This Creature useth to lye near Rivers in his Lodging, which he cunningly & artificially builds with Boughs, Twiggs and Sticks. A great Devourer of Fish, and eatable in some Countries, where they have good stomacks. It is a very sagacious and exquisitely smelling Creature, and much Cunning and Craft is required to hunt him. But to take him, observe this in short: Being provided with Otter-Spears to watch his Vents, and good Otter-Hounds, beat both sides of the Rivers banks, and you’ll soon find if there is any. If you find him, and perceive where he swims under Water, get to stand before him when he Vents, (i. e. takes breath) and endeavour to strike him with the spear: If you miss him, follow him with your Hound, and if they are good for Otter, they will certainly beat every Tree-root, Bulrush-Bed, or Osier-Bed, so that he cannot escape you.
Of the Wild Goat.
This being a Welsh-Chace, I thought it not amiss to say something of it, as not altogether Forreign. The Wild-Goat is as bigg and as fleshy as a Hart, but not so long-legg’d. The best time for hunting them is, at All-hollontide; and having observed the Advantages of the Coasts, Rocks, and places where the Goats lie, set Nets and Toiles towards the Rivers and Bottoms; for ’tis not to be imagined, the Doggs can follow them down every place of the Mountaines. Stand some on the tops of the Rocks, and as Occasion offers throw down Stones; and place your Relays at the small Brooks or Waters, where the Goat comes down; but let them not tarry till the Hounds come in, that were cast off.
Thus much for Hunting.
As all Beasts are Subservient to Man, and he a Liberty and Power to Use them, and make them his Instruments, for the Procurement of his Profit, or Pleasure; so is there not a Creature more Serviceable to man in either of these, as the Horse. A Beast Valiant, Strong, Nimble and Hardy, the Vivacity of whose Spirits, neither Heat can scorch, or dry up, nor Cold benumb or freez; he is Valiant, Watchfull, and Laborious, naturally Cleanly, and of exquisite Scent; Gentle and Loving to man, docile, and of a retentive Memory, and Apt or Fit for the performing any Service wherein man employes him. And for the Use of which I am now speaking (Racing) he ought to be endued with these Qualifications. That he have the Finest Cleanest Shape possible, and above all, Nimble, Quick, and Fiery, apt to Fly with the least Motion; nor is a long Bodied contemptible, it assuring Speed, tho it signifies Weakness too. The Arabian, Barbary, or his Bastard, are esteemed the best for this Use, these excelling Jennets, though they are good too.
Having furnished your self with a Horse thus qualified, you are to observe his right and due Ordering, before your designed Racing. Bartholomew-tide is the most proper time to take him from Grass; the day before being Dry, Fair, and Pleasant: That Night let him stand conveniently, to empty his Body; the next day Stable him, and feed him with Wheat-straw that day, and no longer; lest you exceeding that time, it straighten his Guts, heat his Liver, and hurt his Blood; for want of Straw, Riding him Morning and Evening to Water, Airing, or other moderate Exercises will serve. Then feed him with good old sweet Hay, and according to the Season, and Temperature of his Body clothe him; for a Smooth Coat shews Cloth enough, and a Rough Coat want of it. Observe likewise where you Water your Race-Horse, that it be a Running Water, or Clear Spring, far distant (a Mile or more) from the Stable, adjoyning to some Levell; where after he has once well drunk, Gallop him, and so Water and Scope him, till that he refuse to drink more, for that time; then Walk him gently Home, (being an Hour on your way, or more) clothe, and stop him round with soft Whisps, and let him stand an Hour upon his Bridle, and after feed him with sweet sound Oats, throughly dryed either with Age, Kilne, or Sun; if he be low of Flesh, or bad Stomacht, add a third part of Clean Old Beans, to two parts of Oats, or wash his Oats in Strong Beer or Ale.
For Dressing take these Rules. Dress your Horse twice a day, before you Water him, both Morning, and Evening, thus: Curry him after he is uncloath’d, from his Ear-tips to his Tayle, and his whole Body intirely (save his Legs under the Knees, and Cambrels) with an Iron Comb; then Dust him, and Rub him with a Brush of Bristles over again. Dust him again, and wetting your hand in clean Water, rub off all the loose Hairs, and so rub him dry as at first; then with a fine Hair Cloth rub him all over; and Lastly, with a fine Linnen Cloth; and then pick his Eyes, Nostrils, Sheath, Cods, Tuel, and Feet, clean.
The best Food for your Racer, is good, sweet, well dryed, sunned, and beaten Oats: Or else Bread made of one part Beans, and two parts Wheat (i. e.) two Bushells of Wheat, to one of Beans, ground together: Boult through a fine Range half a Bushell of fine Meal, and bake that in two or three Loaves by it self, and with Water, and good store of Barme, knead up, and bake the rest in great Loaves, having sifted it through a Meal-sieve: [But to your Finer, you would do well to put the Whites of Twenty or Thirty Eggs, and with the Barme a little Ale, ’tis no matter how little Water:] With the Courser feed him on his Resting dayes, on his Labouring dayes with the Finer.
The best Time for feeding your Runner on his Resting-dayes is; After his Watering in the Morning, at One a Clock at Noon, after his VVatering in the Evening, and at Nine or Ten a Clock at Nights: On his Dayes of Labour, Two Hours after he is throughly Cold, outwardly and inwardly, as before.