Nuevo Manual de Equitacion, ó Arte de Montar a Caballo para Uso de las Señoritas, Caballeros y Militares

Descripción

HORSEBACK-RIDING FOR LADIES. 8vo. (8), 381 pp, (1), including steel-cut frontispiece and 34 helpful vignettes (some repeated) in text. Bound in contemporary boards with green calf spine; gilt title on spine. Slight foxing to scattered leaves, otherwise very good. Extremely rare sole edition of this curious guide by a Catalan Riding Master with a lengthy, illustrated section entirely devoted to the art of women s horseback-riding. This unusual text perhaps sheds light on the growing popularity of recreational riding for women during the 19th century. Contrary to popular belief, however, the practice of riding side-saddle sometimes thought to preserve a woman s modesty was never widespread, and there is no mention of that technique in the present work. The frontispiece depicts each of the type of rider noted on the title-page: unmarried women (but señoras are also referred to in the text); gentlemen; and soldiers. Part II (pp. 135-201) is composed of specific instructions for ladies wishing to elegantly and modestly mount and dismount a horse. Pages 143-144 illustrate the best method involving a gentleman assistant, who gallantly cups his hands below her left foot; on pp. 152-153 we see a dismounting technique also involving the same. The text also includes directions for feminine attire while riding, and even the best technique for female riders attempting the physically punishing gallop (Cuarta leccion, pp. 185-201). OCLC shows two copies worldwide, at the British Library and the National Library of Spain. REBIUN adds just four further copies in Spanish libraries. * Palau, 32830; and cf Vicente Castañeda y Alcover, Ensayo de una bibliografia comentada de manuales de artes, ciencias, oficios, costumbres publicas y privadas de España, # 72 (pp. 86-87). N° de ref. del artículo D0232

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