Once a horse is well trained on both reins, in voltes as well as in pirouettes, he will also be able to do all the changes and counterchanges of hand, in the passage as well as in the canter. This is also illustrated in the drawings that I will give about the changes and counterchanges of hand further down. All this cannot be but highly useful in a war horse. I mention it, since I have had the experience in several battles in which I participated, mainly the battle of Lusara in Italy, where my horse saved my life. At that time I was the Ecuyer to the Comte de Medavi, then Lieutenant-general, who died as Marshal of France. I served him as Aide de Camp in that battle, as I had served several other personages in this capacity on the battlefield.
I am also familiar with the usefulness of a horse that has learned to jump hedges and ditches, as these jumps are very different from the airs above the ground, as I will explain below.
So I was the Ecuyer to the Comte de Medavi, a great lover of beautiful and good horses. Since this lord was very interested in seeing his horses ridden, one had to choose a pretty and good area outside the town, to be able to work them well in all kinds of movements that I could ask of them. We were in our winter quarters in Castillon; that’s why it is easy to understand that we did not have anything important to do, but this exercise that would please the lords occupied us.
I don’t know if we had been sold out, I believe so at least by the appearances. One day, the Comte de Medavi had invited the Comte de Verraque, Colonel of the dragoons, and the Duke d’Ediguières with the Marquis de St. Germain Beau-pré. These four lords boarded a carriage à la Romaine, drawn by only two horses, because the place where I was exercising the horses was only 400 paces from the town. Once these lords had arrived at this area to watch the horses being worked, I mounted four or five, and when I was on the last one, the Comte de Medavi ordered me to depart quickly on the highway and then to return to him. I had hardly covered around 150 paces, when I noticed in a bend on the highway a large party of hussars, who were coming towards us. I returned hastily to warn the lords to return to immediately to the town, while I was making my way towards the hussars, entrusting myself to my horse. My plan was to deceive them: since I was mounted on a horse with superb tack, I couldn’t think of anything better than that the hussars would mistake me for a great lord, come after me in pursuit, and by taking the opposite side of the Comte de Medavi, I would facilitate his escape with the lords who were accompanying him.
I was not mistaken in my expectation, for as soon as I had approached these partisans within pistol range, they came after me in pursuit, believing that they had found what they had been looking for. But as the road was lined by hedges and little ditches, I started crossing them with my horse, and that he did better than the horses of the hussars, although they were moving quite fast. With the intention of seizing me they rushed to a piece of land that I had entered: but since there was no obstacle there that I could not jump over, I only drew a number of rounds from the firearms that the hussars aimed at me, and which did not concern me very much, trying instead merely to stay out of reach of their blades, which I feared more.
Since this game took a little time, the lords whom I had left had time to reach the town themselves and to make all the dragoons they found leave for the field without beating the drums in order to engage my enemies of whom several were killed and three were taken prisoners.
During these incidents, after having jumped over one last hedge, I found myself on a road that led me into town through a different gate than the one through which the lords had entered. I crossed the town in order to rejoin them, and found them very surprised, as they thought I had been lost, due to the large number of gunshots that they had heard being fired in my direction. I could have omitted reporting this feat, which is a personal matter, but since it is very good to see the necessity of having a horse that can jump well, which arises during the war, I did not believe that I should pass over it in silence.
I also cannot help reporting another unique incident that happened during the time in which I had the honor of serving as Ecuyer to the Comte de Medavi. I had bought a Barb horse in the town of Brécia, about whose good qualities I have already commented. There was nothing that I asked of him that he would not do, which is why I gave him the name Singe (monkey). As we were beginning to enter the campaign, the army assembled near Mantua, where I found Lieutenant-General de Craslin, a great lover of beautiful horses. Since this lord had requested of me in jest, if I had done good horse trading during the winter quarters (he was with M. de Beson, also a Lieutenant-General and the Commander of Mantua), I answered him that I had bought a Barb horse in Brécia that deserved the effort of being seen; and when he asked me if he was more beautiful than a Turkish horse that I had bought the previous year, I answered: no, but that he would not find him any less of a horse, if he would make the effort of coming to see him. After he answered that he would like to see the horse, if I would take him to the place where he was, I went to find him without paying attention to the difficulty of ascending a staircase of 32 steps on horseback, before arriving in the room where I would find the lords. This narrow staircase was made of black marble.
I told Mylord that I was ready to bring my horse right to the room where he was staying, in order to please him: but having noticed that it was only my vivacity that made me speak, without considering the difficulty of the affair, he told me that he would like to see the thing for twenty pistols, and when I responded to him right away that I would put twenty more against his wager, the forty pistols were entrusted to the hands of M. de Tavani, also a general officer.
I immediately left the lords and went to find my horse, but not without regretting my wager, having noticed in descending the staircase, how difficult this would be. But since I was young and vigorous, and since I was not afraid of danger, I assured myself by relying on the suppleness and lightness of my horse, which I led to the foot of the staircase. All the lords had seen me arrive and left their apartment to position themselves at the top of the staircase, in order to watch me ascend: But I called to them that I would not do anything until they retreated. I was afraid, and not without reason, that the sight of their presence would upset my horse, although I had never seen him spook, and he had proven his courage and hardiness on several occasions, through all the lessons I had taught him. These lords took a step back, and I showed my horse the staircase in order to make him climb it.
It has to be noted that the steps of this staircase were well polished, but nothing discouraged me, and I arrived on the 24th step with my horse, where seeing him stagger, I was lucky to catch a round iron bar that I seized with my right hand. This bar went from the top of the stairs to the bottom. With its support I relieved my horse a little, and by letting him feel my thighs and very gently approaching the flanks with my spurs, I asked him to make a final effort, which put us both onto the top of the staircase.
After having succeeded so well, I entered the hall where the lords were on my horse and very gloriously demanded my wager from M. de Tavani. It’s not vainglory that made me report this adventure, but my intention is merely to let people know what you can do with a horse once it is well trained.
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