Trois aspects du patrimoine équestre militaire : des archives du XIXe, des traditions du XXe et une pratique actuelle

Abstract

This paper proposes a typical approach of the French riding heritage. For several centuries – several thousands years? – horses have been part of two major functions in human activities : agriculture and war. The main part of this study deals with the second activity tackling this heritage under its military point of view. Thus it is considered under three points of view : a first one proceeding of the economical history, based on the archives about the requisitioning of horses at the end of the 19th century in a village in the Var county (south east part of France) ; a second one cultural and artistic illustrated for one part with the symbolic and the military traditions which give an important place to the horse, in the middle of the 20th century, and for another part on the regiments’ badges at the time when the engine is taking the horse role. A third and final one wants to show how till at the beginning of the 21st century the horse could be in the French army a relevant mean for the physical and psychological training of soldiers and not only one traditional activity for officers only.

Keywords

• cheval
• militaire
• symbolique
• héraldique
• réquisition de chevaux
• formation militaire