Land of the Horses: A True Story of a Lost Soul and a Life Found

by Chris Lombard

An intensely moving memoir of a young man who left heartbreak in Maine to seek healing Out West in the company of horses.
Growing up in a small Maine town, Chris Lombard had never ridden a horse—never even touched one. But on one fateful night, as what he’d thought was a happy twenty-something life full of love and possibility fell suddenly apart, he met two horses and looked into their eyes. What he saw inspired him to leave everything he had, and everything he didn’t have, behind, and go in search of what was missing.
With the little he needed packed in his ten-year-old Pontiac Grand Prix, and little more to go on than a belief that  someone would give him a chance , Chris headed west to find work on a horse ranch. His journey took him first to the mountains of Colorado, then the Hollywood Hills of California, and finally, the wild borderlands of Southern Arizona. The settings changed but the same lessons came in quiet moments, movingly captured in these watching horses, reaching out to them, swinging upon their backs. Chris learned new meanings for words— presence, connection, softness,  and  balance —the elements of good horsemanship feeding a deep hunger he didn’t know he had. But learning to ride a horse, learning to communicate with him, to teach him things, these required qualities Chris was only beginning to cultivate. Human nature plans; it pushes and it rushes. And it would take a terrible accident to awaken a whole new awareness for time and space, and Chris's place within it, beside a horse.
In the austere beauty of the Sonora Desert, Chris met a cowboy whose intense love for life on the back of a horse held a deep sadness at bay, but only for so long. Their brief time together, working land and livestock, would bring Chris to the realization that the richly fulfilling new life he’d found held all the answers he sought, but only if he could ultimately leave it behind.
Evocatively written, interweaving the author’s growing understanding of horses and how we connect with them with his deeply personal experiences,  Land of the Horses  brings to life a young man’s transformation alongside the horses, people, and dramatic landscapes of the American West. Healing heartbreak, falling and getting back on, searching for something  true —this is a story that is in all of us. And it shows we are all capable of creating the life we truly want to live.

Genres: Biography, Horses, Memoir, Animals

181 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 22, 2013

About the author

Chris Lombard is an author and well-known horseman whose work focuses on helping people connect with horses. Through his one-on-one work and popular clinics he works with around two hundred people and their horses each year. There is greatness when a human and a horse connect and Chris' main goal is to help people find their own individual way to that. He lives with his family in Maine and you may learn more about him at www.ChrisLombard.com.

Reviews

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taken from the book. "Growing up in a small Maine town, Chris Lombard had never ridden a horse—never even touched one. But on one fateful night, as what he’d thought was a happy twenty-something life full of love and possibility fell suddenly apart, he met two horses and looked into their eyes. What he saw inspired him to leave everything he had, and everything he didn’t have, behind, and go in search of what was missing."

Chris takes you on a journey of self-challenge, discovery and growth. I grew up with a Cowboy Grandfather, I can relate to a lot of his thinking and trying to figure out one's own path.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book here on Goodreads and all I can say is WOW! I like biographies. I've ridden a horse a few times in my life. When I first started reading the book, I thought I wouldn't be able to do it. I thought it was going to be all about training horses, but right away the book grabbed me a kept me reading. Hearing about how the author started out working with horses is an amazing, gripping, fun and informative story. Not just for horse lovers, but for anyone!

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are searching for something in your life that you can't seem to find and then you find it, you will realize it has been inside you all along.

[MaryAnn Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was exciting to read this book by Chris who is the trainer at the Horse Shelter where I volunteer. I often wondered where his gentle, intuitive approach to working with the horses came from and the answers were in this book. It was quite a journey from being someone with no experience with horses whatsoever to a master trainer. He is inspirational to watch as he works to earn a horse's trust and then begins the process of becoming its full partner. Chris's journey was not easy but he pushed himself to learn some of the hardest aspects of horsemanship, sometimes putting himself in potentially perilous situations. It's easy to see how he has earned the respect of horse owners and other trainers. His dedication is obvious. Horses are truly his whole life. I particularly enjoyed reading about his experiences with inner city kids in Chicago and with the wranglers and cowboys out west. He intersperses his biographical detail with inspirational observations about life, learning and healing..
Congratulations, Chris...it's a beautiful book!

[Val Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may be just a little prejudiced, as Chris is a dear friend, someone I have known for more than a decade. He gives clinics at my stable twice annually and I have watched him grow and change over the years. He is one of those rare individuals who is both present in the moment and contemplative~a person who seeks meaning, truth, and love, always love. This book reflects all that Chris is from the beginning of his journey into horses, who represent, in the end, a way to understand people and life itself. His stories are funny, real, and so readable. I highly recommend this book, Chris's first of many.

[Susan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written journey from having a vague notion that there was something intrinsically healing about horses for a soul that was lost. Chris followed his heart from the brief encounter with horses during a break up. All the way to Colorado, California, to Arizona and back to Maine. Being with horses and learning about them, the best, least demanding way to communicate with them helped Chris learn to trust himself and become a better leader.

The horses and people that Chris meets helps him understand himself better and find better ways to help and be helped by the horses he works with.

[Jo-jean Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot from Land of the Horses, much of what Chris learned I've experienced with my horse. I was sad to reach the end.

[Carly Kade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about learning from our past while growing into our future in order to create the life we want. I loved reading about the author's journey and the connection he formed with horses.

[Abigail Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I expected. I really enjoyed the storytelling, and the insight into the world of horses. The ending was very satisfying.

[Cami Smalley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is magical to see, read, or hear a human connect so deeply with the wisdom and love of an animal, such as with a horse or a dog. To truly "see" what they have to offer, and reciprocate that offering is the beginning of better understanding ourselves. What Chris lays out so beautifully and vulnerably is how his life's trajectory took on a whole new meaning and awareness, after a single (and then many) experiences with a horse speaking to him through their eyes, their behaviors and an energetic resonance. He then gently educates about how to enhance awareness with an animal, recognize subtle cues, and ultimately show respect and build trust with an animal.

[brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

heart warming search

A heart warming story about becoming. It’s about the pauses between our frenetic thoughts and just being. I’ll read this one again…

[Elaine Poulin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Its honest, simple writing draws you right in. Although it's not a horse training book, you find echoes of other great horsemen in it. I had a hard time putting it down, and I am really tempted to read it right through again- something I've never done with any other book. I think even if you're not into horses, this book will make you see them as good horsemen do-as the beautiful, sentient beings they are.

[Kartika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book...easy to read...heartfelt...simply lovely...

[Lynn Porter]

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[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by someone who grew up in my small town. Amazing to read what path he took in his life to where he is now.