2 The Parrier*^ New Guide. Chap. I. • 



Now the Caufes which bring on Difeafes, being in z 

 Manner infinite, fince molt Accidents to which Bodies- 

 are expofed from other Bodies^ may be the Occafion of 

 fome Diftemper ; and likewife lince Difeafes may proceed 

 from the Adlion of the fame Body upon itfelf, in a Way 

 that is either voluntary or involuntary ; I {hall therefore 

 forbear all unneceflary and unprofitable Deviations, and 

 only take Notice of thofe Caufes which are moil apparent, 

 and the mofl common. 



The Ancients being unacquainted with the true Struc- 

 ture and Oeconomy of Animal Bodies, afcrib'd a great 

 deal to thofe Qualities which they believed to be in all 

 Bodies, proceeding from the four Elements, as alfo to the 

 Errors of Feeding, Exercife, and Reft, hfc, which they 

 called the Nonnatiirals, And our Farriers, efpecially 

 Markham and De Grey^ in Imitation of them, have puz* 

 zled their Readers with a fort of Philofophy, which neither 

 ihemfelves underltood, nor will ever be of any Ufe to Po- 

 Iterity. The one begins with Generation and Corruption, 

 the other with the Formation of animal Bodies out of the 

 four Elements, viz, Fire^ Air^ Water^ and Earth ; and 

 fubfequent to them to be made up of four Humours, viz, 

 Slood^ Phlegm^ Choler^ and Melancholy ; and accordingly, 

 their Bodies were of different Temperaments, hot and dry, 

 cold and moift, as this or that Humour was predominant. 

 Nay, Markham has refin'd fo far on thefe Notions, as to 

 judge by a Horfe's Colour and Complejcion, which of all 

 the Elements had the Afcendant in him ; and confequent- 

 ]y, whether he is of a cholerick, melancholy, or phlegma- 

 tick Difpofition. 



I (hall very readily ovi^n, that fome of thofe Marks, 

 which that Author has taken Notice of, may oftentimes 

 denote the Faults and Imperfedtions of Horfes ; but that 

 ihey are reducible to luch Temperaments and Humours, 

 as he has afcribed to them, is a meer Dream, and doubt- 

 lefs, may have been the Death of fome Thoufands of 

 Horfes in this Kingdom ; fince it is reafonable to fuppofe, 

 that molt of the EngliJ}} Farriers, building upon him, 

 guefs at the inward Diltempers of Horfes, more from 

 their Colour and Complexion^ than from any other Signs 

 what foe ver. 



All that can jullly be obferved in Horfes, as to their 

 Temperaments, is the two Extremes of too much Fire, 

 or too little, the reft inclining more or lefs to the one or 



to 



