On the Medicine of Horses

Emma Herbert-Davies holds an honours degree in History, an MA in Medieval Studies, and a PhD from the University of Leeds. A lifelong equestrian, she is the author of The Warhorse in England: 1272–1327 (2025), co-editor of The Horse in History: Festschrift in Honour of John Clark (2024) and has published several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on medieval horses. Her current research focuses on medieval veterinary medicine, with particular attention to how veterinary knowledge and practices were developed, circulated, and transmitted across Latin and vernacular traditions in the Middle Ages.

• IntroductionOn the Medicine of Horses1. On the generation and birth of the horseII On the capture and taming of the horseIII. On the care and training of the horse2. On shoeing the horse3. On the training of the horse4. On the form of the bitIV. On recognising the beauty of the horse’s bodyV. On naturally occurring illnessVI. On the accidental infirmities and injuries of horsesCHAPTERS1. On the worm2. On the flying worm3. On anticuor4. On Strangles5. On vivulis6. On pain from superfluous blood7. On pain from flatulence8. On pain from superfluous eating9. On pain from the retention of urine10. On the swelling of the testicles11. On the infusio horse or infunditus12. On pulcinus or pulsivus13. On infustitusTo fatten the horse14. On scalmatus15. On the infirmity aragiatus16. On cimoira17. On the coldness of the head18. On the infirmity of the eyes19. On evil of the mouth20. On injury of the tongue21. On all injuries of the back22. On the injury of the skin23. On pulmonus24. On spallatiae25. On pustules or carbuncles26. On scabies or pruritus27. On malferutus in the loins28. On injury of the haunch, or sculmatus29. On spatallus, or injury of the shoulder blade30. On injury of the hock31. On heaviness of the chest32. On injuries of the legs and hooves33. On jarda in the hock34. On spavins35. On the curb36. On spinula37. On supraossas38. On attinctio or attincto39. On galls40. On grappae41. On crepatiae42. On extortilliatus or stortilliatus43. On swelling of the legs44. On a thorn or splinter penetrating the legs45. On forma47. On cancer48. On fistula49. On malum pinsanese50. On all injuries of the hooves, and first on sita51. On superposita on the coronet of the foot52. On inclavaturae that touch the living hoof53. On inclavaturae that do not touch the frog54. On the inclavatura that ruptures the coronet55. On the ficus underneath56. On subbattutus under the sole of the footOn spontationibus of the hoovesOn the desolation of the hooves and treatmentOn the changes of the hoovesOn natural infirmitiesIncurablesOn oblique legsOn oblique hooves and their treatmentOn the infirmity murus or celsus, and treatmentOn other glands and treatmentRules for the recognition of all horsesOn the recognition of lamenessOn the recognition of diseasesGlossaryBibliography