I’ve often wondered what it is that makes a girl a horse girl. For me, it felt like something I always had inside me, unbidden and unprovoked, and I don’t think that’s unusual. Maybe the love of horses can be something you’re just born with. (Of course, all the horse books I read growing up helped too, I’m sure!)
Now that I’m an adult, I’ve been able to finally pursue my dream of horseback riding lessons. And, wow! Horses are just as magical as I always thought. Whenever I ride, I’m swept up totally in the act of working with my horse, and I never stop being fascinated by my equine friends and their varied personalities and quirks. Horse people know that horses are something special, and perhaps that’s why horse stories are something special too. We’ll never stop loving horses, and we’ll never stop loving horse books. This collection is for the horse revelers everywhere.
A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history—from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history. Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.
Framed as a first-person narrative from the eponymous horse, this much-loved family classic follows Black Beauty's journey from a well-born colt to a painfully overworked cab horse. This full-cast Audible Original reimagines Anna Sewell's unique concept as an animal-based audio drama for all the family.
This is one of my favorite young adult books about horses, and yet Maggie Stievfater’s horses are not like other horses. The horses of the fantasy island of Thisby come from the water and eat flesh instead of hay. They also have tempers to match their ferocious diets. But they’re the fastest horses in existence, so men must ride them every year to win the cash prize and clout that come with placing first in the Scorpio Races. In steps Puck, the first ever girl to ride in the high-stakes race.
Set in the glamorous, competitive world of showjumping, this buzzy thriller from the author of Good Rich People is about the girls who ride, their cutthroat mothers, and a suspicious death at a horse show. Mean girl cliques, barn romances, and dark secrets add to the intrigue.
This beloved children's classic is truly a story to captivate listeners of all ages, especially as narrated by Edward Herrmann. Follow the story of siblings Paul and Maureen Beebe as they save up money to buy the legendary Phantom, rumored to be the wildest mare on Assateague Island, and her colt, Misty.
Generations have been captivated by Walter Farley’s heartwarming story of an extraordinary horse and the boy who loves him. To this day, The Black Stallion remains one of the best-loved books of children around the world and a classic of children’s literature. Frank Muller narrates the adventure in a way that listeners describe as "excellent," "wonderful," and "pure pleasure."
Located deep in the Canadian wilderness, Snowfields Academy is the premier school for equestrians from around the globe. With a handful of students admitted every year, only riders who have the potential to win world-class tournaments are invited to attend. One stallion, Shaman, has proven to be too wild and unpredictable for even the best riders on campus—but then, there's the girl with a gift for music.
King of the Wind is the classic, Newbery Medal-winning story of Sham, a golden red stallion of proud pedigree and cruel misfortune, and his friend, the stable boy Agba. Their adventures take them from the sands of the Sahara to the royal courts of France and, finally, to the green pastures and stately homes of England. For Sham was the renowned "Godolphin Arabian," and his speed—like his story—has become legendary.
History was made at the 2015 Belmont Stakes when American Pharoah won the Triple Crown, the first since Affirmed in 1978. As magnificent as the champion is, the team behind him has been all too human while on the road to immortality. Written by an award-winning New York Times sportswriter, American Pharoah is the definitive account of how the ethereal colt not only won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes but also changed lives.
As you might be surprised to learn, there are more than seven million horses in America—even more than when they were the only means of transportation—and nearly two million horse owners. Acclaimed journalist and avid equestrian Sarah Maslin Nir is one of them—she began riding horses when she was just two years old and hasn’t stopped since. Narrated by the author, Horse Crazy is a fascinating, funny, and moving love letter to these graceful animals and explores why so many people, including her, are obsessed with them.
In 1973, Secretariat, the greatest champion in horse-racing history, won the Triple Crown, and he still holds the record for the fastest times in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. More than 30 years after its initial publication, the tale of "Big Red" remains inspiring—as much for the story of Penny Chenery, who risked her reputation, her business, and her marriage for her belief in a horse.
In Think Like a Horse, veteran “horse whisperer” and leadership expert Grant Golliher applies his hard-won horse sense to teach invaluable lessons anyone can use to live a fuller, more successful life. Horse whispering may sound like magic, but as Grant explains, it’s not really all that mysterious. The lessons he shares are as fundamental and ageless as the relationship between horses, the people who ride them, and the beauty of the West.
He was known as Beautiful Jim Key from the moment he stepped into the American spotlight in 1897 at age eight until his death in 1912. Proclaimed a genius, this horse appeared to read, write, spell, do math, and work a cash register, among other feats. Jim's remarkable intelligence was cultivated by the kindness and patience of the extraordinary man who trained him—Dr. William Key of Shelbyville, Tennessee, a self-schooled veterinarian and former slave who in his life had seen horrific cruelty toward humans and animals. This is their story.
Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Narrated by George Newbern, Laura Hillenbrand's unforgettable masterpiece of narrative nonfiction is also the basis for the eponymous 2003 film.
For decades, it was the signature attraction of Atlantic City's Steel Pier. Four times a day, a trained horse ran up a ramp, sailed 40 feet through the air, and plunged into a 10-foot-deep tank of water. In this memoir, Cynthia A. Branigan, the award-winning rescuer of retired racing greyhounds, tells the inspiring story of the rescue of the last diving horse in America, Gamal, and the personal story of how horse and rescuer were each profoundly transformed by the other. Named Best Equine Nonfiction Book at the 2022 Equus Film & Arts Fest, it's a moving tale of the power of animals and love.
