TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.
The author's introduction to his "Method of Horsemanship" is omitted in this edition, because containing much that would be uninteresting to the American reader. It mentions the great difficulties he had in attracting the attention of the public to his system, and the complete success with which it was crowned when once this attention was attracted. One paragraph from it, which contains the principle upon which his whole method is founded, is here given:
"However favored by nature the horse may be, he requires a preparatory exercise to enable his forces to afford each other mutual assistance; without this everything becomes mechanical and hazardous, as well on his part as on that of the rider.
"What musician could draw melodious sounds from an instrument without having exercised his fingers in handling it? He would certainly, if he attempted such a thing, produce only false discordant sounds; and the same thing occurs in horsemanship when we undertake to make a horse execute movements for which he has not been prepared."
M. Baucher presents the official documents upon the subject of the introduction of his method into the French army with the following introductory remarks:
"Since the first publication of my method, indisputable facts have attested the truth of the principles therein contained. Field-Marshal the Minister of War has appointed a commission, presided over by Lieutenant-General the Marquis Oudinot, to examine into its advantages.[A]
"Fifty horses, some from the troop, and others belonging to officers, which had not yet commenced their education, or which were considered difficult to manage, or vicious, were subjected to the experiment, which commenced on the 21st March, 1842. The demands of the service of the garrison of Paris permitting only a small number of cuirassiers, municipal guards, and first-class lancers to be put at the disposition of the commission, nearly all the horses were intrusted to riders who were by no means intelligent, or else whose education was not very much advanced. The riders themselves exercised their horses. On the 9th of April—that is to say, after fifteen lessons—Field-Marshal the Minister of War wished to witness the results of the system he had ordered to be tried. His Excellency was accompanied by the members of the committee of cavalry, and many other general officers. The men being completely armed and equipped, and the horses caparisoned, they executed, individually and in troop, at all the paces, movements that, up to this time, had only been required of horses that had been exercised for five or six months under experienced riders. The Minister of War followed all the trials with the greatest interest, and before retiring expressed his complete satisfaction, and announced his intention of having a general application of it made in the army."
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 convenient 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 will be here given: