Commandant Smits - A propos du raid Bruxelles-Ostende. Notes et rapports, 27 août 1902 - 1903

Commandant Smits. About the Bruxelles-Ostend raid. Notes and reports, 27 August 1902. Brussels, Charles Bulens, 1903, 110 pp.

A quarto volume (270x180 mm), red half-leather with corners, spine with raised bands (bindings of the period). Wear and rubbing on the boards and spine. Some pale foxing. Covers preserved.

Original edition; missing the large fold-out map.

This text devoted to the Bruxelles-Ostende raid of 27 August 1902 presents this test as a rigorous examination intended to evaluate the capacities of horses and military riders over a long distance. Through its notes and reports, the author analyzes in detail the progress of the raid, emphasizing management of effort, regularity of pace, and the importance of sparing the mounts.

It emphasizes that success does not depend solely on speed, but above all on endurance, the physical condition of the horses, and the rider’s competence in handling and economizing forces. Rhythm or judgment errors can quickly compromise performances and the animals’ health.