Bibliothèque mondiale du cheval

« This book is an account of the way in which I gained whatever knowledge I may possess about horses. Horse-lore is an extremely difficult science to acquire, owing, I believe, to its immense extent, and to the difficulty in finding out the schools in which its various branches are taught. If this story of my life among horses in many lands fails to be amusing, it may serve the useful purpose of a guide book to others who know less about horses than I do, though equally interested in them. In the teaching books which I have written on Veterinary Work, Riding, Breaking, Training, etc., I have had so much to say pertinent to the matter in hand, that I have had in them little or no opportunity of illustrating principles by the narration of my own personal experience. The good opinion of my publisher gives me the happy chance of "holding forth" about myself; but instead of doing so with an air of superiority and assumed infallibility, I find that I have written as a student ever seeking for more light by which to acquire knowledge of the subject to which he has devoted the best years of his life. As I have often found mistakes to be more enlightening than inspiration, I relate them both, heedless of the fact that instead of posing as a prophet, I "give myself away" as one who not long ago was just as ignorant about my own pet study, as anyone else. I believe that the Public and the Press are inclined to receive reminiscences with a lenient and forgiving spirit, as a sort of dying speech by those whose active life is finished. I beg, however, to disclaim such a concession; for my wife and I look forward to having many more adventures in foreign lands among men and horses. The sad part of the thing is that by the time one acquires a large amount of insight into any difficult subject, one is too old to put it into practice. Happily, my stock of equine lore is far from being complete. » Présentation de l’éditeur (1894)