16 NOTES ON EQUITATION 



tion, it is true, was very limited. The lancer's deep saddle, 

 required to resist an adversary's shock, led to a very con- 

 strained seat. Methods of controlling the horse were neither 

 accurate nor progressive; the legs held straight and far out 

 from the horse, could be closed only by jerks: the over- 

 loaded horses necessarily lacked suppleness. Equitation 

 was simplj^ an exhibition of brute strength, but it was well 

 adapted to the form of combat and to the breed of horses 

 then existing. 



During this period of the Middle Ages, we find no works 

 on equitation. The horsemen of that period were certainly 

 not writers and, moreover, equitation with them was a busi- 

 ness rather than an art. 



Italian Schools. The lack of authors and of historical 

 documents brings us up to the time of Pignatelli, an Italian 

 nobleman, who, in the 16th century founded at Naples the 

 first school of equitation that ever existed. His example 

 was promptly followed in Italy and other schools were 

 founded, one at Ferrare by Caesar Fiaschi and one at Naples 

 by Frederick Grison. Their system consisted in exaggerated 

 supplings, exacted in a brutal manner. They obtained re- 

 sults, however, and horses trained in these schools were 

 certainly well in hand, but training was very long and was 

 not always successful. All the horses of Italy, especially 

 those of Naples, had a reputation for viciousness which was 

 probably due simply to the exceptional severity of the 

 liorsemen. 



French Schools. 16th Century. The principles of the 

 Italian School were brought to France at the end of the 16th 

 <'entury by La Broue and Fluvinel, pupils of Pignatelli. 

 The nobility eagerly took up the theoretical study of an art 

 that seemed new to them; competitions took the place of 

 tourneys and at the death of Henry II, the latter disappeared 

 entirely. 



Fluvinel, who was successively first equerry to Henry 

 III and director of the royal stables under Henry IV. found- 

 ed the first academies in France. 



