Thundering hooves echo through the arena accompanied by the harsh throb of ragged breathing. Rippling muscles testify to the sheer power stored within. A spirit that submits, but is never subdued. Even through the layers of saddle and pads you feel it.
But you feel it most of all in your aching forearms. The constant pressure on the reins as your steed strives to throw off all encumbrances and embrace the heady power of the wind and freedom.
Why? There are a couple of reasons, but mainly because I’ve grown up around horses. I started taking riding lessons at seven, and have owned my own horse since the year I turned twelve. Now I work at a place where I have a whole herd of horses under my charge, to look after and ride.
So folks automatically assume I’m a horsey-girl.
But I’m not.
Don’t get me wrong, I love riding. There’s nothing quite like the feel of the wind in your hair, and the strength of the steed beneath you, and the beauty of willing submission when the horse bends its will to yours.
True horsemanship becomes about understanding and sympathizing with the horse, rather than having good old fashioned horse sense. A horse that misbehaves is just a horse that is misunderstood.
It’s due in part to these novels and movies that horses seem to have been relegated to something that only girls are allowed to enjoy. That bothers me. What happened to the age of the cowboys? To mounted warriors and the magnificent chargers ridden into battle by knights.
True, horses and riders can bond. And when it truly does happen, it’s beautiful to watch. I’ve experienced it. I’ve owned my horse, Ariat, for five years now. Seems like sometimes he can tell what I’m thinking before I have time to cue him. Horses, like dogs or cats, get to know their riders and their habits. Ariat recognizes the sound of my spurs and knows my whistle—and if I’m lucky, he’ll actually answer it and come when I call.
I’m a one-horse rider, and he’s a one-rider horse. We get along just fine.
All that to say, I never thought I’d write a horse novel.
But I am.
Of a sort.
It’s an epic medieval fantasy that takes place in a country of horse-masters. Horses tend to be a natural part of most fantasy—who could resist the knight in shining army, or the flash of the tournament lance, or the charge of the Rohirrim?—but even more so of the fantasy world I’m imagining. The novel may not be about horses, but they are a necessary piece in the story.
There is a delicate balance required to write unique steeds that are realistic and horse-like and to present the true bond between horse and rider, without painting horses with a human shaped brush.
When we do that, we fail to portray the true beauty and majesty and nobility of a war-horse and its master.
What do you think? Do you enjoy reading novels where horses have more human characteristics? Is there a book you can think of where this has been done really well?
GREAT POST! After reading this, I do consider you a horse girl. A REAL horse girl. Great points about horses being softened now a days. I so, so, so look forward to your novel. This was a great time to read this, because I was just thinking about one of my novels where the heroine has a really awesome horse. Good points to keep in mind.
I've always loved horses, though I admit I've sort of detached from them as the years have gone on. But I still love the sight of them, the power of them, the feel of them…
One of my favorite series growing up was Winnie the Horse Gentler. Because she was just a girl who actually knew the techniques of gentling (thanks to her mom) and knew horses were horses. And tried to compare people to horses, rather than horses to people.
Amazing pictures of you and your horse! You have an incredible photographer!
I like the way you put it, Hannah. "Horses being softened." You struck to the heart of it.
I've never read Winnie the Horse Gentler. But I loved the Black Stallion series … and the Scorpio Races is one of my all time favorites. It blends horses and fantasy and celtic legend and is simply awesome. :)
I grew up in rural Montana with horses in our family. I probably was three when I first sat on a horse and began riding on my own at five. Our family lived in a sort of bizarre throwback to the 19th century because my dad at times used horse teams to pull felled logs and to plow the field where we grew hay, in addition to us using them for basic transportation (I rode the three miles to the schoolhouse in Olney, Montana almost every day in 1st and 2nd grade).
My story may sound idyllic to some but it wasn't. My father struggled with alcohol abuse and my parents divorced when I was 9. My father was always the horseman, not my mom, so my riding life ended when Dad left, except for a few sporadic occasions after that. Which is very strange for me because my bottom remembers very well how to sit on a horse, but my head has forgotten a lot of the knowledge that accompanies horsemanship.
My young life as a rider was filled with getting stepped on, kicked, bucked off, drug, swept off by tree branches, and having to accept responsibility for an animal I wasn't able to fully manage. So it was largely unpleasant and there was more than one occasion where I should have died, not usually because the horses were actually malicious, but because I was too small for what I was doing.
But our horses were like family members–including situations very much like family arguments. I actually miss the darn things sometimes. I'd like to have horses again someday in fact. But I'll never devote my whole life to them like my father did for a time (who by the way, praise God, eventually quit drinking, married a much younger woman, got serious about following the Lord, and has horses that my ten year old half-sister rides in conditions much safer than the ones I had).
I'm currently writing a novella that features horses and knights (I call them "riders" but they are knights) on a future terraformed Mars that has passed into a dark age much like medieval Earth. I've also imagined a story series that features a war in a fantasy context in which one of the main characters would rather be training horses that fighting evil from the back of one. Some of the horses he trains will have as many quirks and as much personality as some of the horses I knew personally. So my experiences with horses inform my writing and draws me to portray a mount from perhaps a non-standard perspective. For so many stories, a horse is essentially a prop, not like real horses at all. Or else excessively glorified.
I'd be interested in reading your epic when you feel you're ready for readers. Not just because of the horse angle, but in part because of that. And Hannah is right, those are some great pics of you riding. :)
Wow. What a story!
Your novella sounds quite intriguing. And I agree, horses do have so many quirks and different facets to their personalities. It's awesome! In my mind, good riding comes from knowing the horse you're riding and figuring out how that specific horse responds best to which sorts of cues. Not that I'm an expert by any means, but I have worked around for 'em for a while.
Oooo, I just remembered some incredible true life stories from a Christian ranch that rescues horses and helps kids. I've actually been there, and it's such an incredible, wonderful place. The woman, Kim Meeder, who heads it has written some books about it that are so amazing. They're called "Hope Rising" and "A Bridge Called Hope."
Oh I have those books! You've been there? That's awesome. I used to get their newsletter. It's super cool.
I tend to think that a lot of animals /do/ have human qualities to them (didn't like Maximus from Tangled very much, though that was making a horse seem more like a dog). I keep a few cats and they all have quite different personalities and I feel as if they understand me. I think of horses as beautiful beasts that deserve respect, that you can form a bond with, sometimes. I've ridden a few and I know that when you look into their dark eyes it sometimes feels like they're infinite. I haven't really liked a lot of "horse" books though, probably because most of them are just about races or everyday life. I did read this one book series that was really good though, about a rough girl who had gone through different foster homes before reaching a Christian family who owns horses. (well, there's Horse Crazy Lily too, a great book, but I was thinking of a different series) I can't remember the title though. I'm going to have to find it again and get back to you.
Excellent! Well, of course there's Shadowfax and the writers of Rohan. J.R.R. Tolkien was in the horse Regiment in World War I, hence, he had a real intimate knowledge of many characteristics of how horses respond in battle.
BTW, that is found in one of the "making of" clips from the extended DVDs.
I also think that the Rangers Apprentice series does a really good job of having horses talk! Very humorous.
Seriously looking forward to how you do this.
Shadowfax though is not all like a real horse, though that's clearly what Tolkien intended, an archetype of a horse. The Rohirrim are cool of course, but I don't recall much detail being put into their individual horses. Maybe my memory is at fault though…
As for the movie LOTR, the wedge formation the riders attack the orcs with is something the late Roman Empire and Byzantines used called a cataphract. It did work well historically, but only with heavily armored horses. Horses without armor have never successfully executed that wedge against armored infantry in the history of warfare as far as I know. Light horse tactics are different. But it was a just movie, after all. :)
I would love to read your book, Gillian. I was a "horse lover" as a girl, got a ditzy chestnut half-Arab mare for my 18th birthday, and nearly killed myself with stupidity several times (my guardian angels worked overtime). Twelve years later I took riding lessons while living in England and discovered how little I actually knew. LOL I do find horses to be interesting and distinct characters. I understand what you mean when you say you aren't a horse lover. I feel the same way about dogs and cats–some are truly not very lovable. It depends on the animal.
Haha. When I think about all the crazy stuff I've done while riding, I'm just grateful to still be alive! :)
Oh wow. Riding lessons in England? I've grown up riding Western, so I can only imagine how learning to ride English in England would be so completely different.
It does depend on the animal. I love working with horses, and I love teaching kids to ride, but I wouldn't classify myself as horse-crazy, if you know what I mean. :)
I am definetly a horse girl!! I go ridding as much as I can, volunteer at horse ranches, and dream of getting my own horse! There is something about them that is just…..magical! I've never really cared for horse novels, but I always enjoy horse movies! Probobly because I enjoy watching horses in motion. I would love to read your book! It sounds great!!!
That's awesome. Owning a horse is so much fun. Lots of work, but totally worth it.
Horses are beautiful creatures. Whenever I'm writing a battle scene with a cavalry charge, I'm always reminded of Job 39:19-24, "Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds."
Can't you just picture it?
I am glad I've found someone who put into words my thoughts on horses and horse stories. I like horses too. I've riden a lot, not as much as I'd have liked, but it is fun and I enjoy it. I think they are amazing animals. But, I live in cowboy country. I've grown up here. I KNOW horses aren't, as you said, sweet and misunderstood animals who have human qualities. They are still animals, and can be wild and temperamental. If they don't want to turn left when you want them to there is nothing you can do about it because you're only a puny two legged human sitting on their back. You can tug that reign all you want, but sometimes they just don't feel like obeying.
That is why I don't usually like horse stories. They are just kind of, sappy. If I read a horse story it is usually about a race, or knights. (Or Rangers Apprentice, though even those have sappy horse moments, they are more of fun sappy horse moments.)
Anyways, I think it is brilliant you are going to write a kind of horse book. I think they always turn out better if they're written by someone who has been around horses and really knows them.
Yep. I know what you mean about cowboy country. I'm glad it made sense to you. I had a hard time writing it all down and wasn't at all sure if it would make sense to anyone else.
I enjoyed the Ranger's Apprentice series, too. They're fun books. And the horses were pretty adorable.
The novel I'm working on is a horse book of sorts, though many of the horses in it are a form of "super" horse (though certainly not called that). It's a fantasy, so part of the "magic" of the world is that there are flamebreathing horses, horses that live in the sea, and others that fly on the storm winds. So, I'm trying to keep them as close to true horses as I can while allowing for their fantastical differences! ;)
Gillian, I really like your story idea with the different types of horses. I'm more interested in the story than I was before. :)