c
 
 TREATISE 
 
 DISEASES and LAMENESS 
 o F 
 
 HORSES. 
 
 In which is laid down a proper 
 
 Method of SHOEING (in GENERAL) 
 
 AND 
 
 .Treating the different Kinds of FEET. 
 To which are added, 
 
 Some New OBSERVATIONS 
 
 In the ART of FARRIERY, 
 
 AND ON THE 
 
 Nature and Difference of HORSE S; 
 
 SHEWING 
 
 On what Principles their PERFECTION depends, 
 and by what Methods their BREED may be 
 greatly improved and amended. 
 
 The THIRD EDITION, with large ADDITIONS. 
 
 By W. O S M E R. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for T. WALLER, oppofite Fetter-Lane ? 
 
 Fleet-Street. 1766. 
 [Price Five Shillings and Six-pence.]

 
 THE 
 
 ' [.'"!' 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 Page 
 
 CHAP. I. HpRE ATS of {hoeing i 
 
 II. J^ Is relative to the nrlt 
 III.' Contains further obfervations 
 
 on {hoeing 2 4 
 
 IV. Proves that {hoeing is but a 
 
 partial good 34 
 
 V. Treats of various lamenefs 50 
 
 VI. Treats of curing the lamenefa 
 
 defcribed ^3 
 
 PART II. >,{, 
 
 CHAP. I. Treats of wounds in general 91 
 II. Treats of various incidents 103 
 
 PART III. 
 
 CHAP. I. Treats of difeafes 107 
 
 II. Treats of difeafes 154 
 III. Shews wherein confifts the 
 
 perfection of horfes 1 96 
 
 2009788 The
 
 TH E Reader will be pleafed to remem- 
 ber, that this Treatife is the refult of 
 many years confideration, and that its dodlrine 
 is confirmed by experience and obfervation. 
 
 The author hopes too, that he hath pointed 
 out fome efficacious remedies for thofe two 
 dreadful evils, the bite of a mad dog, and the 
 diftemper'amongft the horned cattle, which 
 have hitherto baffled all human {kill. 
 
 And in order to extricate the fcience of far- 
 riery .ft om the hands of the ignorant and il- 
 literate, the author, who was bred a regular 
 
 furgeon has undertaken the cure of horfes 
 
 in. their various complaints, and of having 
 them mod in the mofl proper manner. 
 
 ,-. 
 
 By which it is prefumed, this moft noble 
 animal, Ib much connected with the pleafures, 
 ufe, and neceffities of mankind, will be treat- 
 ed at leaft in a more rational manner, and the 
 fcience of farriery be brought to fome greater 
 degree of perfe&ion.
 
 TREATISE, 
 
 CHAP I. 
 
 On SHOEING. 
 
 Sub Judice Lis eft. 
 
 AM afraid the people who 
 profefs the art of fhoeing 
 will be much offended with 
 this chapter, and hold it 
 
 very cheap, becaufe it propofes to in- 
 
 ftrucl them in this art. 
 
 If you pretend to have your horfe, 
 
 fliod according to your own mind, it 
 
 B is
 
 [*] 
 
 is a general faying amongft thefe men, 
 that they do not want to be taught ; 
 which is as much as to fay, in other 
 words, there is nothing known in their 
 art, or ever will be, but what they al- 
 ready are acquainted with And what 
 is particular, there is not one of thefe 
 artifts, how much foever they differ in 
 method, but gives the fame anfwer, 
 and has vanity enough to think, that 
 he knows more than his neighbour 
 Vanity ! the nobleft paffion of the mind, 
 the belt, the kindeft gift of heaven, 
 given us to balance each human failing. 
 
 It has been a maxim amongft wife 
 men of all ages, and has been faid by 
 twenty authors, or more, that nature 
 does nothing in vain, from the obfer- 
 vation of which truth, reafonable peo- 
 ple have been apt to conclude, that na- 
 ture mould be the guide of all our opera- 
 tions* 
 
 Now,
 
 [3] 
 
 Now, if you afk one of thefe artifts 
 his reafbn for acting in this or that par- 
 ticular manner, or fhould enquire of 
 him the ufe of any part, affigned to 
 fome particular end, he can give no 
 anfvver, nor even pretends to have any 
 knowledge thereof, but is guided by 
 cuftom alone. 
 
 Hence reafonable people will alfo 
 conclude, that many errors have arofe 
 in the execution of this art, and that 
 thefe artifts fhould not think themfelves 
 aggrieved, by any information they may 
 receive from any hand. 
 
 Be that as it will, my intent is to 
 explain the proper manner, original de- 
 fign, ufe, and abufe of {hoeing, as 
 clearly and concifely as I can, fo that 
 every man of common capacity may be 
 able to judge for himfelf in this matter. 
 
 B 2 When
 
 03 
 
 
 
 When time was young, when the 
 earth was in a ftate of nature, and turn- 
 pike roads, as yet were not, the horfe 
 needed not the affiftance of this artift; 
 for the Divine Artift had taken care 
 to give his feet fuch defence as it pleaf- 
 ed him ; and who is weak enough to 
 fuppofe, His'wifdom was not fufficient 
 to the purpofe in fuch a ftate. 
 
 But to prevent all fuppofition and ca- 
 villing on this matter, let us only appeal 
 to our fenfes, and we may every day 
 fee hqrfcs, mares, and colts, running 
 about on all forts of ground unftiod, and 
 uninjured in their feet. 
 
 In many parts of the world, to this 
 day, even on the moft rocky ground, 
 horfes are accuftoined to carry their 
 riders unfliod \ and in this kingdom I 
 have known feveral horfes rode ior a, 
 confiderable time unflaod on the turn- 
 pike
 
 [5] 
 
 pike roads about London, without any 
 injury done to their feet. 
 
 And, I believe, there afe many 
 Horfes, that might travel their whole 
 life-time unftiod, on any road, if 
 they were rafped round and fhort at 
 the toe ; becaufe all feet, expofed to 
 hard objeds, become thereby more ob- 
 durate, if the fole be never pared. And 
 fbme by their particular form, depth, and 
 ftrength, are enabled to relift them 
 quite, and to fupport the weight with- 
 out breaking ; and here a very little re~ 
 flexion, will teach us, whence the cuftom 
 arofe of fhoeing horfes in one part of the 
 world, and not in another ; in Alia 
 there is no fuch cuftom as that of flioe- 
 ing horfes at all, becaufe the feet acquire 
 3, very obdurate and firm texture from 
 the drinefs of the climate and the foil, 
 and do really w r ant no defence. But 
 every rider has a rafp, to fhorten his 
 horfe's foot, which would otherwife 
 
 grow
 
 [6] 
 
 grow long and rude, and the cruft would 
 moft certainly fplit- But the horfe 
 brought up on wet and moift land, will 
 naturally have a wider and a weaker 
 foot, it being of a cartilaginous nature, 
 and therefore capable of contradion and 
 expanfion. Becaufe then there always 
 was a great difference in the texture of 
 horfes feet, brought up on different 
 foils, mankind (after certain periods of 
 time, when the face of the earth be- 
 came changed) found themfelves oblig- 
 ed to add another defence, befides the 
 natural one, to preferve the cruft of 
 fuch feet as were weak, and not fo 
 well able to fupport them againft new 
 and hard objects. 
 
 From the good of this practice, tried 
 and difcovered on particular kinds of 
 feet, it is no wonder, that the cuftom 
 of putting fhoes on all kinds of feet 
 became general in fome countries. 
 
 Our
 
 [7] 
 
 Our anceftors, the original fhoers, 
 propofed nothing more, I dare fay, in 
 their firft efforts, than to preferve the 
 cruft from breaking away, and thought 
 themfelves happy they had fkill enough 
 fo to do the moderns alfo are wifely 
 content with this in the racing way. 
 
 But, in procefs of time, the fertili- 
 ty of invention, and the vanity of man- 
 kind, have produced variety of me^ 
 thods, almoft all which are productive 
 of lafnefiefs ; and I am thoroughly con- 
 vinced, from obfervation and experi- 
 ence, that nineteen lame horfes of every 
 twenty in this kingdom, are lame of 
 the artift, which is owing to the form 
 of the fhoe, his ignorance of the defign 
 of nature^ and male- treatment of the 
 foot, every part of which is made for 
 fome ufe or purpofe tho' he does *not 
 happen to know it, 
 
 But
 
 But waving all thefe modern aftifts 
 know> or do not know, I fuppofe it will 
 be univerfally affented td, that whatever 
 method of flioeing approaches ncareft 
 to the law of nature, fuch is likely to 
 be the moft perfect method ; and as 
 the feet of different horfes differ from 
 each other, fo, if we would arrive at 
 any perfection in this art, the hiirrian 
 reafon muft be employed, in difcover^ 
 ing and afcertaining wherein their dif- 
 ference confifb, that each may be treat- 
 ed according, to its nature And yet 
 with refped to each, and all, fome ge- 
 neral rules may be ftill allowed. 
 
 For the fake of thofe, who may be 
 unacquainted with horfes feet, and for 
 their inftrudHon, I fhall defcribe fuch 
 parts only of the foot, for the prefent, 
 as offer themfelves to our view, and 
 come under our cognizance, as the im- 
 mediate-
 
 [9] 
 
 mediate and principal objects of care, 
 when intended to be fhod. 
 
 Thefe are the outer fole, the cruft 
 which like a wall furrounds it, the frog, 
 the bars one on each fide, and the fpongy, 
 fkin-like fubftance, which covers the 
 hinder and cellular part of the foot, 
 and is continued to the heel of the horfe. 
 
 With refpeet to the treatment of 
 fome of thefe, the Sieur la Foffe (to 
 whom the World is indebted for many 
 ingenious obfervations) has already laid 
 down fome Rules And tho' I dare 
 fay every man, who has tried his me- 
 thod of (hoeing, is convinced of its im- 
 propriety, I mean as a general method, 
 yet fome ufeful hints may be gathered 
 from his doctrine, and the good and 
 evil of his flioe {hall be fpoken of 
 hereafter. 
 
 C He
 
 io 
 
 He fays, the fole fhould never be 
 pared ; his reafon is very obvious and 
 juft ; namely, that the fole, not pared, 
 acquires a great degree of firmnefs and 
 obduracy, whereby it is better enabled 
 to refift all extraneous bodies, fuch as 
 Glafs, Nails, Flint, &c. 
 
 There is another reafon equally ob- 
 vious, which is, that the wifdom of 
 the Creator intended this outer fole, and 
 its obduracy, as a natural and proper 
 defence to the inner fole, which lies 
 immediately under the other, between 
 that and the bone of the foot This 
 inner fole being nothing elfe but the 
 cxpanfion of one of the flexor tendons 
 of the leg, which is continued to the 
 bottom of the foot, and over fp reads the 
 bone thereof. 
 
 This tendinous expanfion, when the 
 outer fole is pared, and the animal put 
 
 into
 
 into violent motion, is, for want of 
 its defence, fufceptible of great pain, 
 confequently liable .to great Inflamma- 
 tion ; and from this caufe many a horfe 
 has been rendered lame for ever. 
 
 If it be afked, what becomes of the 
 fole when not pared ? it dries, feparates, 
 and fcales away. 
 
 La Fofie has alfo faid, the frog fliould 
 never be pared ; his Reafon is, that the 
 frog, being united to that tendon of 
 the leg which is continued down to the 
 bottom of the fole (all which tendons 
 are unelaftick bodies) is itfelf an elaftick 
 body, is placed there as a proper point 
 of fupport, and ferves as a bafis, to 
 relieve this tendon at each ftep or mo- I 
 tion. But if the frog be pared, it can- 
 not be admitted to touch the ground ; 
 for want of which* fupport, the tendon : 
 is elongated and drained, hence fre- 
 quent lamenefs of this tendon is occa* 
 C 2 iioned ;
 
 t ] 
 
 fioned ; and from this caufe aifo Wind- 
 galls are mo/i frequently produced. 
 
 I know there are many people who 
 maintain tendons to be elaftick bodies, 
 but it is a ridiculous and vulgar error ; 
 for all tendons or mufcles are confined 
 to their proper fphere of ading ; and 
 from hence it will follow, that if they 
 were elaftick, the force of any mufcle 
 (part of which is tendinous) would be 
 eluded, before fuch tendinous part could 
 aft on its proper object. 
 
 Moreover, every man's eye will fliew 
 him, that tendons are not elaftick, from 
 their loofe uncontracled figure, which 
 is eafily to be perceived in the hinder 
 leg of thehorfe, when he moves gently. 
 
 There are other reafons why the frog 
 fliould not be pared. 
 
 If admitted to touch the ground, 
 
 it
 
 t'3] 
 
 it helps to flop the horfe from fliding, 
 as the figure of it will plainly evince. 
 
 The frog, together with the bars, 
 occupying the hinder part of ^the foot* 
 is defigned by nature to diftend and keep 
 it open, which, when cut away, fuffer 
 the heels, the quarters, and the coro- 
 nary ring to become contra&edj where- 
 by another lamenefs is produced, which 
 fhall be treated of in its proper place. 
 
 The bar is that part fituate between 
 the heel, the frog and the quarter on 
 each fide, and is not to be fcooped out 
 according to the general cuftom, for 
 the reafon laft mentioned, becaufe, to- 
 gether with the frog, its ufe is to keep 
 open the hinder part of the foot, as well 
 as to defend it. 
 
 The fpongy, fkin-like fubftance is 
 not to be cut away till it becomes raggy, 
 becaufe it is the expanfion of the fkin 
 
 round
 
 C *4] 
 
 round the heel, its ufe being to unite 
 more firmly the foot and its contents, 
 and to keep the cellular part of theheel 
 from growing rigid ; it alfo furrounds 
 the coronary ring, and may be obferved 
 to peel, and dry away as it defcends on 
 the hoof. 
 
 Thefe are general rules to be obfery- 
 ed, with refpect to every kind of foot. 
 
 fiut becaufe la Foffe has faid, the fole 
 and frog fhould never be pared, many 
 of our countrymen, miftaki ng his mean- 
 ing, have fallen into another extreme, 
 and fo have not pared the foot at all. 
 Yet it is neceffary, that the cruft of all 
 horfes which are fhod, fhould be pared 
 more or lefs, according to its different 
 degree of ftrength. But no general 
 method can be laid down in this ref- 
 pecl, becaufe the nature of feet differ 
 greatly from each other, by which a- 
 lone the artift is to be guided. 
 
 And
 
 [ '5 ] 
 
 And to prove this neceffity of pairing 
 the cruft, it is to be obferved, that the 
 fuperficies of the cruft of every foot, 
 whereon the fhoe refts, becomes rotten 
 in a few weeks ; fo that if a new fhoe 
 be fet upon an unfound foundation, it 
 will not ftand firm or long. The cruft 
 alfo, in fuch cafe, will fhell or break a- 
 way. 
 
 Now where the foot is deep and hol- 
 low, the cruft is generally thick and 
 ftrong, this cannot be pared dovaa too 
 low (fo as not to fall into the quick) 
 becaufe the ftrength of the cruft alone 
 will occafion fuch a compreffion on the 
 interior parts of the foot, as to produce 
 a lamenefs, which will be (hewn in its 
 proper place. 
 
 In all broad flefliy feet, the cruft is 
 thin, and fhould therefore fuffer the 
 
 leaft poffible lofs. On fuch feet the 
 
 rafp alone is generally fufficient to make 
 
 tiie
 
 C & 3 
 
 tke bottom plain, and produce a found 
 foundation, without the ufe of the def- 
 perate Buttrefs. 
 
 And thus each kind of {pot is to be 
 treated, according to its different degree 
 of ftrength or weaknefi. 
 
 The fuperficies of the foot round 
 the outfide, now made plain and 
 fmooth, the fhoe is to be made quite 
 flat, of an equal thicknefs all round the 
 outfide, and open and moft narrow 
 backwards at the extremities of the 
 heels for the generality of horfes, thofe 
 whofe frogs are difeafed, either from na- 
 tural or incidental caufes, requiring the 
 ihoe to be wider backwards ; and to 
 prevent this flat fhoe from prefiing on 
 the fole of the horfe, the outer part 
 thereof is to be made thickeft, and the 
 infide gradually thinner. 
 
 In
 
 [ '7 ] 
 
 In fuch a flioe, the frog is admitted 
 to touch the ground, the neceffity of 
 which has been already fliewn; 'add 
 to this, the horfe ftands more firmly 
 on the ground, having the fame points 
 of fupport, as in a natural ftate. 
 
 Here now is a plain, eafy method, 
 agreeable to common fenfe and reafon, 
 conformable to the anatomical ftrudure 
 of the parts, and therefore to the defign 
 of nature. A method fo plain, that 
 one would think nobody could ever 
 fwerve from it, or commit any miftake 
 in an art, where nothing is required, 
 but to make fmooth the furface of the 
 foot, to know what lofs of cruft each 
 kind of foot will bear with advantage 
 to itfelf, and to nail thereon a piece of 
 iron, adapted to the natural tread of 
 the horfe ; the defign, good, or ufe of 
 the iron, being only to defend the cruft 
 D from
 
 from breaking, the fole wanting no de- 
 fence, if never pared. 
 
 If we now examine the prefent me- 
 thod of {hoeing, by comparing it with 
 what has been already faid, we fhall 
 eafily perceive its fad effects, which (hall 
 be the fubjecl: of the enfuing chapter. 
 
 CHAP II. 
 
 Is relative to the Firft. 
 
 NO W the modern artift ufes little 
 difference in the treatment of 
 any kind of foot ; but with a ftrong 
 arm, and a fharp weapon carries all be- 
 fore him, and will take more from a 
 weak-footed horfe at one paring, than 
 nature can furnim again in fome months, 
 whereby fuch are rendered lame. 
 
 If a ftrong- footed horfe, with narrow 
 and contra&ed heels, be brought before 
 
 him,
 
 [ '9'] 
 
 him, fuch meets with treatment yet 
 more fevere ; the bar is fcooped out, 
 the frog trimmed, and the fole drawn 
 as thin as poffible, even to the quick, 
 under pretence of giving him eafe ; be- 
 caufe, he fays, he is hot-footed, or 
 foundered. By which treatment, the 
 horfe is rendered more lame than he was 
 before, as I fhall immediately fhew. 
 
 In the interior part of the foot, (which 
 few or none of thefe artifts have ever 
 examined, at leaft to little purpofe) 
 there is a broad cartilage annexed to 
 each fuperior end, or corner of the foot- 
 bone ; there is alfo a fmall bone, called 
 the nut-bone, placed tranfverfely in the 
 foot, between the bone thereof and the 
 coronary bone ; the ends of which are 
 articulated to the inner fides of the foot- 
 bone, which ends are alfo cartilaginous ; 
 and from the fituation and concern of 
 thefe in all motion, it is neceffary they 
 D 2 hiould
 
 fliould be of a cartilaginous, and pliant, 
 or yielding nature. 
 
 Now when this fame foundered foot 
 (as it is called) is robbed of thofe parts, 
 which were defigned to keep it open, 
 the heels and the coronary ring become 
 more contracted than they were before ; 
 by which means thefe cartilages of the 
 foot-bone are more comprefled. All the 
 membranes and tendinous expanfions 
 of the foot are comprefled and inflamed, 
 and the cartilaginous ends of the nut- 
 bone, together with the ligaments, arc 
 fqueezed as in a vice. 
 
 And it is to be obferved, that when- 
 ever the heels of the horfe ai;e deep or 
 narrow, and there is a ftri&ure round 
 the coronary ring, fuch feet are gene- 
 rally more or lefs lame, after fome ufe, 
 and that merely from the compreflion 
 above named. The truth of which will 
 
 be
 
 be more readily conceived by examin- 
 ing the interior ft* ucture of the foot. 
 
 . v 
 
 But the modern artifts, not content 
 with ruining and deftroying the work 
 of Providence, feem refolved, that all 
 their operations fhall be of a-piece, and 
 in every thing ad: by contraries. And, 
 to prove this, I (hall demonftrate, that 
 the fhoe commonly made ufe of, is con- 
 trary to fenfe and reafon, as well as to 
 the natural tread of the foot 
 
 It is to be underftood, that no horfe 
 can go, if the fhoe refts upon the fole ; 
 and to avoid this evil, the modern flioe 
 muft be formed, and ftand concave; 
 becaufe the modern fhoe is made thin- 
 neft on the outfide, and thickeft on the 
 inflde. 
 
 Mark now the inconveniencies arifing 
 from the unequal furface of fuch a (hoe. 
 
 The
 
 The horfe, having fewer points of 
 fupport, is more liable to blunder, to 
 ftrain the tendons, injure the cartilages 
 and ligaments, break the bones of the 
 foot, and to diflocate fome of the 
 
 joints of. the fore part. 
 
 
 
 The weight of the horfe bears chiefly 
 on the inner fide of this ihoe, which 
 is the higheft part ; fo that the nails 
 at the heel (when the horfe comes to 
 act) muft break, or give way, or tear 
 the cruft ; hereby the ihoe gets fome 
 what loofe, the finer fand infinuates 
 itfelf betwen the foot and the hoe- 
 heel, and the horfe is according to our 
 phrafe gravelled ; perhaps, gets a corn, 
 with which he is lame for life j no cure 
 being fuppofed to be had for this evil. 
 
 In this kind of flioe, tho' the frog be 
 not pared, it will be removed to fuch a 
 diftance from the ground, that it can- 
 not
 
 not be admitted to touch it ; by which 
 intervention of the fhoe the flexor ten- 
 don of the foot lofes its fupport, as much 
 as if the frog was actually pared. 
 
 Further, the heel of the, horfe is 
 corroded and eat away, and "the cruft 
 more liable to be 'broke ; nevertheless, 
 thefe men are obftin^te and weak enough 
 to affirm the contrary, and give it as a 
 reafon for making the outfide of the fHoe 
 thinnefl:, not perceiving the confequence 
 of fuch unequal preiTure on the cruft. 
 
 Having now proved, that variety of 
 lamenefs is produced by a wro^g ^nethod 
 of fhoeing, I fhall leave what has been 
 faid to the confideration of the reader | 
 the truth of which, obfervation and 
 experience will make manifeft. 
 
 C H A P.
 
 [24] 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Contains feme further Qbfervatiom on 
 Shoeing. 
 
 LE T the flioe on every horfe ftand 
 wider at the points of the heels 
 than the foot itfelf, otherwife, as the 
 foot grows in length, the heel of the 
 flioe in a fhort time gets within the heel 
 of the horfe ; which preffure often 
 breaks the cruft, produces a temporary 
 lamenefs, perhaps a corn. 
 
 Let every kind of foot be kept as 
 fliort at the toe as poffible, (fo as not to 
 affed the quick) for by a long toe, the 
 foot becomes thin and weak, the heels 
 low, and the flexor tendons of the leg 
 are ftrained ; the fliortnefs of the toe 
 helps alfo to widen narrow heels. 
 
 In all thin weak-footed horfes, the 
 rafp (hould be laid on the toe in fuch a 
 
 manner,
 
 [ 25] 
 
 manner, as to render it as thick as may 
 be ; by which means the whole foot be-> 
 comes gradually thicker, higher, and 
 ftronger. 
 
 In all feet, whofe texture is very 
 ftrong, the rafp may be laid obliquely 
 on the fore part of the foot towards the 
 toe, and the toe itfelf thinned, where- 
 by the compreffion on the parts is ren- 
 dered fomewhat lefs, by diminifhing the 
 ftrength of the hoof or cruft. 
 
 -: ba,;a:;unl:- n^cb 
 
 But this rafp is to be ufed with difcre- 
 tion, leaft the cruft being too thin^ and 
 not able to fupport the weight of the 
 horfe, a fand-erack enfue ; which fre- 
 quently happens, from too free, or un> 
 Ikilful ufe of this tool, and from the na- 
 tural rigid texture of the coronet. 
 
 ,^^jcji;(l 
 
 The heel of the fhoe, oh all ftrong 
 
 and narrow-heeled horfes, fliould be 
 
 made {trait at the extrenre points ; the 
 
 E form
 
 C *.] 
 
 form of the (hoe in fome meafure 
 ing to diftend the heel of the horfe. For 
 the fame reafon, the ihoe on no horfe 
 fhould be continued farther than the 
 point of the heel. 
 
 
 
 It has been faid already, that neither 
 frog or fole (hould ever be pared ; ne- 
 verthelefs, it muft be underftood^ that 
 it is impoflible to pare the cruft, with- 
 out taking away fomc of the adjacent 
 fole, and it is alfo requifite, in order to 
 obtain a fmooth and even furface, fo far 
 as the breadth of the fhoe reaches, and 
 no farther. 
 
 The frog alfo will become ragged, and 
 loofe pieces will occafjonaliy feparate 
 from the body thereof, perhaps in one 
 foot, and not jn the other. When this 
 happens, it {hould be cut away with a 
 knife, to prevent the gravel lodging 
 therein. But if it be left to the artift 
 to do, lie will be fure to take away 
 
 more
 
 more of it at one time, than will grow 
 
 again in many weeks. The inferior 
 
 point 6f the fame, towards the toe, 
 Ihould alfo be taken down, in fome 
 kinds of feet where it grows high, 
 
 La FofTe has given us a caution & 
 gainft the ufe of cramps, or what in 
 England we call corking ; that is, turn-* 
 ing up the ftioe at the points of tire 
 heels. .,'"- 
 
 He fays, that the frog being hereby 
 removed to a great diftance from thfc 
 ground, the tendon will be inevitably 
 ruptured ; but this is true only in part; 
 In the fummer-time, when the ground 
 is dry and hard, I think this effect 
 would frequently happen, efpecially if 
 the horfe was rode hard. But in the 
 winter-time, when the ground is wet, 
 this cannot happen in a flat fhoe ; he- 
 caufe the corking of the (hoe- heels is 
 then buried in the ground, fo that the 
 E 2 frog
 
 [ 2 8] 
 
 frog is ftiil admitted to touch the ground, 
 and to reft the reon And it is neceffary 
 that all fportfmen, who hunt on hilly 
 or ilippery countries, ihould have the 
 fhoe-heels turned up in the winter- time, 
 cfpecially the hinder ones, for the fe- 
 curity of. -their peifons, and the fore 
 {hoes ajfo, if they like it, without dan- 
 ger of laming the horfe in the tendons, 
 for the reafon above given. 
 
 This method of treating the foot, 
 and fuch a kind of Ihoe as has been de- 
 fcnbed, I have ufed many years ; and, 
 to the bcft of my remembrance, have 
 riot had a horfe lame fmce, except when 
 pricked by the artift ; and it is a mat- 
 ter of the greateft aftoniflimcnt to me, 
 how any other form of a frioe could 
 ever come into general ufe. Yet no 
 particular method of fhoeing whatfoe- 
 ver can take place ; and this will hap- 
 pen from the different nature, form, and 
 texture of horfes feet : but the preju- 
 dices
 
 [29] 
 
 dices of mankind, on all thefe occafi- 
 ons, may be worth remarking. One 
 man invents a new piece of machinery, 
 which he finds to be very ufeful intna- 
 ny refpe&s. His pride and partiality 
 would fain have it extend to, all pur-, 
 pofes. In this light he recqmrnends it 
 to his neighbour, _ who tries it, and hav- 
 ing found it not anfwer his, particular 
 purpofe, he falls into the other extreme, 
 and declares it to be good for nothing. 
 Hence that which may contain many 
 virtues, when ufed with judgment, be* 
 comes negle&ed, and is,' perhaps, total- 
 ly thrqwn afide ; and hence the per* 
 fedion of fome arts is lefs extenfive. 
 
 * 
 Now this flat llioe.is not to be made. 
 
 with a fmooth fur-face, after the French 
 manner, but channelled round, or what 
 is called .fullered, after the Englifli man,- 
 ner ; by which the- horfe is better pre- 
 vented from Hiding about, and the heads 
 of the nails are lefs liable to be broke 
 
 Off;
 
 off; both which inconveniences attend 
 the ihoe whofe furface is fmooth. 
 
 But fo ignorant are thefe our artifts, 
 (who do not want to be taught, or, in 
 other words, know every thing) that 
 hot one in twenty of them can make 
 thefe flat fhoes, tho' a pattern lies be- 
 fore them, for which reafon they gene- 
 rally diflike and condemn them* 
 
 It has hitherto been thought a diffi- 
 cult matter to prevent horfes from cut- 
 ting ; nevenhelefs, it is generally very 
 eafy. 
 
 Whoever will be at the trouble of ex- 
 amining the feet of fuch horfes as are 
 dccuftomed to cut themfelves, will at 
 all times, and in all horfes, find the 
 caufe to be the fame ; namely, to turn- 
 ing out their toes. 
 
 Frbrh hence alfo the neceffity of 
 
 boots,
 
 { 3* 3 
 
 boots, and bolfters, .and bandages, 
 round the fetlocks of half the horfes 
 that are trained at Newmarket, to pre- 
 vent knocking their joints together. 
 
 Now the colt fianding to graze with 
 an out-ftfetched foot, which is no un- 
 common pofture, reds chiefly on the 
 infide of it, by which means that part 
 is worn loweft j this is difregarded; and, 
 by a habit of ftanding, the. toe grqws 
 outward, .and he becomes crooked from, 
 the fetlock joint downwards. 
 
 Jt .may perhaps be faid, that this ha- 
 bit of turning put the tpe is entailed by 
 nature ; but whether it be natural, or 
 
 acquired, the true caufe of it is ftill the 
 {a rue in all horfes, and depends pn no^ 
 thing elfe, but the infide heel be,ir^ 
 lower than the otitfide. 
 
 no 
 
 A J 11- ' 
 
 And to prove this do&nne, as" loon as 
 you perceive tlie colt's toe turning out, 
 
 pare
 
 pare down the outfide of the foot as 
 much as you can ; repeat it as often as 
 "the- foot will allow, and let the infide 
 alone , fo will he grow ftrait on his legs 
 and feet, and never cut or knock him- 
 felf 1 about when he comes into ufe. 
 
 This method will alfo prevent grown 
 horfes from cutting, if the cruft of the 
 foot be ftrong enough to bear a fuffici- 
 ent lofs ; if net, the fubftance of the 
 iron may be made thicker for the infide 
 of the foot, from the heel to the toe, 
 than it is for the outfide ; and where 
 it is practicable, and fliall appear ne- 
 ceffary, both thefe methods may be ufed, 
 and both will affift for the purpofe. 
 I have rode a horfe treated in this man- 
 ner feveral years, and have found but 
 little inconvenience to his going, or to 
 his feet, much depending in this cafe 
 on the goodnefs thereof, 
 
 Such
 
 C33] 
 
 Such of the Dealers, who are maftera 
 of their bufmefs, ufe this kind of fhoe 
 to raife the infide of the horfe's foot, 
 and make him point, as they call it, or 
 ftand ftrait on his feet ; and the chap- 
 man, who thinks he has bought a ftrait 
 legged nag, is much furprized at the 
 alteration he perceives in him, the firft 
 time he is fhod in other fhoes. 
 
 , The cruft fliould alfo bs fuffered to 
 grow fulleft on the infide of the foot, 
 and the outer part thereof be rafped a- 
 way as far as can be fpared. 
 
 Neverthelefs, the modern fhoers, act- 
 ing in all things by contraries, rafp away 
 as much as they can from the inner part 
 of the feet* 
 
 CHAP.
 
 [ 34 ] 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Wherein it 'will be proved., that Shoeing 
 is but a partial Good. 
 
 IT has been faid already, that all 
 horfes, whofe feet are contracted 
 round the hinder part, or whofe cruft is 
 deep and ftrong, are generally more or 
 kfs lame, when they have been fhod 
 and ufed any time, and that from a 
 compreffion on the contents of the foot. 
 
 And no method of {hoeing whatfo- 
 ever will prevent the lamenefs of fome 
 fuch feet ; and yet no man ever faw a 
 horfe (with this, or any other kind of 
 foot) lame, but by fome injury, or from 
 too great a length of toe whilft he re- 
 mained unbroke, and running about in 
 a ftate of nature. 
 
 Now
 
 [35] 
 
 Now if ever La Fofle's (toe be ufe- 
 ful, it is chiefly in this cafe ; for in fuch 
 a Qioe the heel of the horfe refts in 
 fome meafure upon the ground, receives 
 fome fhare of weight, and is, by means 
 of fuch weight and preffure, kept open 
 and expanded, by which expanfion of 
 the heels, the compreffion on the inte- 
 rior parts of narrow-footed horfes is 
 removed, and he that was before lame 
 is, by degrees, as the foot fpreads, ren- 
 dered found, if there be no difeafe in 
 the interior parts of the foot* 
 
 Again, where horfes have feet in- 
 clined to the other extreme, whole heels 
 are weak and low, if the fLoe be let 
 fomewhat fhort at the points of the heel, 
 fudi will, by degrees, improve, and 
 grow higher. Yet an Englifh farrier 
 can never be prevailed on to believe, 
 that weak low heels will become ftron- 
 ger by leaving them expofed to hard ob- 
 
 . jects. But it muft be expected that 
 
 E 2 horfes,
 
 [36] 
 
 horfes, with weak or difeafed feet, who 
 have been accuftorhed to go in long 
 broad /hoes, will at firft go very lame 
 in fhoes which are either fliort or nar- 
 row. And many that are lame of the 
 fhoer with various diforders in their feet, 
 would be cured by La Fofle's {hoes, if 
 the frog, fole, and bars were not pared 
 out- But when thofe things which are 
 defigned by the Divine artift as a natu- 
 ral defence to the interior part, are cut 
 away by the Superior Wifdom of our 
 earthly artifts, why then undoubtedly 
 La Fofle's fhoes will not do, for the 
 horfe requires fome artificial defence, to 
 fupply'the lofs of the natural one. Now 
 it is the weight, unequal pfeffure, form 
 and adion of the iron, made ufe of to 
 protect the foot when it is thus horribly 
 abridged by our artifts, that is produc- 
 tive of almofl all the evils incident to 
 horfes feet. 
 
 So
 
 [37] 
 
 So then for training, La Fofle's flioe 
 will be proper for horfes, whofe feet 
 are of too ftrong a texture, and for thofe 
 which are too weak, or affected with 
 various diforders -, but for horfes that 
 have good feet, I would ^chufe to have 
 the iron continued to the point of the 
 horfe's heel, but no farther ; and for all 
 horfes that are ufed on training ground, 
 the iron {hould be very narrow, little 
 wider than a plate, without a wa{h, of 
 a thicknefs fufficient to keep it from 
 bending, according to the fize and 
 weight of the horfe. But thefe fhoes 
 will not anfwer for fbme particular kinds 
 of feet, where horfes are ufed on the road. 
 
 Thefe are the advantages attending 
 the fhort fhoe ; but if Mr. La Fofle 
 was to ride a fox-hunting down the 
 fides of our fteep and flippery hills, I 
 dare fay he would not ufe them twice ; 
 for horfes fo fhod, have, in this kind of 
 
 work,
 
 [38 ] 
 
 work, great difficulty to ftand at all ; 
 befldes, from fuch flipping and fliding 
 about, they are certainly more liable to 
 be lamed ; and from the inequality or 
 Hoping of the ground, that hunters go 
 over in moffc countries, the tendinous 
 fibres of the leg are, more or lefs, oc- 
 cafionally firained and elongated. And 
 this I can truly aver, having myfelf 
 made the experiment, and lamed a horfe 
 in the tendons of both legs, the very 
 firft day of hunting him in thefe fliort 
 flioes. 
 
 There are many men, who can dif- 
 tinguifti thefe afs-footed horfes, and pro- 
 nounce with certainty the lamenefs 
 thereof, even without feeing them move 
 at all ; as readily as others (hall diftin- 
 guifli gold from filver, or lead from iron. 
 
 But becaufe all men have not been 
 attentive enough to make the fame dif- 
 coveries, fomc thro' ignorance, or pre- 
 judice
 
 [39] 
 
 judice to their own opinions, have af- 
 ferted and maintained other kinds of 
 lamenefs, which do not exift at all ; 
 and talk of horfes being cheft- founder- 
 ed, and fhook in the {boulders, when 
 the diforder is in the feet alone. 
 
 Wherefore know all men by thefe 
 prefents, that whofoever talks of horfes 
 being cheft-ioundered, or fhook in the 
 fhoulders, is an ignorant pretender to 
 the knowledge of this animal, and is 
 himfelf fliaken in the head. 
 
 Now, to prove the truth of this doc- 
 trine, and that {hoeing is but a partial 
 good, take this iame narrow-heeled, 
 or ftrong- footed horfe (which, becaufe 
 it is fair to the eye, is perhaps called a 
 very good one) pare down the cruft as 
 much as you can, cut the toe off round 
 and fhort, and turn him out to grafs 
 bare-footed, he will become found in 
 
 courfe?
 
 [ 40 ] 
 
 courfe of time, if the interior parts of 
 the foot are not difeafed. 
 
 The true caufe of which is, that the 
 foot not being confined in a {hoe, the 
 weight of the horfe expands the fame ; 
 the cruft, and the ftriclure of the coro- 
 nary ring, is relaxed by the dews and 
 moifture, and the compreffion on the 
 parts is removed. 
 
 And herein alone it is, that the un- 
 Ikilful are impofed on by the farrier, 
 who (having 3one fomething to your 
 horfe, for what he calls a lamenefs in 
 the fhoulder, and ordered him to be 
 turned to grafs) vainly believes fuch 
 foundnefs to be the effect of his rcme-v 
 dy ; and you, for want of better know- 
 ledge of the animal, are perfuaded to 
 believe the fame. 
 
 Take the fame horfes, whofe feet by 
 their open figure and relaxed (late are 
 
 become
 
 become found, confine them again in a 
 fhoe, keep them at houfe, in fpite of 
 all art fome of them will become lame 
 again, perhaps the firft time of riding; 
 efpecially if the weather be hot and dry, 
 merely from the compreflion above- 
 named. 
 
 Who now does not fee the horrid 
 barbarities of rowelling, bliftering, nay, 
 even boring the fhoulders with a red- 
 hot iron (under pretence of curing a 
 lamenefs therein) committed on this 
 moft noble animal, by the obftinacy, 
 pride, or folly of mankind. 
 
 Yet I would not be iinderflood to 
 mean* that there is no fuch thing as a 
 lamenefs in the (boulder ; becaufe the 
 mufcles and ligaments thereof are, liar 
 ble to be (trained, 1 as well as other muf- 
 cular and ligamentous parts. 
 
 G But
 
 [42] , 
 
 But that no man may ever after be 
 miftaken herein, I will lay down one 
 unerring rule, whereby he may diftin- 
 girifti the reality of this diforder, with- 
 out confulting the farrier at all ; which 
 is, that the horfe, in this circumftance, 
 always drags his toe upon the ground ; 
 for it is impoffible that the horfe can 
 extend his foot to go on, without ex- 
 tending alfo the mufcles of the {houl- 
 der, which adl of extenfion he, to avoid 
 pain, or from inability, does not chufe 
 to have performed. 
 
 It appears alfo, from the nature of 
 the articulation of the humeral-bone, 
 with the fcapula, or blade- bone, that r < 
 fuch is capable of diflocation, either for- 
 ward or backward ; and there are ma- 
 ny farriers in this kingdom, who pretend 
 to have cured this diflocation, by the 
 means of a patten-fhoe put on the foot 
 of the lame leg j the truth of which 
 
 they
 
 [43 ] 
 
 they would atteft on oath, perhaps feal 
 with their blood. 
 
 But a patten-fhoe, in this cafe, muft 
 of neceffity do harm inftead of good ; 
 becaufe it will force the head of the hu- 
 meral-bone further from its articulation 
 with the fcapula.' 
 
 Since the firft publication of this 
 Treatife, I have feen an inftance of a 
 diflocation of this bone in a horfe, 
 which was eafily reduced by being im- 
 mediately taken in hand, which puts 
 this matter out of difpute ; I fay dif- 
 pute, becaufe fome of our learned wri- 
 ters on the fubject of horfes, have boldly 
 jaid, fuch a diflocation cannot happen. 
 Which dodrine of theirs will ferve to 
 fhew how little fuch men are acquainted, 
 with that part of the anatomy of a horfe, 
 which relates to the nature of articulation. 
 But when this humeral-bone is reduced, 
 it may be very proper for the horfe to 
 G 2 wear
 
 [44] 
 
 wear a patten- floe for fome time after- 
 wards, till the ligaments belonging to 
 this joint have recovered their former 
 ftrength, Towards which the frequent 
 ufe of vinegar will contribute as much 
 as any application* 
 
 Now the proper method of reducing 
 all dislocations is by making extenilon 
 both ways. 
 
 By difeafes arifing from the contrac- 
 ed form of the feet, from confcquent 
 pain, and manner of ftanding in the 
 horfe, to eafe thefe feet, the mufcles of 
 the flioulders occasionally wafte away ; 
 and this is what is meant by the word 
 cheft-foundered, or fhook in the flioul- 
 ders, which miftake arifes from not un- 
 derftanding the nature of feet. 
 
 So from pain occafioned by a fpa- 
 vi'n, or other diforders in the joint of 
 the hock, the mufcles of the quarter 
 
 will
 
 [ 45 ] 
 
 will frequently wafte away ; but it 
 will be equally abfurd in either of thefe 
 cafes to fay, that the lamenefs of the 
 horfe is in the fhoulder^ or in the quar- 
 ter ; in both thefe cafes the caufe is the 
 fame ; namely, pain, and habit of ftand- 
 ing. And yet from violence received 
 on the flioulder, the mufcular parts may 
 wafte away, in like manner as in the 
 human fpecies. 
 
 But to fet this matter in the cleared 
 light, it is to be obferved, that where 
 both moulders are wafted, you will rea- 
 dily perceive the caufe of it in both feet ; 
 but if both feet are not concerned, or 
 one fhoulder only be wafted ; it is ow- 
 ing to fome impreffion or violence upon 
 the nerve, or artery, for which, 1 be- 
 lieve, there is no remedy in either cafe; 
 but thefe diftindions are fo far of ufe, 
 that they may be the means to prevent 
 our puniming the animal to no purpofe, 
 which too often happens, from our not 
 
 being
 
 [46 ] 
 
 being acquainted with the real caufes of 
 difeafe. 
 
 
 
 To prove ftill further, that (hoeing is 
 but a partial good. When any other 
 kind of foot is become fhelly and bro- 
 ken, the cruft thin, or the heels low, 
 turn the horfe out to grafs without {hoes, 
 rafp the foot fhort at the toe, keep it 
 conftantly rafped as it grows, fuch foot 
 will in a fliort time flourifh again, and 
 become juft as it was in a natural ftate, 
 when he was a colt. 
 
 And here let it be remembered, that 
 it is much to the advantage of all colts 
 to keep their toes fhort ; mares alfo in 
 foal will by this means carry their load 
 
 much eafier,. Difcretion being had 
 
 thereunto, as in paring the human nail, 
 which, if cut too clofe, willcaufe-a 
 temporary forenefs. 
 
 Never-
 
 [ 47 3 
 
 Nevertheiefs no harm, except an im- 
 mediate forenefs, which will foDn go 
 off, attends cutting the toe of the horfe 
 even to the quick, as {hall be immedi- 
 ately (hewn, 
 
 If you have a horfe, whofe foot is 
 flefliy, whofe fole -is higher than the 
 cruft, take him and cut him round at 
 the toe, till the blood follows, and ftands 
 in. drops ; turn him tografs bare- footed," 
 he will in a fhort time make a new (hoot 
 at the coronet, the weak cruft will be- 
 come by degrees more fblid, and the 
 thin fole more obdurate, the heels will 
 get high and ftrong, and behold, where 
 you could not before well find a place to 
 drive a nail, the whole foot is now ren- 
 dered tough and firm, will bear ham* 
 mering like 'a piece of board, will car- 
 ry as flat a (hoe -as any other kind of 
 foot, and will continue fo to do,, if it 
 be never pared or flopped, - Provided 
 
 always
 
 [48] 
 
 always, the interior parts of the foot 
 have not been injured by difeafe or ac- 
 cident. 
 
 Hence it is manifeft enough, that all 
 horfes, when turned to grafs for a time, 
 fliould have their {hoes taken off, and 
 their toes kept rafped round and fliort. 
 
 The feet of ftallions are alfo bed with- 
 out fhoes, whether they are kept at 
 houfe or abroad ; the cruft at the bot- 
 tom of the foot being occafionally pared 
 down, according to the depth, ftrcngth, 
 and growth thereof. 
 
 Let any man keep one foot of a flal- 
 lion fo managed, and the other in a 
 fhoe, he will foon find a wide differ* 
 ence between the two feet. 
 
 Hence it will follow, that all breed- 
 ers of horfes, fliould be well verfcd in 
 the difference of feet, the laws of na- 
 ture
 
 [ 49 ] 
 
 ture feldom varying in this or other re- 
 fpeds. 
 
 And here occurs to me the wrong 
 judgment of the grooms in the inp'ifcri- 
 minate cuftom of flopping and greafing 
 all forts of feet ; for greafing and flop- 
 ping fuch feet, whofe cruft is weak, 
 and whofe fole is fpongy, will render 
 them more weak and more fpongy ; 
 fuch feet cannot be kept too dry at the 
 bottom. 
 
 Neverthelefs, it is neceflary to an- 
 oint the coronary ring of fuch , with 
 fome cooling oil, ointment, or muci- 
 laginous compofition, to keep it pliant, 
 and free fro'm contraction and rigidity. 
 
 Urine will alfo render the cruft of 
 
 weak feet tough, and help to confoli- 
 date the fole. 
 
 On the other hand, the hoof being 
 
 capable of contraction and expansion, 
 
 H ftrong
 
 [ 5 ] 
 
 ftrong feet cannot be kept too full of 
 oil, for the reafons before given. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 Treats of various other Lamenefs. 
 
 LA FOSSE has given us various 
 accounts of fra&ured bones in the 
 foot ; for my own part, I have never 
 feen any fuch thing, -but can ea% give 
 credit to the poffibility thereof. 
 
 Yet I have feen many inftances of 
 fudden lamenefs brought , on horfes in 
 Jaunting and in racing, by a falfe ftep, 
 which have continued lame their whole 
 life- time; and upon examination, I have 
 found the ligaments of the nut-bone ren- 
 dered ufelefs, for want of timely aflift- 
 ance and knowledge of the caufe; from 
 ftence the cartilages of the fame have 
 been fometimes offified and the bones 
 
 of
 
 [*'.] 
 
 of the foot have been fomedmes wafted, 
 and fometimes enlarged, it being no 
 uncommon thing to meet a horfe, whofe 
 feet are not fellows, the natural form 
 of the injured foot being generally al- 
 tered hereby ; and nothing can contri- 
 bute more to fuch an accident, than the'' 
 unequal preffure of the f9ot in our mo- 
 dern concave flioe. 
 
 . *'; ~ 
 
 The ftridture of -a deep cruft, and 
 narrow form of the foot with hard rid- 
 ing, and much ufe, will allo produce an 
 oilification of the cartilages of the joint 
 of the foot, from which a ftiffnefs in 
 the part always enfues. And this may 
 be called a fpurious Anchy lolls ; fq ofii- 
 fication frequently happens in different 
 parts of the human body, from various 
 unknown caufes. There is alfo another 
 kind or degree of Anchylofis, by which 
 is to be underftood a total lofs of mo- 
 tion in the joint, the firft admitting fome 
 fmall degree of It. 
 
 H 2 In
 
 In every joint there are glands, the 
 ufe of which is to pour forth in aclion a 
 mucus. To thefe' are added certain 
 veflels, that difcharge a thinner fluid, 
 which, rpixed with the other, makes 
 a liniment of a proper confiftence, 
 whofe ufe is to lubricate the ends of the 
 bones, all which, for the fake of mo- 
 tion, are covered with a cartilage or ( 
 griftle. 
 
 Now when thefe glands are inflamed 
 by motion, they grow occafionally rigid, 
 pour forth more fparingly their mucus, 
 and at length become dry and indura- 
 ted. Hence I have been led to think, 
 this oflification of the cartilages is a fe- 
 condary diforder, depending on the ftate 
 or quantity of this mucous liniment. 
 
 That inflammation attends the glands, 
 I have feen frequent inftances, where 
 the fetlock joint of a hunted flag has 
 
 been
 
 [ 53] 
 
 been cut afunder in the fummer-time, 
 when the leaps have been firong, and 
 the ground hard and dry ; the mucus 
 thereof having been of a very fanguine 
 colour. 
 
 Who now fhall doubt, the fame may 
 happen to the horfe, efpecially when 
 another weight is added to his own? 
 Moreover, there are inftances, where 
 the mucus of the joint in human bodies 
 has been fo difeafed, either by accident, 
 or bad habit of body, as to corrode 
 the cartilaginous ends of the bones; 
 and this will account for the true an- 
 chylofis in fome meafure ; which entire 
 coalefcence of a joint can never happen, 
 without fome erofion in the cartilages 
 thereof. 
 
 The glands are liable alfo to difeafe, 
 
 as well as other parts and the long 
 
 difufe of a joint from a continued and 
 cafual lamenefs, where the glands of the 
 
 fame
 
 [54] 
 
 fame are not primarily concerned, is 
 capable of producing the fpurious an- 
 chylofis, from the thick, and infpiflated 
 ftate of the mucus, which infpiflation 
 happens, from want of friction of the 
 ends of the bones upon each other : 
 Hence the particles of this mucus not 
 being divided, there will be a crifpi- 
 tude in the ligamentous fibres of fuch 
 joint : And this infpiflation of the 
 mucus from any other caufe, will ac- 
 count for the reafon, why the horfe, 
 who goes lame out of the ftable, be- 
 comes by degrees more found ; namely, 
 becaufe the ends of the bones do, by 
 their action, attenuate this mucous fluid ; 
 whereby the parts are better lubricated 
 and for this diforder, turning the 
 horfe out, or keeping him loofe in fome 
 open building, will much contribute to 
 his advantage. 
 
 Again ; a joint may, in great mea- 
 fure, be deprived of its ufual motion by 
 
 a re-
 
 [ 55] 
 
 a redundancy of this mucous fluid ; 
 which may be produced by bad habit 
 of body, or becaufe the veflels appoint- 
 ed to abforb, or receive the fame, are 
 not able to perform their office. 
 
 The fetlock joint is liable to frequent 
 lamenefs, from blows received thereon, 
 whereby the ligaments furrounding it 
 become inflamed and rigid, and the 
 integuments are thickened or indurated. 
 
 And lamenefs will be occasioned by 
 ftrains of the mufcular, or tendinous 
 parts of the leg, continued down to the 
 foot of the horfe from windgalls, run- 
 ning thrufhes, fplints, ring-bone, can- 
 ker in the foot, {training the tendons of 
 the leg, and what is called a letting- 
 down, or relaxation of the iinew, from 
 broken bones, and diflocations. 
 
 Now thefe which have been recited^ 
 are the only kinds of lamenefs, that I 
 
 have
 
 . [56] 
 
 have ever been able to difcover attend- 
 ing the fore part of the horfe except 
 luch as are occafioned by the crifis of a 
 fever, or by injuries received from ex- 
 traneous bodies And I have been the 
 more particular in fetting forth the na- 
 ture of fome of thefe, that the unfkil- 
 ful may not be impofed on by the ig- 
 norance of farriers, nor the horfe pu- 
 nimed for incurable diforders. 
 
 In the hinder part of the horfe, lame- 
 nefs is much lefs frequent than in the 
 fore part, and lefs various. 
 
 A diflocation of the hip, or whirl- 
 bone, happens very feldom, and when- 
 ever it does, it proceeds from a rupture 
 of the round ligament (occaiioned by 
 fome violence) or an elongation of the 
 fame, from a difeafe of the part ; in- 
 ftances of both which I have feen in a 
 bullock and a horfe, as well as of frac- 
 tures
 
 [ 57 ] 
 
 ttfres of the head, of the thigh bone, 
 and of the os ilium. 
 
 Now to diftinguim with certainty the 
 reality of thefe, it muft be obferved, 
 that when the bone is broke in either 
 of thefe cafes, the animal will in a few 
 days begin to reft upon that leg a little, 
 and gradually more and more, till the 
 bone confolidates, and becomes united ; 
 but when the round ligament is ruptur- 
 ed, or elongated to a certain degree, 
 the head of the bone falls from the 
 focket, the leg fwings, the animal can- 
 not reft upon it at all, and by continu- 
 ally bearing all the weight upon the o- 
 ther leg, he foon becomes lame of that 
 alfo, and at laft does not chufe to ftand 
 at all. Moreover, in the cafe of elon- 
 gation or rupture of the round liga- 
 ment, the whole limb becomes longer ; 
 and in the cafe of a fracture of the thigh 
 bone, it becomes fhorter ; But in a frac- 
 ture of the os ilnim, this abbreviation 
 I may
 
 may or may not happen, depending a- 
 lone on the nature or manner of the 
 fracture. 
 
 But the common lamenefs attending 
 this joint is occafioned by the relaxed 
 ftate of fome of the ligaments belong- 
 ing to it, brought on by fome ftrain at 
 firft, and by exercife continued on fuch 
 weak part. 
 
 From a fudden ftrain, or exercife 
 continued on a weak part, a fwelling 
 xvill rife on the hock, attended by lame- 
 nefs. ; 
 
 < 
 From a fudden ftrain fudden fwell- 
 
 ings will arife in the cavities on each fide 
 the hock, attended with great pain. 
 
 Of fpavins there are two forts, one 
 called the bone fpavin, the other the 
 blood fpavin. 
 
 A curb
 
 [ 59 ] 
 
 A curb is a fvvelling on the joint " of 
 
 the hinder leg below the hock all 
 
 thefe are generally productive of lame- 
 nefs. 
 
 Now thefe different kinds of lame- 
 nefs befalling the hinder parts of the 
 horfe, are, I think, eafjly diftinguifhed 
 from each other, by their effedls on the 
 horfe, when put into motion for in- 
 
 ftarice if the horfe, when made 
 
 to go on, be lame in any of the 
 parts belonging to the foot, he will en- 
 deavour to give the foot eafe, ' by not 
 fetting it fully on the ground if the 
 lamenefs be in the fetlock joint, or the 
 tendons of the leg, or proceed from 
 windgalls, or be in the hock r or pro- 
 ceed from any fwellings furrounding the 
 hock, or be occafioned by a curb, or 
 fpavins, or canker, all fuch caufes will 
 be very manifeft to the eye if the 
 lamenefs be in the ftifle, he cannot fo 
 I 2 well
 
 [6o] 
 
 well perform the extenfion of the limb, 
 but will drag his toe upon the ground, 
 more or lefs, according to the degree of 
 injury he has received, as in the manner 
 of lamenefs in the ihoulder ; and if it be 
 in the ligaments belonging to the joint 
 of the hip, or whirl- bone, he will in 
 fuch cafe reft his foot fully upon the 
 ground, but will halt or ftcp fhort in 
 his trot with that leg, and yet perhaps 
 be very found in his walk ; and thefe 
 rules cannot vary, becaufe the parts af- 
 fected do, from their nature and ufe, if 
 underftood, readily point out the true 
 caufe, or feat of complaint ; that is to 
 fay, the motion of the limb will be 
 certain and determinate, according to 
 the injury done to particular parts. 
 
 Another lamenefs there is, which, 
 according to the jockies ftile, proceeds 
 from humours. 
 
 Now
 
 C 
 
 Now moft of the learned world, who 
 have wrote on this fubjet, have made 
 themfelves merry with the jockies and 
 farriers, for ufing the word humours, 
 when the horfe is fuppofed to have a 
 crazy conftitution, or bad habit of body. 
 
 And yet herein the learned and un- 
 learned both mean the fame thing, as 
 appears from the pra&ice of the one, 
 and writing of the other The unlearn- 
 ed in this cafe adminifter phyfick, and 
 pilling drinks, put in rowels, and turn 
 to grafs ; the learned recommend purg- 
 ing, and alteratives, and fait marflies, 
 
 But as all words are arbitrary, and at 
 the will of the impofer, it feems to me 
 of little confequence what choice we 
 make of words, provided always, they 
 are ufed to bear a determinate meaning 
 fo that, for the fake of peace, diftinc- 
 tion, and cuftom, I am well content 
 
 this
 
 [6 2 ] 
 
 this good old phrafe fliould ftand its 
 ground unmolefted. 
 
 There is lamenefs then proceeding 
 from humours ; that is to fay, the blood 
 and juices in fome conftitutions are very 
 vifcid, and not paffing fo readily thro' 
 the various canals of circulation, ob- 
 ftruclions do arife, by which the foft 
 parts are affected with pain, and lame- 
 nefs enfues fometimes in one part, fome- 
 times in another. 
 
 Pray, why is not the word humours as 
 proper here, as any other word, if not 
 applied to any other purpofe ? 
 
 CHAP.
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 ^Treats of the management of thefe kinds 
 of Lamenefs which have been already 
 recited. 
 
 NO W the farriers, when the caufe 
 of lamenefs in the fore part of 
 the horfc is not vifible to them, do 
 moil frequently affert, that it is in the 
 fhoulder, and by chance, that it is in 
 the foot. 
 
 When they allow this laft to "be the 
 cafe, their method of acting is firft to 
 blifter, and then to fire upon the coro- 
 nary ring all round, at various intervals 
 of (pace. 
 
 But bliftering inflames, and firing 
 contracts the coronary ring, which is, 
 or fhould be of a pliant nature, and 
 renders it more rigid ; the effects of 
 which feem to want no annotations. 
 
 For
 
 64 
 
 For firong and deep or narrow feet 
 keeping at grafs, or loofe in a honfe, 
 and fhort {hoes, are very beneficial ; 
 and moft horfes with fuch feet, efpeci- 
 ally on training ground, would do full 
 as well, perhaps better, if their fore feet 
 were never fliod at all, but were kept 
 rafped fliort at the toe, and their cruft 
 at the bottom was occafionally pared 
 down. 
 
 For lamenefs arifing from a fudden 
 falfe ftep, which, if I rightly under- 
 ftand La Fofle, he calls a compreffion, 
 and which he accounts for by the adion 
 of the coronary bone pufhing the nut- 
 bone againft the tendon, and comprcfl- 
 ing the fame as between an anvil and a 
 hammer, he has propofed two reme- 
 dies, to remove the inflammation cauf- 
 ed by it, and its bad confequences , 
 one is to draw the outer fole the other 
 is to pare it, till it becomes thin and flex- 
 
 ible,
 
 [65] 
 
 ible, to bleed in the foot, and to ufe 
 emollient poultifes and fomentations 
 round the foot and the coronet ; three 
 fourths of thefe cafes, he fays, are cured 
 by fuch methods without drawing the 
 fole ; and I beg leave to add, that I 
 believe all might be, if they were im- 
 mediately taken in hand, and the cruft 
 or hoof was alfo pared down as low as 
 poffible, and rendered thin on every part 
 becaufe, the interior inflamed parts 
 will be more relieved by external appli- 
 cations, when the thicknefs and ftric- 
 ture of the cruft are removed, than 
 when the outer fole only is pared away 
 but the great objedion I have to 
 drawing the fole, befides the cruelty of 
 the operation, is, that nineteen horfes 
 in twenty (here in England I mean) 
 have always been more or lefs lame af- 
 terwards, when ufed again, and that froth 
 a contraction of the hoof occafioned by 
 fuch operation. 
 
 K And
 
 [ 66 I 
 
 And here I beg leave to add one ob- 
 iervation more on the folly and abfur- 
 dity of our Englifli flioers, with refpedb 
 to their treatment of afs-footed horfes, 
 and which has been in part fpoken of 
 before. Now horfes with fuch feet be- 
 ing generally lame, it is a conftant cuf- 
 tom with thefe men, to pare away all 
 the outer fole of fuch horfes as much 
 as pofiible, and to render their feet hol- 
 low. By this they propofe to remove 
 the preffure or binding of the outer fole 
 upon the inner, and fo to cure his lame- 
 nefs, which, by the bye, I never yet 
 faw give fo much as a temporary relief 
 but if it did, it would ftill be a bad 
 cuftom for the preffure or binding of 
 one fole upon the other, is in this cafe 
 owing to the depth and ftrength, and 
 contexture of the cruft or hoof rirft com- 
 preffing the outer fole ; fo then by 
 paring away the outer fole, which helps 
 to keep the cruft or hoof expanded and 
 
 open,
 
 [ 67 ] 
 
 open, fuch cruft or hoof is rendered 
 deeper, ftronger and narrower alfo, than 
 it was before ; by which addition of 
 ftrength, depth, and contraction, the 
 outer fole, as it grows again, is alfo more 
 ftridtly embraced and compreiled than 
 it was before ; hence the preffure or 
 binding on the inner foul is increafed, 
 and that ftill more, every time fuch 
 outer foul is pared away, till the horfe 
 at length becomes fo lame, that he can- 
 not well carry himfelf. 
 
 Now the proper way of treating fuch 
 feet is, to pare down the cruft as much 
 as poffible, without failing into the 
 quick, to keep the frog high, and the 
 outer fole full, and even with the cruft, 
 and to relax, and fbften and expand the 
 hoof by all methods. 
 
 4 ' 
 
 La Fofle directs us how to diftinguifh 
 
 a ftrong compreflion (as he calls it) by a 
 
 fwelling in the coronet, and the great 
 
 K 2 pain
 
 [.68] 
 
 pain occafioned by pufliing the thumb 
 againft it, two inftances of which he 
 gives us that were not cured, even when 
 the fole was drawn Now I very much 
 queftion, but thefe fwellings at the co- 
 ronet defcribed by him were partial 
 diflocations of the coronary-bone ; and 
 tho' I do not mean to detract in the leaft 
 from his merit and fkill in the know- 
 ledge of the parts belonging to the horfe, 
 yet I am the more inclined to think him 
 miftaken in this particular, becaufe he 
 lays it down as a rule, that the coro- 
 nary-bone will admit of no diflocation, 
 being fofecurely tied round by ligaments, 
 tendons, cartilages, and the conftru&ion 
 of the hoof whereas, in facl, all bones, 
 which help to compofe a joint, and 
 that are capable of motion, are capable 
 alfo of diflocation and that this coro- 
 nary bone is capable of motion, will be 
 eafily proved by the ufe of a mufcle which 
 is inferted into it and the foot and paf- 
 tern-bone have each of them alfo a muf- 
 
 cle
 
 [6 9 3 
 
 de inferted to them. Now the tendons 
 of thefe three mufcles may occafionally 
 perhaps become united from hard labour 
 fo as to appear one tendon ; and yet in 
 fad: what is co monly called the great 
 tendon of die fore-leg has three diftincl: 
 rnufcles, with three infertions into thefe 
 three bones before named. 
 
 Where the cartilages are offified, 
 there is no cure ; for an anchylofis, 
 there is no cure ; where the bones of 
 the foot are enlarged or wafted, there 
 is no cure. 
 
 To remove the Inflammation of the 
 glands, and to prevent an induration 
 and enlargement of the ligamentous 
 parts, and the in-teguments of the fet- 
 lock joint, the confequence of repeated 
 violence, it is a good Cuftom for all 
 fportfmen to caufe thefe joints of the 
 horfe, after a day's hunting, to be well 
 fomented with flannels dipped in warm 
 
 water,
 
 water, or a dccodtion of fome emollient 
 herbs ; and fome warm flannel cloths 
 or rollers (hould be moderately bound 
 thereon, for the enfuing night. 
 
 For want of this, or fome fuch me- 
 thod, lamenefs (as was before faid) of- 
 ten happens to this joint. 
 
 To cure this, the farrier blifters and 
 fires upon the joint, by either of which 
 methods, applied whilft the parts are 
 inflamed, the inflammation thereof is 
 moft certainly increafed, from hence a 
 callofity of thofe parts is moft likely to 
 be entailed for ever , inftances enough 
 of which we may fee every day, and 
 they are as contradidory to the diforder, 
 as endeavouring to extinguifli fire by 
 pouring fpirits of wine thereon. For 
 a lamenefs of the tendon he ufes the 
 feme methods. 
 
 Now
 
 [ 7' 
 
 Now all tendons are envoleped in a 
 (heath, whereon are fituate many fmall 
 glands, that are forced by the adion 
 of the tendons to pour forth their mu- 
 cus, which ferves as oil to lubricate the 
 fame, and to keep them from growing 
 dry and rigid, as other wife they would 
 do like any other cord or firing. 
 
 Between this (heath and the (kin of 
 the leg, where nothing intervenes but a 
 thin membrane, what hand can deter- 
 mine betwixt the boundaries of thefe 
 bodies, whofe appearance, by the heat 
 of the iron, is made undiftinguifhable 
 to the eye. 
 
 Now mark the event of firing. 
 
 If the fire reaches no further than 
 the (kin, little advantage can accrue to 
 the tendon, but the fibres of the (kin 
 will become contra&ed, and lefs pliant , 
 
 if
 
 if the fire reaches the membrane, or 
 (heath of the tendon, fome of its glands 
 are deftroyed, and the tendon becomes 
 more or lefs rigid. If the tendon be 
 burnt, the confequence will be ftillworfe, 
 and in either cafe the velocity of motion 
 will be impeded ; no man (I believe) 
 remembering a race-horfe once fired, 
 equal to what he was before. Firing 
 then will act as a Bandage, and tho' it 
 is fure to fpoil the racer, it may on fome 
 occafions found beneficial to horfes, 
 ufed for other purpofes. 
 
 In both thefe cafes, where the fkin or 
 ligaments furrounding the fetlock joint, 
 or a tendon is inflamed or enlarged by 
 repeated violence, or exercife continued 
 on a weak or inflamed part, the follow- 
 ing method may be ufed. 
 
 Turn your horfe loofe in fome open 
 building, bleed him plentifully, and 
 give him cooling faits, let the injured 
 
 parts
 
 [ 73 ] 
 
 parts be fomented twice a day with the 
 decoction of fome emollient herbs boil- 
 ed in water, fuch as white lilly roots, 
 mallows, elder leaves, and flowers, bay 
 leaves, or the like. The parts, when 
 dry, are to be filled with fome cooling 
 ointment, and fome of the fomentation 
 is to be thickened with oatmeal, to the 
 confidence of a poultice, and kept 
 thereon. 
 
 When the induration and tenfion is 
 gone off, a cataplafm may be applied 
 twice a day, compofed of common fait 
 and the white of eggs, mixed with a 
 little vinegar and oatmeal, and the parts 
 bathed with cold vinegar mixed with a 
 little oil (heat evaporating the fubtle fpi- 
 rit thereof) but if thefe remedies do not 
 avail, why then the ufe of blifters, af- 
 ter proper and previous evacuations, may 
 perhaps be the means of effeding a cure, 
 by unloading the veffels contiguous to 
 the paits affeded. On all thefe -occa- 
 L fions
 
 [ 74 ] 
 
 fions the horfe mould be turned to grafs, 
 and indulged with proper feft, that the 
 difeafed parts may recover their former 
 finenefs, tone and ftrength. 
 
 With refped to reft, the farrier has 
 a great advantage by bliftering and fire- 
 ing, becaufe the leg is fo inflamed here- 
 by, that it is impoffibJe to ride the 
 horfe for a considerable time after the 
 operation ; fo that if he happens to get 
 found, it is generally thought lo be the 
 effect of bliflering and firing ; which 
 ought, in reality, to be imputed to the 
 reft he has had. 
 
 But when any other method has been 
 ufed for this purpofe, and the part looks 
 fair to the eye, the rider mounts, his 
 horfe is lame again the firft day, and 
 the groom wifely concludes, he will ne- 
 ver ftand found without being fired. 
 
 Now
 
 [ 75 ] 
 
 . 
 
 Now let every man, who has ever 
 ftrained the tendons of his writl or an- 
 cle, refledl on the pain he has fuffered 
 from the leaft motion of the parts ; and 
 how long a time has been required, be- 
 fore he has been able to bear the ex- 
 tenflon of fuch tendons, even wheri all 
 appearances have been fair. Will not 
 the cafe be fuch with the horfe ? 
 
 And here I cannot help cenfuring the 
 jockey, who, having his horfe matched,, 
 and in his exercife the tendons are fo 
 inflamed, that he cannot be allowed to 
 gallop, yet conftantly takes him out 
 morning and evening to give him Walk-- 
 
 ing exercife. 
 
 But this walking exercife. can contri- 
 bute little towards keeping him in wind, 1 
 or making him fit for the race, yet ft ill 
 helps to fatigue the tendon. Whereas,* 
 if the horfe was kept quiet, and pro- 
 L 2 per.
 
 [ 76 ] 
 
 per applications applied to the injured 
 part, it is very poflible he might reco- 
 ver foon enough for his purpofe. 
 
 Therefore, when it is thought impro- 
 per for him to gallop, it muft be much 
 better for him to lie quite ftill ; and the 
 moft proper applications I know of in 
 this cafe, are to bathe the parts with cold 
 vinegar, to rub in fome cooling oint- 
 ment when it is dry, and to renew the 
 cataplafm of fait twice a day ; fait ex- 
 ternally ufed, being the greateft difcu- 
 tient I am acquainted with. 
 
 The ufe of ardent fpirits do harm to 
 tendinous parts when there is any ten- 
 flon, becaufe, if then apply 'd, they ren- 
 der the fibres rigid ; but when the ten- 
 fion is gone off, fuch may help to brace 
 and ftrengthen the parts a high-heel'd 
 fhoe will alfo be of ufe in this cafe, as 
 it will help in fome meafure to keep the 
 tendon relaxed. 
 
 Now
 
 [ 77 } 
 
 Now I beg leave to repeat what has 
 been in part faid already ; namely, that 
 all lamenefs in the tendons of a draught, 
 road, or running horfe, happens gene- 
 rally from the unequal fur face of our 
 modern concave fhoe, and from rob- 
 bing that tendon, which is continued 
 to the bottom of the foot, of its pro- 
 per point of fupport, by paring the frog. 
 
 Hunters indeed may occafiorialiy 
 
 get a lamenefs in the tendons, fron\ va- 
 rious injuries and violence received in 
 their different kinds of work. 
 
 The method of curing windgalls, 
 according to the prefent mode, is vari- 
 ous ; but before any thing is faid touch- 
 ing this practice, it is neceffary to fliew 
 what they are. 
 
 From ftrains, or blows received on 
 the tendinous or membranous parts, 
 the juices of the glands are poured forth, 
 
 and
 
 [ 78 ] 
 
 and become enveloped in a Cyft, or 
 Bag. 
 
 Its contents are ilmilar to the white 
 of an egg, and the difeafe is correfpon- 
 dent to what the furgeons call a gan- 
 glion on the human wrift. 
 
 / \ 
 
 Now fome farriers let out the con- 
 tents of t^iis encyfted tumour with a 
 knife or lancet, which is always fure to 
 be filled again when the wound is heal- 
 ed, after having been attended with 
 much pain. . Others blifler, which for 
 a time feems to have dilchargcd this 
 fwelling, but when the horfe comes in- 
 to ufe it foon fills again. 
 
 Others fire upon the part, by which 
 the outer tegument or fkin is rendered 
 rigid and indurated ; hence the pain 
 occafioned by thcfe tumours is greater 
 than it was before, and the horfe is fit 
 for nothing but the Cart. 
 
 But
 
 [79.] 
 
 But the proper method is to make an 
 incifion into the fkin, and take out the 
 fame with the bag, and its contents ; 
 fome times thefe cyfts or bags lie fuper- 
 ficially on the coats of thefe three flexor 
 tendons (which are by all writers called 
 one, and known by the name of the 
 great iinew) and fometimes they are bu- 
 ried and continued from one fide of the 
 leg to the other, through and betwixt 
 the interfaces of thefe tendinous bo- 
 dies. In fuch cafe alfo the cyfts muft 
 be directed out, and entirely deftroyed, 
 or elfe the wound moft frequently re- 
 mains fiftulous, or the cyfts fill again, 
 but when the cyft is not fuperficiaj, the 
 operation is very difficult, and dange- 
 rous too, on account of the horfe's ftrug- 
 
 And there are other encyfted tumors 
 incidental to the horfe, whofe difference 
 conilfts only in their contents, and which 
 
 are
 
 [ 8 ] 
 
 are to be cured after the fame manner 
 as the former. 
 
 Dogs alfo are fubjed to this diforder 
 on the knee, for the cure of which, 
 bliftering and firing are ufcd ; thus ma- 
 ny a good fox-hound has been fpoiled, 
 that has been of more utility to the 
 
 world than two farriers. Many of 
 
 thefe laft have I cut out with a pair of 
 fciffars, leaving the cure to be finifhed 
 by virtue of the Dog's tongue. 
 
 Splints will fometimes occafion lame- 
 nefs, but if not, it is much better not 
 to meddle with them at all ; the ufe of 
 blifters on thefe does little more than 
 inflame the parts, and the ufe of a hot 
 iron often roufes a fleeping lion ; the 
 bone of the whole leg being very 
 often enlarged thereby ; and when they 
 do occafion lamenefs, they may be de- 
 ftrdyed by mild cauftics, that will not, 
 if properly applied, produce any ef- 
 
 char,
 
 [81 ] 
 
 char, nor even oecafion the lofs of the 
 hair. 
 
 For a letting-down, or relaxation 
 of the finew, the beft remedy that I 
 know of, is to make a whey with fome 
 allum boiled in milk, to foment 'the 
 part with the whey, arid to bind the 
 curds thereon by way of cataplafm ; 
 and after a few days, colcothar of vi- 
 triol finely powdered and mixed with 
 white of eggs, is to be applied -as_a 
 charge every twenty- four hours, and a 
 fmooth bandage kept on -the part. 
 Now oil in this, or any like cafe muft 
 do harm, becaufe it relaxes the fibres 
 of the tendon, which arc. already too 
 much relaxed. 
 
 When the mufcles and ligaments of 
 the flioulder are {trained, keep the horfe 
 tied up and free from motion as much 
 as you can ; warmth, difcutient fo- 
 mentations, or the frequent ufe of vi- 
 negar,, will probably reftore him to a 
 M found
 
 found ftate ; but the mufcular parts 
 generally recover much {boner than the 
 ligamentous or tendinous. 
 
 Extenfion and counter- extenfion" are 
 proper methods of reducing all joints - 
 Vinegar and the fait cataplafm is to be 
 ufed after the reduction of the bone, a 
 bandage fhould be applied round the 
 joint, and proper reft muft be allowed. 
 Oil or ointment is to be avoided here, 
 becaufe the fibres in thefe cafes want to 
 be braced, and not to be relaxed, as 
 was before obferved. 
 
 But if there be a great diftenfion or 
 inflammation of the parts, fuch (hould 
 be relaxed with oil, before the reduction 
 of the bone is attempted. 
 
 In the cafe of a diflocation of the hip 
 or whirlbone, where the head of the 
 bone is fallen down from its focket, ei- 
 ther by rupture, or elongation of the 
 
 round
 
 C 83] 
 
 round ligament, I believe it is in vain 
 to think of any remedy. But where 
 the ligaments furrounding the joint are 
 fuppofed to be relaxed, bliftering and 
 firing (which are always coupled toge- 
 ther Jike two hounds) are the methods 
 generally followed. 
 
 Now bliftering, if it be ever proper, 
 is in this cafe likely to be of ufe, by in- 
 flaming the parts, and giving a new and 
 increafed heat to the flaccid and relaxed 
 fibres, which may be occasionally re- 
 peated. Warm , ftrengthening charges 
 fhould be applied afterwards, and proper 
 reft given ; but all that firing can effect, 
 on this, or any other occafion, is, that 
 by contracting the fibres of the fkin, the 
 relaxed fibres of fome other adjacent 
 part may become more finally embrac- 
 ed ; which cannot happen in the prefent 
 cafe, becaufe there are ftrong mufcles 
 intervening between the fkin and the li- 
 gaments ; and I think that firing feldorrv 
 M 2 is
 
 is of much ufe in any kind of lamenefs. 
 But according to the beft of my obfeiva- 
 tion, more horfes are undone than 
 benefited by it. 
 
 For the fame reafon, when a lame- 
 nefs happens in the ilifle, I have found 
 bliftering the moft immediate and effec- 
 tual remedy, On this occasion a broad 
 piece of cloth fhould be kept on the 
 adjacent part of the flank of the horfe, 
 to prevent the inflammation, which 
 would be otherwife produced by fuch 
 bliftering. 
 
 By repeated bliftering, a curb is ea- 
 iily cured, if taken in time. 
 
 If the joint of the hock is much en- 
 larged, whatever be the caufe, there is 
 generally a redundancy of the mucus, 
 and the ligamentous parts and cartilages 
 will in all probability be affeaed. 
 Here again the cuftom is to blifter and 
 
 fire :
 
 , [ 85 ] 
 
 : but here alfo, if the parts are in- 
 flamed, as they are moft likely to be, 
 bliftering muft be wiong vinegar, or 
 warm fomentations, with fpirit of fal 
 armoniac, are to be ufed, and the cata- 
 plafm of fait fhould be ufed twice a 
 day. In this, or any other inflamma- 
 tory cafes, cooling medicines fhould be 
 given inwardly, and frequent bleeding 
 is necefiary. But when thefe methods 
 prove unfuccefsful, blifters may then be 
 tried, tho' I have never feen one inftance 
 of their doing good in this cafe, amongft 
 a number of repeated trials. 
 
 But this diforder is often incurable, 
 becaufe the ends of the bones are in 
 this cafe often enlarged. . 
 
 When fudden fvvellings arife in th.e 
 cavities on each fide of the hock, repeat- 
 ed bleeding is neceflary ; the part is to 
 be bathed frequently with cold vinegar, 
 the fait cataplafm is to be ufed, and fuch 
 
 a bandage
 
 C 86 ] 
 
 a bandage with bolflers on each fide ap- 
 plied, as will moft effectually comprefs 
 thefe fwellings ; fo will they difappear, 
 and the horfe become found. 
 
 For a lamenefs proceeding from what 
 is called humours, after bleeding and 
 proper purgation, the cure is to be at- 
 tempted by fuch medicines, as will moft 
 effectually produce an alteration in the 
 blood and juices ; amongft which kind 
 of medicines I have found fait petre to 
 be very efficacious, when given daily, 
 and continued for a time ; which may 
 be done without any interruption of ex- 
 ercife, if there be no other caufe to pre- 
 vent the fame. 
 
 For a canker in the foot ; powdered 
 verdigreafe, vitriol, and bole armoniac, 
 with vinegar added to thefame,will gene- 
 rally be found a remedy. If the cafe 
 be obfiinate, a few drops of aqua fortis 
 may be raided therewith. 
 
 Run-
 
 [87] 
 
 Running thrufiies will be cured with 
 lint dipped in flrong blue vitriol-water 
 thruft lightly into the part j but this 
 difcharge, once diverted from its ufual 
 channel, fome more noble part may 
 perhaps be affeted, or blindnefs enfue. 
 Wherefore, when this is attempted, 
 the horfe fhould be immediately purged 
 two or three times, and go through a 
 long courfe of the fait petre, or fome 
 other cooling falts. 
 
 The blood fpavin is a preternatural 
 expanfion of the veffel paffing over the 
 hock ; now the general method of treat- 
 ing this diforder, is to make a ligature 
 round the vein, above and below the 
 fwelling, to prevent future circulation ; 
 after which, bliftering is ufually applied 
 to the fwelling. But I think if a more 
 certain cure, to make an inciflon thro' 
 the /kin, upon the fwelled part, then 
 to pafs a ligature round the inferior part 
 
 of
 
 [ 88 3 
 
 of the tumified veffel, and to difled the 
 fuperior part of it quite out ; after which 
 it is to be dreffed according to the me- 
 thods that will be directed for wounds 
 in general. 
 
 As to ring-bones- and bone-fpavins, 
 I never yet faw any method of cure> 
 that may be relied on as effedual. 
 
 Now the ufual method of curing 
 thefe diforders, is by the application of 
 fome medicine of a cauftick quality, 
 which being of neceflity continued for 
 a time to produce an efchar, deftroys 
 the hair, and always leaves behind it a 
 certain blemifh. 
 
 But the moft proper method is as 
 follows ; 
 
 Firft, Clip the hair from the difeafed 
 part make feveral pundures on the 
 fame thro' the fkin with a fliarp pointed 
 
 inftru-
 
 [89] 
 
 inftrument make a longitudinal inci* 
 fion thro' the fkin above the difeafed 
 part, about the middle thereof there 
 introduce a cornet, and dilate the fkin 
 with it, as far as the fwelling reaches. 
 Make another fmaller longitudinal in- 
 cifion thro' the fkin below the fwelled 
 part, directly oppolite to the wound a- 
 bove, in doing which, your probe in- 
 troduced at top will direct you. At 
 the fuperior wound a cauftick wrapped 
 up in a piece of lint is to be introduced, 
 and there left. The cauftic diffolved, 
 is carried off by the inferior wound - 
 the whole is directly to be covered with 
 a warm adhsefive charge and this is 
 the whole of the operation. The cauf- 
 tic thus introduced under the fkin acls 
 both ways, namely, on the membrane 
 underneath it, and the outer tegument 
 upon it thus the membrane, outer 
 tegument, and the charge, throw them*- 
 felves off together, and the difeafed or 
 fwelled part becomes fair and fmooth. 
 N -- The
 
 1 90] 
 
 . The horfe fliould be turned out, 
 
 or kept in a loofe ftable, and if the 
 charge comes off before the wound is 
 well, another fhould be immediately 
 applied. But in fpite of this, and all 
 other methods ufed for thefe diforders, 
 the horfe will very frequently remain 
 full as lame as he was before, although 
 the appearance of the difeafe is remov- 
 ed the reafon of which is, that the 
 periofteum only is fometimes difeafed, 
 at other times the bone itfelf, and its 
 cellular part. Yet I dare fay, there is 
 not one farrier in this kingdom, but has 
 an infallible and certain cure for thefe 
 diforders. 
 
 PART
 
 PART II. 
 C H A P. I. 
 
 "Treats of Wounds in general. 
 
 WITH refpecl to the treatment 
 of wounds of the feet by punc- 
 ture, the Sieur La Fofie has laid down 
 fome rules, which appear to be very 
 accurate, and anatomically true ; for 
 which reafon I fhall only obferve, and 
 would have it laid down as a general 
 rule, that whatever wound may happen 
 to the coronary ring, or the cellular 
 Ipongy part of the heel, whether by 
 puncture, tread, inciCon, laceration, 
 or other accident, no medicine of an 
 unctions nature (except in the cafe of a 
 fand crack) is to be applied to the part, 
 fuch applications always producing 
 fungous or fpongy flefh, which occafions 
 much pain and inconvenience to the 
 N 2 horfe,
 
 [92 ] 
 
 horfe, as well as fome trouble to get 
 rid of. 
 
 With refpeft to the treatment of 
 wounds in general, there feems but 
 little fkill required, efpecially where the 
 habit of body is good, the orifice of 
 the wound depending, and there is 
 room fufficient for the matter to be dif- 
 charged ; and here may be laid down 
 the proper method of treating wounds 
 in general. 
 
 If an arterial blood-veffel be wounded, 
 the bleeding will be flopped, by mak- 
 ing a ligature with a needle and thread 
 round the end of the fame. 
 
 If thehasmorrhage or bleeding be fmall, 
 lint dipped in flour, blue vitriol water, 
 or even oil of vitriol (if occafion be) will 
 generally have the defired effect over 
 this a digeftive fpread on tow is to be 
 
 applied,
 
 [93] 
 
 applied, and the whole covered with a 
 poultice of bread and milk. 
 
 After two days this dreffing fhould 
 come off ; the part is to be fomented 
 daily with fome warm fomentation,, 
 the digeftive alfo and the poultice is to 
 be continued, till the matter appears to 
 be well digefted, and the flefh of the 
 wound begins to look of a red and 
 florid colour the digeftive may be pre- 
 pared in the manner following. 
 
 Take of linimentum arcaei one ounce, 
 oil of turpentine two drams, melt to- 
 gether 5 then add two drams of pow- 
 dered verdigreafe. 
 
 Warm fomentations are thus made. 
 
 Take of fage, lavender, rofemary, 
 wormwood, centaury, chamomile flow- 
 ers, or any of thefe, boll in water, and 
 ftrain the liquor for uie. 
 
 When
 
 [94] 
 
 When the flefli about the wound be- 
 gins to look red, nothing more is re- 
 quired than gradually to heal the fame ; 
 the fomentation is to be laid afide, and 
 lint dipped in water, ftrongly impreg- 
 nated with blue vitriol, to keep down 
 the fungous flefli, is to be applied, and 
 covered with the above digeftive. 
 
 If the blue lint fliould not be fufficient 
 to keep down the fpongy flcfh, fome 
 drops of aqua fortis may be added 
 thereto, or the fame may be fprinkled 
 with powdered verdigreafe, and covered 
 with a pledget of the above digeftive. 
 
 Now the ufe of fome fuch medicine 
 or poultice, continued even till the 
 wound is I* healed, is much neater, and 
 more eligible than the common method, 
 and perhaps a better cure ; for by means 
 of thefe fome difcliarge of matter is flill 
 promoted, even till the wound be well 
 
 where-
 
 [95] 
 
 -whereas, according to the common 
 method of healing wounds, fome vvafh, 
 or powder of an efcharotick quality is 
 generally applied to the part ; hence the 
 wound is immediately dried up, with 
 an efchar thereon, which fcales off by 
 degrees, but by fuch immediate^ drying 
 up, an indurated fwelling often remains 
 on the part, more efpecially if it be 
 fltuated near a joint. 
 
 When wounds happen to the tendon 
 of a horfe, great pain and inflammation, 
 perhaps a fever enfues. 
 
 I once faw an inflance where a flex- 
 or tendon of a horfe was wounded by 
 the point of a fharp flint (as it was ftp^ 
 pofed) in hunting. 
 
 A farrier was fent for, who, not dif- 
 covering this fmall pundtured wound, 
 declared the horfe to be lame in the 
 fhoulder (as they generally do upon all 
 
 occa-
 
 [96] 
 
 occafions) and to cure this ftioulder 
 lameaefs, he put a patten fhoe on the 
 foot of the found leg, that the horfe 
 might be obliged toftand upon the lame 
 one ; which gave him fo much pain by 
 ftretching the wounded fibres, that he 
 did not chufe to ftand at all. 
 
 After fome days, I was defired by 
 an acquaintance to look at .the horfe ; 
 upon examination I found the true 
 caufe ; the part was drefled with a me- 
 dicine of an agglutinating quality, name- 
 ly, lint dipped in equal parts of the 
 balfam and oil of turpentine; this was 
 covered with the digeftive, and a poul- 
 tice applied over the whole ; with fome 
 difficulty I perfuaded the doctor to take 
 the patten fhoe from the foot of the 
 found leg, and to put it on that of the 
 lame one ; by thefe means the horfe 
 
 became well, and found as ever ; 
 
 for the extreme ends of divided ten- 
 dons, jf brought into contact, will in a 
 
 rcafon-
 
 [97] 
 
 reafonable time unite again as well afc 
 divided bones. 
 
 And here it is to be obferved, 'that 
 all tenting of wounds is a pernicious 
 practice, by the ufe of which matter is 
 confined, tendons, ligaments, and car- 
 tilages are injured, and bones are ren- 
 dered carious or rotten ; befides other 
 inconveniencies of pain, inflammation, 
 and fever confequential thereto. 
 
 In all wounds, where the matter lies 
 lower than the orifice of the wound, 
 and cannot flow out, it produces fiftu- 
 
 lous cavities in the parts. -Now it is 
 
 always neceflary to go to the bottom 
 of fuch (where the parts will admit of 
 incifion) other wife no cure can be ex- 
 pected. 
 
 This is the cafe with refpect to what 
 
 is called pole-evil in the neck, and fif- 
 
 tula on the wither, both which would 
 
 O be
 
 [ 98 ] 
 
 be eafily cured if cut to the bottom, 
 obferving carefully to diftinguifli be- 
 tween theTe cavities, and the interfaces 
 or divifion of the mufcles, and not to 
 wound the cervical ligament. 
 
 The proper method of treating thefe 
 evils, after the neceftary inciilons are 
 made, and the bleeding is flopped, is 
 to fill the parts with dry lint, and the 
 wound to be treated in every refpecl ac- 
 cording to the general rules before laid 
 down. 
 
 Now the farriers in this cafe, after 
 making the incifions, always begin at 
 the wrong end ; that is to fay, they 
 make ufe of efcharotic applications at 
 the very firft dreffing , hence a fuffici- 
 cnt quantity of granulated flefli not be- 
 ing fuffered to increafe, the parts when 
 well become indented, with an unequal 
 furface, and much lofs of fubfiance.
 
 [ 99 ] 
 
 In all deep wounds of the mufcular 
 parts, caufed by puncture, ftabbing, or 
 flaking, the orifice of the wound fhould 
 be made wider as foon as can be ; for 
 fuch wounds do not difcharge a lauda- 
 ble pus or matter, by means of which, 
 the inflammation attending them would 
 be carried oft, but a bloody ichor flows 
 therefrom, and the wound is ever ready 
 to become clofed again, if the orifice 
 thereof be the moft narrow. 
 
 When horfes are flaked in any part* 
 the common cuftom is to thruft a can- 
 dle up the wound, as far as can be, and 
 to keep it confined therein, by which 
 means numbers are killed ; and if any 
 happen to live, it is entirely owing to 
 the conftitution of the horfe, the wide- 
 nefs of the orifice of the wound, and 
 its depending ftate ; for if the matter 
 in this cafe be confined, or not well 
 digefted, inflammation, tenfion, gan- 
 O 2
 
 grene, fever, and death, will certainly 
 enfue. 
 
 Now the proper method of ading in 
 tliis cafe, is to make a crucial incilion 
 in the orifice of the wound in this man- 
 ner +, fufficiently wide for the matter 
 to be difcharged, according to the na- 
 ture of the parts, and the fituation of 
 the wound. 
 
 The lips of this incifed wound are to 
 be filled with lint, thruft gently between 
 them, to prevent their uniting again ; 
 and if any confiderable effufion of blood 
 attend this incifion, it will be flopped 
 by fuch methods as have been before 
 ijireded for this purpose, and by vari- 
 ous others this is to be covered with 
 the digeftive before-named, and a poul- 
 tice applied over the whole this dref- 
 fing is to remain on the part two days, 
 after which fuch methods are to be ufed 
 as directed for wounds in general. 
 
 When
 
 When fliallow pundures happen on 
 the joints or limbs from thorns, flubs, 
 or other fharp bodies, if fuch reach the 
 ligamentous or tendinous parts, the fmall 
 difcharge flowing therefrom, once flop- 
 ped by a medicine of a repelling or dif- 
 cutlent quality, will generally produce 
 great inflammation, with other bad 
 fymptoms, and much matter may be 
 formed - and yet I have known feve- 
 ral inftances of fuch punctures, both in 
 the equine and human fpecies, cured by 
 fomentation, and the ufe of fait But 
 in all fuch kinds of pundtures, emolli- 
 ent fomentations, with a poultice made 
 of bread and milk, or oatmeal and ftrong 
 beer grounds, kept on the part, are the 
 proper methods of cure. 
 
 In lacerated wounds of the {kin or 
 mufcles, a needle and thread may be 
 ufed to unite the divided parts (accord- 
 ing to the depth and nature of the 
 
 wound)
 
 wound) leaving proper intervals of fpace 
 between each flitch for the matter to 
 flow out , but if great inflammation en- 
 fue, and much matter be produced, and 
 lodged in the part, it is neceflary to cut 
 away the flitches, and the inflammation 
 will ceafe ; but wounds of the fkin will 
 generally be cured by the application of 
 lint dipt in Friars balfam. 
 
 Incifed wounds will alfo be cured (in 
 general; by the fame means. 
 
 In gun-fliot wounds, the methods be- 
 fore directed will take place, all foreign 
 bodies being firft extracted, if it can be 
 done. 
 
 If any induration remain on any part 
 when the inflammation is gone off", 
 whether it be the effect of drying up a 
 wound too faft, or the confequence of 
 a puncture by a thorn, or other acci- 
 dent, the parts fliould be well embro- 
 cated
 
 cated with fome cooling ointment, with 
 the ufe of emollient poultices and fo- 
 mentations, and blifters repeated will 
 be of ufe, when properly applied. 
 
 CHAP II. 
 
 Threats of various other incidents to which 
 the horfe is liable. 
 
 IT frequently happens, for want of 
 proper care in bleeding in the neck, 
 or afterwards, that a fwelling falls on 
 the part, attended with many bad 
 fymptoms ; fometimes with the lofs of 
 the vein, fometimes with gangrene, and 
 fubfequent death. 
 
 Now this is generally a long time in 
 hand, yet may as generally be cured in 
 a few days, by the following means. 
 
 As
 
 As foon as you perceive this evil, the 
 ufe of warm fomentations,, cooling oint- 
 ment, and a poultice of bread and milk, 
 will very probably remove the fame. 
 
 But if thefe methods do not fucceed, 
 a rowel is to be put into the fkin, in the 
 middle of the horfe's bofom, and with 
 a tobacco-pipe, or any other tube, blow 
 up the fkin quite to the part affected ; 
 fo will an immediate derivation be made 
 therefrom as foon as the rowel runs. 
 
 If any fwelling or induration ftill re- 
 mains on the neck, it will now be re- 
 moved by poultice and fomentations, or 
 the following mixture. 
 
 Take of fpirit of wine four ounces, 
 camphor and bole powdered, each one 
 dram, aqua fortis twenty drops, dip 
 fome lint or tow in fome of this, apply 
 to the part, and bind over it fome warm 
 
 thick
 
 \ 
 
 thick cloaths, without which, this ap- 
 plication does no good on any occafion. 
 
 When fvvellings happen on any part 
 of the back or wither, from bruifes of 
 the faddle, this laft medicine is of more 
 efficacy than any other I am acquainted 
 with for it will in a few. days diffipate 
 fuch fwelling entirely, or bring it to 
 matter ; and what is particular, when 
 matter is produced, the fwelling itfelf 
 is of much lefs magnitude than it would 
 be, by any other application productive 
 of matter. 
 
 This may be ufed twice a day, rub- 
 bing fome of it upon the fwelling, and 
 wetting fome lint or tow therewith, to 
 be bound on the part. 
 
 But if matter be formed in this cafe, 
 as foon as you perceive it to fluctuate 
 under the finger, it is to be let out with 
 a knife fome lint dipped in this mix- 
 P ture,
 
 [io6] 
 
 ture, and applied to a the part once or 
 twice a day, will cure the fame, with- 
 out any digeftive or other means. It 
 will alfo cure a rawnefs on the back, or 
 other part, if the fungous flefh be not 
 grown too high. 
 
 Encyfted tumours will alfo happen 
 from bruifes by the faddle on various 
 parts of the back. Which are to be 
 cured like other encyfted tumours, by 
 taking out the bag and its contents. 
 
 If in taking out an encyfted tumour 
 the bag (hould be wounded, and its con- 
 tents let out, which may happen to any 
 artift, care fhould be taken to deftroy 
 the bag as much as may be with the 
 knife which is to be drefled with the 
 digeftive and poultice ; and when the 
 wound appears red and florid, accord- 
 ing to the general method before di- 
 reded. 
 
 When
 
 I0 7 
 
 When a canker" happens to the tongue 
 of the horfe, take of oil of turpentine 
 and oil of vitriol equal quantities ; touch 
 the fore part with a rag tied on a flick, 
 and dipped herein ; it will cure the fame, 
 repeated at proper intervals. 
 
 PART III, 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 Treats of Difeafes. 
 
 WI TH refpea to the various dif- 
 eafes of horfes, I think there 
 are fome not rightly under flood, as well 
 as various kinds of lamenefs and from 
 the attention I have paid thereto, and 
 the fubfequent events, I believe I fhall 
 be able to fliew, that all the learned 
 authors, who have wrote on this fub- 
 jecl, have been as much miftaken in 
 the nature and cure of fome of thefe, 
 P 2 as
 
 3 
 
 as the farriers Which authors have alfo 
 nude many ufclefs diilindtions ot dif- 
 eafes, that tend only to perplex the 
 reader, by multiplying the number, 
 fome of which do not exift at all, at 
 leaft not in fuch a manner, as they are 
 fet forth. 
 
 In the year 1750, I think it was, 
 that the diftemper amongft the horfes 
 (as it is called) was more universal than 
 at any other time. 
 
 Various were thefymptoms, and dif- 
 ferent the degrees of ilinefs amongft dif- 
 ferent horft-s. Some had a difcharge of 
 matter from their eyes, nofe, and mouth, 
 others had none ; but in all there were 
 great tokens of inflammation, attended 
 with a fever, and a violent cough. 
 
 I had at that time in London a fa- 
 vourite horfe, that was feized, amongft 
 a number of others at a livery ftable, 
 
 with
 
 I0 9 
 
 with this diftemper ; he had no dif- 
 charge of any kind, but had a dry 
 cough, and a violent fever, was very 
 dejeded, would touch nothing, and was 
 more likely, as I thought, to die, than 
 to live. 
 
 V ' 
 I was very anxious about the welfare 
 
 of my horfe, and having never feen 
 any thing like this kind of illnefs before, 
 I advifcd with fuch people, as i thought 
 had moft right to underftaud the na- 
 ture of it from whom I received no 
 fatisfa&ion, all being at a lofs in what 
 manner to a&. 
 
 So moft of thofe horfes which had a 
 plentiful difcharge of matter from the 
 nofe, &c. lived, and where fuch difcharge 
 did not happen, nor a critical abfcefs fall 
 on fome part, moft of them in London 
 died. My horfe continued in the 
 fame lituation two or three days ; and 
 I was ftill over-perfuaded not to med- 
 dle
 
 die with him, but to wait in expedati- 
 on of what nature might do, by pro- 
 moting fome difcharge, which yet did 
 
 not happen. In this dilemma I vi- 
 
 fited feveral horfes juft dead with this 
 diftemper, who had no difcharge from 
 the nofe, &c. in hopes of difcovering 
 the caufe of their death, and finding a 
 remedy. On many of thefe I made 
 feveral incifions in the flun, on various 
 parts of the body ; and wherever an 
 inciiion was made, I found in all of 
 them a quantity of extravafated ferum, 
 lodged between the flcin and the mem- 
 branes. 
 
 I was no longer in doubt what was 
 to be done, but immediately ordered 
 him to be bled, and feveral rowels 
 were put into the horfe, to the number 
 of fix or eight which the byftanders 
 faid would foon mortify, and the poor 
 horfe was condemned to die. 
 
 But,
 
 I 'J 
 
 But, behold, in about thirty hours he 
 held up his head, began to look chear- 
 ful, and to eat his meat ; and in ano- 
 ther day, became as apparently well, 
 as ever he was in his life. 
 
 And yet, after all this difcharge, 
 when the rowels were taken out, and 
 he had been twice purged, an aedema- 
 tous fwelling foon after fell into one 
 leg and thigh, which, I apprehend, 
 might arife from the vitiated ftate of 
 the blood and juices, or from too briflc 
 an operation of the phyfick in fuch a 
 depraved habit of body. 
 
 / 
 
 Now, to the beft of my remem- 
 brance, there is no knowledge falls to 
 any man's (hare in any fcience, phy- 
 fical or other, .but what is acquired by 
 experience and reflection. 
 
 Upon
 
 Upon reflection then of the fuccefs 
 of thefe rowels on my own horfe, I be* 
 gan to think, that the ufe of them, 
 even on horfes that had a difcharge at 
 the nofe, might be very conducive and 
 afliftant to the cure, where nature, as 
 I thought, plainly indicated the way, 
 in endeavouring to throw off the dif- 
 eafe by fuch difcharge and by nature 
 alone, as I have been told, the phyfici- 
 an fhould always be guided. And on 
 trying the effects of rowels upon horfes 
 who had a difcharge at the nofe, I 
 found my expeditions anfwered, and 
 they got over it much fooner than thofe 
 which had no fuch affiftance. 
 
 From the good difcovered of pro- 
 moting fecretions of one kind, I confi- 
 dered it might be ftill better, if other 
 fecretions could be promoted alfo at the 
 fame time, which would help to cool 
 the inflamed blood, as well as to unload 
 
 the
 
 the veffels, and confequently to abate 
 the fever ; and for this purpofe cooling 
 falts are a proper medicine. 
 
 So when the horfe is feized with this 
 diftemper, he fhould be treated accord- 
 ing to the different fymptoms that at- 
 tend him. 
 
 If he has a violent fever, with a dry 
 cough, and there be no concomitant dif- 
 charge or running at the nofe, he fhould 
 be bled largely. 
 
 If a difcharge at the nofe appears, 
 bleeding will be found to do harm, be- 
 ing contrary to the attempt of nature in 
 fuch difcharge ; but in both thefe cir- 
 cumftances, he fhould take cooling falts 
 every fix hours, three or four rowels 
 fhould be put into various parts, where 
 the fkin is loofe, the excrement fliould 
 be often raked from him, if he be cof- 
 Q_ tire,
 
 tive, and cooling laxative clyfters fliould 
 be given. 
 
 Now fome of the writers on the fub- 
 jedl of horfes have given mighty cautions 
 againft the ufe of rowels in feverifli dif- 
 orders, and talk of the danger of mor- 
 tifications attending them, when in re- 
 ality there needs no fuch fear. But al- 
 lowing it to happen by chance, it could 
 not be deemed a fufficient reafon a- 
 gainft the univerfality of the practice, 
 any more than it would be againft the 
 ufe of blifters on the human body ; be- 
 caufe fome men in a fever by chance 
 have died with a mortification on the 
 bliftered part. 
 
 But if any fuch fymptom as a gan- 
 grene fhould appear, on this or any o- 
 ther occalion, warm fomentations, with 
 fome fpirits of wine added at the time 
 of ufmg it, and a poultice made with 
 oatmeal, cummin feed, and the grounds 
 
 of
 
 [ "5 ] 
 
 of ftrong beer, to be kept on the part, 
 are the proper remedies. 
 
 Since the year 1750, this difeafe has 
 vifited by turns each ftud and ftable, 
 has fallen on horfes of all ages, at vari- 
 ous feafons of the year, and in diffe- 
 rent fhapes ; wherever it comes I be- 
 lieve none efcape ; and when it falls on 
 fucking foals, they are generally ftunted 
 and fpoiled. 
 
 I happened fome time lince to be at 
 the houfe of an acquaintance, who had 
 a large ftud of mares and colts, of va- 
 rious ages, ill with this diftemper. 
 
 They were attacked in various forms, 
 fome had a difcharge from the eyes, 
 nofe and mouth, fome had critical fwel- 
 lings fell on the udder, fome on the 
 fhoulder, others on the fide of the jaws, 
 wnder the jaw, and on other parts. 
 
 0.2
 
 As they fell ill they were taken to 
 houfe 3 and I flaid at this place feveral 
 weeks, to try what methods of treat- 
 ment might be of moft fervice to the 
 animal ; and to make fuch obfervations 
 thereon, as might contribute to future 
 ufe. 
 
 They were bled, or ro welled accord- 
 ing to their different age and fymptoms, 
 and fait petre was given them, by which 
 means they all became foon well, except 
 the fucking foals. 
 
 When critical fwellings appeared, I 
 made a large incifion on the part, and 
 let out large quantities of matter. 
 
 The furgeons generally efteem a cri- 
 tical abfcefs in fuch cafe to be a certain 
 cure ; and tho' I am very certain, that 
 I did not open one fvvelling, till it was 
 fit for the operation, and which con- 
 tained
 
 [ "7 ] 
 
 tained at the time laudable matter, yet 
 fo much is the blood fometimes vitiated 
 with this diforder, that after the wound 
 was well, many of them had other cri- 
 tical fwellings fell on other parts, again 
 and again, which when ripe were all 
 opened, and by which means at length 
 they alfo became well. 
 
 Others (as fbon as ever the dwelling 
 appeared on any part) were bled, had 
 feveral fetons put in the (kin, fome on 
 the depending part of the fwelling, and 
 the fait petre was given, thinking by 
 thefe evacuations to divert the febrile 
 matter, and effect a cure. But after a 
 trial of many days, I found this method 
 of no ufe, the fwelling all this time nei- 
 ther advancing nor receding. 
 
 Upon which the fetons were taken 
 out, the felt petre left off, and in a few 
 days the fwelling came to good matter, 
 
 by
 
 by the difchargc of which the horfe got 
 well in due courfe of time. 
 
 But for the fucking foals no remedy 
 availed, the difeafe baffling all attempts 
 of art and nature. 
 
 If you bled them, a fwelling perhaps 
 came on the part, and would remain 
 indurated for feveral months, which was 
 neither to be diflipated, nor brought to 
 matter ; the fame kind of indurations 
 would alfo fall on other parts. 
 
 If matter was formed, and let out, 
 frefti fwellings fucceeded each other, or 
 iome other fymptoms of the difeafe re- 
 mained for feveral months, even till they 
 were weaned The caufe of which I 
 think is very evident. 
 
 Now the mare that gives fuck is ne- 
 ver, at lead that I could perceive, af- 
 fected with this difeafe, which, in all 
 
 proba-
 
 probability, proceeds from the conftant 
 fecretion of her milk, by means of which 
 her veflels are ftill kept emptied, and 
 herfelf free from any fymptoms of a fe- 
 ver, and yet her blood may be much 
 vitiated and corrupted. 
 
 I have feen feveral foals at the mare's 
 foot, whofe blood has been fo poor, as 
 to occaiion their legs to fwell, even when 
 they have been running about in the 
 field j which fame foals, if continued to 
 have fucked much longer, muft inevi- 
 tably have died And yet when taken 
 from the mare and weaned, have been 
 foon recovered by the fame means, that 
 before were found ineffectual. From 
 which inftances I am ready to conclude, 
 this long continued illnefs of the foal, is 
 entirely owing to the depravity of the 
 
 mare's milk. 
 
 ' io 
 
 Now if we are lucky enough to difc 
 cover the caufe, it is twenty to. one but 
 we find a remedy. And
 
 And in order to this, it will be ne- 
 ceffary to think of altering the blood and 
 juices of the mare, to anfwer which 
 defign, {he fliould be bled two or three 
 times, and take fome cooling falts eve- 
 ry day, and the fame given to the foal 
 once a da} 7 , or oftner (if occafion be) 
 with the ufe of fetons, will be the means 
 of curing him alfo ; the milk of the 
 mare fhould be drawn from her, unlcfs 
 you propofe to wean the foal if not, 
 fuch foal is to be fupported with cows 
 milk, mixed with flour, till his health 
 is reinftated, by which time the habit 
 of body in the mare will be amended 
 alfo. 
 
 When a critical fwelling appears on 
 any part, all means ufed to divert it are 
 wrong, and ineffectual, but a poultice 
 of bread and milk fhould be applied to 
 the part to forward the matter, which 
 when ripe, and not before, is to be let 
 
 out
 
 [ ' 3 
 
 out by a proper inciflon, and to prevent 
 any future fwellings on the fame, or o- 
 ther parts, fome difcharge fhould be 
 continued for a time by an artificial 
 drain, with the daily ufe of fome cool- 
 ing falts to corre& the vitiated blood. 
 
 And I have of late followed a me- 
 thod fomewhat different from rowels or 
 fetons, tho' analogous thereto, which I 
 think much better than either of them, 
 becaufe it fooner brings on a difcharge, 
 and that in more abundance, is attend- 
 ed with lefs inflammation, and may be 
 continued as long as you pleafe, and 
 this is, to make a number of inciflons 
 into the fkin on any part where it is 
 loofe, to dilate or feparate the fame 
 with your finger all round as far as 
 it will reach, and moderately to fill 
 fuch part every day with lint or tow dipt 
 in the digeftive directed for wounds, 
 firft taking out the former drtiTmg, 
 
 R By
 
 [122] 
 
 By thefe methods all the fymptoms 
 attending this difeafe in every age will 
 be removed, and its deftrudtive confe- 
 quences prevented. 
 
 Now amongft critical fwellings, I 
 think the ftrangles may juftly be reck- 
 oned, the fituation of which diforder is 
 under the jaw, whence I fuppofe it may 
 derive its name. 
 
 In all thefe cafes horfes fliould be kept 
 warm, and by no means go out of the 
 ftable whilft matter is forming ; this 
 alfo is to be treated after the general 
 method laid down for other abfceffes or 
 critical fvvellings. And here too the ufe 
 of incifions in the fkin as drains, and 
 -cooling falts will be very proper after 
 the fwelling or wound is become well 
 for this alfo is the crifis of a fever, 
 tho' it happens to all colts fooner or 
 later, and falls on the fame part. 
 
 And
 
 And here I cannot help relating an 
 inftance of the rnoft grofs ignorance, 
 which lonce faw committed by a far- 
 rier of mighty fame. A horfe had 
 been ill with the diftemper, and nature 
 had been kind enough to form a criti- 
 cal fwelling on the back, in which there 
 was matter ripe and fit to let out The 
 Do&or came, but inftead of letting it 
 out, he made ufe of a difcutient fomen- 
 tation, by means of which, if the mat- 
 ter could have been repelled, and again 
 taken into the circulation, the animal 
 rnuft have died a moft wretched death. 
 
 And here is a proper time to fhew, 
 that the learned authors, who have ! 
 wrote on this fubjedr, have been much 
 miftaken with refpect to the nature of 
 fome difcafes. 
 
 For inftance, the mad* daggers is 
 
 treated by all writers as an apopledic 
 
 R 2 or
 
 C 
 
 or nervous diforder which nervous dif- 
 order is a fomething they know not what ; 
 and is a kind of fubterfuge for what 
 they do not know. 
 
 But the mad ftaggers is in reality a 
 fever, of which I have cured many 
 horfes by the fame means, as thofe di- 
 rected for the fever, catted the diftem- 
 per. And all the different difeafes call- 
 ed by the name of convulfions, epilep- 
 fy, vertigo, and apoplexy, are nineteen 
 times in twenty fecondary effects, or 
 fymptoms of a fever. Juft fo it is a- 
 xnongft men, feme of whom have with 
 a fever the concomitant fymptoms of 
 coma, or fleepinefs, delirium or mad- 
 nefs, fpafms, convuliions, &c. yet thefe 
 are always treated as real diieafes in 
 horfes by our farriers, who, to give the 
 flrongeft proofs they can of their igno- 
 rance in thefe matters have lately found 
 out a new way, by yhich they ex peel 
 to cure thefe diforders, and that is, by 
 
 pour-
 
 pouring a medicine up the horfe's 
 noftrils. If horfes were to doctor 
 men, could they acT: with lefs rationa- 
 lity? 
 
 But fome of thefe fymptoms called by 
 the names of vertigo, apoplexy and epi- 
 lepiy, may happen to the horfe from 
 repletion, when there is no apparent 
 fever, and from various other caufes f 
 for inftance, the worms in horfes, as 
 well as in men, will occafionally pro-i 
 duce the appearance of all difeafes 
 Now thefe concomitant Symptoms of 
 delirium, coma, convulfions, &c. do 
 not require our particular attention ia 
 horfes as in men ; but when the fever 
 is attended with fuch fymptoms, large 
 and repeated bleeding is your chief de- 
 pendance, more efpecially if the jaws 
 are (hut fo faft, as to render.it impoffi- 
 ble to give the horfe any internal medi- 
 cine incifions of the flcin, as drains 
 and clyfters Ihould be ufed, and nitre 
 
 given
 
 -. 
 
 given internafly, as foon as you can open 
 the horfe's mouth, ' taking care to join 
 forhe laxative falts with it to keep the 
 horfe's body open, or rather loofe. 
 
 Now I'll tell you a fiory. 
 
 A horfe mad with the ft aggers broke 
 out of a ftable belonging to a powder- 
 mill, and got to a large ciftern of wa- 
 ter, in which fo much falt-petre was 
 diffolved, that it was barely in a ftate 
 of fluidity He drank, or rather fwal- 
 lowed feveral gallons ; this foon promot- 
 ed a very copious fecretion by the uri- 
 nary paffages, after which he became 
 immediately well, without any other 
 affiftance. 
 
 I mention this to fhew, the good ef- 
 fects of nitre in fevers, and that fome 
 horfes are able to take any quantity of 
 this fait ; and yet others, from a dif- 
 ference of conftitution, more particu- 
 larly
 
 I2 7 
 
 larly when they eat grafs, (hall not be 
 able to take the fmalleft quantity, with- 
 out being affeded with gripes or cho- 
 lick, therefore it is always beft'to begin 
 with a fmall quantity, not lefs than an 
 ounce, which fhould be mixed, and 
 made into a ball with fome mucilage 
 of gum Arabic ; and if the horfe be not 
 affe&ed with cholicky pains, the dofe 
 may by degrees be increafed to a greater 
 quantity, according to the different 
 age and fymptoms But when gripes 
 enfue from the ufe of this fait given in 
 fmall quantities, you will find, that tar- 
 tar folubile, fal regeneratum, or any- 
 fuch kjnd of neutral fait, will anfwer 
 your purpofe given twice or thrice a 
 day in fuch quantities, as you would 
 
 ufe nitre. 
 
 * 
 
 When the horfe is thrown into a fe- 
 ver by hard riding (which the farriers 
 call melting the greafe, and writers 
 alfo) he will be cured by thefe methods. 
 
 Now
 
 [ I28 ] 
 
 Now this melting the greafe is nothing 
 more or lefs than the ferous particles of 
 the blood, extravafated by too much 
 heat and labour, which may be found 
 betwixt the fkin and the membranes, 
 when the horfe dies of this, and of fome 
 other inflammatory fevers. 
 
 By the fame means the pampered 
 ftallion is faved, who has revelled in 
 
 love and plenty all the fummer. 
 
 Thefe are happily joined together. 
 But when the heat of autumn comes, 
 and the feminal difcharges are over, he 
 is ftill fed as high as ever from which 
 full habit of body fevers often arife in 
 various fliapes, and death enfues. 
 
 Now what can be expeded from fuch 
 who live in a conftant feries of indo- 
 lence and luxury, but a dull, difeafed, 
 phlegmatick race ? wherefore, when 
 the covering feafon is over, he fliould 
 
 have
 
 have more exerciie, and lefs food ; and 
 when the fpring comes on, he may be 
 allowed to live more plentifully, by 
 which he will acquire frefh fpirits, and 
 new vigour to perform the feats of love. 
 
 And thus every kind of fever in horfes 
 will be moil frequently cured, if taken 
 in hand before the juices are fallen into 
 a ft ate of putrefaction, remembring ftill 
 that horfes are mortal, as well as men ; 
 but thefe methods are founded on rea- 
 fon, and the obfervation of nature's 
 laws, and confirmed by experience, 
 which is all that phyiical knowledge 
 ever yet pretended to. 
 
 The ufe of cooling falts, with pro- 
 per bleeding and clyfters, will generally 
 be fufficient to remove moft common 
 fevers ; yet if the cafe appear urgent and 
 dangerous; then, by way of fecurity, 
 inciiions of the fkin as drains fnould be 
 ufed alfo. -For want of fuch fecretions 
 S and
 
 and evacuations, the horfe, though he 
 may happen to recover of his fever, is 
 liable to, and often is ruined by confe- 
 quential diforders, fuch as the farcy, 
 broken windednefs, tubercles of the 
 lungs, confumption, glanders, and aede- 
 matous local fwellings, that are never 
 removed. 
 
 To this the learned may perhaps ob- 
 ject, that fo many different evacuations 
 and fecretions, promoted by bleeding, 
 drains, and nitre, ufedall together, impede 
 the operation of each other With all my 
 heart, I don't know but they may 
 yet thefe united help to abate the in- 
 flammation, attenuate the fluids, and 
 difcharge the fame, better than either 
 of them ufed alone" And my defign is, 
 not to trouble the reader with any fpe- 
 culative matters, but to tell him a plain 
 ftory, which he may eafily underftand ; 
 and to fhew him fome .rules, whereby 
 he may fave forty-nine horfes out of 
 
 fifty
 
 fifty in every kind of fever, without ap- 
 plying to any farrier, who moft times 
 is in thefe diforders a greater enemy to 
 the horfe than the difeafe itfelf. 
 
 From the obfervations I have made on 
 the various difeafes of horfes for many 
 years, and from the nature, famenefs, 
 and fimplicity of their food, I have been 
 heretofore inclined to think, that thefe 
 animals were not fubjedl to malignant 
 fevers, as men are, but the epidemical 
 feafe that has occafionally raged a- 
 mongft them fome few years paft, and 
 which ftill fhews itfelf at times, has 
 taught me the contrary. 
 
 In this difeafq, which I own is new 
 to me, they are feized with a variety 
 of fymptoms, that require a very differ- 
 ent treatment on this account particu- 
 lar regard is to be had to the fymptoms 
 attending it, as the proper criterion or 
 direa 10 n how you are to acl ; and with 
 S 2 fuch
 
 fuch attention, the methods here direct- 
 ed will feldom fail to anfwer your pur- 
 pofe. 
 
 This difeafe begins, in general, with 
 great debility of the limbs ; and many 
 horfes are fo much weakened, as to reel 
 and ftagger about when led along, and 
 that almoft as foon as they are taken ill. 
 
 It is attended too, in general, with 
 lofs of appetite, a dry fhprt cough, their 
 eyes become fuddenly dim, and glazed 
 and lifelefs, and they are particularly 
 free from all inclination to drink. 
 
 But there being, I think, five differ- 
 ent clafles or degrees of this difeafe, I 
 fhall endeavour to diilinguifli them as 
 clearly and concifely as I can, for the 
 information of the reader. 
 
 Firfty Befides the fymptoms already 
 mentioned, fome of them are taken 
 
 with
 
 [ '33 1 
 
 with a coldnefs of the external parts; 
 thefe are chiefly affected with a weak* 
 nefs behind, they have no fever, nor 
 tokens of inflammation, and there feems 
 to be a tendency towards a general 
 ftagnation of the fluids. 
 
 Secondly, Amongft others, are great 
 tokens of inflammation, the fever is 
 high, and the external parts are hot and 
 
 burning thefe are moft affected in 
 
 their head and fight. 
 
 Thirdly, In others, the difeafe falls on 
 the throat, with manifeft tokens of 
 great forenefs ; thefe feldom have any 
 feverifh heat, are not fo much affected 
 in their limbs or fight as fome are, their 
 appetite too, and inclination to eat and 
 drink, feems better than in thofe of the 
 
 firft and fecond clafs. They are, in 
 
 general, miferably reduced before thi& 
 ibrenefs goes off, though their falling 
 away ought not to be imputed folely to 
 
 their
 
 [ '34] 
 
 their fafting ; becaufe, almoft all horfes 
 in this difeafe, that have it much, arc 
 reduced in a very few days almoft to 
 the degree and leannefs of a dog horfe. 
 
 Fourthly -, Others there are which are 
 feized at iirft with a cough only, and 
 fhew little or no fymptoms of illnefs, nor 
 of any unufual heat or cold ; thefe, in 
 general, foon have a difcharge of a fe~ 
 rous fluid, from the noftrifs, as in the 
 inflammatory fever thefe are leaft af- 
 feded, and recover fooneft of any, and 
 frequently too without any affiftance at 
 all. 
 
 Fifthly, In others there appears, foon 
 after the cough, the phlegmon or boil 
 in fome part of the head or body. In 
 fome of whom the vital heat is fuffici- 
 ent, without any art or afliftance fpee- 
 dily to bring on a critical import huma- 
 tion. In others, the vital heat is fo lit- 
 tle, that their lives are manifeftly en- 
 danger-
 
 [ '35 ] 
 
 dangered before an impofthumation can 
 be obtained, even with the affiftance of 
 art. 
 
 But when we talk about vital heat, 
 it may perhaps be more proper to fay, 
 that the different progrefs of the critical 
 boil in different horfes, is owing to the 
 difference of their fluids, and the more 
 brifk or languid circulation thereof, as 
 they happen to be more or lefs vifcid 
 
 if this be not the true caufe, from 
 
 whence, I pray you, arife the two ex- 
 treme fenfations of cold and heat in dif- 
 ferent horfes, affected with the fame 
 epidemical difeafe ? it may be obferved 
 too, that thofe horfes are moft affeclted 
 with cold and fhivering, in whofe blood 
 is found the leaf! ferum. 
 
 Having defcribed the different fymp- 
 toms of this difeafe, I fliall fubjoin the 
 proper methods of treatment. 
 
 For
 
 [ '36 ] 
 
 For thofe of the firft clafs, bleeding 
 is particularly found to do harm ; and 
 if it be done in any great quantity the 
 horfe foon drops, a violent palpitation of 
 the heart fucceeds, and death moft pro- 
 bably follows foon, The blood of 
 
 thefe, when taken away, and ex- 
 pofed to the air 24. hours, has not a 
 drop of ferum in it, but remains a co- 
 agulated iizy mafs ; nor do thefe, when 
 coftive, bear the evacuations by clyflers 
 with advantage, but rather with the 
 contrary effect ; and rowels alfo, fccm 
 to do harm to horfes under the cir- 
 cumftances here defcribed for thefe the 
 following medicine will generally pro- 
 duce, in a few days, the deiired effect. 
 
 Take of crude fal armoniac and ni- 
 tre, each one ounce ; of caftile foap 
 half an ounce ; of camphor rubbed 
 with a little cold drawn linfeed oil, two 
 drachms ; mucilage of gum arabic q. s. 
 
 mix
 
 [ '37 ] 
 
 mix thefe into a ball or two for one 
 dofe, and give it three times a day. 
 
 But if, on the ufe of thefe medicines 
 for a few days, the urinary fecretions 
 appear not to be enlarged, or the fymp- 
 toms do not abate, then the quantity of 
 nitre and fal armoniac ought to be in- 
 creafed according to your horfe's fize, 
 ftrength, and habit of body. His proper 
 food at the beginning is hay and fcald- 
 ed bran, if he will eat it; his drink 
 fhould be moderately warm, and what- 
 ever he likes beft, and as much as he 
 chufes. 
 
 By the continuance of this medi- 
 cine for a few days, as the ftagnated 
 fluids become thinner, the bodily warmth 
 and firength increafes ; and foon after, 
 as the urinary fecretions appear to be 
 augmented, he begins to drink freely ; 
 upon which he generally becomes fud- 
 denly well, recovers his limbs and his 
 T appe-
 
 appetite at once, and is free from all 
 complaints but his cough, which per- 
 haps leaves him not entirely, till he has 
 recovered his flefh. 
 
 When thefe fymptoms appear, and 
 the horfe's appetite is good, leave off 
 thefe medicines, leaft the fluids become 
 too much attenuated, and fo a dropfy 
 enfue ; and all other medicines too, for 
 nature now will in general bed do her 
 own work without art. Bran and 
 oats fcalded together is now his proper 
 food ; during his whole illnefs he fhould 
 not be taken out of the ftable on any 
 account, nor afterwards, till he has re- 
 covered his flefh and been purged, 
 which moft probably he will not be a- 
 ble to bear for a confiderable time j and 
 "as in the inflammatory fever, keeping 
 the horfe cool is very beneficial ; fo in 
 this difeafe, keeping him moderately 
 warm,, with good rubbing, if he is in- 
 clined
 
 [ J 39 ] 
 
 clined to be cold, and ft iff in his mo- 
 tions, is very neceffary ; 
 
 For thofe of the fecond clafs, bleed- 
 ing in a moderate quantity is very ba*- 
 neficial, more efpecially at the begin- 
 ning of the difeafe ; here evacuations 
 too by clyfters will be found of ufe, and 
 the medicine before directed fliould be 
 given in like manner. If the heat and 
 fever continue twelve hours, and the 
 veffels on the membranes about the eye 
 appear red, inflamed and diftended, a 
 fecond bleeding in a moderate quanti- 
 ty may be neceffary, and will be general- 
 ly fufficient ; but in this, or .future 
 blood-lettings, you are to be directed 
 folely by the tokens of inflammation, 
 remembring, that the horfe in this dif- 
 eafe can bear the lofs only of a fmall 
 quantity at one time, refpecl being had 
 alfb to his fize and ftrength. 
 
 T 2 The
 
 [ 1 40 ] 
 
 The blood in horfes with thefe fymp- 
 toms is very fizty, of a buff colour, and 
 has but little ferum in it, when it has 
 flood fora time ; in this cafe, therefore, 
 rowels will be found improper, becaufe 
 the lymph and finer fluids are hereby 
 difcharged, of which there appears to 
 be already a deficiency, or rather fome 
 degree of ftagnation in the circulation 
 thereof. 
 
 For fuch as are affedkd with a fore- 
 nefs of the throat, bleeding, clyfters and 
 rowels are all improper, unlefs there be 
 manifeil tokens of fever and inflamma- 
 tion ; in either cafe the medicine be- 
 fore directed is proper thefe will eat 
 bread and water- gruel together made 
 thin. 
 
 Forthofe which have a difcharge at 
 the noftrils, bleeding is highly prejudi- 
 cial, becaufe this is an effort of nature, 
 
 and
 
 and is a kind of crifis to get rid of the 
 difeafe ; clyftershere are feldofn wanted, 
 becaufe the horfe . has in thefe circum- 
 ftances generally an appetite to eat a 
 quantity of fcalde'd bran, fufficient to 
 keep his body open ; but rowels here, 
 with the medicine before dire&ed, help 
 to affift nature in unloading the fur- 
 charged veffels, and getting rid of the 
 extravafated fluids ; for tho' many horfes 
 do well under thefe circumftances, by 
 the help of nature alone, without any 
 affiftance, yet I have feen many in- 
 ftances, both in this fever, as well as in 
 the inflammatory, where, for want of 
 thefe artificial helps, the extravafated 
 fluids difcharged at the noftrils have been 
 of fo fharp a nature, as to corrode the 
 foft membrane which lines the internal 
 cavity of the nofe, and there produce 
 ulcers, which lying out of the reach of 
 topical applications, often turn to the 
 real glanders, 
 
 For
 
 [ 14*] 
 
 ( For the fifth clafs, a poultice of bread 
 and milk with lard fhould be applied 
 twice a day to the boil ; and it might 
 rcafonably be deemed very proper, where 
 the pulfe is low, the circulation languid, 
 and the external parts cold, to give the 
 horfe fome warm alexipharmick medi- 
 cines, to enable nature to bring on the 
 work of fuppuration ; but I have found, 
 infeveral inftances, that fuch medicines 
 are on this occafion of no account at 
 all ; for when I have perceived the boil 
 to ftand ftill for many days, and not 
 advance in the leaft to maturation, and 
 the horfe has been in manifeft danger, 
 I have left off the ufe of warm medi- 
 cines, and have given the medicine be- 
 fore directed, with camphor, thinking, 
 by this means, to thin the fluids, and 
 fo to carry off the difeafe by the other 
 common fecretory duds, and this has 
 fucceeded ; but what is remarkable, and 
 I believe contrary to fpeculative reafon-
 
 [ 143 3 
 
 ing, the phlegmon or boil, which be- 
 fore flood ftill, and would not advance 
 at all, has foon after, when the urina- 
 ry fecretions have been enlarged, come 
 to fuppuration; and tho' this may ap- 
 pear fomewhat ftrange to the learned, 
 yet it ought to be remembered, that 
 bleeding has occafionally brought the 
 phlegmon in men to fuppuration, whick 
 before made no advances thereunto. 
 
 By thefe different methods I have 
 faved the lives of many horfes," having 
 loft a few only out of a great number ; 
 tho' I am ready to acknowledge, that 
 when this difeafe firft made its appear- 
 ance, I endangered the lives of many ; 
 but this laft circumftarice has, I dare 
 fay, never happened to any of the far- 
 riers, from the ufe of their remedies ; 
 becaufe they have approved receipts to 
 cure all difeafes, without the trouble of 
 
 reafoning about them. 
 
 \ 
 
 There
 
 [ '44 ] 
 
 There are two difeafes indifcriminate- 
 ]y called by the name of the yellows, 
 which being different in their nature, 
 feem to require fome diftinclion, and 
 the more fo, becaufe they will require 
 to be treated in a manner fomewhat 
 different 
 
 One is an inflammatory fever, attend- 
 ed with fuch fymptoms, as appertain 
 in general, to that which is commonly 
 called tjie diftemper in horfes, with a 
 difcharge of a yellow ferous matter from 
 the eyes, and nofe, &c. and is generally 
 produced by heat, and clofe flabling. 
 
 In this cafe bleeding is improper, be- 
 caufe the efforts of nature are thereby 
 impeded, but drains, falts and clyfters 
 will take place as in other inflammato- 
 ry fevers. 
 
 The
 
 [ '45 ] 
 
 The other, where the finer veflels and 
 the cuticle of the eye are tinged with a 
 yellow hue, and not attended with a 
 difcharge from the nofe, &c. is the ef- 
 fect of obftruded bile Here bleeding 
 (tho* always ufed) muft be very impro- 
 per, when there are no tokens of in- 
 flammation, and rowels in this cafe can 
 do no good, but nitre and antimony, 
 and caftile foap, with a decodion of 
 madder root, given twice a day, are 
 the proper remedies. 
 
 By the daily ufe of fait petre alone, 
 continued as an alterative after the dif- 
 temper, I have rode my horfe a fox- 
 hunting in half the time that I could 
 have done, if he had gone through a 
 courfc of phyfick, and he has perform- 
 ed as well in every refpec~h 
 
 If fuch are the effedls of cooling Me- 
 dicines in fevers, what is to be expecled 
 U from.
 
 from a contrary treatment, or the in- 
 conilflent medley of cordials, noftrums, 
 and fpecificks, given by grooms and 
 farriers, without knowing the leaft tittle 
 of anatomy, or the animal ceconomy, 
 vvithout fo much as knowing wherein 
 the diforder confifts, or even the nature 
 of the medicine they ufe as a remedy. 
 But, however, not to detradl from the 
 merit of thefe men, it muft be granted, 
 that what they want in knowledge is 
 amply fupplied by the goodnefs of their 
 receipts. And it would be a very hard 
 cafe indeed, if in a receipt, confifting 
 qf a great number and variety of arti- 
 cles, one of them (hould not happen (as 
 they fay) to lay hold of the difeafe. 
 
 Now nine and twenty different in- 
 gredients will mod: certainly make a 
 very good receipt, but if it exceeds thir- 
 ty, no malady of any fort can ftand 
 before it. 
 
 Will
 
 [ '47] 
 
 Will their knowledge of a proper 
 treatment, ,of tumours, wounds, and 
 various lamenefs, without being acquaint- 
 ed with the nature and ufe of the com- 
 ponent parts, be more exteniive than 
 it is in the proper treatment of difeafes ? 
 But time and reft, and wonder-work- 
 ing nature, and the fimplicity of the 
 horfe's food, oftentimes effect a cure in 
 fpite of all their abfurd applications, 
 which they from vanity and ignorance 
 conclude to be the effect of their own 
 ML 
 
 I'll tell you another flory. 
 
 A man was inoculated for the fmall 
 pox, in the interval of time, between 
 that and the eruption, he was feized 
 with the gout in both feet, He was 
 ordered to apply flannels to the fame, 
 and when the pock came out, he had 
 U 2 none
 
 [ I 4 8] 
 
 none but upon his feet, which were ve- 
 ry full. 
 
 I mention this to fliew, what evils 
 may be produced by heat ; and for the 
 learned to confider, what future good 
 may in fuch cafes be derived from lo- 
 cal acquired heat. 
 
 And here occurs to me the wrong 
 judgment of the jockey, in flopping e- 
 very avenue, even to the key-hole of 
 the ftable door, whereby the pure ni- 
 trous air is excluded from the faintly 
 refpiring horfe Hence the ferous parti- 
 cles of the blood are difcharged Hence 
 fevers appear in different fhapes, and 
 variety of illnefs is produced from not 
 diftinguifliing between the effedsof heat 
 and warmth. 
 
 And here may be juftly faid (what 
 was faid before about the lamenefs of 
 horfes) that nineteen times in twenty the 
 
 difeafes
 
 [ H9 ] 
 
 difeafes befalling all horfes, are occa- 
 fioned by too much heat, and too con- 
 fined air. 
 
 e. * " ' 
 
 Now, to the beft of my obfervation, 
 what is called the diftemper amongft 
 the horned cattle, is exactly correfpon- 
 dent to the diftemper amongft the horfes, 
 the fymptoms in each animal being fi- 
 
 milar in all refpe&s. And the dif- 
 
 charge from the noftrils, &c. of the 
 cow in thefe fevers, about the nature of 
 which, and of this diftemper, there has 
 been abundance of fine writing, is no- 
 thing elfe, but an extravafation of the 
 ferous particles of the blood, the effe& 
 of inflammation and therefore, in o- 
 bedience to the attempts of nature, our 
 bufinefs is to invent all the methods we 
 can to carry off this extravafated ferum, 
 and the incifions, as before directed 
 for the horfe, made in thfe>fkin of the 
 cow, will, as it does in horfes with the 
 fame fort of fever, produce in twenty- 
 four
 
 I '5 ] 
 
 four hours a nafty foetid purulent mat- 
 ter, Py a number of thefe drains the 
 parts will be unloaded, and the animal 
 relieved, andtheydoinallinflammatory 
 fevers amongft horfes, and I dare fay will 
 too amonglt the cows, anfwer nearly the 
 fame end, and purpofe, as a critical 
 abkxfs. But when no critical abfcefs 
 happens, or no artificial drains are made 
 ufe of, the natural one's, not being fuf- 
 ficient to carry off the extravafated fe- 
 rum, the vifcera, and more noble parts, 
 are in time affected, the blood and 
 juices deviate by degrees into a ftate of 
 putrefaction and corruption, and the a- 
 nimal dies a moft wretched death. 
 
 If any man object and fay, this dif- 
 temper of the cows is infectious, and 
 therefore it is of the putrid, and not of 
 the inflammatory kind : I anfwer, that 
 it does not appear to be infectious, be- 
 caufe feme cows- amongft a number of 
 ihfccted oneshaveefcapedit, Butallowing 
 
 it
 
 it to be of the putrid or peftilential kind, 
 and to arife from air, infection, or both, 
 thefe artificial drains made in the fkih 
 will ftill be very proper, becaufe they 
 will anfwer in fome meafure the fame 
 end, as the bubo or critical impofthume 
 befalling the human fpecies in peftilen- 
 tial diforders if they are properly ma- 
 naged. And here it may be obierved, 
 that when diftempered cows have efcap- 
 ed death, it has been generally owing 
 to fome critical abfcefs, various inftances 
 of which I have feen. 
 
 To thefe artificial drains fliould be 
 added the ufe of cooling falts, and lax- 
 ative clyfters, if needful. 
 
 It is necefTary ever to remember, that 
 bleeding the horfe or cow will be wrong, 
 and muft do harm, when a difcharge 
 from the noftrils, 8cc. is begun, becaufeit 
 is contrary to the effort of nature ; and fo 
 it is when there is any fwelling that is 
 
 tend-
 
 [ '52 ] 
 
 tending to matter, which kinds of fwel- 
 ling can be diftinguifhed by the fkilful 
 only. 
 
 From the obfervations I have made 
 on the difeafes of thefe animals, and 
 from the famenefs and fimplicity of their 
 food, I think there is great reafon x to 
 believe, that the fame remedies will 
 have the fame effect in one fpecies as 
 
 in the other and it is much to be 
 
 wiflied, that the legiilative power will 
 give the farmers leave (whenever this 
 diftemper (hall again appear) to make 
 trial thereof, and oblige them to deli- 
 ver in, at fome proper place, the fymp- 
 toms of this difeafe, and the effect of 
 thefe propofed remedies. 
 
 Now the author's fole motive in pub- 
 liQiing this is the good of the commu- 
 nity : but if thefe methods (hould prove 
 fuccefsful, particular men will be alfo 
 benefited' For the College of Phyfici- 
 
 cians
 
 I 'S3 ] 
 
 fins will be prevented the trouble of any 
 future meetings on this occafion ; and 
 the good bifhops will avoid the fatigue 
 of compofing pious forms of prayer to 
 deprecate this evil ^-as if the Almighty 
 Being (like an earthly prince) was to be 
 influenced by human entreaties to alter 
 his general laws, whereby all things are 
 governed not confidering, that natu- 
 ral evil muft unavoidably happen to the 
 creatures of this earthly ftate, from the 
 contingencies of food and climate. 
 
 There is another diforder incident to 
 bullocks, which the graziers call being 
 hove or fprung : that is to fay, the a- 
 nimal, from overcharging the ftomach, 
 is fwelled in fuch a manner, as to bring 
 on fpeedy death, unlefs fbon relieved, 
 all digeftion being at a ftand. This 
 will be cured by raking the excrement 
 from the ftrait gut, and by falt-petre, 
 or any laxative fait given plentifully, > 
 X and
 
 [ <54] 
 
 and bleeding, will fo far do good, as to 
 alleviate the part afteded. 
 
 When a Strangury befals the horfe or 
 bullock, bleeding, taking away the ex- 
 crements, clyfters and falt-petre, with 
 other laxative falts, plentifully given in 
 fome barley-water, with gum Arabick 
 diflblved therein, are the proper me- 
 thods of cure if thefe methods fail, o- 
 pium (lioiild be given Now it fome- 
 times happens, that thefe animals have 
 encyfted tumours on the neck of the 
 bladder, in which cafe I apprehend nei- 
 ther falt-petre, nor any other medicine > 
 will have any effecl:. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 Treats of other dif orders^ to which the 
 horfe is liable. 
 
 WHEN recent coughs or colds 
 happen, bleeding, repeated if 
 neceflary, warm moid diet, and the 
 
 following
 
 [ '55 ] 
 
 following medicine, will generally re- 
 move ic. Take two ounces of cold 
 drawn linked oil, of falt-petre one' 
 ounce, volatile "fait of hart/Lorn two 
 drachms ; this is to be given daily in 
 fome linfeed, or liquorice tea, barley- 
 water, or any fuch kind of vehicle ; and 
 above all things, let him be kept with- 
 in doors, air and motion irritating the 
 parts affeded. 
 
 Let no man lend an ear to theadver- 
 fcfements of cures for broken-winded 
 horfes, how pompous foever they may 
 appear-becaufe, in this cafe, certain 
 glands (called the lymphatick) which 
 are placed upon the air-pipe at its en-- 
 trance into- the lungs, are become en- 
 larged, and thereby the diameter of the 
 tube is lefTened-^hence the received air 
 ~ cannot fo readily make its efcape, ror ' 
 reflation be performed with fuch faci- 
 lity as before f rom which quantity c f 
 ontained air the lobes of the lungs are 
 
 always
 
 t'56] 
 
 always enlarged, as may be feen by ex- 
 amining the carcafes of broken^ 
 winding horfes, after they are dead. 
 
 Gripes or cholick are of two kinds ; 
 one proceeding from the drinking of 
 cold water, the other from coftivenefs, 
 and fubfequent heat and inflammation 
 of the bowels. 
 
 The firft is cured by giving one ounce 
 pf philonium romanum, and by repeat* 
 ing it, if there be occafion. 
 
 In the fecond, bleeding is proper ; 
 which fhould be repeated if nccefTary, 
 that is, if the pain appear to be very 
 violent, the excrement fhould be kept 
 raked away, as it falls into the rectum, 
 or ftrait gut. rSweet oilfliould be givei) 
 inwardly to relax the inteftincs, and 
 cooling laxative falts, every four hours, 
 to unload the fame, for which purpofe 
 the neutral purging falts are the bcft, 
 fxich as glaubcr fait, fal catharti-
 
 [ '57] 
 
 cum, with tartar foluble, &c. and oil 
 given by way of clyfters will alfo be of 
 ufe in this cafe. Here falt-petre is not 
 fo proper, becaufe it acts as a diuretic, 
 rather than a laxative. 
 
 Now this laft kind of cholick, pro- 
 ceeding from coftivenefs and inflamma- 
 tion of the bowels, is what the writers 
 and farriers call the ftrangullion, or 
 tvvifting of the guts, and fuch they fup- 
 pofe it to be -yet this never happens, but 
 the truth is that certain particles or 
 pieces of dung or excrement in pafling 
 thro' the guts, becoming hard and in- 
 durated from a degree of drinefs, the 
 fpace of the gut where it refts, is ftretch- 
 ed and enlarged, hence follows a nar- 
 rownefs or ftri&ure round the adjacent 
 part of the fame, fo that the excrement 
 cannot pafs along this occafions an in*- 
 flammation, and the horfe, if not foon 
 relieved by cooling and relaxing medi- 
 dies of a mortification in fuch 
 
 part
 
 [ '58] 
 
 p ar t another caufe may be a natural 
 inflammation of fome part of the intef- 
 tines, vyhere the excrement is not fo 
 
 lodged. 
 
 * 
 
 Thus you fee how neceflary it is 
 carefully to diftinguifli betwixt thefe 
 different kinds of cholick, which will be 
 beft done by obferviug whether thefe be 
 a fever attending it or not to afcertain 
 the exiftence of which or not, the. pul- 
 fation of the artery is to be confulted, 
 which may be felt on the hinder part of 
 the fore leg, either above or below the 
 knee of the horfe, but better on his 
 
 left fide. Moreover, the horfe in 
 
 this laft cafe will be frequently looking 
 back into his flank, by which he points 
 out in fome meafure the feat and na- 
 ture of his difeafe, tho' not with abfo- 
 Iti^e certainty ; for the fame fymp- 
 toms will attend the horfe afflicted with 
 the ft one or gravel (which by the bye I 
 bjiicvc very feldom happens; but much 
 
 certainty
 
 r 
 
 certainty may be; gathered even with 
 refpeft to the difference of thefe corn^ 
 plaints, by paying due attenion to the 
 nature and drinefs of his dung or excre- 
 ments, or his frequent attempts and mo- 
 tions to: avoid his urine. But which fo- 
 ever of thefe is the difeafe, thus far you 
 will be right, that thefe remedies will be 
 proper in each of thefe complaints. 
 
 With refpefl to forms of phyfick, 
 every groom and every farrier has his 
 receipts, which he ftill thinks the beft 
 
 Now perhaps the ingredients given 
 
 in general may have much the fame ef- 
 && and if any mifchief befal the 
 horfe, it is much more frequently ow- 
 ing to bad management, than to the 
 phylick itfelf. 
 
 Yet fuch medicines as are of a.ftimu- 
 Jating nature fhould be avoided, becaufe 
 they greatly deprive the intertines of 
 that mucus, which is defigned to line 
 
 and
 
 [ 160 ] 
 
 and guard them from the appear- 
 ance of which mucus amongft the dung 
 of the horfe, the farrier gravely and 
 wifely remarks, that he is very foul. 
 
 The mifchief that generally happens 
 to the horfe in phyfick is owing to this 
 caufe : namely, that the medicines, not 
 working fo much, nor fo readily as may 
 be wiflied, the horfe is trotted about 
 till he is ready to drop, is thrown into 
 a heat, perhaps a fweat, by raifing which 
 new fecretion, the purging is entirely 
 flopped, and a fever enfues, which ter- 
 minates in the lofs of eyes, of feet, or 
 in death ; many inftances of all which 
 I have known. 
 
 When the crifis of a fever falls on the 
 feet, on this or any other occafion, the 
 proper method of acting is to cut them 
 off round and fliort at the toe, till 
 the blood appears, and with a draw- 
 ing knife to fcore the hoof all round 
 
 longi-
 
 tudinally at proper intervals of fpace 
 (till you reach the quick) beginning a 
 little below the coronary ring, and con- 
 tinuing the fame to the end of the foot 
 or toe ; hence the new hoof will have 
 more liberty to pufh itfelf out, and the 
 matter to be difcharged ; the parts are 
 to be drefled with fome undious medi- 
 cine, and the whole foot to be wrapped 
 up with an emollient poultice by 
 which means the feet will often become 
 as good and found as ever. 
 
 Now this laft method of fcoring the 
 foot longitudinally is of late come much 
 into practice, with an intent to cure 
 lamenefs arifing from the contracted 
 form of the fame ; which method, to- 
 gether with being turned to grafs, ex- 
 pands the foot for a time ; but when 
 thefe fcorings are quite grown out, and 
 the horfe is taken to houfe, fych foot 
 returns again in a fhort time to its pri- 
 mitive natural contracted ftate, and he 
 Y becomes
 
 [ '62] 
 
 becomes juft as lame as he was before. 
 
 Of difeafes of the eye I have little at 
 prefent to fay, having never feen any 
 method of acting, but what is uncertain, 
 and cannot be relied on, yet frequent 
 bleeding, and the ufe of cooling lax- 
 ative falts often a're of great fervice. 
 
 There are fo many forms of purging 
 already prefcribed, which, for any 
 thing I know to the contrary, may be 
 all equally good, that it feems needlefs 
 hereto direct any; yet, for the rea- 
 der's amufement, I {hall relate my own 
 method. 
 
 I take of Barbadoes aloes a fufficient 
 quantity, which given from one ounce 
 to one ounce and an half is enough for 
 moft horfes ; of powdered jallap two 
 drachms, and becaufc this refmous gum 
 remains long in the flomach without 
 diflblving, I add three drachms of fait 
 of tartar, which is the proper men- 
 
 ftruum
 
 ftruum or diffoluent thereof; and to 
 prevent griping, I add half an ounce of 
 ginger powdered. 
 
 But if the fait of tartar be mixed 
 with the aloes, it becomes immediately 
 fo brittle, that it cannot be given in the 
 form of a ball, wherefore I generally 
 mix the aloes and jallap together by 
 the heat of a fire, and give it in a ball-; 
 and after that I give the.ginger and fak 
 of tartar in fome warm ale. , 
 
 Now it frequently happens, from 
 the ftimulating quality of the medi- 
 cine, from too large a dofe, or a weak 
 habit of body, that a flux or purging 
 continues many days; in this cafe give 
 him gruel, made of boiled rice and 
 water, with fome gum Arabic diffolved 
 therein, and repeat it ; this will (heath 
 the ftimulated bowels : and philonium 
 romanum, repeated at intervals of time 
 (as occafion ball direcl) will flop the 
 Y 2 purging,
 
 I 164 ] 
 
 purging, to which opium rmy be ad- 
 ded, if there be need. And when he 
 will eat corn of any fort) let him have 
 it; or rice, either boiled or raw. But 
 if he rtfufc all food, balls fliould be 
 given him nude of the flour of beans 
 and rice. 
 
 The ufual cuftom of treating horfes, 
 when they take phyfick, is to give them 
 nothing to eat but hay, till the opera- 
 tion is over, and not to take them out 
 
 on that day the phyfick is given. 
 
 But thinking I could find a method 
 preferable to this on fome occafions, I 
 iave often ventured to deviate from this 
 good old cuftom, by giving the horfe 
 what corn and bran he would eat, fcald- 
 ed together, and by walking him out 
 on the day he takes phyfick; but the 
 next day, when it works, he does not 
 go out at -all, nor is he allowed any 
 corn till the evening and the only bad 
 tffecls I have ever found from it, are, 
 
 that
 
 3 
 
 that walking him out the firft day 
 creates an appetite, that by filling his 
 belly, he is lefs weakened, his blood is 
 lefs impoverished he recovers his 
 ftrength much fooner, fo that he will 
 be able to hunt again in a fliort time> 
 or to run his match, if he has any fuch 
 depending. Yet it muft be confefled, 
 there is one misfortune attends the 
 horfe in this way of purging, more than 
 in the common one, which is, that he 
 is hardly ever lick with it. But a 
 greater misfortune than this is, that 
 the generality of grooms and farriers 
 hardly ever think a horfe is benefited 
 by phyfick, unlefs it makes him very 
 ill, and reduces him almoft to the de- 
 gree of a dog-horfe. In this cafe, the 
 medicine I give him is compofed of 
 foap and aloes, and ginger, which acts 
 as a diuretick as well as a laxative, and 
 is a medicine of much efficacy on many 
 occasions. 
 
 And
 
 [66] 
 
 And here occurs to me another good 
 cuftom amongft the grooms, . when 
 they intend to purge their horfes 
 and that is, to give them a fweat by 
 way of ftirring the humours (as they 
 call it) the day before the phyilck is 
 given ; but for my own part, I am fo 
 unhappy, as to be of a quite contrary 
 opinion in this matter, believing the 
 horfe fliould rather be kept cool and 
 quiet for a few days before he takes it 
 for that this cxercife certainly pro- 
 duces fome degree of inflammation in 
 the blood, -which is very likely to be the 
 caufe.of fvvellings iu the extreme parts, 
 if phyiick be given immediately after 
 it and which 1 am furc has often been 
 "the confequence qf.it, tho' imputed by 
 grooms and farriers to foulnefs,- a term 
 .of art, which they beft underftand the 
 meaning of. 
 
 Again, when horfes have cold aede- 
 
 matous
 
 matous fwellings in the extreme parts, 
 -occasioned by the impovcrifhed ftate 
 of the blood and juices, or bad ufage, 
 the cuftom is to purge away, dofe af- 
 ter dofe, without knowing, that . by 
 fuch continued purging, they are do- 
 ing harm ; for the ufe of purges will 
 render the blood and juices thinner, fo 
 that thefe fwellings will be increafed 
 rather than removed, unlefs fome pro- 
 per warm medicines are given between 
 whiles, to amend the " liate of die 
 blood. 
 
 When a horfe is taken with a dy- 
 fentery or fcowering, to treat him firft 
 with medicines of an aftringent qua- 
 lity is highly improper, but the caufe 
 of the difeafe fliould be firft endeavour- 
 ed to be removed, by giving him 
 toafted rhubarb and nutmeg, - and 
 when this may have been fuppofed to 
 operate, opium is the moft effectual 
 remedy, of which tenor twenty grains 
 
 may 

 
 [ 168 ] 
 
 may be given at a time, and repeated 
 as there is occailon ; and becaufe the 
 inteftines are in this cafe ftrongiy irri- 
 tated, and their mucus carried off, his 
 proper drink will be gruel made with 
 bean flour, and fome gum Arabick 
 diflblved therein, his food fliould con- 
 iift of rice and bean flour, and a fmall 
 quantity of meat broth, without fait, 
 thrown into the gut by way of clyfter, 
 would help to allay the irritation or 
 ftimulus of the fame. 
 
 Worms will be cured by prepared 
 mercury given in fmall quantities, by 
 pewter, tin and oil ; and I have been 
 of opinion, that Botts too would be 
 cured by the fame means, but later 
 experience proves the contrary. 
 
 It is worth remarking, that bitters 
 can be no antidote to Botts, becaufe 
 they have been often found alive in 
 the duodenum, into which the bilious 
 
 juice
 
 [ '69 ] 
 
 juice or gall is immediately difcharged, 
 than which nothing is more bitter 
 Can bitters then have any better ef- 
 feds on worms, than on Botts, if they 
 are there found alive too ? It appears 
 from experiments alfo, that worms put 
 into the ftrongeft bitters, live as long, 
 as they do in common water. 
 
 But having lately had an opportu- 
 nity of opening a horfe that died in 
 convulfions, who was known to have 
 been troubled with Botts, and who 
 had, in order to be cured of them, 
 taken a confiderable quantity of all 
 thefe medicines for a confidcrable time 
 before, I found a great number of 
 them in the ftomach, which was in 
 fome parts nearly eaten through, and 
 the inteftines were in fome places eaten 
 quite through. 
 
 M. De Reaumur^ in his hiftory of 
 
 infefts, has made fome curious obfer- 
 
 Z vations
 
 vations on this fubject of Botts in 
 horfes He begins with faying, 
 
 Amongft the animals that are ufe- 
 
 * ful to mankind, the horfe is certain- 
 
 * ly entitled to the firft rank, and yet 
 c this animal, considerable as it is, and 
 
 * contrived by its figure and beautiful 
 
 * proportion to afford us pleafure> 
 c was not given to mankind alone, 
 6 there is a fpecies of fly, whofe right 
 
 * in this creature may be looked 
 ' upon as ftill better founded than 
 
 our own/ 5 
 
 Now if this fhould happen to be 
 true, what a mortifying circumftance, 
 and ftumbling-block of offence, it will 
 be to thofe unphilofophical people, 
 whom pride and cuftom have taught 
 to believe, that all things were made 
 for man alone. He goes on to fay, 
 
 * If the horfe be ufeful to us, lie is 
 
 c abfolutely
 
 , 
 
 < abfolutely neceflary to the fly the 
 fame Being that formed the horfe, 
 | formed alfo this fly, which depends 
 ' wholly on the horfe for its preferva- 
 tion and continuance. The flies we 
 6 are fpeaking of, like thofe of all the 
 ' other fpecies, receive their firft life 
 ' and growth in the form of worms, 
 but thefe are worms that can be pro- 
 c duced and nourished only in the in- 
 < teftines of a horfe. It is there alone 
 ' they can enjoy the proper temperature 
 ' of heat, and receive the nourifliment 
 ' neceffary for them. 
 
 c Befides the long, and ' fometimes 
 ' very long worms which have been ob- 
 ; ^rved in the bodies of horfes, there 
 * have been feen alfo fhort ones. 
 
 (By thefe are to be underflood what 
 we call Botts.) 
 
 < ,sv* 
 
 ' All Authors, both ancient and 
 Z 2 < modern.
 
 1 172 ] 
 
 * modern, who have treated of the 
 
 * difeafes of horfes, have taken notice 
 ' of thefe fhort worms, but M. Val- 
 
 * lifnieri is, I believe, the hrft who has 
 ' traced them to the laft flage of their 
 c transformation, and has feen them 
 c change into a hairy kind of fly, like 
 < the drone, 
 
 * The flies from which thefe Botts 
 c are produced inhabit the country, 
 ' and do not come near houfes, at leaft 
 ' not near thofe of great towns ; and 
 ' therefore horfes are never liable to 
 c have thefe fhort worms (i. p e. Botts) 
 4 in their bodies ; if they have been 
 
 * kept in the houfe, efpecially in a 
 
 * town, during the fummer and au- 
 ' tumn. 
 
 ' It is in the former of thefe fea- 
 ' fons, and perhaps too in the begin- 
 
 * ning of the latter, that the females of 
 \ thefe flies apply themfelves to the 
 
 * anus
 
 [ '73 ] 
 
 c anus of horfes, and endeavour to 
 c gain admittance, in order there to 
 
 * depofit their eggs, or perhaps their 
 
 * worms. 
 
 ' The precife inftant of their en- 
 c trance will fcarce admit of an eye- 
 c witnefs, but by the meereft chance ; 
 c yet M. Vallifnieri fays, that Dn 
 c Gafpari had attained this very un* 
 c common fight. The doctor (he tells 
 
 * you) was one day looking at his mares 
 c in the field, and from being very quiet 
 c he obferved, that of a fudden they be- 
 e came very reftlefs, and ran about in 
 c great agitation, prancing, plunging, 
 c and kicking, with violent motions of 
 
 * their tails. He concluded, that thefe 
 ' extraordinary effects were produced 
 
 * by fome fly buzzing about them, and 
 
 * endeavouring to fettle upon the anus 
 4 of one of them ; but the fly not be- 
 c ing able to fucceed, he obferved it to 
 
 go ofT with lefs noife than before, to- 
 
 c wards
 
 ['74] 
 e wards a mare that was feeding at a 
 
 * diftance from the reft ; and now the 
 c fly taking a more effectual method to 
 
 * obtain its defign, pafled under the tail 
 ' of the mare, and fo made its way to 
 
 * the anus. 
 
 ' Here at firft it occafioned only an 
 c itching, by which the inteftine was 
 c protruded with an encreafed aperture 
 ' of the anus ; the fly taking the ad- 
 1 vantage of this penetrated further, and 
 c fecured itfelf in the folds of the in- 
 
 * teftine ; this effected, it was in a 
 
 * fituation proper for laying its eggs. 
 c Soon after this the mare became very 
 
 * violent, running about, prancing, and 
 c kicking, and throwing herfelf on the 
 < ground ; in fhort was not quiet, nor 
 c returned to feeding, till after a quarter 
 6 of an hour. 
 
 
 r The fly then we fee can find means 
 
 * of -depofiting its eggs, or perhaps its 
 
 c worms
 
 [ '75 ] 
 
 * worms in the fundament of the horfe 
 ' which, once effeded, it has done all 
 ' that is neceffary for them. 
 
 'If thefe worms are not hatched 
 
 when firft depofited in the horfe, but 
 
 ' are then only eggs, it will not be long 
 
 before it happens, f rom the nutritive 
 
 neat they there receive. 
 
 ' Thefe (&<>") worms, foon make 
 eir way into the inteftines of the 
 horfe; they occupy f uc h parts of 
 us region, as are to them moft con- 
 venient, and fometimes (as we fhalj 
 ' fee prefently) they penetrate even to 
 < the ftomach : All the hazard they 
 1 appear to be expofed to is, that of 
 emg carried away from the places 
 ' they have fixed on by the excrement, 
 which may feem likely to drive all 
 
 \ J ef r f k But ture has provided ' 
 
 for all things, and when we fhall have 
 ' further defcribed thefe (Bon) worms 
 
 ( 
 
 it
 
 [ '76] 
 
 it will be fcen that they are able to 
 
 * maintain their fituation, and to remain 
 c in the body of the horfe as long as 
 
 * they plcafe. 
 
 There is a time when thefe (Bott) 
 
 * worms are of themfelves defirous to 
 
 * leave this their habitation, it being no 
 
 * longer convenient to them after the 
 
 * purpofes of their growth are anfwered. 
 
 * Their transformation to a fly muft be 
 
 * performed out of the horfe 's body, 
 
 * and accordingly, when the time of 
 
 * their transformation draws near, they 
 
 * approach towards the anus of the 
 
 * horfe, and then leave him of their 
 
 * own accord, or with the excrement, 
 with which they then fuffer them- 
 1 felves to be carried along. 
 
 < The figure of thefe (Botf] worms 
 c affords at firft fight nothing remark- 
 
 * able, but they appear like many other 
 1 worms of the firft clafs, to which they 
 
 <be-
 
 J 77 
 
 * belong, that change into flies with 
 c two wings, and like the greateft part 
 
 * of the worms of that clafs, they are 
 
 * provided with a fort of fcaly claws, 
 6 with which they draw themfelves 
 c forward. 
 
 c There is a difference in colour ob- 
 c fervable between thofe that are taken 
 
 * by force from the inteftine of the 
 c horfe, and thofe which come away of 
 ' their own accord ; fome are greenifli, 
 
 * fome yellowifli, and others nearly 
 
 * brown ; thefe laft are neareft, and the 
 6 greenifli ones the fartheft from the 
 
 * time of their transformation. 
 
 ' If M. Fallifnieri and myfelf have 
 
 * rightly obferved the pofltion of their 
 c claws, fome of them differ from each 
 c other in this refpect, but are perfedlly 
 c fimilar in every other particular, and 
 
 * which change into flies fo nearly a- 
 
 A a ' like,
 
 [ '78 ] 
 ' like, that I am convinced, they are 
 
 * of the fame kind'and origin. 
 
 < However this be, the (Eott) worms, 
 ' which are the fubjecl of our prefent 
 c purfuit, have two unequal claws ; and 
 ' iince I have been acquainted with the 
 1 nature and ufe of them, I have had 
 c no 'difficulty to conceive, how they 
 ' may ftill remain in the inteftines of 
 c the horfe, in oppoiition to all efforts 
 c of the excrement to force them out 
 
 * one of which, that I was handling and 
 c examining, fattened upon my finger 
 ' in fuch a manner, that I found great 
 4 difficulty to difengagc myfelf. Thefe 
 
 * claws are a fort of anchor, differently 
 c indeed difpofed from thofe of com- 
 c mon anchors, but contrived to produce 
 4 the fame effecl, 
 
 * Befides thefe twoclaWs, nature hath 
 c given to each of thefe (Eott) worms a 
 
 * very great number of triangular fpines 
 
 * or
 
 C'79.3 
 
 ' or briftles, very fufficient to arm them 
 ' againft the coats of the inteftines,- and 
 c to relift the force employed to drive 
 
 * them towards the anus, provided. the 
 6 head be directed towards the ftomach 
 1 of the horfe. 
 
 ' It will be afked, no doubt, if thefe 
 
 * (Boti) worms are not dangerous to 
 ' horfes ? The mares which afforded 
 c me, for feveral years, thofe. on which 
 I made my observations, did not ap- 
 c pear to be lefs in health, than thofe 
 ( which had none ; but it may fome- 
 ' times happen, that they are ia fo great 
 c a quantity in the body of the horfe, as 
 ' to prove fatal to him. M.- Vallifnieri 
 1 fuppofes thefe [Bott] worms, to have 
 
 * been the caufe of an epidemical dif- 
 ' eafe, that deftroyed a great many horfes 
 4 about Verona and Mantua in the year 
 ' 1713 the obfervations communica- 
 4 ted to .him by Dr. Gafpari fufficiently 
 
 * confirm his fuppoiition. . 
 
 A a 2 This
 
 [ '*?] 
 
 * This gentleman, upon differing 
 ' fome horfes that died of this diftem- 
 ' per, found in their flomachs a furpri- 
 fing quantity of fhort worms, of which, 
 
 * to give us fome idea, he compares 
 
 < them to the kernels of a pomegranate 
 ' opened each of thefe, by gnawing on 
 
 * the coat of the ftomach, had made for 
 itfelf a kind of cellule therein each 
 ' of thefe cavities would eafily contain a 
 c yain f Indian wheat. 
 
 c It is eafy to imagine by this means 
 
 * the ftomach muft be reduced to a 
 
 * wretched condition, the outer mem- 
 c branes were inflamed, and the inner 
 1 ones ulcerated and corrupted ; a very 
 
 * fmall quantity of thefe worms were 
 
 * found in the fmall inteftines, and only 
 
 * a few in the larger, to which laft they 
 
 < were found affixed, but had not cor- 
 c roded them. 
 
 * It
 
 C 
 
 * It is only perhaps when thefe (Eott) 
 worms are in great numbers, and 
 
 * thereby incommode each other, in the 
 c inteftines of the horfe, that they make 
 c their way towards the ftomach and 
 
 * indeed a very few flies miift be enough 
 
 * to overftock the infide of a horfe, 
 ' provided, they fhould depofit all their 
 c eggs, and fuch fliould be animated, 
 c M. Vallifnieri having counted feven 
 f hundred and odd in the body of one 
 4 {ingle fly. 
 
 * When one of thefe Botts has left the 
 ' anus of the horfe, it falls on the 
 
 * ground, and immediately feeks out 
 
 * for fome place of fafety, where it may 
 < retire, to prepare for the laft ftage of 
 ' its transformation, by which it is to 
 
 * become a fly. 
 
 c And now by degrees the fkin har- 
 
 * dens, and thickens, and at length 
 
 f forms
 
 t 182 ] 
 
 * forms a folid fhell or cod, the form of 
 
 * which fcarce differs from that of the 
 
 * worm. 
 
 * It is firfl of a pale red colour, which 
 
 * changes into chefnut, and at length, 
 
 * by the addition of gradual and fuccef- 
 
 * ilve Qiades of brown, the fhell is ren - 
 ' dered black. 
 
 ' The worm or Bott before it paflcs 
 
 * into a nymph is of the form of an ob- 
 c long ball ; it remains in this form much 
 
 * longer than worms of the flefli fly 
 
 * kind. I have met with worms, that 
 ' retained this figure five or fix days 
 c as yet one can perceive no traces of 
 4 the legs, wings, and head of the 
 4 nymph. Hence I firft learned, that 
 f thefe (Bott] worms do not become 
 6 nymphs immediately upon their firft 
 1 change, but that, in order to become 
 ' flies, they muft undergo one change 
 
 * more
 
 [ '83 .] 
 
 ' more than caterpillars ordinarily do to 
 < become butterflies.' 
 
 This is an abftracr only of what 
 Reaumur has related in one of his me- 
 moirs, to whom the curious reader is re- 
 ferred for a more ample account of this 
 matter. 
 
 
 This- do&rine, and our own obferva- 
 tion, will teach us fome truths worth 
 knowing. Firft, that horfes may occa- 
 fionally die with fpafms, and convul- 
 fions, when thefe Botts lodge in the 
 ftomach and mteftines, and corrode the 
 fame, inftead ^)f coming away by the 
 anus. Secondly, that no medicines 
 ought to be efteemed a remedy for the 
 Botts, till we fee them brought away 
 dead by their effects ; and therefore, if 
 they did not generally make their efcapc 
 by fome law unknown to us, horfes 
 would die much more frequently than 
 they do with thefe infeds. 
 
 Now
 
 C 
 
 Now I'll fhew you how to cure 
 them. 
 
 Take of new milk one quart, honey 
 half a pound, give the horfe this in a 
 morning, let him faft after it an hour 
 and a half, then give him a pint of 
 ftrong brine, more or lefs, according 
 to the fize and ftrength of your horfe, 
 fafting after that, another hour ; repeat 
 this three or four fucceffive mornings ; 
 this deftroys them, and leaves no ap- 
 pearance but of their fkins, or (hells, 
 which are brought away with the ex- 
 crement and this will kill worms of 
 all forts and iizes. 
 
 The farcy arifes from vitiated blood, 
 and when catched, as it may be by 
 licking the matter from other horfes, 
 the fame effect will be produced. 
 
 When the fkin breaks, and buds of 
 fprouting fungous flefh appear on any 
 
 part,
 
 t '85] 
 
 part, fuch are to be touched with a rag 
 dipped in corroiive fpirit of fait, ftrong 
 fpirit of nitre, aqua fortis, or any fuch 
 kind of medicine. 
 
 When fwellings fall on any part, 
 which is no uncommon fymptom in this 
 diforder, a poultice made with the e- 
 mollient fomentation, thickened with 
 oat-meal, is to be applied thereto twice 
 a day. 
 
 With refpecl: to malenders, fwelled 
 legs, fcratches, fcurfy heels, what is 
 called the greafe, and fuch like difor- 
 ders ; thefe all proceed from a languid 
 and obftrucled circulation, whence en- 
 fues a coldnefs in the extreme parts. 
 The remedy for thefe, is warm fomen- 
 tations applied to the parts ; good rub- 
 bing of the limbs is necefTary, and a 
 poultice compofed of rye-meal, and 
 milk, is a proper application to fore 
 heels; all undious things doing more 
 B b harm
 
 [ 186 ] 
 
 harm than good. The habit of body is 
 to be altered, for which purpoie the me- 
 dicines, that are moft proper to be taken 
 internally for all thefe diforders, (hall 
 be fpoken of by and by. 
 
 Now the virtues of fait or fea-water 
 are. in thefe cafes very remarkable, for 
 havingoccafionally lived near the fea- fide, 
 I could not help obferving the effects of 
 it. It is a cuftom at Margate^ in Kent 9 
 when people bathe, to be drawn a lit- 
 tle diftance into the fea, in a machine 
 with one horfe, who by a conftant fuc- 
 ceilion remains in the' fea perhaps every 
 day of his life, for four, or five or fix 
 hours together, and whatfoever ulcers or 
 cutaneous diforders the horfe may chance 
 to have, he is by fuch practice continu- 
 ed for a time fure to be cured of, I mean 
 in fuch parts as the water can reach. 
 
 And the virtues of fait water would, 
 I believe, extend farther than are yet 
 
 known,
 
 [187 ] 
 known, if they were under proper con- 
 
 ilderation inftance, in the cafe of 
 
 people bit by mad dogs, that are fent 
 to fea to be dipped, fome are cured, - 
 fome are not and I believe it is owing 
 to this caufe, that they are not all cured 
 namely,' that it does not operate a- 
 like on all men, for fome who can fwim 
 well, having no fear of drowning, tho' 
 perhaps damnably foufed by the dippers, 
 receive none of this water into their flo- 
 mach others that cannot fwim, what 
 between the fear of being drowned, and 
 gaping for breath, do often imbibe a> 
 great quantity of this water, and are 
 hereby ftrongly operated upon both up- 
 wards and downwards ; and in thefe o- 
 perations, I think, confift the virtue 
 and effeds of fea- water, as an antidote 
 to madnefs, and not in the a6t of bath- 
 ing and what confirms me in this o- 
 pinion is, that if one dog be bit by ano- 
 :her, in ever fo fevere a manner, even 
 the head, which is thought incura- 
 B b 2 ble,
 
 [ T88 ] 
 
 ble, fuch dbg, by often taking turpeth 
 mineral, that operates upon him up- 
 wards or downwards, or either way, 
 will I venture to fay be moft certainly 
 cured, at leaft I have always found it fp 
 and this effect, I think, is brought 
 about by the actions of thefe medicines, 
 and not by any fpecifick quality, either 
 of the fait or the mercury- for there is 
 no medicine in the world, that can pro- 
 perly be faid to contain any fpecifick 
 quality, but when we know not how 
 to account for the effects or modes of 
 operation in any medicine, we, to keep 
 up the mew of knowledge, and to gra- 
 tify our own pride, have recourfe to hard 
 words, or terms of art, that ferve in 
 reality to betray our ignorance. But 
 fea-water has by no .means an equal 
 chance in this refpect with other phyii- 
 cal remedies, for in thefe laft you perfift 
 for a time, and go through af long courfe 
 pr regimen ; whereas, in the other cafe, 
 you arc dipped once, and gone about
 
 [ i8 9 3 
 
 your bufinefs. But if there be any vir- 
 tue in ft a- water, that may be an anti- 
 dote to the bite of a mad dog as un- 
 doubtedly there appears to be from ma- 
 ny inftances, why not ftay and make 
 fure of it, by continuing to bathe, and 
 to drink alfo for a length of time. 
 
 And with refpect to the medical ufe of 
 fait, it may perhaps be of as much fer- 
 yice to mankind in many diforders, as 
 it is to the brute creation ; refpecT: being 
 had to the difference thereof, for the 
 fake of cqnftitution. 
 
 For in fcrophulous and feorbutic com- 
 plaints, grave), cholicky pains, proceed- 
 ing from heated bowels, in fevers, in- 
 flammatory diforders of all kinds, bili- 
 ous obftrudions, rheumatic complaints, 
 in intervals of the gout, and many o- 
 ther chronical diforders, it will be found 
 a medicine of great efficacy, if continu- 
 gd to be taken for .a time. But the 
 
 misfor-
 
 [ I 9 ] 
 
 misfortune of all medicines, intended as 
 alteratives, is, that the patient expects 
 to be cured in a few weeks, of a difor- 
 der he has been treafuring up for many 
 years, and perhaps continues daily to do 
 the fame. 
 
 To cleanfe the ftomach from flimy 
 vifcid juices, fak will be iound a proper 
 remedy, as may be gathered from the 
 ufe of fea- water; which, if taken too 
 freely, wiil operate not only on the fto- 
 mach, but on the coats of the interlines 
 alfo, in fuch a manner, as greatly to 
 difcharge their mucus, and produce vio- 
 lent bloody fluxes, various inftances of 
 which have been known. 
 
 Now food and climate I take.to be 
 the origin of all difeafe ; by which two 
 things, the bile or gall is more immedi- 
 ately and primarily affedled in all coun- 
 tries, and in all conftitutions. From 
 which lafl fource the generality of chro- 
 nical
 
 ['9'] 
 
 nical diforders, and fome acute ones arc 
 alfo derived. 
 
 The ufe of this bile is to complete 
 the digeftion by affimulating the food, 
 and rendering its juices fit to enter the 
 ladeal vefieis. It is the foap, or men- 
 flruum of the body. The fountain and 
 origin of all other fecretions (on the re- 
 gularity of which health depends) with- 
 out which (Bile) every animal on the 
 earth would foon fall, into a ftate of pu~ 
 trefadtion. 
 
 Hence I have been led to think, that 
 what we call real difeafcs, howfoever 
 diftinguifhed by their various names and 
 fymptoms, are, perhaps, no more in 
 general, than fecondary effe&s, pro- 
 duced by the ftate and nature of the 
 bile, and the fecretion thereof. 
 
 In colder climates, or inadive life, 
 this bilious juice is more fparingly fe- 
 
 creted
 
 [ I 9 2 ] 
 
 creted ; hence the various kinds or loads 
 of aliment impofed on the ftomach, not 
 being duly affimulated, either from the 
 quantity or quality of this juice, other 
 iubordinate fecretions, depending on this 
 proper one of the bile^ will not be re- 
 gularly, or tr-uly promoted. 
 ." 
 
 Hence obftru&ions will arife of vari- 
 ous kinds, and different men will be 
 varioufly affected, according to the dif- 
 ferent brganifm of their bodily fyftem. 
 
 And what we call hereditary difeafe, 
 depends altogether (as I conceive) on the 
 particular frame and texture of thefe 
 bodily organs, and is not any real la- 
 tent diforder, as it is generally under- 
 fiood ; or, as Mr. Pope fays, 
 
 The young difeafe, that mujl fubdue at length. 
 
 But from a fimilar caufe or habit of bo- 
 dy in the parent and the offspring, fi- 
 
 nular
 
 E '93 ] 
 
 milar effects are occafionally produced 
 and this doctrine will be more fully 
 explained by obferving, that one fon 
 fiiall be afflicted with the feme difeafe 
 his father had ; and yet another, tho' 
 perhaps not fo moderate a liver, fhall 
 efcape this difeafe, by being conftituted 
 like the mother. 
 
 To this it may be objected, that ma- 
 ny people, who were always very abfte- 
 mious livers, have been, even from their 
 younger days, afflicted with the very 
 fame difeafe their fathers had, and there- 
 fore fuch difeafe is real and felf-exiftent. 
 To which I anfvver, that the effect of 
 climate, as well as of food, will bring on 
 particular difeafes, on perfons particu- 
 larly conftituted ; for inftance, many 
 people afflicted with the gout, fcurvy, 
 rheumatifm, and fb forth, in one cli- 
 mate, (hall, by living in another, entire- 
 ly lofe fuch complaints. 
 
 C c Again,
 
 Again, in fome of the eaflern coun- 
 tries many people, particularly thofe of 
 a corpulent habit of body, not circum- 
 cifed, are very fubject to ulcers under 
 the forefkin of the penis, which in time, 
 for want of due care and cleanlinefs, 
 become virulent and infectious. Hence 
 we may learn, that fome difeafes- derive 
 their origin from climate alone, and 
 that the inftitution of circumcifion in 
 fuch countries for any fociety of people, 
 who intended to keep themfelves clean 
 and free from infection, was a very wife 
 one, whether it was ordained by divine 
 or human authority, tho' mod likely to 
 be obferved, when propagated as a reli- 
 gious law. 
 
 Now in all difeafes, arifing from ob- 
 ftruftion, fait will be found a good me- 
 dicine. 
 
 In hotter climates difeafes in general 
 arife from too copious a fecretion of this 
 
 bilious
 
 ['95 ] 
 
 bilious juice. In thefe circumftances 
 
 it is probable, the ufe of falts would 
 prove detrimental. And I have been 
 told by a very judicious furgeon, who was 
 fome years in the Eaft Indies, and who 
 was alfo fond of giving nitre in fevers, 
 from the fuccefs he had occailonally ob- 
 ferved attending it, that this medicine, 
 given in fevers peculiar to that country, 
 was, according to his obfervation, very 
 deftruclive ; and that, by its promoting 
 ftill greater fecretions of the bile, im- 
 moderate fluxes were produced, which 
 generally ended in death. 
 
 Perhaps alfo the different complex- 
 ions of mankind, inhabiting the vari- 
 ous parts of this terreflrial world, de- 
 pend alone on the fecretion of this bili- 
 ous juice. The colour of a black afif- 
 ing from nothing elfe than ^a kind of 
 mucus, which is retained between the 
 (kin and the curicle ; the fibres of the 
 fkin being white in all men. 
 
 C c 2 How
 
 How abfurdly then do fuch people 
 arjnie, who maintain, that there are 
 two forts of men created by the Almigh- 
 ty, one deitined to flavery, the other to 
 wealth and power. The effed alone of 
 arts and arm. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Againft any innate qualities in horfes, 
 which the fportfmen call blood. 
 
 NO W my opinion is, that the o- 
 rigin of all men, as well as of all 
 animals of the fame fpecics, was the 
 fame in the beginning of time, and that 
 it is climate chiefly which produces the 
 difference we perceive in them. 
 
 Amongft the horfes produced in dif- 
 ferent countries, we may perceive a great 
 difference in their performance, and I 
 thinjfin their figure aifo ; and this differ- 
 ence
 
 [ '97 ] 
 
 ence of performance has generally been 
 imputed to a term called blood, which 
 the fportfmen fay is a certain innate or 
 preternatural virtue, peculiarly belong- 
 ing to forne horfes, and not to others ; 
 and it being a proverb amongft them, 
 that all fhapes run, they would be un- 
 derftood to mean, and do on fome oc- 
 caiipns affert, with the firmeft belief, 
 that this virtue or excellence is quite 
 independent of matter, and of the for- 
 mation of parts, and then of courfe it 
 muft be altogether undiftinguifliable to 
 the eye and whenever I fliall have oc- 
 cafion to mention the word blood, I 
 would have it underftood as fomething 
 independent of form and matter, juft in 
 this fame light as they always ufe it. 
 
 But my opinion herein differing from 
 the generality of mankind^ I did once 
 fet down my thoughts on this fubjed, 
 *n a imall eflay, called, A differtation 
 on the breed of horfes , to which many 
 
 objec-
 
 [ '98 ] 
 
 objections have been made, I have taken 
 this opportunity of" making fome reply 
 to them, hoping to fet this matter in 
 fomewhat a clearer light, in which my 
 only defign is, to have our breed of 
 horfes improved. 
 
 It has been objeded, that this difler- 
 tation before- mentioned tends only to 
 prove, that all horfes of a fine lhape 
 will make good racers, let their breed 
 or fort be what it will ; to which I can 
 only anfwer, that I am very forry, I 
 fhould have exprefled myfelf fo ill, as 
 to give rife to iuch an opinion ; for what- 
 ever fome readers may have conceived 
 from the do&rine therein advanced, my 
 meaning has been very different. 
 
 And it has not only been far from my 
 defign to advance any fuch maxim, but 
 I think 1 have, as plain as words can fet 
 forth my meaning, faid the contrary in 
 various parts of that effay, particularly 
 
 in
 
 in pages g, 10, n, 12, 13, 14, 44, 
 
 45, 46, 47, 48- But how unhappily 
 foever I have expreffed myfelf in that 
 efTay, my defign was to fhew, that the 
 fwiftnefs, and the ability of perfeverance, 
 we find belonging to fome of the A- 
 rabian horfes, and their defcendants, 
 depended alone on their particular for- 
 mation and elegance of parts, &c 
 which being as I thought vifible to the 
 eye, I did conclude the excellence .of 
 all horfes to be merely mechanical. 
 
 To this it is objected, that the for- 
 mation of parts can have nothing to do 
 with the adion of horfes, we call bred 
 ones, becaufe mankind has not agreed 
 what this particular formation in race- 
 horfes fliould be. -It is very true, they 
 have not, nor have they agreed about 
 . ai:y one 'thing whatfoever, that I know 
 of. But the agreement or difagreement 
 >f mens opinions will neither add to, 
 nor detract from, the real exigence or 
 
 truth
 
 20 
 
 truth of things; nor would it any ways 
 alter their nature, even tho' the philo- 
 fophy of the fcepticks fhould become u- 
 niverfal. 
 
 What this particular formation necef- 
 fary to the being of a perfedt race-horfe 
 is (for fuch I am talking about) has been 
 partly (hewn in that efiay before pub- 
 lifhed, but that not being of fufficient 
 force to carry convidion along with it, 
 I {hall here attempt to explain the mat- 
 ter a little farther, merely for my own 
 fatisfaclion, not thinking, that any thing 
 I can advance, will influence the minds 
 of fome men, few being willing to re- 
 linquirh their old opinions, or to fub- 
 fcribe to a doclrine, which they them- 
 felves have not difcovered, or cannot ac- 
 count for by their own difcernment 
 and that people in the racing-way fhould 
 never have difcovered a peculiar ele- 
 gance, and different v formation in fome 
 horfes, is not to be wondered at, fuch 
 
 having
 
 [ 201 ] 
 
 having ever employed their thoughts and 
 attention to the blood only* being 
 fully perfuacled, time out of mind, that 
 the excellence of horfes- con fined in that 
 alone. 
 
 The formation then, which I con- 
 ceive neceffiry to conftitute a capital 
 and perfedl race-horfe, does not relate 
 only to the proportion and fymetry of 
 the whole, which fome men fay is the 
 do&rine I have advanced, t-ho' it be a 
 neceflary ingredient to perfeverance cr 
 bottom, and is a fine qua non^ but it 
 extends alfo to the limbs and joints, by 
 which his motions are performed, and 
 to a particular manner of their being fet 
 
 on And this formation has been in 
 
 part explained in the effay before-men- 
 tioned, where the neceffity of length is 
 {hewn, and that befides a general length 
 in the horfe, there is or (hould be a 
 certain propriety of length determined 
 to fome particular parts. 
 
 D d For
 
 [ 202 ] 
 
 For inftance, the race-horfe fhould 
 be broad, deep, and have a great de- 
 clivity in his fhoulders, his quarters 
 fhould be long and flrait, his thighs 
 fhould be let down very low, his hock 
 fhould ftandfar behind, and from him, 
 thence downwards to the next joint he 
 fhould be very fhort, which part of the 
 leg fhould not be fljait, but ftand under 
 him, like an oftrich's leg, with a long 
 Jax bending pattern ; and thefe I think 
 are in part the fprings of action. 
 
 Now I fhould be glad to be inform- 
 ed, whether the remarkable fpeed that 
 ofiriches are faid to have, any way de- 
 pends on this formation, and fetting on 
 of their limbs, or on the fame innate 
 virtue, called blood^ as the adlion of 
 horfes is faid to depend on. 
 
 And thefe are not the only requisites 
 neceflary to the formation of a perfedt 
 
 race-
 
 [ 203 ] 
 
 race-horfe, there being as much dif- 
 ference, and as great a nicety required 
 in the manner of fetting on a horie's 
 arm, which fhould be at the extreme 
 point of the fhoulder, as in any part be- 
 longing to him, and which contributes 
 to the acl: of extenfion, as well as the 
 declivity in the fhoulders : nor is one 
 horfe in fifty properly formed at the knee 
 for racing ; nor does one in a hundred 
 of any fort bear a true proportion from 
 the knee to the fetlock-joint, tho' it be 
 very material with reipe& to every ac- 
 tion he is to perform. Yet moft or all 
 of thefe things have pafled unobferved 
 by the generality of fportfmen Not 
 that I think it at all conclufive, that 
 either the mafter or the fervant (hould 
 be obliged to underftand the true pro- 
 perties, or even the formation neceffary to 
 make a race- horfe, becaufe one has the 
 care and management of his food and 
 exercife, and the other has the pleafure 
 
 D d 2 of
 
 of feeing him twice a year, and paying 
 the expence. 
 
 By the true pofltion of thefe joints 
 and limbs, the horfe is obliged to Hand 
 over more ground than one that is other- 
 wife formed, even tho' the length of 
 body be the fame in both, and by de- 
 fcribing fo much a greater circle, he is 
 enabled, when he extends himfeli" to go 
 on, to make a greater acquifuion or 
 purchafe of -ground, than the horfe who 
 ftands in a more upright pofltion, even 
 tho' the latter be the longeft of the two. 
 
 The proper formation of fome of the 
 outward adting parts , (or at leaft what I 
 think fo) having been defcribed, let us 
 now conilder, what elfe is wanting to 
 
 make a perfect race- horfe : why, 
 
 a general proportion, length, mufcular 
 fubftance, and a certain elegance of tex- 
 ture, and of the conftitucnt parts of the 
 whole ; the nature of which (elegance) 
 
 or
 
 or what I mean by it, {hall be explained 
 
 by and by. 
 
 Now fuppofing the condition of 
 horfes to be alwa ; s alike, they will al- 
 ways excel each other according to the 
 particular elegance and formation of 
 thefe ading parts, degrees of propor- 
 tion, of length, and of mufcular fub- 
 ftance, the want or the poffeffion of 
 either of vyhich, will not only produce 
 their effect in all horfes, but a differ- 
 ence al o in the very fame horfes tried 
 together on different kinds of ground ; 
 -and this I think cannot be otherwife 
 for if a different formation of the 
 parts, &c. and degrees thereof, be not 
 the caufe of different performance in 
 horfes, why then one of thefe horfes of 
 the right and true blood would act alike 
 on all ground, and be juft as good, tho' 
 he was made like a hog, or without 
 joints, unlefs fome other caufe of adiqn 
 in hcrfe.s can be fliewn, befides this 
 
 virtue
 
 [ 206 ] 
 
 virtue of the blood \ or the formation of 
 the parts, &c. And this Argument a- 
 lone would, I think, be fufficient to e- 
 vince the truth of my do&rine, if there 
 was no other to be found in fupport of it. 
 
 And the difference in thefe requi- 
 fites before- named will alfo account for 
 the reafons, why fome very plain horfes, 
 that are not well made to pleafe the 
 eye, and fo are called ill-fhaped ones, 
 fhall by means of a greater length and 
 depth, and a peculiar manner of fet- 
 ting on thefe acling parts, excel others, 
 who, with the fame elegance, pofiefs a 
 greater fhare of mufcular fubftance and 
 proportion, a more noble and lofty fore- 
 hand, and a finer figure throughout 
 
 the whole. And fo the handfomeft 
 
 and moft elegant horfe in the world, 
 and of true proportion too, who wants 
 a proper declivity, length and circular 
 extent in thefe ading parts, may be no 
 racer at all. 
 
 Again,
 
 [ 207 ] 
 
 Again, horfes with the fame elegance, 
 and a tolerable formation of thefe ad- 
 ing parts, ' fhall be able, by a fuperio- 
 rity of mufctilar fubftance, and a more 
 general proportion, to excel thofe, that 
 have a little more length and depth in 
 thefe adting parts ; for by means of this 
 fubftance and proportion, they will bear 
 to be prefled longer than thofe who are 
 deficient therein and fo far the good 
 old proverb, namely, that all fhapes run, 
 may be allowed to be true enough. 
 
 Again, we may often fee horfes that 
 can boaft of no blood or pedigree, 
 which we deem ill-fhaped ones, fur-- 
 paffing others of a finer figure, and 
 which we call handfome horfes, Pray, 
 does the performance of fuch ugly half- 
 bred horfes depend on the formation of 
 the acting parts, their proper length 
 and extent, the circle they defer ibe in 
 their fliape, and the peculiar manner of 
 
 thefe
 
 [ 2 o8 ] 
 
 thefe parts being fet on, or on any innate 
 quality? or why may not the man, 
 who cannot difcern this particularity of 
 formation in the half-bred horfe, fay, 
 that his excellence depends on fome in- 
 nate quality, with as much rcafon and 
 truth on his fide, as the fportfman has 
 for attributing the excellence of fome 
 bred horfes, vvhofe performance he can- 
 not account for, by the eye, to this 
 fame innate caufe? when I talk cf 
 length and extent in the acling parts, I 
 defire' not to be mifunderftood, for no 
 horfes legs can be too Ihort. 
 
 Now where is he, who will take upon 
 him to fay, that fome men are not able 
 to diftinguifh by the eye this difference 
 of formation betwixt fome horfb, as 
 well as others can diftinguifh this diffe- 
 rence betwixt fome dogs tho' perhaps 
 not quite fo readily, becaufc the human 
 eye cannot take in at one view, the 
 
 parts
 
 2 9 
 
 parts and proportion of a being, where 
 one is fo much larger than the other. 
 
 Whofe eye does not inform him, 
 that a greyhound will beat a cur dog, 
 or that a bred horfe (as it is called) will 
 beat a cart horfe ? then why not a dif- 
 ference betwixt two bred horfes, for he 
 who does not perceive, that many fuch 
 do differ greatly from each other, I think 
 cannot fee at all. 
 
 Tho' many forts of dogs are as long 
 as the greyhound, every eye may fee, 
 that one will excel the other, and that 
 from the curves and circles, which one 
 defcribes in his fhape, and which the 
 other has in a lefs degree. 
 
 Fine greyhounds' have, like fine 
 horfes, a general proportion, a certain 
 elegance of parts, length, and are full 
 of mufcles, and their hocks are let down 
 almoft to the ground behind, and ftand 
 E e from
 
 C 210 ] 
 
 from them, and to fupply the want of 
 a long pattern, their feet or toes are 
 made longer than any other dogs that 
 can be named. 
 
 It is this very formation fb obvious 
 in a greyhound, and in fome horfes, 
 that in part produces the efTeft of {peed ; 
 and the reafon, why it is not fo manifeft 
 to all men in both fpecies, is, becaufe 
 the degrees of this formation do not 
 come fo near together in dogs, as in 
 horfts, that of the greyhound far excel- 
 ling all others. 
 
 Now the fine greyhound is remark- 
 ably broad, and expanded in the muf- 
 cles of his thighs ; this I call a perfec- 
 tion. And fo I think it is in horfes, 
 tho' it be but feldom feen. This the 
 fportfmen efteem a fault, and what 
 moves my laughter, they call it a coach 
 quarter So little likelihood is there of 
 any agreement amongft mankind about 
 
 the
 
 t 2 " ] 
 
 the proper formation of a race-horfe* 
 that they have not fo much as agreed 
 upon the names, whereby to diftinguifli 
 the different parts thereof, even tho' 
 the mufcular expanfions ought to be 
 very different in thefe parts, when we 
 require a perfect horfe of any fort. 
 
 Hares are made in the fame manner, 
 and they can defcribe a greater circle, 
 and acquire more ground at one ftroke, 
 than any animal that I know of, in the 
 whole world, of their fize and length, 
 and that becaufe their quarters are fo 
 long, their thighs are fo much let down, 
 and the lower part of , their hinder legs 
 are placed (as it were) under them, and 
 to anfwer the purpofe of a long pattern, 
 their toes are made very long. From 
 thefe caufes I am inclined to think her 
 fprings of action are in part derived 
 add to this, the blade -bone of no ani- 
 runs away into her back with fo 
 much declivity as a hare's, and this, I 
 E e 2 think,
 
 [ 212 
 
 think, enables her to point forward. 
 Again, mark the length from her elbow- 
 to the knee, and the fhort fpace there is 
 betwixt that and the next joint ; by this 
 length of the arm, and the mufcles 
 thereof, fhe can farther extend her fore- 
 parts- fo it is in a greyhound, tho' not, 
 I think, in fo many degrees ; and this 
 formation in degree fo far appertains to 
 the horfe, that he cannot be called per- 
 fect without it, let him.be ever fo well 
 conflituted in all other refpedls. But 
 the degree of fhortnefs in this part of 
 the horfe is better confidered by the pro- 
 portion it bears to his other parts, than 
 by , any general rule that can be laid 
 down. 
 
 Now it is well known, that the hare 
 can flrike nearly as far at a ftroke as the 
 greyhound dog, who is much longer ; 
 tell me then, are her motions per- 
 formed by the peculiar formation of the 
 acting parts, and the ftrength and ele- 
 gance
 
 C 213 3 
 
 gance of her mufcles, or by any innate 
 quality, and unknown virtue ; or whe- 
 ther, from a fimilarity in thefe points 
 found in all animals that are particular- 
 ly endowed with fpeed, there may not be 
 fome reafbn to fuppofe, that the caufe 
 of it is the fame in each? and whether 
 it be not highly probable, that the power 
 who created all animals, has ordained^ 
 that the different degrees of fpeed in 
 different horfes, fhould depend on the 
 very fame law as the different degrees of 
 fpeed in different dogs, I mean the law 
 of their conftituent parts ; even tho' you 
 and I fhould happen not to perceive any 
 difference in fuch parts. 
 
 I have often been furprized, and 
 diverted too with the commendations I 
 have heard the fportfmen beftow on 
 horfes, for having large bones, becaufe 
 I think on the contrary depends in great 
 menfure the excellence we find in what 
 are called bred horfes. 
 
 IF
 
 [ 214 ] 
 
 If by this exprefiion fubftance only 
 was to be underftood, it would be quite 
 agreeable to my. notion, as I have faid 
 before, but what conftitutes the great 
 difference, formation of the ading parts 
 excepted, between the Arabian horfes, 
 and all others, is, that fome of them 
 have, and all fhould have, to be perfedt, 
 larger mufcles or finews, and fmaller 
 bones, than any other horfes in the 
 known world, for thefe muicles or 
 finews happen to be the fole powers of 
 adting in all animals, the bones being 
 the weight to be lifted, and ferve only 
 to extend the parts. 
 
 Which now will a& with moft ve- 
 locity, and moft perfeverance of time, 
 (all other parts alike) the horfe that has 
 a large finew, and a fmall folid bone, 
 like ivory, or like a deer's bone, or he 
 that has a large bone of a foft fpongy 
 kind, with a fmaller finew ? for the di- 
 
 menfions
 
 mentions of the leg {hall, if you pleafe, 
 be the fame in both I fliould r think 
 the former. 
 
 This folid bone with a firm finew, 
 and a fine {kin fuper -induced, where 
 you may fee every vein, and can lay^ 
 your finger between the bone and the 
 finew, fhews, that the horfe has no 
 thick flefliy membrane intervening, 
 which ferves only to retard his fpeed, 
 and is like the bone, a dead weight, to 
 be carried along with it, and which no 
 way conduces to the ftrength of the 
 animal. 
 
 Now this is what I call elegance of 
 parts, which is not confined to the out- 
 ward texture only, but extends alfo to 
 the internal conftituent parts, namely, 
 to the bones, finevvs, and membranes, 
 which is in part explained already 
 and to all the ligaments of the joints- 
 and this elegance of the conftituent 
 
 parts
 
 parts fhews itfelf particularly in many 
 horfes, where, tho' the leg fliall have 
 a very fufficient fubftance, and bear a 
 true proportion to the other parts of the 
 body, yet the pattern fliall be very lax, 
 as well as very fmall, both which are 
 very necefiary for a perfect race-horfe, 
 length and laxnefs ferving as fprings for 
 the acquifition of ground, fmallnefs con- 
 tributing to agility, and to perfeverance 
 or bottom. 
 
 That the fmallnels of the pattern 
 fliall contribute to the ftoutnefs or bot- 
 tom of the horfe, you will fay is very 
 ftrange, and new dodtrine, it being al- 
 ways looked upon as a fign of weak- 
 nefs that I can't help But if there 
 was no other argument to fupport this 
 dodrine, examples enough of horfes fo 
 made, that were excellent racers, might 
 be brought in defence of it, and I think 
 no body will difpute matters of fadl 
 tho' I am not quite fure of that. 
 
 For
 
 [ 2I 7 J 
 
 For inftance, Cartouch, was a re- 
 markable horfe, in thefe refpects 5 who, 
 tho' but a galloway, beat fome good 
 and iized horfes very eafily, all carrying 
 eleven ftone. 
 
 ~~< ;-ib 
 
 That horfes run well with fhort paf- 
 terns, is no reafon they fhould not 
 run better with long patterns, cceteris 
 faribus. 
 
 Now to explain this doctrine about 
 the fmallnefs of the paftern, a's it relates 
 to bottom. 
 
 
 You muft underftand, that all the 
 difference there is in any animal betwixt 
 a mufcle and a flnew, is, that the fibres 
 of the firft are broad and flefhy, thofe 
 of the laft are more firm, and driven 
 into clofer contad By means of which 
 the ftrength of a fmall fmew becomes 
 greater then the ftrength of a large piece 
 Ff of
 
 [ "8 ] 
 
 of flem ; for inftance now, your leg and 
 mine the hinder part of it is upwards 
 at the. calf a flefliy fubftance, which a- 
 natomifts have agreed to call a mufcle; 
 lower down, towards the extremities, 
 this is more compact, and becomes ten- 
 dinous or finewy, tho' it flill be the 
 
 fame body and you find it in all 
 
 actions capable of bearing- its fhare of 
 work, without complaining, which the 
 calves of the legs often do, after much 
 walking, or any violent exercife. 
 
 I pray you now to tell me, whether 
 you ever thought a man, who was well 
 formed in all other refpects, to have lefs 
 agility, or lefs ftrength, becaufe the 
 frnall of his leg was very delicate and 
 {lender ? or if your leg and mine had 
 been covered with a thick coarfe mem- 
 brane, and compofed of loofe fkiLy 
 fibres, continued down to the extremi- 
 ties, inftead of being fine and tendinous, 
 whether you don't think, that fuch a 
 
 weight
 
 [ 2I 9 ] 
 
 weight would have been againft us, have 
 made us lefs active, and to have tired 
 fooner? juft fo it is with the horfe 
 But when the wife deiigns of nature are 
 not fathomed by our {hallow capacities, 
 we arraign the {kill of the omnifcient 
 power, and foolifhly prefume to cen- 
 fure his works, when they are moft 
 perfed. 
 
 '->!; ; -'! ' - ,;ip*'f 
 
 In thefe things alone, I mean the 
 nature and elegance of their conftitu- 
 ent parts, and the formation thereof, 
 confifts the difference between horfes 
 of the fame, and different countries, or 
 betwixt blood and no blood. 
 
 Now aflc the fportfman how it hap- 
 pens, that fome of thefe long patterned 
 horfes perform fo notably, he has his 
 anfwer ready, why 'tis in the blood to 
 be fure, or elfe thefe weak cat- legged 
 devils could not run fo. 
 
 F f 2 The
 
 [ 220 ] 
 
 The fportfmen have a faying, fuch 
 a horfe (hews a great deal of blood 
 furely they think it fomtthing mecha- 
 nical, and vifible to the eye, elfe they 
 could not life this exprellion; or do they 
 pretend to difcovcr, by innate know- 
 ledge, the innate virtues of the animal ? 
 But they mean, if they mean any 
 thing, what I do, when I fay fuch a 
 horfe has a peculiar elegance in the tex- 
 ture of the external parts And why 
 the Arabian horfes differ from thofe of 
 other countries, in the elegance of their 
 parts, will be explained by and by. 
 
 Now the Arabian horfcs, of the very 
 fame family, as I am informed by peo- 
 ple, that 1 think ar.e very good judges, 
 who have lived in the eaftern countries 
 for years together, differ as much from 
 each other, both with refpect to length, 
 fubftaace, proportion, elegance, and for- 
 mation
 
 221 
 
 mation of parts, as horfes of the fame 
 family can do in other countries ; and 
 how fhould it be otherwife ? for we 
 plainly perceive here at home, that 
 there often is a great difference betwixt 
 two full brothers, of all kinds or fpecies 
 of animals : pray now tell me, why 
 this fhculd not happen in Arabia^ as 
 well as in England. 
 
 For inftance, Conqueror and Othello 
 were two full brothers, but one was a 
 king and the other a beggar with re- 
 fpect both to form and action. If now 
 the difference in the performance of 
 thefe two brothers did not depend on 
 their different formation of parts, &c. 
 pray tell me, on what it did depend ? 
 for the caufe of it could not be in the 
 blood, unlefs you will fay this innate 
 quality may appertain to one brother, 
 and not to another ; and then I am 
 afraid the by-ftanders will fay, you have 
 proved it to be plainly nothing, 
 
 A
 
 [ 222 ] 
 
 A hundred examples of the fame 
 kind, and that almoft in every family 
 amorgft our racing- horfes, might be 
 brought to fhew, that two equal bro- 
 thers are hardly ever produced, and 
 when a difference does happen, it will 
 be juft the fame thing in its confequences 
 (if the formation of parts, &c. be at all 
 concerned in alion) whether it happen 
 to an Arabian horfe, or any other. 
 
 Why this difference fliould be be- 
 twixt two full brothers is not at all ma- 
 terial for us to know ; it is fufficient 
 for my purpofe that it does happen 
 It may arife perhaps from a difTimilitude 
 of parts in the horfe and mare, or from 
 a fimilitude cf fome parts tending to 
 fome extreme in both ; it may arife alfo 
 from fome violence or impreffion on the 
 womb, whilft the foetus is in a foft 
 : &4 r from fome defect of confli- 
 
 tution
 
 tution in the mare, or the feed of the 
 horfe. 
 
 Thefe reafons, and the inftance be- 
 fore-mentioned between Othello and 
 Conqueror^ befldes others which might 
 be quoted, will ferve to fhew, that the 
 laws of nature are not always certain, 
 even when the horfe and mare are put 
 together with the utmoft propriety and 
 perfection, which I believe feldom hap- 
 pens here, the formation of the parts of 
 either being hardly ever thought of _a- 
 mongft the breeders of running-horfes. 
 And hence I fuppofe it will be allowed, 
 that the. fame effects may be produced 
 in all countries ; and that the Arabian 
 horfes of the fame family may differ 
 from each other, as well as thofe of other 
 countries ; and that in as many degrees 
 Yet when we have the happinefs to ob- 
 tain one of thefe mean caft off Arabians , 
 for I think few oihers, if any, fail to 
 our fhare, after we have bred from him 
 
 fome
 
 fome years, and find his colts deficient, 
 we cry out he is not of the right or true 
 bloody rifum teneatis ? fuch flull have 
 we in horfes, and fuch are our ways of 
 reafoning. 
 
 If I could have a horfe formed in 
 the manner, and with all the advan- 
 tages I have here named, I fhould be 
 proud to ufe him as a ftallion, was I a 
 breeder, without making any enquiry 
 after his family or country But fhall 
 the brother of this horfe, becaufe he is 
 brought from the mountains of Arabia, 
 and of the very beft reputed high blood 
 (as it is called) who is deficient in all or 
 moft of thefe refpecls, (no matter from 
 what caufe) induce me to breed from 
 him, for the fake of his family and his 
 country ? and that a great difference 
 does occafionally happen in the fame,, 
 and in evei y family of horfes, I fuppofe 
 no man will 'deny. 
 
 But
 
 [ 225 ] 
 
 But it is faid that the virtue of the 
 ^blood in him that was no racer, may 
 produce a racing fon yes fo it may, 
 when the fon has happened to acquire 
 a formation of parts, We, different irom 
 the fathers, by the help of his mother 
 there indeed an ill- formed horfe, that 
 could not run himfelf, may beget a bet- 
 ter racer than himfelf, by the ailiftance 
 of better parts derived from, and fimilar 
 to thofe of the dam if it be otherwife, 
 it does not fignify at all, how the father, 
 fon or mother flaall be formed, whether 
 like a horfe, or an afs, a wild boar, or a 
 fea fifh, fo that they are of the right 
 blood. 
 
 And here we may obferve, how dif- 
 ferent the opinion amongft our fportf- 
 men, of breeding from a horfe, who 
 was no racer, for the fake of his country 
 or family, is, to that of Virgil* who, 
 G g fpeak-
 
 [ 6 ] 
 
 fpeaking of a proper ftallion, fays thus, 
 
 Exquirunt, calidtimque animls et curfibus acrem t 
 Quamins, &c. 
 
 Et patriam epirum referat, fcrtefque myccnas^ 
 Neptunique ipja deducat origine gentem 
 
 Which, I think, in plain Englifh y is 
 to fay - 
 
 Your good judges of breeding re- 
 quire a ftallion, that is a good runner 
 himfelf, as well as of true courage, or 
 elfe the country he is brought from is 
 of little confequence, nor even his li- 
 neage, although he derives it from the 
 immortal gods. 
 
 Stop here, for a moment, gentle 
 reader, and refledl with yourfelf into 
 what a number of abfurdities, with 
 rcfpecl to the ways and wifdom of pro- 
 vidence, into how unbounded a maze of 
 errors, with relpedl to our own know- 
 
 ledge
 
 [ 22 7 ] 
 
 ledge of the nature and life of earthly 
 beings into what a feries of mira- 
 culous events alfo > with reiped: to their 
 aclions, this fuppofed innate-quality in 
 animals will lead us, considered as pro- 
 ductive of action, when we may know, 
 that providence has given to all of them 
 proper parts, by means of which they 
 can and muft perform all their different 
 motions and functions of life, and which 
 do anfwer every purpofe he defigned 
 them for, whether it be to run, crawl, 
 fwim or fly But if on the contrary, the 
 action of animals does not depend on 
 the conftituent parts to them appro- 
 priated, why then that line of Horace, 
 which juft now occurs to me, 
 
 Delphinum fylvis appingit^ jluffibus aprum, 
 (tho' applied by the poet to anothejr- : 
 purpofej contains nothing in the picture, 
 abfurd, erroneous, or ftrange. ^5 
 
 It is owing to this opinion of the vir- 
 tue of the blood, and what the fportf- 
 G g 2 men
 
 men call a proper crofs, and an entire 
 inattention to, and want of knowledge 
 amongft the breeders, of the laws of na- 
 ture, and the proper formation of parts, 
 &c. neceffary to make a race-horfe, 
 that fo very few good ones are to be 
 foqnd in this kingdom ; and if all our 
 horfes and mares of the racing kind were 
 turned loofe together in one place, I 
 dare. fay, their offspring, with the fame 
 food and care, would be full as good, 
 if not better, than any we know breed 
 by our fkill in pedigrees, and proper 
 crofies. 
 
 Is it not a truth to be feen every day, 
 that the very beft reputed bred horfes 
 and mares in the kingdom cannot run 
 at all? yet (till they ferve to breed 
 from for the fake of the blood^ or the 
 crok. Hence it is, that the breed of 
 horks in this kingdom, is little fuperior 
 to a parcel of hackneys, in comparifon 
 of what they might be, if well under- 
 
 flood
 
 t 229 ] 
 
 flood and I think there are few of 
 either (at lead that I have feen) from 
 whom a man of any tolerable judgment 
 in horfes, can expecl: to breed a good 
 racer. As to the mares in general, we 
 feldom know any thing of them but 
 their pedigree- yet we talk of the 
 goodnefs and badnefs of ftallions, as if 
 the mare had no concern in the quality 
 of the produce ; and what is worfe 
 than this, mod men who keep a ftud, 
 generally entertain a good opinion of 
 their own mares ; fo when they don't 
 produce good colts, they as generally 
 impute the fault to the horfe who got 
 them from fuch prejudices, fome of 
 our be ft horfes often fall into the greateft 
 difefteem as ftallions. 
 
 But now it fiiall be allowed, that the 
 excellence of horfes confifts in being of 
 the true blood ; what then ? is it of any . 
 ufe to you, when experience fhews it 
 will not hold good in two full brothers?' 
 
 But
 
 [ 230 ] 
 
 But you cannot with common fenfe 
 believe, nor have any rcafon to fuppofe, 
 that the virtue of that high blood or 
 'fpirit) call it what you pleafe, which 
 was of no effect in the father, and which 
 would not entitle him to be a racer, 
 (hould produce a better effect in the 
 fon, when this virtue is confidered in 
 the light the fportfmen life it (that is) 
 independently of form and matter. 
 
 Behold the man fired with the fame 
 ambition as the olympick heroes in 
 antient days his pride, his honour, his 
 happinefs are concerned for conqueft in 
 the foot race fay that his intereft is at 
 flake alfo Yet in vain fliall the hero 
 contend and ftruggle, in. vain fliall he 
 exert the operations of his mind or 
 fpirit, if his power and parts conducive 
 to action be deficient or inferior to thofe 
 of his antagonift grant to the horfe the 
 fame pride, the fame fpirit of emulation, 
 
 the
 
 3 
 
 the fame fenfe of honour, will not the 
 cafe be fuch with him alfo. 
 
 Again, obferve the flothful indolent 
 horfe, when heartily flogged, prevailing 
 over his antagonift of a more willing 
 fpirit, and better difpofed to go on. 
 
 Thefe obfervations which I have made 
 on the different families of race-horfes, 
 and betwixt thofe of the fame family, 
 have made me conclude, that neither 
 the virtue of the blood \ or fpirit , breed, 
 pedigree, nor proper croffing, will enable 
 one of them to race, unlefs he has a 
 proper formation, &c. along with it. 
 
 I believe then that the origin or breed 
 of all horfes, as well as of all other 
 things, of the fame fpecies, was the 
 fame in the beginning of time, and that 
 all the difference betwixt the Arabian 
 horfes and all others, conlifts in nothing 
 elfe, but a peculiar elegance and forma- 
 tion
 
 [ 232 ] 
 
 tion of parts, and in having a greater 
 fhare of mufcular power that is the 
 fibres of thefe mufcles being driven into 
 cloier contact, horfes are hereby enabled 
 to move quicker, and with more force, 
 that their membranes and teguments 
 being compofcd of a finer and thinner 
 fubftance, and their bones being fmaller, 
 of more folidity, and occupying lefs 
 fpace, they are and can be more eafily 
 aded upon by fuch tendinous or muf- 
 cular force and that for a greater du- 
 ration of time, with lets fatigue to thefe 
 adding powers. 
 
 Now thefe are the fole caufes (pro- 
 portion added thereto) of adivity, as 
 well as of ftrength in all animals, whe- 
 ther the fportfmen know it or not. 
 
 Perhaps it may be afked, what gives 
 wind to horfes, and whether the caufes 
 of that too are difcoverabie by the eye ? 
 
 To
 
 [ 233 3 
 
 To this I anfwer, that clear or long- 
 windednefs depends on the very fame 
 principles in all dogs, in all horfes, and 
 all other animals, as agility of aclion, 
 
 and ability of perfeverance namely, 
 
 the nature of their coafiituent or com- 
 ponent parts, (particular difeafcs in thefe 
 animals not coming into this queftion) 
 for elegance of parts is, in other words, 
 wind and ftrength and agility, at leaft it 
 is productive of them and as the ele- 
 gance of the external texture in the 
 horfe is a certain ftandard or teft of a 
 fimilar elegance throughout the whole 
 internal contexture, fo far the caufe of 
 thorough -windednefs, as it is called, 
 .may be faid to be diftinguifliable to 
 the eye. 
 
 For inftance, the bred-horfe will gal* 
 lop twelve miles within the hour, with- 
 out the leaft fatigue, or being at all 
 blown, but the cart horfe with fuch a 
 H h jaunt
 
 jaunt is fatigued, and tired and choaked 
 the reafon I think is obvious to every 
 man, namely, becaufe his eye enables 
 him to perceive, that one, from the na- 
 ture and difference of the component 
 parts, ads with eafe and facility to him- 
 felf, and the other does not. 
 
 Now may not the man be thought 
 mad, who fays, the difference in the 
 facility of refpirauon betwixt thefe horfes, 
 depends in one upon form and matter, 
 and in the other not ? and is not he 
 equally abfurd, who fays, that the dif- 
 ference of wind, in two bred horfes of 
 different families, does not depend on 
 form and matter alfo in both, becaufe 
 the degrees of elegance in the compo- 
 nent parts of thefe two are not fo ob- 
 vious to his eye, as they are betwixt the 
 bred horfe and trie cart horfe. 
 
 But if we could fuppofe two horfes 
 to be alike in health and condition, and 
 
 formed
 
 [ 2 35 ] 
 
 formed and conftituted alike in other 
 refpedts, he that has the moft capaci- 
 ous thorax or cheft, will undoubtedly 
 have the beft wind; and this is con- 
 firmed by matters of fa6r., and would 
 be known to all men, if they were not 
 partial in their obfervation of things 
 and this too I underftand to be Virgff^ 
 opinion, who, in his defcription of a 
 perfed horfe, makes this capacity of the 
 cheft a neceffary ingredient ; where 
 he fays, 
 
 Luxuriatque torls animofum peElus* 
 
 To this it is objected, that many 
 running horfes, with a lefs ample cheft, 
 have occasionally excelled others^ with 
 a more capacious one 'tis very true 
 this too is eafily accounted for, without 
 appealing to hidden caufes for exam- 
 ple one horfe of a lefs ample cheft, 
 with great length and extent in his adV 
 ing parts, is to contend with another 
 H h 2 much
 
 much fhorter in thefe refpe&s, of a 
 more ample cheft but the organs of 
 refpiration may be more fatigued in the 
 laft than in the firft, becaufe the long 
 horfe, who goes within his rate, may aft 
 with cafe and facility to himfelf, whilft 
 the ihort one, who is forced to go at 
 the top of his fpeed, and yet not able 
 to keep company with the other, is of 
 courfe difireffed and fatigued in every 
 part. 
 
 For the reafbns that have been here 
 given, the Arabian horfes, and their 
 defendants, when properly chofen, are 
 preferable to all others, whether you 
 are to be carried a mile or a thoufand, 
 either for pleafure, expedition, or fafety, 
 let the weight be what it will nor have 
 any other horfes fuch true courage, or 
 calmnefs of temper, nor can rhey bear 
 fatigue with equal fortitude, as ourfevere 
 difcipline of training will in fome mea- 
 fure help to (hew. 
 
 And
 
 237 
 
 And they are not only beft for riding, 
 but for drawing alfo, if you will breed 
 them to fize, and inure them to it ear- 
 ly, as it is the cuftom to do with our 
 horfes that are defigned for drawing ; 
 for our horfes, whofe acting powers, or 
 finews, are opprefled with coarfe flefhy 
 membranes, thick teguments, and large 
 fpongy bones, will on this account be 
 much fooner fatigued and tired with 
 their own weight, than the Arabians, 
 even tho' their ading powers were equal 
 in ftrength to the Arabian horfes, which 
 they by no means are, and that from a 
 difference in the contexture of the muf- 
 .cular or tendinous fibres. 
 
 Juft fo it is betwixt the Ibuthern 
 hounds, and thofe we make ufe of to 
 hunt the fox ; and yet I have heard the 
 huntfmen talk juft as ridiculoufly of the 
 blood of fox hounds, as if it was fome- 
 thing independarit of the formation and 
 
 elegance
 
 elegance of their parts, as the fportfmen 
 do about the blood of horfes* 
 
 But here the fldlful huntfman differs 
 from the fportfman in one refpect, for 
 the firft very often gives away, or 
 knocks his hound at head, without try- 
 ing him at all, if he does not approve 
 his figure whereas the fportfman al- 
 ways trains, if he lilces the blood, let the 
 horfe be ever fo defective in the forma- 
 tion of parts, &c. But if he would 
 conilder his racer merely as a horfe, and 
 in the fame mechanical light, as he 
 diftinguifhes his hunter from his cart 
 horfe, and would wave this praeternatu- 
 ral quality, which he underftands by 
 the word blood, it would fave him much 
 expence, and many difappointments 
 For tho' the eye of man may perhaps 
 not determine, with fuch preciiion, as 
 for us to fay, this horfe (hall make a 
 racer, yet I will be bold to fay, that the 
 eye cf man can mod frequently deter- 
 mine
 
 C 239 ] 
 
 mine with fo much certainty, (I mean 
 amongft bred horfes) as for us to fay, 
 this cannot run at all. 
 
 But this laft affertion will be credited 
 by very few fportfmen ; for this plain 
 reafon namely, becaufe the opinion of 
 their own judgment will not fuffer them 
 to aiTent to a truth, which they them- 
 felves do not perceive for all men fancy 
 they underftand horfes. 
 
 And now I am dealing in maxims, 
 give me leave to add one more, which 
 you may depend on for truth, and lay 
 down as a certain criterion of the fportf- 
 man's fkill in horfes, namely, that the 
 more firenuous an advocate he is for 
 this innate virtue, called blood^ con- 
 fid ered independently of form and mat- 
 ter, fo much lefs knowledge he has of 
 the animal, and which (opinion of blood} 
 undoubtedly is in him, not a tacit, but 
 an open and avowed acknowledgment 
 
 of
 
 of his ignorance or elfe he would not 
 have recourfe to occult and hidden 
 caufes, to account for fads, that often 
 are difcoverable by the eye But the 
 word blood) received in its general ac- 
 ceptation, is found to be extremely con- 
 venient, becaufe it is agreeable to the 
 good old law of cuftom, from which 
 fource the generality of men's opinions 
 are derived, and fo of courfc, it prevents 
 the youthful fportfman the trouble of 
 making any enquiry into the form or 
 nature of horfes. 
 
 Again, we talk juft as riciculoufly of 
 bad as we do of good blood \ and it is a 
 common faying amorigft the fportfmenj 
 that they would chufe to breed from a 
 horfe, whofe blood they liked, tho' he 
 could not run, rather than from him, 
 that could run well, whofe blood they 
 do not like, and yet both {hall be 
 thorough bred. 
 
 Now
 
 L 
 
 Now put the cafe, here are two 
 mares, both originally bred from Ara- 
 bian horfes, and mares, or the defcendants 
 of fuch, which I fuppofe is all that is to 
 be understood by the term of thorough- 
 bred horfes one of thefe mares is call- 
 ed Dut chefs, and is got by Wbitenofe, 
 and becaufe the produce of this horfe 
 has been generally found deficient in 
 racing, they are branded with the in- 
 famy of bad blood y yet Dut chefs was an 
 extraordinary racer the other of thefe 
 mares was got by Lord Godolphiris Ara- 
 bian, the beft reputed blood in the world, 
 and called Sylvia (he was a very bad 
 racer now pray fir take your choice, 
 which of thefe will you have for a brood 
 mare ? wh^, according to your own 
 doctrine you muft take Sylvia can the 
 folly and nonfenfe of this opinion be 
 equal to any thing but the practice of 
 doing it ? So if my horfe or mare, who 
 is thorough- bred, and a defcendant of 
 I i
 
 [ 242 ] 
 
 : Wbitenofe, Stamper ab, or anyfuch, fliali 
 either in the firft, fecond, third, or tenth 
 defcent, prove a good racer (no matter 
 from what caufe) truely I muft be afraid 
 to breed from them, becaufe you, from 
 the prejudices you have conceived, and 
 from not underflanding any thing about 
 horfes, have been pleafed to fix a mark 
 of difgrace upon fome of their anceflors. 
 
 Now by way of iimile, let us fuppofe, 
 that your grandfather and mine were 
 knock-kneed crook-legged, andfplay- 
 fboted, thefe I think would have been 
 but indifferent racers; but will it follow, 
 that fuch defedb muft of neceffity be 
 for ever entailed on all their pofterity ? 
 or don't you think, when any fuch hap- 
 pen to be better formed, that they would 
 be better runners, than their fplay-footed 
 grandfathers ? : -mark how the fize> 
 ftrength, activity, {hape, attitude, the 
 beauty and regularity of their limbs and 
 features, the fpirit and temper amongffc- 
 
 all
 
 [ 2 43 ] 
 
 all the families of men are loft, are per- 
 haps improved in one defcent how in 
 all thefe refpeds this fon differs from 'his 
 father, and that from his grandfather ? 
 Pray now will it, or will it not, be 
 fo with the horfe and his pofterity, whe- 
 ther you and I have difcernment enough 
 to perceive the difference there is be- 
 twixt them or not? but fome difference 
 of form muft and will for ever arife in 
 the breed and pofterity of men and 
 horfes, and of all other animals, from 
 the different form of the females, to 
 which they and their defcendants are 
 occasionally joined in copulation, or elfe 
 the laws of nature are of no account. f 
 
 Thus you fee the diftindlions of good 
 and bad blood confined - to the defcen- 
 dants of Arabian horfes, and mares, are 
 equally abfurd and foolifh yet that the 
 beft and worft racers are moft likely to 
 beget fuchj cannot at all be doubted, 
 I i 2 and
 
 [ 244] 
 
 and this was all that Horace could be 
 fuppofed to mean 5 when he faid, 
 
 Eft in equis patrum virtus 
 
 \ 
 which, in plain Englijh, is to fay, the 
 
 laws of nature are generally certain 
 and thus fay I but this law of nature 
 
 extends both to horfe and marc fo 
 
 then the breeding a good racer requires 
 a thorough knowledge of the animal, 
 and is a matter of judgment, and not of 
 chance, which, by relying only on the 
 blood, breed, or proper crofling, you 
 make it to be. 
 
 Now it has been here allowed, that 
 the Arabians are the be ft kind of horfes 
 we know of, from whom it can be ex- 
 pected to breed a racer, or in other 
 words, the mod perfect horfe, and that 
 the offspring or defcendants of fuch are 
 moft likely to inherit the virtues of their 
 progenitors ; but when they are defici- 
 ent
 
 [ 245] 
 
 ent in a proper formation of thefe acting 
 parts, or loie the elegance or mufcular 
 Jubilance of their progenitors, (no matter 
 from what caufe) they will, according 
 to the degrees of deficiency, in any or all 
 of thefe matters fail alfo, in the degrees 
 of their performance which truth we 
 might fee verified every day, if we were 
 not blinded by our own prejudices, or 
 undtrftood any thing of the animal. 
 
 I believe alfo, that the Arabian horfes 
 of the fame family do occafionally differ 
 from each other, as much as any horfes 
 can do, in any other country of the 
 fame family ; fo that the poffeflion of 
 an Arabian horfe, who is wanting in 
 the refpe&s that have been here fet down, 
 will be of little ufe to the owner, let 
 the genealogy, blood, breed, or lineage 
 of fuch horfe, be what it will. 
 
 It is for thefe reafons I have afferted, 
 and do affert, that the excellence of all 
 
 horfes
 
 Iiorfes depends on their mechanifm 
 only. 
 
 So then there is nothing in blood,-' 
 no nothing at all, independant of form 
 and matter, as the fportfmen fay there 
 is But the Arabian horfes, being better 
 conftituted for adtion than other horfes, 
 do by means hereof excel all others, and 
 each other alfo, according to the degrees 
 of difference in their form and confti- 
 tuent parts, the nature and difference 
 of which I have here endeavoured to 
 explain. 
 
 But it being out of the way of iportf- 
 men to be acquainted with the nature 
 of bones, finews, membranes, ligaments, 
 teguments, and fo forth, and the dif- 
 ferent effedts, with refpedt to the laws 
 of motion produced by a difference in 
 thefe matters, it is no wonder, that the 
 fuperior excellence found in fome of thefe 
 Afabian horfes, has been imputed to 
 
 fome
 
 [ 247 ] 
 
 fome peculiar hidden virtue, for which 
 there might indeed be. fome plea, if 
 there was no vifible difference betwixt 
 the parts of the bred, .and the haJf-bred 
 horfe yet I hope rny reafons for differ-: 
 ing from this ancient opinion are not 
 the lefs true, for not having- been 'ad- 
 vanced before, nor tho' all mankind 
 fliould diffent herefrom. 
 
 With refpecl to the horfes brought- 
 here as Arabs from Smyrna^ 'Aleppo^ 
 and the different parts of .EurGpean- 
 'Turkey, I dare fay all of them have a mix* 
 ture, more or lefs, of the native Turkijb 
 breed, which by all accounts is fuch as 
 our heavy Lincolnjhire horL for the' 
 people who inhabit the province of 
 Diarbeker, which lies betwixt Turkey in 
 Europe, and the defarts < Arabia, be- 
 ing all breeders of horfes, for the fale of 
 which dlleppo is their chief mart, know- 
 ing what kind of horfes the Turks like, 
 breed a fort in order to pleafe thefc their 
 
 cuftomers,
 
 cuffomers, between the TurkiJJj mare 
 ana ihe Arabian horfe ; one giving the 
 produce a degree of elegance the 'Turlijh 
 horfes have not, the other giving thrm 
 fize and fubftance Thefe at certain 
 ftated times are brought down to Aleppo 
 t to be fold, where our Engljflj fac-ors 
 may purchafe what they like; and thefe 
 are the horfes they bring us home for 
 true Arabs^ with full afiurances, and 
 certificates from the breeders, figned alfo 
 by their chiefs, of their being flridly 
 fuch, who, like moft other horfe-dealers, 
 will give a certificate of any thing con- 
 ducive to their own intereft ; and fo 
 from the native heavy 'Turkijh mares, 
 and the finer horfes brought thither from 
 the different parts of Afia> there are 
 probably as many different forts or de- 
 grees of horfes bred in Turkey ', as there 
 are in England; where we may reckon 
 the cart- horfe, the coach- horfe, the mil- 
 ler's horfe, the butcher's horfe, the 
 hackney or the road -horfe the hunter, 
 
 and
 
 [ 249 ] 
 
 and fo on, according to the greater or 
 lefs affinity he bears to thes4rai>ianhotfe. 
 
 Yet, without doubt:, there are many 
 true Arabian horfes in Turkey ', for the 
 Grand Signior has a very large ftud of 
 them, which are fent to his European, 
 dominions when colts, by the emirs or 
 governors of Arabia every year as tri- 
 bute, .which is all they pay. 
 
 Befides the Arab horfes found in the 
 Grand Signior's ftud, it is not impoffi- 
 ble, that fome of the inhabitants of 
 Turkey, who carry on trade through the 
 different parts of Ajia, may purchafe by 
 chance an Arab horfe but this, I dare 
 fay, feldom happens, becaufe the Turks 
 prefer, for their own riding, a horfe of 
 a larger kind, nor do they let much va- 
 lue on the Arab for his Aviftncfs, be- 
 caufe being folemn, grave people, they 
 feldom ride fafter than a foot pace fo 
 then it will follow, that the true Arab 
 K k horfe
 
 [ 25 o ] 
 
 horfe that comes hither from Turkey 
 if any fuch do come hither, muft be 
 either of the refufe of the Grand Sig- 
 nior's ftables, or fuch as the inhabitants 
 of that country, who happen to get one, 
 do not like. 
 
 And fo it is, I believe, with refpect 
 to the horfes brought hither from other 
 parts of the Mediterranean, namely, 
 Cyprus^ Acra^ and the neighbouring 
 ports, and the country of Syria which 
 horfes are called Arabs> becaufe they 
 poflefs a certain elegance of parts, that 
 is derived from a mixture they have of 
 the Arabian breed but chiefly becaufe 
 they yield more money to an European 
 purchafer, for being ftiled Arabs. 
 
 Thus having fo very few good ftal- 
 lions font us from abroad an abfurd 
 opinion has prevailed amongft fome men 
 here, that the Arabs have different 
 kinds of horfes, ibme of which are, ac- 
 cording
 
 C 2 *' 3 
 
 cording to our phrafe, of the right and 
 true blood, and others not but, pray 
 tell me, to what end the A^rabs fhould 
 breed different kinds of horfes, whofe 
 only value or ufe to him is fwiftnefs and 
 ftoutnefs ? 
 
 That their horfes differ from each o- 
 therewith refped to their excellence, I 
 am very ready to fuppofe, nor do I fee 
 how it can be otherwife, unlefs their 
 excellence really confifted, as our Joc- 
 kies term it, in the virtue of the blood 
 for in fuch cafe, there could be no dif- 
 ference at all in point of excellence, a- 
 mongft ten thoufand horfes of the fame 
 
 family health and condition alike; 
 
 and I fhould be glad to be informed, 
 why one of thefe horfes, of the belt re- 
 pute for country and genealogy, may 
 not happen to differ as much from 
 fome of his family, and brethren in all 
 refpe&s, as 
 
 Conqueror did from his brother Othello, 
 K k 2 In-
 
 Infant from Mirza, 
 
 Mr. Croft's Bafto from Lord Onflow's 
 
 Victorious, 
 
 Bold from Lightning, 
 And the Martindale Starling from his 
 full broiher. 
 
 Numberlefs are the examples of this 
 kind, and various too are the reafons, 
 why one horfe may excel his brother, 
 and yet be both alike in health and con- 
 dition -juft fo it is with greyhounds, 
 and chace hounds of all forts, amongft 
 which, one fliall excel both in fpeed and 
 ftoutnefs, and his brother in neither. 
 
 But it is faid, that the Arabs them- 
 felves fet a different eftimation upon 
 the breed of their own horfes, and keep 
 a more exact account of their genealo- 
 gy, than of their families it is very 
 true, fo they do but all that the Arab 
 himfelf underftands by the breed or ge- 
 nealogy of his horfe (however we un- 
 
 derftand
 
 C 
 
 derftand it) is, that he is defcended 
 from fuch as have undergone the hard- 
 fhips of labour, fatigue, and failing, 
 with the utmoft fortitude and refolu- 
 tion, and have brought him off with 
 fafety, by fuperior fpeed and perfeve- 
 rance in times of imminent danger, in 
 his expeditions of plundering or defend- 
 ing travellers in their journey thro' the 
 defart, for which fome of them are paid 
 by the Grand Turk and fuch a gene- 
 alogical account of their horfes as this 
 is a very national one it is a more cer- 
 tain way of eftimating their value and 
 excellence, and a likely method too of 
 prefer ving a good breed but the Arab 
 has no other idea, nor ways of reafon- 
 ing about the blood^ lineage, or genea- 
 logy of his horfe, than Horace, had, 
 when he fa id, 
 
 ^ Fortes creantur y fortibus et bonis 
 
 Now amongft all the horfes in the 
 known world, I believe it is univerfaliy 
 
 agreed
 
 to by all men, except the New 
 Market Jockies, that the Arabian horfes 
 excel all others both in fwiftnefs and 
 perfeverance. Thefe deny it, becaufe 
 there feldom comes a good one hither ; 
 and fo far the appearance of reafon 
 feems to be on their fide but the truth 
 is, they fuffer themfelves to be impofed 
 upon by the factors and the merchants 
 who fend home horfes from different 
 parts of the world for real Arabs ^ who 
 are themfelves impofed upon by thofe 
 from whom they are purchafed. 
 
 Hence it follows, that a mixture of 
 the Arabian breed being difperfed over 
 Turkey, Earbary^ and the different parts 
 of Afia^ fome of which being brought 
 here, one by chance does get what we 
 call a racer, or nor, juft as he happens 
 to be more nearly or remotely allied to 
 the Arabian horfe, as I conceive the 
 matter ; and I am the more fully per- 
 fuaded of what is here advanced, be- 
 caufe
 
 [255] 
 
 caufe the Arabian horfes are not eafil|- 
 come at, the Grand Turk, and all the 
 Rulers of his mighty Empire, in and 
 about Afia> keeping fuch imrnenfe num- 
 bers for their magnificence and plea- 
 fure ; the Moors too, are obliged to fend 
 to Arabia to keep up their breed of 
 horfes, without a renewal of which, 
 they foon degenerate; and hence you 
 often fee the pedigree of a Barbary 
 horfe, as long as that of an JJhmaeKte 
 in the hiftorical books of the -jfews> one 
 deducing his origin from a robber, the 
 other from his horfe. 
 
 If we may give credit to the accounts 
 of travellers, they tell you, that in the 
 Eaft Indies are found many true moun- 
 ,tain Arabs, fome from Arabia Felix^ 
 fome from Mocha and Abyjjinia and 
 Perjia, thefe are eafily fent acrofs the 
 Perfian Gulpb from Eufferah^ which is 
 the greateft mart in the world for horfes 
 1 I was informed by a gentleman, who 
 
 was
 
 was four years in India, who, I think, 
 knew fomething about horfes, that there 
 was no kind of comparifon betwixt the 
 mountain Arab, and any of the others 
 above named, either with refpecl: to 
 fpeed or bottom, that they differ ex- 
 ceedingly both in their fliapc, fize, and 
 fubftance, and that the ftrength, fwift- 
 nefs and perfeverance of the mountain 
 horfe, is beyond all poffible conception. 
 
 If this account be true, a man may 
 take upon him to foretel, without being 
 infpired, that if ever a true perfect 
 mountain Arab fhould find his way to 
 England, and become a public ftallion, 
 that fome of his produce would mod 
 probably exceed the breed of hacks, we 
 now call race- horfes, as much as Chil- 
 ders is faid to have excelled his cotcm- 
 poraries, whofe fire might not unrcafon- 
 ably be deemed a true mountain Arab, 
 or perhaps have much of that breed in 
 him, bccaufe the fpeed that Childers is 
 
 faid
 
 [ 257 ] 
 
 faid to have had, agrees well with the 
 accounts that all travellers, who have 
 feen and rode them, give of the moun- 
 tain Arabs. 
 
 Thefe things put together, it is no 
 great matter of wonder, that few (if 
 any) mountain Arabs find their way to 
 England, there being no certain me- 
 thod to come at them, but by fending 
 on purpofe to the mountains of Arabia^ 
 or to Eufferah on the Perfian gulph, 
 where a man who is not well acquaint- 
 ed with the difference of the mountain 
 Arab, and of him that is bred in Arabia 
 Felix, and Perfia, and other parts of 
 Af^a^ may be as eafily cheated as at 
 Aleppo or Syria ^ and perhaps -get no 
 better bargain. 
 
 If you afk me, why the mountain A- 
 
 rabs differ fo much from other Afiatick 
 
 horfes? Tell mefirft, why the new foreft- 
 
 poney differs from the Lincolnshire fenn- 
 
 L 1 horfc
 
 [ '58 ] 
 
 horfe Tranfplant thefe horfes to each 
 other's layer, the effect will be vifible 
 in the produce of a few generations. 
 
 Carry the fheep, whofe back is load- 
 ed with wool, to a hot climate, you will 
 foon fee him depofit his coat of wool 
 for one of a fine thin hair, which he 
 will ever retain whilft he remains in that 
 climate. 
 
 The afles in Arabia have too a fu- 
 perior elegance in all refpecls to all 
 other afles, that we know of in any 
 
 country and excel in fwiftnefs and 
 
 agility; for which reafon, I hope I may 
 be allowed to talk of the Hood of afles, 
 without being thought abfurd, as well 
 as the jockies to talk about the blood of 
 thefe horfes So from henceforth it fhall, 
 if you pleafe, be agreed on by every man 
 who pretends to any philofophy, that 
 nothing more is meant by the word bloody 
 than a certain elegance of parts derived 
 
 from
 
 2 59 
 
 from air and climate, fife. and that 
 the idea of elegance is always annexed 
 to the word blood in the mind of the 
 jockey, is very certain, or elfe he talks 
 very abfurdly, when he fays, fuch a horfe 
 (hews a great deal of blood \ than which, 
 no expreffion is more common. 
 
 Thefe things premifed, all this great, 
 difference of excellence, which is faid by 
 travellers to be betwixt the mountain 
 ./4hzAf,and all other horfes, may perhaps 
 be eafily accounted for For they tell 
 you, that the air of the defart is fo free 
 from vapours, that there is not moifture 
 or damp fufficient to affed the brighteft 
 gun with the leaft fhadow of ruft, after 
 laying it abroad the whole night. 
 
 The different effects of dry and hu- 
 mid air may be worth- obferving hang 
 up a cord or firing of any kind, it be- 
 comes contracted or relaxed, according 
 to the degrees of dry nefs or humidity of 
 L 1 2 the
 
 [ 260 ] 
 
 the air what ejfe is the finew of the 
 horfe but a cord or firing compofed of 
 many threads or fibres fromfuch tem- 
 perature of the air the finews and the 
 mufcles of the mountain Arab are like 
 a bar of iron ; and hence I guefs pro- 
 ceeds the difference betwixt his excel- 
 lence and that of fome other Afeatick 
 horfes, and all other horfes of the world, 
 the nature of their food confidered alfo 
 But we underftand fo little about the 
 matter, that the horfes fent us from a- 
 broad are called weak cat- legged things, 
 and our great coarfe brutes, with hairy 
 legs, thick fkins, and lax fibres, are ef- 
 teemed much the ftrongeft, by ninety- 
 nine men in every hundred throughout 
 this kingdom. 
 
 Now the attachment of fome men to 
 a half-bred, or what is commonly called 
 agood Engli/h horfe, is, I think., full as 
 abfurd, as the opinion of the fportfmen 
 about blood they object, that thefe cat- 
 legged
 
 legged things (as they are pleafed to call 
 bred horfes, vvhofe legs in general are 
 by the bye a great deal larger than they 
 appear to an injudicious eye) are fit for 
 nothing but the race that half-bred 
 horfes will lofe them on-fome roads with 
 a heavy weight that they go near the 
 ground are apt to blunder are long 
 patterned and have an auk ward way 
 of going. 
 
 To the firft I anfwer, that if any man 
 be willing to match a horfe, which he 
 will certify to be half-bred, againfl ano- 
 ther certified to be thorough- bred, I will 
 undertake to find him a play-fellow, that 
 will entertain him for what fum he pleafes, 
 and the owner of the half-bred horfe (hall 
 chufe -,his ground, length and weight. 
 
 But the man who never faw bay Bo/- 
 ton, AtlaS) * Tartar^ and many others 
 that might be named, may perhaps think, 
 there are no bred horfes, as we call them, 
 
 of
 
 [ 2 6 2 ] 
 
 of ftrength and fize, and fubftance, fuf- 
 ficient to ftruggle with deep roads, and 
 heavy weights. 
 
 To the next objection, that bred horfes 
 go near the ground I anfwer, that the 
 generality of fuch having been trained 
 from their youth on a fmooth furface, 
 fome of them do go near the ground, 
 but this, in my opinion, is partly owing 
 to the nature of the ground, education 
 and fatigue in their tender years, and 
 partly to the manner of fetting on the 
 arm, and is not the certain confequence 
 of being a bred horfe, becaufe there are 
 many bred horfes, who, with this fame 
 education and ufe, do not by any means 
 go near the ground. 
 
 As to blundering, it is very abfurd to 
 fuppofe, that the bred horfe as fuch, is 
 lefs fure-footed than the other, for be- 
 fides his having more agility, ftrength, 
 and true courage than the other ; the 
 
 very
 
 
 . C 263 ] 
 
 very formation of parts will indicate the 
 contrary for not to fay any thing a- 
 bout fetting on the arm, or the rules of 
 proportion from the elbow to the knee, 
 and from thence to the, fetlock, nor the 
 formation of the knee itfelf, thefe bred 
 horfes having in general more depth an4 
 declivity in their flioulders than others, 
 they can moft certainly better extend, 
 and elevate their fore feet, c&teris pari- 
 btts and by the curve or circular fi- 
 gure, they do or fliould make with 
 their hinder legs they, as certainly can 
 ftand more fecurely on all kinds of ground 
 whilft the generality of our Englijh 
 horfes, ftand upon four fticks or up- 
 rights, that feem, as if they were defign- 
 ed rather for props of fupport than for 
 extent or action and the advantages of 
 this declivity in the fhoulders of horfes 
 will be farther explained, by obferving 
 with what facility, both to themfelves 
 and^the rider, fuch go down the fteepeft 
 hills, with the utmoft precipitancy and 
 
 fafety,
 
 fafety, whilft other horfes, who want this 
 declivity in the flioulders, rock and rowl 
 about on fuch fteep ground, to their own 
 terror, as well as that of the rider, if he 
 happens to have the fenfe of feeling. 
 
 With orefpecl: to the length of the pa- 
 ftern, even for common riding, where 
 expedition may not be required, there 
 is juft as much difference in point of 
 eafe to the rider, betwixt a long and a 
 fhort patterned horfe, as there is betwixt 
 riding in a carriage that is hung upon 
 fprings, and one that is not yet I do 
 not think it neceflary, that one of 
 thefe bred horfes fhould be as long pa- 
 flerned for the road or hunting, as for 
 racing but he" will undoubtedly ftand 
 more fecurely on his legs, by having lax 
 and fpringy patterns (all other parts a- 
 like) than by having them ftiff, and up- 
 right, both which circumftance mutt of 
 neceffity appertain in degree at leaft to 
 fhort patterned horfes. 
 
 As
 
 C 
 
 As to the mode or manner of going,* 
 It fcarce deferves any anfwef, tho' all 
 that can be faid will make againft thef 
 half-bred horfe. 
 
 Thefe objectors fay, that there is not 
 one bred horfe in fifty, who does hig 
 paces well ; to which I anfwer, there is 
 not one half-bred horfe in five hundred 
 that does his paces well ; but every body 
 knows, or may know, that a half-bred 
 horfe, who is ever fo well put together, 
 and does not go well, will foon tire, and 
 is not worth fixpence for riding ; but 
 the mode or manner of going in a bred 
 horfe, if he be well put together, is per- 
 haps of little confequence to his good- 
 nefs, (at leaft that we can be fure of) 
 there having been many inftances of ex- 
 ceeding good racers, who were very 
 aukward goers, of which Sterling will 
 ferve for one proof - and therefore I 
 take upon me tp fay, in contradiction 
 M m to
 
 [ 266 ] 
 
 to the opinion of all the good judges in 
 this kingdom, of every denomination, 
 of which there are as many in number 
 within one or two, as there are men 
 that the aukward manner of going in a 
 bred horfe, that is well grown, and ufed 
 only for the . road or hunting, does not 
 fignify a pin provided he goes above 
 his ground and gets along And fuch a 
 horfe, (equally mafter of my weight) I 
 would prefer to the beft goer in the 
 kingdom, that was but half-bred and 
 farther, I look upon a half-bred horfe 
 as a brute and a beaft, that no man of 
 property, who underftood horfefe, would 
 ever ufe at all, if he had, or could get 
 any conveniency for breeding perhaps 
 it may be faid, that it is no eafy matter 
 to raife bred horfes to height and fub- 
 ftance, proper for every purpofe this I 
 conceive to be a miftake, and is, what 
 depends in great meafure on the judg- 
 ment of the breeder, and his knowledge 
 of the laws of nature witnefs the late 
 
 Duke 

 
 Duke ofBolton, whofe horfes in general 
 were victorious on the turf, mafters of 
 any weight in the chace and fitter for 
 the coach too than any other horfes I 
 ever faw, either for expedition, length 
 of journey, or both. 
 
 But if thefe objectors to the thorough- 
 bred horfe want to decide thefe matters 
 by the examples of fuch refufe, as are 
 turned out of training, I do not agree to 
 it, for I propofe not to give any advan- 
 tages of form, fubftance, or proportion, 
 but my defign is to (hew, that the tho- 
 rough-bred horfe, when properly ehofen, 
 is, for every purpofe, far fuperior to him 
 that is half-bred, and that for the fame 
 reafons, that the cat- legged flag excels 
 the bullock, the fox-hound excels the 
 fouthern hound, and the fine fetting- 
 dog the Spamjh pointer. 
 
 And why this fuperiority in the bred 
 
 horfe is not equally believed by all men, 
 
 M m 2 is.
 
 [ 2 68] 
 
 fs, beeaufe the difference in the nature 
 of their conftituent parts is not equally 
 underftood by all men which alfo is 
 the very reafon (as was before faid) 
 why the fportfmen have always imputed 
 this fuperiority, in what we call the bred 
 hprfe, to fome innate or hidden caufe. 
 
 Let us return to the ufe of fajt. 
 
 Now this medicine externally appli- 
 ed is a great difcutient, and iawardlv 
 
 taken a great deobftruenf . 
 
 \ 
 
 From this deobftruent quality of fait 
 it {lands recommended to the world ; 
 but if any rnan is acquainted with one 
 that is more fo, he would be highly cul- 
 pable not to ule it. Nor am I fo par- 
 tial an advocate for this medicine, as to 
 think it incapable of improvement, by 
 being joined to fome other ; for antimo- 
 ny added to nitre will make it a more 
 powerful deobftruent, and a more effi- 
 cacious
 
 eacious medicine in all difeafes befalling 
 the horfe. 
 
 If then we tajce two parts of nitre, 
 and one of antimony, firft rubbed to- 
 gether, and deflagrate them over a fire 
 in a crucible, by putting in a little at a 
 time, we fliall have a medicine nearly 
 analogous to Dr. James's powder one 
 or two ounces of which may -be given 
 once or twice a day, as occasion may 
 require. 
 
 This will be found a very potent re- 
 medy in the farcey in cutaneous dif- 
 eafes local fwellings where the juices 
 are vifcid- and the circulation is be- 
 come languid Ibfs of appetite in pie- 
 thorick in bilious complaints where 
 the blood is depraved by any antecedent 
 fever in the inflammatory cholick 
 and all inflammatory diforders in ob- 
 ftrtidions of the urinary paflages, and all 
 pthers-^-in epidemical difeafes,, or what 
 
 is
 
 is called the diftemper among cows and 
 horfes in coughs, colds, fore throats, 
 in fevers of every kind, and many chro- 
 nical dilbrders for this medicine atte- 
 nuates the fluids, and promotes fecre- 
 tion and excretion more copioufly 
 hence obfl ructions produdive of difeafe 
 are removed, and the animal is reftored 
 to his priftine health to this defla- 
 grated nitre and antimony, other cooling 
 neutral falts may t>e added with great 
 propriety on all occafions, where the 
 rirft fhall be thought proper. 
 
 If any man fLould wonder at, or ob- 
 ject to the virtue of falts and antimony, 
 eonlidered in fuch a univerfal light, I 
 defire he will confider and remember 
 too, that in the difeafes, which befal 
 horfes, the fluids only are in general 
 concerned, which is owing to the fame- 
 nefs and Simplicity 'of their food 
 hence too, the vifcidity of their fluids is 
 more eafily removed, hence their dif- 
 eafes
 
 [ 27* ] 
 
 eafes are lefs complicated, lefs various, 
 and lefs intricate, than in the human 
 Ipecies, whofe luxurious and unconfined 
 repafts have produced fuch a number 
 and variety of complaints, as perplex 
 and puzzle the moft nice enquiry. 
 
 But leaft I Qiould be thought too 
 fond of the virtues of fait, with refpecl: 
 to its general efficacy, I flioukl be glad 
 to know wherein confifts the virtue of 
 all the waters of the world, but in the 
 fait which they contain ; the water itfelf 
 having no more effect, than any other 
 common watery vehicle. -"Hot ones 
 indeed (whilft they remain in a ftate of 
 heat) may perhaps be impregnated with 
 other materials alfo. 
 
 Hence the phyfician, having long in 
 vain drenched the ilckly mortal with 
 every drug the world affords, fends him 
 at laji to drink fame kind of water, 
 that happens to be moft in fadiion. 
 
 Now
 
 [ 272 ] 
 
 Now the falts of different waters differ 
 in their nature and effect:, whereby dif- 
 ferent conftitutions are diverfely affected 
 -Hence the patient of the fon of 
 Mfculapius is often left, like the far- 
 riers, to be cured by chance. 
 
 id rides ? mutato nomine^ de tt 
 fabula narratur - 
 
 But tho' men, as well as horfes, often 
 die of the doctor, yet there are many 
 worthy practitioners in this kingdom, 
 whofe integrity, judgment, and obfer- 
 vation, do, honour to themfelves, and 
 benefit to mankind. 
 
 Now the author has told his tale in 
 as concife a manner as he well could, 
 being inclined to edify, rather than puz- 
 zle the reader, by multiplying ufelefs 
 words and medicines, or by enumerat- 
 ing difeafes that do not exift at all, but 
 in the imagination of authors, who 
 thought themfelves obliged to treat of 
 
 every
 
 3 
 
 every diforder they had ever heard of 
 incident to man, as if they believed the 
 horfe was affli&ed with all fuch this 
 concifenefs will fave both writer and rea- 
 der fome trouble, which is a matter of 
 no fmall consideration ; and the author 
 is of opinion, that he has done more 
 good in bringing the practice of phyfick 
 with refpect to horfes into this narrow 
 compafs, than if his book had been fur- 
 niflied with a greater number of receipts 
 and medicines And if the medicines 
 given to Mankind were alfo brought in- 
 to narrower compafs, he humbly con- 
 ceives (with all deference to the learned) 
 it would be no detriment to any but 
 thofe who fell them. 
 
 He has endeavoured to treat this fub- 
 jedt: as clearly as he could, tho' no me- 
 thod of treating difeafes or wounds can 
 be fo clear or precife, but that much 
 will depend on the judgment of the 
 practitioner, In the one cafe, from ap- 
 N n pearance
 
 274 
 
 pearance and locality ; in the other, 
 from the occurrence of various fymptoms 
 , often annexed to- the fame difeafe j in 
 both, from habit of body. 
 
 And if the practitioner fhould ever 
 find hispurpofe,not anfwered in having 
 given any of the medicines here recom- 
 mended, I mud beg the favour of him 
 to think, that it may poffibly be owing 
 to his want of (kill in the proper u(e and 
 management of them ; and to confide r, 
 that the reading of any one or ten phy- 
 fical books (though ever fo perfect) will 
 never make a man an able phyfician, 
 the fldl\ of fuch a one confiding as much 
 in his obfervation of the attempts of na- 
 ture, a thorough knowledge of the ani- 
 mal oeconomy, and a proper application 
 "of the remedy, as well as to know the 
 virtues which do belong to it. Add to 
 this, the fymptoms may fometimes be 
 taken for the difeafe, and the difeafe for 
 
 the fymptoms. Again, fome difeafes 
 
 from
 
 ,[275] 
 
 from having the fame appearance may 
 be miftaken for each other, as has been 
 fliewn in the cafe of the Botts. More- 
 over, medicines given to a horfe, that 
 may from his particular conftitution 
 difagree with him ; fuch for inftancc, 
 as nitre (the leaft quantity of which 
 fome men, and fome horfes, are utterly 
 unable to take without fudden bad ef- 
 fe6b) may bring oa new fymptons utter- 
 ly unconnected with the difeafe, and for 
 which there is no poffibility of laying 
 down any certain proper treatment; and 
 yet this is not owing to, nor ought to 
 be imputed to any fault in the. medicine, 
 but to the particular habit of body in 
 thofe who take it, which no r human 
 wifdom can forefee. 
 
 Again, it is a general cuftom, when 
 horfes have colds or fevers, to load them 
 with a vaft quantity of fuperfluous 
 cloaths, but this increafes the impetus 
 of the blood, and accelerates its motion 
 N n 2 hence
 
 hence enfues an encreafed contrac- 
 tion of the veffels, and an impeded fe- 
 cretion and excretion of the fluids ; fo 
 that incifions made in the (kin of a 
 horfe ill with a fever, will not afford fb 
 great a difcharge, as they would other- 
 wife do, neither will he be fo much re- 
 lieved by bleeding, when this practice 
 of loading him with cloaths is made ufe 
 of for thefe reafons alfo, all medicines 
 that are of a heating quality given to 
 the horfe in a fever are improper, and 
 muft do harm. 
 
 But there is lefs flail required in treat- 
 ing properly the difeafes of horfes, than 
 of men ; for tho' horfes cannot tell their 
 complaints as men can, yet their 
 difeafes are more eafily known, and bet- 
 ter underftood by a nice obferver, be- 
 caufe they are lefs complicated, and lefs 
 various, and that for the reafon before 
 given, namely, the nature and famenefs 
 of their food. 
 
 And
 
 [ 2 77 ] 
 
 t 
 And now, gentle reader, if you have 
 
 ever read much on this fubjed:, you 
 have alfo read of many other difeafes 
 incident to the horfe, befides what are 
 contained in this little book ; but for 
 my own part, who am ever ready to 
 confefs my failing, I acknowledge, that 
 I have not been able to difcover any 
 other (few excepted) than what have 
 been here treated of ; but I can readily 
 believe, that a horfe may have tumours 
 internally, encyfted, and other ; that he 
 may have difeafes of the omentum, and 
 of the blood veflels, attended with rup- 
 tures of the fame. 
 
 But I hold it vain, to trouble the 
 reader with an account of difeafes that 
 will admit of a very uncertain, or no 
 remedy, tho' managed perhaps with the 
 
 greateft {kill Yet I hear there is a 
 
 treatife compiling on this fubjed, which, 
 a, cannot be contained in lefs than 
 
 ten
 
 [ 27 8 ] 
 
 ten volumes ; therefore I take it for 
 granted, that it is not an incomplete one, 
 like mine ; but if the number of medi- 
 cines to be given the horfe, fhould be 
 equal to the number of difeafes, which, 
 from the quantity of the work may be 
 fuppofed to be contained therein, I fhall 
 be heartily concerned for this moft no* 
 ble animal, for whom I hatfe long had 
 a particular friendfhip, from the many 
 virtues I have difcovered in him. 
 
 There is another difeafe indeed inci- 
 dent to horfes, called the glanders ; to 
 find a remedy for which I have taken 
 great pains, to no manner of purpofe. 
 
 OBSERVATION I. 
 
 That the generality of lamenefs in the 
 fore part of the horfe derives its caufe 
 from the improper methods of (hoeing, 
 and treating the foot. 
 
 II,
 
 C '79 ] 
 
 ' 
 II. 
 
 That fuch lamenefs, tho' the caufe 
 be not vifible to a common obferver, nor 
 imderftood by fuch as are unacquainted 
 with the nature and ufe of the parts, and 
 therefore commonly miftaken, and fo' 
 deemed incurable, may be mdft fre- 
 quently cured. 
 
 III. 
 
 That the cuftom amongft farriers, of 
 applying remedies to the different parts 
 of a lame horfe at the fame time, is a 
 certain proof of their ignorance, and a 
 manifeft confeflion of not underftanding' 
 the true feat of the complaint. 
 
 IV. 
 
 That from the great diflike all farri- 
 ers have to flat or fliort flioes, every 
 lamenefs 'in the horfe is by them ever 
 
 imputed to fuch flioes be the real 
 
 caufe what it will few men believing 
 
 there
 
 [ 280 ] ' . 
 
 there is any advantage in what they do 
 not already know, or have not been ao 
 cuftomed to. 
 
 V. 
 
 That fliort flioes often prevent cut- 
 ting either behind or before. 
 
 VI. 
 
 When the finew of a horfe is relax- 
 ed, or elongated, or what we call let 
 down, maice two incifions thro' the fkin 
 below the difeafed part, and keep them, 
 running, taking care not to wound the 
 
 jQieath or fibres of the tendon apply 
 
 to the relaxed part alum, curds and 
 whey, or the fait cataplafm, with a fmooth 
 bandage thus many a horfe has been 
 effectually cured after having been blif- 
 tered and fired to no purpofe Thus 
 have I known too many a heavy ftag- 
 hound, that was quite let down behind, 
 and went upon his hocks, to be cured, 
 and afterwards run in the pack, only 
 
 by
 
 [ 2 8i] 
 
 by making an incifion in the fkin, and 
 filling it with fait. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Where bleeding and rowelling are di- 
 reded to be ufed together, it is not in- 
 tended, that bleeding fhould be ufed af- 
 ter the rowels, have begun to difcharge 
 well, nor will there be any occafion for 
 
 it But before the rowels have begun 
 
 to difcharge, and the fymptoms appear 
 dangerous, then repeated bleeding may 
 be allowed of, and will be often necef- 
 fary for the horfe may otherwife die > 
 before the rowels can poffibly take 
 effed. 
 
 VIIL 
 
 That in vertiginous or convulsive 
 diforders, opiates ought to be given, if 
 any fuch fymptoms remain, after the fe- 
 ver is gone off, and proper evacuations 
 have^been previously ufed, 
 
 O o IX.
 
 [ 282 ] 
 
 IX. 
 
 That in cutaneous difeafes about the 
 neck or body of the horfe, not fubmit- 
 ting to gentle purges, and alterative mer 
 dicines, bliftering the part . will fome- 
 times be of ufe. 
 
 X. 
 
 That in cold watery fwellings, or the 
 greafe, caftile foap and yellow refin, 
 may properly enough be given mixed 
 with the deflagrated nitre and anti- 
 mony, and other neutral fairs, firft 
 emptying the inteftines by a gentle purge 
 but where there is any degree of in- 
 flammation attending a fwelling, refin 
 will be an improper medicinp. 
 
 XI. 
 
 That there is a certain degree of {kill 
 required in the ufe of fuch diuretick me- 
 dicines, (as .well as of all others) for if 
 
 the
 
 [ 283 ] 
 
 the urinary fecretions are too much en- 
 larged in fuch complaints, where the 
 horfe's blood is already poor and thin, 
 the difeafe will be increafed, rather than 
 leflened. f 
 
 XII. 
 
 Sandcracks, corns, and falfe quarters 
 are cured with the greateft certainty, 
 and many other diforders, that have 
 been always deemed incurable, becaufe 
 not properly underftood. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Incurable lamenefs will be {hewn to 
 be fuch, whereby the horfe will efcape 
 an unnecelTary punifliment, and the 
 
 owner avoid a ufelefs expence. 
 
 i 
 
 XIV. 
 
 That all perfons may be furniflied by 
 the Author with medicines, which are 
 proved by long experience to be an ef- 
 ficacious
 
 [ 284] 
 
 ficacious remedy in recent coughs, colds, 
 convulsions, mad-flaggers, fevers, in- ; 
 flammatory diforders of all kinds, and 
 fiich as proceed from obftrucled fluids 
 and with medicines proper for horfes 
 in all other complaints, as cheap as at 
 any chymifts, which the fportfman may 
 
 carry with him into the country 
 
 with directions how to ufe them. 
 
 Oxford Road, 
 
 FINIS.
 
 A 
 
 DISSERTATION 
 
 O N 
 
 HORSES: 
 
 Wherein it is demonftrated, by Mat- 
 ters of Fad:, as well as from the 
 Principles of Philofophy, that IN- 
 NATE QUALITIES do not exift, 
 and that the excellence of this Ani- 
 mal is altogether mechanical and 
 not in the Blood. 
 
 By WILLIAM O S M E R. 
 
 J- O N D O N : 
 
 rimed for T. WALLER, in Fletf-Jtreet, 1756.
 
 A 
 
 DISSERTATION 
 
 O N 
 
 HORSES. 
 
 HOE VER fuppofes that MerT 
 ' Heber and Pond, or even 
 Mr. John Cheney, were the 
 firft who publifhed accounts of Horfe- 
 racing, will find himfelf much mif- 
 taken, for there lived others above a 
 hundred years before them, who not 
 only published accounts of Horfe- 
 racing, but acquainted us with the 
 hiftory of the wreffling, backfword- 
 Claying, boxing, and even foot-racing, 
 B tha^t
 
 that happened in their days ; and from 
 them we learn alfo who were the vic- 
 tors, and how the racers came in. 
 
 AMONGST thefe, lived a man 
 whofe name was Homer, a blind or 
 obfcure man (for they are rynonimous 
 terms) who occafionally publifhed his 
 book of fports, and to him we are 
 obliged alfo for the pedigree of many 
 Horfes that were efteemed the beft in 
 his time. This man was faid to be 
 poor, in little efteem, and to travel 
 about the country to fell his books ; 
 but though his circumftances were ve- 
 ry low, his underftanding, it fecms, 
 was not, for he always took care to 
 pay his court to the great perfonages 
 wherever he came, and to flatter them 
 in the blood of their Horfes. But 
 though he was little efteemed in his 
 life-time, yet his book of pedigrees 
 and genealogy of Horfes was thought 
 
 fo
 
 [3] 
 
 fo ufeful, that he was greatly honour- 
 ed for it after his death. And what 
 is more ftrange, though the place 
 of his nativity was unknown, and no 
 country would receive him as a mem- 
 ber of their community when living, 
 yet when dead, many nations con- 
 tended for the honour of it ; but what- 
 ever arguments each country may pro- 
 duce for the fupport of its claim, no- 
 thing is more evident than that he was 
 an Engliftiman; and there is great 
 reafon to believe he was born fome- 
 where in the North, though I do not 
 take upon me to fay it abfolutely was 
 fo. His partiality however, to that 
 part of the kingdom, is manifeft e- 
 nough, for he pretended to fay, that 
 a good racer could be bred in no place 
 but the North; whereas, late expe- 
 rience has proved that to be a very 
 idle notion. But as the northern gen- 
 tlemen were the firft breeders of racing 
 B 2 Horfes,
 
 [4] 
 
 Horfes, fo it is very probable tjiey 
 were alfo the firft fvibfcribers to his 
 book, and then we fhall find his par- 
 tiality might arife, either from his 
 gratitude to thefe gentlemen, or from 
 its being the place of his nativity, or 
 perhaps from both. 
 
 THERE was in the North in his 
 time, a very famous Stallion called 
 Boreas : Whether the prefent breeders 
 have any of that blood left, I do not 
 certainly know ; but Homer, to flat- 
 ter the owner, who was a fubfcriber 
 to his book, and always gave him two 
 half guineas inftead of one, fabled 
 that this fame Boreas begot his colts 
 as fleet as the wind. This to be fure 
 will be looked upon as nothing more 
 than a matter of polite partiality to his 
 benefactor : But it is much to be fear- 
 ed, this partiality has not been con- 
 fined to perfons abne ; for there is 
 
 reafon
 
 [5 J 
 
 rtafon to believe, that in many cafes 
 he has varied the true pedigree of his 
 Horfes, and (not unlike our modern 
 breeders) has left out one crofs that 
 
 has been thought not good, and fub- 
 ihtuted another in its room held more 
 raiiuonable. 
 
 WE have an account in one of hia 
 
 bo ^V (I forgot the year when it was 
 
 pubh/hed) of a very f amous cnariof . 
 
 =e, that was run over Newmarket 
 
 between five noblemen; and though 
 'a-tkcuflam at that t 
 
 at that time to run 
 "itft a two-wheeled chaife and pair 
 
 only, mftead of four, we find all other 
 cuuoms nearly the fame. The names 
 the Horfes are given us, their pe- 
 digrees, andthenamesofthedrivers; 
 the courfe is marked out, judges ap- 
 
 Pomted,betts offered, but no croffing 
 or jofthng allowed; a plain proof they 
 depended on winning f rom the % X cel- 
 
 lena
 
 HI 
 
 knee of their Horfes alone. But 
 though a curricle and pair was then 
 the fafhion, there lived at that time a 
 ftrange mad kind of fellow, haughty 
 and overbearing, determined that no 
 body fhould do any thing like himfelf, 
 who always drove three ; and though 
 the recital of this circumftance may be 
 considered as trivial, or little to the 
 purpofe, we {hall find fomething in 
 the ftory worth our attention, and 
 with refpecl to Horfes, a cafe very fin- 
 gular, fuch a one as no hiftory, no 
 tradition, nor our own experience has 
 ever furnifhed us with a fimilar in- 
 ftance of. 
 
 IT feems thefe three Horfes were 
 fo good that no Horfes in the king- 
 dom would match them. Homer, 
 after having been very lavifh in their 
 praife, has given us their names, and 
 the pedigree of two of them, which 
 
 it
 
 [7] 
 
 it feems were full brothers. He tells 
 us, they were as fwift as the wind, and 
 in his bombaft way of writing, lays 
 they were immortal ; which expref- 
 fion is exaclly of the fame ftyle and 
 meaning with our modern phrafe 
 high-bred, and could mean nothing 
 elfe, becaufe in the recital of the pe- 
 digree, he tells us, they were got by 
 this lame North-country Horfe before 
 mentioned, called Boreas, and out 
 of a flying Mare called Podarge. But 
 the fingularity of this cafe is, that the 
 third Horfe, whom he calls Pedafus, 
 was abfolutely a common Horfe, and 
 of no blood. Here I beg leave to 
 make ufe of Mr. Pope's words, who, 
 in his tranflation, fpeaking of this 
 Horfe, fays thus : 
 
 " Who like in ftrength, in fwiftndfs, and" in grace, 
 ** A mortal courfer match'd th' imrportal race.'* 
 n-.: 1 - urix; ? c?,.. r^'jf vuLi^t iii*v 
 
 Now
 
 t ] 
 
 Now as nothing is more certain, 
 than that no Horfes but thofe of 
 blood can race in our days, I have 
 long been endeavouring to find the 
 true reafon of this iingular inftance, 
 and cannot any way account for it, but 
 by fuppofing this equality of ftrength 
 and elegance might produce an equa- 
 lity of fvviftnefs, This conlideration 
 naturally produced another, which 
 is, that the blood of all Horfes may 
 be merely ideal ; and if fo, a word of 
 no meaning. But before I advance 
 any thing more on this hypothefis, 
 and that I may not be guilty of trea- 
 fon againft the received lavv$ of jockey- 
 fhip, I do here lay it down as a cer- 
 tain truth, that no Horfes but fuch 
 as come from foreign Countries, or 
 which are of extra&ion totally foreign, 
 can race. In this opinion every man 
 will readily join me, and this opinion 
 
 will
 
 [9] 
 
 will be confirmed by every man's ex- 
 perience and obfervation. 
 
 B u T in difcuffing this point, I fliall 
 beg leave, when fpeaking of thefe 
 Horfes, to change the word HIGH- 
 BRED, and in its room fubftitute the 
 word foreigner, or of foreign ex- 
 traction. For perhaps it may appear, 
 that the excellence we find in thefe 
 Horfes depends totally on the mecha- 
 nifm of their parts, and not in their 
 blood ; and that all the particular di- 
 ftinctions and fafhions thereof, depend 
 alfo on the whim and caprice of man* 
 kind. 
 
 IF we take a Horfe bred for the 
 cart, and fuch a one as we call a 
 hunter, and a Horfe of foreign ex- 
 traction, and fet them together the 
 meaneft judge v/ill eafily point out the 
 beft racer, from the texture, elegance, 
 
 *~* C and
 
 and fymmetry of their parts, without 
 making any appeal to blood. Allow 
 but a difference in the texture, ele- 
 gance, and fymmetry of parts in dif- 
 ferent Horfes, whofe extraction is fo- 
 reign, this principle will be clearly 
 proved, and the word HIGH-BRED 
 of no ufe, but to puzzle and lead us 
 affray : and every man's daily obfer- 
 vation would teach him, if he was 
 not loft in this imaginary error of 
 particular blood, that, generally fpeak- 
 ing, fuch Horfes who have the fineft 
 texture, elegance of fhape, and moft 
 proportion, are the beft racers, let 
 their blood be of what kind it will, al- 
 ways fuppofing it to be totally foreign. 
 If I was afked what beauty was, I 
 fhould fay proportion : if I was afked 
 what ftrength was, I fhould fay pro- 
 portion alfo : but I would not be un- 
 derftood to mean, that this ftrength 
 and beauty alone will conftitute a 
 
 racer,
 
 racer, for we jfhall find a proper length 
 alfo will be wanted for the fake of 
 velocity ; and that moreover the very 
 conftituent parts of foreign Horfes 
 differ as much from all others, as 
 their performances. But this, how- 
 ever, will be found a truth; that in 
 all Horfes of every kind, whether de- 
 figned to draw or ride, this principle 
 of proportion will determine the prin- 
 ciple of goodnefs; at leaft to that 
 part of it which we call bottom. On 
 the other hand, our daily obfervation 
 will (hew us, that no weak, loofe, 
 difproportioned Horfe, let his blood 
 be what it will, ever yet was a prime 
 racer. If it be objected, that many 
 a plain ugly Horfe has been a good 
 racer ; I anfwer that all goodnefs is 
 comparative ; and that fuch Horfes 
 who have been winners of plates about 
 C 2 the
 
 the country, may be improperly call^ 
 ed good racers, when compared to 
 fome others : but I can even allow a 
 very plain Horfe to be a prime racer, 
 without giving up the lead part of this 
 fyftem : for inftance if we fupppfe a 
 Horfe (with a large head and long 
 ears, like the Godolphin Arabian) a 
 low mean forehand, flat fided, and 
 goofe rumped, this, I guefs, will be 
 allowed a plain ugly Horfe ; but yet if 
 fuch a Horfe be ftrong, and juftly made 
 in thofe parts which are immediately 
 conducive to action ; if his (houlders 
 incline well backwards, his legs and 
 joints in proportion, his carcafe flrong 
 and deep, his thighs welj let down, 
 we mall find he may be a very goo4 
 racer, even when tried by the prin- 
 ciples of mechanics, without appeal- 
 ing
 
 ing to his blood for any part of his 
 goodnefs. We are taught by this doc- 
 trine of mechanics, that the power 
 applied to any body, muft be ade- 
 quate to the weight of that body, 
 otherwife, fuch power will be defi- 
 cient for the action we require ; and 
 there is no man but knows a cable or 
 chord of three inches diameter is not 
 equal in ftrength to a chord of four 
 inches diameter. So that if it fhould 
 be afked why a handfome coach Horfe, 
 with as much beauty, length, and pro- 
 portion as a foreign Hcrfe, will not 
 act with the fame velocity and perfe- 
 verance, nothing will be more eafily 
 anfwered, without appealing to blood ; 
 becaufe we Hall find the powers of 
 acting in a foreign Horle much more 
 prevalent, and more equal to the 
 weight of his body, than the powers 
 of acting in a coach Horfe: for 
 
 whoever
 
 [ '4 J 
 
 whoever has been curious enough 
 to examine the mechanifm of differ- 
 ent Horfes by difiection, will find the 
 tendon of the leg in a foreign Horfe 
 is much larger than in any other 
 Horfe, whofe leg is of the fame di- 
 menfions ; and as the external texture 
 of a foreign Horfe is much finer than 
 of any other, fo the foreign Horfe 
 muft neceflarily have the greateft 
 ftrength and perfeverance in acting, 
 becaufe the mufcular power of two 
 Horfes (whofe dimenfions are the fame) 
 will be the greateft in that Horfe, 
 whofe texture is the fineft. 
 
 L E T us next inquire what inform- 
 ation we can gather from the fcience 
 of Anatomy, concerning the laws of 
 motion : it teaches us, that the force 
 and power of a mufcle confifts in the 
 
 number
 
 number of fibres of which it is com- 
 pofed; and that the velocity and 
 motion of a mufcle confifts in the 
 length and extent of its fibres. Let us 
 compare this doctrine with the lan- 
 guage of the jockey : he tells us, if a 
 Horfe has not length, he will be flow; 
 and if made too flender, he will not 
 be able to bring his weight through. 
 Does not the obfervation of the jockey 
 exactly correfpond with this doctrine ? 
 If we now inquire into the motion of 
 Horfes, we jfhall find the bones are the 
 levers of the body, and the tendons 
 and mufcles (which are one and the 
 fame thing) are the powers of acting 
 applied to thefe levers. Now when 
 we confider a half-bred Horfe running 
 one mile or more, with the fame 
 velocity as a Horfe of foreign ex- 
 traction, we do not impute that equa- 
 lity
 
 [ ,6] 
 
 lity of velocity to any innate quality 
 in the half-bred Horfe, becaufe we 
 can account for it by external caufes : 
 that is by an equality of the length, 
 and extent of his levers and tendons. 
 And when we confider a half-bred 
 Horfe running one mile, or more, 
 with the fame velocity as the other, 
 and then giving it up, what fhall we 
 do ? fhall we fay the foreigner beats 
 him by his blood, or by the force 
 and power of his tendons ? or can we, 
 without reproaching our own reafon 
 and underftanding, impute that to be 
 the effect of occult and hidden caufes 
 in the one of thefe inftances and not 
 in the other ? both of which are de- 
 monftrated with certainty, and re- 
 duced to facts by the knowledge of 
 anatomy and the principles of mecha- 
 nics. 
 
 How
 
 [*i6] 
 
 How many inftances have we of 
 different Horfes beating each other al- 
 ternately over different forts of ground! 
 how often do we fee* fhort, clofe, 
 compact Horfes beating others of a 
 more lengthened fhape, over high and 
 hilly courfes, as well as deep and 
 flippery ground ; in the latter of 
 which, the blood is efleemed much 
 better, and whofe performances in ge- 
 neral are much better ! 
 
 AND how comes it to pafs that 
 Horfes of a more lengthened fhape, 
 have a fuperiority over Horfes of a 
 fhorter make, upon level and flat 
 courfes ? Is this effected by the differ- 
 ence of their mechanical powers, or 
 is it affected by the blood ? if, by the 
 Jatter, then this blood is not general, 
 
 but
 
 but partial only, which no reafoning 
 man will be abfurd enough to allow. 
 But I much fear our diftinctions of 
 good and bad blood are determined 
 with much partiality; for every jockey 
 has his particular favourite blood, of 
 which he judges from events, fuccefs, 
 or prejudice : elfe, how comes it to 
 pafs, that we fee the different opini- 
 ons and fafhions of blood varying 
 daily ! nay, we fee the very fame blood 
 undergoing the very fame fate ; this 
 year rejected, the next in the higheft 
 efteem ; or this year in high repute, 
 the next held at nothing. How ma- 
 ny changes has the blood of^Childers 
 undergone ! once the beft, then the 
 worft, now good again ! Where are 
 the defendants of Bay Bolton, that 
 once were the terror of their antago- 
 
 nifts !
 
 t'7 J 
 
 nifts ! Did thefe prevail by the fupe-* 
 riority of their blood, or becaufe their 
 power and their fabric was fuperior 
 to the Horfes of their time ? If any 
 one afk why Danby Cade was not as 
 good a racer as any in the kingdom, 
 the jockey could not impute this de- 
 feel: to his blood ; but if it fliould be 
 imputed to his want of proportion, 
 furely it might be held for a true and 
 fatisfadtory reafon. How many revo- 
 lutions of fame and credit, have all 
 fportfmen obferved in thefe HIGH- 
 BRED families. 
 
 NUMBERLESS are the examples of 
 this kind which might be quoted, but 
 to account for this, one fays, The blood 
 is wore out for want of a proper crofs; 
 another tells us, That after having 
 been long in this climate, the blood 
 degenerates; but thefe reafons cannot 
 be true, becaufe^0. we fee the off- 
 D ipring
 
 fpring of all erodes, and of the moft 
 antient families, occafionally trium- 
 phant over the fons of the very lateft 
 comers, the error then will not be 
 found in the blood, or in the proper 
 croffing ; but the defect will be pro- 
 duced by the erroneous judgment of 
 mankind, in putting together the 
 male and female with improper fhapes; 
 and while we are loft and blinded by 
 an imaginary good, the laws of na- 
 ture ftand revealed ; and we by pay- 
 ing a proper attention thereto, and 
 employing our judgment therein, 
 might wipe this ignis fatuus from the 
 mind, and fix the truth on a fure 
 foundation. Our obfervation fhews 
 us, that on the one hand, we may 
 breed Horfes of foreign extraction too 
 delicate, and too flight for any la- 
 bour ; and on the other hand, fo 
 coarfe and clumfey, as to be fitter 
 for the cart thaintUe race. Shall we 
 
 then
 
 C '9 } 
 
 then wonder thefe cannot race, or 
 fliall we doubt that degrees of imper- 
 fection in the mechanifm, will pro- 
 duce degrees of imperfection in race- 
 ing ! and when we find fuch deficient, 
 fhall we ridiculously impute it to a 
 degeneracy of that blood, which once 
 was in the higheft efteem, or to the 
 want of judgment in him who did 
 not properly adapt the fhapes of their 
 progenitors ! 
 
 i 
 
 SHALL we confefs this, or is the 
 fault in nature ? For though mcft 
 philofophers agree, that innate prin- 
 ciples do not exift, yet we know for 
 certain, that in the brute creation, 
 whofe food is plain and fifnple, (un- 
 like luxurious man) the laws of na- 
 ture are, generally fpeaking, invari- 
 able and determined. If it mould 
 be afked why the fons of the Godol- 
 phin Arabian were fuperior to moft 
 D 2 Horfes
 
 [20] 
 
 Horfes of their time ; I anfwer, be- 
 caiife he had * great power and fyme- 
 try of parts, (head excepted) and a 
 propriety of length greatly fuperior 
 to all other Horfes of the fame dia- 
 meter, that have been lately feen in 
 this kingdom; which I do not aflert 
 on my own judgment, but on the o- 
 pinion of thofe who, I believe, un- 
 derftand Horfes much better than I 
 pretend to do: and 'tis very probable, 
 this Horfe, if he had not been con- 
 fined to particular Mares, might have 
 begot better racers than any he did. 
 On the contrary, I have heard it 
 urged in behalf of his blood, that he 
 was a very mean Horfe in figure, and 
 that he was kept as a teizer fome 
 years before he covered. What does 
 this prove? I think nothing more, 
 than that his firft owner did not right- 
 ly underftand this kind of Horfe, and 
 
 that
 
 [ 21 3 
 
 that different men differed in their o- 
 pinions of this Horfe's fabric. 
 
 I F any man who doubts this excel- 
 lence to be in the blood, mould aflc 
 how it came to pafs that we often fee 
 two full brothers, one of which is a 
 good racer, the other indifferent, or 
 perhaps bad, I know of but two an- 
 fwers that can be given ; we muft ei- 
 ther allow this excellence of the blood 
 to be partial, or elfe we muft fay, 
 that by putting together a Horfe arid 
 a Mare, different in their fhapes, a 
 foetus may be produced of a happy 
 form at one time, and at another the 
 foetus partaking more or lefs of the 
 fhape of either, may not be fo happi- 
 ly formed. Which friall we do ? mall 
 we impute this difference of goodnefs 
 in the two brothers, to the difference 
 of their mechanimi ? or fhall we fay 
 this perfection of the blood is partial ? 
 
 If
 
 [ 22] 
 
 If the latter, then we muft own that 
 blood is not to be relied on, but that 
 the fyftem of it, and whatever is 
 built on that foundation, is precarious 
 and uncertain, and therefore falls to 
 the ground of its own accord. Whilft 
 this continues to be the rule of breed- 
 ing, I mean of putting male and fe- 
 male together, with no consideration 
 but that of blood and a proper crofs, 
 it is no wonder fo few good racers are 
 produced, no wonder mankind are 
 dilappointed in their pleasures and ex- 
 pectations ; for this prejudice does not 
 only extend to blood, but even to the 
 very names of the breeders, and the 
 country where the Horfes are bred, 
 though it is beyond all doubt, that 
 the North claims the preference of all 
 other places in this kingdom; but 
 that preference is allowed only from 
 the multiplicity of Mares- and Stal^ 
 
 . li
 
 C *3 ] 
 
 lions in thofe parts, and from the 
 number of racers there bred* 
 
 I WOULD not be thought in this 
 to prefer my own opinion of fhape 
 and make to the known goodnels of 
 any Stallion, but would prefer the lat- 
 ter before the opinion of all mankind. 
 What then ? It is not every Horfe 
 that has been a good racer will get 
 good colts ; feme have fuffered too 
 much in their conftitution by hard 
 and continual labour, whilft others 
 have fome natural infirmity that may 
 probably be entailed on their gene- 
 ration. 
 
 BUT the moft material thing in 
 breeding all animals, and to which 
 we pay the leaft regard, either in the 
 race of men or Horfes, is the choice 
 of the female, who not only joins in 
 
 the
 
 [24] 
 
 the production of the foetus, but ifi 
 the formation of it alfo. And that 
 the female has even the greateft fhare 
 in the production of the foetus, will 
 be proved by this inftance : if you 
 take a dunghill cock and put to a game 
 hen, and alfo put a brother of that 
 game hen to a fifter of the dunghill 
 cock, thofe chickens bred from the 
 game hen will be found much fupe- 
 rior to thofe chickens bred from the 
 dunghill hen. 
 
 AND here I beg leave to be allowed 
 (without the imputation of pedantry) 
 one quotation from Virgil, who is 
 fuppofed to have well underftood the 
 laws of nature. In his defcription of 
 the choice of animals for procreation, 
 in the third chapter of his Georgic's, 
 and the 49th verfe, you will find it 
 thus written : 
 
 " Seu
 
 [ 2 5 3 
 
 f < Seu quis Olympiacse miratus premia palms, 
 " Pafcic Equos, feu quis fortes ad aratra Juvencos, 
 *' Corpora pnecipue matrum legat." 
 
 BUT if I fhould not efcape the 
 cenfure of the critics on this occa- 
 fion, I expect the thanks of all the 
 handfbme well-made women in the 
 kingdom, for this hint, who under- 
 ftand Latin; and where they do not, 
 I hope their paramours will inftil the 
 meaning of it, as deeply as they can 
 into them. But to return to the breed 
 of Horfes. 
 
 W E pay little regard to the mecha- 
 nifm of the female, or of the Horfe to 
 which we put her, but generally 
 choofe fome particular Horfe for the 
 fake of the crofs, or becaufe he is call- 
 ed an Arabian ; whereas, in fad, eve- 
 ry Stallion will not be fuited to every 
 E Mare,
 
 [ 26] 
 
 Mare, but he who has a fine female, 
 and judgment enough to adapt her 
 fhapes with propriety to a fine male, 
 will always breed the beft racer, let 
 the fort of blood be what it will, al- 
 ways^ fuppofing it to be totally fo- 
 reign. The truth of this will be con- 
 firmed by ourobfervation, which {hews 
 us, that Horfes do race, and do not 
 race, of all families and all erodes. 
 
 WE find alfo, that affinity of blood 
 in the brute creation, if not continued 
 too long in the fame channel, is no 
 impediment to the perfection of the 
 animal, for experience teaches us, it 
 will hold good many years in the 
 breed of game cocks. Befides, \ve 
 know that Childers, which was per- 
 haps the beft racer ever bred in this 
 kingdom, had in his veins a confan- 
 guinity of blood ; his pedigree in- 
 forming
 
 forming us, that his great grandam 
 was got by Spanker, the dam of which 
 Mare was alfo the dam of the faid 
 Spanker. 
 
 I F we inquire a little farther into 
 the different fpecies of the creation, 
 we hail find this principle concern- 
 ing perfection of fhape ftill more ve- 
 rified. Amongft game cocks we {hall 
 find, that wherefoever power and 
 propriety of fhape prevails moft, that 
 fide (condition alike) will generally 
 prevail. We fhall find alfo, that one 
 cock perfectly made, will beat two or 
 three of his own brothers imperfectly 
 made. If any man fhould boaft of 
 the blood of his cocks, and fay that 
 the uncommon virtue of this ani- 
 mal, which we call game, is innate, I 
 anfwer no, for that all principles, and 
 all ideas arife from fenfation and re- 
 flection, and are therefore acquired. 
 E 2 WE
 
 WE perceive this fpirit of fighting 
 in game chicken, which they exert 
 occafionally from their infancy ; even 
 fo it is amongft dunghill chickens, 
 though not carried to that degree of 
 perfeverance. 
 
 WHEN arrived at maturity, we 
 fee thefe different birds will ftill 
 continue to fight if they meet; if 
 I fhould be afked why the perfe- 
 verance of fighting in one does not 
 continue to death, as in the other, I 
 anfwer, that from a different texture 
 of the organs of the body, different 
 fenfations will arife, and confequent- 
 ly different effects be produced ; and 
 this will be proved by inftances 
 from the beft of thofe very cocks 
 which are called game, who (it is 
 well known) when they fuffer a va- 
 riation
 
 If 1 
 
 riation in their texture, or as cockers 
 term it, become rotten, run away 
 themfelves, and their defcendants al- 
 fo; which fenfation of fear could not 
 be produced by any alteration in the 
 body, if this principle of game was 
 innate. 
 
 AMONGST men, do we not per- 
 ceive agility and ftrength ftand forth 
 confefled in the fabric of their bo- 
 dies ? Do not even the paffions and 
 pleafures of mankind greatly depend 
 on the organs of their bodies ? A- 
 mongft dogs, we fhall find the fox- 
 hound prevailing over all others in 
 fpeed and in bottom ; but if not 
 in fpeed, in bottom at leaft I hope 
 it will be allowed. To what fhall 
 we impute this perfection in him? 
 {hall we impute it to his blood, or 
 to that elegance of form in which 
 
 is
 
 is found no unneceflary weight to 
 opprefs the mufcles, or detract from 
 his ability of perfeverance ? if to 
 blood, from whence fhall we de- 
 duce it ? or from ' what origin is it 
 derived? Surely no man means more, 
 when he talks of the blood of fox- 
 hounds, than to intimate that they 
 are defcended from fuch, whofe an- 
 ceftors have been eminent for their 
 good qualifications, and have fhone 
 confpicuous in the front of the pack 
 for many generations. 
 
 BUT allowing this iyftem of blood 
 to exift in hounds and Horfes, let us 
 confider how inconfiftently and dif- 
 ferently we act with refpect to each ; 
 with refpecl: to hounds, if when ar- 
 rived at maturity, we think them 
 ill fhaped and loofely made, we at 
 once difpofe of .them without any 
 
 trial,
 
 [3' ] 
 
 trial, well knowing they will not 
 anfwer our expectations : whereas, 
 in Horfes, let the fhape be what 
 it will, we are perfuaded to train, 
 becaufe the jockey fays they are 
 very H i G H-B RED. If we now com- 
 pare the blood of Horfes with that 
 of dogs, fhall not we find the cafe to 
 be fimilar ? will not the origin be as 
 uncertain in Horfes as in dogs ? It is 
 true, in fome foreign countries they 
 have long pedigrees of their Horfes 
 as well as we, but what proofs have 
 they themfelves of this excellence 
 of the blood in one Horie more than 
 another of the fame country ? I never 
 heard they made any trial of their 
 Horfes in the racing way, but if 
 they did, their decifion would be 
 as uncertain as ours with refpecl 
 to the blood, becaufe their deci- 
 fion muft be determined by events 
 
 alone,
 
 alone, and therefore, by no means 
 a proper foundation whereon to 
 build a fyftem, or eftablifli a faft, 
 which can be accounted for by 
 caufes. 
 
 THE jockeys have an expreflion 
 which, if this fyftem be true, is 
 the moft fenfelefs imaginable : I 
 have heard it often faid, Such a 
 Horfe has fpeed enough if his heart 
 do but lie in the right place. In 
 anfwer to this, let us confider a 
 Horfe as a piece of animated ma- 
 chinery (for it is in reality no 
 other) ; let us fet this piece of ma- 
 chinery going, and ftrain the works 
 of it; if the works are are not a- 
 nalogous to each other, will not 
 the weakefl give way ? and when 
 that happens, will not the whole 
 *be out of tune ? But if we fuppofe 
 
 a 

 
 1 :33 ] 
 
 a piece of machinery, whofe works 
 bear a true proportion and analogy 
 to each other, thefe will bear a great- 
 er ftrefs, will act with greater force, 
 more regularity and continuance of 
 time. If it be objected, that foreign 
 Horfes feldom race themfelves, and 
 therefore it muft be in the blood, 
 I think nothing more eafily anfwered^ 
 for we feldom fee any of thefe Horfes 
 fent us from abroad, efpecially from 
 Arabia, but what are more or lefs 
 difproportioned, crooked, and de- 
 formed in fome part or other ; and 
 when we fee this deformity of hape, 
 can we any longer wonder at their 
 inability of racing : add to this, ma- 
 ny of them are perhaps full-aged 
 before they arrive in this kingdom ; 
 whereas, it is generally underftood, 
 that a proper training from his youth 
 is neceflary to form a good racer. 
 
 F BUT
 
 [34-3 
 
 BUT be this as it will, let us con- 
 fider how it happens, that thefe awk- 
 ward, crofs-maped, difproportioned 
 Horfes, feemingly contrary to the laws 
 of nature, beget Horfes of much finer 
 fhapes than themfelves, as we daily fee 
 produced in this Kingdom. And here 
 I acknowledge myfelf to have been 
 ^ong at a lofs how to account for this 
 feeming difficulty* 
 
 I HAVE been often converfant with 
 travelers, concerning the nature and 
 breed of thefe Horfes ; few of whom 
 could give any account of the matter, 
 from having had no tafle therein, or 
 any delight in that animal : but, at 
 length, I became acquainted with a 
 gentleman of undoubted veracity ; 
 whofe word may be relied on, whofe 
 tafte and judgment in Horfes is infe- 
 rior to no man's. 
 
 HE
 
 [35] 
 
 H E fays, that having fpent a con- 
 fiderable part of his life at Scanderoon 
 and Alleppo, he frequently made ex- 
 curfions amongft the Arabs - y excited 
 by curiofity, as well as to gratify his 
 pleafures. (The Arabs, here meant, 
 are fubjects of the grand feignior, and 
 receive a ftipend from that court, to 
 keep the wild Arabs in awe, who are 
 a fierce banditti, and live by plunder.) 
 He fays alfo, that thefe ftipendiary 
 Arabs are a very worthy fet of people, 
 exactly refembling another worthy fet 
 of people we have in England called 
 Lawyers ; for that they receive fees 
 from both parties ; and when they 
 can do it with impunity, occasionally 
 rob theniielves. Thefe Arabs encamp 
 on the deferts together in large num- 
 bers, and with them moves all their 
 houfhold ; that thefe people keep num- 
 bers of greyhounds, for the fake of 
 F 2 courfing
 
 [36] 
 
 courfing the game and procuring their 
 fubfiftance-c and that he has often 
 been with parties for the fake of 
 courfing amongft thofe people, and 
 continued with them occafionally for 
 a confiderable fpace of time. That 
 by them you are furniflied with dogs 
 and horfes ; for the ufe of which you 
 give them a reward. He fays they 
 live all together ; men, horfes, dogs, 
 colts, women, and children. That 
 thefe colts, having no green herbage 
 to feed upon when taken from the 
 Mare, are brought up by hand, and 
 live as the children do ; and that the 
 older Horfes have no other food, than 
 ftraw and choped barley, which thefe 
 Arabs procure from the villages moft 
 adjacent to their encampments. The 
 colts, he fays, run about with their 
 dams on all expeditions, till weaned; 
 for that it is the cuftom of the Arabs 
 
 to
 
 [37] 
 
 to ride their mares, as thinking them 
 the fleeteft, and not ^their riorfes j 
 from whence we may infer, that the 
 mare colts are beft fed and taken care 
 of. That if you afk one of thefe 
 banditti to fell liis mare, his anfwer 
 is, that on her ipeed depends his own 
 head. He fays alfo, the ftone colts 
 are fo little regarded, that it is Diffi- 
 cult to find a Horfe of any tolerable 
 fize and fhape amongft them. 
 
 IF this then is the cafe, fhall' We 
 be any longer at a lofs to account for 
 the deformity of an animal, who*, 
 from his infancy, is neglecled, ftari^cj* 
 and dried up, for want of juices ? or 
 fhall we wonder that his " offspring, 
 produced in a land of plenty,' of 
 whom the greateft care is taken, who 
 is defended from the extremity (5f 
 heat and cold, whofe food 1 is never 
 
 limitedj
 
 [38] 
 
 limitted, and whofe veflels are filled 
 with the juices of the fweeteft herb- 
 age, fliall we wonder, I fay, that his 
 offspring, fo brought up, fhould ac- 
 quire a more perfect fliape and fize 
 than his progenitor ? or if the Sire is 
 not able to race, fliall we wonder that 
 the Son, whofe fliape is more perfect, 
 fhould excel his Sire in all perform- 
 ances? 
 
 BUT there is another reafon why 
 many of the very fineft of thefe fo- 
 reign Horfes cannot race : our obferva- 
 tion of them will fliew us, that though 
 their (boulders in general exceedingly 
 incline backwards, yet their fore-legs 
 ftand very much under them ; but in 
 different Horfes this pofition is more 
 or lefs obfervable. This, (when I 
 confidered the laws of nature) ap- 
 peared to me the greateft imperfec- 
 tion
 
 [39]' 
 
 tion a Stallion could poffibly have : 
 but when this gentleman informed 
 me it was the cuftom of the Turks 
 always to keep each fore-leg of the 
 Horfe chained to the hinder one, of 
 each fide, when not in action, I no 
 longer confidered it as a natural, but 
 an acquired imperfection. Shall we 
 now wonder that fuch an one, though 
 ever fb well made in other refpefe, 
 cannot race in fpite of all his blood ? 
 But the cuftom of the Arabs in this 
 refpecl:, he fays, his memory does not 
 extend to. I well remember this to 
 be the cafe of the Godolphin Ara- 
 bian when I faw him, who ftood 
 bent at knees, and with his fore- 
 legs trembling under him : fuch is 
 the cafe of Mofco's grey Horfe in 
 fome degree. In our country we 
 frequently fee Horfes ftand pawing 
 their litter under them with their 
 
 fore-
 
 [40] 
 
 fore-feet ; our cuftom to prevent if 
 is to put hobbles op their . fore-legs, 
 and this will produce the fame pofi^ 
 tion in. a greater or lefs degree^ 
 -though not fo confpicuous as in fome 
 of thofe foreign Horfes, who have 
 .been habituated from their youth to 
 this confined method of (landing. 
 His royal highnefsthe duke of Cum- 
 berland has a very remarkable in- 
 ftance- of this, in a Horfe called 
 >Muley- Iflimael, which is otherwife, 
 -the moft elegant Horfe I ever yet 
 ieheld. - Whether this pofition is na- 
 tural or acquired, will be beft de- 
 termined by his produce. Suppoie 
 now this Horfe fhould be tried, 
 and found no racer, fhall he be 
 condemned as a Stallion, and the 
 fault imputed to his blood; or on 
 the other^ hand, if his colts are 
 ftrait upon their legs, and found to 
 -**&" be
 
 be good racers, fhall trie perfection 
 of fuch colt be imputed to the blood 
 of the father, when we can account 
 for fpeed in the one, and the want 
 of it in the other, from the different 
 attitude of each Horfe ? We are 
 further acquainted, that the Horfes 
 we call Turks, are in reality Arabs ; 
 that 'the true Turkifh Horfe, is a 
 large, heavy, majeftic animal, of no 
 fpeed, defigned to ride on for ftate 
 and grandeur ; that it is the cuf- 
 tom of the bafhaws in Arabia oc- 
 cafionally to choofe, from their pro- 
 vinces, fuch colts as they like, and 
 fend them to the grand feignior's 
 ftables, which they do at their own 
 price, and which the Arabs, who 
 breed them, look upon as a very 
 great hardfhip. Thefe colts are a- 
 gain picked and culled, after hav- 
 ing been fome time in the grand 
 G feignior's
 
 [42 ] 
 
 feignior's ftables, and the refufe dif- 
 pofed of at his pleafure, fo that the 
 fine Horfes found in the poffeflion 
 of the Turks, are either fome of 
 thefe which are caft from the grand 
 feignior's ftables, or which the Turks 
 buy from the Arabs whilft they are 
 young. And he farther acquaints us 
 with the reafon why the Turks choofe 
 thefe Arabian Horfes when young, 
 becaufe, if continued long in the 
 hands of the Arabs, they are fmall, 
 ftunted, and deformed in fhape ; 
 whereas, when brought into Turkey, 
 a land of greater plenty than the de- 
 ferts of Arabia, they acquire a greater 
 perfection both of fize and ftiape. 
 Now, whether thefe Turks and A- 
 rabs are of the fame or different ex- 
 traction, may perhaps be very little 
 to our purpofe ; but it is abfurd to 
 fupppfe that providence has beftow- 
 
 cd
 
 C 43 ] 
 
 ed a virtue on a part only of this 
 fpecies produced in any one country, 
 (which fpecies was undoubtedly de- 
 figned for the ufe of man) and that 
 mankind Jfhould not be able, in any 
 age, to determine with precifion this 
 virtue, or fix any criterion, whereby 
 to judge with any certainty. 
 
 SEEING then, this is the cafe, 
 how fhall we account for the va- 
 rious perfection and imperfection in 
 the breed of thefe foreign Horfes ; 
 for we perceive it not determined 
 to thofe of Turkey, Barbary, or A- 
 rabia, but from each of thefe coun- 
 tries, fome good, fome bad Stallions 
 are fent us ? What fhall we do ? 
 Shall we continue to impute it to the 
 good old phrafe of blood, the parti- 
 cular virtue of which, no man ever 
 G 2 yet
 
 [44] 
 
 yet could ascertain, in any one par- 
 ticular inftance, fince Horfes were firft 
 created ? or fhall we fay that nature 
 has given thefe foreign Horfes a finer 
 texture, a finer attitude, and more 
 power than any other Horfes we 
 know of; and that thefe very Horf- 
 es, and their defcendants always did, 
 and always will furpafs each other 
 in fpeed and bottom, according to 
 their different degrees of power, (nape, 
 elegance, and proportion ? But there 
 is alfo a certain length determined to 
 fbfne particular parts of this animal, 
 abfolutely neceflary to velocity, of 
 the particularity and propriety of 
 which length, all jockeys appear to 
 be intirely ignorant, from the la- 
 titude of their expreffion, which is 
 that a racer muft have length fome- 
 where. 
 
 IF
 
 [45] 
 
 IF I might now be allowed to 
 give my opinion of this propriety 
 of length, I fhould fay it confift- 
 ed in the depth and declivity of the 
 fhoulders, and in the length of the 
 quarters and thighs, and the infertion 
 of the mufcles thereof. The effecl of 
 the different pofition or attitude of the 
 fhoulders in- all Horfes, is very demon - 
 ftrable : if we confider the motion 
 of a fhoulder, we fhall find it li- 
 mited to a certain degree by the 
 ligamentous and tendinous parts, which 
 confine it to its proper fphere of act- 
 ing ; fo that if the flioulder ftand 
 upright, the^Horfe will not be able 
 to put his toes far before him, but 
 will acquire only fuch a particular 
 degree of fpace at each ftep or move- 
 ment ; but if the flioulders have a 
 declivity in them, he cannot only put 
 his toes farther before him, but a 
 
 greater
 
 [46] 
 
 greater purchafe of ground will be 
 obtained at every ftroke* 
 
 THE certainty of this effe& in 
 the declivity of the flioulders will 
 be known by every man's obferva- 
 tion; and it is alfo eafily demon- 
 ftrated by the principles of mecha- 
 nics, by which we learn, that if 
 a weight is applied to a pulley, in 
 order to fliut a door, and that 
 weight be allowed to fall imme- 
 diately and perpendicularly from the 
 door, it will not pull it too with 
 that velocity as it will do if an angle 
 be acquired, and the weight pafs 
 over a wheel removed to a very 
 little diftance from the door. 
 
 NEVERTHELESS, there is no ge- 
 neral rule without exception, for 
 we now and then find a Horfe to be 
 
 a
 
 [47] 
 
 a good racer, who has not this de- 
 clivity in his flioulders, but from a 
 length in his thighs and quarters has 
 a fufficient {hare of Ipeed. Add to 
 this, there is another advantage ob- 
 tained to the Horfe befides velocity 
 by this declivity of the flioulders, for 
 his weight is removed farther back, 
 and placed more in the center of his 
 body, by which an equilibrium is 
 acquired, and every mufcle bears a 
 more equal {hare of weight and 
 action ; fo that the nearer the articu- 
 lation of the quarters approach to 
 the fuperior part of the (houlders, 
 fo much the fhorter will the back 
 be, and as much more expanded as 
 the cheft is, fo much ftronger will 
 the animal be, and will alfo have a 
 larger fpace for the organs of refpi- 
 ratiou to exert themfelves. 
 
 BUT
 
 [48] 
 
 Burl would not be understood to 
 mean, that the fhortnefs of the back, 
 or capacity of the cheft, will confti- 
 tute a racer ; far from it : but that in 
 any given and proportioned length, 
 from the bofom of the Horfe to the 
 fetting on of the dock, the nearer the 
 fuperior points of the fhoulders ap- 
 proach to the quarters, fo much better 
 able will the carcafe be to fuftain and 
 bring through the weight ; and as 
 much as the moulders tbemfelves pre- 
 vail in depth, and the quarters and 
 thighs in length, fo much greater will 
 be the velocity of the Horfe, becaufe 
 a greater purchafe of ground is hereby 
 obtained at every ftroke. 
 
 I T is by this propriety of length, 
 firength of carcafe, and the power of 
 the mufcles, that foreign Horfes excel 
 all others, and it is by the fame advan- 
 tages
 
 [49] 
 
 tages they excel each other alfo, and 
 not by any innate virtue, or principle 
 of the mind, which muft be under- 
 ftood by the word blood, if any thing 
 at all is intended to be under/food by 
 it ; and this is a truth every man 
 would be convinced of, if he would 
 diveft himfelf of partiality to particu- 
 lar blood, and confide in his own ob- 
 fervation of Horfes and their perform- 
 ances. 
 
 S E D B u R Y was an inftance of this 
 great power, in whom we find all the 
 mufcles rifing very luxuriant, and with 
 a remarkable prominence. The fa- 
 mous Childers was a like inftance of 
 it. Thefe two Horfes were remark- 
 ably good, but we have been abfurd 
 enough to condemn the blood of both 
 at various times ; in one, becaufe he 
 had bad feet, and entailed that de- 
 H fed
 
 [50] 
 
 fed on the generality of his offspring ; 
 in the other, becaufe mod people who 
 bred from that lineage, were running 
 mad after a proper crofs, when they 
 fhould have been employed in think- 
 ing only of propriety of fhape. 
 
 I A M very far from defiring to be 
 thought a fuperior judge of this ani- 
 mal, but I will be bold to fay, that 
 according to thefe principles of length 
 and power, there never was a Horfe 
 (at leaft that I have feen) fo well en- 
 titled to get racers as the Godolphin 
 Arabian ; for whoever has fcen this 
 Horfe, muft remember that his fhoul- 
 ders were deeper, and lay farther into 
 his back, than any Horfe's ever yet 
 feen ; behind the flioulders, there was 
 but a very fmall fpace ; before, the 
 mufcles of his loins rofe exceflively 
 high, broad, and expanded, which 
 
 were
 
 [ 5* ] 
 
 were inferted into his quarters with 
 greater ftrength and power than in 
 any Horfe I believe ever yet feen of 
 his dimenfions. If we now coniider 
 the plainnefs of his head and ears, the 
 poiition of his fore-legs, and his ftint- 
 ed growth, occasioned by the want 
 of food in the country where he was 
 bred, it is not to be wondered at, that 
 the excellence of this Horfe's fliape, 
 which we fee only in miniature, and 
 therefore imperfectly, was not fo ma- 
 nifeft and apparent to the perception 
 of fome men as of others. 
 
 IT has been Taid, that the fons 
 of the Godolphin Arabian had better 
 wind than other Horfes, and that 
 this perfection of the wind was 
 in the blood. But when we con- 
 fider any Horfe thus mechanically 
 made, whofe leavers acquire more 
 H 2 purchafe,
 
 [52] 
 
 purchafe, and whofe powers are 
 ftronger than his adverfaries, fuch 
 a Horfe will be enabled by this 
 fuperiority of mechanifm, to adt 
 with greater facility, and therefore 
 it is no wonder that the organs 
 of refpiration (if not confined or 
 flraitened more than his adverfa- 
 ries) fhpuld be lefs fatigued. Sup- 
 pofe now, we take ten mares of the 
 fame, or different blood, all which 
 is held equally good, when the 
 Mares are covered, and have been 
 efteemed fo long before, and put 
 to this Godolphin Arabian, let us 
 fuppofe fome of the colts to be 
 good racers, and others very in- 
 ferior to them ; (hall we condemn 
 the blood of thefe mares which 
 produced the inferior Horfes ? If fo, 
 we fhall never know what good 
 blood is, or where it is to be found, 
 
 or
 
 [53] 
 
 or ever ad with any certainty in 
 the propagation of this ipecies, and 
 it is this ridiculous opinion alone of 
 blood, that deceives mankind fo 
 much in the breed of racers. If 
 we afk the jockey the caufe of this 
 difference in the performance of thefe 
 brothers, he (willing to account 
 fome how for it) readily anfwers, 
 that the blood did not nick ; but 
 will a wife and reafoning man, 
 who ferioufly endeavours to account 
 for this difference, be content with 
 fuch a vague, unmeaning anfwer, 
 when, by applying his attention to 
 matters of fad:, and his obfervation 
 to the different mechanifin of thefe 
 brothers, the difference of their per- 
 formance is not only rationally, but 
 demonltratively accounted for? 
 
 BUT
 
 [54] 
 
 BUT if this excellence of the 
 racer fhould really be in the blood, 
 or what is called the proper nick- 
 ing of it, I muft fay, it is a mat- 
 ter of great wonder to me, that 
 the blood of the Godolphin Ara- 
 bian, who was a confined Stallion, 
 and had but few Mares, fhould 
 nick fo well as to produce fo many 
 excellent racers ; and that the blood 
 of his fon Cade, who has had fuch 
 a number of Mares, and thofe, per- 
 haps, the very beft in the kingdom, 
 fhould not nick any better than it 
 feems to have done ; for I do not 
 conceive the performances of the 
 ions of Cade to have been equal 
 in any refpecl to the fons of the 
 Godolphin Arabian ; though I do not 
 pretend to determine this myfelf, but 
 fhall leave it to the opinion of 
 mankind. 
 
 THE
 
 [55] 
 
 * THE queftion then is, whether this 
 excellence of Horfes is in the blood or 
 the mechanifm ; whoever is for blood, 
 let him take two brothers of any fort 
 or kind, and breed one up in plenty, 
 the other upon a barren heath ; I 
 fancy he will find, that a different 
 mechanifm of the body will be ac- 
 quired to the two brothers by the dif- 
 ference of their living, and that the 
 blood of him brought up on the bar- 
 ren heath, will not be able to contend 
 with the mechanifm of the other, 
 brought up in a land of plenty. Now 
 if this difference of fhape will make 
 a difference in the performance of the 
 animal, it will be juft the lame thing 
 in its confequences, whether this im- 
 perfection of fhape be produced by 
 fcarcity of food,' or entailed by the 
 laws of nature ; if fo, does it fignify 
 whether the colt be got by Turk, 
 
 Barb,
 
 [56] 
 
 Barb, or Arab, or what kind of blood 
 his dam be of ? or where fhall we find 
 one certain proof of the efficacy of 
 blood in any Horfe produced in any 
 age or any country, independent of 
 the laws of mechanics ? 
 
 I F it fhould be urged, that thefe 
 foreign Horfes get better colts than 
 their defendants, that therefore the 
 blood of foreign ones is beft, I an- 
 fwer, no; for that according to the 
 number of foreign Stallions we have 
 had in this kingdom, there have been 
 more reputed and really bad than 
 good ones, which would not happen 
 in the cafe of Horfes, who come from 
 the fame country, and are of the fame 
 extraction, if this goodnefs was in the 
 blood only. But the true reafon why 
 foreign Horfes get better colts than 
 their defendants, if they do get bet- 
 ter,
 
 [57] 
 
 ter, is that (mechanifm alike) their 
 descendants from which we breed, 
 are generally fuch Horfes as have been 
 thoroughly tried, confequently much 
 ftrained, and gone through ftrong la- 
 bour and fatigue ; whereas the fo- 
 reign Horfe has perhaps feldom or 
 ever known what labour was ; for 
 we find the Turk a fober grave per- 
 fon, always riding a foot pace, except 
 on emergencies, and the Arab prefer- 
 ing his Mare to his Horfe for ufe and 
 fervice. As a proof of this truth, let 
 us take two fifter hound bitches, and 
 ward them both with the fame dog ; 
 let us fuppofe one bitch to have run in 
 the pack, and the other by fome ac- 
 cident not to have worked at all, it 
 will be found that the offspring of 
 her who has never worked, will be 
 much fuperior to the offspring of her 
 who has run in the pack. 
 
 I ALL
 
 [58T 
 
 ALL I have now to afk of my 
 brother jockeys is, that for the fu- 
 ture, when fpeaking of thefe Horfes, 
 they will, inftead of the phrafe 
 HIGH-BRED, fay only well-bred, and 
 that they will not even then be un- 
 derftood to mean any thing more 
 by it, than that they are defcend- 
 ed from a race of Horfes, whofe 
 actions have eflablifhed their good- 
 nefs : and that I may have leave 
 to prefer my opinion of the me- 
 chanical powers of a Horfe, to all 
 their opinions concerning blood, 
 which is in reality no more than 
 a vain chimera. If thefe things 
 are fo, have not we and our fore- 
 fathers been hoodwinked all our 
 days by the prevalence of a ridi- 
 culous cuftom, and miftakcn fyf- 
 tem, when by confulting our own 
 reafcn and underftanding, this mift 
 
 of
 
 t 59] 
 
 of error had fled before it ? If 
 this mechanical power was con- 
 fidered as it ought to be, it would 
 excite a proper emulation amongft 
 all breeders : and when the excel- 
 lence in the breed of Horfes was 
 found to be the effect of judgment, 
 and not of chance, there would be 
 more merit as well as more plea- 
 fure in having bred a fuperior Horfe. 
 Add to this, mankind by applying 
 their attention to this mechanifm 
 of animals, would improve their 
 judgment in the laws of nature, 
 and it would not only produce a 
 much better breed of racers than 
 any we have yet feen, but the good 
 of it would extend to all forts of 
 Horfes throughout the kingdom of 
 what kind foever. It is a cruel 
 thing to fay, but yet a very true 
 one, that amongft the prefent breed 
 I 2 of
 
 [6o] 
 
 of Horfes in this nation, a man of 
 any tolerable judgment can hardly find 
 one in fifty fit for his purpofe, whe- 
 ther defigned to draw or ride ; where- 
 as if the purchafers would endeavour 
 to make themfelves mafters of this 
 mechanifm, the breeders of every 
 kind of Horfes muft confult it alfo, 
 or keep their ufelefs ones in their own 
 hands, which I conceive would be a 
 proper punifhment for their igno- 
 rance. 
 
 AND now the author appeals not 
 to the illiterate and unlearned (vvhofe 
 obftinacy is too great to receive in- 
 ftru&ion, and whofe prejudices are 
 too ftrong to be obliterated by any 
 reafons) but to the candid and im- 
 partial inquiry of reafoning and un- 
 prejudiced men into thefe principles, 
 and hopes this may be a means of ex- 
 citing 

 
 citing fbme more able pen, to vindi- 
 cate a truth fo many ages buried in 
 darknefs. If aught conducive to the 
 pleafure or ufe of mankind fhall ac- 
 crue from thefe hints, he will think 
 himfelf happy ; on the other hand, if 
 the principles here advanced fhould 
 prove erroneous, and any man be 
 kind enough to point out the fallacy 
 of them, he will kifs the rod with 
 chearfulnefs and fubmiffion. 
 
 FINIS.
 
 -: 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 ' 
 
 .
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIB 
 
 A 000018178 4