The descriptions of the 16-17th c. masters show that the 'corvette' most closely resembles the 'terre a terre' known to us today, and to teach this maneuver, the 'posata' was used initially (an element that today resembles most closely a 'levade') - it was lifting the front of the horse collected and set on the haunches, but without keeping it in the air for a longer period of time (Corte; Galiberto; Massari; Siliceo; Solleysel; Simoncelli; Macetti). If the horse was able to perform several 'posate' in a row with low jumps of the back legs, it was already called a 'corvette' (Caracciolo; Gamboa; Guillet; Rossermini; Cinquini).
Depiction of ‘posata’ by Giovani Battista Galiberto. Source: archive.org
The 'corvette' was described as: 'e mantenendo pesole, et a comando, si balla sù l'anche, e sù le braccia'- (maintaining hang for a command, and dance on the haunches and on the shoulders), (Caracciolo).
Guillet described it as ‘Corvette, son salti d'un altezza mediocre, che il cavallo fà portando primieramente i due piedi d'avanti in Aria, & i due piedi di dietro, seguendo con un egual cadenza, di modo, che l'Anche incalzando unitamente doppo che i piè d'avanti hanno toccato terra per riprese continuate, e regolate.’- (‘Corvette’ are jumps of moderate height that the horse performs by first lifting both front legs in the air and both hind legs, then doing so with equal cadence so that the haunches follow united behind the front legs when they have touched the ground, through the continued and moderate resumption.).
Movement of ‘corvette’.
A- the moment of rising up the front. B- the moment of making the hind legs
jump. Drawing: Marcin Ruda
The ‘corvette' is also supposed to be performed 'fast and low' 10-12 times in the row (Corte; Massari). The authors also indicated that the 'corvette' can be performed forward, backward and sideways (Caracciolo; Galiberto; Pluvinel; Siliceo; Aquino). They also pointed out that a warhorse should not know 'corvette' because it makes the horse 'heavy' and using it in combat can be dangerous for the rider (Corte; Palmieri; Pluvinel; Macetti). However, Simoncelli indicates that the 'corvette' is useful not only for feasts but also for war.
Masters described a few types of 'corvette'. Galiberto distinguished three- ‘corvetta à terra’, ‘à mezz’aria’, and ‘corvetta raddoppiata’. Gamboa distinguished ‘corbetta scorsa’, and ‘ribattuta’. Simoncelli described two types- ‘semplici’, and ‘ribattute’. Cinquini described 'corvette', 'corvette ondeggiando' and 'corvette aggruppate'.
The ‘corvetta’ and ‘posata’ are preliminary exercises for ‘school above the ground’ (tutta area), (Siliceo; Cinquini).
