12 The T arrur's Nei:j Guide. Chap. IV\ 



^n ObjeSiion If any oiie (hould plead that thefe Eva- 



anftuered. cuations are made to bring a Horle into a 



better State of Health, and thereby llrengthen his Body, 

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

 is a certain State of Health which is natural and agreeable 

 to every Horfe, and confifts in the Requilites abovemen- 

 lion'd, to wit, in a Life free from Pain, or any inlenlible 

 Imperfedtion ; and, no doubt, as among Men, one Horfe 

 may, comparatively fpeaking, enjoy a more perfecl degree 

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

 fome Difference in their original Struftureand 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 Eltate, is 

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

 and Vigour to overcome the Shocks given to Nature by 

 Phyfick, or elfe an Alteration for tlie worfe ; becaufe the 

 ftrongeft Horfe may thereby be brought into an habitual 

 Weaknefs, which becomes a Difeafe j 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 Cauie. 

 Ibe Caufe of But what has led Farriers into thofe Er- 



ft'vcral Errors rors, is a confufed Notion many of them 

 in the Praiiice have of all Difeafes proceeding from corrupt 

 c/ 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 fliould be often 

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

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

 unpleafant Afpeft, 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 wants Purging as well as Blooding. 

 Another thing which feems to have given Encourage- 

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

 obfei-v'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 

 fome Obflruftions in the Melentery, or Irom fome vifcid 

 floughy Matter lodg'd in the firft Pallagesj which may hin- 

 der 



