Gueriniere - Ecole de Cavalerie - 1736

THE BIBLE OF FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP: DISCIPLINE, POWER, AND THE THEATRE OF THE BODY
Published in Paris in 1736, François Robichon de La Guérinière’s Ecole de Cavalerie represents the theoretical and practical pinnacle of classical European riding. A foundational work of the French haute école, the treatise systematizes knowledge of the horse, its instruction, and its care according to a balance of grace, discipline, and Enlightenment rationality. This two-volume exemplar, with high-quality engraved plates, constitutes one of the most sought-after editions of the text, which profoundly influenced equestrian art up to the Vienna School and modern academic equitation.
MARKET VALUE
Complete two-volume copies of the 1736 edition, in period binding and with all plates present, generally command a price range between €6,000 and €10,000, with peaks for particularly fresh copies or those with prestigious provenance. Copies with structural defects, missing plates, or rebounded bindings fall significantly below €5,000. Demand remains steady in the international market for antique hippology and illustrated eighteenth-century treatises.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Period binding in full calfskin, slightly rubbed. Entitled frontispiece and additional engraved title in volume I, 33 copper-engraved plates (of which 4 are foldouts), initials, head- and tail-pieces engraved. Small marginal defect at H4 of volume I; small loss at the lower margin of C4 in volume II. Stamped ownership seal on the initial leaves. In old books with a long history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 22nn; 320; (4). (4); 8nn; 298; (4).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Ecole de Cavalerie, contenant la Connoissance, l’Instruction, et la Conservation du Cheval.
Paris, Chez Jacques Guérin, 1736.
François Robichon de La Guérinière.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The work is born in the heart of French courtly horsemanship, under Louis XV’s reign, at a moment when the cavalry is not only a military art but a tool of political and social representation. La Guérinière codifies principles that will become canonical: the importance of balance, lightness, progressive training, and above all the celebrated “épaule en dedans,” still regarded today as the key to the horse’s gymnastic. The treatise is organized systematically: anatomy and knowledge of the horse, principles of training, description of high-school movements, and a section devoted to the conservation and health of the animal. The engraved plates—elegant, analytical, theatrical—show exercises, postures, and gaits, turning the volume into a true atlas of classical horsemanship. The work’s influence would extend to the Spanish Riding School and the entire European academic tradition.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
François Robichon de La Guérinière (1688–1751) was écuyer du roi and director of the Manège des Tuileries in Paris. Considered the father of French classical riding, he fused Italian tradition with French rigor, shaping a method to endure through the centuries. His work remains one of the fundamental texts of equine literature.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The first edition of Ecole de Cavalerie appeared in 1733; the 1736 edition represents one of the most important and complete printings of the text, with the illustration program fully developed. Later reissues and translations in the eighteenth century helped spread the method across Europe. Complete copies in two volumes with all 33 plates are today increasingly difficult to find in uniformly preserved condition.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Mennessier de La Lance, Essai de bibliographie hippique, II, pp. 82–90.
Podeschi, Books on the Horse and Horsemanship, n. 103.
Nissen, ZBI, n. 2331.
Huth, Works on Horses and Equitation, p. 45.
ICCU/OPAC SBN, Paris edition, Jacques Guérin, 1736 (record verifiable in the national catalog).