Bibliothèque mondiale du cheval

« Much has already been written on this subject, and I do not claim to propound any new theories. There are innumerable books about horse-training, many of which are excellent, but there is a general tendency amongst the readers of such books to become too bigoted in their views, accepting in its entirety the method of one author, and discarding much that is useful in that of another. Some people through love of innovations, others through lack of reasoning, rush at extremes, and if one but cast the right fly, a bright and dazzling one for preference, it seldom fails to attract the unwary and the lazy. In these pages my plea is for moderation and for the acceptance of what one considers best from well-known books on horse-training. Finally, experience must be our best and most reliable teacher.
I once asked the Commandant at Saumur if their system was based on the same lines as Fillis ’, who was then at the St. Petersburg Cavalry School. I was answered by an apt reproach. "No!" he said; "the training at Saumur is the product of the old haute école of France , progressively widened, improved, and kept up to date. Should we find in Fillis or other exponents any new idea that might be worthy of acceptance, we might try it and perhaps accept it. But to accept in entirety the method of one man would be to forfeit our experience of centuries. The experience of centuries is a priceless heritage."
Space must necessarily prevent discussion on certain points, which are open to argument. In such cases I must ask my readers to regard any assertions that are not proved to be such as are sufficiently obvious, or requiring too technical discussion for a book of this description. No doubt there are many methods, other than those that I shall suggest, which possibly are equally good or even more adapted to special circumstances.[…] » Présentation de l’éditeur (1913)