Bibliothèque mondiale du cheval

« The author’s introduction to his Method of Horsemanship is omitted in this edition, because it contains much that would be uninteresting to the American reader. It mentions the great difficulties he encountered in attracting the attention of the public to his system, and the complete success with which it was crowned when once this attention was attracted.^[1] The following fact will prove the great popularity of the work : The first edition was published in 1842; in the first year, two editions were published, and since then seven more, making nine editions in eight years. — Trans. Note. ) . One paragraph from it, which contains the principle upon which his whole method is founded, is here given : — « However favored by nature the horse may be, he requires a preparatory exercise to enable his forces to afford each other mutual assistance; without this, everything becomes mechanical and hazardous, as well on his part as on that of the rider. [...] What musician could draw melodious sounds from an instrument without having exercised his fingers in handling it ? He would certainly, if he attempted such a thing, produce only false, discordant sounds; and the same thing occurs in horsemanship, when we undertake to make a horse execute movements for which he has not been prepared.». » Présentation de l’éditeur (1852)