ir PREFACE. 



the collection of valuable manuals which have 

 within a few years issued from the French 

 press. It contains instructions to train a 

 horse to all the regular and artificial gaits 

 that are necessary to develope his qualities 

 and strength, and to secure the safety, and 

 display the skill and grace, of the rider. But 

 it is not pretended that this manual will render 

 a person a consummate rider. It is, indeed, 

 asserted by the author, M. Lebeaud, that it 

 is impossible to become an accomplished 

 horseman, without uniting practical lessons 

 to the study of the art of equitation. To all 

 who are ambitious to become skilled in this 

 art, or who are led by impaired health, to 

 resort to it for healthful exercise, the practi- 

 cal lessons of F. G. Bertola will be found an 

 admirable auxiliary, to impress, illustrate, 

 and confirm, the principles and instructions of 

 this manual. It cannot escape observation, 

 that a taste for riding on horseback is mani- 

 festinor itself amonsf the ladies and orentlemen 

 of Philadelphia. It must be acknowledged 

 that fQ\w of our riders are skilful or graceful, 

 and scarcely any of our riding horses are 

 trained to the reorular and artificial gaits of 

 the manege. This little work is now pre- 



