JO The Ccmpkat Hvrfe-man^ CHAP. 11. 



or told me : For we have a maxim. Experience U the heft andableft 

 miftrefs^ and moderatrix. 



Now for the manner of the covering of your Mare, let her 

 be brought into fome place abroad, and there faftned to foms 

 ftrong poftjthen bring out to her fome ftoned Jade firji to dally 

 with her, and he will provoke her to an aptitude and defire of 

 coity , which done, let the Stallion be led forth towards her, 

 betwixt two or more lufty ftrong men who may be able to ma- 

 iler him if he fhould prove unruly, and let him leap her ; and let 

 this be done in a morning betimes fafting ^ which done, ano- 

 ther man ftanding by with a pail of cold water ready in his 

 hand, in the very time when the HorJe is difmounting, let him 

 calt the cold water upon her ihapci which by reafbn of the 

 coldnefs, the ftrength ofthecafter, and the faddennefs there- 

 of, will caufe her to Ihrink in, and trufs up her body, and it 

 will be the means to make her retain the feed in the matrix \ 

 .otherwife the womb would not peradventure fo foon enclofe it, 

 but for fome time after, howfbever the womb would draw to- 

 gether, but not fo fuddenly, whereby upon the Mares motion 

 there might be fome danger of diflblving. Take then away the 

 Stallion,and let the Mare be put into Ibme remote place alone, 

 from fight and hearing of other Horfes and Mares \ but let her 

 neither eat nor drink in four hours after, neither let her have 

 any water at all till night, and then give her either a fweet 

 mafh, or white water. After Ihe hath been thus Covered, you 

 Ihallknow whether or not Ihe hath either conceived, or loft, 

 or caft her feed, by many evident lymptoms which will appear 

 to your eye ^ for if fhe retain a good ftomach to her meat, and 

 fo continueth, if Ihe do not neigh at hearing or fight of other 

 horfes, if fhe do not pils oft times in the day, cafteth not her 

 eye about gazing continually at every noife fhe heareth, prirk- 

 eth not up her ears, and that in three or four days after lier 

 covering, her Belly feemeth to bemoregant, her hair more, 

 flick and clofe to her skin, fhewing of a brighter colour, and 

 ihe feemeth to faH away and become lean : if ( fay) any of thefe 

 Symptoms do appear in her, then is it an evidert fign /he hath 

 kept her feed and conceiveth, but if the contrary appear in her, 

 then hath fhe loft it and ingendred not. ^X 



But as for offering her the Horfe again ten days after, toge- 

 ther 



