Riding High 1896-1903: Country Diary of a Young Horsewoman

The sketch books of Barbara Sneyd present a beguiling picture of a girl growing up in the British countryside at the turn of the century.

Riding was her greatest passion. While sensitive to the beauty of the landscape and a witty observer of all that took place around her, it is in her portrayal of horses, riding and hunting that her artistic talents found their keenest expression.

Barbara’s own paintings are supported by her letters to her cousin, Mabel. The existing family records have been supplemented by Phyllida Barstow’s enthusiastic research to provide a full-length portrait of the artist. The terrors of visits to the dentist are shrugged aside with stiff-upper-lip valour. The trials of dancing lessons lightly dismissed. The fears of awakening love for a soldier destined for the Boer War touchingly conveyed.