18 NOTES ON EQUITATION 



laying down the principles of french equitation, sought to 

 maintain these principles and prove their superiority. 



Among the numerous riding masters of the 18th cen- 

 tury should be mentioned LA GUERINIERE, who published 

 "The School of Cavalry and the Elements of Cavalry." He 

 died in 1751; DE NESTIER; DE SALVERT; DE LUBER- 

 SAC, who trained his horses by riding them 18 months at a 

 walk; DE MONTFAUCON DE ROGLES, who, in his 

 "Treatise on Equitation," gives some useful information on 

 work with the longe; DE NEUILLY; BOURGELAT, 

 founder of veterinary schools; DU PATY DE CLAM, who 

 published numerous works and was a writer rather than a 

 riding master; D'AUVERGNE, head riding master at the 

 military school in Paris; MOTTIN DE LA BALME, pupil 

 of d'Auvergne, who wrote "Essays on Equitation;" DE 

 BOHAN, who published a "Critical Review of the French 

 Army." He thought that equitation should proscribe all 

 artificial gaits; DE BOIDEFFRE, a pupil of d'Auvergne, 

 who wrote "Principles of Equitation and of Cavalry." DE 

 LA BIGNE and D'ABZAC. 



Military Schools. It is important to note that progress in 

 equitation was due not solely to instruction received at the 

 Versailles School, but also to the reforms in cavalry tactics 

 Introduced by Frederick the Great. The necessity of having 

 squadrons able to maneuver proved to the king of Prussia 

 that equitation should be the basis of the instruction of the 

 trooper. He built riding halls in all cavalry garrisons and 

 caused the principles of the equestrian art to be taught. 



The example of the Germans was followed by the 

 French cavalry. At the end of Louis XV's reign, the Duke 

 i)f Choiseul, minister of war, had the king sign a decree, in 

 1764, creating five cavalry schools: at Douai, Metz, Besan- 

 von, La Fleche and Cambrai. A central school at Paris 

 was to receive the best pupils from the elementary schools, 

 after they had passed through a fixed period of instruc- 

 tion. Tliis decree of 1764 was never completely carried out. 

 lu 1770, regimental riding schools were established in 



