Books Every Equine Lover Should Read

October 25, 2007

As a general rule, kids in school (and even once we get to be adults) are either science/math minded or literary minded. The scientific kids are good with numbers and equations and the logical ordering of the world. They excel in things that require attention to detail and are rooted in proven fact. Those of us who are more literary-minded tended to get our best grades in classes like English or journalism or communication. We like to read and we like to write (and blog!) and we are obsessed with stories.

I did well in school, so for a long time I didn’t realize that I was an English person rather than a science person (much to the chagrin of my high-school-math-teacher-mom). I guess the fact that I would hide whatever book in which I was currently immersed inside my math textbook and read during class should have been the first indication.

At any rate, I’m obsessed with books and obsessed with horses. I’ve been deeply involved with both since it was humanly possible. Because I like horses and not just reading, I’m a little pickier about the quality of my horse-related fiction endeavors. There’s a whole lot of junk out there from people who don’t really know much about horses. But here are some titles worth checking out:

Horse Books For Adults

A Year At The Races by Jane Smiley
Jane Smiley (kind of like me) is an English person and a horse person. In fact, she won the Pulitzer prize for fiction a few years ago for her novel, A Thousands Acres. But this horsey title in particular is actually a memoir rather than fiction. It chronicles a year in the lives of two of Smiley’s racehorses, Hornblower and Waterwheel as well as her experiences with other horses throughout her life. “Filled with humor and suspense, and with discourses on equine intelligence, affection and character, A Year at the Races is a winner.” I particularly love some of her passages comparing horse personality and relationships to those of humans. It’s my favorite adult-audience horse book. Smiley has dabbled in horse racing, dressage, and hunters, so she has a little bit of something to offer horse enthusiasts of all kinds.

Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley
Also by Jane Smiley, this title is a novel that follows the experiences of an intricately networked group of racehorse owners, trainers, jockeys, bettors, and of the horses themselves. Smiley’s storytelling is witty and smart and ingeniously funny and sophisticated. Be warned, there is some sexual content and language included of which I don’t particularly approve or recommend, but it is minimal and the book is otherwise worth a read. The characters experience a lot valleys, but do come out on top in the end.

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
Many are familiar with this story because of the blockbuster movie that came out a few year ago. While this is one of the more well-made horse movies, the book is even better. It’s mostly biography with a little bit of literary liberty (like the conversations recorded). Hillenbrand really did her research and is an entertaining and sophisticated writer. I really appreciate this book from both horsey and literary points of view.

Horse Books For All Ages

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Probably the most well-known horse classic of all time, Black Beauty follows the life of a stunning and exceedingly well-behaved horse as he moves from owner to owner and experiences all the ups and downs that life had to offer a horse in Victorian London. Sewell’s purpose for writing the book was to bring attention to many cruel practices humans used against horses during that time period; as a result, it’s a little outdated for today’s audiences. Still, it’s a classic that every horse person should read at least once.

National Velvet by Enid Bagnold
This is another British classic every horse person should read. 14-year-old Velvet Brown, the most-ignored member of her family, wins an untrained piebald (black and white) stallion in a raffle and is determined to train him to compete in the Grand National steeplechase. I appreciated this book more once I got a little older.

King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry
This title tells the story of Sham, a stallion born in Morocco and ridiculed for his pedigree despite his unmatchable speed. King of the Wind follows this legendary horse, who is one of the founding sires of the Thoroughbred race, and his stable boy from the Sahara to France and finally to England. Based a very real and very famous.

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
Another horsey literary classic, this title offers thrilling descriptions of true incidents from the tiny island of Chincoteague off the coasts of Maryland and Virginia, and its realistic yet wonderfully magical atmosphere. This story of an animal brought into captivity poignantly reveals the powerful opposing forces of humans and nature. This a great read for elementary children.

Secretariat: the Making of a Champion by William Nack
Early on, I learned a whole lot about horse racing from this biography of the greatest racehorse who ever lived (in my opinion anyway). Secretariat himself is a great story, and this is a great read for kids and adults who want to learn more about him and the world of horse racing.

My Out-of-Print Favorites
These last few titles are now out-of-print, but entirely worth the read if you happen to come across them. I found them stashed away in my grandparents’ attic; they had been my mother’s from when she was a kid. You can however, find used copies on Amazon.

Scarlet Royal by Anne Emery
A lesser-known book, this is still one of my all-time favorite horse novels. I’m partly drawn to it because it focuses on the hunter ring and a family of women devoted to riding and teaching horses (I can relate!). Scarlet Royal tells the story of a mother and her three daughters attempting to keep their riding stable running following the unexpected death of their husband and father. It particularly focuses on the eldest daughter, Margo as she sells her her beloved and highly talented horse Scarlet to a girl she greatly dislikes in order to save the farm. I love reading about the girls relationships with their horses, with each other, and with other people.

The Year of the Horse
The author of this book doesn’t know a lot about horses (she describes the rider as naturally figuring out how to jump by gripping with the knees–which is and always has been a big no-no in jumping), but she tells a great story of human relationships with horses as a backdrop. I like reading this one even as an adult.

Posted in General, Horsin' Around, Recommendations