riginating in the Italian renaissance, academic equestrian art developed during the eighteenth century in the Versailles and ienna schools. The Versailles school was destroyed by the revolution, re-established in 1815 and finally disappeared in 830. The last equestrian masters of the Great French School disappeared rapidly from the scene and it was via the subordinate ersonnel of the Royal Stables, by the former grooms of Versailles, that all that remains of the academic tradition was passed on to us.

Characteristics of the School's equestrian art: collected allure and lightness. The collected allure of academic equestrian art was revealed by horses of the Iberian race.

Since the invasion of the Iberian peninsular by the Arabs in the eighth century and during a period of nearly seven years, the  nvaders were counter-attacked by the Christian Celtiberi until they were finally driven out following the taking of Grenada by the catholic kings in 1492.

Thanks to their horses which, apart from natural selection continued to improve under the influence of the war, the adversaries of the Moors attained an « excellence in the art of mounted combat never surpassed since then » (Ruy d'Andrade).

The peninsular horses adopted such an attitude of concentration that the halt, rein-back, side-step and pirouette became easy to manage and these horses provided their riders with an extraordinary weapon, omni-directional mobility.

When Ferdinand the catholic claimed the Kingdom of Naples, the struggle turned to the advantage of the Spaniards and it was thus that the Italians discovered the horses from the Iberian peninsula.

Being unable to obtain from their own horses the performance which seemed so easy for the Spaniards, they were motivated to develop training rules to bring their horses to the degree of concentration demonstrated by the peninsular breed which seemed to inherit this alance quite naturally.

To teach a passage or a pesade may not occur to a rider unless he has already seen or felt a horse perform these movements naturally. The riding master thus must study the means to prepare the horse to manage these movements. The science of equestrian art was born.

Thus, the methodical and profound study of cause and effect led to development of physical and mental gymnastic procedures which enabled horses of other races to be educated to advanced academy level.

Whatever the breed, the ancient procedures provide undeniable results but these results can only be achieved by years of methodical and patient work. Every day the trainer must be on the lookout for possibilities to refine his equestrian touch, nothing being insignificant and nothing being taken for granted.

Lightness and the collected allure are the characteristics of the advanced academy and it is the lightness which gives to the collected allure its greatest value.