BOOS I. arrd Expert Ferrkr. 



da/^ the fame moneili in the year following : But before you 

 faffer her to be covered, let neither the Stallion nor Mare be 

 at grafs, but taken into the houfe, fix weeks or a moneth at the 

 leaft i during which time, letthem be both very well fed with 

 - good old Hay and Gates, well dulled and fifted, to the end 

 they may have ftrerigth and feed to perform the office for 

 which you have them. But if you will have your Mare certain- 

 ly toconceivc,then take bloud from both fides of her neck, and 

 let her bleed at either vein well-nigh a quart •■, which mull be 

 done five or fix days before fhe is to be covered ■■, and the next 

 day after bleeding, giv^c her in a quart of new milk, half iij. 

 of Artimfia^ alias MngV90r r,chopped very fmall,a piece of fweet 

 Butter, f 2. of London Treacle warm ^ all thefc put upon the 

 fire tiil the Butter and Treacle bediflblved, and give this to 

 the Mare blood- warm in the morning fafting, and fo the next 

 morning again, and let her drink be white water. This drink 

 is moft foveraign to caufe conception, it provoketh leed abun- 

 dantly, itopeneth the pores in the Body, andcaufeth the Mare 

 to keep the leed fhe receivcth from the Stallion j moreover 

 this drink comforteth the womb and matrix very much : fo as 

 it is great odds but that fiie being thus ordered, will be fped 

 and conceive, unlefs Ihe be a Mare of great fterility \ which fup- 

 pofed, fhe is not to be kept for a race or breeding Mare. 



Moreover, if you be defirous to have your Mare to conceive 

 a Horfe-colt, rather than a Filly ^ obferve then this lellbn I \/i 

 fhall here give you, and you fhail find it an infallible rule, which 

 will never Mifs, vi,z^. At what time you would have your Mare 

 to be covered. Let it be done when one of the firlt five mafcu- 

 Une Signs do reign, which are either Aries^ Taunu^ Gemini., 

 Camtr or Leo j but if file fhall be covered when any of the Fe- 

 minine or watry figns are predominant, as Virgo^ Lihra^Scorpoy 

 SagittartHi^ Cafncofmii.t j^iqunripis, or Pifces j then be you con- 

 fident it will be a Fill, for this have I oftea tryed, and found 

 it feldom or never to fail mc, efpecially if the Wind be either 

 Weft or North (but Welt is belt) at the time of her covering. 

 And you will find this my rule to be molt infallible, for expe- 

 rience hath taught it me : And / have attained unto more k»orv.' 

 tedge bj ixperieme^ than I was ever able to afpire itnti-y either by 

 reading tmd fiitdy-, or by hearing what others have di^ated^ taught^ 

 ^ ~ C or 



