Bibliothèque mondiale du cheval

« I was induced to write on Horsemanship from the great pleasure I took in the study and practice of it, and lamented the want of authors in our own language to assist my pursuit. The Duke of Newcastle ’s Horsemanship I have heard much talk of, but have only seen a voluminous edition of it in French, a language I am not master of. From the number and size of the plates, it must have been too costly a book for general use; and from the superfluous number of prints, and great expence of the work, his Grace must have written it for his own amusement, and published it for the gratification of his friends only.
I have seen Mr. Berringer’s Horseman-ship, a work translated from the French. I believe the book is now scarce. I have not seen one, at least, for these twenty years. By what I recollect, the seat and hand according to the system of the manege, was very correct; but the whole book was confined to the manege only; and however just his observations and remarks were, I did not think the work much calculated to instruct the uninformed.
Another small tract I have seen, wrote by the Earl of Pembroke . This his lordship intended solely for the use of the army. It contains only a few general rules, absolutely necessary for the discipline of the cavalry. His lordship, knowing the aversion a soldier has to study, and the shallowness of the common soldier’s capacity, most certainly thought that much would never he attended to, though the little he wrote might.
I have heard of other small tracts, which, as I knew not the authors, nor heard any commendations of their works, I have not judged them sufficiently interesting for my perusal; and, really, from the obscurity I have kept myself in to those who have a knowledge of the scientific parts of horsemanship, l expect my work will share the like contempt from them. » Présentation de l’éditeur (1805)