When carrying out my first yearling preparation in late 2003, I got to talking with the woman I was living and working with about my interest in Polo.

Honestly, I have never seen a match – whether in person or on film and I am still far from knowing all the rules but this book was suggested to me as an interesting fictional read that was focused around Polo.

I did learn the basics of the game which was great and Jilly Cooper has written in some great characters, ‘the heavenly twins’ being very amusing. The main character’s stint in Argentina I also found to be of interest in the book.

However, I decided to remove this fictional piece from my library finding the focus to be a lot more on the interrelationships between the players and rich characters that surrounded the sport.

This wouldn’t have been a concern if the writing didn’t go into so much smutty detail. It’s hardly a book I’d want a teen or younger horse fanatic to be reading.

Nor would I want one to be interested in polo and stumble across this book expecting to learn about the sport. For me reading the book once was enough.

Author: Jilly Cooper
http://www.jillycooper.co.uk/
Fiction
In my library? No thanks; too much smut, not enough horses.

“A polo pony is like a motorbike with a mind of its own weighing half a ton.”

Tag: horse story, equine book review, jilly cooper, equine author, horse library, horse writing

This is one of the first horse books that I remember reading and rereading and reading again. Set in the high country of Australia, the book focuses around the nuances and lifestyles of the Australian wild horse, the brumby.

Thowra, the first born creamy horse out of the cream mare Bel Bel is born into a world where men roam the high country in search of brumbies that they can rope and take for their own. A world where every other stallion would be doubly against him due to his unusual colouring.

Realising that time was against her – after all Thowra would be naturally weaned within a year – Bel Bel sought to teach her son as much as possible to have him wise to good grazing areas, sensing danger and escaping into thin air.

The author Elyne Mitchell brings the reader in alongside the wild horses, opening their eyes to a world where you continue to move, seeking out the best grazing; where stallions fight for their mares and dominion over particular pastures and are constantly evading their hunter, man.

These horse books are different in that you’re reading from the horse’s realistic point of view – survival and reproduction are the main focus.

I love that the areas mentioned in this novel are places that you can actually visit and also where brumbies do indeed roam. These truths bring credibility to the story and make it that much more interesting a read.

I’ve read four of the Silver Brumby series and deem this to be my favourite although all I will quite happily sit down and read again when time permits.

Author: Elyne Mitchell
http://www.blaze.net.au/~sasami/brumby/
Fiction
In my library? Perhaps the story that started the addiction in the first place. You’ll find the Silver Brumby and (eventually) all others in the series amongst my collection. The series is one I’d also consider child safe and happily have any young person reading.

“A silver brumby is special… but he will be hunted by man and horse alike, and must be stronger than both…” – Elyne Mitchell

Tag: horse story, equine book review, elyne mitchell, equine author, horse library, horse writing

I think I should be reading my Dick Francis novels in order of year published rather than alphabetically, but oh well.  I’ve recently finished The Danger and so far have found this novel to be slightly different to the rest – a good kind of different.

The main character, Andrew Douglas of Liberty Market is used to dealing with kidnappers, negotiating ransoms and freeing hostages.

He is not so familiar with the horse world – in fact, rather far from it.  This doesn’t stop Andrew finding himself from the outside looking in as each victim seems to link back to the racing industry.

Another great read with some very amusing characters, The Danger was further made interesting due to the main character being someone who knew not much about horses at all.  Often changing countries, the different locations and characters along the way added to the novel, rather than detracting and making things confusing.

Not surprisingly, the horse related parts of the novel where convincing and the terminology correct when relating to horses in different countries.  As for the investigating side of things – as someone who is ignorant in area, your guess is as good as mine.  The actions of the characters were easy to picture though and didn’t seem far fetched.

Finding this to be a single book written by Dick Francis, rather than one of his series, I’m rather disappointed, actually.  The main character is very likable and another novel featuring Andrew Douglas of Liberty Market would be welcome in my opinion.

Author: Dick Francis
http://www.dickfrancis.com/
Fiction – Crime.
In My Library? You bet.  A bit of swearing throughout the book but otherwise pretty harmless, an interesting read and one that will keep you going until you reach the end.

Check out other book reviews and what is currently in my equine library.

“Words are as beautiful as wind horses, and sometimes as difficult to corral.” – Ted Berkman

tag: horse story, equine book review, dick francis, equine author, horse library, horse writing

The author of 41 novels, Dick Francis is a name that has only really become familiar to me over the past couple of years.  I found a hard back cover of Shattered for sale at a cheap price and the interesting story that revolved around a glass blower had me curious until the end.

I now have 24 of his 41 novels and will eventually have them all in my library.

Come to Grief focuses on the jumps jockey turned investigator, Sid Halley who it seems has bitten off more than he can chew when accusing a close friend of some horrific horse related crimes.  Of the half dozen or so books I’ve read by Dick Francis, the hero of the story is of course someone you’re hoping will catch the villain in the end.

Despite being the ‘good guy’, it isn’t all easy and Francis does a good job of making his main characters real, likable and flawed.

Giving you the ‘whodunit’ at the start of this novel, it was a great read to discover alongside Sid Halley, how to prove the guilt of the accused and how things pieced together.

Although focused around racing in the UK, the book lists famous race courses such as Flemington, Churchill Downs, Longchamps, opening the reader’s eyes to famous tracks around the world.  Although not particularly a horse novel, these gorgeous animals are the victim of the crime the book entails.

Although not particularly horsey, the book does focus on the lifestyles of racegoers and owners and is a very entertaining read.

Author: Dick Francis
http://www.dickfrancis.com/
Fiction – Crime.
In My Library? Definitely.  Not full on horse related; a great read and one I’d be happy to let any age child or adolescent read through without fear of them reading something inappropriate.

Interested in non fiction books that may be worth adding to your equine library?  Take a look at Lori’s Library of Horse Book Reviews.

“In the trojan horse story man entered and touched the inside of a horse, but to see a horse in high spirits is to have the horse enter and touch the inside of a man.”

tag: horse story, equine book review, dick francis, equine author, horse library, horse writing

As someone who’s collecting as many horse books as possible with the view to have them available in a library on my property for all to read, it seemed it was about time I started to review the books I own… and other horse related books that I’ve read.

The plan for my library is to have a room full of books (hopefully in excess of 800) that line the walls and on a day that the weather doesn’t allow horse riding, all the agistees and clients of the riding school will be able to spend the day in my library just reading about horses.

Recently I was checking out a friend’s packed bookshelves while at her house and stumbled across In Search of a Wild Brumby.  Even though I had four on the go at the time, she insisted I borrow it and there was no rush with regards to getting it read and back to her.

Once I started to read it, I realised returning it wouldn’t have been an issue due to the book being hard to put down.

As someone who grew up on the likes of the Silver Brumby series by Elyne Mitchell, it’s fascinating now at 23 years of age to read about these places in the high country but from a non fiction point of view rather than the fictitious series I adore.

Keenan after being asked his opinion on the mass shooting of brumbies in the Australian High Country in a culling effort, struck out to meet those who inhabited the areas of northern Victoria and just over the New South Wales border that brumbies were found.

Through meeting such people his plan was to find the small number of remaining brumbies scattered over the country and observe them in their natural environment to determine if they were detrimental to the high country land.

A great look at the start of horses in Australia and our horse riding history, the book has been a great read and caused me to want to go check out some areas in Northern Victoria that I hadn’t before known existed.  I think the Blue Duck Inn will have to be on the list with some planned horse riding.

In Search of a Wild Brumby is well worth the read.

Author: Michael Keenan
http://www.michaelkeenan.com.au/
Non Fiction
In My Library? Absolutely!   A very interesting read with some great Australian history.

“Ride a wild horse against the sky, hold tight to his wings before you die, whatever else you leave undone, once ride a wild horse into the sun.”

tag: horse story, equine book review, michael keenan, equine author, horse library, horse writing