Gueriniere - Ecole de Cavalerie - 1736

THE BIBLE OF FRENCH RIDING: 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 apex of European classical riding. A foundational work of the French high school, the treatise systematizes knowledge of the horse, its training, and its conservation 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 riding.
MARKET VALUE
Complete two-volume copies of the 1736 edition, in contemporary bindings and with all plates present, generally range from 6,000 to 10,000 euros, with higher prices for particularly fresh specimens or of prestigious provenance. Copies with structural defects, missing plates, or rebinding fall considerably below 5,000 euros. Demand remains steady in the international market for antique hippology and eighteenth-century illustrated treatises.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary full-morocco binding, mildly rubbed. Hardcover frontispiece engraved and additional engraved title in volume I, 33 copper-engraved plates (of which 4 are two-page folded), 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. Blind stamp of a former owner 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 was born in the heart of French courtly horsemanship, under the reign of Louis XV, at a moment when chivalry was not only a military art but a tool of political and social representation. La Guérinière codifies principles that would become canonical: the importance of balance, lightness, progressive training, and above all the famous “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, training principles, description of haute-école movements, and a section devoted to the conservation and health of the animal. The engraved plates – elegant, analytical, theatrical – depict exercises, postures, and manege figures, turning the volume into a true atlas of classical riding. The influence of the work 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, giving shape to a method destined to endure for centuries. His work remains one of the foundational texts of hippological 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 apparatus fully developed. Reissues and translations followed during the eighteenth century, contributing to the European diffusion of the method. Complete two-volume copies with all 33 plates are today increasingly difficult to find in uniform condition.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Mennessier de La Lance, Essai de bibliographie hippique, II, pp. 82–90.
Podeschi, Books on the Horse and Horsemanship, no. 103.
Nissen, ZBI, no. 2331.
Huth, Works on Horses and Equitation, p. 45.
ICCU/OPAC SBN, Paris edition, Jacques Guérin, 1736 (record verifiable in the national catalog).