Horse Related Novels

[Rapla Farms]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Just wondering if people have any good horse related books that they would recommend.  I know there are a lot of "how to" books out, but what about novels that involve horses in one way or another.  I have read a couple that I liked.  "Dark Horse" by Tami Hoag was good.  She is actually a GP dressage rider and trains with Betsy Steiner.  The book is a murder mystery based around a dressage barn.  Some others Ive found are "Horse People" by Michael Korda, "A Year At The Races" by Jane Smiley, and, of course, "Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul".  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Has anyone else found horse related novels that they enjoyed??  Im a big reader so anytime I can combien reading with my horse passion, Im a happy girl!  Im sure there are others that feel the same way....#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[xena_n_joss]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#hmm... im not sure... I know of other good books though! There was this one I really liked that was called Fly away home I think. I cant really remember though, I dont know where the book went, but it was one of my favorits... It is about a woman whos daughter is taken away by her rich ex husband, so she goes to ireland for a vacation to this old ladies castle, she gets a good deal because the old woman is sick and she needs someone to look after the place. Coincidentally there is a hot horse trainer guy who lives in a different house at the castle and has a horse farm. He gives lessons to needy children . So slowly she falls in love with him and they go looking for her daughter who also loves horses.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Its really good, if anyone else has read it or knows what its called let me know! #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[PerfectAngel]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I read "dark horse"....she bought her horse from Gunter Seidel right?? what a nice horse that sounds like....*drool* #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I like the Dick Francis ones (he has a lot...) he's an ex-jockey so they're all racing stories (some murder/racing/mystery/racing....you get the picture)#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[EatMyDust]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I dont know how old you are, or what you like to read.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Im 16 and I feel like a 2 year old because I LOOOOOOVEEEE Heartland by Lauren Brooke I think. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#There are like 19 books I believe.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#They are about this girl named Amy, who helped her mother cure rescue horses,and retrain them for riding. Her mother dies and Amy takes over. Each book is about a couple of different horses that she has to cure. I started to read Chicken Soup for the Horse Lovers Soul, but I cryed to much(BIG baby) #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Azalee]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Riders by Jilly Cooper is my favourite.  It's great if you lik--er, don't mind smut.  Yeah, that's it.  #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys/Happy/24.gif"#ed_cl#  And if you ever see the film version, it's hysterical.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#And there's a young adult horse novel from the early 90's (?) called Touch The Moon.  It's about a snotty girl who doesn't appreciate the horse figurine (and riding lessons) her dad gave her for her birthday.  (She expected a real horse, of course.)  But lo and behold, a magic horse comes forth from the figurine and teaches her that, hey, this riding thing is pretty hard.  Anyone else ever read this one?  I seem to be the only one that has.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Trufflemaker]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley! She is one of the BEST American writers, imo. She knows her horses too.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Rapla Farms]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Perfect Angel: yes...she did by D'Artagnon from Seidel.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#EatMyDust:  Im a little older then you...by about 10 years!  I've never heard of those books, but its always nice to find a series!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN class=name#ed_cl##ed_op#A name=""#ed_cl##ed_op#/A#ed_cl#Trufflemaker:  I read Horse Heaven too.  I lent it to a fellow horse person to read and still haven't gotten it back (that was about 4 years ago) #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys//ermm.gif"#ed_cl##ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN class=name#ed_cl##ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN class=name#ed_cl#For the younger teenage crowd, I also remember my favourite book growing up.  It was called "a horse called Holiday" but I forget the author.  It was about a horse that arrives at a stable and this girl totally falls in love with him and gets to ride him.  She finds out that he is deaf, but doesn't tell anyone for fear that they won't let her ride him.  Its cool because part of the story is told by the horse himself.  Very good read for any age IMO!!!!!#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Kricket]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Kentucky Sunrise, Kentucky Heat and Kentucky Rich  by Fern Michaels.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#They are based around horse racing and if you get by the fact the they are a bit hokey and unrealistic, they are actually quite a good read.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Oldnag]

I recently read "Horseplay" by Judy Reene Singer. A very funny adventure for woman of all ages.

I passed it onto my Mom and she called the other day sounding all depressed. Worried, I asked what was wrong - her response, "I just finished the book, it's over and I didn't want it to end."

Great characters and apparently the author is working on a sequel.

[tbbrat]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#"The Grey Horse" by R.A. McAvoy -  this one is fantasy, but lots of horses!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#"The Lady" by Anne MacAffrey - quite a departure from her usual, about a young girl growing up on an Irish horse-breeding farm.  My only complain is that she calls Saddlebreds, Standardbreds! #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Anything by Dick Francis - shame that he stopped writing when his wife died.  There's also John Francombe - he's similar to Dick Francis, but somewhat "grittier".#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[MacnRio]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#OK, I was going to suggest "Dark Horse" and Fern Michaels books!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#My mom gave me a horse related book the other day, but I can't remember what it is called.... I'll check then post.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Dick Frances books usually have something to do with horses, racing in particular. There is one called "Whip Hand" that had to do with a jockey.  I just finished another one by him, uh, "Shattered" which was about a jockey that was killed so his friend was on the hunt for clues....... Dick Frances does mainly mystery.  Good books.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Pretty_Pony72]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Dick Frances..good books i got 1 when i was in the hospital didn't finish is..Started 'Shattered' beginning of Augest maybe...on page 4!! His books are good but wow lol#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I have a bunch at home (im at school ) one that come to mind are Heartland, Life in the Galloping Lane - David & Karen O'Conner, hmm i have a bunch i'll re post them.. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graciespook]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#A Horse Called September, A new one I've been hearing about a lot on EMG is something to do with the Maclay medals..can't remember the name. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[horsemad!]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"#ed_cl#I loved “Horseplay” too, Oldnag!#ed_op#SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"#ed_cl#  #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl#I hope the sequel comes out soon.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"#ed_cl# #ed_op#?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"#ed_cl#For those of you who like Jilly Coopers “Riders” and the rest of that series… try Fiona Walker – “French Relations” and “Well Groomed”.#ed_op#SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"#ed_cl#  #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl#They’re similar in style – and based around a girl who events.#ed_op#SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"#ed_cl#  #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"#ed_cl# #ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[PerfectAngel]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#n e one ever read "Dancer" by Shelley Peterson?? what a good book that is....#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[xena_n_joss]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#ya, I have read dancer.. There is a sequel type thing to it too. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[babytigger]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#i love dick francis - great books, and he knows his stuff!!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#jilly cooper is hilarious & smut is the right word! lol..she has a few others out  - i've got "polo"#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#other than the black stallion series, the marguritte (sp?) henry series & the saddle club series...can't think of what other horsey books i've read........and mind you, these were all a long time ago.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[MacnRio]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#K, the book I have at home is "The Grave Maurice" by, uh, oh crap...... I forget........ whaaa. *Goes to chapters website to find the book and the author*  By Martha Grimes!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#My mom said it might upset me how the horses are treated. I think its about a PMU farm....... But I havent read it yet.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Ruth]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Well, I think everyone's suggested the ones I like already!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I do have the complete Black Stallion collection, and also devoured the Marguerite Henry books as a child.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#For a teen aimed sort of book there was a book about Saddlebreds called something like His Majesty's Mark, the same author also wrote one about an Irish TB breeding family called Shannon, I have those two still, I'll check the author's name when I get home. I think it was Barbara Hall.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#One of my favorites ever was Dream of Fair Horses by Patricia Leitch, it's a British book about a teenaged girl who gets the opportunity to train a riding pony and show her at the Horse of the Year show. It's excellent, and a good read even if you are 40. An intelligent book.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#No-one has mentioned the classic C.W. Anderson books with their beautiful illustrations yet!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Or Lynn Hall's Dragon books.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Trufflemaker]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#The book Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand is a really good read. The movie was based on this book, but the book has way more detail and is more historically accurate. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#