20 Modern Riding and Horse Education 



breeding, and a thing of high estimation throughout 

 the most flourishing and best governed part of the 

 world," could be properly taught and horses trained. 

 It is fair to assume that this movement was not 

 confined to one county. The Deputy-Lieutenants, 

 however, strongly objected on the score of expense, 

 and history tells us that it was the custom at that 

 time, and later on in the same century, for young 

 gentlemen of England to go to France and there 

 perfect themselves in riding. 



In 1 76 1 Henry Earl of Pembroke published a 

 book entitled " Military Equitation, or a Method 

 of Breaking Horses and Teaching Soldiers to 

 Ride"; it ran through four editions if not more, 

 and on October i, 1793, was accepted by the Adju- 

 tant-General of the British Army and issued as the 

 first text-book on the subject. The work is of ab- 

 sorbing interest, and contains many hits at the equi- 

 tation of that time, especially from a military point 

 of view, some of which apply in a minor degree to 

 the present day. On the necessity for study his 

 lordship writes as follows : 



" I must urge the necessity of forming by read- 

 ing, and serious study, as well as by much constant 



