Principles of Equitation: A Swiss Cavalry Manual, English translation of PRÉCIS D'ÉQUITATION by Roland de Weck

Good riding depends on clear thinking. Principles of Equitation: A Swiss Cavalry Manual gives that clarity to both riders and those who teach them.

Written for Swiss cavalry instruction in the early twentieth century and available here for the first time in English, this long-awaited translation by Richard F. Williams brings Roland de Weck’s influential work to modern readers in its entirety. The book sets out the principles that govern balance, movement, and control of the horse, explaining how the gaits function, how the neck and back influence balance, and how the rider’s seat, hand, and leg act together on the horse’s body. Each subject is developed methodically, with the aim of giving the rider—and the instructor—a reliable line of conduct that holds under real conditions, whether in the riding school or outside it.

The strength of this work lies in its reasoning. De Weck follows cause and effect with precision. He shows how collection develops from engagement, how straightness is established, how stiffness arises, and how training choices influence soundness over time. Riders learn how to evaluate what they feel under saddle; teachers gain a framework for explaining those sensations clearly and correcting faults before they become entrenched.

One chapter stands out for its direct usefulness: Riding in Seventy Questions and Answers. Here, practical problems are addressed plainly—questions riders actually ask, answered with clarity and economy. For instructors, this section serves as a concise teaching reference; for riders, it offers a way to test understanding and refine judgment.

For example: 

"Question:
Why does a horse that feels obedient in the riding school become heavy or resistant in the open?

"Answer:
Because obedience that depends on surroundings is not obedience, but habit. In the riding school, the horse is supported by enclosure, repetition, and expectation. In the open, those supports disappear. Only balance, correct use of the aids, and clear association remain. A horse that has been educated in balance will remain manageable everywhere; a horse educated by routine alone will not.

"Question:
Should stiffness be corrected by stronger action on the stiff rein?

"Answer:
No. Stiffness is not overcome by force directed at the point where it appears. It results from imbalance, unequal engagement, or weakness elsewhere in the body. Increasing rein pressure merely fixes the stiffness and often increases it. Correction must come from restoring even contact, regulating impulsion, and improving the horse’s balance through systematic work."

Though written for military use, the book speaks directly to modern practice. Dressage riders will recognize the bio-mechanical foundations of correct work. Jumping and event riders will find insight into balance, rhythm, and endurance. Riding teachers will appreciate a system that forms independent riders rather than dependence on constant supervision.

Together with H.Dv.12 and the United States Cavalry manual Horsemanship and Horsemastership, this volume completes a trio of essential twentieth-century cavalry texts now available in English. Studied carefully, it strengthens instruction, sharpens decision-making, and deepens understanding for anyone responsible for the education of horse and rider.

If your aim is to ride with understanding—and to teach riding with clarity and authority—this long-awaited English edition belongs in your working library.

7"x10" hardcover

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedicated to My Students
Publisher’s Introduction
Introduction

I. History of the Horse in Switzerland

II. Breeds and Types of Horses in Switzerland

1. Purebred Breeding

2. Half-Bred Breeding
      a. The Einsiedeln Type
      b. The Ormonts Type
      c. The Zofingue and Lilienthal Type

3. Draft Horse Breeding
      a. The Franches-Montagnes Type
      b. The Berthoud Type
      c. The Bremgarten Type

III. The Purebred

IV. Federal Military Establishments

1. The Federal Horse Administration at Thun

2. The Federal Cavalry Remount Depot at Bern

3. The Federal Stud at Avenches

V. Man and Horse

1. Training of the Horse

2. Acclimatization

3. The Riding School

4. The Terrain

5. Individual Work

6. Work in Formation

7. The Intellect

8. Stiffness

VI. Manège Figures

VII. Mechanism of the Gaits

1. General Considerations

2. The Neck

3. The Free Stance

4. The Walk

5. The Trot

6. The Gallop

VIII. Position of the Rider on Horseback

1. The Seat

2. Position of the Body

3. The Hands

4. The Legs

5. Dressage Seat and Jumping Seat

IX. The Aids

1. General Considerations

2. The Legs

3. The Hand
      – Opening Rein
      – Direct Rein
      – Indirect (Opposing) Rein

4. Seat

5. Weight of the Rider

6. Spurs

7. The Whip

8. The Voice

9. The Gaze

10. Reward and Punishment

X. Equestrian Principles

1. The Turn on the Haunches

2. The Corner Passage

3. Voltes

4. Halts

5. Rein-Back

6. Acceptance of the Bit

7. Collection

8. Half-Turns

9. Work on Two Tracks

XI. The Spooky Horse

XII. Jumping

1. General Considerations

2. The Four Stages of Learning to Jump

3. Rules for Bringing a Horse to the Obstacle

4. Jumping at the Wall

5. Jumping Through the Center

6. Judging the Difficulty of the Obstacle

7. Jumping in Hand

XIII. Vaulting

XIV. The Riding Master

1. General Considerations

2. Qualities of the Riding Master

3. Some Advice

4. Corrections

5. Reception of the Horses

6. Formation of the Section

7. Visits and Inspections

XV. Riding in 70 Questions and Answers

XVI. Equestrian Competitions

1. Dressage Competitions

2. Jumping Competitions

3. Races

4. Raids

5. Combined Trials of the Military Horse

XVII. Conclusion

Bibliography