Mirror Horse: A Memoir

by Tamara Williamson

English/Canadian indie musician Tamara Williamson offers an unbridled account of a life in the world of horses. From her first clever little bay pony, Stroller, to brilliant ribbon-winning Fletcher, Tamara Williamson recalls the many significant horses in her life, grappling with what it means to be horse-obsessed and what drives this desire to connect with horses. As Williamson discovers, during the tumultuous years of relationships with people and horses, these complicated equine creatures reflect back to us our best and worst selves. Woven throughout the stories of individual horses in Williamson’s life is her own story of a creative, chaotic, challenging and adventurous life. Raised by an eccentric family, with a distant mother who disappeared into alcoholism and a charismatic father who left one sunny morning with a younger woman, Williamson struggles with dyslexia and a sense of increasing detachment. Horses, and the exacting sport of dressage, provide her with opportunities to connect, sometimes imperfectly. Her drive for accomplishment in equestrian sports, whether as a trainer or a rider, is regularly at odds with the fear that lingers from a traumatic childhood riding accident. While reckoning with the financial and psychological expense of training and competition, and with the multitude of industries that benefit from horses, Williamson never loses sight of the enormous burden of responsibility she feels toward horses and the respect she has for their individual characters, memories and instincts. On the surface, Mirror Horse is a book about horses―but beyond the bridles and braided manes, Williamson crafts a complex story about courage, family, and the unexpected places where we find a reflection of our As a rider you can confuse yourself with being the teacher, but horses are constantly showing us something important. They are holding up a mirror.
A percentage of the author's royalties from the sales of this book will go to the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition.

Genres: Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2023

Reviews

[Paul Sutter]

Not knowing much about horses in general, other than seeing pictures of them in books or driving past farm fields, by the time I finished MIRROR HORSE, I felt like my knowledge about them had shot upward immensely. Tamara Williamson’s book gives readers a new appreciation for horses, and take us right into their world, and how each horse influenced the author and her world.
Horses have been a part of her world for much of her life. She has come to own, sell, and then own another horse multiple times. Some people flip homes. You could say Tamara flips horses, moving from one to the other. But she often does it with trepidation, as she has grown to appreciate and love some horses more than others.
As you can expect, horses like people have their own personalities, and are often affected by their experiences. Tamara draws us into the book with her unique moments with each horse, and how some like people are moody, withdrawn, boisterous, embracing, and so much more. There were some horses that seemed quite sedate and almost meek, while others suddenly went on a tear galloping like they were in a wild west chase, with the author fearing for her life. There were other horses that were used for dressage and the equestrian world. There she proudly rode them in competitions, the horse becoming even more special and persona for her.
Tamara also talks about life away from the world of horses, where she is a musician, recording albums, another passion of hers, which could not compare to the equine world. There are sixteen chapters in the book, some with two horses mentioned, signifying a most personal look at how she acquired the horses, how long they were part of her world, and when she finally sold them, before moving onto another horse.
In many ways, they filled her world with joy and love as much as her son, and at one time her husband, until the marriage ended on not so pleasant terms. For many man’s best friend is a canine, but for Tamara, horses have and will always be a part of her life and times, and the book brims with that horse worship through the good times and the bad.

[A.K. White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible. As a dressage rider for 30 years myself, every chapter, every, page, every sentence resonated with me. My horse passed away in March 2020. I put away my helmet and boots and never looked back. This memoir brought it all to the surface again: the beautiful, the ugly, the sadness of leaving 'the barn' behind. Tamara Williamson has written a compulsively readable book. And Tamara, I have never met you, but I bet you're one of those people who changes the energy in a room when you walk in. Thank you for this book which brought up so many memories of my 16.2 gray Hanoverian gelding, Adagio. He was big and powerful and, not being as slow as his name implies, bolted at the first sign of...anything. But I persisted, and he taught me about bravery, patience, consistency, how to work hard, how to listen, how to speak for myself, how to love unconditionally. In the end, I learned that I didn't really care about riding a perfect pattern or reaching the next level or winning ribbons. I only cared about the quality of his life, the quality of our relationship. We danced together for 24 years. I miss him every day.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this book is well-written, by the fourth chapter I was cringing at the author's attitude toward her horses and could already see that the book was going to be about a string of failures, endlessly selling off horses, searching for a better and more suitable horse but impulse buying and being disappointed. And, I was right. I could hardly stand to finish the book, knowing that each beautiful soul was just going to be passed along.

[Julie Fitz-Gerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartfelt, honest story that takes the reader on a journey through Tamara’s life from England to Canada, revealing the emotional highs and lows of horsemanship and life in general. I particularly loved how each horse taught the author something about herself. Great history on the origins of the various breeds as well. Highly recommend!

[Lynn Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mirror Horse is an immersion into not only the equestrian world, but also the heart and soul of the author. It’s an exploration of one woman’s passion and determination, to excel at everything from dressage to music to painting to relationships. It was a journey to find herself. Fascinating and heartwarming true story.

[Joanne Richter · Rating 5 out of 5]

True-life storytelling that will make you fall in love with horses. Simple, honest, heartfelt and incredibly interesting all at once.