AND HORS?: TRAINING} 17 



Equitation as tauglit in these academies was still slow 

 and restricted. The seat in the liigli saddle was always 

 straight and stiff. Immoderate use was made of tlie spur 

 and switch and the methods of training were based priiuti- 

 pally on the use of the cavesson and of the posts. 



17th Century. In the 17th century, the principal riding 

 masters w^ere: SOLLEYSEL (1617-1680) who published 

 the "Parfait Marechal" and translated the works of New- 

 castle; DU PLESSI8; DE LAVALLEE; VENDEUIL, who 

 was De la Gueriniere's teacher, and GASPARD SAUNIEK 

 (1663-1746) who wrote: "Treatise on the 'Complete Knowl- 

 edge of Horses;" "The True Principles of Cavalry;" and 

 "The Art of Cavalry." In England, the Marquis of New- 

 castle is worthy of mention. 



Equitation was still about the same, but they began to 

 work outside the riding hall. Solleysel took up condition- 

 ing and published a "Method of Preparing Horses to Cover 

 Extraordinary Distances." Gaspard Saunier insists on the 

 necessity of working horses out of doors. . He tells us that 

 the best horses of the Versailles school, when put on the 

 road in the campaign of 1691, had great difficulty in be- 

 coming accustomed to this new^ work, and that "they stum- 

 bled and seemed to have scarcely enough strength to stand 

 up." 



18th Century. It was not until the 18th century that the 

 French School was really and definitely founded and thr 

 honor of establishing it is due to M. de la Gueriniere. H<' 

 was the first to conceive the idea of the natural seat. He 

 had the pommel and cantle of the manege saddle cut down 

 and taught that the rider should seek a firm seat in the bal- 

 ance and uprightness of his position. His instruction in 

 equitation was reasonable and natural; he greatly simplified 

 methods of training and the system that he published may 

 still be consulted wdth advantage. 



Following the riding masters of the 18th century, we 

 advance step by step. The Versailles school became cele- 

 brated the world over. It was a real academy, which, after 



