189 



the manege, from which I shall take the liberty to draw most of the kw 

 ])ractical lessons I may want, giving my own sentiments on the general 

 subject. It is not in my power to render the author better amends lor 

 thus converting his book to my use, than very heartily to recomfnend 

 to my readers, both his written and oral instructions. 



The grand manege is the most comprehensive system of education, 

 for the Horse, for whereas in common horse-breaking, the animal is 

 only taught obedience and forward progression ; by the manege he is 

 instructed in everj^ possible useful or ornamental action, rectilinear, re- 

 trograde, oblique, or perpendicular. This science, the principle of 

 Avhich is derived from the ancients, has been cultivated, extended, and 

 improved, through a succession of ages. Every action of which the 

 Horse is capable, has been analyzed and calculated, and the whole re- 

 duced to a system of practical rules, the relations of which are explained 

 by an appropriate terminology. As the grand manege has been long. 

 C41 the decline, there are little, perhaps no modern additions, but re- 

 trenchments and improvements, especially on the part of humanity to 

 the Horse. The late Sir Sidney Medows is esteemed the greatest 

 English improver of the art, in latter times, an instance of which, re- 

 corded by Berringer, is the invention of a snaffle with double reins, one 

 to be fastened over the withers, on the opposite side to which the Horse 

 is to turn, in order to the raising of his head, and to press and bend his 

 haunches. 



'I'he ancients, as we learn from Xenophon, longed and worked their 

 Horses in circles, to the right and left hand, backward and forward, 

 as at present. The general objects of the modern manege are, to unite,, 

 knit, or truss the body of the Horse, binding his haunclies more under 

 him ; to give him a graceful and lofty action, a mouth of the highest 

 delicacy, in order to secure that appui or reciprocity of feeling, or 

 support and dependence between it and the rider's hand, and to teach 

 him movement in every direction, with certain feats of vaulting, lor the 

 technical names of which I must refer to professional books. In few 

 words, to educate the Horse in this way, is literally to teach him to 

 dance and caper ; formerly, for ought 1 know, also at present. Horses 

 on the Continent were accustomed to dance the saraband, and to per- 

 form 



