, and the end of the left also in such sort as thou mayest draw the left rain with the right hand shorter at thy pleasure, without letting thy bridle rains go, or opening of either of thy hands, noting that thou strain thy right rain equally as much as the left: but I would advise thee to carry a marvelous temperate hand upon thy cavesson for fear of offending thy horse to● much therewith, unless it be upon great occasion: then shall it be tolerable to draw thy left rain shorter through thy hand, & also the rains of thy bit so short the thou give him no liberty to cast up his head: but thou must use such discretion therein, that thou stai● thy horse more upon thy cavesson then upon thy bit, & having in this sort taken a due measure of thy rains, thou mayst upon any occasion offered by thy horse, correct him by plucking thy right rain a little, slaking it again so often as thou shalt think needful. And as touching thy demand if the cavesson be good, I answer that it is excellent good if it be in his hands the understandeth the true use thereof, but otherwise it is most vile. By this that I have said, I would say that thou shouldest stay thy horse upon thy cavesson altogether, and notwithstanding thou must hold the rains of thy bit so short, that thou give him no liberty to cast up or duck down his head.  Kingdon. 
What mean you by this occasion offered, and by plucking your rains a little, and then to let them go, I see no reason why I should not hold my right rain as hard as the left.  Clifford. 
As touching the first demand, I answer, that occasion is offered at any such time as your horse will not go back nor keep his ground, but will press forward when you would have him stand still, or when in his trotting or galloping he will go farther than you would have him, or that when you stop him he will force too much upon your hand: and also occasion is offered when he will not turn on your right or left hand in such sort as you would have him. But you must note the when he will not turn on your left hand, that you draw the rain on that side a good deal straighter than the rains of your bridle, for fear lest that when you would strain your rains, you force him too much with your right rains of the bit, which is a most notable error, and yet very little considered of a number of unskilful men that do not perceive how that when they would bring their horse about on the left hand with the rain of their cavesson, by pulling their hand on that side of his man● they strain the right rain of the bit so as the horse cannot turn with his head but gins to go back, to rear an end, or to fall into one disorder or other, and the rider not understanding the cause doth fall to rating & correcting his horse, so long till he brings him home with such bloody sides, his mouth so broken, & his nose so mangled, as would move any man of reason to pity, to see that most noble beast, of all other most commodious for the case of man, to be misused by him that hath so much reason as to over master him, but lacks that grace of temperance how to use him, & thereby doth most shamefully abuse him. Thus much as touching your first demand, and to your second I answer, that you must hold your rains both a like strait, save when you turn your horse short, than it shall be tolerable to hold your contrary rain so short, that you give him no liberty to turn with his head, & that you draw the other so much that he may understand that you would have him turn on that side. But to the purpose, I mean by pulling your hand or letting it go that you should check your horse upon his nose, when by temperate carrying of your hand you cannot rule him. But in this above all other things you must use great temperance, which if you do, it is excellent good. Also you must have a special care when you hold your contrary rain, that you give the horse so much liberty therewith that he may turn: for by holding it too strait you shall utterly disorder him. And furthermore, as touching the right rain of your bridle when you turn on the left hand, you may help him to turn as well with the bit as with the cavesson, by putting your forefinger of the right hand over the right rain of your bit, and drawing it therewith two or three inches longer than the other rain which you must hold fast with the other rain of your cavesson, without opening of either of your hands, and when you will turn on your right hand you may let the right rain of your cavesson go, and take hold of your rains above your left hand, where you shall draw your right rain some thing shorter than your left without opening your bridle hand, in which instant you must hold your right rain stiff till you have drawn it some thing shorter than the left, and then close your hand fast, and take hold on the right rain of your cavesson and the end of it also, wherewith you may draw your contrary rain so short as you shall think good, thus turning on your right hand, you may draw the right rain of your cavesson so much as shall be needful to cause your horse to come about so often as you shall think meet, but see that you do it very gently.  Kingdon. 
You have here used one term that I understand not, and that is, when you say I shall not check my horse in the mouth with his bit, & that on the other side you say, I may check him with the cavesson when any such occasion is offered, as hath been above by you recited: therefore I pray you teach me what you mean thereby.  Clifford. 
By checking with the bit, I mean that you should ne●er pluck your hand suddenly, but rather in all your doings draw it softly & leisurely as is possible, so that you may make your horse thereby do your will, and presently thereupon see that 〈◊〉 slake it a little to the end that he may find ease when he doth well, which is the best mean to maintains him in well doing, and by checking him with the Cavison, I mean that you should pluck your right rain in such sort as you would pluck your friend by the cloak lap whom you are loath to offend, at such time as you would speak with him: And also you must note by the way, that at such time as you would thus checks your horse with your right rain, you must hold the left rain so short, the you cannot pluck your horse's head aside: & if it chance at any time that you find it needful to check your horse first with the one rain and then with the other, you must take great heed, that you let the rains of your bit go of such length that you checks him not with his bit in any case, and take great care that you check your horse in this sort so many times as shall be needful to make him understand your mind, and when he will yield in such sort as you would have him, then let your hand go, and torment him no more than you are forced of necessity.  Kingdon. 
You have taught me that it is good to bear a temperate hand both upon my bit and cavesson, and also how much I should force him with the rains thereof, but there yet remains two things that I had almost forgotten, and the first is the due place of the bit; & the other is how and in what order I shall take the rains of my bit and cavesson both in one hand at once, and also how I shall hold my hands upon the rains of my bit when I ride without a cavesson, & what you mean by drawing the rains of my bit softly and letting it go again.  Clifford. 
To thy first demand I answer, that the due place of the bit is, that it hang half a finger's breadth higher than the tusks of your horse, and to some horses it is not amiss to hang it an inch higher than the tusks or fangs of his mouth, but the general rule that thou shalt observe herein, is, that thou never let it hang so a side that it touch the fore named tusk, for if it do touch his tusk, it shall cause him to check upon the bit and hurt his mouth so as it shall bleed. And as touching thy second demand, thou shalt first take both the rains of thy cavesson in thy left hand so close under the neither part or root of your thumb, as you may hold him fast with your little finger and thumb, then shall you take the end of your bridle rains in your right hand betwixt your body and your bridle hand, then shall you put your ring finger betwixt the rains of your bit without letting your little finger go, which you must hold fast upon your cavesson rains, and the nethermost part of your thumb also. Then shall you close your three fingers so close as you can, and having turned your bridle rains with your right hand over the middle joint of the fore finger of your left hand, you shall hold your thumb close upon the Bridle rains, so as you give them no liberty to slip through your hand, having thus taken your bridle rains of a just length and place, the rains of your cavesson above or over them, I mean deeper in your fist then the rains of your bit, for that you hold the rains of your Cavison in your full fist, and the rains of your Bit but in the middle of three of your fingers. Then shall you let the end of your bridle rains fall out of your right hand, & take hold of the right rain of your cavesson, and the end of the left also in your right hand, then if your left rain be too long you may draw it shorter by holding your right hand fast, and slaking your left hand a little to let the rains of your cavesson pass till you have drawn it of such length as you may hold him therewith in such order as hath been before taught.  Kingdon. 
You teach me here how I should hold my right hand fast upon the rains of my cavesson, and how I shall slack my left hand till I have let the rains pass through, so far as they come to their just length, which just length is, when I may bear my horse altogether upon the cavesson, and yet hold the rains of my bit so short, that if I let slip the left rain of my cavesson but one inch, I must stay my horse altogether upon the bit, but it resteth how I shall draw the rains of my cavesson shorter at my pleasure, without losing my right hand or letting the rains of my bridle go.  Clifford. 
If thou be not more senseless than a beast, or more negligent than a Neuter, that will take neither part till such time as he sees which of them will profit him most, I have taught thee sufficiently: But because thou shalt know that I had rather lose my life then take in hand any matter of importance, and not be able to end or bring the same to perfection, though not for thy sake, who hath negligently left mining with thy pen, whiles the golden vain of my experience was most ripe and ready, by riding into Somerset sheer to make good cheer, when in deed thou mightest have been ten times better occupied in writing of this work which I have begun with the same purpose of mind, that hath made me patiently to ●eare all these troubles and miseries as thou mayest read in the tenth part of my life which shall hereafter follow (God willing) which mind and purpose in me was, is, and I trust in God's grace shall continue so long as the breath is in my body, only to profit my Country, the true professors of God's truth, and advancement of his holy law. But thou shalt now know that God whom I have always served, according to the grace which I have received of him, without the which I am not able to think one good thought of myself, hath sent me help where I lest looked for it, that is to say, by the means of that godly man master Anthony Mooreland, and by that good and learned man joseph Hynxman, the one of them being Parson of Tortworth, the other Butler to Master Throckmorton, (which is a very low preferment for a Bachelor of Art in my judgement) who besides his learning is also very patiented in taking pains. Also little Anthony Bowser I cannot here forget, sithence he hath stood so many days with me upon the cold stones in Master Throckmorton's Stable at Tortworth, to draw out the first draft or copy of this my work, for the which me thinks he deserves praise. But to our purpose, thou must draw the rain of thy cavesson through thy left hand without letting the rains of thy bit go, by letting all thy four fingers go lose, and by holding thy bridle rains with the end of thy thumb and middle of the fore finger, and then pulling thy right hand away from thy left hand, that is to say, of greater distance in such sort as thou seest a showmaker draw his thread with his right hand when he holds the left hand upon the sh●e, which thou mayest imitate by holding thy left hand fast in his due place without moving it, either when thou drawest thy rains shorter or let them go longer.  Kingdon. 
Which call you the due place of the Bridle hand.  Clifford. 
The due place of thy bridle hand is ri●●● over thy horse's crest, and so high above the saddle ●● thou mayest hold thy elbow, almost as far back as the huckle bone, and hold it close against thy side without letting thy hand rest or stay upon the saddle bow: If thy Horse be ready that he can rain well and carry his head steady, this is the best way, but if it be a young or old horse that will cast up his head, than I have taught thee before that thou shalt carry thy hand close upon thy horse his crest.  Kingdon. 
Yet there resteth one thing that I would request at your hands, and that is, how I should hold the rains of my bit in my hand when I ride without a cavesson, and also how I shall understand what you mean by drawing my hand softly, and letting it go again.  Clifford. 
As touching thy first demand, thou shalt hold thy rains in all points as thou dost when thou ridest with thy cavesson, saving that thou must put thy little finger and ring finger betwixt the rains, and then hold the end thereof in thy right hand with thy rod, so as thou mayest draw them shorter or let them longer as hath been before taught. And as touching thy second demand when thou wouldst stop thy horse, whether upon pass, trot, gallop, or career, I would have thee draw thy hand softly, till thou hast brought it so hard or strait as thou mayest stop thy Horse, and even in the same instant that he is so stopped as thou wouldst have him, and begins to advance or yields to the bit by going back, or other wise thou shalt presently let thy hand slack a little and take so much again as shall be requisite, yea, I would advise thee to have so great a care not to pluck thy hand suddenly, nor to draw it too strait nor carry it too hard in travailing or otherwise exercising thy horse as thou wouldst have to thine own feet when thou passest on a narrow foot bridge which lieth over a deep ditch or hollow gulf in rainy and foul weather.  Kingdon. 
Seeing that you now give me occasion to demand you a question of the rod, I desire you to show me whether it is better to carry the point thereof forward right over my horse's crest and ears, or to turn the point thereof backward towards my right shoulder.  Clifford. 
It is much better to carry thy rod with the point forward over thy horse's crest than with the point upward toward thy right shoulder: for when thou carriest the point forward thou holdest thy rod in thy full fist ready to strike thy horse withal, and when thou carriest it with the point upward towards thy right shoulder thou hast no more but thy forefinger over it, by means whereof thou canst not so readily help thy horse upon his left shoulder, to the end that he should do well, nor correct him when he doth offend.  Kingdon. 
I can very well both help and correct my horse upon the right and left shoulder, when I have no cavesson or false rains, but when I have a cavesson or false rains, then can I correct my horse upon his left shoulder as before, but on his right shoulder I can do no more but help him, unless I will let the right rain of my cavesson fall out of my right hand.  Clifford. 
But thou mayest correct him aswell, not only upon his right shoulder, but also upon his right side or buttock, without letting the right rain of thy cavesson go, if thou wilt but 〈◊〉 the point of thy rod downward.   

Of Vices.  Kingdon. 
SIthence you have heretofore taught me how to make a horse of good disposition ready, I would also have you to teach me how to reform those horses that are evil given to any vice: and first of the horse that ducketh down his head.  Clifford. 
I never found any horse having that vice, but that I could reform him by striking him upon the left shoulder with the rod, not failing to answer him at every time at the same instant that he doth offend, till he leave his fault, thou mayest also correct him with the bit, by chocking him therewith in the mouth, and by giving him the spur, but these two last corrections are not half so good as the first, for that if he be tender of mouth, by chocking him with the bit, thou shalt make him learn that vile vice of checking or casting up his head, if he be hard of mouth, and light of spur, thou shalt utterly mar his mouth, and force him to run away. Note, that in reforming all vicious horses, thou must have a special care to search and to find out the nature and disposition of every of them, which when thou hast found, thou must use that temperance that a wise captain should in governing his soldiers, which consisteth not in forcing them to do his will, but with skill and order in making them do as much thereof as is possible for them to be brought unto, without disorder or discontentment.  Kingdon. 
It seemeth me your comparison is very gross, to compare the government or 〈…〉 rance that should be used unto men, to horses.  Clifford. 
In respect of the beast I grant, but if thou well consider what the reason of man is, and how far the understanding of the brute beast is inferior unto him, thou shalt easily perceive that it is more requisite for him, that shall take upon him to teach a horse, to be far more patiented and temperate for him than that governeth men, for that man doth far surpass the beast in understanding what is taught him: But in the rider it is requisite he have patience and can well dissemble, which if he have, and can use in his due time and place, he shall hardly ever find any horse of good disposition, but he shall make him continue the same, or any so evil, but that he shall easily reform them in short space.   

How to remedy that horse that checketh and casteth up his head.  Kingdon. 
YOu have given me good instructions already, but yet by the way I pray you show me how to reform that fault in a horse that checketh or casteth up his head with the bit, when you offer to do any thing with him upon the same.  Clifford. 
First give him a plain canon without players or water chain in the mouth, then buckle it fast with two porchmouthes to the two rings of your cavesson: that done, take a strappe of leather with a buckle upon the same, put it through the foresaid two rings, then buckle it, and therewith strain the cavesson something close to the horse his head, then take away the curb from the canon for the strap and porchmouths is sufficient to serve your turn as well as the curb, and be far more better in respect of the fault. I have many times ridden with the same a runawaie or hard mouthed horse, and more easily have governed him therewith than with the curb, and also have divers times trotted young horses that have been tender or delicate of mouth in the same order, which if I had first given them the curb, they would have taken the vice of checking, or casting up the head, but by observing this order and after by giving them a curb of double leather have prevented the aforesaid vice.  Kingdon. 
But if my cavesson be long, it will hold the head of the bit so far backward, that the cheeks thereof cannot be brought to their due place, which will be very troublesome and unseemly, and the rains of the bit being strained, the cavesson will be ready to fall down over the horse's nose.  Clifford. 
If thou be so ignorant that thou canst not make thy cavesson of fit length for that purpose, and also put a strappe of leather to the middle of the cavesson, and make it fast to the headstall betwixt the horses ears in such order that the cavesson cannot fall, than thou shalt shew● thyself to be more fit to keep horses than come to me to learn to ride.   

How to correct a Horse that will rear and fall back upon a man.  Clifford. 
THat comes through the fault of the rider, for that he curbeth his horse too strait, or gives him too hard a bit, or stops him too suddenly, or by checking him with the bit, or by letting it hang too low in his mouth, or by bearing too hard a hand upon him, or by giving him too cruel correction in teaching him to advance, or by putting him to too much travel at one time.  Kingdon. 
I grant it may come by any of all these foresaid ways or means: but I had rather you would teach me how to remedy it, then show me how it comes.  Clifford. 
I will teach thee how it comes, to the end that thou mayest take heed that thou commit not any such fault by the which thou mayest bring thy horse to disorder. And as touching the remedy, first ride him without a curb, as hath been before taught, or else with a trench, mousroll, and martingale, and take heed you tie not your martingale too short at the first, and when you will ride him, lead him forth of the stable into some deep, marish, or rotten ground, with a couple of footmen, each of them having a cord in his hand made fast to the brake: and when you are come into the foresaid place, rain your horse first to the saddle bow, that done, let the two footmen offer to lead him forth gently: and if he will not go forth, but offer to rear an end, then let the two footmen strike him on the fore legs with their cudgels, which they must carry in their right hands for that purpose, holding the cords in their left hands, it shall be requisite also to have one behind him that may at the same instant whip him well upon the two flanks: and when you have made him go gently, being reigned on the saddle, then may the rider take his back, and when he is up, take away your two cords, and offer to put him forward, noting, that at the same instant that he offers to stand still to rear an end, you strike him on the fore legs, and let the footman whip him on the flanks as before. And this order being observed you shall within the space of fifteen days make him leave his fault so clean as though he had never had it: remembering always, that when he begins to rear, you let your bridle go and take hold on his mane with your left hand, and when he goes without rearing, make much of him, and torment him not.  Kingdon. 
With what shall I strike my horse on the fore legs, and why shall I ride him in a marish ground?  Clifford. 
With a good cudgel, beating him therewith over the shins beneath his knees, it were better if thou have store of rods, to take five or six under thy girdle, with their points hanging downward, to the end, that when thou hast broken one, thou mayest draw out an other, for that he feareth a rod more than he doth a cudgel. And as touching the marish ground, he shall have more mind to save himself from sinking in it, than to rear an end, in the which passing to and fro, you shall very well tame him, and acquaint him with the correction, by striking him sometimes on the legs. And afterward, being come to the firm ground, carry your rod or cudgel always in such sort that it may almost touch his knees, and you may also touch him a little therewith in going, by means whereof he shall have more mind to kneel, than to rear.  Kingdon. 
By riding my horse in a marish or rotten ground, I shall not only tire him, but also stand in doubt to leave him behind me, as I have known divers ignorant soldiers to do in Ireland, by means of their brainsick hastiness.  Clifford. 
If thou be so ignorant that thou canst not choose thy ground of a reasonable deepness, and also to ride so few turns therein, as thou mayest leave thy horse both in strength and courage, it shall be more reason that thy Horse ride thee than thou him, note that when the horse is acquainted with this correction you may always afterward ride him on the hard ground the footman following him as before, and forget not to carry your cudgel also in the self sort as you did at the first.   

How to correct that horse that will not go from the stable, or when he meets any other horses upon the way will suddenly stand still, and not go from them, and also being in company with other horses will not departed the same.  Clifford. 
I Have divers times helped such a horse by riding him without spurs, with a short whip only, whipping him therewith upon his cods, never ceasing till I have made him to go forward, and also by striking him with the great end of my foresaid whip staff between his two ears, if need so require, for this is a very good correction, but very dangerous for the poll ●uill. I have also ridden upon a horse in Flaunders that had this fault, which being afore the 〈…〉 nigh, & I upon him, have offered to play his pageant, so that not having leisure to t●k● my whip, I have been forced to strike him 〈◊〉 the two ears with the pommel of my sword, wherewith I have made him gallop more than four English miles: you may also have two footmen, the one with ● whip, and the other with a go●de, and when he begins his pageant, let them come behind him, and correct him in the tenderest places of his body, as hath been before taught.  Kingdon. 
I have seen some horses that would not stir for any correction.  Clifford. 
But if thou do but only prick him with the goad about his nose and mouth thou shalt quickly make him stir, though he be never so vile of nature.  Kingdon. 
How shall I remedy that horse I pray you, that will lie down when he is corrected.  Clifford. 
Throw water upon his head, and into his ears, then shalt thou quickly see him rise: thou mayest also cause a cloth to be cast upon his head, and three or four footmen to hold it down close about him, keeping down his head till he be almost smothered to death, and when he riseth, let the footmen beat and rate him with a terrible noise, but see that thou neither spur nor strike him, but let him go gently at his own ease.   

How to correct that horse which is hard of mouth, and will run away with his rider.  Kingdon. 
I Pray you before you depart, teach me how I shall reform that horse which is hard of mouth, and will neither stop, nor do any other lesson, but when it shall please himself.  Clifford. 
I ever thought so, that thou wouldst still trouble me with foolish questions, have I not already sufficiently taught thee how to master any horse in such sort that he should obey, and not to tell me how the horse hath a will of his own.  Kingdon. 
I grant that you have spoken some thing as concerning the same, but I pray you let it not be grievous unto you to teach me more exactly, and that not only how to remedy it, but also what is the principal cause thereof.  Clifford. 
First as touching the cause thereof, thou must note that some horses have it by the imperfection of nature, for that their jaws are so narrow and their heads set so right forwards upon their necks, that it is not possible for them to r●ine well, but the most part of horses takes it through● the unskilfulness of the rider, by bearing too hard a hand upon them, by over riding them or by too sharp corrections out of due time before they make their horse to understand what he should do, by means whereof they make him so fearful and timorous, that he becomes desperate, and not knowing what to do, he falleth to running away, to go backward, or to rear an ●nd, or else becomes so senseless that he will not go for any beating, no, although you would kill him. This by the way, but to the purpose. First put on your horse a ca〈…〉 n without a curb, but you must have a special care that you carry so temperate a hand upon your cavesson as may be, that you distemper not your horse by so much tormenting him therewith. Also force him with the bit as little as is possible, having in this order bridled your horse, ride him fair and softly in some fair or large ring a foot pace, and having walked him ten or twelve turns upon one hand, then stop him and make him go back, but if you cannot make him go back by gentle means, yet strive not with him in any case, but give him as many turns on the other hand. Thus changing from hand to hand, you shall give him so many turns as you shall think convenient, taking heed always that to all such horses you use no extremity before you have sought to win him by all gentle means possible. Having in this sort throughly acquainted your horse in this lesson, than you may begin to troth him, noting that upon his trot you stop him often in the foresaid ring, and also make him go back if it may be with gentleness, if not, yet flatter and speak him fair, to the end that you may encourage him not only to do that lesson, but any other that you shall teach him in tune.  Kingdon. 
But if my horse will not go back, it shall be to small purpose to troth him in the ring, for that I have heard you say it is not possible to make a horse to stop well and to bear light upon the hand, except you first teach him to go back, and that he will do it both lightly and readily.  Clifford. 
Have I not taught thee before how to make a horse go back by riding him in a deep way, having high banks on each side, & to use the help of a footman with a cudgel in his hand, and by striking him on the fore legs, if you cannot by threatening make him go back.  Kingdon. 
I grant you have taught m●● but that 〈◊〉 to ● young horse and with a trench, but this is ●o an old● horse with a bit and cavesson, and therefore I think it to be very hard to make him do it upon the cavesson and bit, for that I have seem diverse horses to be made desperate by tearing and pulling them too much with the cavesson, and also the number is not small of those that I have seen by teaching them upon the bit, have their mouths clean marred therewith, but I never knew any horse's mouth hurt with a trench or brake.  Clifford. 
Ah, I con thee thanks for finding out so notable an error as that is, for to confess the truth, there was never young horse made so well mouthed by teaching him upon the bit and cavesson, but that he might have been made a great deal better upon the trench or snaffle, or old horse of any fault so well reform as with the same.  Kingdon. 
Then would you have me to ride my horse till I had made him go back with the snaffle or broke only?  Clifford. 
Not so, for I would not have you ride him only therewith, but also that you add a musrol and martingale thereto, without the which you may never ride any horse with a brake, and also I would not only have you to ride your horse therewith till he can go back, but also till he be perfectly recovered of this fault or any other whatsoever.  Kingdon. 
But I have seen some horse so wilful that they would neither stop nor go back for any of these helps by you taught.  Clifford. 
Nor I never found any but that I could help by this correction here following. At the same instant that he refuseth to go back for all those corrections or helps, take the one rain of your trench within a foot of your bit, lap it about your hand, and pull his head so near your knee, as it is not possible for him to go away, spur him on the contrary shoulder, and whip him well behind your saddle also with your rod, or short whip, winding and turning him from hand to hand, so long till you make him glad to do your will, note that in any case you hold your rains so short, that he may not go out of his place, and that you never use this but in great extremity and upon good ground for fear of sliding or falling.  Kingdon. 
Shall it be enough to serve my horse in this sort one time only?  Clifford. 
If he offend but once, than hast thou no reason to torment him often, but it shall be requisite at every time he doth refuse stubbornly to do his lessons to serve him in like order, by means whereof thou shalt make him to do all those things that thou desirest without once to be so hardy as to offer to run away.  Kingdon. 
But I have known some horses so stubborn and crafty, that at what time you would pull him a side with the one rain, he will hold his head out right with such strength, and also go away so speedily, that it is not possible for any man to stay him.  Clifford. 
I must needs confess that thou hast set me hard, but thou shalt know that the God of Israel whom I serve, to whom all glory is due, of all knowledge and invention hath given me grace with credit to perform whatsoever I have taken in hand, by means whereof if thou be able to demand all the questions that is in this Art requisite, I have no doubt but to answer thee, not with learning (for God he knows I have none, n● not so much as to read one line in any language) but with true experience which I have gotten by travailing with great misery in Ireland, England, Frannce, and Flaunders.  Kingdon. 
In iniserie, what misery have you been in? Call you the misery, to be in such great estimation with Monsieur Lanow at Englemester before he was taken prisoner, in such sort that a number of soldiers envied your fortune, or call you that misery which happened unto you by Monsieur Velleeres when the camp lay at Loo, who gave you credit with commission to go to Nuport to make bridges to pass the army upon, in doing whereof your fame was so great, that happy was he that could be acquainted with you or see your work, and ten times happier was the army, lying shortly after at Duncarke, to have such bridges, or otherwise the Prince of Parma had overthrown them which then lay scattered in three or four villages, but the espials warning Monsieur Velleeres of the Spaniards coming, by means whereof you were commanded to make experience of your bridges for that necessity required, where you passed the army with such readiness over the river of Duncarke, that the Prince of Parma came too late, and the army was then in safety by reason it was between two rivers. Then call you that great estimation which you had of him that day, misery? or call you that misery, to be made for your service Gentleman of the Artillery, and also master of the Marshal's horses, and from ●●tting among serving men in England, to fit at so honourable a Table as he then kept, and hearing the matters of the army debated, with such credit and estimation, that happy was that man which could have you speak in his cause, your estimation and credit was so great with the aforenamed marshal, and all other noble men of the army which you did not at any time decrease, but increase daily, in such sort, that the camp lying at Rosendale, the foresaid marshal Veleers made you lieutenant of the Artillery, to the great admiration of all the noble Captains that then sat at the Table with him. Moreover he said, we shall have fifteen Canons for the battery of Wawe, which is a very strong Castle, belonging to the Spaniards, whereof Monsieur Possey shall be lieutenant of eight of the forenamed pieces, & I make you my lieutenant of the other seven, for the the marshal Beeron shall be m●ister of the one battery, and I of the other, where with your seven Canons you had made the first breach, by reason that the French men left their appointed place, and therefore both unconstantly and foolishly began to assay the wall in two other places, and the marshal Beeron sent diverse messengers to you to do the like, but you utterly refused it, saying, that by constant following your determination you should undoubtedly obtain your purpose, which came so to pass, to the great grief of the French men and great rejoicing of the English men, Scots, Flemings, and Walloons, of all which Nations you chose some for your Canon heirs, utterly rejecting the French men, saying they were to tender and weak of bodies to endure so great travail as that required, which was well approved, for that they had the honour to shoot first, which you won from them even at the third shoot●, & afterwards running into the battery of the French men, you scorned them, saying: are ye the brave soldiers of France, and will suffer a company of drunken Flemings to take your honour from you, and within three times shooting to be afore ye in despite of you? and afterward returning into your foresaid battery, and encouraging your soldiers, by telling them that the general of the army did greatly commend them, with the which invention you did make them so strive one against another for praise and glory, that from morning till one of the clock in the after noon, you had shot in fifteen Canons fifteen hundred shot, for the which service marshal Beeron gave you great commendations, thanks, and rewards, yea, and afterwards sent Captain Hunter unto you to lea●e Monsieur Velleers, & serve him, & set down what pay you would and he would give it, which he most honourably performed. Therefore I pray you call you this misery?  Clifford. 
I call not this misery, but the mean by the which I did attain to the same credit by you before recited, was great and extreme as ever any man did escape, and afterward did make report of the same. First thou must note, that after I had passed thirty years & odd in England & Ireland, in all the which time fortune was so perverse unto me, that I was never able in all that time to buy me one suit of new apparel, but if I should recite all the manner of miseries which I here in my Country have passed, and that they were all written, this book should be too little to hold them, for which cause I mind to pass them over with silence, and briefly to touch some part of those which I passed beyond the seas, after I was preferred to the service of the right noble Prince Duke Cassemerus, by the right Worshipful Sir Philip Sidney, with which foresaid Duke I passed out of England, and being forced for lack of wind to ride at the black● Nash in France, I went a land to Bolonia to see the fortification thereof, and tarrying a land all night, the wind served and the shipp● made sail, which I espying in the morning, ran alongst the sands, thinking to recover Calais before them, where I might get a boat for money, but all in vain, for before I came to Calais under a great chalk clef, the tide had taken me that I could go no farther, nor yet be able to return backward, nor to stand in safety, for that the stones began to fall as the Sun did rise, being frosty weather, and the Sun shining caused the stones to fall, by means whereof I was forced to climb so high as I could, and to lean my head into a hole, not once being so hardy as to set me down. The tide being gone I came to Calais, where I met one master Cradocke, a merchant of Stafford sheer, who told me it was very dangerous passing by Gravelin, for that Monsieur Lamoate was there governor, & mortal enemy to Duke Cassemerus, and would not let any servant of his pass, but I being not discouraged therewith, although my money was almost spent, nor being able to speak one word of any language beside mine own, which I think you will account for great misery. Afterward being examined by Lamoate, I told him that I served Master Fouke Greyvell, who was come over to accompany the Duke Cassemerus, and he examining an old Irish spy which he there had, and finding in deed master Fouke Greyvell to be in the ship he let me go without any harm, and by that time I came to Antwerp my money was all gone. Then was I forced to ride a couple of runaway jades, for the which I was so badly paid, that I went many times supperless to bed. It were too long here to recite the journey which I took in hand to serve the king of Portugal, and the great tempests which I endured on the seas by the space of xii. days, riding then at the Downs, where I saw a number of goodly ships torn in pieces and the men all drowned, which I think you will allow for misery, for that I looked for death continually, which was worse than a thousand deaths, but afterward being returned into the haven of Flushing, and seeing my horses to be spoiled, I left off that journey, and went to the Scottish men, who had then beaten Monsieur Montanies folk out of Roselare, and having gotten entertainment under captain Hammelton to serve as a common soldier, I was shortly after taken prisoner by the Walloons of unreve, where I was most miserably imprisoned and hardly dealt withal, for that they took my hose and doublet from me, leaving me nothing but a stinking sheeps skin about me, and the wool on it, and my cloak, of the which I made a long gaberdine with sleeves, like an old popish priest: which thing is well known to little captain Lucar, who was then marshal of the Englishmen in Tourney, and the first that I met withal of mine acquaintance, who did not a little marvel to see me attired in that sort, and to see me lame that I could scarcely go, by means of a wound which I had in my right thigh, when the said Walloons took me prisoner: then he brought me to the lodging of captain Bowes, who was then Lieutenant to captain John Cotten, who was a very brave soldier, and then lay maimed in the gest house of Valentia, where he was prisoner. But to the purpose, I had not a penny in my purse to pay for my supper, and the said captain Bows sent me to one Browne a victualler of his company, or rather a hangman: I cry you mercy Master Browne, I should have said, a Proforce with a Sergeant, to command him to let me have victuals, but neither he, nor his wife would as much as bid me welcome out of prison, nor make me drink in their house, nor suffer me to lodge there on the ground, but afterward being brought to a lodging by the said Sergeant, where I went supperless to bed. The next morning I went out with the soldiers, where I got something to eat, and using the same daily when they went out, one captain Morris chanced to meet me, and having compassion on me, seeing I went with such great pain to get my victuals, he stayed me at the port of the town, and said I should not go further in such miserable sort, for that (quoth he) it is a shame that strangers should see us so careless, as to let any man of our own nation, ster●e with hunger, and for want of clothes to keep him from cold: and presently he went gathering so much money among the rest of the Captains and Gentlemen as did apparel me: And the rest of the winter I passed with these four unfortunate ensigns (for so were they commonly called) that is to say, captain Floide, captain Ellis, captain Chatterton, and captain Cotton. The spring of the year being come, Monsieur Lanow assembled the army, and went to besiege the castle of Englemester, where the army was overthrown, and he taken prisoner, and I most cruelly burned with powder, where I had not so much as a shirt left upon me, nor one penny of money, neither any place to go unto for my relief, which thou must account for great misery, considering of that sudden misfortune to happen unto me the morrow, having gotten myself into so great credit with Mounsieur Lanow even the night before, and all the rest of my friends and fellow soldiers spoiled, imprisoned, slain, or burned as myself was, then was I (by good fortune) brought to the most horrible Spittle-house of Gaunt, and lying there in great misery, Colonel Cotton, as soon as he heard thereof sent me four and twenty Florence by a Gentleman with this word, that if I lacked any thing, I should send him word, and he would most willingly sustain my need, but I well considering with myself the hardness of the man, and that he sent the same by reason of the great estimation, which I had gotten with Monsieur Lanow, I doubting to trouble him any farther, made the messenger this answer.  
Tell thy Master I can not lack any thing, for that he hath given me a kingdom: and so in deed this money was the only mean by the which GOD did preserve me, or otherwise the Surgeon would have let me starus, as he did a number of other Englishmen for want of dressing, but I gave him almost all my money presently, by means whereof he took the greater care, and was the more diligent, but Oh, I would to God that thou hadst seen with what cruelness he pulled away the coares of my burning before the fire was throughly killed, only of purpose to make me give him more money, to the end, he might handle me gently, I having no more money, was forced to endure his tyranny, till such time as a Soldier coming to see how I did, lent me a crown, which I gave to an old woman of the house, every night to steal me some of the Surgeon's medicines, by means whereof I had enough: and by diligent dressing myself therewith, I was soon● healed: Oh that thou hadst seen the misery that I endured the first fifteen days, for that my ●raine was so troubled with the heat of the fire, that it seemed me I saw Lions, dogs, and devils coming upon my bed to rend me in pieces. Then began I as earnestly to pray as was possible for a wretched creature to do in this sort. O Lord God I do confess that I was not worthy of so great credit as thou hadst given me with Monsieur Lanowe, therefore thou ha●● punished me in this, to the end, that I should know hereafter both how to use mine own credit more mildly, and the need of others. Also I beseech thee, O Lord God, to pardon me mine offences, & take not my senses from me until such time as I make testimony to the world how I honour virtue, thee, and thy holy laws, and how hearty I love thy people, and my native country. Being somewhat recovered and importunating the people of the house for sour milk to eat, my inward heat and burning was so great, than an old villain threatened me therefore saying, he would knock me on the head, and cast me into a pit, if I would not hold my peace: And upon the same, an old woman gave me a mess of pottage with such herbs in them, that it cast me into the bloody flix, whereof I could not be healed in the space of three years after: yea, and with the same they killed a number of good soldiers. But in the end, I being strong and able to go about the house, to see how the rest of my fellow soldiers did, which then lay there in great misery, the old villain came to me again, and threatened me as before, if I would not keep my bed, which grieved me more than all my other misfortunes, for that I being of sufficient strength, not only to walk about the house, but also to go to the army, had not one cloth to cover my body withal, but afterward, one powel a victualler came to see how I and others did, I told to him my grief and lack, who caused presently clothes to be provided for me. And afterward coming to the army which lay within four English miles of Gaunt, where my bloody flux took me so ertréemly, that I was glad to go to Antwerp to seek remedy, where, having spent all the money that the soldiers of the army had given me, I came to Colonel Cotten, who commanded my diet to be paid for, and also my physic in his lodging, but a cruel scold that was then hostess of the same house (Colonel Cotten being gone) would not suffer me to tarry there: then had I no succour, but to lie in Colonel Cottons stable upon the straw, where, having not a penny to buy me meat, a poor skinner that dressed Spanish leather, and had leave of the said Colonel Cotton to dry his leather in his yard, was to pass through, he when he saw me lie in such great misery, for God's sake gave me to eat, but it was so little and so bad, that I was within short time neither able to go nor stand, as Master john Sentleger can well witness, who was then there, and talked with me. Then I desired the said skinner, that he would bring me to the gest house, where I lay ten weeks before I was able to go. Being recovered, I was feign to beg a pair of old shoes, for that I had none to put on my feet. Thence I went unto Brussels, where, before I could get entertainment among the Scottishmen, I was feign to lay my cloak to gauge, to buy me meat: and afterward having gotten entertainment with one Captain Tomson we came to Filford, where I passed the space of six months with great penury, for that I was glad (being then winter) to sleep on the cold ground without a cloak: And also I would stand for sintenel all the night for three halfpence a night: yea, so great was my necessity, that I was forced to get old iron, and sell it to the Mariners, which though I carried it many times on my back three or four English miles, yet profited I greatly thereby, for that I not only recovered my health, but also my strength, in such sort, that there was not any man in all Colonel Steward's regiment able to over go me, nor take more pains in any work than I was: moreover, many times I would break or cleave a whole wagons load of house timber, to get my breakfast, and a pot of beer. With this extreme travail having recovered myself as before, I found an invention how to make ten or twelve wagon loads of wood or timber, as before to fleet down a little brook, which did drive the mills of the town: by selling the foresaid timber to the victuallers, I got so much money as loosed my cloak, and also bought me such old apparel of the soldiers, as not only kept me from the cold, but also was reasonable decent. Having passed the winter in this most extreme misery, I said on a day in the court of Guard openly before all the soldiers: Now Clifford be of good here, for before winter come again, God shall not only deliver thee of that need to stand for sentenell, but also thou shalt undoubtedly have credit with the General of an army, and also have servants to attend thee: which words of me were uttered so vehemently, that the officers and Gentlemen were thereat astonished, saying: Surely thou hast deserved it for thy constant enduring of pains and misery, which we never knew any man do, with such patience. But one corporal Coy only scorned me, who afterward before Bargas had been hanged for stealing of ●ine if I would. But the Marshal sending me to see who had committed the fact, I galloping before the rest which he sent with me, caused him to hide himself, by means whereof I not only saved a very good and tall soldier, but also got great good will among all the rest of the Scottishmen: Let not any man therefore find fault with this that I have said, until they have tried the like that I have d●ne: or else set pen to paper to amend the same: 
A most excellent invention to hold any runawa●e or hard mouthed hor●e with the strength of one of your fingers.  which if they do, I shall most gladly embrace their doings: for the only thing I seek, is the profit of my country. Thus by the way, as touching the tenth part of the misery of my life.  
But to the purpose, thou shalt take a ring of iron and make it fast to the one end of a strappe of strong leather which would be three foot of length, and two inches broad, ●o keep the ring from turning▪ This done, make fast the other end of the strap to the point of your saddle tree behind, which you shall easily do in this sort: take first a strappe of good leather, and nail it crosswise under the point of the foresaid tree. Having turned it over, and the end forward, give it an other nail on the out side of the tree. Then may you buckle your foresaid piece of leather, with a strong buckle thereon. That being done, make fast a little thong of leather to the foresaid ring so long as may come from the fore point of the tree of your saddle, to the buckle of his breast plate, by this means the foresaid strap and ring shall hang so close under the cover of your saddle that a man shall hardly perceive it: which being done, take a piece of a slip or fine cord, make one end thereof fast to the foresaid ring: and pass the other end thereof through the great eye of your brake or bit: And then pass it through the ring where the end of it was first made fast. This being done, pass it yet once again through the eye of your trench, noting, that there ●e no knots in your cord, but that it run clear, and make the end thereof fast to your saddle bow: That done, get your horse into some good ground as hath been before taught: if it be a very fierre and furious horse, it shall not be amiss before you take his back, to draw the cord something strait, and make it fast to the saddle bow: This being done, go from him, and speak to him, to the end he may try himself, neither shall it be amiss to strike him with your rod, to the end that he may know himself to be thoroughly mastered by this invention. Having used him in this sort so much as reason requireth, (to whose rule I would have thee have a special regard in such extremities as those be) thou mayest somewhat slack thy cords in such sort, that thou strain not thy horse's head therewith: Then take his back, and offer him gently to tread out a ring in the self place: In doing whereof, I would have you to speak him fair, flattering, and using him gently, to the end he may find ease in obeying your will, and also, that he may perceive the better wheresore he is corrected. And afterward when he shall offer to run away, or maliciously refuse to do his lessons, let your bridle go, and draw the end of your cord so much as shall be requisite. By this means you may easily stay your horse from going away, even with the strength of one of your fingers: which being done, correct him sharply with the spurr● on the contrary shoulder, as before taught, and the rod also: that being done, slack the cord, and offer him his lesson again, and fail not that at every time he doth err, to correct him in this order, by means whereof you shall in short time have him as obedient as ever was scholar to his schoolmaster.  Kingdon. 
But were it not better to ride him in some deep way, and having footmen with staves, and burning straw in the ends thereof to put it in his nose, or to run him in the field till he be weary?  Clifford. 
It were very good for a fool or madman.  Kingdon. 
Wherefore? both learned & wisemen have so taught me.  Clifford. 
I grant them to be both learned and wise, but in teaching such babbles, they bewray their want of skill in this art, for consider, I pray thee, how that horse is reform, that the rider can not command when it shall please him without the help of any footman: but by this last remedy, by me taught, thou shalt master any horse without help, and make him that he shall not once dare offer to run away.   

How to remedy that Horse that will turn but on the one hand.  Clifford. 
YOU shall remedy him in this sort following, put a false rain on the side the he will not turn on, if you ride him with a bit, for if you ride him with a trench, you shall not need of a false rain. This being done, turn him on that hand in some large ring and give him at the least ten or twelve turns at a time, then give him two or three on the other hand, afterward, turn him on the other hand again as before, for in observing this order, and by holding your false or trench rain on that side so short, that he can have no liberty with his head, you shall quickly remedy him if you give him no short nor narrow turns till he be perfect in the large, and that you bring him not suddenly from a large ring to a little, but as he is perfect in the large ring, so ever must you make him tread his ring less & less by a little at once till you have brought him to tread his rings in as small compass as shall be requisite.  Kingdon. 
But I have known some horses that when you would offer to turn them they will turn on the contrary side in despite of your teeth.  Clifford. 
Have I not taught thee in the last Chapter with a strap of leather to turn a runawaie horse, by the which thou mayst remedy this fault easily, if thou wilt take heed thou turn him not too short at the first, but orderly and leisurely as hath been before taught?  Kingdon. 
But I have seen you to a horse of master Throckmortons use a more easier way in my judgement, and a far more readier.  Clifford. 
I pray you tell me in what order was that, for I have now clean forgotten it.  Kingdon. 
I saw you unbuckle the rains of the brake & take the right rain thereof, and put it through a ring that was made fast to your saddle with a double piece of leather that went twice about the fore point of your saddle tree, and having past it through the foresaid ring, you did also put it through the eye of your brake, where the other end thereof was first made fast, and I saw you with drawing the end thereof hold your horse in such sort that he was not able to go away, but only to turn on the right hand, notwithstanding you did break your rod on him and spurred him till he bled, and afterward having loosed the foresaid rain & buckled it in his former place, & then offered him his lesson, which he did before stubbornly refuse to do, I then saw him do it with such willingness, that in my judgement the horse made a double amends for his former fault, yea, and though you did provoke him by riding him till he was almost weary, yet did he not dare once offer to go away, at the which I did not a little m●ruaile, knowing him to be so stubborn a horse, and so notable a runawaie, that in the space of half a ●ere and more before your coming he stood still because no man was willing to ride him.  Clifford. 
Thou sayest troth, thou mayest also in like manner take a cord of two fathom of length, nesse the two ends thereof first through the great eye● of your bit or broke, and afterward pass them through the two patterell buckles of your saddle, and then make fast the side of the cord so the eye of your brave, and when your ●●rse doth offer to run awa●e you may draw one side of the foresaid cords, by means whereof you shall most ●astlie stay him as before, but in correcting him if he turn so fast and many times that you cannot endure the same, then may you let that ●aine go and pull the other, by means whereof you shalt not only correct your horse, but also be well able to endure his turning.   

How to remedy a horse that will lie down in the water.  Clifford. 
AT what instant he lies down in the water, cause three or four foot men to leaps ●n his head and keep: him down under water till he be almost drowned.   

How to correct the horse that will not carry his head right.  Clifford. 
Hold your spur close in his side till he look that way, which when he doth, take away your spur and make much of him, as soon as he forgets that correction see that you remember him as before till he leave his fault.  Kingdon. 
I have known diverse of those horses very well reform in their going, but afterward when you would give them a managing turn, they will dow their heads on the one side.  Clifford. 
Take a strap of leather with a button at each end ●ut full of slits, to the end you may shorten and lengthen it at your pleasure, pass the one end thereof through the eye of your cavesson, bit, or broke, & the other end through the buckle of your fore girse, and make it of such length as your horse may have no liberty to turn his head. This is much better than to hold the contrary rain of your cavesson fast, and a couple of these rains is the best remedy that ever I found for a weak necked horse.   

How to correct that horse that will not bring down his mosel neither for bit nor musrol, and being tied in with the martingale will continually strain the same, and hold his nose fast on the musrol, and his mouth on the bit, and will not yield for any of them.  Clifford. 
YOu shall cléeve the end of your martingale, and having made two buttons thereon, button it fast to the two cheeks of your bit, and buckle it not too short at the first, but after when your horse is acquainted therewith, you may make it so short as shall be requisite to keep his head in his due place.  Kingdon. 
To what place of the cheeks of my bit shall I make this martingale fast, for it seemeth me it were a great deal better to make it fast in the great eyes of my bit?  Clifford. 
That shall never correct your horse, but as touching the making it fast, if your bit cheeks be turned at the ends, you may put it into the same, but if they be not turned at the ends, then make fast a ring to each cheek thereof near to the neither ends with a pack thread or shoemakers end, by putting it through the one ring half a dozen times, and about the cheek of the bit, and through the other ring also, as before.  Kingdon. 
It seemeth to me that a shoemakers end or pack-thréed should not hold my horse, and also I think this way to be very dangerous, for that my horse shall learn to check upon the bit by reason that the curb shall pi●ch him to sore.  Clifford. 
The doubt which thou hast for breaking thy thread is more than needeth, for that he shall never break being tied in this order, nor the strength of a good codpiece point, although he be very hard of mouth. And as touching the vice of checking, I grant it to be very dangerous if thou use it to a horse that is very tender of mouth, but thou must never use it but when all other remedies fail she, for if thou use it to a horse as before, it shall work to most excellent effect.  

For the horse that is very tender of mouth.  
Give him a bit made with two smooth Olives, or else in place of the Olives, fill all the ieves with plain smooth rings, and make him a curb of leather in this sort: Take away the three esses of the curb from the rings thereof, then take a piece of leather some thing more than twice the length of the foresaid Esses, then pass that foresaid piece of leather through the ring the shall remain at the hook or long Ess, that is fastened on the right cheek of the bit, then pass the other end thereof through one of the foresaid three rings, that you fasten the curb with all upon the hook, and let the two ends of the foresaid piece of leather meet on the out side turning from the horses ●hin on the middle thereof, making it fast with a causiers end.   

For the horse that is some thing hard of mouth.  
Give him a plain scatch or else two millions joined with a piece, and put a whole bar or trench therein full of plain rings.  Kingdon. 
But what if my horse will not bear light upon these two bits.  Clifford. 
Then take your former cannon which would have his cheeks long and his curb great, for I have seen diverse horses after they have been ridden with one of these foresaid bits one month, and afterward giving them their Cannon they have become a great deal lighter thereon then at the first.  Kingdon. 
But diverse skilful horse men are of the opinion, that it is not good to change a horses bridle if he be once well bitted.  Clifford. 
I grant, neither would I wish you to change your cannon in any case so long as it is possible to govern your horse with him, but I have found diverse horses the could hardly be governed with the cannon by reason of the hardness of their mouths, but by changing them from the canon to one of the foresaid bits, and afterward to the canon, they become so light there upon in process of time, that I have been able to govern them upon a canon so easily, as though they had never been hard mouthed.  Kingdon. 
Then it should seem that often changing a horses bit, is good to him that is hard of mouth.  Clifford. 
Yea, if thou change him upon one of the foresaid three bits, and that thou take heed thou give him not any other rough bit: thou mayst also use the scatch with the vp●●r mouth or the whole port with two round rolls which would not be rough nor great, and fill the rest of the ieve with smooth playing rings on the out side thereof. These aforenamed bits are sufficient to frame any horse, of what nature or disposition so ever he be of, not having his mouth marred before with evil riding and rough bits, if so be thou have the true art of riding, in the which if thou be ignorant, neither shall all the drunken fashions which thou mayst see in Flaunders, nor the new sangles or light inventions which thou mayest also see in Paris, nor all the moderate fashions invented by the discreet Italians profit thee any thing.   
The end of the second book.   

The third book of the keepers Office. The first Chapter of the keepers Office.  Kingdon. 
YOu have taught me sufficiently as touching the art of riding, now I pray you let it not be grievous unto you to teach me after my horse is ridden, how and in what order I shall walk and dress him, to the end that he may not take cold, for that I have often heard you say, that you account your horse half marred after that he hath once taken an extreme cold, for that he shall be the more subject not only to take that, but also most perilous diseases, & death may happen unto him by 〈◊〉 of extreme heat & cold.  Clifford. 
Thy horse being ridden, cause him to be walked in the same place where thou givest him some lesson in a great ring, or right forth, with a man on his back till he be through cold.  Kingdon. 
Why shall I walk my horse with a man on his back, and not in my hand, and also why shall I walk him in a ring?  Clifford. 
By walking him in a ring thou mayest see him as the ridest thy other horses by him. Also the man the shall ride him being ignorant how to use his hand upon the bridle, shall then have no need to check him with the bit, for he being well acquainted with that path, will go himself: & as touching thy walking of him in thy hand, it is very dangerous, for the the weather being very cold the air will utterly spoil thy horse, which can have no power on him so long as he is going with a man on his back. Also if your horse be stubborn or given to rear on end, or leap on his keeper with his fore feet, it shall be very perilous to walk such horses in your hand, not only in respect of the keeper, but also of the horse, who having once beaten his keeper or broken from him, he shall thereby become so stubborn, the no man shall be able to lead him without great danger: of the which horses I have had good experience in Flanders with Monsieur Villiers, & with Monsieur De la Roshpo, one of them being marshal of the camp as aforesaid, & the other general of the Infancy, the army then being at Eclow, the earl De la Roshpo had a bayhorse which slew two of his grooms, wherewith he became so cruel & fierce not only in biting & striking, but with rearing on end, the he would dash out their brains and break their bones whosoever he could take hold on. Also Monsieur Villiers had a bay horse named Soldier, which horse when I had ridden him one day, & lighted to make much of him, (which hath always ●●n my common use when my horse hath done well) the horse did leap upon me, & rend almost all my clothes of my back, & bitten off my fore finger, to my great grief, & fear of the beholders, who all ran away for fear of the fury of the horse, which was so great, that not one of them was so hardy as once to help me.  Kingdon. 
I pray you before I go any further, teach me how I may without peril keep or dress any such horse, for that you told me Monsieur Villiers gave two horses to Monsieur de la Roshpo for the same horse, and afterward having doth the foresaid ill conditioned horses, under your hands, the space of three years you had never any groom hurt, nor yourself put in hazard with either of them, which can hardly sink into my head, for that an horse beginning to bite and leap on his keeper with his forefoots, is hardly or never to be reform.  Clifford. 
I grant they are not to be reform, but thou shalt easily master them with these inventions here following, in such sort, that a boy of sixteen years of age, may dress them, saddle them, bridle them, lead them in the hand, leap on them, and light from them, without any peril, either to keeper or rider. First, when you would bridle your horse, you must make fast a strong cord to the noseband of his collar in this sort: Go to the horse on the one side of the bar, and draw his head to you so far as the contrary rain will give you leave, then make fast the forenamed cord, which you may easily do without any danger, then tie him therewith to the rack, and then you may bridle him with your watering bit, or false trench, which false trench is a most necessary thing for such an horse, for that he being bridled therewith, you may not only dress your horse without danger, but also if occasion serve, you may put on your bridle without danger, and let the trench remain on his head, noting, that you leave the rains of the foresaid trench, so long as you may tie him therewith to the two posts of his room being turned about.  Kingdon. 
I grant that I may thus keep mine horse from biting me, but what shall I do that he strike me not with his forefoots, whiles I thus bridle him?  Clifford. 
If he be so froward that he will not let thee handle his head, then take a good whip and whip him well, and having so whipped him, offer to touch him, as before, which if he refuse, then whip him again: observe this order so long till he be glad to let you handle his mouth, which when he will do, make much of him, and bridle him, in suffering whereof, see that thou use him gently, if he offer to bite thy hand, take a left hand gauntlet and dash him in the mouth when he offers to bite thine hand: that being done, take a long rudgell, and begin to touch him therewith upon his hinder legs, and if he strike, whip him, as before, so long till he endure to have both his legs and feet easily rubbed and touched with the same: then begin to rub him gently with your hands, and after put four pasturn● on his feet, and let a cord pass on each side from the hind foot to the fore foot, which would be of a sufficient length: by this mo●ns may you dress your horse, saddle, and bridle him without danger either of biting, or striking, and also your horse may both lie down, & rise with the same so easily, as though he had nothing on: for I have always used in the camp, when I must make my stable in a ●●rne or great house, where I had no bars betwixt them to tie all their legs with side langalls made of great hay ropes, which I did always carry with me for that purpose.  Kingdon. 
I pray you teach me what those side langals are, for I know not what you mean thereby, for that I have never seen any of them.  Clifford. 
In the north part of England they are common, & also in Scotland, and it is made in this sort: first take a piece of a cord of five foot of length, and make a knot on each end thereof, then pass the said knot through the two eyes of your cord, which must be on the ends of the same for the purpose: them may you shift your knot backward or forward, so long till you make the two ends thereof fit for your horses feet: then put one on his hind foot, the other on his forefoot, noting, that daily you change the foresaid langal, putting it one day on the one side, & another day on the other for fear of galling him, it shall not be amiss at the first to line it with cotton or cloth, & after he is acquainted therewith, he will not hurt himself, though you make it of rough or hard cord. I have also seen the Albanians use a much more easier fashion, for the every keeper may make it himself: Cut a piece of cord of such length a● may come from the hinder foot to the forefoot of your horse, a knot being made on each end thereof: then take two pieces of small cord, double them, & make a great one, make knots upon both ends thereof, & let it be of such length as it may meet just about the horses feet, as your pasturn doth: then with a great cudgel sharped at the end open the forenamed great cord, & pass the small cord through the same behind the knot, and when you shall put it on your horse, wind the loup that will remain of your foresaid small double cord till you make the end thereof so straight, the you can no more but pass the forenamed knot: the turning will keep it so close, that it is not possible for your horse to undo the same.  Kingdon. 
I grant that this forenamed langall is very good to let mine horse that he shall not strike his keeper with his fore or hinder feet, nor to leap into his manger, nor hang himself in his halter, nor to strike any other horse: but yet I have seen divers horses will turn their tails and dung in their fellows room, by means whereof the other horse could not lie clean, which is a filthy thing: therefore I pray you show m● what I shall do to keep him right in his room.  Clifford. 
Take the said langall from his foreféete, and tie a piece of cord thereunto: then make an hole in his tail tree, or else must you drive a stake into the ground, and make fast the langall thereto. This is not only good to hold your horse right in his room, but also it is sufficient to keep him from striking his fellows, and to let him from leaping into the manger, and hanging himself in his halter.  Kingdon. 
How shall I lead such a devilish horse, when I shall bring him forth to the rider, and how shall I take his back, that he hurt neither him nor me?  Clifford. 
Take a cudgel of three or four foot of length, make an hollow in each end thereof, then sow a buckle upon a piece of leather, a span long, with the which thou must buckle the one end of thy staff to the eye of thy bit, and pass a cord through the other end, and make it so fast as you may hold your horse therewith.  Kingdon. 
I grant that this is sufficient to hold any horse if he be never so devilish that he cannot bite me: but what shall I do that he leap not on me with his forefeet?  Clifford. 
Take a piece of strong leather hunger, two inches broad, two foot and a quarter of length, or two foot and an half, if your horse be very great, then make fast to each end thereof, a round ring of iron, so big as shall be requisite to serve the foresaid piece of leather, then cut two other pieces of leather hunger of like breadth, and let one of them be two foot of length, and the other two foot and an half, and make them fast at the one end in the foresaid ring, cut the points of the two foresaid pieces of leather so narrow, that you may set a stirrup leather buckle on the shorter, and that the other end may easily pass the foresaid buckle, when it must be made fast. And when you would lead forth your horse, put one of your foresaid pieces of leather about his foreleg, and then pass the point thereof through the great ring, and draw it close to his leg, and put the other end thereof about his hinder leg of the same side through the other ring, and draw it close as before, which being done, buckle the two ends thereof fast with the said buckle. Thus may you lead your horse with your staff and side langall, get upon him, and light from him, and the rider being up, you may lose away your staff, and also losing your buckle of the foresaid side langall, it will flee all lose, without lifting up one foot of the horse, either when you put it on or take it off. With this invention have I never failed to master any horse, how devilish soever he was, and by continual using of the same, I have made them, that being in service, I might at my pleasure get up or down, having one to stay him by the head while I did alight on the one side, and make an other leap up on the other side at the same instant. Thou mayest also make two hollow pieces of leather, much like unto two great bosses, to the which thou mayest fasten a little strap of leather, of such length, that it being put over the horse's head, in the place of the headstall, the two forenamed bosses may fall just over the horses eyes. Then take an other piece of leather of such length as the horses forehead is of breadth, and make it fast to the fore part of the two forenamed bosses, and make other two straps fast, so that you buckle them under the horses jaws or throat, and before his rider get up, make the same fast that he can not see, and after he is mounted, take it away, and when he hath ridden him and will alight, you must put it on as before, until such time as you have brought him into the stable, and this is a very good way, but nothing comparable to the first, for that with the one he is but deceived, but with the other he is over mastered.   

How to teach a horse to lie down flat upon his belly, that he shall not rise till you bid him.  Kingdon. 
I Have forgotten one thing, which above all things I have desired to learn, that is, to teach a horse to lie down close upon his belly, for that it is not only good in service when a man is armed, but also it is excellent when you are hurt or maimed, and have not any body to help you up, also it is good when you will lay horsemen in an ambuskado, I have long desired that you should teach me the same, for that at sir John Tracies in Gloucester shire you did once learn a horse to lie down in the space of half an hour, and so that he never forgot the same, but would at all times do it when his rider should take his back very gently, even with the proffering of your hand to his legs, by using this voice: Couch, couch.  Clifford. 
You shall teach your horse to lie down in this sort, first shake litter enough under him, and tread it down or beat it fast, so as the horse may not drive it upon heaps with his feet, then put on his head a watering bit, and having tied him with two cords to the posts of his room, so low that he may easily put his head to the ground, then shall you put a pair of soft pasturnes, the one on his hinder foot, and the other on his fore foot on the further side, and let the cord go betwixt them of a sufficient length, to keep him that he shall not rear, then may you tie a long cord to the foot of your manger on the right side of your horse, and make the other end fast to the pasturne of his right hinder foot, then shall you put a third pasturne on his near fore foot: and having passed a surcingle about his body, and through the foresaid pasturne, then shall you buckle up his near foot so near his belly as you shall think necessary, & you must see that the buckle lie near to the middle of the horses back, to the end that when he is laid down, you may ●astly lose the surcingle: having thus tied your horse, you shall begin to strike him fair and softly with a little cudgel upon his right leg or shin beneath his knee with your right hand, and lean your right shoulder close to the horse his left shoulder, and with your left hand pull down his head as hard as you can, speaking to him gently, saying to him, couch, couch, and if he proffer as though he would lie down, make much of him, and let him rest a while, then begin to beat him softly again till he lie down. Thus may you teach any young horse to lie down in the space of three hours, so that with a little exercise the first and second day you shall make him so perfect, that he shall lie down at the first time that you proffer your red to his forelegs: But if you will teach an old horse to lie down that is stubborn and froward of nature, then must you put a sharp prick in the end of your foresaid cudgel, and let it not exceed the length of a wheat corn without the cudgel, and when with soft striking you can not make him lie down, then may you prick him in the leg with the foresaid prick, and you shall see him presently fall down upon his knees, you see that he will not lie down with his hinder parts, then hold the bridle fast, and hol●● your shoulder close to the horse, then shall you strike him fair and softly upon the elbow of his fore left leg, so long till you make him lie down with his hinder parts, which when he doth, unbuckle your surcingle, take off his bridle, and give him grass or provender to eat, and flatter him, and make much of him, but if he start up suddenly, before you would have him, than it shall be good to give him two or three strokes with your rod, and presently to force him to lie down, as at the first, but if he rise not till you would have him, then make marvelous much of him, and give him such things to eat as he most desireth, and when you have made him rise, claw and rub him, and proffer it him no more in the space of an hour. In this order have I never failed to make any horse lie down at my pleasure, of what age, nature, or disposition soever he was.  Kingdon. 
But what if my horse will start up suddenly when I would take his back in the field.  Clifford. 
Then take him fast by the cheek of the bridle with your left hand, and whip him well with your right hand behind the saddle, and cause him to lie down presently, and by this means you shall reform him.  

Of a horse that yarketh behind in his galloping.  
AT every time he yarketh in his galloping, whip him well behind upon his flank, as near his cods as is possible, and so continue the correction as often as the horse shall make this fault, thus you shall quickly recover him.  Kingdon. 
But I did demand of you in the beginning how I should dress mine horse after that he was ridden, therefore I pray you teach me what order I shall observe therein.  Clifford. 
That was well remembered of thee, I give thee thanks, for I had almost forgotten that, but now I shall most willingly show thee of all the ways that I tried which is best. Thine horse being walked as before till he be thorough cold, thou shalt shake litter enough under him, with the which thou must rub his legs well, and also betwixt his fore bows and hinder legs, that being done, unbridle him, and rub his head well, and also his neck and breast, then may you give him some hay or straw to eat.  Kingdon. 
But were it not good to let him stand half an hour on the bit, and not to rub his legs till he be thorough cold and dry, and also to take off his saddle and to put a cloth on him, and also stuff him round about with straw?  Clifford. 
As touching thy first demand, I answer, not with opinion, but with experience, that it is much better, thy horse being cold, as hath been before taught, to unbridle him and let him eat his meat, than to stand still v●on the bit. And as touching thy second demand, I answer, it is nought to let thine horse stand unrubbed, for that the mire drying on his legs, shall not only make him stiff, but also cause his skin to be so dry that it will chap, and breed scabby and mouldy heels: yea, I do assure thee I have throughly tried this way, but I could never find any so good, as to rub mine horse till he be dry, & as touching the unsadling of him, I have also tried it by the space of ten years together, in all which time I could never be without the horse léeches help, but in twelve years that I have observed this order here following, I have not had need of the horseleech to drench my horse at any time for any disease coming of cold, no nor seldom of any other. Take had thou unsaddle him not, nor so much as slack one of his girses, but having rubbed him well, thou shalt cover him with a single cloth, making the corners thereof fast under his girses, and take heed thou never give him water nor provender until such time as thou hast dined, although thou ride him early in the morning, but if it be in winter, put a good handful of hay in it, to the end it may hinder him and make him drink leisurely, which also shall some thing abate the coldness of the water. And it shall not be amiss in cold and extreme wether to let thy horse drink but half his fill, and often times to beat him away, suffering him to take but a little and a little at once, by means whereof he shall not suddenly cool his stomach wherewith he might fall into some extreme fever, and when thou hast done, give him his wet hay in the manger to eat.  Kingdon. 
I shall mar my horse if I let him not drink his fill?  Clifford. 
Thou shalt not hurt him I warrant thee, for that at night thou mayest give him enough without any danger.  Kingdon. 
But at what time I pray you shall I unsaddle him and dress him.  Clifford. 
By that that I have said, I would have taught thee the after thou hast watered thy horse thou shalt first rub well his head, and then his body and legs, first with straw and then with hair cloth, that done, comb his mane and put on his collar, which thou must always take off when thou rubbest his head, the being done, give him his provender, and unsaddle him not till night that the doors & windows of the stable be shut, then mayest thou curry and dress him without any danger: By observing this order & giving my horse fenugreek in his Oats after his journey, and not letting him rest, but by walking him abroad every day or every other day easily & softly without heating him, I have in three years and three months, wherein I had charge of Monsieur Villiers horses, not given one drench or medicine to so much as one of them for any disease.  Kingdon. 
But how long and how many days shall I give my horse his fenegreke, & shall it not be requisite for me to beat it into powder?  Clifford. 
No, but in the same sort that thou buiest it of the Pothecary, so give it unto thy horse, & let him eat thereof as often as thou givest him provender, for the space of fifteen days at the least.  Kingdon. 
But I have known some horses when you put fenegreke in his Oats he will not eat it.  Clifford. 
Thou mayst easily remedy that by letting him fast till he be very hungry, and by giving him a little at once till he be throughly acquainted therewith, which when he is, and will eat it well, then mayest thou give him thy handful at a time as before.    

What water is best for an Horse to drink.  Kingdon. 
I Pray you teach me what water is best to give min● horse to drink, for that some are of opinion, that standing water will fat a horse much more than the river or running water.  Clifford. 
But if thou wouldst follow my counsel, thou shouldest leave all their opinions and hearken unto reason, which I am sure will teach thee, that the purer the water is, the more wholesome for thy horse it is, & the more healthier shall he be, yea, I would not advise thee to give thine horse at any time any such water as thou wouldst not willingly drink thyself: for by seeking to fat thy horse with filthy standing water, thou shalt breed him full of diseases, of the which thing I have had good experience at sir john Tracies in Gloucester sheer, where watering my horses at a standing moat (for that the horse keepers were so lazy that they would not go to a fair brook that did run a little farther off) by means thereof I had always some of my horses sick or diseased.   

Of the horses forage and provender.  Kingdon. 
I Beseech you show me what forage and provender is best for mine horse to eat, and what quantity of provender is sufficient.  Clifford. 
As touching thy first demand, thou must give him hay and all kind of straw that he will eat, seeing always that they be sweet and not mouldy nor foistie, noting also, the what forage so ever you give your horse, you dust it well with your hands or fork before you give it unto him, and that you give it him in a small quantity at once, to the end he may eat it clean, for by filling your rack always full of hay or straw before your horse, you shall make him to loathe the same, whereas if you give it him by handfuls, he shall eat with great appetite, and neither waist the forage nor loathe his stomach.  Kingdon. 
I grant I may feed my horse thus all the day, but what shall I do at night?  Clifford. 
Fill thy rack, and the next morrow so much as remains in it, pull it out and straw it in the manger before thy horses; if it be but a little, if it be much, take the most part thereof away: be sure thou make clean thy rack once a day in the same sort, and also let thine horses stand two hours at the least, without any meat before them. And as touching his provender, twelve times as much Oats as you can take up in your two hands is sufficient to give him a day, feeding him therewith in this sort, four after water in the morning, as many after dinner, & the rest at night.  Kingdon. 
I have seen diverse men would give their horses four handfuls in the morning and eight at night.  Clifford. 
I grant that thou hast seen it, & so have I, and also have proved it, for I have made mine horses therewith not unlie take the lask, but it hath passed whole through even as they did eat it. And I have also so cloyed or glutted diverse horses therewith, that they have utterly abhorred their provender: Therefore I would wish you to give your horse his provender often, and by little at once.  Kingdon. 
But I have known diverse worshipful men in England give their horses but eight handfuls a day, that is to say, four in the morning and four at night.  Clifford. 
I grant that diverse doth so, and a number of horses will like better therewith than if you gave them twelve, but you must have a special regard that when your horse eats good hay, you give him a quarter the less provender then when he eats straw, & also that you give him more when he is travailed than when he stands still, for when he rests, very little provender will serve, noting above all things, that what provender so ever your horse eats, that you give him rather half a peck too little then one grain too much, for there is not a more vile thing then to give an horse too much provender. Beans or peason mingled with bran is also very good provender.  Kingdon. 
What say you of horse bread?  Clifford. 
That is good to travail with, but I never saw any beyond the seas, neither could I find any man or woman there that could make it.  Kingdon. 
How shall I prepare mine horse to travail a journey, and what saddle and bridle is best, and also with what shoes shall I shoe mine horse?  Clifford. 
First, as touching thy saddle and bridle, let it be as light as may be, & as touching the shoes of thine horse, let them also be light, and very narrow of web with two calcons, and see that you make your  somewhat thick in the toe and also strong, rising with a welt or crest, round in the edge thereof, and hollow your shoe very little, and take heed that you make it somewhat strait so far as your nails go, and from the talon nail backward let your shoe appear a little without the hove, otherwise it will sink into his heels, that it shall not only lame your horse, but also spoil his heels that he shall therewith become flat footed. And as touching the paring of his foot, cut away as little as is possible at the heels, but pare him well from the quarter or the talon nail forward to the tee, and that you also not only in paring favour the heel of the fore foot so much as is possible, and the toe on the hinder foot, for I never saw horse pricked at the toe on the fore foot, nor in the heel of the hinder foot.  Kingdon. 
But how shall I diet and dress mine horse in the morning?  Clifford. 
Two hours or an hour and a half at the least before you will ride, see that you let him drink, that done, let him eat hay the space of half an hour, then give him his provender, which being eaten, you may bridle him & let him stand till you be ready to take his back, and take heed you ride him very gently for the space of three or four miles, in which time thy horse's belly and stomach will begin to be somewhat suaged, then may you mend your pace, remembering always that when you come to any hill you light and lead him, for it is a great refreshing to your horse, and also to your own legs, which a number of lazy lubbers do little consider, such as do hang on their horses backs both up hill and down hill till they be tired, and themselves when they alight, so benumbed & crooked, that they can scarcely stand. Thus much I have digressed, but to the purpose. A mile before you come to your baiting place see that you ride fair & softly, to the end he may be cold when he comes to his bait, then when you come to the stable, the first thing you do, shake litter enough under him, that being done, unbridle him & give him a bottle of hay to eat, which being eaten, you may give him his provender, and see that you cause him to be well rubbed, and especially between his fore legs for fear of plishing or galling, and it shall not be amiss if your horse begin to heat between his fore bows, to wash him at his first coming into the stable with a pail full of cold water, and when it is through dry, to grease it with salt butter, being first made scalding hot, and at night when you come to your lodging dress your horse as before at your bait, and let him not drink till he be through cold, & that he have eaten hay one hour at the least, and if he be hot and very fat, it shall be very good to give him his water at three or four times, by which means you shall make him drink enough without any danger. And see that you give him not his provender in half an hour● after he hath drunk, which would be four times your two handfuls of Oats, or beans and bran, or peason and bran, or bread, if it may be had, all which provender is very good, but bread is the best, & oats is the worst to travail withal, taking good heed, the you give his night provender at twice, which is much better than to give it him all at once, and in the morning give him not so much as at night, and that you unsaddle him not till he be throughly dry and well dressed on all his body. But if you come in so late as your horse cannot be dry before bed time, then may you after you have supped, see your horse well dressed, take off his saddle, and lay a cloth on him, which would not be too hot in any case, nor too much straw suffer under it, for fear of keeping your horse too hot, which shall almost do him so much hurt as though he stood without any, and it shall take away his stomach, and make him so faint that he cannot be able to eat his meat, nor to travel, & being loosed out of that foresaid peerless heat, he shall be in great danger to take an extreme cold.  Kingdon. 
Shall four handfuls of provender be enough to give mine horse at night when I travel?  Clifford. 
Yea, you may give him eight handfuls, but you must give it him at twice, and that is sufficient for any horse for his night provender, and to some it is a great deal too much, therefore thou must take good heed, that thou know well thy horses eating, before thou appoint what quantity of provender he shall have, and then measure him accordingly, for I have found some horses that would not eat three handfuls, which I have made to eat very well in this order following. I have given him but two handfuls a day, that is to say, one in the morning, and an other at night after his water, and also I have caused his keeper to ride him once a day to the water, and afterward to ride him half an hour, sometimes on his pace, and sometimes on his trot: with this exercise and sharp diet, I have in short space made mine horse so strong of stomach, that he would eat eight handfuls a day, and more if he could have had it, which thing thou must observe as a general rule, that thou give him rather too little than too much, as hath been before taught.   

Of making of your Stable.  Kingdon. 
SIth that now we have in hand the keeping of horses, I would desire you first to show me how I should make my stable.  Clifford. 
As touching your stable, I would have you build it in a good air, and that the doors and windows be made in such sort as you may keep your horses warm or cold at your pleasure, and as shall be needful for the season of the year. For you must note, that in a corrupt air, neither man nor beast can long continue sound, neither in a cold air, of the which thing you may have a very familiar example in yourself, and I would have you diligently to note & well to consider hereof, as, what good your meat and drink shall do you, when you in eating the same, and sleeping, shall suffer cold.  Kingdon. 
How should my horses be too cold in an house, for you may see that those horses that go abroad, never take harm, by means of the air, and also if I keep mine horse warm, he shallbe the less able to endure cold when he comes abroad?  Clifford. 
Thou hast made a strong reason: dost not thou know that the horse which goes abroad will not rest 6. hours in 24. and that thereby he cannot take any harm, for that he is continually exercised, and that moderately, and not being driven into any heat: but thy horse standing in the stable, is many times driven into extreme great heats, and at other times standeth still without exercise, the lack whereof is the reason that he can not endure the air of his stable to be so cold by the tenth part, as if he went abroad, yea I never in all my life could keep my horses sound in a cold stable, yet I would advise you to take good heed that it be not so warm on the other side that your horses therewith shall sweat, but that you use the golden mean betwixt these two extremes which is, that your horse be not so hot to make him sweat, nor so cold that his hair stand upright upon his buttocks or stare, which is a most manifest sign of cold.  Kingdon. 
I do confess that it is good to keep an horse in a temperate air, but I would feign know how I shall make my rack and manger, and how I shall plank my stable, and divide the rooms thereof.  Clifford. 
First as touching your manger, you may make it of three fashions: the first is, as we commonly use them in England, which serveth to no other use, but for them to eat their provender in, and the hay which they scatter or let fall when they eat out of the rack: the second fashion serveth both for provender and forage, for that it is made higher, deeper, and wider by a great deal than our common manger is, and also it is made with staves or laths, nailed on the bottom, in such sort, that it may hold the forage, and let the dust fall through: and also you may make a manger for every couple of horses of three foot long, with a partition in the middle thereof placed just betwixt your horses, so as they may both reach their provender in the same, and let the partition thereof stand just with the end of the bar that is betwixt your horses, so as the one half may be in the one room, and the other half in the other. Thus shall your horse have place enough for his forage, without being letted with the manger: note herewith, that all such mangers as these be, must have staves made fast at the one end in the wall, or upon the side of the manger next to the wall, and at the other end you must make them fast to the outside of the manger, and let such staves be placed a foot and an half one from an other, to the end that your horse may easily reach his forage, and yet not be able to cast it out of his manger, nor into his fellows room with his head. The third way is to make it four times as big as our common mangers are, so that the horse can do no more than reach easily to the bottom, and this manger must be all planks, as well in the bottom as on the sides, that the horse may both eat his provender and forage therein. This manger have I often made in Flaunders, being in the camp, where I had no stables, but was forced to make my horses rooms in a barn or great house, in this sort: You must first at the one end of the house or barn, where you mean that your manger shall stand, dig a pit in the ground three foot and an half deep, let it be five foot from the wall or end of the house, where your horse must stand, with his right or left side to it, and let the pits be from the wall that shall be before your horse's head, so as your manger may be two foot and an half wide in the bottom, and three foot wide in the top, then shall you put a post therein of such height as you will have your manger, then may you make an other pit in the corner of the foresaid wall, and having nailed a strong plank at both ends to the foresaid posts, then may you make two holes in the wall, into the which you shall put two small pieces of timber, and nail them at the other ends fast to the two foresaid posts, a foot beneath the neither edge of your plank, then may you set a trough thereupon for the horse both to eat his forage and provender in: then may you set an other post in the ground behind your horse to hang your bar upon, and the other end thereof to your first post: in this sort may you make all the rest of your rooms, with manger and bar betwixt your horses, very commodiously and quickly. And as touching your planks, it is a thing not used beyond seas, and yet have I kept my horses there as sound as ever I did in England upon the planks.  Kingdon. 
How I pray you may that be? For if you should let them stand on the ground, it will in short time become all mire: and if you pave your stable, it will be very cold, and also wear your horses shoes, break them and his hooves, much more than upon the planks, and your horses also will spend twice as much litter as upon the planks.  Clifford. 
As touching that thou sayest the ground will be all mire, thou art deceived: for thou must first dig away the earth two or three foot deep, and fill in under your horses, gravel, sand, and stones, if they may be had, but if thou canst have nothing but stones, then must thou break them with great hammers, and cover them with horse dung and litter upon it for the space of ten or twelve days, that your stones may be well fastened with the dung and treading of your horse, and at the twelve days end, having taken away your dung, you shall see your gravel or stones so hard as a rock: but you must note by the way, that you leave a gutter right under your horses bellies clean through your stable a foot and an half deep, and so wide as the breadth of the plank that you can get to cover the same fitly, and see that you place that plank somewhat lower than the ●oore of your horse's room, so that if the horse piss either behind or before, it may have a dissent to the same, so as all the wet may pass into the foresaid gutter by means of auger holes, which should be made in the plank for that purpose. This is one of the best fashions that ever I tried or saw in any place where soever I have traveled. And whereas thou sayest stones wear thy horses shoes, breaks them and their hooves, wastes more litter, and is more cold, I could never find my horse to like one whit worse on the stones than on the planks, although something it wear their shoes more than planks, and that he may also break his hoof or shoe something more than upon the planks, & I grant also it will waste something the more litter, yet if thou wouldst well consider how many good horses are hurt and mischiefed in their legs, shoulders, and small of their backs, by dangerous slipping, sliding, falling, and hanging their legs therein, thou wouldst grant the floor made as before, and pavement to be ten times better than the planks, yea, and they are made and maintained with less charges by an half than the planks. But you must note that when you pave your stable, that you leave a gutter through your horses rooms covered with a plank, as before, & take heed that whether you plank your stable, or pave, or make the floor with sand or gravel, that you make it not above 4. or 5. inches higher before than behind: for by making it very high before your horse, he shall stand uneasily, and if you shall move him never so little in the stable, he will be ready to fall, besides that, his litter when he doth lie will all fall behind him: and also if he chance to tumble or wallow himself in his room, you shall see him settle so far backward that he cannot rise, for that his hinder legs will be clean without the posts of his room, & he hangs so short by the neck that it is not possible for him to rise till you lose his collar, which is a thing very dangerous, for upon such planks you may soon mar any horse.  Kingdon. 
I grant this is a very good way to make my planks, but I would desire you to tell me whether it be not good to raise my horse's room a foot higher than the ground behind, to make my horses show the better.  Clifford. 
It were good for an horse courser to make his horses show higher than they be indeed, but for the ease of the horse, it is stark nought, or if your horse chance at any time to tread behind his planks he shall most cruelly strike his leg against the tail tree, & if he chance at any time to wallow or ●●ide so far back that his legs fall behind the planks, he shall not be able to rise, for that he can get no hold on the ground with his hind feet, which things considered, I would wish you to make the ground behind your horses so high as the planks.  Kingdon. 
I grant it is good to make my planks no higher than the ground behind my horses, but I would have you teach me of what length I should make my planks, & of what wideness I shall make my rooms, also what height I shall set my manger from the ground, & also how high I should set my rack from the upper edge of the manger, & also how wide I should set the staves the one from the other, & of what length I should make my rack staves.  Clifford. 
First as touching your rooms I would have you allow every horse 5. foot, & as touching the length of your planks, I would have you make it 8. foot & an half betwixt the wall under your manger, & the outside of your tail tree, then shall you make your manger from the planks to the upper edge thereof 3. foot, & from the upper edge of your manger to the neither side of your rack, make it 2. foot long, & let the stanes of your rack be 3. foot & an half long, & when you will place your rack, set the neither side thereof 4. inches from the wall, & the upper side no more but a foot & a half distance from the wall, by this means your rack shall stand so upright, the there shall no dust fall into your horse's mane at any time, and although it be narrow, yet it will be so deep from the top to the bottom thereof, that it shall be able to hold hay enough for your horse, and also when you would shake up the hay with your fork (which is very good to be done often) for it will not only well dust the hay, but it will make the horse eat a great deal the better than when it shall be tied fast in bottles, or trodden in as I have seen diverse crafty ostlers use, to the end that they should not eat half their bellies full, and when you would thus shake your hay, you shall not so soon throw it over this broad rack, as over those that be narrow, and by reason that it stands so upright, the horses shall get their meat much more easily out of it than out of the narrow rack, for that you must place your narrow rack high, to the end it may be somewhat flat, otherwise it will hold nothing in effect, & if you should set it low and flat, that is to say, to set the neither edge close to the wall, and the over edge two foot and an half from the wall, then shall your great and high horses not be able to eat out of the same, and if you set it so high that they may well eat out of it, then shall it be too high for your nags and low geldings, but in the broad rack it is not so, for if you set the neither edge thereof so low, as the nose band of your great horses collar when he stands still & eats not either out of rack or manger, which will be five foot from your planks, yet shall he most easily get out his hay, & it shall be low enough for any nag, besides that, the narrow rack will too too much mar your horses manes with dust.  Kingdon. 
I grant that this broad rack thus set almost upright, is much better than the narrow rack, for that I shall be able to keep mine horses manes clean without dust, and also the least nag that is may reach his meat out of it easily, and the great horse also: but whereas you do say I should set the n●ther edge thereof four inches from the wall, I think it should not be good, for by that means the hay shall fall through the bottom of the rack, & also the horses shall strike their heads against the sharp edge thereof.  Clifford. 
Whereas thou sayest that hay shall fall out of the bottom of the rack, thou mayest easily remedy it by laying a plank of six or seven inches, broad in the bottom thereof, so as the inner side which must be close against the wall may be a good deal higher than the neither edge thereof, which must join those of the staves of the rack, and whereas thou sayest the horse shall strike their heads against the neither edge thereof, thou mayst cut away the square and make it round on the out side after your rack staves are all in, and plain it so smooth that he cannot hurt his head nor his face thereupon: thou mayest also make fast a plank of half a foot broad at the one edge, to the out side of your rack, and the neither edge close to the wall, this shall not only make your rack show very comely, but also it will keep your horse that he cannot strike his head to the neither edge thereof. But when you place your rack in this sort, you must make your manger so much larger as your rack stands distant from the wall at the neither edge.  Kingdon. 
How shall I make this rack fast at the neither side seeing it may not touch the wall?  Clifford. 
If thou build thy stable new thou must lay pieces of timber in the wall for that purpose, upon the which thou mayst set the bottom of the rack, and then drive a nail downward thorough the neither side thereof into the rind of the foresaid piece of timber: but if you will place your rack against an old wall, then must you drive therein pieces of iron made for that purpose, with holes pierced through the out end thereof, so as you may nail● them to the bottom of your rack after they are fastened in the wall: you must also dig holes in the wall a little beneath the neither side of your rack, into the which you may make fast short pieces of timber, and you may nail them at the other end to the rafter of your chamber, but you must let the upper edge of your rack be within these pieces of timber at the next side thereof without, so as you may make it fast with a little piece of iron which would be nailed at the one end under the neither side of the racks, and at the other end to the piece of timber which you make fast in the wall. There is also another kind of rack which doth far excel, not only this fashion, but also all other that hath been practised.  
How to make a rack that doth far excel all the racklike makers invented by the discreet Italians, of those that are used by the soldier-like Germans, by the brave French men, proud and disdainful Spaniards, by the cunning and skilful Flemings, and by my Country men, whose Nature if I truly paint out, I should but offend, for the Proverb saith: It is an evil Bird that beraieth her own nest: and if I should flatter them, all wise men would condemn me, and mine own conscience accuse me, for the Lord knows & all those that have made trial of me, that I am a thousand times better contented with honest painful poverty, then with the riches of India, where I cannot be liked without use of flattery, neither resembling the Parasite Gnato, nor yet the boasting Soldier Thraso. Thus much have I dreamt, but now being awaked let us go to our purpose, which is to make this rare and strange kind of rack which I first dreamt of when I served sir Thomas Scot of Kent, to whom I am much bound, not only for that he gave me a young horse to tri● my cunning upon, being then a stranger to him, for the space of two years, wherein he used such wisdom and patience, that I must needs commend him before all those that ever I have served in England, for although he could by his skill have taught me, yet did he neither teach me contrary, or find fault with any thing, yet cannot I commend him half so much for this, as for that he gave me leave to beat down the racks of his stable, planks and posts, and to pave the same and make the posts and bars according to mine own small skill, but the thing wherefore he deserveth immortal praise is, the when he saw this rack than first by me invented, not brought to any perfection, though he had power to command me to alter it to his former fashion, yet did he wisely wink thereat till such time as he saw I had throughly found the discommodity thereof, and then he did gently persuade me to alter it if I thought good, by which his gentle and prudent doings he did not only make me yield willingly to that he might have forced me by his authority, by the which he did wonderfully content me, but also till this day, I cannot find any man that (in my judgement) doth deserve the commendations that he hath forced me to give of him, & that all the Gnatoes that shall think that I have said thus much by the way of flattery, I do thee to wit that I parted out of sir Thomas Scots house, not as a friend but as an enemy, but yet he paid me my wages so justly, that I cannot but yet once again commend him, not for that I hereby seek his friendship, yea I do not think that in my life time I shall see him or have to do with him, yet am I thoroughly persuaded that I shall highly offend if I should defraud mine enemy of his right. But to our purpose. I never gave over till I had brought my foresaid invention to his full perfection at master Barnard Drakes in Devon sheer, who is both a wise and an honest Gentleman: And it is made in this sort, you must first set your manger a foot and a half from the wall that is before your horse's head, then may you palace upon the inner edge of the manger at every slew foot distance a piece of timber of such length, as the other ends thereof be made fast to the floor that is over your horses, then having made your rack in pieces of five foot and a half of length, then may you begin to set up the first piece of your rack, make two holes wherein you must make fast the first two ends of your rack in the wall, and two tenans on the other two ends thereof, which must be joined fast into two mortices which should be made in the pieces of timber for that purpose. When you have thus placed the first piece of rack, then shall you place another at the one end into the foresaid piece of timber on the other end with another piece of timber. Thus when you have placed all the pieces of your rack, then shalt you plank it close betwixt the bottom of your rack to the edge of the manger, in such sort as no man can perceive the hollowness which remains betwixt the wall and those planks, then shall you take little pieces of timber and make them fast at one end into the neither side of your rack, and let the other ends lean against the wall, in such sort as you see the rafters of the roof of an house, then must you nail on them planks or laths, to the end that your forage fall not down behind your planks and manger, and this sloping pentice shall always force your forage to fall towards your rack, so as your horses may reach it at their pleasure out of this rack, there cannot fall any dust upon your horses heads, no nor so much as upon their noses.  Kingdon. 
This rack is very good, but hereby I shall lose a foot and a half of my stable, for that the inner side of my manger must stand a foot and half from the wall.  Clifford. 
But it shall save the more litter than the discommodity thereof shall countervail, by reason of the great room that shall remain behind and under your manger, in such sort that you shall never see your horses to be able to paw out any of their litter with their fore feet, and your rack being placed upright, they shall be able to reach their forage with a thousand times more ease than out of our ordinary racks.  Kingdon. 
What mean you by setting your rack upright?  Clifford. 
I mean that thou shouldest set the upper side and neither side thereof of like distance from the wall, and make the bottom thereof that must hold up your forage to stand in such sort against the wall, as we commonly see a pentice over a shop window so as there may nothing stay upon the same but that it shall all fall toward your upright rack, whether you place this rack high or low, yet may your horse easily get out his forage, if you place it not so high as he cannot reach it.  Kingdon. 
Whether is it good to make my stable door right behind my horses, or in the end, and whether is it good to make a floor over my Stable or no?  Clifford. 
As touching thy first demand, it is an hundred times better to make the door in the end of the Stable then in the side thereof, for by making it in the end of the Stable, the wind shall never have full power upon any of your horses, the door being open, you may also turn your horses heads towards your house or court, and make behind them a door or window● to throw out your dung at, which shall be a great ease to your horse keeper, and also it will not be hurtful to your horses, for the less drudgery you put your keeper unto, the better shall your horses be dressed, yea, you shall never see where it is painful carrying out of dung, & fetching the water and forage far off, any good horse keeper slay long, but such drudges as cannot tell whether to go, therefore mine opinion is, that they that will have good horse keepers and their horses well dressed, that they seek no less the ease of their keepers, than the commodity of their horses, and whereas thou demandest whether it be good to have a chamber or floor over the stable or no, my answer, I am sure shall not be liked of all, but so many as have grace to use wit instead of will, will undoubtedly account it mere folly to build a stable like a vain palace, which will ask ten times a man's height of wall, with a roof over it to keep them dry, & when the rain comes there can no more be kept dry then can stand on a floor, under which room he might make five rooms, which would be as pleasant to nature, as vainly to waste so much charges to so small purpose, nay rather to no purpose, for that such an house or stable as hath no chamber in it, in Winter is so extreme cold, that neither man nor beast may endure it, and in the Summer it is on the other side too hot, and beside, by making the keeper wast half of his wages to find him stockings and sh●●es to fetch his forage, thy horses thereby shall be evil dressed, and it shall waste thee more forage in the space of seven years then the building of a new stable would cost thee: yet sure I think him very unreasonable that will not grant that it is better to raise the wall ten foot higher than the top of his rack, and to make a chamber, in the which he may lay forage enough for his horses under one self same roof, which is double commodity and profit, then vainly to go waist so much money as to build another house to lay his forage in, for the wearying of the keepers, doth deceive his horses of their dressing.   

At what time of the day is it best to water a horse, and also whether it be good to wash him or not.  
THE best time to water your horses is in the morning betwixt seven and eight of the clock, and between four and five in the after noon. And touching the washing of an horse, it is very good, as hath been before taught, and it is also good in the Summer when he eats grass, as w●l as at any other time, the weather being hot, to learn your horse to swim in some deep water, with a ●●ie or a man upon him, and a surcingle girded fast about his body, upon the which it shall be good to tie a couple of wad● made of straw● or hay, in such height, that the man being mounted, and bowing his legs backward, may hold himself fast by the said wisps with his calves or hams; this is a very excellent way, for that you may sit as fast almost as though you had a saddle, and take heed when you will swim your horse in this sort, that you br●●●e him with a watering bit or snaffle, or else with a pair of false rains at his ordinary bit, else in swimming if you should use your ordinary rains, you shall pull his head under the water. And note always, that first when you would learn your horse to swim, that you let him swim but a little way at once, and then letting him stand still and making much of him till he be in breath, you may swim him again as before: This is a very necessary thing for a soldiers horse or horse of service to learn him to swim well.  Kingdon. 
I grant that it is good to learn an horse to swim, and also to wash him often in hot weather, so that he be not driven into any heat before, for that were very dangerous, but my purpose was to know of you whether it be good to wash an horse after he hath been ridden, yea or no.  Clifford. 
It is not amiss if thy horse be very foul and miry to ride him through some pond or watering place so fast as you can make him pace or troth without staying him or letting him to drink, and take heed withal you ride him not too deep, if he be a very fat horse and also hot.  Kingdon. 
But diverse good horse men are of opinion that it is not good to wash an horse when he is hot.  Clifford. 
I grant it is not good if your horse be extreme hot and also very fat but if he be but reasonable hot either from coming from giving him his lesson, or travailing him you may boldly wash his legs up to his belly without any danger as before, taking good heed that you wash not your horse's belly, or as high as the skirts of the saddle, as I have seen many unexpert horse keepers do, which thing in deed is very dangerous to an horse that is hot: If your watering place be very nigh to your stable, than I would have you ride your horse two or three turns after you have washed him upon a good round trot, and as soon as you are lighted to put him into the Stable, and not to wal●●e him in the hand in any case, for that the cold air shall utterly mar him.   

How, and at what time it is best to let an horse blood, and also by what signs you shall know when it is needful.  Kingdon. 
I Pray you show me at what time of the year it is best to let mine horse blood, for that some are of opinion, that it is good to let a horse blood four times a year, and some but twice a year, and other, but once in a year: and some would not have him let blood at all, except there be appearance of sickness.  Clifford. 
Thou hast rightly termed those opinions, for indeed they are but vain & opinionated men that would have an horse being of good health to be let blood at any time of the year, unless they be such geldings or horses as you will in the spring time turn to grass: for experience doth teach, that it is not amiss to let such horse's blood three or four days before you turn them out.  Kingdon. 
But were it not best in the spring time to let any horse blood, for that I have heard some of the opinion, that it is good, for that the horses of Polonia, as they sa●, let themselves blood once in the year, and that in the spring time?  Clifford. 
I grant they say so, but those that teach such untruths as these be, I may well compare them to the learned fools which carry their science in their satchels, and their wisdom in their lips, speaking opinions, and what they have heard, which is intolerable in such men to recount what they have read, but to the good rider, soldier, keeper, or farrier that will have credit given to his words, he must not recount what he hath read, but what he hath seen and done with his hands.  Kingdon. 
This by the way (but to our purpose:) I pray you teach me in what vain it is best to let my horse blood, and what order is to be observed therein.  Clifford. 
First, thou shalt let him blood in the neck vain, which goeth right to the middle of the horses heart, and spreadeth not abroad towards the neck and withers, as some vain horseleeches have presumed to teach me, but I doubting their unskilful malapertness being at sir Thomas Scots in Kent, who is not only a very good horseman, but also a singular wise man and a just as ever I served, I gave a country man six pence, being on a cold frosty day to show me an horse that was dead, & as I do remember it was two or three mile's distance from Scots hall, which horse I cut up in this order: First I began with the neck vain at the horse's head, and put a small strait wand into the same, when I had put my rod as far into the vain as I could with my knife, I opened the same to the point thereof, so long till I thrust my rod by the same conduct into the midst of the horses heart, and afterward returned to the arturie which lieth just under the foresaid vein, and cometh into the middle of the heart also, and carrieth the vital blood to nourish the spirits withal, as the● say, which I do not deny, and that vein, they say, carrieth the nutrimental blood, which if they would leave rolling in their Rhetoric, and chopping of Logic, it were more proper in this art to tearm● it the blood which nourisheth the body, for that we ignorant grooms and horseleeches understand no such horseleeches latin, nor eloquent terms, whereby they do not only seek ●● deceive us, but a number of wise and learned Gentlemen, for the which I do not envy them so much, as also for that they dare presume to say that a horse hath a very little brain or none at all: in the which two things, they do most notably lie as well as in a number of other things which were here too long to repeat.  Kingdon. 
How much shall I let one of these horse's blood that is to be turned to grass?  Clifford. 
That must I refer to your own judgement, for that some horses may bleed more than others by a great deal, therefore thou must take heed first, know well thy horse's quality and strength, and afterward let him blood accordingly.  Kingdon. 
I grant that this is good, but I pray you teach me by what signs I shall know when to let my horse blood, to prevent sickness and preserve health, sithence you deny me to let my horse blood in the spring time, which cannot sink into my head, but to be good, for that the horses of Polonia let themselves blood by the instinct of nature.  Clifford. 
As touching the signs I answer, that thou shalt know it in this sort, by that thy horse rubbeth his tail and mane, bites his body, and that his veins swell and appear greater than they were accustomed. And also the inside of his eyes will be very red. And as touching the horses of Polonia, they teach thee no other thing than as I have before said, which, if thou be not very forgetful, thou mayest remember that I told thee even now, that it was not good to let thy horse blood without appearance of sickness, which these horses of Polonia duly observe, not only in the spring time, but all the whole year thorough, when they feel any appearance of sickness, as before, of the which thing I have had good trial, not only by four of them which were in the Prince of Orange his stable, but also by four other, which Monsieur Villiers had, I having them charge of his horses, I did observe in them, as before.  Kingdon. 
I pray you show me in what place of their bodies, these horses let themselves blood.  Clifford. 
Upon their shoulders most commonly so high, as is possible for them to reach towards their withers, they will also let themselves blood on their buttocks a little beneath the huckle bone, but this last they use not half so common as the first: note, that these horses will always let themselves blood so near the place where the grief or sickness is as is possible for them to reach with their mouths.   

At what time it is best to purge with grass or otherwise.  Kingdon. 
I Pray you show me at what time of the year it is best to purge my horse, for that some are of opinion, that it is best to purge him in the spring time with grass or otherwise.  Clifford. 
Thou shalt never purge thy horse otherwise th●n with grass or green corn, unless the appearance of sickness, then shall it be tolerable both to let him blood, and to purge him with a medicine which shall be hereafter taught in the Farrier's office. And as touching purging with grass, the best way is to give it him in the spring time, whiles it is very tender, or otherwise it will purge little or nothing at all.  Kingdon. 
How many days shall I let my horse eat grass in this sort?  Clifford. 
Even as many as is possible for thee to get it.  Kingdon. 
What reason have you, for that by continual purging my horse, I shall mar him?  Clifford. 
But thy horse will not purge with grass or green corn above the space of ten days at the most, no, nor so much, if thou give him provender, whereof he will eat more, and with better appetite than when he eats hay.  Kingdon. 
Then, shall I give my horse grass but ten days only?  Clifford. 
I told thee even now, that thou shouldest give it him so long as was possible to get it, for the longer he eats it, the sounder shall he be, yea, I have always in Flaunders and France, when my horses have failed to eat grass once, in the summer time, one month at the least, I have always had it for an infallible rule, that they have been a great deal more subject to sickness the whole year following. But by letting my horse eat grass or green corn at all times when I could get it, I have kept them much sounder than by hard meat, and more lusty and disposed to travel or do any thing, yea I have in my journey, or otherwise at all times when I saw my horse refuse his meat, immediately sought to get him grass, which is a very present medicine to make him eat his meat at what time soever he loathes the same, which comes of no other cause than of the glutting with provender, or when his stomach is weak by means of extreme travel: When he shall have taken any cold, it is very good to give him grass to eat, and venegréeke in his provender, and to exercise him every day once a little, in doing whereof, you must have great care that you exercise him so moderately that in any wise you make him not sweat. In this sort shall you rid any horse of his cold, be it never so great, if you will have care that you keep him not too hot at one time, and too cold at an other, and that you set him in a reasonable warm stable, for in a cold stable you shall never keep your horse sound, but always subject to sickness.  Kingdon. 
Then would you would make me believe that it is good to travel mine horse with grass, which all good horse men do deny, saying, it is too gross and faint a feeding for an horse to travel with, and being fed with grass, he shall not be able to run or to do any service, as well as when he is said with hard meat.  Clifford. 
Good horsemen I grant them, but yet in this point for want of experience they err much, for I have never found my horse more disposed to travel upon any meat than with grass, so that you observe this order here following. As soon as your horse hath eaten grass till his belly be full, and that he begins to leave it, then must you offer him hate, which you shall see him eat so willingly as he did the grass at the first. Thus by giving him grass at one time, and hay at another, and also his ordinary provender, you shall keep your horse in good state, sound, and disposed to any travel, but he shall be also very long winded, and able to do any service or travel, that you shall put him unto, so that you exercise him daily, for it is want of exercise, and not meat that maketh man and beast unable to endure travel.  Kingdon. 
But were it not good to let my horse lie in his own● dung, & not to stir him so long as he purgeth with grass?  Clifford. 
No, it is nought, and contrary to nature, as thou mayest well perceive, if thou wilt but mark thy horses lying when he is in the fields, which I am assured thou wilt grant, for thou never sawest any horse lie in his own dung in the field, for that is proper only to swine, and they are all but swinish and hoggish horsemen that use such beastly fashions, for the cleaner thy horse is kept, the healthier and sounder shall he be.  Kingdon. 
I have seen you to let an horse of M. throckmorton's stand upon his dung, & also throw water on the same.  Clifford. 
It is true that thou sawest me let him stand upon it, but that was to mend his hooves, which were almost marred, by reason of an unskilful keeper and farrier, but thou did d●st never see me suffer him to lie upon it, for that the keeper threw it away at night, and put it under him in the morning presently when he was dressed.  Kingdon. 
Then, would you have me to dress my horse so as I do when he is at hard meat?  Clifford. 
Yea, in the same sort, without any difference, & also ride & exercise him daily, which is the best physic to preserve any horse's health that ever I found, if thou wilt add two simples more which is venegréeke in his oats, as hath been before taught, at some times, which will prevent cold worms, and a number of other diseases. The second simple is, good diet, and moderate feeding him with such forage and provender, as is clean, sweet, and wholesome.  
The end of the third book.   

The fourth Book.  
Certain brief notes necessary to be known of every Gentleman, Soldier, Rider, and Keeper, teaching him how he should make his cavesson, his bridle, headstalles, and rains, and also how he should make his saddle in such sort as he may carry his head piece so commodiously, that although he be the Marshal of a camp, and that he have pages to carry it, yet shall he find it a great deal more ready, and also it shall not trouble nor let him any way, not be able to fall off whether he gallop or run, or what exercise so ever he doth on horse back. Also how to make his pistol fast to his saddle, that it shall be able neither to stir, nor yet shall he be letted thereby any more, either in getting up or down, then if he had no pistol at all.  
MAke your cavesson of four fashions, the first is all made of one piece, the second is made of two pieces joined in the middle, or else of three pieces: the third fashion is made of four pieces, each piece an inch and a quarter, being with an hole in each end thereof, and these four pieces must be ●ast riveted with small nails to a piece of thick and strong leather so long as your ordinary cavesson, which must be covered with a piece of thin leather to hide the heads of your nails that they cannot be seen, then may you make your two rings fast to the ends of the foresaid leather, as you do to your cavesson, this is a very good way for that it shall not have any iron to wring your horse upon his cheeks, but on his nose only. The fourth fashion, thou must take six little clout or tack nails, with their heads some thing broad, then mayest thou drive them through a piece of thick leather, and let the● be distant one from another an inch, and having covered the said piece of leather with another piece that must be somewhat broader than the first, and stitched it so near the heads of your nails as is possible, then may you make fast your rings in such sort as you did to your other cavesson, and that being done, cut off all your nails with a pair of sharp pincers, so as they may appear no more than a wheat corn length without the leather. These two last cavisons are excellent good for a horse that is hard of nose, if you make fast a strappe of leather under his chin, and a chain in his mouth, as hath been before taught, for if you shall slack the one hand and draw the other never so little, you shall make your horse more to obey you, and stand in greater awe of your cavesson, then if you pulled him with the strength of two men at your cavesson made all of one piece, and the reason is, for that these two cavisons will easily be made to run over your horse's nose, in such sort● as you draw a Saw over a piece of timber, when you cut it, & although this cavesson may be thought too cruel of those that have not tried it, yet I assure you that when you have once proved it so as is here taught, you shall find it far to excel both the mousroul●, chain, and cavesson, made of one piece for with these two cavisons you shall never need to bruise your horses noses, so as they shall swell or make them raw, no if a man have knowledge and reason, & have these two cavisons upon any horse, you shall scarce ever perceive up-his nose that he hath been touched with a cavesson for that he shall be so light upon the same after that he is thoroughly acquainted therewith, that you shall see him go backward a round trot with half the strength of your little finger.  Kingdon. 
I grant that these cavisons are good, but I would feign have you to tell me which is the best.  Clifford. 
That made of four pieces of iron is best of all other that ever I tried.  Kingdon. 
You have taught me of what length I should make my pieces of iron, and also how I should make them fast, but I know not of what fashion I should make them.  Clifford. 
You must make them of such fashion as you do your cavesson turned hollow, and filled with teeth, and turn it a little crooked, noting, that you make it not half so great as your ordinary cavesson, nor so hollow by two parts.  Kingdon. 
I have often heard you say, that while you were with Monsieur Villiers in Flaunders, you invented how to make your headstall to serve for two purposes, that is to say, both for a collar and for a headstal, which thing is very commodious upon great journeys, and in a camp for soldiers, therefore I pray you teach me of what fashion I shall make the same.  Clifford. 
This kind of headstall is very commodious in deed, for the you shall not be troubled to carry a collar at your saddle; ● having need to ride your horse with false rains you may make the rains thereof with buttons, that you may both button it to your bit when you ride, & coming into the stable, you may bu●● on the same to the rings of your headstall, yet I have often in the camp● made one of my rains to serve me for a martingale, & the other of them for a pair of f●lse rains, by tying a knot on each end thereof, and cutting it full of slits. But to the purpose. Thou shalt only make thy throat band and thy nose band of thy headstall double, and put thereon a couple of rings, and let these two rings be made fast one to the other with a couple of links, two inches and a half or three inches long, and to the nethermost of those rings you may fasten your collar rains at such time as you will unbridle your horse. Thus shall you have no need to take off your headstall, but only to unbuckle the two porchmouths of your bit.  Kingdon. 
This is a very good way for a soldier, but I think for a Gentleman it is very unseemly to ride with a pair of iron rings at his headstall, and with one of his collar rains made in a martingale, and the other in a pair of false rains.  Clifford. 
Whereas thou sayest it shall be unseemly for a Gentleman, I answer thee, it shall not be unseemly neither for Gentleman nor noble man, if thou wilt leave vain pride & foolishness a mome: For I have seen Monsieur Villiers who is a noble gentleman, & also a man of great credit and authority, not to ride here with only in the camp, but also both in Cities and towns, and I have se●ne him ride therewith amongst all the brave French men that Monsieur had then in his army when he was first Duke of Brabont and governeur of the low Countries, yea, and he would often say, that he would not change his headstall for a waggon full of their taffeta bridles: But for such as are better, thou mayest unbuckle thy nose and throat hand and take off thy rings, which being done no man shall perceive this heedstall to differ any thing in fashion from our ordinary he●dstalls. And whereas thou sayest, it is unseemly to ride with thy collar rains made in a martingale and false rains, thou mayest cho●se whether thou wilt use it so or no.  Kingdon 
If I use not my collar rains to a martingale and false rains, as is before taught, I shall be troubled with carrying them almost as bad as if I had a collar.  Clifford. 
This shall not trouble half so much as a collar, for thou mayest make it fast under thy saddle cover or skirt, so as no man can perceive it, for I have made Monsieur Villiers often times carry his rains in this sort, and yet neither he nor any other could perceive it: You must do it in this sort, cut a thong of leather of two foot and a half of length, in which you must pass through the cover of the saddle fast by the edge of your hinder bolster, so high as you can reach with your hands to take hold of the points of the foresayd● thong, and having thus passed it through, make a knot in each end thereof, then may you tie your rains fast in the one end of the said thong, being first doubled a f●●te long, then may you draw the other end and make it fast to your girse, by means whereof your rains shall lie so high under the hinder bolster of your saddle, that no man can perceive it, if your collar be not very great, you may also carry it in this sort.  Kingdon. 
I grant that this is a good fashioned headstall, no● only for soldiers in the camp, but also for Gentlemen wh●n they will ride any great journey, for that they shall not need to charge their keeper with a wallet full of collars, nor have them tied at their saddles, which is a very unseemly fashion, and also you shall be sure that you shall not leave your collar behind. But now I would desire you to teach me how I may make the rains of my bit in such sort that I shall not have need with my sword hand when I am in service, at any time to touch the same, for that with our ordinary rains we are much troubled when we are forced to ride with our sword drawn, or our lances in our right hands, by reason that if we let our rains at any time go too long, or the one shorter than the other, we have no other remedy but to use the help of our right hand and to redress the same, which is not only dangerous in time of necessity, but also it is uneasy and incommodious in cold weather, for that we must be forced to wear a glove or a gauntlet with fingers, for that we cannot be able to hold our rains right and orderly, either in mitten or plain gauntlet, and if I should for remedy hereof tie a knot on my bridle rain, I should thereby not only hold my rains uneven, but it would be painful to carry such a great knot in my hand, wherefore I pray you heartily to show me if ever you have found any other fashion that is better.  Clifford. 
Yes, I have seen the Germans use a much better fashion in making of their bridle rains, and I have also proved it far to excel the fashion which we commonly use, for that you may hold your rains right without the help of your right hand, and you may boldly let them go at your pleasure upon any occasion, and take them again so right, without the help of your right hand as is possible, you may also 〈◊〉 a mitten cuff or close gauntlet, that it shall not let you any thing at all, and the foresaid rains are made in ●his order: First cut your two rains two f●●t● and 〈◊〉 quarter of length, and place thereupon a couple of buckles, then shall you cut another piece of leather of one foot and three quarters long, then shall you cut another piece half a foot long, and having marked just the middle of the two foresaid pieces, and stitched them fast together through the two fore taken marks, then shall you at each and of your short piece of leather make a great button, and see that those two buttons be of one self distance from the ends of your long piece of leather, then must you double your piece of leather, and pierce holes in it for two buttons to the ends thereof, then shall you buckle your bit rains on the one end of the foresaid piece, and the other rain to the other end thereof, and see that you buckle them of like distance from your foresaid buttons, so that when you shall take hold● of the rains with your hand betwixt the two foresaid buttons, you may hold them of one just length.  Kingdon. 
But these rains will be so short that if the 〈…〉kes of my bit be long I shall not be able easily to put the rains over my horse's head being bridled.  Clifford. 
Canst thou not put thy rains first over thy horse's head when thou wouldst bridle him, or else put them over before thy curb of his bit, for when he is uncurbed thou mayest easily put them up and take them down.  Kingdon. 
I do very well allow of this headstall and rains, but I would feign if I might, crave so much at your hand, to tell me your opinion as touching the making of my saddle, and what saddle is best both for service and travail, and also whether the stool saddle he good in ser●uice or no●  Clifford. 
As touching the making of thy saddle, the lighter it is, the better it is, and as touching the lightness thereof, the chiefest way is, that you take heed that your tree be not too wide, for if your tree be large, your saddle will require so much stuffing, that it is not possible for it to be light, and as touching the sitting of the tree to the horse back, see that it bear equally, in all places like much, saving on his back bone, and as touching the stuffing of his panel, the best stuffing the ever I could find was buff hair, or else fine hay, & flocks on it, but before you stuff your saddle with flocks, you must first ride in it, & after the the hay is settled some thing fast, then may you stuff it with flocks upon the hay, this is a good way to stuff any saddle, for that it shall be much lighter than if it were stuffed all with hair, yea I have often when my saddle hath been stuffed with buff hair or flocks, after it hath been somewhat settled, taken out the panells and stuffed it in the contrary 〈◊〉 with hay.  Kingdon. 
I do very well like that my saddle should be light, and also ●ilde to the horses back, for thereby it shall ●it the faster, but I would have you to teach me how I should make the hinder and forebolsters thereof.  Clifford. 
As touching the height of thy bolsters, let them be five inches high at the least, so that they may save your thigh from any stroke of lance or other weapon: and as touching the length of your forebolster, make it not above twelve inches from the middle of your saddle, so that when you lay the other end of your measure to the neither point of the foresaid bolster, they shall be but twelve inches distance, as before, whereby your kn●● may come a good deal lower than the bolster, by this means you shall stay yourself very well by your knees, which is not possible for you to do by your bolsters being 〈◊〉, and as touching your hinder bolster, I would have you make the end thereof of such length, as between the other, and the middle of the seat close to your hinder tree, it may be seventeen inches and an half distance, and that you place those two bolsters so far forward at the neither ends, as they may keep your thigh close to the point of your fore bolster, so as your thigh may have no liberty to move: and as touching the length of your seat, from the hinder free to the ●●dside of the sore tree, let it be sixteen inches, for if you make your saddle short i● the seat, it shall be very dangerous when you leap or stir your horse for 〈…〉 ne breaking of you; and it shall not be amiss to cause the upper end of your fore bolster to stand behind the head of your saddle four inches at the least, and that shall keep your thigh so far backward, that it shall not be possible for you ●● strike the ne 〈…〉 part of your belly at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the head of your saddle, & it is good to ●n●ke the head of your saddle so as it may lean forward: for if it stand upright, it shall be the more dangerous, not only for hurting of your belly, but also in leaping being armed, you shall strike the n●ther part of your armour, upon your saddle bow, so as it shall make you believe your 〈◊〉 are broken in pieces, be 〈…〉 that also it may break the girdle of your armour, & l●●se the same, & when you would break your lance upon your enemy, you shall not be able to lean forward, which is a great disadvantage: for both best and surest riding when you would encounter your enemy is to lean forward so much as you may conveniently; either leaping 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other exercise, being armed the surest 〈◊〉 is to lean forward, for fear of hurting the small of your 〈◊〉, which thing I have well approved by 〈◊〉 experience in Flanders when the Prince of Par 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and 〈◊〉 army, then lying afore 〈…〉 it, I then riding upon a ●aie horse of 〈…〉 sieur Vill●●rs ●●●ed Soldier in mine armour, I chanced to put the horse suddenly in his gallop, which he took with such fury, and leapt so suddenly forward that he had nigh broken my back, that I being laid down, could not rise but as I was lifted up for the space of fifteen days, which thing I might easily have remedied with leaning forward a little.  Kingdon. 
I grant it is very good to make the hinder bolsters and the fore bolsters of the saddle in all points as you have ●●ught ●●, and also that it is good to l 〈…〉 for 〈…〉, not only when I encounter mine enemy with a 〈◊〉, but also with any weapon whatsoever, but the thing that troubleth me, is how I should hold mine hand close upon the horse's mane, which is not only good to keep in his mo●ell, so as he can not 〈◊〉 it was but also it is very good to let mine enemy, that h●● cannot cut the ●oines of the 〈◊〉  Clifford. 
I do confess that the saddle that leaveth much forward with his head, is something troublesome when you would hold your hand upon your horse's mane, but you may remedy it by making it somewhat higher 〈◊〉 if it be of a reasonable height, that is to say, that it be 〈◊〉 inches betwixt the horse's crest, and the neither side of the saddle head, it shall let you nothing at all.  Kingdon. 
If I make the head of my saddle so high it will be very uncomely▪  Clifford. 
It shall be power a whit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if you make your forebolsters stand but one inch 〈◊〉 from the neither side thereof, and it shall be 〈◊〉 hundred times more c 〈…〉 dious than the upright he●d, not only for the reasons before 〈◊〉 but also for that it shall much ●etter 〈◊〉 you from any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ●ther weapon that might 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 against you, Besides that, the carrying the hand upon the crest, is very seldom to be ●●d, and whereas you said it shall be dangerous for cutting of your rains, you may remedy that by pulling dow●● your hand when you perceive your enemy to strike at your rains.  Kingdon. 
You have certified me as touching my saddle, rains & collar, but I pray tell me whether the steel saddle be good or not for a soldier for that they are very chargeable and troublesome to be kept.  Clifford. 
They are not ●o chargeable & troublesome to be kept, but they are twice as vain and troublesome to serve in, yea, & also very unprofitable for that in time of peace they rot, are eaten with worms, & the harness consumed with rust, & in time of service they are not only heavy & chargeable for all horse to carry, but also in rain●● weather they are most ●● thi● & painful to ●e ●●pt clean, the head whereof shall mar the handle of your sword, & the hinder part thereof shall cut your scabbard in pieces: yea I never saw neither Monsieur la Now, nor Monsieur Villiers, nor that most noble and brave soldier, the marshal Byron ever to est●eme it, nor any other soldier of experience.  Kingdon. 
What saddle then do you count best, both for travel and for service▪  Clifford. 
A light buff saddle is the best for great horses and great trotting geldings, for that they are as good to serve strong s●●le leather as will cover the same, and having wet it, and nailed it upon your mould, you must dry it in the sun, or bake it in the oven after the br●●de is drawn, so as when you take it off the mould, it may keep his fashion like as you see a pistol case, then shall you close on a bottom with strong shoemakers thread, and on the midst you may close an other piece on the inside, also on the underside you must leave a hole as big as you may put in your hand, the which shall be a very good place to put your money, shirts, or stockings in, and if you have no need thereof, yet shall your saddle hereby be almost as light as a Scottish saddle, and the stiff leather shall always keep your bolster in a right fashion.  Kingdon. 
This bolster will be too hard?  Clifford. 
You may make it soft enough, by stuffing it an inch thick betwixt the foresaid leather and your saddle covering upon the inside toward your leg, and upon the neither end.  Kingdon. 
You have fully certified me as touching the making of my saddle, bridle, and cavesson, but if you do remember, you promised to teach me how to carry my headpiece, cask, or helmet, and pistol, so as it should not trouble me any thing at all, neither in mounting on horseback nor descending.  Clifford. 
Whatever I have promised th●e I shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perform, through Gods help 〈◊〉 whose grace I 〈◊〉 not of myself able as much as to 〈◊〉 one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to our purpose. Thou shalt make thy pistol in this ●●te, take a strappe of leather, with a buckle therein, and put the p●int thereof downward betwixt the 〈◊〉 bolsters of your saddle, and having passed the point of the said piece of leather betwixt your tree and your panel on the near side, then shall you close by the tree six inches beneath the head of your saddle cut a slit of an inch long, through the which you shall pass the point of your foresaid piece of leather, so as you may buckle it about the fore bolster and forepoint of your saddle tree, and then when you will make fast your pistol, draw out your ordinary strappe, and pass the foresaid strappe that shall remain in your saddle for that purpose, and the point thereof through one of the loops of your pistol sheath or case, then shall you buckle it fast: thus shall the head of your pistol remains lower than the head of your saddle, so as it shall not trouble you any thing at all. And as touching the caring of your headpiece, you must first just in the middle of the crest thereof, pierce two holes, one an inch from an other, and having made fast a strong thing of leather hunger, or else a cord of silk, no longer than you may get your finger underneath it, then shall you nail a little iron hook upon the out edge of the hinder cantle of your saddle tree, five inches lower than the middle thereof, so as you may hang your cask or headpiece thereon: then shall you mark where the crest of your headpiece falls, or hollow place that goes about your neck, and just against that place cut a slit of an inch long through the covering of your saddle, close under the backside of your hinder bolster, through the which you must pass a strong girdle or strap of leather, drawing it under the tree of your saddle, with the point backwards towards your horse's crupper: then shall you cut an other slit in the cover of your saddle, close by the edge of the tree, and having passed the point of the foresaid piece of leather upwards, through the forenamed slit you may buckle your foresaid cask● so fast, that if two men had hold thereupon, they should so soon be able to take the saddle from your horse, or throw him down, as once be able to move or stir your foresaid helmet. And when you would put it on your head, you have no more to do but lose the foresaid buckle with your right hand, and lifting your cask up it will come close of itself.  Kingdon. 
There remains yet three things which I doubt of, that is, on which side I should hang my pistol: and on which side I should hang my cask: and also where I shall put my hat when I take my headpiece.  Clifford. 
Thou troublest me much with vain questions, but it is much better to demand curiously than to presume through ignorance. But to the matter which we have in hand: Thou shalt hang thy pistol on the near side with a strappe of leather going under the fore point of thy saddle tree, and round about thy pistol case, so as it shall not be able to stir any way. And thy bridle hand lying over the head thereof shall not be able to fall out at any time: and as touching thy cask, thou must carry it on the right side behind thy hinder bolster with the beaver thereof backwards, and the crest upwards, so as, although thou march all night in the rain, yet shall it be dry when thou wouldst put it on thy head, this is a much better way than to hang it at your saddle bow, or to march with it upon your head, which two ways are so troublesome and painful, that a number of good soldiers thereby do lack their casks when they come to service, which thing many times is the cause that they leave their lives behind them, or else do make them that they dare not do so much as they might, having been armed on their heads, yea, I never account him a good soldier that will ride without his headpiece: nor him a wise Captain of arquebusiers, that will let his soldiers go without their morions, sword, and daggers. But to our purpose: you shall put your h●tte in your pocket, or else into your breech in at your codpiece: or you may make a silk string fast to the inside of your hat with a great button upon the same, and having put the foresaid string upon your saddle how, you may draw your button up so close, that it is not possible for you to lose your hat.  
The end of the fourth Book.   

The fift Book. The first Chapter of Diseases.  
Of the cold in the head.  
THe signs to know it be these, thy horse● eyes and countenance will be very heavy, & he will not hold by his head, not to eat his meat, and there will run at his eyes and nose clear water. The cure that I have many times used was in this sort: put on his head a beggarly biggen, and also purge his head with this medicine: take of vfor●iu● ha●●an ounce finely beaten in powder, then mingle it well with half a pound of fresh butter: and then having anointed the points of a couple of g●●se or swans feathers, thrust them into his nostrils, but first you must make fast to the two neither ends thereof two threads, so as you may tie them to the noseband of his bridle, in such sort, that they cannot fall out of his nose, than it shall not be amiss to walk him abroad, if it be warm weather, but if the weather be cold, to walk him in the house, with a man on his back an hour at the least: then may you unbridle him and take out the quills, which being done, wipe clean his nose, and put his head into a bottomless bag, having tied it fast over his ears, with ● strappe or cord. And if it be too wide for his head, you may double it in one side, and pin it with a pin of wood close to his head: then take a chasingdish of coals, with frankincense thereupon held in the foresaid bag or sack in such sort, that the sum thereof may enter into his nostrils, and hold it so for the space of one quarter of an hour: this is a very good way to purge any horse's head, yet would I wish you to use it very seldom, and but upon very great occasion.  

Of the cough coming of cold.  
THe signs to know it be these, when thy horse drinks he will let the water run out at his nose, and in his coughing he will void filthy tough ●●eame at his mouth: to cure it, take of fenegréeke, of galin●, of cinnamon, of saffron, of tunnericke, of long pepper, of Ani● seed, of liquorice, of each one of them a penny worth, beat all these things together in a mortar, and put them into three pints of Ale or Beer, and add thereunto half a pint of honey, and having made it luke warm, give it your horse to drink when he is fasting in the morning, and let him not eat any meat in six hours after. And it shall be good to walk him one half hour fair and softly, so that you drive him not into any sweat. When you have brought him into the stable shake litter enough about him, and  him with a reasonable warm cloth, so that he sweat not. And take heed that you exercise him every day once upon a soft trot one hour or two at the least, but see that your exercise be such as he sweat not, for that shall do your horse more harm than good, yea, I have many times cured my horse only with reasonable exercise, and giving him grass to eat, and Fenegréeke in his provender, which is the surest kind of killing the cough above all other.   

Another for the same.  
TAke of Butter half a pound, of Fenegrée● as much, of Ellecompane six ounces. Having beaten your Ellecompane and Fenegréeke to small powder in a mortar with a rolling pin for that purpose, mingle them all together, and having wrought them well in this sort cold, if then it be not stiff enough to make it in balls, then may you add thereunto a little wheat flower, and make it in six or eight great balls, and when you will give them to your horse, hold up his head as high as you can. Then having taken out your horse's tongue, with your left hand thrust one of the balls into his throat as far as you can, & then let his tongue go till he have swallowed it, thus may yo● 〈…〉 e him two or three of your balls at once, then may y●● 〈…〉 dle him and let him stand one hour, then shall you g 〈…〉 him another third part of your medicine as before, and then shall you bridle him, and let him stand the second hour. Thus shall you give your horse his medicine at three several times without doing him any harm, and the third part of the medicine being given, let your horse stand three hours more at the bare rack upon the bit, which will be six hours in all, then may you unbridle him & offer him some wet hay to eat, or grass if it may be had, & let him not drink before night, and let his water be warmed with a little grinded malt or wheat bran therein for the space of ten days.   

Of the dry cough.  
THe signs to know it be these, he will cough very drily, and often, without voiding any thing either at nose or mouth. The cure: Take of oil of bay half a pound, of Butter as much, then take of garlic one pound, beat it together unpilled, and being well beaten with the end of a great cudgel in a dish, then add your butter and oil to your garlic, then having made it in balls with wheat flower, give this medicine to your horse at six several times, and let him not eae any meat till it be night, nor drink till the next morning, and let him drink warm water for the space of xv. days, nor any dry meat if grass may be had, but if you cannot have grass, than dust his hay well, and wet it in fair water, and let him not eat any provender without fenegréeke therein, but if at the xv. days end his cough amend nothing at all, than it shall be good to give him the foresaid medicine again, and to diet him as before xv. days. I have never dressed my horse with this medicine but the he hath been cured perfectly, yet would I not wish you to be too busy in medicining your horse either with this or any other, till such time as you find the giving him grass to eat, fenegréeke in his provender, & reasonable exercise, which is the most excellenst medicine the ever I found to heal my horse of all griefs coming of cold, & is very good to preserve him from all other sickness if you use him with good diet & clean feeding, as is before taught will not avail.   

Of the fretized, broken, and rotten lungs.  
I Have never seen any of those horses cured, yet I thought good here to declare mine own experience herein, for the I have by the space of thirty years and more sought with great diligence the causes of any sickness or grief, & also the signs how to know it, as well as how to cure the same: for in my judgement there is no disease perfectly known, neither is it possible to cure it unless that cause thereof be first found out, for otherwise in seeking to cure your horse of his disease, you may give him such medicines, exercise, & diet, as shall not decrease his grief, but rather increase the same. The cause of this disease, without all doubt, cometh of extreme galloping, sudden running or leping, or by some other strain. It may come also by the corruption of the air, the signs to know it be these, according to mine own experience, which I first observed in a horse of M. Coles in Somerset sheer, which horse as they said, had the murning of the chine a long time, & when I came to see the horse, which ran at the nose with filthy stinking water, I judged him to have the said murning of the chine, & medicined him therefore with a drench the I had learned for the purpose, but after that he had received his drench, he never eat or drunk any more ●ut did pant & blow continually for the space of 3. days, & then being dead, I cut him up, & found the one quarter of his lungs rotten, & a great part thereof consumed. After which time I held it for a general rule, not to drench any horse the long time had had the murning of the chine, or that continually had a stinking breath, but only to give them Licorise beaten into powder, and anise seeds whole in his provender, & give him grass or wet hay to eat, and to purge his head often with frankincense, and sometimes with Euforbium ordered in such sort as is before taught in the Chapter of the cold of the head, but this is to be noted by the way, that this horse did cough always hollowly and but seldom, I had experience also in another of those horses of master Gregory Prices at Hereford, which horse was overriden by a man of his, and afterward having a continual cough, & did sometime run at his nose, which was judged to be nothing else but a cold taken by the foresaid over galloping, but he being drenched to heal him of his foresaid cold, he never ceasing panting and blowing till he died, and I perceived his breath to stink, caused him to be cut up, found his lungs rotten, as in the other horse. In a third horse also I have had experience at M. Rothero Gwins in Carmarthen sheer, a gentleman of the Earl of Essex, I being then come out of Ireland, & lying at his house, one of his sons chanced to have a stoned nag very sick, and when I looked on him I judged him to have the yellows, for that both his eyes, the inside of his lips, and under his tongue, was all died yellow, but as soon as I smelled to his breath & felt it stink, I told him if he gave him any medicine he would die, but he requested the the more instantly to show him what medicine were best for the yellows, for (quoth he) I had rather have him die upon a medicine then upon his sickness without any trial of medicine, whereupon I taught him to give his nag Cummin and honey, in such sort as you may read in the Chapter of the Yellows, but he never drank any more, and the second day of his sickness all the inside of his tongue & lips became of the colour of a piece of tanned leather or dry oaken leaves, and all the white of his eyes and inside of his eye lids looked all very red, and his breath did stink most horribly, and the horse being dead I cut him up, and found almost one half of his lungs rotten, but you must note by the way, that this horse and master Gregory Prices, both took their griefs with extreme & sudden galloping them, the one in deep and miry ways, and the other upon high mountains, as I did learn most certainly, and the first lived half a year after his journey, & the other but two months, all which time it was easy to perceive that they had taken their bane, for the they never prospered after. I have also seen a soreld courser of sir Thomas Scots in Kent that was judged to have broken lungs, for that he did cough very often with great pain, and would also groan in his coughing, and it would seem to a man that he had some thing in his throat, and also he would void white sparks of matter as big as a great pins head, and under his left ei● his head did shrink in, in such sort, that you might perceive by the said settling and shrinking in of his head under his eye, that his eye did swell out over the said shrinking, but this horse lived as I do remember, above four years after that his grief was perceived, this horse died of a swelling in the cods, and afterward I cut him up, and his lungs were so fair & sound as ever I saw any horse, his liver was also very sound, but the grief of the horse was, for that the call of fat the is upon the maw, was grown fast to the ribs of the horse on the right side, for it was grown very thick & hard also, & it fastened itself at one end of the midriff, or that thin partition that parteth the belly of the horse from his heart, with the foresaid fat or sponges substance, by means whereof the horses maw was always tied to the horses sides, so that I have ever held it for a general rule, that that horse that hath a stinking breath, hath always some imposthume or other incurable rotten disease in his lungs, and that he that groaneth in his coughing, and voideth matter at the mouth, hath either his lungs, liver, cawl, or stomach so tied, that they cannot have their due course and moving. I thought good (gentle Reader) to recite this my small experience in this most cruel and perilous disease, to the end the learned and wise may search out how to cure the same.   

Of the great swelling that comes by means of the hurt of an evil saddle.  
IF you chance to perceive it at your bait or at night, when you come to your lodging, then let your saddle stand fast girded upon your horse till he be through cold, and dress all the other parts of his body, then shall you take off your saddle and bind a great deal of hay upon the said swelling, and make it fast with a cloth, with two or three sussingles buckled on the same to hold it fast. Then cause your saddle to be amended that it wring him no more in that place, for the wet hay will put away the swelling, if the skin be not broken, and that you find it the first day that he beginneth to gall, but if the inflammation be great, and that it will not go away by means of the wet hay, then shall you cover all the swollen place with Wine lees, & as you see it dry, renew it with fresh lees continually until the swelling be quite gone, which will be in a very short space. This is a very excellent medicine to cure any grief that may by any means come through the saddle, if your wine lees be thin, then may you thicken them with wheat flower.   

Another medicine for the same.  
MAke a plaster of thick barm so great as the sore, renewing it every day until the swelling be assuaged, and after the swelling is clean gone, if there remain any corruption, them slit it down right through the middle thereof, and cut it so deep in the neither side, that there may no matter stand in the hollow place, then shall you wash the foresaid place with urine, beer, or ale, made scalding hot, or so hot as you can suffer your hand in it, that being done, dry the place by holding a great cloth fast upon it, or a Sponge, until you have clean dried up all the wet that shall there remain, then cover all the foresaid place with the powder of burned Allome, dress him in this sort once a day until the flesh be grown up so high as is needful, then shall you dress him in this sort but once in two or three days, and if you see him skin but slowly, then may you anoint him after that you have washed him, and after the powder is so dried, with unguentum album, round about the edges of the sore, which will cause the skin to come very fast, but if you see that with this seldom dressing and anointing him herewith, there beginneth proud flesh to grow, then shall you take a dram of Mercury, and mingle it with an ounce of unguentum album and anoint all the sore place therewith once in two days. This shall correct the proud flesh, and cause it to skin, and heal very suddenly.   

Of the Navel gall.  
THis cometh by means of the crouppier buckle, for that the saddle is too wide behind, and so it sitteth down fast upon the horse's ridge, and causeth a swelling or bunch against the crouppier buckle of your saddle, and I think it taketh his name, Navel gall, for that it is right against the navel of the horse, but howsoever the name is derived I know not, well I wots it is very peevish to cure, therefore must you take a sharp knife and cut away all the corrupt flesh, and wash it and cast powder on it, as is before taught in the former Chapter.    

Of the Fartion.  
THis cometh of abundance of corrupt blood, or by standing with other horses that hath the like disease, for it is very infectious. The signs to know it be these: It beginneth always upon a vein, and it breaketh forth into many little knots or branches, which will break out and run with matter very filthy to behold. The cure: Let him blood the first day on one side of his neck, and the second or third day on the other side. After you have let him blood the first time, cut a slit in his forehead of an inch long, four inches beneath the roots of the hair of his fore top, so that the slit may be just in the middle of his forehead, that being done, with a Cornet, raze all the skin from the horses forehead even up to his foretop, then shall you put therein a dock root of two or three inches long, being first made clean and lightly bruised with a hammer or cudgel, and let it remain in his head a month, and see that you thrust out the matter once a day, and take heed you thrust not out the root, but if so be it will not tarry in, then may you with a shoemakers thread thrust through both sides of the slit, tie it so fast that the root cannot fall out, or else you may make fast the root by putting the foresaid shoemakers end, through the skin of his forehead, & through the middle of the root an inch above the slit, which being tied fast, will hold the root that it can not fall out, and it is a much better way than the other, for that the matter may have free issue: you shall also burn with a hot iron round about all the sore places: then shall you burn all the foresaid buttons, with a blunt iron of the bigness of your little finger, so deep until you see see the white matter spring out about the point of your iron: that being done, sharp the point of the foresaid iron and crook it a little an inch from the point, so that when you thrust it through the horse's skin, the point may always turn outward from the flesh: then shall you take hold of the skin with a pair of pincers, and pull it clean from the flesh, then pass the iron through, so that the holes made with the iron may be four or five inches one from an other: that being done, anoint all the  places with soap, and dress him no more for the space of four or five days: In which time, you must prepare a good quantity of strong piss; with the which you must wash him every day, the piss being first made scalding hot, see that you rub him well until it be ready to bleed, then having dried all the sore places, throw on the powder of vnslaked lime, or burnt alum, which will heal much better than lime. And if you see that in any of the sores, through negligent dressing, there riseth proud flesh so high that you can not correct it sufficiently with the foresaid powder, then may you burn any such place so sore or sorer as you did at the first, and dress it as before, and take heed that you give your horse nothing but straw to eat, until he be whole, and let him have so little rest as may be: for letting him blood, than diet and reasonable exercise with the dock root in his forehead, is sufficient to heal any horse, if you dress him in this sort at the first beginning of his disease, without purging or burning him, but if it be old you must both purge and burn him, as hath been before taught: I have found some horses that have had this disease in one of their legs, and by evil dressing and long delaying, the humours have had so great recourse, that when I have healed his leg, as is before taught, in one place, it hath broken out in an other, which horse I have cured in this sort, I have first cut a slit of an inch long through the skin of his belly. under the middle thereof, and razed the skin round about with a cornet from the flesh so far as I could reach with the same. Then have I put in a roll of leather with a hole in the middle: And in like manner have I made an issue under the point of the shoulder of the grieved leg, which two issues with that on his forehead, I have let run continually till such time as he was healed: presently after that I had made the two last issues, I have burned all his leg with long strikes from his body, even down to the houfes, distant no more one from an other, but the breadth of an inch: and take heed that iron yron, when you will burn any horse in this sort be not upon the edge no thicker than the breadth of a straw: and note, that in burning any horse, that you begin always above, and draw your hand downward with the hair, and that you burn him so deep that you see the skin look brown. In this sort have I cured a horse in Paris of the Marshal Birons that all the best horseleeches that they could get, had burned him, purged him, dieted him, practised their medicines, and hanged there sorcery writings or enchantments about his neck: thus did they torment the poor▪ beast for the space of one whole year, in such sort, that it would have grieved any man's heart to have seen him, yea, and when they had given him over ●: and told the Marshal, that it was unpossible to cure him, he willed me to command him to be carried out of the City and be killed. But then I undertook myself to cure him, with no small envy of all the dog leeches of Paris, who often times did say behind my back, that when I had healed that horse, they would lose their heads: But GOD to whom all glory is due, so blessed me, that I healed him within the space of six months, which thing I did greatly esteem for my credits sake: yea, I was so careful I would never let any man dress him, although I had two farrier's at my commandment, who would very willingly have dressed him, if I would: but my horse being cured perfectly of this disease, the dog leeches began to triumph, saying: though you have cured him yet you can not make his leg so small as it was, but I also stopped their mouths, for I made his leg so small as ever it was, in this sort here following: I laid a plaster upon his leg made of wine Lées, and wheat flower, and rolled it with a long roll, of three fingers broad, of eight or ten foot long, made of soft Cotten: In this sort did I make his leg small in the space of four months. During this cure I never failed my journey, and traveled the foresaid horse at my pleasure without any trouble or hindrance, save that I made his groom to carry his roll and plaster in a little sack made for that purpose, and also an ox bladder full of wine Lees, with the which I dressed him presently as soon as I came to my lodging, and so taking it away the next morning, I made the keeper to rub his leg clean: with this medicine have I healed divers horses that have had great legs, but two of the most notablest that ever I cured in England were, the one at M. Barnard Drakes in Devon shire. The other was at Master Henry Pools in Gloucester shire. The horse of Master Barnard Drakes, after that he had been tormented by cutting, burning, and mangling him, he had turned him out to pasture for a jade to get colts, by reason of his great leg, for that it was so stiff, that he could not bow it. This Master Barnard Drake can well remember, for that it is not above ten years past. And the horse that I he●●ed of Master Henry Pools, Sir john Tracie, and Master Throckmorton knoweth well of this cure, for that I did it in their houses, where I detained the horse with me above three quarters of a year, where divers were of the opinion, that I should never cure him: yet I was not thereby discouraged, but the more they did doubt, the more diligent was I, and within the space before said, I healed him beyond all expectation. This is not much above six years past, and the horse is yet living, which is to be seen without any lameness or blemish in his leg: but after that I had made all the rest of his leg small that remained in the splint place under his knee, where his man had first dressed or medecined him, and other horseleeches which had him in hand before, left him with a bunch almost as big as an egg, and as hard as any splint or spavin, but I drive that away with this sear cloth here under written: Take of virgin Wax half a pound, of Myrrh one pound, of Reasins a pound, of Galbanum half a pound, of Costus six ounces, of armoniac six ounces, of Swine's grease or Hogs morte two pounds, put your Hog's grease first in an earthen pot, and having placed it in a broad cauldron full of water, then make a soft fire under it to the end that your water may boil, and when you perceive your Swine's grease almost melted, then shall you put in all your other simples save the Costus: and when you perceive them to be all molten, which will ask five or six hours boiling at the least, than your Costus which is a white root, being beaten into powder, you shall add to the foresaid things after it is taken from the fire, and mingle them well together with the same stick or instrument that you stirred it withal, the while that the foresaid things are a melting: the● make a plaster thereof upon a piece of sheeps leather something bigger than the sore: note, that one of these plasters will serve thirty days wi●h a very little refreshing the same sometimes, but you must take it off every day once●, and rub his leg very well, for fear lest it itch, which may cause your horse to beat and stamp with his foot, bite and te●re in such sort as if shall cause the swelling to increase. Also you must take great heed, that you roll not nor tie his leg too strait, for by letting him stand too strait, tied sire hours, it may do him more harm than your medicine hath done him good in six weeks before. And it shall be good once in five or six days to ride him into the water, and walk him ●n hour at the least. And as soon as he comes in, and that his leg is well rubbed with straw, and having first warmed your sear cloth over a few coals, which you must have on a fire shovel for that purpose, before you do lay it unto the sore, but if it chance the grief be in such part of the leg as your roll and plaster will always settle downwards, then must you make a long round roll of woollen cloth as big as a thumb rope, and you must sow at each end thereof a piece of strong canvas a hand broad, and two foot long, and made sharp at the two ends; and when you will roll his leg set one end of the canvas under your foot, and then having rolled his leg somewhat above the upper edge of his plaster, then shall you bring the two ends together upon the middle of the roll, so as you may tie them both together, in s●●he sort, as the knot may not touch the horses leg, for if you should not tie the two ends together, the roll would wind lose about his leg. This will hold your plaster in the due place, without being able to sink or settle down: and you may roll his leg a great deal more easier therewith than with any other.  

Of the scab or manginess in a horse.  
THis cruel kind of scab, scurf, or itch, breeding over all the horses body, and most commonly begins in his mane and tail, it cometh of a corrupt blood, and needs no other signs. The cure: Let him blood the first day on one side of his ne●ke, and wash all his body with hot brine, or else with beef bro●h, piss, and salt mingled together, rubbing him with rough wads of straw till he be ready ●o bleed: then shall you let him alone till the second ●nie, and then shall you let him blood on the other side of his neck, which being done, and all his body rubbed with rough wads and made clean, you shall take of Swine's grease a pound, of black Soap as much, of Rape oil a pint, of brimstone six ounces finely beaten into powder, and having first killed your Nuicke silver, mingle all these things together upon a soft fire, without letting it boil, being so warm as you can suffer your hand in it, anoint all the sore places therewith, and rub and chas● it well with your hands to make it sink into the skim. And if you see the horse rub or bite himself in any place of his body, you may wash it, as before, and anoint it with some of the foresaid medicine. I have cured divers horses herewith without ointing them thrice, but you must (du●ing this cure) diet your horse very 〈…〉 rly, and let him have so little rest as may be.   

Of the grief in the eyes: and first of him that hath received a blow.  
IF your horse have received a blow in, or upon his eye so that he can not hold open the same: and that there is no blemish nor white ●●lme doth appear upon his eye, then shall you remedy him in this sort. Take fair water and salt, and with your mouth sp●●t his eye full thereof, and if his eye be not very sore this shall remedy him, it is good also to wet a cloth therein, so big as will fill the horses ear on the grieved side: Then chase it, thrust it in so fast as is possible, you must tie his ear fast, so as the cloth may not fall out, and let it remains therein the space of a whole day at the least: honey also warmed a little, and put in his eye, is not only good to make him open hi● eye, but will also prevent any other grief that might breed upon the horse's eye, by means if the foresaid stripe.   

Of the white film, pearl, or web that may breed on the sight of a horses eye.  
TAke honey as before, and put it in his eye with a feather, if the film be but thin, that will remedy him, or else take the juice of Salandine, and put to a spoonful thereof, half a spoonful of woman's milk, but if the film be old, so that it will not break, then take the powder of burned alum, being well burned and surely beaten, blow a little thereof with a ●●ill into his eye, and take heed when you will dress him in this sort, that you tie his head fast to some post, in such sort, that he can not stir, for by dressing your horse when he is lose, he may strike his eye upon the end of your quill, in such sort that you shall do him more harm in one moment than your medicine shall do him good in a month, this is an approved medicine, not only for the foresaid grief, but also for any other that shall breed in the horse's eye: but if so be that your horse have a film over his eye so thick, that it will not break with blowing this powder in his eye, then must you cast your powder in, and fill his eye full thereof once a day, and having filled it, let him ●e still, holding his eye open with your two thumbs, by the space of one half hour, till the alum be melted, then let him rise and dress him in this sort, but once a day for the space of two or three days, and then blow it in his eye, as before. And if at any time you see the inside of his eye lids to be red, then shall you dress him with honey for the space of two or three days, and then dress him again with your alum till he be whole.   

Of the canker in the eye.  
TAke of Woodbine leaves, of Primrose leaves, of Sage leaves, of Violet leaves, and of Rosemary, each one a handful, and of alum half a pound, boil all those things together in three gallons of fair water, till two parts thereof be consumed, and when it is boiled enough; strain it through a cloth into a fair vessel, and add thereunto half a pint of honey, and then shall you boil it again the space of one quarter of an hour upon a soft fire: Then add thereunto half a pint of strong Vinegar, The signs to know it be these, his eye will be red, and round about the same it will be full of little knots or buttons, as big as the heads of pins, and also it will run of filthy & stinking matter. The cure: Let him blood in the vain beneath his eye, and also in his neck vain on the grieved side, and then wash him twice a day with this water here following, and with a fine linen cloth dip it therein, it being first made blood or milk warm.   

Another for the same.  
TAke Sage, fennel, & Rosemary, of each a handful, of Allome two ounces, boil all these things together in two gallons of fair water, till one half thereof be consumed, then strain it through a fair cloth, & being strained, add thereunto six spoonfuls of honey, and boil it a little upon a soft fire, as hath been before taught in the last Chapter, and wash his eye therewith twice a day with a fair linen cloth.   

The Canker in the nose.  
THe signs to know it be these, his nose will stink and run with matter. The cure. Let him blood in the neck vain, the temple vain, and in the vain under his eye, then take the water, as it is in the last Chapter saving one, and squirt it into his nose twice a day, and take heed that your squirt be long, for if it be but short, you shall not be able to reach the uppermost part of the sore therewith, and then shall it be unpossible to cure him, and as touching the length, make it not above six or eight inches at the most.   

Of the Canker in the mouth.  
THe signs to know it be those, his tongue will be all full of blisters, & within two or three days when the blisters are broken, it will be full of hollow● deep raw pits, and also the inside of his lips for company will be raw in like sort, & the outside of his mouth and lips will be full of little pimples. The cure: Take of Sage and Rosemary, each one a handful, of Allom● a quarter of a pound, boil all these together in a sufficient quantity of fair water, being almost boiled enough, add thereunto half a pint of honey, wash him therewith twice a day, and give him not any thing to eat but clean straw, till he be whole, for there is not any kind of Canker, Fistula, great impostumation, fartion, scab, or mang●nesse, easily cured, unless that you first let blood well, purge strongly, and keep sharp diet, and that the same be very clean, sweet, and wolesome.   

Of hurt in the tongue that may come with the bit.  
CLeanse the wound with a fair cloth, and anoint it with honey twice a day, this will heal him, note that for any grief that may be in a horse's mouth, after you have dressed him, that you let him stand three or four hours upon the bit, and not eating.   

Of the Staggards.  
THis is a pain in the head and brains of the horse, the signs to 〈…〉 we it be these, the horse will refuse his meat and hang down his head, and he will winks with his eyes almost close together, and many times you shall see him hold his head close to the wall or manger. The cure. Let him blood in the neck vain, that being 〈◊〉 cut a slit in his forehead, raise up the skin, and put a dock root therein, as before taught in the Chapter of the Far●ion, and let it remain therein the space of twenty days at the least. This medicine will also heal the Yallowes, if it be taken at the first beginning of his sickness, but if he be far gone therewith, it shall be needful to give him the drench hereafter following in the Chapter of the Yeallowes.   

Of the Yeallowes.  
THis proceeds of abundance of choler overflowing the bladder of the gall, & so is turned into the veins of the horse, and will in short space cause all his skin to look yellow. The signs to know it be these, the horse will be faint, and in his travailing he will sweat much more than he was accustomed, the whites of his eyes will be yellow, and also the inside of his lips and tongue, and under his tongue will be died yellow also, and his tail will be yellow. The cure. Let him blood in the neck vain two or three quarts, or as much as you think he may well bear, which you shall best know by the strength of your horse, which thing must be your rule therein. Then you shall take a quart of ale or beer, and add thereunto five or six spoonfuls of honey, three or four ounces of Cummin seed finely beaten into powder, then take a good handful of time, chop it small with a knife and beat it well in a mortar, than put it unto the foresaid things, and with a soft fire make it so hot, as your honey may be throughly molten, but I would wish you to keep it hot in this 〈◊〉 upon a soft fire, the space of two hours at the least, without letting it ●oile. Then shall you strain it through a fair cloth into some vessel fit for that purpose, and having thrown away that shall remain of your Cummin & Time, then shall you give your horse this drench being no more but luke warm, and let him drink but a little thereof at once, for by giving your horse great horns full or sudden gulfing of it into him too hot, you may kill any sick horse: with this drench I have healed above an hundred horses, that many of them have been thought uncurable, but one of the most notablest that ever I did cure, was at Lamspha at the Earl of Essex his house, that standeth next to Milford haven in Wales, this horse was one Cuttles, servant to the Lord Admiral, and then master of the George, a ship of the Earl of Essex, then in the haven of Milford, this Cuttle came to me one morning, where I was then riding, and made his moan that he had a great journey to go, and that his horse was like to die, for (quoth he) he hath eaten no meat this day, neither can I find any man that knows his disease, for he will not stir (quoth he) out of his place, nor being laid down is able to rise, and when you force him to go, he cannot go right forward but sidewaie, by reason he is not able to hold his neck right, but hanging it down crooketh it towards his left side, and when I saw him I perceived by the yeallows of his eyes, and the inside of his lips and tongue, and by the feeble drawing of his legs after him, that he had the yeallowes, but I doubting what might make him hold his head on the one side, I first caused him to be raked & afterward I gave him a glister made with whey and salad Oil, and put a dock root in his forehead, for that I thought he had the staggards, I did also let him blood in both the neck veins four quarts, which was very much for any horse, but in great extremity extreme means are to be used, and afterward having given him this drench, I bridled him and let him stand at the r●ck six hours, & then offering him a little wet hay, he did eat as well as ever he did in all his life, although he was so weak when he took his drench, that I was forced to make four men hold him up with two levers under his belly.   

Of the foundered horse.  
THis cometh by means of extreme cold upon some great heat, either when you let your horse drink in some shallow water, it may come also by letting him stand in the cold wind or in wet ground, or upon cold pavement, when your horse is extreme hot, yea, I have foundered an horse of mine own in Bristol, travailing no more than ordinary journey pace, by taking off my saddle to have it stuffed presently as I came into my lodging, through the negligence of my boy, whom I commanded to lay my cloak upon his back whiles he got the saddle stuffed, but he deceived me, and I coming forth within the space of an half hour, having haste in my journey, found my horse unclothed, & also in that case that he would eat no meat, and demanding of the Ostler whether he would eat his meat at the first unbrideling or no, he answered that he did eat it with great appetite, but after his saddle was taken off and he a little cold, he began to refuse his meat as though he had some grievous sickness, than I offered him bread and Oats, but he would not eat any thing, I caused him presently, my saddle being stuffed, to be made ready, and having him lead in the hand out of the City, I perceived him at his first coming out of the stable, to complain a little in one of his fore feet, than I did surely persuade myself, as ignorant men do in sudden and unknown calamities, that surely my horse was bewitched, for that though the weather were cold, yet I had travailed but moderately & the horse nothing hot to account of, and also was lean and well acquainted with travail, for that I had ridden him upon the self same journey above three hundred miles, which was the reason that did persuade me that my horse could not be sick of any grief, but by some extraordinary means, having then twelve miles to ride, and being late withal, I forced him to go, and after four mile's travail he left his halting being thoroughly warmed, and being come to my journeys end, I caused him to be well dressed, but he would not eat any thing, and doubting what grief he had, for the no man could persuade me that it was possible to founder an horse on that sort, I would not let him drink that night, and the next morning having watered him, and commanding my boy to lead him out, I perceived then that he was foundered, for that he did not halt on one leg only, but he was so grieved in all his legs that I had much to do to force him to go, than it repented me that I let him drink, and I began my cure in form following: I first let him blood in the neck vain two quarts, and reserving that blood in a vessel for the purpose, I added thereto a pint of strong vinegar, and ten or twelve eggs shells and all, and four ounces of bowl armoniac finely beaten to powder, & having mingled all these things together, I took so much wheat flower as did thicken the same, and having wrought it well together cold with a stick, I made two garters a foot and an half of length, and one hand broad, and having covered them well in the middle, of such length as might go round about the horse's leg with the aforesaid medicine, I bond them fast on the horses four legs, hard above the knees, & let them remain there twelve hours, then with the foresaid charge I charged all the horses loins, buttocks, hips, back, and shoulders against the hair, and having set him in the stable the space of 12. hours, than I loosed his garters and forced him to go, & after he was walked one hour upon the sand ground, I offered him a little w●t hay, & gave him no drink, in 24. hours repenting me not a little that I had let him drink the morning before I knew he was foundered, but the 24. hours being expired, I gave him to drink, & also the same day I caused him to be dressed with an old comb, and turned him to grass, the third morning going to see my horse and two more with me, we could scarcely all three catch him, which was not a little strange to M. Trockmorton, who told me within four days riding in his park, that the horse was so lusty that he began to run and fling so as he thought marvelous strange, for neither he nor any other that saw him four days before would have given me one shilling for him, and some would have had a penny thereof abated, yet thought it an hard bargain, note that I medecined this horse within 24. hours after he was foundered, yet because I would have no man to doubt to cure his horse with this medicine the shall be above 24. hours before he can have him dressed, I thought good to show you what cure I did once upon a horse of M. George Devoraxes at Hereford East, which horse was first M. Vggans of Bulson by Milford haven in Wales, who foundered the foresaid horse in his journey he made to Hereford with M. George Devorax, who finding me there, demanded of me whether I could cure the foresaid gelding or no, for the he was then five days foundered, lying on the ground not able to stand, & had beaten all the skin of both his huckle bones with lying, not being able to stand or move otherwise than he was lifted with levers put under his belly. This M. G. Devorax after he had given M. Vggans a pipe of white wine for the horse, which was worth 12. pounds, I let him blood the 6. day 3. quarts in his neck vain, & made my medicine, & dieted & exercised him in the self same order, but I was longer curing this horse than the other of mine own, for that it was 15. days before he began to find his feet, all the which time I caused him to be exercised two hours in the morning, and as much at night, by walking him in a man's hand, and another following with a cudgel: thus did I cure this horse perfectly beyond all expectation, where myself also doubted.   

Of the bots or worms in a horse.  
THere be four kinds of worms that breed in a horse's belly, but the worst of them and most dangerous, is the trenchions or grubs, for so they are named in some parts of England, I call this kind worst, for that they most commonly both in the maw & fundament of a horse will stick fast like tiekes on a dog's ear, as I did once see in a horse at sir Thomas Scots in Kent, that after he had been drenched three several times within the space of six days, in all which time he did not eat any meat, and after he was dead I presently cut him up, and found above five hundred trenchions in the top of his stomach, all knit together, and not one of them dead. Also in the end of the great gut that goeth from the stomach to the horses belly was full of the worms. Also than I learned perfectly that the horse had had savin given him, rue, Brimstone, and bay Salt, all in a drench, and also strong lée made of ashes, with the which the horse's stomach was almost full, and yet the cruel forenamed worms did hang so fast in the top of his stomach, that the medicine could do them no harm, and they had not eaten any holes either through maw or guts, but what kinds of worms so ever your Horse have, you shall perfectly cure him as hereafter followeth: the signs to know it be these: the horse will ●●iske and beat with his tail, he will also look towards his belly, and strike at his belly with his hinder foot: some horses will also lie down and wallow. The cure: Take of sweet Milk one quart, and give it your horse to drink: and having let him stand four hours bridled, then shall you give him this drench. Take of Ale or Beer two quarts, and put therein half a pound of Soap, as much Butter, Brimstone finely pounded or beaten into powder, a good handful of Salt, two or three spoonfuls of chimney Soot finely beaten into powder, or otherwise it will cause your horse to cough a long time: and having melted your Butter and Soap upon a soft fire, and let your drench cool till it be no more than lukewarm, then shall you give your horse a pint thereof to drink: then bridle your horse, and walk him a quarter of an hour. Thus shall you give your horse his drink at four several times without any danger. But if your horse be extreme sick, I would wish you to make the foresaid things in ●alles with wheat flower, and give it him at four or five several times, as before, this is much better than to drench your horse if he be extreme sick.   

Of the grief in the legs of a horse: and first of the wrench in the shoulder.  
THis cometh of some dangerous slipping or sliding, sudden stopping, it may also come by falling on the planks, or on some slippery ground: The signs to know it be these: the horse will halt very much, and in his going upon rough ground you shall perceive it best, for he will be forced to go on three legs, by reason that he is not able to lift his leg, or to bring it forward, but will bring it after him. The cure. Let him blood in the breast vein. Then shall you with an iron of two foot of length, sharp at the point, with a hole therein, like a drawing nail, pass a rule of hair from the fore point of the shoulder up even to the top of his withers, and then passing it overthwart the side of his withers, or spade bone of the shoulder, you shall bring it downward by the hinder edge of his shoulder, even to the upper joint of his forelegge, and there having put it out the space of two or three inches, you shall draw it through forward till you come within two or three inches of your first place where you shall make the two ends thereof fast: in this sort shall you ruel your horses shoulder round about, but you must at every eight inches or half foot leave it two or three inches without the skin, then must you stir the rule once a day, and if the issue become so strait that you cannot thrust out the matter, you may with a lancet or point of a razor cut them under. This being done, set a patten  on the sound leg, which patten  would be turned round so as the horse can not stand on the same, but shall thereby be forced continually to stand upon his fore leg, to let the corruption that it shall not be able to enter the joint of his shoulder, & let him rest for the space of xv. or xx. days with a pair of pasturnes upon his forefoots, and little under him, for fear lest he slide upon the planks, & at the xv. days end begin to walk him once a day, the space of half an hour fair and softly. And having observed this order xv. days more, then may you take off his patten , and try whether he go sound or not, and if he go not sound, it shall be good to set it on again, & to erercise him as before, & stir the rules every day once, for the space of a month or six weeks, then may you take out your rule, if he go sound. I never saw any horse dressed in this sort, but that he hath been cured perfectly of his grief.   

Of the shoulder pight.  
THis cometh of some dangerous slide or slip backward, so as the horses leg slips backward, and thereby drives his shoulder clean out of the joint. The signs to know it be these. The bone will stick out on that shoulder a great deal farther than the other, and he will not be able to set it to the ground. The cure. Lay straw enough under him in his r●m●, and put a pair of strait pasturnes on his forefoots, and another pair on his hindféet, then having thrown him down, hang him up from the ground with two ropes, to put the bone into his place, then having let him down fair and softly, lose the fore pasturne of his ●●und leg, and with a cord before you ●et him rise, tie the lame leg to the foot of the manger so short, as in his rising he shall be forced to hold his leg before him, for fear of putting his shoulder out of joint, and let him stand so tied for the space of three days, and presently when he is up burn all the point of his shoulder with a hot iron cheker-wise a full foot square at the least, & let every stréeke be no more than one inch distant one from another: And having burned him well, charge all these burned places, and all the rest of his shoulder, with Pitch, , and Tar, m●lten together, and laid on something hot, with a cudgels end, and when you have covered it over once, then clap presently upon it Tow or Flax, being first chopped with a hatchet. Then charge him once more upon the Tow, and at the three days end lose his foot, and put a pair of pasturnes upon his feet, and let him neither lie down, nor stir out of the stable for the space of sixteen or twenty days, then may you lead him abroad, and see whether he go well or no, and if he go not sound, you may let him rest as much more.   

Of the spleeting in the shoulder, or renting the shoulder from the breast of the Horse.  
THis cometh by means of some dangerous slide, either upon the planks or upon the side of a bank, so as one of the horses legs slips away and rends his shoulder from his briscot, not on the skin but on the flesh, so as the horse halteth. The signs to know it be these: he will draw his leg, and not be able to lift or bring it forward, and he will sometime halt so little that you can scarce perceive it, and at other times he will be very lame, but chiefly when you ride down a hill, or upon hard ground, than he will halt much more than upon the soft or plain ground. Also when yw turn him in a little ring upon the grieved side, he will go very lame. The cure. Put a pair of strait pasturnes upon his fore feet during this cure, and having first let him blood in the great vain on the inside of his grieved leg, then shall you take of Oil of bay, of Salad Oil, butter, and Swine's grease, of each half a pound, melt all these things together, and anoint all your horses shoulder therewith, being so warm as you can scarce suffer your hand in it. Anoint also between his fore legs, and even up to his withers, so as you leave no part of his shoulder unanointed, & dress him every day once in this sort, till your medicine be all spent, but within 2. or 3. days you shall see swelling appear betwixt his legs, & all the rest of his breast & shoulder thereabouts will begin to swell, his fore leg also will swell, yea, I have dressed divers horses in this sort, the their bellies swelled so great, that I have been forced to lay wet hay with a couple of sur●ingles, just before the ●hafte of the horse to defend the swelling from his cods, and yet the swelling hath all gone away of itself without coming to a head or breaking. But if it chance to come to a head, you may slit it with a razor, and heal it, by thrusting a teint of flax or tow in it▪ being first dipped in this salve here following. Take of Turpentine, of Honey, of Hogsgreace, and of Wax and shéeps Suet, of each a like quantity, melt all these things together, and apply it as before. This is a very good salve to heal any wound that may happen on a horse, yea I have cured myself divers hurts therewith without any other medicine, saving warm white Wine to wash the wound withal. But to our purpose: Thou shalt let thy horse stand still, without once moving him, for the space of three weeks or a month, the longer the better, and at the first walking him abroad, take heed that he be rough sh●d. And that you lead him not upon any slippery ground for fear of hurting him. And although he go very sound, yet would I not advise you to stir him in fifteen days more.   

Of the wrenching or splint in the two shoulders of a horse.  
I Have in my life time seen but one of these horses, and he was one Master George Deverishes, who then 〈…〉 aye at Lampha, and I being at his house, he instantly requested me to look on the said horse, and to see whether I could cure him or not, but when I had inquired the cause thereof, they told me that they had yoked him in the head of a cart, with the which they did gather tithing ●orne. And the horse being unacquainted with that kind of travel, he, for lack of use, or else, through negligence of the governors thereof, fell upon the side of a bank, and the horses drew him a good way under the cart, so as he was neither able to rise, nor stand, but being lifted up, he would wrestle and fall on the one side or other, by reason he was not able to bring his legs forward, but I doubting whether his shoulders were wrenched out of joint, or rend from his briscot, laid good store of straw under him, and cast him thereupon, and with four pasturnes pulled him up from the ground to put his shoulders in their joints, which was a very good way, if they had been out, but whether they had been out or no, I have told you both the cause and signs thereof truly. And the way whereby I cured him perfectly here followeth: I did first cut a couple of holes through the skin, four inches under his toe, shoulder joints, or points of shoulder, and with a quill I blewe up all the skin of his shoulders full of wind, even up to the withers: and having in this sort blown up the skin from the flesh, and thrust out all the wind again with my two hands, I then made two ruels of the upper leather of a shoe three inches broad, and having made them round, and cut two holes in the middle thereof, I raised all the skin from the flesh round about the two foresaid holes or slittes, and having put the said two pieces of leather therein I charged all his shoulder with Pitch, Tar, and  melted together, and let him stand still with a pair of strait pasturnes upon his feet, and good store of litter underneath him for the sp●ce of one month: then I caused him to be led forth of the stable, and perceiving him to go sound, I put on his pasturns and let him stand in the stable three weeks more: and then having turned him to grass till he was well pinched with the srost: he ever after went sound.   

Of the wrench in the wither joint.  
THis cometh by treading his foot in some hole or in some rough or stony way: The signs to know it be these: The horse will halt, and his joint will swell, so as you shall perceive it to be bigger than the joint of the other leg. The cure. Take heed you let no dogleaches let him blood in the shackle veins, as I have seen divers of them do, and striking him so often into the sinews and veins of the leg till they have doubled his pains. The cure that I have always used is this. Take of black or grey Soap half a pound, and having made it hot in a pan, you shall take two or three good handfuls of of Tow, and dip them in the Soap, you shall lay it hot to the horses joint, and then having rolled all that joint with a band of six foot long, and three inches broad, you shall let him stand one whole day, and a night before you dress him again, and observe this order every day once till he be whole, and when you will roll your horse leg in this sort, turn up your roll round upon a hard lump, as you see the Surgeons do: then shall you take the first end thereof, and put it under your foot, and having wrapped all the rest of the band about his leg, you may tie the two ends together, so as you shall not wring your horse's leg, I thought it good to teach you this much, for that I have seen divers Horseleeches, or rather Sowegelders, or butcherly tormentors that would lay a plaster with a clout upon a horse's leg, and afterward tie it so hard with a cord, that the medicine hath not done the horse half so much good as the cord hath done him harm: when I lacked Soap, I used Wine lees, and wheat flowar, whereof I made a p●●ister, being warmed, which I have found almost as good as the other.   

Of the Colic.  
I Could never find by experience any horse to have this grief, but when he did stand long idle in the stable, and I have never used any other cure than to troth him till he was well warmed, which will cause him to break wind, and remedy him till such time as you let him rest too long again, which rest is the worst thing that may be for a horse that hath the Colic: the signs differeth nothing from the botts, but that his ●ellie will swell very big. And if you stir him but a little, he will wind backward very much.   

Of the Curb.  
THis happeneth to young horses by traveling them too much, or by straining them otherwise, and it is a little swelling beneath the elbow of his hough on his hinder leg: it cometh by means that the back or master sinew is strained and wretched too long: the signs to know it be these: the swelling will be apparent to the eye, or the leg under his hough will seem as though it were crooked or bowed too much backward, and the farther he goeth the lamer shall he be. The cure: Make an iron no thicker than a little straw breadth, then shall you burn him therewith, even from the upper end of the swelling unto the neither end thereof right down the middle, and then burn on each end of the foresaid strake two other streaks ●n the self 〈◊〉 so as your strikes may be no more but half ●n inch one from another, and see that you burn him well, but not so much on the two sides as in the middle, then shall you charge him with Pitch, Rosen, and Tar, melted together, and flocks put upon the same, & let him stand in the stable for the space of three weeks or a month without stirring of him, and see that you lay litter enough under him for fear of sliding.   

Of the wing-gall in the hinder joints of a Horse.  
I Have seen divers horses that with extreme travail would have a soft swelling in the inside of his hough, and it will also go through the hough, so as you may perceive it on the out side of his hough, where if you thrust it or strike it but a little with your thumb it will be clean gone, but it will come again, and when you grope on the fore- side of his joint with your fingers, you shall feel a great soft swelling: this cometh by means of extreme travail, and your horse too young, it needeth no other signs, for that you may easily perceive it by the prescription above mentioned. The cure. Take up the two master veins on the inside of his leg both above and beneath his hough, and having tied your vain fast on the upper side, let him bleed well from below, and having made fast his veins with a waxed thread, then shall you ●ouer all his hough with a thick plaster made of Wine lees and wheat flower mingled together, and roll it with a long roll, dress him in this sort once a day till he be whole▪ I have never used any other medicine than this for any strain or swelling that might happen in my horses hough or hinder joint, but if your wing-gall will not away for all this which may happen, if it be old and of long continuance, then shall you ●●it it from the neither side to the middle thereof, then having let the corruption out, you may heal up the wound with the salve before recited in the Chapter of the splenting of the shoulder, and when it is whole, it shall not be amiss to draw three or four stréekes with a hot iron downwards with the hair, and to charge him thereupon, as is detlared in the Chapter going before, but I would not counsel you to be too busy in burning your horse for any grief that may otherwise be remodied, for the hot iron for some diseases or griefs is excellent, if it be used in time and place accordingly, but if it be abused it is as hurtful & dangerous, therefore I would not wish you to suffer any man to burn your horse, but such as be of approved experience and practise.   

Of the horse that is cloyed, pricked, or wrong with a nail.  
THe horse is said to be wrong, when as the nail is driven so near the quick, that it wringeth the horse and causeth him to halt, you may draw out the nail and power in a little hot burning Turpentine, if the grief be new, this will cure him. The horse is cloyed when the nail is driven in the quick, & so cleanched, in this sort you shall so●ne perceive by the high broaching of the nail, or by striking a hammer upon the clean●ches thereof, then if it be new done, you have need to do no more then to draw out the nail and power in hot Turpentine as before, but if he halt as much when the nail is out, as he did before, than it shall be good to take off the shoe and search the bottom of the sore, and make the hole some thing wide then, that the humours ●aye have fr●● passage downwards, for otherwise it will break out above, and danger him to lose his hoof, which shall not happen when the sore is wide enough at the first below. Having thus opened the hoof and found the bottoms of the sore, ye than stuff it with ●ine Tow or Flax dipped in Turpentine, and hogs grease molten together once a day if the grief be new, but if it be old, stinking, and full of corruption, it shall be good to dress him twice a day till he be whole. Having thus dressed him, make his shoe hollow, and tack● it on with four or five nails, and it shall be good to fill all the sole of his foot with Tow dipped in the foresaid medicine, and to cut a sole of the over leather of a shoe for his foot, and make it fast with small sticks, cut them like splintes, and so that your shoe be made so hollow that you may ●astlie dress your horse without taking off the shoe at every time, and during this ●ure let him tread on no wet, but if the grief burst out above the top of his hoof, than it shall be good to cut away the sole of his foot an inch broad alongst the side, so far as you shall find the horn lose from his foot, and to dress him with sponge wet on the one side in the foresaid medicine, then shall you take two or three eggs, yolks and whites and all beaten together, and add thereunto an ounce of bowl armoniac, and as much Bean or Wheat meal as will thicken the same, make a plaster thereof two fingers broad, and as long as will go round on the top of the horses hoof, bind it fast with a roll, and renew it once a day, but below dress him twice a day until he be perfectly whole. But if you chance at any time to have your horse through evil dressing so far gone, that neither this binding charge above, nor the great issue below will any thing help him, but that his gri 〈…〉 〈…〉eth all 〈◊〉 ●or rather w 〈…〉 th' worse and worse, then shall you perfectly with adrawer begin to cut a slit even at the top of the horn to the neither edge thereof clean through to the quick at the one end of the lose place, then at the other ●●d of the horn so loosed from his foo●e, there shall you begin to cut another slit, in such sort as you may pluck the lose peer clean away, then may you see whether there be proud flesh, high gristle, or little warts or buttons of vicious and vile flesh, then may you cut them away with a raso●, and lay on powder of du●nt Allome, and a plaster made of the medicine before recited in the Chapter of the shoulder splint, and make a doote for him till he be whole, thus may you heal your horse of any such grief of false quarter perfectly without any danger, the false quarter is no other thing but a cleft or open right even ●om the top of the horses hoof to the bottom thereof, and it will be so painful, that it will cause the horse to halt, and it will bleed in the travailing upon hard ground, and néed●th no other cure but with a drawer to cut away the horn of each side thereof half an inch on every side of the slit, so as you may take away the ho●ne an inch broad even from the top thereof to the bottom, by this means the horn shall grow down whole and so●nd, thou must dress him as before, & put a boot upon his foot.   

Of a prick in the sole of the foot with a channel nail, rusty iron, stub, or sharp stone.  
THe cure Open the mouth of the sore, and having searched the bottom with a quill, than power in Turpentine and hog's greas● together boiling hot, & put therein a little fine flax or cotton made of linn●● clothes dress him in this sort twice a day, and in a piece of leather, as before, that the medicine fall not out.   

Of the Horse that is graveled.  
THis cometh by reason that gravel getteth in under his shoe, and so fretteth the horn: the signs to know it be these: the horse will halt, and if you put your knife point betwixt his heel & the spring of his shoe, you shall strait perceive the gravel which will crash upon your knife. The cure. Take off his , pare his foot, pick out the gravel, and mend the shoe, and set it on again, and put therein a little Turpentine, sheeps Suet, and Wax melted together, and stuff it well with a little Tow or Flax.   

Of the Surbate.  
THis seldom happeneth to a horse with a good hoof, those that are flat footed are most subject to this disease, it cometh by travailing on hard ways in the Summer time, or else by riding him upon stony and hard mountains. The signs to know it be these: the horse will halt much more upon hard ground than upon soft, I never had any horse lame of this grief but one, and that on one foot only, which horse I cured in this sort: I roasted a couple of eggs hard, & having first powered hot Salad oil in my horse's foot, I thrust the hot eggs in also, and tied them fast with a cloth over his foot, and letting him stand all night, I found him sound the next morning, and so continued all my journey, which was above three score French leagues.   

Of the rotten or matering frush.  
THis cometh for lack of paring and clean keeping of the foot. The signs to know it are these: the horses frog or frush will run of filthy and stinking water. The cure. Take off the  and pair his foot well, if you will waste your labour and charges, you may ●aie any other medicine unto it, but I for my part never used any other medicine than to pair my horse's foot, as hath been aforesaid, and to keep it clean.   

Of the manginess in the tail and mane.  
THis cometh commonly by the means of dust falling out of the rack, and for lack of combing his mane, and for want of currying and rubbing him under his mane fast by the roots thereof. The cure. If it be in the mane let him blood on the neck, and cut away the hair a finger breadth clean through the middle of his mane, even from the withers to the ●ares, so as on what side so ●uer you turn the mane no man can perceive one hair thereof to be cut, then shall you with a hot iron so big as your little finger, burn all the place where you cut his hair even from the one end to the other of his mane, then fill all that same burned place or surrowe full of black Soap, and if you would keep your horse from itch, it shall not be amiss when that you perceive the hair to come again, to burn him as before, and this will cause his mane to be a great deal the finer, and thereby shall be the less subject to itch. If it be in the tail wash him with strong lée and Sope.    

Of the falling of the crest.  
THis cometh most commonly when a fat horse falleth lea●e by sickness or travail, it needeth no signs, for that you may easily know it by means that the horses crest will hang all on one side, it was my fortune to find one of these horses at Sir Henry Cromwel's in Huntingdon sheer. This was a black bay horse in the queens Stable, named bay Story, he had turned him to grass for a Stallion, and having showed him to me, and commended him for a marvelous ready and serviceable horse, with all he told me that if I would venture to dress him according to the order set down by that famous Marshal Martin Almon, that he would venture his Horse, for (quoth he) as he is, I esteem him nothing at all, but in fine he read me his book, showed me the figure, and I burnt the horse accordingly, but seeing him never a whit the better, but that in time I saw his crest began to sattle down as low as ever it did, I sitting upon the bar by him one day, I set my left hand on his mane, and pulled over his crest on the right side, and then fastening my right hand close upon the skin at the fore edge of his shoulder, a foot and some thing more beneath his crest, and then letting my left hand go, and helping my right hand also with my left to hold the foresaid skin, I therewith hold his crest so upright as ever it did stand in all his life, by which trial I found that if that skin could be so shrinked and kept up short, that it was the only way to hold up his crest, but I found that it was waxed so great, for that it had been fallen four years, that if I had set it up by the foresaid means, that then it would fall on the other side. I devised with myself a great many of days what were best to do, and I ever carrying so obstinate a mind, that I disdained to have begun any thing which I should not be able to perform, at the length it came to my mind to dress him as here under followeth.  
Having cast the horse upon a soft dunghill, I with a long knife cut away the flesh on the hanging or under side of the crest, even from the sore end thereof to the hinder end, six inches broad, and two inches thick, and something more in the middle thereof, where it was thickest, & groping the crest with my two hands where it was thick, I cut and pared it so long, till I made it just of one thickness, then holding the horse still fast bound, I covered all the place with great handfuls of Swine's dung, which I caused to be holden fast with men's hands for the space of an hour, in which time the blood was perfectly stauncht, than I let the horse rise, led him into the stable, and tied him in such sort, that he could neither rub his neck nor lie down, and the next morning betimes I thr●we good store of  Allome upon all the sore place, and so I let him stand for the spa●e of two days, never touching the wound for fear of making it bleed, and at the two days end, I fair and softly bathed the place with a linen cloth dipped in warm piss, and then having dried the sore, I threw on burnt Allome beaten into fine powder, and after I perceived it to be well fastened and through dry, I anointed him with unguentum album, round about the edges of the sor● a quarter of an inch broad. In this sort did I dress him every day once on that side of the crest that did fall, and how I dressed the contrary side hereafter followeth: I did first plat or trace all his mane on the contrary side, and then I made fast with strong thongs or points of leather, a cudgel of a foot and an half long, to the ends of the foresaid plattings of the mane, than I did hang to the middle of the foresaid cudgel, a piece of lead with a hole in it, of such weight as did poise his crest, and hold it upright in his due place, than did I burn long strikes, beginning at his crest, and ending ever almost as low as the point of his shoulder of the same side as the weight did hang, and they were no more but an inch and an half one from an other, and I burned them also well with an iron half an inch thick, but whereas I made but si●e great strikes, if I had made twelve very small ones, it had been much better, because that when he had been healed, it would not have been half so much seen. But to conclude: I charged the  places with Pitch, Tar, and  melted together, and let my weight hang until he was thoroughly healed in both sides of his neck, with this I set up his crest so stiff that it is not possible to stir it, neither to the one side nor to the other, but it will presently return into his proper place again, and so continue.  

Of the upper taint.  
THis is a swelling in the back or master sinew of the foreleg, and cometh by means that the horse striketh the sinew with the toe of his hinder foot, it needeth no signs for that you may easily perceive it by the halting of your horse, and by the long swelling that will remain upon the forenamed sinew, you shall cure it perfectly by dressing him every day once with a plaster made of Wine lees and wheat ●●owar, as hath been before taught, or else you may take black Soap and Boar's grease of each like quantity, scalding hot, make a plaster thereof, so long and broad as the swelling, with these two last named medicines, I have never failed to cure my horse of any grief in his legs, that cometh either by strain or stroke, and if at any time you make your horse go sound with the foresaid medicines, and that some swelling remaineth, or vile vicious sore, that you can with no salve or medicine heal it, then shall you burn all his leg with long strikes from the upper part of the swelling unto the nethermost part thereof, drawing your strikes downward with the hair, which order you must observe in burning any horse, that you draw your hand so near as you can with the hair, and that you make the edge of your iron very thin, and burn your strikes thick, and also somewhat deep, and after his burning anoint his leg with black Soap two or three times: but if it be a gelding, turn him to grass, wherewith you shall find him perfectly cured within a short space, but if it be such an horse as you can not turn to grass, see that you exercise him every day twice at the least.   

Of the pains, scratches, moulie heels, or any other scurvy scales whatsoever, that may breed in a horses legs or heels, whether they come by means of evil humours, or for lack of good dressing, or clean keeping, whether they be mattery and filthy running sores, or dry scabs, you shall cure them perfectly with this medicine.  
TAke of Turpentine, Hog's grease, Honey, and black Soap, of each like quantity, and having melted them upon a soft fire, take it off and put in a little bowl armoniac finely beaten into powder, then work all these things well together with a stick in your right hand, and a dish of wheat flowar by you, that with your left hand you may put it in a little at once till you have made it thick like an ointment or soft salve, then shall you make a plaster upon canvas or linen cloth, so big as the sore, and having first cut away the hair apply your plaster, and dress him in this sort once a day until he be whole.   

Of the Fistula or any hollow ulcer that may breed in any part of your horse's body, either by evil curing of a wound, or by bruise, stroke, or wring with an evil saddle upon his withers.  
THis is an hollow filthy mattering ulcer, and most commonly a great deal straighter at the mouth than within. The cure. First search the bottom thereof with a Goose or swans quill, or with a small rod well covered with fine linen cloth, and having found the bottom thereof, cut it so large with a razor, that the matter may have free passage downward, for otherwise it shall be hard to cure it, by reason that the matter standing in the sore shall fret the good flesh, and make the wound daily greater. But take heed that in lancing it, you cut not any master sinew, for a sinew once cut will never grow together again: having staunched the blood with Swine's dung, you shall then take of honey one pint, of Verdegréese one ounce, and boil these together upon a soft fire three quarters of an hour: then having cleansed the wound or sore, by tying a teint of ●●re or fine linen cloth to the point of your quill, with a thread draw it softly into the wound, then cut off your quill or feather so long that you may take good hold in the neither end of the teint, that then shall come out at the bottom of your sore: then dip an other teint in the foresaid salve or ointment, and then with a needle and a thread make fast your teint to your first clot at the upper end thereof, then draw out your first teint downward, so shall you draw your teint with the medicine eastly into the wound, and your first teint will have cleansed the sore very clean: and if the matter do abound much, than it shall be good to dress him twice a day, but you must not dress him with this medicine no more but one day, and afterward you shall dress him with this medicine following: Take of Turpentine and Swine's grease, Honey, and shéeps Suet, of each like quantity, melt them together, and make a salve thereof wherewith you shall dress your horse four days for one day that you dress him with your former medicine made of Honey and Verdegréese, and take heed that you make your teint of very soft linen cloth, ●or fine flax, and let not your teint be too big after the first two times dressing, but presently after the first dressing ye must cover all the sore place, and round about the same with this pultis here following. First take two gallons of fair water, and having boiled and scummed it so long till you have perfectly cleansed it of all corruption, then take two or three handfuls of Mallows, and as much of Violet leaves, and two or three handfuls of Date meal, and having boiled all these three things well in your former prepared water, you shall add thereto of Hog's mort, and fresh Butter, of each a pound, then shall you let it boil so long till it become thick like Paste or Pap, and then apply it hot to the sore so as hath been before taught, and take great heed, that in opening this sore you let not any one strike into it, and on the other side, that you keep it not too hot: and if it be in the horses withers, you must take heed that you tie his heed to the rack so as he may neither lie down, nor put his head lower than his manger: for if you suffer him to feed on the ground, when he hath any grievous sore in his withers, if shall hardly be possible ever to cure him. But if you perceive the wound to heal a pace, and that it matter but a little, then shall it be enough to dress him once a day, and also it shall be good to take great heed that you make not your teint too big, and see that you use your poultis till he be perfectly cured.    

The sixth book of the Smith.  

Of paring and shoeing.  
OF the sound and good foot: I call that a sound and good foot that is hollow, round and upright, so as the horse may tread almost as high at his heel, as at the to, and also this hoof is something large at the heels, but yet upright without turning together, or without spreading abroad.   

How to pair the good foot.  
YOu shall pair it very little at the heel, that is to say, no more but to plain the seat of your shoe, but forward towards the toe you may pair it something more: also open his heels well, and pair the sole of his foot something thin, if it be in fair weather, but if in frosty weather and stony ways, you must travel, it shall not be good to pair your horse thin upon the sole of his foot for fear of laming him, and if he should chance to cast a , he shall not be able to set his foot to the ground.   

How to make the shoe for the sound hoof.  
FIrst make it of such iron as will not break, and so light as is possible, so as it be strong enough to bear your horse, and make it of a very narrow web, and let it be something bro●der in the toe than at the sponges or calcons: let it also be strong in the toe, and round about, and round about the in edge: let it also be something strong in the two sponges or calcons, which calcons are the best kind of shoeing for a sound and good hoof: let the calcons also be but short, and blunt at the points, for fear lest he set one foot upon an other: and see that you make it full as strait as the horn, so far as the nails goeth, and pierce the holes so far from the edge, that when you would drive your nails, you may set them right in the middle of the holes, and take good hold, for by piercing them too near the edge of your shoe, you shall be forced to make it fit within the horn: for if you would make it large enough, then shall you be forced to set your nails so near upon the in edge of the hole, that thereby you shall cleave off the outside of your horse's horn, which a number of ignorant Smiths do little consider, that they do utterly spoil the horses hoof thereby. But to the matter: you shall let your shoe from the two heel nails backward lie the thickness of your nail shank without the horn, & give this  9 nails, that is to say, four on each side, & one right in the middle of the toe, & let the sponges thereof sit a straw breadth behind the corner of the offine, & let the heads of your nails be so fit for the holes that they may enter into the , so as they may not stand above half a straw breadth higher: for if the heads be high, and the holes straight on the outside, then shall they s●●ne break off, or else turn aside, and thereby break the clause, the head of the nail, and the hole would be made in such sort, that when you drive your nail in the shoe, you shall not be able to get it out again: yea I would not wish you to let any such ox shooers,  your horse, as to lose their nails, and work the holes of their shoes so wide on the inside as on the outside: for in the true knowledge of shoeing I am sure it is required to make the holes so wide on the outside, as the head may justly enter into the same, and on the in side so straight, as the shank of the nail or neck may have no liberty to move to or fro. Also take heeds that you hollow your shoe very little.   

Of paring and shoeing the hinder foot.  
IN paring the hinder foot, cut but a very little of the toe: also make your shoe a little stronger at the toe than behind, and take heed that you drive not any nail in the toe of the hinder foot, nor take so much and so deep hold with your nails, as that the heel for the chief strength of the hinder foot is at the heels, and of the forefoote in the toe.   

Of the splay or crooked foot.  
THe hoof is said to be splaid or crooked when the one side is higher than the other, so as the hoof seemeth to be a great deal larger on the one side than on the other. But it is much worse when it is higher on the outside than on the inside: for thereby it shall make the horse tread inward, & strike the one leg against the other, & lame himself: the remedy is to pair his larger side well, and pair nothing on the other side, but only to even the side of your shoe.   

How to pair and shoe the flat foot.  
THe foot is said to be flat when it is so high in the middle as on the outside, you shall p●re it as little as is possible at the heels, you may part it well at the toe, and on the sole very little, hollow your  well, make it with a broad web strong about the in edge, and at the sponges, & take heed that you make no calcons for any horse that hath a weak or strait foot, and let it lie at the heels without the horn, and round about full as long as the foot, and it will be good to pierce your holes somewhat farther from the edge, than you do for him that hath a perfect foot.   

How to show a horse that over-reacheth.  
MAke his shoe no longer before than the heel of his horn doth of necessity require, and at the toe end of the hinder foot, set your shoe a full quarter of an inch shorter than the horn, which horn you must not cut, but let it hang over the shoe: this is the perfectest way or remedy that ever I could find for him that over-reacheth.   

For the horse that enterfeers.  
THis cometh undoubtedly through weakness of body, for that he is ridden too young. The best remedy that ever I could find is to pair the foot on the out side, and also to break off the calcon on the outside of the shoe, and to leave it a little thicker on the inside than on the outside. Also you must cause the shoe to be made to lie within the horn, from the he'll nail to the foremost nail on the inside, but at the heel let it lie something without the horn, as well on the inside as on the outside: for otherwise the sponge shall sink into his heel, and so consume the same, that it shall be lower than the outside, so that the shoe by consuming the heel on the one side, and the Smith paring him on the other side, shall clean mar your horse's foot.   

For an horse that hath an eull hoof.  
LEt your horse stand upon his own d●●g, and throw water upon it good store, and every night take it away till the next morning that he be dressed: this is very good to recover a horse hoof that is evil through the negligence of his keeper, but if so be your horses' hoof be reasonable good, and that you would keep the same and make it soft and tough, then anoint it every day once with Turpentine, Hog's grease and Honey, and of each like quantity melted together.   

For the horse that hath naturally an evil hoof, or hath been foundered, by means whereof his hoof is so marred that he is not able to carry a shoe.  
FIrst shoe him in the new of the Moon with high shoes, upon the second or third day after the change, then make him a pair of boots in this sort: first cut a piece of strong leather a finger breadth larger than the horse's foot, which is best done by laying the horse shoe upon the leather, then shall you cut so much of the leg of an old boot as will go about the forenamed sole, then close it fast round about upon the edge of your sole, and let it be sire inches long, and as wide above as below, then put it on the horse's foot and mark it round about an inch above the horse's hoof, them take it off again and cut it full of long flits, so as you may pass a piece of leather of an inch broad with a buckle upon the same, that you may make it fast upon the horse foot, then shall you take Turpentine, Hog's grease, and Honey, of each a like quantity, melt them all together, and being warm, anoint the horse foot therewith, then shall you dip a cloth therein, with the which you must stop the horses foot before you put on his boot, it shall be very goo● to 〈◊〉 a piece of soft cotton round about the top ● the horse's foot, being first dipped in the foresaid medi●ne. T 〈…〉 all not only defend your horse's foot fro● galding with the girdle or boot, but the warmness of the cloth shall wonderfully cause the horse foot t● increase, it shall be good to take off his ●oote every two days once, and to let him stand four hours at the least before you dress him, and put on his boot to the end he may rest his foot.    
FINIS.   

IMPRINTED AT London by Thomas East for Thomas Cadman, dwelling in Paul's Churchyard at the sign of the Bible.  
1585.