This short book is cleverly set out by Eleanor Russell and illustrated by Michael Breen. On each page, a term or statement is found that had previously been printed on dressage sheets.

Taking these often ambiguous statements into account, Eleanor has added humour with the illustrations of Michael Breen. Each page is made up of a statement with a matching cartoon.

Dressage Illustrated is a humorous, light look at the world of competing in dressage and the resulting feedback that riders receive about themselves and their mounts. A quick and easy read for those wanting a chuckle.

Author – Eleanor Russell
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/314789.Eleanor_Russell
Fiction – Dressage illustrations
In my library? – that it is!
Want it? Find it now at Amazon.

“Aids – the physical signs used by the rider to communicate with the horse.” – Eleanor Russell

This collection of short stories is made up of 100 pages of horse racing related anecdotes. Always with a splash of humour, it depicts well the colourful world of thoroughbred racing, particularly in Australia.

Because the focus is on Australian racing and jockeys in the 1900s, it can appear a little dated and some references to particular trainers or riders may be overlooked as time goes on and these names aren’t the current known names in racing history.

The Jockey who Laughed is a light read that is easily broken up because of the number of short stories it covers.  There are some amusing illustrations by Vane Lindesay, also.  It did seem to me to cater to a very select group of readers, however in spite of the broad topic of racing.

Author – Roy Higgins and Tom Prior
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14157426.Roy_Higgins
Non Fiction – anecdotal racing stories
In my library? – that it is!
Want it? Get it now at Amazon.

“The only way to make a regular living following horses is to do it with a broom and a shovel.” – BRUCE THE BOOKIE, Melbourne SP Bookmaker.

Alec Ramsay is back in this adventure with his 17 hand high Arabian stallion, the Black. On a break between racing campaigns, Alec and the Black are housed on a stud farm passing time whilst the Black’s trainer Henry is dealing with business elsewhere.

Whilst out on a ride to exercise his horse, Alec finds himself drawn to the Everglades, a haunting and unusual swampland. As he feels the pull to explore further, he is amazed to come across another horse and rider. What’s more amazing is the circus act that is being performed by the grey mare with a rider who is using no saddle, bridle or other equipment.

Alec is drawn into the performance and finds himself heading back with the Captain and his mare to have lunch at a nearby house in the unusual swamp. As time passes, Alec finds that although he increasingly wants to escape the company of this scary and unusual man, he is unable to leave the premises when a storm hits. Forced to stay for the evening, Alec is dismayed to find himself caught up in the Captain’s superstitious stories and overactive imagination.

As events unfold, the Black ends up loose in the Everglades and Alec must use his commonsense and determination to find and rescue his horse, get away from the dangerous Captain and make his way out of the scary swamp. The Black Stallion’s Ghost is a haunting tale that cleverly depicts how one can get carried away with superstitions.

Author – Walter Farley
http://theblackstallion.com/web/author/
Fiction – children
In my library? – that it is!
Want it? Get it now at Amazon.

“All equestrians, if they last long enough, learn that riding in whatever form is a lifelong sport and art, an endeavor that is both familiar and new every time you take the horse out of his stall or pasture.” – Jane Smiley

Wendy McLyon has sworn herself off horses. After a terrible riding tragedy and the loss of the life of her favourite horse, she isn’t interested in riding. To top things off, she has a healing broken leg that is a constant reminder.

This may all be bearable except for the fact that Wendy is to go live with her aunt and uncle for a year, due to her father constantly travelling for work. Aunt Laura and Uncle Art live on a ranch in Montana where Wendy is to make her home for the next twelve months.

A trip that she was dying to make before the accident suddenly is the last thing she wants to do – to be living on a property that is surrounded by horses.

Wendy finds her aunt and uncle to be a lovely couple, but only too eager to encourage her to get back in the saddle. Unsure how to get around this, Wendy finds herself constantly avoiding or saying no to their offers.

A chance viewing of a sorrel filly loose on the farm – one that doesn’t belong to her aunt and uncle – piques Wendy’s interest. Later when she finds the filly trapped in some barbed wire and only Wendy is around to free her, she finds her heart is quickly taken by the young horse.

As Wendy cares for the filly she’s named Gypsy, she’s torn between getting too close and knowing that the filly’s owner will claim her one day.

Gypsy from Nowhere is a great children’s story that tackles the themes of overcoming fear, making new friends and caring for something that isn’t yours to love. A good read.

Author – Sharon Wagner
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4159.Sharon_Wagner
Fiction – children
In my library? – that it is!
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

“No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.” – Winston Churchill

I received this novel as a birthday present recently and devoured it in a number of days. It’s a great mixture of horses, voting for the underdog, overcoming racial prejudices, romance, rediscovering your faith and being committed to your word.

Set in the late 1800s, Maggie Linden and Cullen McGrath are fighting their own battles to get what they most desire in life. Maggie has an extremely talented thoroughbred mare that she can’t ride in races, nor can she claim to be her trainer – because of her gender. Cullen McGrath is struggling to purchase land and live a quiet life, farming in Nashville in spite of having the money. Most Americans loathe the Irish and refuse to do business with them, going so far as to threaten their lives if they think of putting roots down on US soil.

Maggie lost her brothers to the war and her mother to a broken heart. Her ailing father is all she has left and a chance meeting with Cullen provides the one American who is willing to sell his land – at a greatly reduced price – with a catch.

Cullen wants to hide away from society and yet knows that he cannot if he agrees to purchase this land – and with it, a bride in the form of Maggie Linden. Although the purchase of such a property is sure to save Maggie from the heartache of losing the farm she’s grown up on and the mare she is desperate to race, she is far from thankful to the Irishman for his purchase.

Dismayed at having been sold to a man she doesn’t even know, her anger deepens when she discovers his roots. Even Cullen’s hint at a background with racehorses causes to be more of a hindrance then a help.

To Win Her Favor is an incredibly well written story. It moves forward at a good pace, is written emotively and covers aptly the issues of racism, sexism and standing up for what is right. Highly recommended.

Author – Tamera Alexander
http://www.tameraalexander.com/
Fiction – adult, historical
In my library? – definitely is!
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

“The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit and freedom.” – Sharon Ralls Lemon