Articles
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Equestrian sports at the 1924 Paris Olympics
The VIII Olympiads took place in Paris in 1924, exactly one hundred years ago. The Official Report of the Olympic Committee mentions how the equestrian events were structured over the first editions: "In 1920, Belgium revised the 1912 program. It …
10 June 2024
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Updates and developments
The database is progressively enriched with new data sets, processed and integrated in successive batches. The data is in xml-ead and xml-tei format, after a phase of alignment with existing data and enrichment according to authority records (Rameau, VIAF, SUDOC, …
06 March 2024
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Partnership between the FEI and La Bibliothèque Mondiale du Cheval
The horse at the core of an innovative partnership between the FEI and France’s University of Caen The FEI and the Maison de la Recherche en Sciences Humaine MRSH, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique MRSH CNRS (Human Sciences Research …
20 November 2023
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Bourgelat's manuscript at Alfort
The library at the École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort is a treasure trove. A manuscript attributed to Claude Bourgelat (1714-1779) can be seen in one of the old-fashioned shelves. In 1762, at the urging of his friend Bertin, Comptroller General of …
20 September 2023
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Say thirty-three!
From July 26 to 11 August, the XXXIII Olympic Games of “modern times” will take place in Paris. Exactly a century (1924) after the last ones were held in France, it's been a long time to wait. Less than a …
01 September 2023
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It's a fine wild essay!
If he had been born in France, and not at the maternity hospital of the “Sœurs de la Miséricorde” in Montreal, on 17 April 1968, we might have been talking about the “sixty-eigth” syndrome to try and explain the incredible …
20 May 2023
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Theft of Dürer’s research
The summer of 1528 in Nuremberg was especially turbulent. The city was still in mourning for its great artist, Albrecht Dürer, who passed away in the spring. After his death, a little master engraver named Hans Sebald Beham published a …
10 June 2021
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Trained horses
Can a horse learn to read and count? Can another consciously pick up a hat at the request of its rider? In the 17th century, Delcampe write about Mauraco and his horseman Pietro who were burned in a public square …
20 May 2021
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Anderson Academic Books
Edward Lowell Anderson (1842-1916) was born in Ohio, studied law and owed his equestrian training to a former French cavalry officer, Joseph Merklen. Because of his knowledge, he was able to produce many highly valued publications that can still be …
10 April 2021
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The Blanchaud, photographers from the Saumur Cavalry School
Zacharie and Hervé Blanchaud, father and son, were the official photographers of the Cavalry School during the first half of the 20th century. The father, Zacharie (1864-19 ..), born in Vignols, in Corrèze, had come to Saumur in 1892 to …
20 March 2021
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Screams and neighs
In the cinema, as soon as a horse enters the scene, its appearance is usually accompanied by a stereotypical neigh. However, as a prey animal, it does not neigh as much as the cinema would have us believe. If we …
10 March 2021
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The Molier circus and its strange fans
Ernest Molier (1844-1933) was supposed to become a notary in Le Mans like his father. But, more interested in the bright lights of the Parisian circus than in his studies, the young man quickly devoted himself to learning to ride …
20 February 2021
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Carriages and narrow streets
Turning with a four-horse carriage in the narrow street “du Sabot” was proof of great concentration: “Then, the action of the guides must be combined in such a way that the change of direction can be indicated on the fly, …
10 February 2021
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Exceptional manuscripts from around the world
The horse has always been the subject of reflection, long before the invention of the printing press. The numerous examples delight the curiosity of amateurs, whether they are interested in the caves decorated by the Magdalenians, the tablets engraved with …
10 January 2021
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Plates from the Encyclopedia
Symbol of the philosophy of the Enlightenment, the generous work initiated by Diderot and D’Alembert consists of 28 volumes, 11 of which are dedicated to engraved plates. Of course, the horse is present in all its forms. Cross-cutting theme par …
07 December 2020
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The veterin, a question of vocabulary
The use of words sometimes leads to arguments when trying to satisfy the demands of a part of society. Until recently, the feminization of the names of the works, although it has not yet been decided by the French Academy, …
20 November 2020
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The Chronicles of the Baron de Vaux
A polygraph of the world, Baron de Vaux (1843-1915) published many beautifully illustrated works that are a collector’s delight. This former cavalry officer served under General l’Hotte before becoming a journalist and sports writer. Mennessier reminds us that “in 1860 …
10 November 2020
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Thoughts from an amateur, certainly in tune with the times
Is autumn what is approaching, like the opening of the hunt and the so-called “pack race”? Is it the gloom that is winning us much to our regret, in these times of under-confinement? In any case, digging into the nooks …
20 October 2020
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The woman on horseback, practical advice … And something else
It’s a nice little book. Inexpensive (1 franc of the time), published on the author’s account in 1893 and edited by L. Régnault-Trolonge, located in Falaise. Simple but elegant rustic, it is signed by Paul de Vaucottes, who we don’t …
10 October 2020
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Exhibition in Leipzig until November 8
The Leipzig University Library, the Custody and the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Leipzig, jointly present a beautiful exhibition of a unique collection of books on hypiatrics. Many of the pieces, some of which come from the former Dresden …
20 September 2020
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The photo of the “back gallop”
At the end of the 19th century, photographer Delton had immortalized James Fillis in Germinal’s saddle with this unique march. The English rider had arrived in France very young. He performed in the Champs-Elysees circus under Franconi’s direction before being …
10 September 2020
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The talking horse
The American television series Mister Ed, the talking horse , very popular in the 1960s, recounted Wilbur’s misadventures caused by his horse. The horse had the ability to express itself with great sarcasm. Like the series, this narrative trick is …
20 August 2020
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Treatise on Bits by Jehan de Feschal
The term “Bit-Fitting” did not exist at the end of the 15th century. However, riders were already concerned with finding the right bridles for their horses. Although the effectiveness of the action seemed to be much more important than the …
10 August 2020
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The races, from today to yesterday…
Like many other sectors, horse racing has also been affected by the pandemic caused by the Coronavirus. Racetracks have been closed and therefore both trot and gallop racing programs have been suspended, training centers have been reduced and stables have …
10 July 2020
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The timeless book of Max. E. Ammann
Regretting the continuation … The confinement linked to Covid 19 will have stopped the exercise of equestrian sports, whatever the disciplines developed and controlled by the IEF (International Equestrian Federation) for several months. An opportunity to get closer to what …
20 June 2020
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And for the young ones?
Many generations have dreamed of galloping through the Camargue region on Albert Lamorisse’s White Mane or living the adventures of Walter Farley’s Black Stallion. Children’s literature has been enriched with new stars to also satisfy the wishes of girls like …
10 June 2020
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Aubert, The squire of the ladies
His Treatise on Horsemanship , published in 1836, which Monteilhet called “remarkable, complete, adjusted and which, both for its good classicism and for its thoroughness, occupies a happy middle ground between that of La Guérinière and that of Steinbrecht “, …
20 May 2020
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The future of the horse
Long gone are the sounds of the horse’s mistreatment on city streets. It is hard to imagine today that transportation was done in stagecoaches that ran at a regular average trot at 10 kilometers per hour, or in mail cars …
09 May 2020
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French horsemanship, world heritage
In 2011, the French traditional horsemanship was inscribed on the representative list of the intangible heritage of humanity. This file led by the team of horsemen Cadre Noir of the city of Saumur, is the fruit of a work of …
20 April 2020
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The equestrian photographs of the Deltons
We know the famous photo of James Fillis galloping on his back, or that of Blanche Allarty as a horsewoman, doing a school jump. These images were immortalized by Delton. Louis-Jean Delton Sr., a former cavalry officer, was a pioneer …
10 April 2020
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Glanders and farcina, the scourge of the great epidemics…
The photograph at the beginning of the article is the death mask of a veterinary student from Alfort, who died in 1836 after contracting glanders when he cut himself during an autopsy on a horse – Fragronard EnvA Museum. Glanders …
20 March 2020
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Agricultural science, morals and good manners of the 19th century
In the middle of the 19th century, treatises on agriculture were considered so complete and practical, to the point of adding a sort of agricultural catechism to defend both good agricultural practices and the household virtues that should be associated. …
08 March 2020
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Lafosse’s horse medicine in color
If we are to believe General Mennessier de la Lance, we owe Lafosse junior (1738-1820) a “true monument to the global study of the horse”. His Cours d’Hippiatrique ou Traité complet de la Médecine des Chevaux (Course in Horse Medicine …
08 February 2020
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The beliefs of Mr. Tupputi
Domenico Tupputi (1763-1838) was one of the last people to believe in the existence of the “jumart”, a chimerical hybrid less famous than the unicorn, product of the crossing of a bull with a mare or a donkey. At the …
24 January 2020
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Leonardo’s horses
The beautiful exhibition dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci by the Louvre Museum contains a large number of drawings of horses. This exceptional draughtsman gives life to his animals in each stroke, in the sense of proportion and movement, the perception …
10 January 2020
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The beginnings of industrial food
We have to go back to long before the age of oil: transport was essentially horse-drawn, animal traction was vital for agriculture, and horses had to be fast and efficient. It was, and still is, a priority to feed horses …
20 December 2019
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The testaments of General L’Hotte
The name of this Cavalry General (1825-1904) is one of the most famous in French horsemanship. For Mennessier “he knew how to obtain the most difficult figures of the high school of training without the eyes of the spectator discovering …
07 December 2019
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Traffic jams, a very old shame
You might think that the transit code appeared with the arrival of the car, as well as them discomfort at having to share the road. Riders, four-horse carriages, bicycles and motor vehicles drove through the streets together, at the cost …
20 November 2019
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The unpublished horsemanship treatise of the Sieur de Lugny
It’s already out… It’s hot… What is it? “Une École d’Equitation à la Fin de la Renaissance”. The unpublished treatise of the Sieur de Lugny written in 1597 was ignored until Frédéric Magnin, CNRS researcher, fond of equestrian culture, exhumed …
09 November 2019
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The Library is in the “Equidays”
We will be present in the itinerant town of the “Équidays” (October 23-27, 2019). East famous event, organized by the department of Calvados, will be a great horse festival in the entire province, including a mobile town and about forty …
23 October 2019
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Inappropriate harness and reins
Englishman Edward Fordham Flower (1805-1883), pensioner of the brewery and great lover of horses, he took his pen to denounce the nefarious uses of the implements used in the carriages. The campaign was a real success as its brochure was …
10 October 2019
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Ephrem Houël tribute in bookstores
The Rocher publishing house has just published a biography of Ephrem Houël. It is the posthumous fruit of work of the journalist, writer and historian Jean-Pierre Reynaldo, to whom we owe numerous books on the trot such as Le Trotteur …
20 September 2019
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The foals of Mr. Séguin
Armand Séguin (1675-1835) was an amazing character. He made his fortune as a chemist and developed an accelerated method for tanning thick leathers by means of dilute sulfuric acid. With this, he was able to guarantee the revolutionary army, a …
07 September 2019
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Available Royal Dublin Horse Show archives
The archives of the Dublin Horse Show which dates back to 1864 and is considered the most Ancient of the world in its style, they are already digitized and available at the link: http://digitalarchive.rds.ie . They are part of the …
20 August 2019
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Johan Dejager left us suddenly
On Wednesday, August 14, 2019, Johan Dejager * died of a myocardial infarction. Head of the textile industry (Osta Carpets), Flemish, passionate about sailing and horse riding, just turned sixty (May 21, 1959). He was the owner of horses, organizer …
19 August 2019
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Balassa’s soft hardware method
Constantin Balassa (1795-1862) was an Austrian cavalry captain of the Sixth regiment of the Hussars. Since 1825, he dedicated himself to working with horses and published a pamphlet in 1828 on ironwork methods without the need to force the horse. …
10 August 2019
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The Legend of Godolphin Arabian
The name Godolphin Arabian is related to famous maternal purebred lines of racehorses, such as the famous Eclipse. The undeniable leader was of Bay-brown color, long shoulders and powerful muscles, but lacked grace, according to French observers. This was a …
20 July 2019
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Astrology and Parenting
” The time to calibrate is approaching, eight days before a purge has to be made at sunset of the Moon, the Sign of Chancre or Scorpio to steal the blood.” (…) Once done, take two or three days after …
10 July 2019
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Johan Dejager, the editor who ignored himself
Great Books on Horsemanship: this is the title of a unique book. This baby weighs more than five kilos (5.2 kg)! This book is a monster. An extraordinary contribution to knowledge, history and memory… Edited in the name of Johan …
04 July 2019
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Tolstoi’s Pio Horse
The novel by Leon Tolstoy entitled Холстомер, was originally published in 1885, before being translated into French in 1887 under the title « Story of a Horse ». The author of War and Peace (1869) gives voice to an old …
20 June 2019
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The Quadrature of the circle
The square circle is a perfect oxymoron, which is very useful to riders. This roundabout figure combines circular displacement with straight lines that make up a square. The rider draws a square by running a quarter turn with the waist …
10 June 2019
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Baucher, an art of the representation
The famous squire François Baucher was not only a great rider. In addition to his well-known writings, he published author name, a magnificent album on paper, which presented the results of his work on three of his horses with the …
20 May 2019
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Adolphe Guenon, a precursor of ethology
Adolphe Guenon is still known by donkey and mule lovers for trying to rehabilitate them with “The Intimate Mule” (Châlons-sur-Marne, 1899). This military veterinarian, in fact, has written more widely on animal intelligence and psychology. His first writings were acclaimed …
10 May 2019
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Wearing the colors… From the knight to the rider
What rider has not dreamed of one day wearing the blue jacket of the French team? What fan has not dressed in blue or put on a badge to show his commitment to the team? Wearing the colors has a …
25 April 2019
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Stendhal, a horseman?
Did you know? The author of The Charterhouse of Parma and of The Red and the Black would have been a great horse aficionado, if we believe the essay written by the Count De Comminges. This ancient French cavalry official …
15 April 2019
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The horse in Diderot and d’Alembert
The goal of The Encyclopedia or Reasoned Dictionary of Sciences, Arts and Crafts was “gathering the scattered knowledge on the surface of the earth, exposing the general system to the men with whom we live, and transmit it to men …
05 April 2019
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Self-editing, an old recipe
The resumption of literary activities 2018 was shaken by the presence of a self-published book in the first selection of the prestigious Renaudot prize. This news unleashed the wrath of booksellers who have seen that option as a disturbing signal …
20 March 2019
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Alliance with the IFCE, an approach to the service of knowledge
Jean Roch Gaillet, director of the IFCE (French Horse and Riding Institute) on March 19 ratified a partnership agreement with The World Horse Library, which was born at the end of 2018. As indispensible as evident for both parties, through …
19 March 2019
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The use of pseudonyms
The use of a pseudonym responds to many more reasons than we think. For example, an artist seeks out with his borrowed name, poetry that his original or real name does not have. Caran d’Ache cartoons, which means pencil in …
05 March 2019
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Locomotion and chrono-photography
Since the beginning of time, man has been fascinated by the speed of the horse. The cave paintings are the first testimony of this. The drawings of horses with several legs on the rocky walls of the caves should be …
20 February 2019
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A universal horse tongue
In the 19th century, the veterinarian Émile-François Decroix was an important militant of animal welfare. He wanted to create a kind of phonetic language to communicate with horses. He had conceived the great principles, which he presented at an international …
05 February 2019
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Jean-Louis Gouraud, researcher, editor, author… Charming
Jean-Louis Gouraud, seventy-five years old, a journalist by vocation, begins to work at the magazine Jeune Afrique in 1968, in his youth he traveled that continent many times, he was passionate about their issues but also for their ambitions, which …
25 January 2019
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The Fragonard Museum, a journey through time
The national school of Alfort hides an impressive museum. Created by Claude Bourgelat, founder of the first veterinary schools in the world, it would be one of the oldest museums in France (1766). It is a kind of natural history …
15 January 2019
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The horse of the atomic race
Henri Becquerel and Marie Curie opened a Pandora’s box when discovering the radioactivity of uranium and radium. As a result of their work, began the discovery of healing properties of said elements. At first they gave rise to great advances …
05 January 2019
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A look at the treasures of equestrian history
The World Horse Library This easy-to-see brochure aims to present some of the great treasures of equestrian history. It is just a (short) glance at the incredible richness of the writings that have been made about the horse. You can …
25 December 2018
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The cavalry in 14-18
As if the books that appear in the lists of General Mennessier de La Lance do not sufficiently reflect the barbarism and the heavy tribute paid by the horse, there are many more written than one imagines about the use …
20 December 2018
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Black Beauty, a 141-year-old horse
Black Beauty, is the only novel by the English writer Anna Sewell. Since she could not walk without crutches, this young woman toured England and Europe in carriages. This aroused a great passion for horses. When her health problems increased …
10 December 2018
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The charm of the innovations in disuse
If the Lépine contest had existed before (it was created in 1901), today’s reader would not have had the pleasure of discovering the obsolete inventions that flourished in the 19th century. The inventors presented their discoveries with the assurance that …
05 December 2018
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Inauguration at the horse fair
On Tuesday, December 27, was the launch of The World Horse Library at the stand of Normandy, in the presence of various personalities of the Region starting with Mme Eudier, Vice President in charge of Agriculture of the office of …
28 November 2018
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Following the steps of Mennessier de la Lance
The first census of books of the World Horse Library is based on the last authorized inventory that appeared under the title Equestrian Bibliography Essay (1915-1921) that we owe to the retired cavalry general, Gabriel-René Mennessier de La Lance. This …
19 November 2018
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Xenophon first of all, by and for Mario Gennero
Mario Gennero, was born in the Turin countryside « on the farm we had draft horses and mules » and he still lives in the Turin suburb of Settino. At seventy-two years old, he is still passionate about literature and …
19 November 2018
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The longest book would be Norman
Some beautiful albums may contain an amazing accordion-folded border. This type of folding is called “ leporello” . The longest valance displayed, which has been recognized so far in the Library of the horse measures 6.75 meters. It represents the …
19 November 2018
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A Jean-Louis Gouraud fund in Deauville
Journalist, writer, globetrotter, declared a pilgrim before the Lord after his Paris-Moscow trip in 1990 “to theTurcomana”, that is, in relief with two horses ( Le Pérégrin emerveillé , Actes Sud publishing house, 2012, Renaudot Pocket Prize), Jean-Louis Gourand is …
19 November 2018
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Archives from the oldest horse show
In Ireland you can immerse yourself in the catalog of the oldest horse show in the world. Ireland extends for over 70,000 km2 and has just under 5 million inhabitants, grosso modo “weighs” ten times less than France (almost 640,000 …
19 November 2018
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The World Horse Library opens its doors
Since time immemorial the horse has accompanied the development of humanity. He has been seen on roads, hooked and mounted, in the field or in the mine, in the conquest of unknown lands, in hunting, in war and then in …
19 November 2018
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Meeting with Vincent Haegele
Vincent Haegele is the director of the libraries of Versailles. In this context, this year (April 6 – July 7) at the headquarters of the Central Library, two steps from the castle, he organized a beautiful premiere dedicated to the …
05 November 2018
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The unicorn, a fable horse?
That white horse, endowed with a horn in the middle of his forehead, makes rivers of ink flow since the Middle Ages. Naturalists of the seventeenth century believed firmly in their existence, as Bartholin recounted it, in 1645, in the …
04 November 2018
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Johan Dejager, Collector’s Fever
As far as we know, Johan Dejager’s collection of ancient books on horses is the most beautiful in the hands of a private collector. Those belonging to companies are not included. To judge, be convinced, and in the absence of …
25 October 2018
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Philippe Deblaise: the expert’s knowledge
Philippe Deblaise, is the patent expert on the ancient horse book. The name of his company matches his given name: Philippica (from the Greek philos , friend and hippicos , horse). Although he is more than sixty years old, his …
11 October 2018
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First book of equine therapy
One might think that therapy through the horses is a recent care technique. The benefits of the presence of the horse and the practice of horsemanship have been known for a long time. The first medical indications in this regard …
09 October 2018
