Method of Horsemanship [Illustrated] Including the Breaking and Training of Horses, with Instructions for Obtaining a Good Seat
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Method of Horsemanship [Illustrated] Including the Breaking and Training of Horses, with Instructions for Obtaining a Good Seat
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CHAPTER I. NEW MEANS OF OBTAINING A GOOD SEAT 17 CHAPTER II. OF THE FORCES OF THE HORSE. 25 CHAPTER III. THE SUPPLINGS. 32 CHAPTER IV. CONTINUATION OF SUPPLINGS. 58 CHAPTER V. OF THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE FORCES OF THE HORSE BY THE RIDER. 69 CHAPTER VI. OF THE CONCENTRATION OF THE FORCES OF THE HORSE BY THE RIDER . 78 CHAPTER VII. OF THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE FORCES OF THE HORSE BY THE RIDER.(continuation) 91 CHAPTER VIII. DIVISION OF THE WORK. 100 CHAPTER IX. APPLICATION OF THE PRECEDING PRINCIPLES TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE HORSES, PARTISAN, CAPITAINE, NEPTUNE, AND BURIDAN. 104 CHAPTER X. SUCCINCT EXPOSITION OF THE METHOD BY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 113 CONCLUSION. 124 ------ NEW MEANS OF OBTAINING A GOOD SEAT
It may undoubtedly be thought astonishing that, in the first editions of this work, having for its object the horse's education, I should not have commenced by speaking of the rider's seat. In fact, this, so important a part of horsemanship, has always been the basis of classical works on this subject. Nevertheless, it is not without a motive that I have deferred treating of this question until now. Had I had nothing new to say on this subject, I might very easily have managed, by consulting old authors, by transposing a sentence here and changing a word there, to have sent forth into the equestrian world another inutility. But I had other ideas; I wished to make a thorough reform. My system for giving a good seat to the rider, being also an innovation, I feared lest so many new things at one time should alarm even the best intentioned amateurs, and give a hold to my adversaries. They would not have failed to say that my means of managing a horse were impracticable, or that they could not be applied without recourse [18] to a seat still more impracticable. But now I have proved the contrary—that, upon my plan, horses have been broken by troops without regard to the men's seat. To give more force to my method, and render it more easily comprehensible, I have divested it of all accessories, and said nothing about those new principles that concern the rider's seat. I reserved these last until after the indisputable success of the official trials. By means of these principles, added to those I have published upon the art of horse-breaking, I both shorten the man's work, and establish a system not only precise, but complete in these two important parts of horsemanship, hitherto so confused.
By following my new instructions relating to the man's seat on horseback, we will promptly arrive at a certain result; they are as easy to understand as to demonstrate. Two sentences are sufficient to explain all to the rider, and he will get a good seat by the simple advice of the instructor.
The seat of the rider.—The rider will expand his chest as much as possible, so that each part of his body rests upon that next below it, for the purpose of increasing the adhesion of his buttocks to the saddle; the arms will fall easily by the sides. The thighs and legs must, by their own strength, find as many points of contact as possible with the saddle and the horse's sides; the feet will naturally follow the motion of the legs.
You see by these few lines how simple the rider's seat is.
The means which I point out for quickly obtaining a good seat, remove all the difficulties which the plan pursued by our predecessors presented. The pupil used to understand nothing of the long catechism, recited in a loud voice by the instructor, from the first word to the [19] last, consequently he could not execute it. Here one word replaces all those sentences; but we previously go through a course of supplings. This course will make the rider expert, and consequently intelligent. One month will not elapse without the most stupid and awkward recruit being able to seat himself properly without the aid of the word of command.