translator's preface. 5 



Among the official documents in favor of Baucher's 

 method is a letter from M. Champmontant, Lieutenant- 

 Colonel of the Staff, Secretary of the Committee of 

 Cavalry, in which he requests M. Baucher to fix a con- 

 venient time to appear before the committee and explain 

 his system more completely, that they may consider its 

 adoption in the army ; another from Lieutenant-General 

 Marquis Oudinot to M. Baucher. In this letter the 

 General informs M. Baucher that the Minister of War 

 has decided that a series of experiments shall be made 

 upon his method of breaking new horses and such as 

 were considered difficult to manage. 



Then follows the report upon the trials of Baucher's 

 method, and a recapitulation of the daily operations by 

 the Chef d? Escadrons de Novital, commanding the 

 Royal School at Saumur. The complete success of the 

 trial is mentioned above, and an extract only from the 

 report wnll be here given : 



" But, it may be objected, will not this species of cap- 

 tivity to which the new method will subject the horse, 

 prevent his lasting ? Will it not be the source of his 

 premature decay ? To this it is easy to answer by a 

 comparison, which to us appears conclusive. When all 

 the wheel work of a machine fits well together, so that 

 each part furnishes its share of action, there is harmony, 

 and consequently need of a less force; so when, in an 

 organized body, we are enabled to obtain suppleness 

 and pliability in all the parts, the equilibrium becomes 

 easy, there is suppleness and lightness, and in conse- 

 quence, a diminution of fatigue. 



" Far from injuring the horse, the new method has the 

 advantage of being a great auxiliary in developing the 

 muscles, particularly in a young subject." 



Extract from the report to Lieutenant-General Oudinot, 



