Bibliothèque mondiale du cheval

« As my object in writing this book has been to teach the Art of Riding in a "workmanlike" manner, I have described, with certain necessary modifications, the system adopted by our best steeplechase and flat-race riders, which is the only one that will enable the horseman to cross the most difficult "country" with the utmost safety, and to cover the longest distance with the greatest ease to himself and to the animal on which he is mounted.
Although many books have been written on military equitation, no systematic work treating of our essentially English style of riding, whether practised in the hunting field, "between the flags," or on the racecourse, has appeared previous to the present one, which I trust will meet, to some extent, this literary want. Emboldened by the success of a book I wrote on Training and Racing in India, I have ventured to adapt a portion of it to my present purpose.
I am afraid that at the mention of race riding, many who have taken up this book may exclaim that they do not want to ride like jockeys, and will therefore throw it aside unread. I can, however, assure them that the modern style of steeplechase and race riding — as exemplified by Mr. Garratt Moore, Tom Cannon, and George Fordham, for instance — is the very best model for all ordinary requirements, although it need not be strictly copied in every detail.
I have much pleasure in taking this opportunity of thanking Mr. Stanley Berkley for his friendly labour in illustrating my ideas in this work; Mr. Edwin Martin, the well-known Newmarket trainer, for hints and corrections respecting the chapter on Race Riding ; Mr. Nicholls, for his remarks on saddles, and for Figs. 14 and 30; Mr. Benjamin Latchford, author of ’The Loriner,’ for Figs. 17 to 22, 25, 27, 28 and 29 ; Mr. Tom Cannon, for help with the illustrations of the jockey’s seat ; and my friend, Captain Jones, for the racing incidents with which he furnished me from his own long personal experience. The drawing of a lady on horse- back, is from an admirable painting by Mr. Herberte. I gratefully acknowledge the kind aid afforded me by several ladies of my acquaintance in writing the sixth chapter. » Présentation de l’éditeur (1881)

« London, 1881 ; 1884. » Huth (1887)