There are books you pick up because of their content, because they contain knowledge or stories you crave. And then there are books you pick up because they’ve been places, they’ve seen things, they’ve been loved, studied, and scribbled in by people whose lives somehow brushed up against yours, years or decades ago. This particular copy of D. J. Kays’ The Horse: Judging, Breeding, Feeding, Management, and Selling from 1961 is decidedly the latter. It’s a first printing, yes, and an important academic text in its own right, but what truly caught my eye – and what makes this copy genuinely special – is the layered D. J. Kays The Horse provenance. This isn’t just a guide to equine care; it’s a quiet testament to passion, art, and the bond between a girl and her horse, all tucked within its well-thumbed pages. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most unassuming objects carry the richest stories.
Currently available: A copy of this item is in our collection — listed at $75. View listing on eBay →
The Workhorse Textbook: D. J. Kays and Equine Education
Let’s start with the book itself, before we get to the hidden histories. The Horse: Judging, Breeding, Feeding, Management, and Selling by D. J. Kays is exactly what it sounds like – a comprehensive manual for anyone serious about equestrian studies. Published in 1961 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, this first printing represents a standard of equine education for its era. Kays, hailing from The Ohio State University, wrote what became a foundational textbook, covering everything a budding horseman or woman would need to know: from assessing a horse’s conformation to understanding genetics, from diet planning to the practicalities of stable management and even the business side of buying and selling.
When I look at books like this, I often think about the students who used them. Imagine a classroom in the early 1960s, maybe at an agricultural college or a university with a strong animal husbandry program. This was likely the assigned reading, dog-eared and highlighted, the source of countless late-night study sessions. It’s a chunky volume, packed with information, clearly designed for serious learning. You can tell by the sheer breadth of topics addressed. It’s not a leisure read; it’s a practical, hands-on guide for developing expertise.
What really elevates the intellectual appeal of the book, even in its standard form, are the illustrations. Kays didn’t just write about horses; he showed them. Inside, you’ll find portraits of some of the sport’s legendary figures – champions like Man O’ War and Citation. For any horse enthusiast, seeing these iconic animals immortalized on the page, even in a textbook, adds another layer of appreciation. It connects the practical science of horse care to the thrilling history of racing and equestrian excellence. It’s a blend of hard facts and a nod to the majestic beauty that drew so many into the equine world in the first place.
This book laid the groundwork for a generation of horse professionals and enthusiasts. It’s a testament to the methodical, scientific approach to animal care that gained prominence in the mid-20th century. But for this specific copy, its life as a purely academic text was just the beginning.
An Artist’s Reference: The Mark of Emilie Touraine
Now, this is where things get interesting. Flip open the front cover of this book, past the title page, and you’ll find a clear, crisp stamp: “Property of Emilie Touraine,” followed by a Scottsdale, AZ address. For those in the know, that name immediately rings a bell. Emilie Touraine was a renowned French-American Western and equine artist.
To me, discovering an artist’s personal library stamp in a book is like finding a hidden signature. It instantly elevates the item. It’s no longer just a book; it’s a piece of their working life, a tool from their studio. Think about it: an artist specializing in Western and equine subjects would have an intense need for anatomical accuracy, an understanding of horse breeds, movement, and conformation. Where better to find that detailed information than in a comprehensive guide like Kays’ The Horse?
I picture Touraine, perhaps in her Arizona studio, turning these very pages. Was she looking up the correct bone structure for a specific pose? Studying the musculature of a quarter horse versus an Arabian? Perhaps she was researching the nuances of a horse’s gait, or simply refreshing her memory on a particular breed standard before beginning a new painting or sculpture. This book wasn’t just a casual read for her; it was a reference, a constant companion in her artistic process. It provided the factual backbone for the beauty she created on canvas or in clay.
For collectors, a provenance like this is gold. It connects the world of academic animal husbandry to the world of fine art. It provides a tangible link to an artist’s creative process and intellectual pursuits. It makes you wonder what other books filled her shelves, what other sources of inspiration and knowledge she drew upon. This stamp isn’t just an ownership mark; it’s an invitation to ponder the life and work of a talented individual, giving this textbook a completely unexpected dimension. It’s a lovely little piece of history, showing us how different worlds – academia, art, and horses – can intersect in unexpected ways.
A Gift of Passion: Grandma to Marie
Beyond the artist’s stamp, the book tells another story, one that feels even more personal. Inside the front endpapers, dated 1970, is a handwritten gift inscription: “Grandma to Marie.” This simple message, scrawled with care, paints a picture of a different kind of love and passion.
Imagine Marie, a young girl in the early 1970s. The equestrian community in California was thriving then, a place where many young people found their passion for horses. Perhaps Marie was just starting out, taking riding lessons, dreaming of her own horse. And her grandmother, seeing this budding enthusiasm, chose this book as a special gift.
This isn’t just any book for a young rider; it’s the book. It’s the serious one, the one that says, “I believe in your passion, and I want you to truly understand these animals.” A book like this, given at that age, isn’t just for reading; it’s a foundational tool. It’s for learning to speak the language of horses, for understanding their needs, for becoming a truly knowledgeable and responsible horse person.
I can almost see Marie poring over these pages, maybe with her grandmother nearby, explaining diagrams, sharing stories. It speaks to a specific moment in time – 1970, just a few years after the book was published – when this comprehensive guide was still cutting-edge and highly relevant. It makes this copy feel less like a dry textbook and more like a cherished possession, a symbol of encouragement and a deeper connection between generations, centered around a shared love for horses. This inscription transforms the book from an academic volume into a warm, personal artifact of a young rider’s formative years. It’s a lovely touch, adding a layer of sentiment that’s often missing from historical texts.
Sitara’s Story: The Paper Trail of a Half-Arabian Mare
Now we come to what truly makes this copy unique – the incredible, original historical documents tucked inside. This is the third, and perhaps most compelling, layer of provenance, directly linking the book’s ownership to a specific horse and a specific moment in time.
Included with the book are two original 1976 documents related to a half-Arabian mare named Sitara. The first is a handwritten bill of sale, detailing the purchase of Sitara by Marie Herda (presumably our Marie from the inscription!) in 1976. The second is a formal, typed letter concerning Sitara’s official ownership transfer from the Woodside Junior Riders.
Let’s unpack this. We have Marie, now a young woman, likely in her mid-teens or early twenties, acquiring her own horse. And not just any horse, but a half-Arabian mare – a breed known for its beauty, intelligence, and athleticism. The bill of sale isn’t just a generic form; it’s a piece of someone’s history, a tangible record of a significant life event: the acquisition of a beloved animal. It’s raw, direct, and incredibly personal.
The letter from the Woodside Junior Riders adds another fascinating detail. This organization, likely based in the heart of California’s equestrian community (Woodside is a well-known equine hub), played a role in Sitara’s transfer. It paints a picture of a vibrant, active equestrian scene where young riders were deeply involved with their horses, and formal processes were in place for ownership and transfer.
Think about the context: 1976. Marie, armed with the knowledge from her D. J. Kays textbook – a gift from her grandma years earlier – is now applying that knowledge directly. She’s judging, feeding, managing, and now owning her own horse. These documents are the ultimate physical proof of that real-world application. They transform the textbook from a general guide into a specific, personal manual for her horse, Sitara.
For a collector interested in equestrian history, especially the 1970s California scene, these documents are extraordinary. They’re not copies; they’re the originals. They preserve a micro-history, the exact moment a young rider officially became a horse owner. They evoke the excitement, the responsibility, the meticulous paperwork involved in welcoming a new equine companion into one’s life. This isn’t just an academic text anymore; it’s a personal archive, a direct window into a life lived passionately within the horse world. It’s a genuine thrill to hold these papers, knowing they represent such a tangible connection to the book’s owner and her equine partner.
The True Rarity: Beyond the Standard Edition
You might hear “1961 first printing of a textbook” and think, “Okay, that’s nice, but how rare can it really be?” And you’d be partly right. Standard copies of D. J. Kays’ The Horse are indeed available. It was a widely published textbook, fulfilling an important educational role. But here’s the kicker: this particular copy is an entirely different beast.
Its rarity isn’t about the print run of the book itself; it’s about the unique combination of elements that have coalesced around it. This isn’t just a book; it’s a historical artifact composed of multiple layers of provenance. Where else are you going to find:
- A first printing of a foundational equine textbook…
- …originally owned by a renowned French-American Western and equine artist, Emilie Touraine, complete with her personal library stamp…
- …which was then gifted by a grandmother to her aspiring rider granddaughter, Marie, in 1970…
- …and then includes the original, dated 1976 bill of sale and ownership transfer documents for that very granddaughter’s half-Arabian mare, Sitara, linking the academic content directly to a personal, lived equestrian experience?
This isn’t merely rare; it’s exceptionally singular. It’s a one-of-a-kind piece. You could hunt for years and never find another copy with this exact confluence of documented history. It transcends being a mere “book” and becomes a personal archive, a curated collection of ephemera that tells a rich, multi-generational story of equine passion, art, and personal ownership in the 1970s California equestrian community.
For collectors, this is the distinction that matters. It’s about narrative value, historical context, and the tangible connections to real people and real events. A standard edition gives you the text; this edition gives you a living piece of history. It’s the difference between seeing a photograph of a champion horse and holding the bridle it wore. This copy provides an intimacy with the past that standard editions simply cannot offer. Its value doesn’t lie in its pages alone, but in the compelling, layered story held within and beside them.
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve probably got some questions buzzing in your head about this fascinating item, so let’s hit a few of the common ones I get when I talk about pieces like this.
Who was Emilie Touraine?
Emilie Touraine was a celebrated French-American artist, widely recognized for her Western and equine artwork. Her personal ‘Property of Emilie Touraine’ stamp, complete with her Scottsdale, AZ address, can be found on the front endpapers of this specific book, linking it directly to her personal library and artistic endeavors. She’s an artist whose work celebrated the very subjects this book detailed.
What unique historical documents are included with the book?
This copy comes with two original documents from 1976. First, there’s a handwritten bill of sale for a half-Arabian mare named ‘Sitara,’ documenting her purchase by Marie Herda. Second, there’s a formal typed letter concerning ‘Sitara’s’ official ownership transfer from the Woodside Junior Riders. These aren’t reproductions; they’re the actual historical papers, providing a direct, personal link to the book’s owner and her horse.
Why is this copy particularly valuable to collectors?
Its value stems from what I call its “triple-layer provenance.” It was first owned by a noted equine artist (Emilie Touraine), then gifted with a personal inscription from ‘Grandma to Marie,’ and finally includes original historical documents that connect Marie directly to the ownership of a specific horse, ‘Sitara.’ This combination transforms a widely published textbook into a truly singular historical artifact, telling a rich, personal story that simply doesn’t exist in any other copy. It’s about the unique narrative and the tangible connections to real people and events.
About This Copy
This first printing of D. J. Kays’ The Horse (1961) is a sturdy copy, ready for another generation of study or display. The hardback shows expected wear for a book of its age and academic use, with clean, solid binding. The original 1970 gift inscription from “Grandma to Marie” is clear and heartfelt. The ‘Property of Emilie Touraine’ stamp and Scottsdale, AZ address are crisp and distinct. Most importantly, the original 1976 bill of sale and ownership transfer documents for the half-Arabian mare “Sitara” are preserved in excellent condition, offering a rare and tangible link to its unique history. This is more than a book; it’s a collected story.