Everyman His Own Farrier : Or, the Whole Art of Farriery Laid Open : Containing a Distinct and Accurate View of the Causes, Symptoms, and Most Approved Methods of Cure, for Every Disease to Which the Horse Is Liable …
22nd Ed, by Francis Clater (1813).
Francis Clater (1754 (baptized?)-1823) was a British writer and farrier. In his writing he describes his farriery training as having served an apprenticeship under his uncle, William Frost, before beginning his own practice. The London Veterinary College – now the Royal Veterinary College – was not founded until 1791, and so many farriers in this period had various degrees of training, either informally or through apprenticeships like Clater served under his uncle.
Clater first published Everyman His Own Farrier in 1783, potentially taking inspiration from the earlier work of William Gibson, whose work is contained in the Cherry Collection. Clater was quite young when he published Everyman His Own Farrier, particularly in a time where several farriery authors promoted themselves as having many years of experience. In their view, this experience made their works were more trustworthy in their observations and advice. Everyman His Own Farrier was a purportedly a popular work and was published in several subsequent editions (the Cherry Collection’s is a 22nd edition). Moreover, subsequent writers would continue to edit and republish Clater’s work after his death. Clater published a second work, Every Man his Own Cattle Doctor, or, A Practical Treatise on the Diseases of Horned Cattle, in 1810.
Everyman His Own Farrier covers a wide range of equine health issues including bleeding and purging horses for a variety of disorders, cholic, various coughs and other respiratory issues, farcy, mange, as well as a variety of issues affecting the feet. Clater provides advice on a range of treatments and pharmaceuticals and ends the text with a discussion of distemper in dogs.
For more biographical information on Clater, see his entry in the Dictionary of National Biography:
Sherwin A. Hall. “Clater, Francis”. In Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. 23 September 2004.
See also:
G.E. Fussell. “Oddities of 18th Century Farriery: Francis Clater, William Griffiths and William Taplin.” The Veterinary Record 9, no. 63 (1951): 162-164.
Frederick Smith. The Early History of Veterinary Literature and its British Development, vol 3 (1976). 140–45.