Bibliothèque mondiale du cheval

« Second enlarged and corrected edition of this extensive compilation of the available knowledge on horses and horse medicine, based on all important manuals of the time by Johann Christoph Pinter von der Au, apparently a pseudonym of the unknown compiler, perhaps a kinsman of the family Pinter van der Au living in Au an der Traun in Upper Austria during the 17th century.
The first edition of this work appeared anonymously in 1664 with a slightly different title : Vollkommener ergänzter Pferdt-Schatz. Auss reiffer Erwegung der Natur Vernufft und offmahligen Erfahrung entstanden … (Frankfurt a/M, Thomas Matthiasb Götze, 1664; VD17 39:126025T). The plates in our edition are copies of the plates in this first edition. A third edition appeared in 1695 in Vienna.
The title of the first edition describes the contents as follows : Vollkommener ergänzter Pferdt-Schatz. Auß reiffer Erwegung der Natur, Vernunfft und offtmahligen Erfahrung entstanden, wie auß deselben Würckungen, nach der Beschaffenheit ihres guten oder widrigen Gebrauchs, in allen derselben Bezeigungen, einstimmung zu erkennen und zu befinden seyn. Alles In Gestalt einer ausführlichen, leicht verständlichen und begreifflichen Theoria und auff dieselbe gegründete Praxis verfasset: Von dem gantzen Geschlecht der Pferde, unterschiedlicher Art, Natur, guten und bösen Eigenschaften, Tugenden und Lastern, auch andern Mängeln und Kranckheiten, mit aller derselben unfehlbaren Kennzeichen, Ursachen, Verhütungs- und Verbesserungs- oder Artzney-Mittel, und die hierinnen befindliche (in viel wege erleuchterte) Abrichtung und übung, solcher sonderlichen Unterweisungs Art, wodurch nicht allein die Pferde, sondern deren Liebhaber selbst, aller Beschwerung, Schmerzen, Gefahr und Schadens gäntzlich befreyet bleiben: dagegen solche Ritterliche Wissenschaft, zu ihren höchsten Lust, Nothdurft, Ruhmm und Nutzen, lange Zeit wolständig, ohne Schwächung ihrer Kräfften und Verdruß des Gemüths, mit Anwendung kurtzer Zeit und geringer Unkosten, geniessen können. (The complete and revised horse treasury. Created after careful consideration of nature, reason and experience, as well as the effects of the latter, according to their positive or negative outcome in all their various aspects. All this in the form of a comprehensible and intelligible theory, which is easy to understand and based on practical experience. On all kinds of horses, their differences and nature, good and bad characteristics, virtues and vices. It also deals with deficiencies and diseases and their unmistakable features, causes, means of prevention, improvement and medication. It covers further the application of medicines and preventative measures, which are not only designed to completely free the horse of all difficulty, pain, danger and damage but also their owners. This to enable them to pursue military glory with gusto and without hardship, to carry out their duties for a long time, without loss of physical or mental strength, effectively and at little casts).
The work is divided in three main parts: (1) on horses in general, horse breeding, care and treatment of horses, livery stable and stud farm, (2) on riding, training and dressage, including bits and reins, and (3) on horse medicine. Each chapter is preceded by a short poem by the author summarizing the content:
- Part 1, chapter 1: on establishing a stud farm, food and beverage, etc. (pp. 1-27); chapter 2: on the care of foals (pp. 28-39); chapter 3: maintenance of a stud farm, the profession of a stable master (pp. 39-64); chapter 4: on the characteristics, proportions and qualities of the horse (pp. 65-113); chapter 5: on the general use of horses (‘Der Pferde gemeine Gerauch und Nothdurfft’, pp. 113-120); chapter 6: on special use of the horse (‘Der Pferde rechter, höchster und hoher, gemainer und ordentlicher Gebrauch’, pp. 121-134).
- Part 2, chapter 1: on riding, training and dressage, including an extensive description of the theory. Pinter von der Au maintains that riding is a liberal art akin to those taught at the university by famous professors because it is grounded in fundamental theory. Riding is not just about the body and the senses, but is also about the mind and the intellect. The text specifically refers to riding as both a science (‘Wissenschaft’) and as an art (‘Kunst’), (pp. 135-192). On pp. 193-242 are the ‘Gemeine und sonderliche Zaumungs-Regeln …’, illustrated with plates of bits and mouth pieces and the right positions for holding the reins; chapter 2: on the training of horses (‘Die Staffel-Ordnung, bestehend in der zu Abrichtung der Pferd gehörigen Unterweisungs-Art’, pp. 243-296); chapter 3 on dressage, illustrated with plates of horses in different positions: trotting, galloping, vaulting, etc. (pp.296-324). On pp. 325-340 is the ‘Appendix des andern Theils des ersten Haupt-Theils … begreiffet die … Kennzeichen eines wohl oder übel disponirten … oder mangelhaften abgerichteten Pferdes …’. Inserted on pp. 341-374, as a kind of Appendix to the second part, is the text of the German translation of the French Royal stable master Delcampe’s L’Art de monter à cheval: qui monstre la belle & facille methode de se rendre bon homme de cheval, first published in 1658: ‘Herrn Del-Campe Königl. Frantzösisch. Ober-Stallmeisters Edle Reit-Kunst …’ (pp. 341-374).
- Part 3 on horse medicine: ‘… begreiffende wohl=bewährte Artzney-Mittel, wider mehr dann zweyhundert und funfftzig Kranckheiten und Gebrechen der Pferde … auff der ältisten und neuesten Scribenten … gegründet’, illustrated with two folding plates of the ‘blood-letting horse’ (pp. 375-456).
The indexes are on the next 8 pp.
Being a very elaborate compilation of the available literature on horsemanship, Pinter von der Au is referring carefree to his sources, from Xenophon and Vegetius, via Rusio and Ruellius to Carraciolo and Zechendorff . Citations of Cicero and Caesar, Strabo, Plinius and Varro testify of his classical education. Regarding the methods for dressage Pinter leans heavily on Antoine Pluvinel and he is much less inclined to use cruel methods and devices than other stable and riding masters of the 17 th century. In the last part Pinter pleas for an intelligent, well-educated and learned horse doctor, superior to the usual practicians and blacksmiths who are engaged generally with horse medicine.
Literature: VD17 3:311219G; Wells 5798; cf. Lipperheide 2910 (1st ed.); Nissen ZBI 3185; Schrader/Hering 1432; R. Mayer, Studien zu den pferdeärztlichen Kapiteln des Johann Pinter von der Au (1664) und des Grafen von Kolonitsch (Hannover 1972). » Dejager (2014)