Wild About Horses: Our Timeless Passion for the Horse

by Lawrence Scanlan

Why do humans love horses, and why has this ancient love affair endured for so long? Horses, more than any other animal, have shaped the course of human history. The horse closed the gap between distant lands, changed the nature of the hunt, and altered the conduct of war. The bond that formed between humans and horses extends back more than six thousand years and continues today, stronger than ever. In this age of technology, it is a curious truth that many of us cannot get enough of we watch them, ride them, read about them. Is this nostalgia for a simpler time, a time when at least you could count on your horse? Or is it something else, something much deeper? Wild About Horses considers the question from many angles. Moving effortlessly from history to literature, from science to sport, from anecdote to personal experience, Lawrence Scanlan sets out to discover the essence of our powerful, almost mystical attraction to this noble creature. Scanlan covers a wide from the mythic horses of cultures long past to the real-life whisperers of today, to the timeless wild mustangs still roaming the great plains. He tells stirring tales of famous horses, and of horses who should be famous. He chronicles some extraordinary journeys on horseback, and he examines the roles that horses have played both in battle and in Hollywood. As he touches on each aspect of the equine-human bond, Scanlan makes perfect sense of "horse fever"--that curious affliction that has been known to strike both the seasoned professional and the rider who has galloped only in his or her dreams. Written in lyrical prose with wit, humor, and an eye for drama, meticulously researched, and complemented by fifty compelling black-and-white photographs, Wild About Horses addresses our need to know everything we can about the horse.

Genres: Horses, Nonfiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 23, 1998

About the author

From Macmillan Books:

Lawrence Scanlan is the author of six bestselling books, including Wild About Horses and Little Horse of Iron. He is the coauthor, with Ian Millar, of Riding High, and has written three books for younger readers: Big Ben, Horses Forever, and The Horse’s Shadow. Scanlan worked closely with Monty Roberts on his acclaimed book The Man Who Listens to Horses. Winner of three Canadian National Magazine Awards for his journalism, Scanlan lives in Kingston, Ontario.

Reviews

[Bonnie Staughton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book when it was given to me by a neighbor who is not a "horse person". I have had a passion for horses all my life and have read may books on them so I thought this might be very elementary. But I was pleasantly surprised. It was a very entertaining book and I enjoyed reading it. Each chapter centers on different aspects of the horse: The gentle art of the horse whisperer, Wild about Wild Horses, Sport Horse Legends, My Kingdom for a ---Pony, and many others. Some of the information I knew but some was new to me. Lawrence Scanlan is an interesting writer and a horse rider. He makes the pages very interesting and entertaining. I'm glad I had the chance to read this book.

[NanceM · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a while to pick up and read but so glad I did. I do love animals, but never knew much about horses. However, I loved this book and found it fascinating. After reading it makes me want to personally know more about them. It has a richness of history and what humans are capable of both good and bad. Enjoyed the stories of people traveling with horses and their relationships through the centuries. As a cat person I see now that horses are very similar in that they have very unique personalities. This book has a wealth of information surrounding the human and horse connections.

[Jo-jean Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and informative! Found it difficult to put down but didn't want it to end!

[The Lexington Bookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild About Horses is a really neat book for the horse lover. As I've said before, horses are my passion. It's why I've moved away from home to the horse capital, Lexington, KY.

This book compiles all the stories of why the human is drawn to the horse- a connection seen throughout history, depicted on cave walls, and detailed in storybooks. I don't think I've ever been asked directly why I'm so passionate about horses, but I know I've contemplated it fairly often, and Scanlan tries to find the answer to such a deep and personal question. Throughout the book are many examples and stories of why human and horse have been companions for thousands of years.

Without giving his entire answer, the quote that sums the entire research, in my opinion, of this novel is this:

"Because to sit astride a walking horse is to banish time and to live, as the horse lives, in the moment."

Personally, there is nothing like escaping to the barn for a ride to clear my head. These days we are so wrapped up in our jobs, kids, responsibilities, and stressed out, technology laden, and bogged down in appointments that it's difficult to take a minute and enjoy the moment. That's why I ride- it's a break (sometimes 30 minutes, sometimes a glorious couple of hours) from the daily plagues.

But, as Scanlan points out, you don't necessarily need to be astride to be connected with horses. There are so many legendary equine tales to take your imagination for ride instead. There are ones you've probably heard of- Secretariat, Roy Rogers and Trigger, Black Beauty, Snowman (if you read my review on his story) - and ones you probably haven't- Alexander the Great and Bucephalus, Ian Millar and Big Ben, Keogh and Comanche.

And if you still can't get enough, pick up Wild About Horses and read how all these characters and the history between horse and man began.

"Because partnership with a horse is ancient and primal and all consuming, and writers and storytellers are still drawn to that territory, so that riding begets reading."

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly well rounded history of man's relationship to the horse. Scanlan doesn't delve very deep, but perhaps that's good, considering some of the books that are bogged down with minutiae. I wish he had a glossary of some of his terms, and he writes from a fairly biased perspective (clear hatred for war involving horses, romanticism of Native Americans, etc.) which I don't necessarily disagree with, but seems sloppy for a nonfiction writer.

Still, it did make me pine for those days I spent out on the open prairie with my horse and pack mare and the wind blowing in my hair...

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read!!! I love it and will definitely be recommending it to everyone who loves horses. This book is filled with beautiful stories of horses through out history and how the special bond between man and horse still continues to this day. This is a book that I will be reading again and again!

[Oceana2602 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely collection of facts and fiction about horses and men throughout history. If you like this sort of thing, and if you are interested in horses, you'll probably like this book.
If you don't, well, you can always give it to a horseperson as a gift.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of the writing style (poor transitions between ideas) but a nice compilation of the way horses have touched human lives. However, I felt that since it tried to touch on so many examples, it sort of failed to get you very involved in any of the individual points.

[Chantal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely interesting. I have to occasionally re-read over a lot of the paragraphs to completely understand the point; it's a lot of information to take in but the knowledge learned is fascinating.

[Rebecca Kuhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book that is great for older horse lovers