Translator's Preface. 



THERE are few reasoning men in this country who 

 do not reaHze, after a year of European War, that 

 the horse is one of the most important factors in the 

 equipment of armies. It is unnecessary to detail the 

 efforts made by European Governments to improve the 

 breed of horse in their respective territories. These Gov- 

 ernments are so fully alive to the military and commercial 

 importance of the horse that they spend annually vast 

 sums of money in importing English thoroughbreds of 

 the best type for crossing with the mares of their coun- 

 try, thereby producing in large quantities animals capable 

 of serving them either under the saddle or in harness. 

 The United States Government has begun to realize the 

 importance of this subject and has made a start, whether 

 in the right direction or not, cannot be said as yet. 



In requesting Colonel Couste's permission to translate 

 this very valuable work I was desirous of reaching three 

 classes. 



The School of Application for Cavalry at Saumur, in 

 France, is probably the best school in the world of its 

 kind. It is the ambition of every young French Cavalry 

 officer to become a member of the famous Cadre Noir, 

 the affectionate popular name for the Corps des Ecuyers, 

 who are the riding instructors at this school. As there 

 are only twelve members of this Corps it will be seen 

 that not all of the several thousand young officers can 

 attain this ambition, and the fact that Colonel Couste was 

 an Ecuyer at Saumur would indicate that he was equipped 

 to speak on the highest authority to our fellow-citizens 

 on the subject of equitation and of the type of horse re- 

 quired for good equitation, both civil and military^ and 



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