Culture imprimée, cultures équestres dans l’Europe moderne

Abstract

The role of the horses in traditional societies is enlightened by comparative analysis of retrospective bibliographies concerning equestrian culture in France, in Great Britain, in Spain and partly in Germany (until the eighteenth century), from the Renaissance to the contemporary period. The inventory of books, their usual classification allow to see how sociocultural dynamics act in different countries; it makes clearer also functions and material, pertinent forms which organize the main interests in the world of horses and riders: usefulness, power and knowledge. Here we will reach the ambitions proposed by the Sociology of texts and those about history of cultural practices.