Classical Riding Gueriniere
François Robichon de la Guerinière
(1688-1751)
François Rubichon de La Guérinière was born in Essay, near Alençon, on the 8th of May, in 1688. His father was Pierre Robichon, Seigneur of La Guérinière, officer of the Duchess of Orleans, and lawyer of the Siege of Essay. François spent his childhood in Normandy. His older brother, Pierre, directed the Riding Academy of Caen (originally established by another French master, Antoine de Pluvinel, in 1594).
In 1715, Gueriniere received his diploma as an "écuyer du roi", and started his career as the director of an equestrian academy in Paris, located in what was then the rue des Francs-Bourgeois - Saint-Michel. Today it is called the rue de Médicis, and the academy was located immediately north of the fountain Medicis. He held this position for 15 years and which earned him an international reputation as an instructor and a rider. This led to an appointment by the Grand écuyer de France, Prince Charles de Lorraine, Count d'Armagnac as the Directeur du Manège des Tuileries in 1730. He held this post as Ecuyer to Louis XIV until his death in 1751. Le Manège Royal des Tuileries stood on the site of the present rue de Rivoli, near the rue de Castiglione. La Guérinière changed classical riding to a more forward and less over-collected style. He introduced the half-halt, the counter canter, the flying change, and the shoulder-in (which he called the "alpha and omega of all exercises). La Guérinière has become famous for the invention of the shoulder-in that is generally attributed to him, because he was the first author who described it for posterity. There may have been others who practiced the movement, such as his teacher M. de Vendeuil, but if they did, they did not write about it. His methods and teachings are still in use today at the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna (home of the Lipizzaners). Guerinière's most influential instructor was M. de Vendeuil.
François Robichon de Guérinière's great work, l'École de Cavalerie was published in 1729 in Paris. It was the first book that explains the principles of the haute école in the way we understand it today. La Gueriniere's book consists of three sections: Knowledge of the Horse In and Out of the Stable, Training, and Treatment of Illness. The training section covers all aspects of horsemanship pertinent to the 18th century. He writes of training horses for serious matters such as war, hunting and coaching, and of training for sport including tournaments, jousting and carousels.
Alois Podhajsky, late director of the Spanish Riding School said it is "the most revolutionary book on riding of all times"; and Sylvia Loch: "If the word greatness is to be accorded to only one of the individual Masters whose work is reviewed in this book...Guerinière must achieve this accolade. An exceptional book, magnificently written by a serious horseman, who brings the passion behind the words to life. I cherish my copy of this book, and any serious fan of dressage will need to include this volume in their collection. It is still much in demand, and while it is periodically reprinted, is easy to sell in the second-hand market in any edition. In his book, Guerinière stresses using few aids and punishments while riding. He also comments greatly on the use of the shoulder-in at all gaits, including the gallop. Guerinière states the rider must also have a good seat in order to have a soft, light hand, and makes several references to William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle. The Guerinière died July 2, 1751, at Versailles, or at the Tuileries, no-one knows for sure, and was buried in St. Roch.
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