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Story: Horses

The Exley sisters on horseback

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The Exley sisters on horseback

The Exley sisters – Margaret, Alice, Elizabeth and Sarah – pose on horseback on their family farm in Taranaki, around 1900. All except Margaret (far left) are mounted side saddle, which was the ‘proper’ way for women to ride horses up until that time. After this date, the trend was for riding astride.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, M. Taylor Collection

Reference: 1/2-152828; F

by William H. St Clair

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Emma Meyer, Horses – Women and riding, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/19280/the-exley-sisters-on-horseback (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Emma Meyer, published 1 March 2009.