Late last year I was given a copy of Man & Horse: the Long Ride Across America by John Egenes to read and review.  This story tells a unique tale of a young man in his mid twenties.  He sets out across the North American continent on his four year old Quarter Horse.  In 1974, he spends 7 months travelling from California to Virginia on horseback.

Man & Horse is a non fiction book, recounting a tale from more than forty years ago.  It’s interesting to read the book that was written after the event.  John is able to recount what he went through with his young mount named Gizmo.  Obvious issues of feeding himself and his horse are common throughout the 7 months of travel.

John first enlightens the reader to his lifestyle as a child and growing up as a teen.  Having lost a father figure at a young age, John acknowledges that his mother had to work hard to raise himself and his siblings.  They were often in want, but learned to be happy on little.  This trait was one that perhaps allowed John to travel with his horse across the continent.  He had little more than $100 in his pocket.

The tale of their travels enlightens the reader to particular needs for horses.  These include regular shoeing, feed, safe types of horse feed and the opportunity to rest between bouts of being ridden.  Gizmo sounds like he was a hardy, fit young horse but the trip wasn’t without its tolls.  Mosquito and Deer Fly bites, concerns of colic, run ins with snakes as well as daily issues with finding water and grazing.

Told through John’s eyes, the reader is taken back to a time when it truly was possible to be alone on the trail.  John had no phone, the internet wasn’t known back then and his camera did little work along the trail.

John battled bad weather, incredible storms, many hours alone with his horse as well as a black widow spider bite.  He encountered some incredible characters, many generous enough to offer stabling, food and a bed for the night along his trails.  And he even encountered some not so nice characters who seemed bent on bothering him and his horse.

Man & Horse is an enlightening tale that shows the US in a time where things have drastically changed in the 21^st century.  For those who are interested in long horse rides and US geography with some history thrown in, this book is worth a look.  It’s also a great book to inspire those who have a dream that they just need to get up and pursue.

Author – John Egenes
Non Fiction – auto biography / history
In my library – as an eBook
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I recently downloaded this first book in the Timeless series for free on Kindle.  Time Will Tell has some unique features in it that drew me to want to read the story.  Firstly, there’s a thoroughbred stud farm.  It is being used to help rehabilitate kids who have been through a rough patch in life.  Maybe they’ve lost a loved one and found life to be all too much – this was the case for the female protagonist Libby Edwards.

Libby finds true enjoyment in working on the farm where she was able to heal after her mother’s death.  It also helps her to forget about her disappointed father and controlling fiancé.  Twin Oaks is a place where she feels she truly belongs and is making a difference.

Secondly, the book has the added element of time travel.  What I found really unique about the story was Libby’s ability to go back in time to the same stud farm.  This is when it was just starting to flourish as a thoroughbred breeding and racing facility.

This time back in the 1800s is when the Kentucky Derby idea was first birthed and a local racetrack was being formed.  Through Libby, the reader is able to learn about this big race in the US in the 21st century.  Plus, they get to read about the men that brought the grand horse race to fruition in the first place.

Thirdly, throw in a good looking stud farm owner, undeniable chemistry and a charming love story and you have the great makings for a novel.  Time Will Tell had many horse facts.  There was a focus on my favourite industry – thoroughbreds, racing and breeding – and a great love story.  It was also a unique way to enlighten readers about the origins of the Kentucky Derby.  An enjoyable read.  The only qualm I had was that a mare named Pride in the future was referred to as a stallion for a bit of the story and then went back to being a mare.

Author – Sandy Loyd
Fiction – adult
In my library – as an eBook
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