Bibliothèque mondiale du cheval

« […] It is generally allowed that good properties, though the gift of Nature, may be greatly improved by art, and perfected by practice. Nature, art, and practice, then, should unite in the same person, to form the accomplished horseman.-A person so qualified need not be told when and how to assist his horse; and yet if he has a jade to deal with he may find all his skill and labour lost. On the other hand he, who has a horse of a good disposition, if he has not judgment to manage him properly, will probably lose all the advantage and pleasure of the noblest animal in the world.
To avoid so disagreeable a circumstance, let the rider consider whether he has learnt the art of just management; and let the following rules be the test of his abilities.
1. Does he understand the true and perfect shape of horses ?
2. Has he made himself matter of the natural causes of their goodness and badness ?
3. Is he acquainted with the reasons for his own practice ? For by this means he will see what a hand-maid art is to natures and discern that the actions of a perfect Shaped horse are easy, quick, and ready, agreeable to the perfection of his natures qualities naturally bred in and exerted by him, and not the result of correction; and which a good rider will cherish with all possible mildness and gentleness. It is the unskilfulness of riders, that, for the most part, is the occasion of those complaints we frequently hear of restive and ungovernable horses, and their bad performances. It is the want of just taste that makes a bad horseman. Has a young sportman got a horse he cannot manage, the method he takes to tame him is by hunting till he tires him. And yet, give the horse but a week’s rest, and he will be as ungovernable as before. And it is a very just observation, that a man cannot manage a horse at all, if he cannot manage him when in full spirits.
Managed horses that are taught their motions only for parade, are not fit for the road or hunting. And therefore this part of horsemanship is quite useless to the generality. I shall therefore say no more of this part of the art here, but attend only to what may be generally useful. There are persons, however, who urge that what is taught a horse in the manage will not spoil his paces; and that by his discipline there, he is accustomed to have no will of his own, so that an indifferent rider can easily manage him. I will not deny but that this might be the case, if the maters would teach the art of riding on the hunting or common saddle; or, if a person unacquainted with the rules prescribed there, would initiate himself in the riding-house, and make himself master of fome general principles, which he migh occasionally apply to another manner of riding.[…] »

« L’ouvrage se termine sur la présentation de nombreuses figures de voltige, où le cavalier apparait tenir sur la selle en poirier, ou sautant en dextre, debout sur la selle, sabre au clair, etc. Ces postures de haut vol sont sensées démontrer les habilités de l’auteur et ses assistants au lecteur. » Bibliothèque Mondiale du Cheval