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TRAINING METHODS OF OLD Horses Were Once Submitted to Remarkable Treatment Quaint Description of Practices PracticesThat That Prevailed in Time of ofLouis Louis XIV of France Porlinps the oldest detailed directions extant for training a race horse arc found In The Parfait Mnresclial a rare old book by Sieur do Sollcysell equerry to Louis XIV of France who said that he obtained them from a brave cavallecr who assured me he had it In England from a person whose only employment was to prepare and dyet running horses Sir 1illiam Hope who translated Solley sells work into English in ICflO expressed the opinion that this method of training was then very ancient saying It diffcreth vastly from the manner of preparing race horses used now a dayes dayesThat That the British race horse was then as now In ¬ comparable for swiftness though neither the royal mares nor stallions that are the generally ac ¬ credited fountain heads of the presentday breed of runners had yet been imported into England ap ¬ pears from the advice given as to the choice of a horse for running runningIn In England says the author they have horses which are only designed and kept for performing the great courses and they delight so much in this divertisement that they dyet horses expressly for it so that their horses which are naturally well winded and extremely swift are put into such a condition by this manner of preparation that they perform courses which are incredible and that not at a slow or round gallop as our horses but at full speed so that people who have never seen it can scarcely be persuaded that any horse could endure and hold out with the violence of such courses for five or six miles and yet many horses in that kingdom are known to furnish carriers of that length lengthHAY HAY AND OATS NOT ON BILL OF FARE FAREIn In the time of the old English jockey whose training methods have been handed down by Solley s ll hay and oats which now constitute the diet of the highmettled racer were not on his bill of fare The trainer of that day like Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines fed his horse on corn and beans made up into loaves like bread the term corn in England comprehending all small grain Cause make bread for him of half barley and half beans baking them in the form of pretty thin cakes the old English jockey says and rot giving them to the horse until they are a few days old Three pounds at twelve a clock and three pounds at night is sufficient for him in twentyfour hours and that in place of his oats or provpnder Instead of hay let him have wheat sheaves unthreaslied and with the oats upon them themIt It is worthy of note that many trainers of run ¬ ners and trotters today feed little or no hay but substitute oats cut in the milk and cured straw grain and all like hay The practice originated in California hence the term California hay hayAfter After thus dieting the racer four days while he was kept in darkened stall it was in order on the morning of the fiftli day to give him a ball This was made by mixing one pound of fresh butter with twentyfive or thirty cloves of garlic and was to be washed down with a quart of white wine wineOn On the second day after administering the ball the trainer was directed to air him abroad just after sun rising for the space of nn hour and as much at night before sunset sometimes racking or stepping and sometimes galloping him but if he continued too fat then you must take him abroad in the morning an hour after sun rising and in the evening keep him also abroad an hour after the sun is set then bringing him back to the stable rub and cover him well and give him his ordinary portion of food And thus continue to air and exercise him every day giving him always every fifth day his pound of butter made up with garlic Into balls and also observing not to air or take him abroad neither the day he taketh his balls nor the day following followingHIS HIS HOURS OF WORK WORKFifteen Fifteen days after going into training the horse was to be exercised two hours in the morning and two hours at night sometimes at full speed then at a good gallop and afterwards at a step that so he may recover his wind windOne One month of this work was deemed sufficient to fit some horses for a match but the trainer was cautioned to continue the balls and the bread and exercise as directed unless the animal appeared to be ready it the end of four weeks weeksTwo Two days before the match the horse was muzzled at night and at two oclock in the morning was given three pints of sack into which the yolks of twenty or twentyfive newlaid eggs had been beaten At four oclock he was galloped gently at first ind then at full speed as long as his wind will allow it afterwards to a gentle gallop again to give him wind This for three hours followed by a rub down and then by a hot drink and the usual feed feedOn On the day of the match the racer got his former quantity of eggs and sack but only onehalf the usual allowance of bred and wheat sheaves sheavesThe The final injunction of the old English jockey is particularly interesting as showing that Tod Sloan was pcrhaus not after all the originator of the style of riding now known in England as the American seat and that the principle of avoiding the resistance of the atmosphere was better under ¬ stood by the horsemen of three or four hundred years ago han by some of those who pass as such today Here it is isThe The rider is to lean a little forewards to prevent the wind taking too much upon his body and also to have clothes very light and fit for him but no flying or loose coat only a cap in place of a hat hatMuch Much more elaborate intricate and artificial is the course of treatment laid down by Sir William Hope in his directions for training a horse for a match This he recommends in preference to the old English jockeys method as more modern which I have had experience of myself and is I believe indeed one of the best which hath been as yet pub ¬ lished lishedTWO TWO MONTHS TO PREPARE A MATCH MATCHTwo Two months was the time allowed by him for pre ¬ paring a horse for a match He says that some horse keepers demand six months but these he charges with the not yet obsolete practice known as trainin gownnrs and embraces the opportunity to lead them a lecture on the mistake by which they rob their masters of four months pleasure engage them in an expensive charge which will make the sport loathsome and only give them a few false got crowns which vanish so soon as gained gainedAs As hercticks cite Scripture lie says so these people find reasons to defend their want of skill and experience as the danger of too violent exercise the offence of grease too suddenly melted the moving of humors too hastily which leads to mortal sick ¬ ness and the moderating and helping of all these by n slow proceeding or bringing the horse into order by degrees and time or as I may rather say by an ignorant delay and sufferance It is like the curiii of a gangrene in an old man Itetter to die than be dismembered better lose the prize or bets than bear the charges for I appail to any noble judgment whose purse hath experienced such ac ¬ tions if six months preparation with the depend ¬ ants to it doth not eat up and devour the better half of a twentylive or thirtypound wager there ¬ fore for any ordinary match or bet I allow as I said but two months to prepare a horse for it it being most certain that a horse which cannot make a good heat in that time will very rarely make an extraordinary one though you should dyet him triple or quadruple that space spaceSir Sir William Hope separated his course of training into four periods of a fortnight eacii prescribing different treatment and different feed for each eachFor For the lirst fortnight assuming the horse to be fat and soft the trainer was directed to give him each day four quarts of outs together with three small bundles of hay feeding him one quart of oats at a meal or a little more if the horse was a hearty feeder After having been groomed before daylight in the morning the racer was closely wrapped in a body cloth and exercised to give horn a sweat sweatWalk Walk or rack him only a foot pace if you must neither amble nor trot because they arc both prejudicial to speed or swiftness at least a inilo or two or more if you think fit upon smooth and equal ground and if it have a gentle rising so much the better there gallop him gently afterward walk him softly so that he may cool as much one way as he warmeth another and when you have thus exercised him a pretty space and feeling the sun begin to rise or else newly risen rack him down to some fresh river or clear pond and there let him drink at his pleasure After he hath drunk bring him gently out of the water and rack him away very easily When you have thus walked him a little calmly put him into a gallop gently and exercise him moderately as you did before then walk him a little space after which offer him more water If he drinks then gallop him again gently if not then gallop him a little more to occasion thirst and in this manner give him always exercise before and after water and when you judge he hath drunk sufficiently bring him home homeArrived Arrived at the stable the horse was rubbed down and after an hours rest he was fed Again at 11 oclock then at 1 oclock and finally at 0 oclock at night he got his quart of sweet dry old and clean drest oats At evening he was aired again by walking and galloping under blankets and just before his evening meal his legs were to be well rubbed down with wisps of straw strawIn In the second fortnight fast work was begun and with it went some changes in feeding Hay was cut off excepting a few handfuls and bread com ¬ bining three parts of beans with one part of wheat was added to the bill of fare except on the days preceding workout days which came twice a week weekOn On the morning that the trainer or keeper as he was then called intended to give him a heat the racers breakfast was a quart of oats rubbed be ¬ tween the hands with some beer or ale then a new laid egg or two washed down with a little beer or ale aleTWO TWO HEATS A WEEK WEEKIn In giving of heats says the author you are to consider first that two in the week are suffi ¬ cient for any horse of whatsoever condition or state of Iwdy Secondly that one of the msliould always be given upon that day of the week in which your horsq is to run his match and that also still to be the sharpest for increasing of his heels or swift ¬ ness the other being only a slow galloping over the course more to increase wind and cause sweat than to imporve his speed and therefore I would have you to order them thus Suppose your match day is to be upon Mondays and Fridays and the sharper heat to be upon Monday because it is the day of his match Thirdly you shall give no heat in rain or foul weather and in case of sudden showers you shall have for your horse a hood to keep out the rain For nothing is more dangerous than cold wet falling into the ears and upon the nap of the neck Fourthly observe to give your heats as early in the morning as you can that is by the spring of the day Fifthly and lastly rack your horse gently up to the starting post if there be any making him smell at it that so he may both be acquainted with it and also konw the be ¬ ginning and ending of the course at near a three quarters speed and if it be upon the day of the week his match is to fall in then according to his strength goodness of wind and cheerfulness of spirit run Mm the whole course thorow and by no means do anything in extremity or above his wind but when you find him a little yeeld then draw a little and give him ease that he may do all with pleasure and not with anguish for his manner of training will make him take delight in has labor and so the better endure it itWhen When you have finished your heat and gently gallop him up and down to rate his wind and clear his spirits you shall then the groom being ready ride into some warm place or corner and with your glassing or scraping knife made cither of some broken sword blade or a thin piece of old hard oaken wood scrape off the sweat from your horse in every part buttocks cxcepted until you can make no more arise still moving him now and then a little to keep his limbs in motion then with dry cloaths rub him all over and last of all walk him about the fields to cool him and when you find him begin to dry apace then rack him homewards sometimes stepping and sometimes galloping but by no means bring him to the stable till you find him thoroughly dry Then set him up and tie him to the rack and having prepared It against your coming give him the scouring scouringA A LITTLE ON THE SIDE SIDETake Take an English pint or Scotch mutchkin of the syrup of roses or for want of it the like quantity of strong honeyed water and dissolve into it of cassia agarick and myrrhe of each one ounce shaking them well together in a glass then being muld and made warm upon a gentle fire and the horse newly come from his heat give it to him lukewarm lukewarmThis This dose was repeated after every heating during the second fortnight in which there is no doubt but his body will be drawn inwardly pretty clean cleanFor For the third fortnight the racers bread was made of equal proportions of beans and wheat his heats were not quite so sharp as before and the scourings gave place to cordial balls made up after the true receipt of Mr Markhams so much esteemed by the generally of our English farriers The ingredients were aniseeds cuminseeds feenc greek seeds carthamus seeds elecampain roots and coltsfoot of eacli two ounces as also two ounces of the floor of brimstone then nn ounce of the juice of liquorish dissolved on the fire in half an English pint of white wine which done take of the chymlcal oyl of aniseeds one ounce or sallet oyl honey and molasses of each half an English pint then mix all these with the former powders and with as much fine wheat flower as will knit them together Into a stiff paste which make into balls as big as a hens eggs to give your horse as you shall find occasion for them themThese These balls were given almost daily during the third fortnight sometimes anointed with fresh butter to prevent sickness and again dissolved in sack for the cure of colds coldsThroe Throe parts of wheat to one part of beans kneaded with strong new ale and the white of twentyfive or thirty eggs with the ingredients of the racers bread for the fourth and final fort ¬ night of his truly grand preparation 1ou shall make your bread much finer than before says the author and with the crust cut first away and clean oats well dryed and dressed as also some pure split beans all mixed together or severally as you shall think fit Feed your horse at his ordinary meals as you did in the second and third fort ¬ nights only in this last fortnight you shall observe these few directions following followingTHE THE FINAL PREPARATION PREPARATIONFirst First you shall keep your heating days the first week of this fortnight lint the second or last week you shall forebear one heat and not give your horse any five days before his match but for it give him only strong and long airings and waterings courses and if morning and evening during the fortnight you burn frankincence in the stable you will find it very wholesome for your horse and he will also mightily delight in it itThis This fortnight give him no hay but what he taketh out of your hand after his heats and also let that be in little quanity and clean dusted dustedThe The last week of this fortnight if the horse be a foul feeder you must use the muzzle continually but if a clean feeder then three days before the match is sufficient sufficientThe The morning of the day for the match come to him very early and taking off his muzzle give him a pretty quantity of oats washed in the whites of eggs muskadine or cherrie walk him abroad bring him home and putting on his muzzle let him rest readyWhen until you have warning to make ready When you have warning to make ready take off his muzzle and put on his snaffle Iveing washed in a little muskadine or cherrie then bridle him up and after pitching the running saddle and girths with shoemakers wax set it on and girt it 15eing ready to draw out give him half an English pint of muskadine or cherrie and so lend him away Walk him softly to the starting post and there starting fair perform you your part by running him to the greatest advantage he is capable of and leave the rest to providence for although we are obliged to use the means and helps of second causes yet it is that which determine all even the most trivial actions any of us poor mortals are concerned In
