1 2 The Farrier'^ New Guide, Chap. IV, 



An Ohjeaion If any one fhould plead that thefe Eva* 



anfii>end, cuations zr?. made to bring a Horfe into a 



better State of Health, and thereby ftrengthen his Body, 

 and enable him the more to refill Difeafes ; I anfwer, there 

 js a certain State of Health which is natural and agreeable 

 to every Horfe, and confifts in the Requilites abovemen- 

 tion'd, to wit, in a Life free from Pain, or any infenfible 

 Imperfedion ; and, no doubt, as ariiong Men, one Horfe 

 may, comparatively fpeaking, enjoy a more perfect degree 

 of Health than another is capable of ; and this is owing to 

 fome Difference in their original Structure and Make, where- 

 of we are Ignorant ; fo that they may as well turn a black 

 Horfe white, or a white Horfe black, as to pretend to make 

 a Horfe Strong, who is naturally of a weak and delicate 

 Conftitution. All therefore that can be expeded from 

 tampering with Horfes that are in their bell Eibte, is 

 either little or no Alteration at all, if a Horfe has Youth 

 and Vigour to overcome the Shocks given to Nature by 

 phyfick, or elfe an Alteration for the worfe ; becaufe the 

 llrongeil Horfe may thereby be brought into an habitual 

 Weaknefs, which becomes a Difeafe ; and a Horfe that is 

 Weak, may become yet much Weaker ; and thefe Acci- 

 dents frequently happen by fuch unskilful Management, 

 though they are generally attributed to fome other Caufe. 

 7he Caufe of But what has led Farriers into thofe Er- 



fe^eral' Errors rors, is a confufed Notion many of them 

 in the Prailice have of all Difeafes proceeding from corrupt 

 cf Farriers. Blood ; and therefore, as if the Blood of 

 Horfes was like Pond or Ditch-water, which gathers Mud 

 and Filth at certain times, they think it (hould be often 

 cleanfed. And becaufe the Blood of thefe Creatures (as mod 

 of them are ufed to Toil and Labour) is generally of an 

 unpleafant Afpe6l, they feldom or never take Blood from 

 any Horfe, but they think him full of bad Humours, not 

 confidering but this may be the natural State of his Blood ; 

 and for that Reafon they do not often mifs telling the 

 Owner, that his Horfe w^ants Purging as well as Blooding, 

 Another thing which feems to have given Encourage- 

 ment to thofe Methods, is, becaufe fome Horfes have been 

 obferv'd to eat plentifully, and not thrive, till after Evacua- 

 tions were made pretty largely. Whenever any fuch thing 

 happens, there is the Sign of a Difeafe proceeding from 

 feme Obftrudtions in the Mefentery, or from fome vifcid 

 iloughy Matter lodg'd in the firil Pallages^ which may hin- 

 der 



