Alice M. Hayes

Born Alice Mary Pyett, she became known as Alice M. Hayes, a British horse trainer and writer whose life was closely tied to the horse world. She worked alongside the veterinarian and horse expert M. Horace Hayes, traveled widely, and built a reputation for handling difficult horses with unusual skill.

Her best-known book, The Horsewoman, first published in the 1890s and later expanded, offered detailed guidance on side-saddle riding. The book stands out for its practical tone: she wrote not as a distant observer, but as someone who had ridden, trained, and taught extensively.

Hayes is also remembered for her boldness as a rider. Accounts of her life note that she once rode a zebra side-saddle in India, a vivid example of the nerve and showmanship that made her memorable. She died in 1913, but her writing still offers a lively glimpse into equestrian life and women’s riding culture in her era.