Why We Ride: Women Writers on the Horses in Their Lives

by Verna Dreisbach (Editor), Jane Smiley (Foreword)

Women and their horses—a symbiotic relationship based on trust, camaraderie, friendship, and love. In Why We Ride , Verna Dreisbach collects the stories of women who ride, sharing their personal emotions and accounts of the most important animals in their lives. This collection of stories includes the heartfelt thoughts of a range of women—those who rode as children, those who spent their girlhood years dreaming of owning a pony, and those who have made a lifelong hobby or career out of riding. Each story reveals how horses have made an impact in the lives of these women.  With a foreword by bestselling novelist Jane Smiley, Why We Ride offers a reflective view on the relationships between women and horses.

Genres: Horses, Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Verna Dreisbach is an author, educator and literary agent. Her stories have been published in EQUUS Magazine and Bernie Siegel’s faith, hope and healing; Inspiring Lessons Learned from People Living with Cancer. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree in English, with honors from Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society, from the California State University, Sacramento.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not ridden a horse for a long time, but this book brought tears to my eyes more than once, and gave me back the desire to make a date to go riding! The stories are amazing, with true heart and soul --about horses, the people who love and care for them, the ways that horses lift people into another realm of compassion and love. It is a magical book that will take you on your own ride into memories of your connection with the unique beings and mysteries of animals. I kept reading despite deadlines and promises, until I finished this delightful book.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me want to get out and ride. Some stories made me laugh, others cry. What a precious bond that I will forever have.

[Stacey Stearns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely stories from an eclectic group of horse women.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book consisting of a collection of stories by women writers, who all have one thing in common, a love of horses. I must admit I did not know any of these women writers, and all the stories are set in the USA , but that did not stop me enjoying the book . Obviously some of the stories touched me more than others and made me stop and think. The women who woke up on the day of her divorce and felt so depressed and down, but by the end of her visit to the stables felt there was light at the end of the tunnel and with her animals and friends she knew she would make it. The writer whose mother was in a riding accident and was in a coma, she had such a strong bond with her horse that the recording of its hooves played on a tape was enough to bring her out of the coma. The family whose father decided to raise Clydesdales, even though they were not particularly well off. The lady invited to ride in a Navajo ceremony, and found out what it was like to feel an outsider. There were several other stories I really enjoyed and also the description of riding the horses along trails and woodland and open countryside ( not too keen on the meeting of snakes though !) made me so jealous I immediately wanted to book a riding holiday in the States ! There is a similar book published by the same publisher with the same idea, only this one is about women and their dogs, would really love to read that next.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

As one would expect, I enjoyed some of the stories more than others. I can't say that I related to many of them.

One woman apparently was quite an accomplished show jumper in her younger years. She stopped riding to raise a family and when she tried riding again later in life, just didn't find the same thrill so didn't pursue it. This speaks to me as someone who is an adrenaline junkie, not a lover of horses.

Another entry was a chapter out of the author's novel where horses were only peripherally a part of the story. It did not belong in this volume.

I purchased this book with expectations of reading stories of like-minded women. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this enough to recommend to any of my horse-loving friends.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with many books containing short stories written by different authors, some of the stories leave you uninterested, others are fun, and some hit you right between the eyes. This book is no exception. I laughed and I cried and I said, "Oh, yeah!" at frequent intervals. My favorites? Owning Clydes, Painted Christmas Dreams, and Bear. Why are they my favorites? At some level they resonated with my own experience with loving, wanting, and being crazy about horses from the age of six but having to wait until the age of 54 to begin to really become familiar with them. And I'm still learning at 63 as I try to decide what to buy for my second horse.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am proudLost Angel Walkabout: One Traveler's Tales that my story Irish Mist about my cross-country jumping days in the wild west of Ireland is included in a wonderful anthology titled WHY WE RIDE. It is a collection of women writers talking about the horses in their lives. Forward by Jane Smiley, of Horse Heaven fame.

[Lizzy]

mom

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful if you have ever been best friends with a horse. Great for all horse lovers!