THE SCIENTIFIC EQUITATION 



poor, have always been criticized for the inferior 

 natural quality and conformation of the horses 

 which I have trained. I have, therefore, amidst all 

 the confusion of theories, methods, and principles, 

 devoted my life to training imperfect animals. In 

 so doing, I have had opportunity to discover what 

 is right and what wrong in the methods of my 

 predecessors. They selected perfect animals and 

 taught them the low airs in the state of equilibrium. 

 I have taken imperfect animals, and by means of 

 the low airs, using these as gymnastics, have cor- 

 rected their imperfections, and brought them to a 

 conformation that makes the state of equilibrium 

 possible. 



I have been so invariably successful in correcting 

 and educating the horses which I have owned, or 

 which have been sent to me for training, that as 

 early as in March, 1888, a commission of the United 

 States Army was sent to my school to examine into 

 my system. A portion of their report appears in the 

 Appendix. 



The modus operandi of my method, and the 

 progression of movements of the low airs which I 

 employ as a system of physical culture for the 

 horse, are best explained by specific examples. In 

 general, the scientific equitation can locate the 

 cause of lameness or unsoundness more precisely 

 than can a veterinarian, since the latter has neither 

 the equestrian tact nor the accuracy of seat to de- 

 tect the member which is not acting as it should. 



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