Bibliothèque mondiale du cheval

« […] The difference in the art, from the Duke of Newcastle ’s sime to the present, I shall now make some observations upon. The instruments made use of in his Grace’s time were so severe, that, without the great patience and perseverance which he recommends, the horse must have been continually vexed. By decreasing the severity of those instruments — a more expeditious mode of working has since been adopted; so as to avoid the constraint at that time in use, and consequently to be easier both to the man and to the horse. No better idea can be given of the length of time required in suppling a horse at that time, than by quoting the Duke’s expressions at the end of his third book — « Our only aim in this long, laborious, and painful work, is to put a horse well upon his haunches. » The bridle is the instrument, by which the intelligence is to be communicated to the horse from the hands of the rider — for the genius of the colt is to be brought forth by its rider, as the genius of a boy is by his school-master. If I may be allowed the comparison between the bits in use as described by the Duke of Newcastle, and by the late Earl of Pembroke , and the snaffle since introduced by my much lamented master in horsemanship, Sir Sidney Medows — I should say that the former, when put into its mouth, were like putting a Latin grammar into the hands of a boy. The use of the latter may be compared to another mode of education, which I have formerly seen in Germany, where the boys had pictures set before them, in which the scenes were explained in the language they were meant to be taught: — by this, they insensibly learnt their lesson, instead of being obliged to pore over a book.[…]
Sir Sidney being a near neighbour of my father’s in the country — my intimacy with him commenced when I was a child, "and rose as childhood ripened into man." — From admiration of his art at first, he permitted me to be his scholar; and progressively his partner in the riding-house to the day of his death. Little was I aware of what a difficult task I was undertaking, when his friendship first permitted me to ride his horses under his instruction, and to take the place of his grooms when he was working them in hand. In this way I learned all the subordinate offices, which enabled me to teach the men, who were afterwards to learn under me, those parts, which continued practice began to make familiar to me.[…]  » Présentation de l’éditeur (1806)

« 16 plates, designed by Chalon and engraved by Skelton, and silhouette equestrian portrait of Sir Sidney Medows, K.M., Aged 90. » Huth (1890)