The School of Recreation | Page 9

Season, and Temperature of his Body clothe him; for a Smooth Coat shews Cloth enough, and a Rough Coat want of it. Observe likewise where you Water, your Race-Horse, that it be a Running Water, or clear Spring, far distant (a Mile or more) from the Stable, adjoyning to some Level; where after he has once well drank Gallop him, and so Water and Scope him till that he refuse to drink more, for that time; then Walk him gently Home (being an Hour on your way, or more) clothe, and stop him round with soft Whisps, and let him stand an Hour upon his Bridle, and after feed him with sweet sound Oats, throughly dryed either with Age, Kilne, or Sun; if he be low of flesh, or bad Stomacht, add a third part of clean Old Beans, or two parts of Oats, or Wash his Oats in strong Beer or Ale.
For Dressing take these Rules. Dress your Horse twice a day, before you Water him, both Morning, and Evening, thus: Curry him after he is uncloath'd, from his Ear-tips to his Tayle, and his whole Body intirely (save his Legs under the Knees, and Cambrels) with an Iron-Comb; then Dust him, and Rub him with a Brush of Bristles over again; Dust him again, and wetting your hand in clean Water, rub off all the loose Hairs, and so rub him dry as at first; then with a fine _Hair Cloth_ rub him all over; and lastly, with a fine Linnen Cloth; and then pick his Eyes, Nostrils, Sheath, Cods, Tuel, and Feet clean.
The best Food for your Racer, is good, sweet, well dryed, sunned, and beaten Oats: Or else Bread made of one part Beans, and two parts Wheat (i.e.) two Bushels Wheat, to one of Beans, ground together: Boult through a fine Range half a Bushel of fine Meal, and bake that into two or three Loaves by it self, and with water and good store of Barm, knead up, and bake the rest in great Loaves, having sifted it through a Meal-sieve: (But to your finer, you would do well to put the whites of Twenty or thirty Eggs, and with the Barm a little Ale, 'tis no matter how little water:) With the Courser feed him on his Resting days, on his Labouring days with the finer.
The best time for feeding your Runner on his Resting days is, after his Watering in the Morning, at One a Clock at Noon, after his watering in the Evening, and at nine or ten a Clock at nights: On his Days of Labour, two Hours after he is throughly Cold outwardly and inwardly, as before.
As for the Proportion of Meat, I shall not confine your Love to a Quantity, only give him a little at once, as long as his Appetite is Good: When he begins to fumble and play with his Meat, hold your hand, shut up your Sack.
As for his Exercise it ought to be thrice a Week, as his bodily Condition requires; if he be foul, moderate Exercise will break his Grease; if clean, then as you judge best, taking heed of breaking his Mettle, or discouraging him, or laming his Limbs. Before you air him, to add to his Wind, it is requisite to give him a raw Egg broken in his Mouth: if your Horse be very fat, air him before Sun rising and after Sun-set; if lean, deprive him not of the least strength and Comfort of the Sun you can devise. To make him Sweat sometimes by coursing him in his Cloaths is necessary, if moderate; but without his Cloaths, let it be sharp and swift. See that he be empty before you course him; and it is wholesome to wash his Tongue and Nostrils with Vinegar; or piss in his Mouth, before you back him. And after his Exercise, cool him before you come home, house, litter and rub him well and dry; then cloath him, and give him after every Course a Scouring thus prepared.
For scouring a Race-Horse.
Take 20 Raisins of the Sun stoned, 10 Figs slit in the midst, boyl them till they be thick in a Pottle of fair Water, mix it with Powder of Annis-seeds, Lycoras, and Sugar-candy, till it come to a stiff Paste, make them into round Balls, roul them in Butter, and give him three or four of them the next morning after his Course, and ride him an hour after, and then set him up Warm. Or this may be preferred, being both a Purge and a Restorative, a Cleanser and a Comforter, thus prepared.
Take three Ounces of Annis-seeds, six Drams of Cummin-seeds, one Dram and half of Carthamus, one Ounce and two Drams of Fennugreek-seed, one Ounce and half of