Since “Horse Journal” focuses on field trials of products for horse lovers, I’ve developed into somewhat of an expert on shopping for horse equipment and can easily tell you what’s the best supplement or bridle or shampoo and why. We also include veterinary and nutrition articles that focus on what to do for your horse rather than a lesson in anatomy and physiology. The training articles we run fascinate me since I’m obsessed with improving my riding. But I digress.

My evening hours take me away to other worlds and often other times, and I frequently wish I had been an adult in the 1950s. I have a preference for romantic novels, since I don’t want to read about murders and thefts and kidnappings. My favorite books, of course, involve both romance and horses . . . that’s as close to heaven as I can imagine.

I realized I was into romances when I read about Charlie Carter and Ellen Sprague during “The Golden Stallion” series of books by Rutherford G. Montgomery. They were originally published in the 1950s and are now out-of-print, but you may find them at second-hand shops or on the Internet. 

I also loved “Scarlet Royal” by Anne Emery. It’s another book geared for pre-teens and teens, but I still re-read my battered copy. It was originally published in 1952, and I’ve never heard of anyone who didn’t love it. Wouldn’t today’s youth eat that up, too, or would they be turned off by yellowing pages and no corresponding game for Nintendo Wii?

Other favorites from my youth include “The Sweet Running Filly” series by Pat Johnson and Barbara van Tuyl, the “Fury” series by Albert G. Miller (I had a black stick horse named Fury), anything by Marguerite Henry, Jane McIlvaine, C.W. Anderson or Walter Farley. In fact, “Little Black, A Pony” by Walter Farley may be my all-time favorite book, followed closely behind by Mary O’Hara’s three Flicka books.

Published in 1961, “Little Black” was reworked in 2006 to include the story in the Navajo language and illustrations to suit. It was redone because it was so popular with young readers of the Navajo Nation. I’m partial to the original version and artwork by James Schucker, but I’m thrilled nevertheless that this story is still in print and being enjoyed.

I have several copies of “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell, too.  Although I devoured this book over and over as a kid, I simply can’t bring myself to read it again. Most reviews call it “heartwarming,” and I agree it is a magnificent piece of literature that deserves to be a classic, I cannot re-read the stories of the horrible things that happened right from Rob Roy through to Ginger. Of course, Anna Sewell’s purpose was to show the difficult lives of cab horses, and she did a splendid job capturing the tribulation. Yes, I know, it ends on a happy note, but I believe this book is one of the reasons that I find it so difficult to even consider selling one of my beloved horses.

As an adult, I still eat up any book that includes horses, and I’m thrilled when authors like Susan Wiggs, Nora Roberts, Janet Dailey or Danielle Steel include a well-done horse theme. Borden Deal wrote “Bluegrass” in 1976, and it’s as wonderful today as it was when I first read it.

I’m sure that there are countless other books that you’ve enjoyed and I’ve neglected to mention. I’d love to hear about them, especially since I may be able to find them in a used-book store or online. I don’t mind if the pages are yellowed. It simply adds to my enjoyment, knowing that I’m reading a book that’s been loved by enough readers that it hasn’t faded into obscurity.