Chap. I. Of the Tiifeafes in Horses^ 5 



to the other. When a Horfe has too much f^at to be ob-^ 

 Fire, and is therefore untradable and un- y^^V concern- 

 manageable (if that Difpofition is not itfelf '^<? ^^^ Tempe- 

 a Difeafe) it expofes him to a great many '^^'-^^^^ o/Hor^ 

 Accridents which would be necdlefs to name ; '^"' 

 belides, that by the continual Reftlelihefs of his Spirits, and 

 the conftant Hurry of his Blood, he mull therefore be fub- 

 je(5t to feveral Diftempers, more particularly to Fevers and 

 oftentimes thofe of the worft Kind. If on the other Hand, 

 a Horfe be of a dull, iluggifh Difpofition, he muft alfo be 

 expos'd to Diftempers that are peculiar to a flow and lan- 

 guid Blood ; and the nearer any Horfe approaches to ei- 

 ther of thefe Temperaments, he is the more obnoxious to 

 their Diftempers. 



Horfes may be alfo faid to be of different Temperaments 

 at different Periods of their Life ; and therefore a young 

 Horfe being full of Blood, and his folid Parts as yet of a 

 loofe Texture, muft be more fubjed to DifeafeSj than one 

 who is arriv'd at his Prime; and thofe Difeafes muft be of 

 Worfe Confequence to him, if not carefully look'd tOo 

 And likewife a Horfe who is grown old, tho* fuch an one 

 is not fo apt to be difeafed as a young Horfe, yet their Dif- 

 eafes more frequently end in Death, or prove irrecoverable 5 

 becaufe the Blood at that Time grows languid, and lofes 

 the Vigour that is peculiar to Youth, and the middle Age, 

 "Which muft needs deprive them of the Benefits and Aifift- 

 ances of Nature. But a Horfe in his Prime, having then 

 all his Parts well conform'd, and his Blood in its beft State, 

 neither too luxuriant^ nor too much depauperated j and 

 likewife the Quantity of Blood being in that Age nearly 

 adjufted to the Capacity of the Velfets in which it flows ; 

 he is therefore neither apt to be difeafed, nor are his Difeafes 

 apt to be of a long Continuance. 



But the Farrier ought carefully to take Notice, that albeit 

 thefe Obfervations concerning Temperaments may, for the 

 moft Part, be very juft, yet it is undeniable that fome are 

 more robuft and hardy, while but Colts^ than others are 

 at the Prime of their Age ; and fome retain a great deal of 

 their Vigour, even when they are grown old, and as eafily 

 get over any Accident, as Horfes that are youngs And 

 likewife it is to be obferv'd, that fome Horfes of a faint 

 wafhy Colour, fometim.es prove hard and durable ; and 

 therefore, befides all common Rules and Obfervations, )t 

 may be neceftary, to the forming a right Judgment of the 

 I z Tera-' 



