GUEST POST: From Horse Crazy to Writing About Horses

It all started with a book.

I was six years old when an old book that I found at a friend’s house graciously became my own. I don’t remember the book title now, but it was by DK publishing, with a picture of a little girl snuggling a palomino pony. It took the reader through a day at a British riding school, with large pictures and facts. I loved that book, and I loved the horses inside.

Up till then, I dreamt of being a marine biologist. But that dream became toast after I read that book. I wanted nothing else than to work with horses.

I gave that book away to a younger horse crazy individual. But that friend, all those years ago, had no idea exactly how much that book would impact me.

Because the reason I write is because of that book.

How Horses Made me a Writer

My love of horses grew mostly through books. Living in suburban Florida on food stamps meant that live horse interaction was a rare and special treat, so I read, researched, and wrote mini-articles to myself about horse care.

As I read, I came across the fruitful plains of equine fiction– my current project genre today. I read books like Saddle Club, Thoroughbred, and more, but as I did, I began to notice something.

One, Christian equine fiction books (what few there were) fell into two categories: cheesy, or juvenile. Often they fell into both.

Second, horse books were WAY too cliched. I think I read/watched the “kid meets wild/crazy/untamed/abused horse and without any work, any training, any time, they become best friends” cliche at least a dozen times. There were also girls and boys kissing at twelve, and lots of romantic drama (especially in the Canterwood Crest series). Yeah, no thank you.

I hadn’t found much of any new storylines to write, so I began writing my own. My first “to-publish” project was about a girl who goes on vacation and had to save a bunch of wild horses from a volcano (I know, it’s bad. I was eight).

My author journey had begun, and all because of horses.

Why Horses Matter to Me

To be honest, I’ve never considered this question in depth. I just started loving horses.

My love of horses was there during the hardest years of my life. Writing a horse story helped me heal from those hard years. I look into the eyes of a horse and feel like they are listening to me, not caring about anything else.

In my mind, horses are one of the greatest indicators that there is a God. They are everything we strive to be: they are constantly forgiving, kind, patient, they listen and they trust. Someone once said to me that a horse is a mirror to your own emotions, and I know that’s true. Here is a creature so large, so powerful, and yet so docile. Even the way your body fits on the horse for riding– what other animal is carved so perfectly for that purpose? The balance of such a creation says that there was a divine Designer at work. God created horses and humans to be together.

Horses matter to me because they remind me that there is a God, and they helped me heal from pain and shadows.

What I Do Today

Since that day I picked up that horse book, I decided I wanted to write about horses. I’ve written stories about girls who win shows, characters getting shipwrecked on an island full of rare horses, abused teens finding hope, pegasi who fight the forces of evil, female jockeys winning the Kentucky Derby, finding faith and hope through working with a horse, and dozens more of ideas written down and locked away. There’s no end to the ideas that you can find in the horse genre.

Today I’m working on Rebel Girl, a story about a foster teen who finds a home and healing on a horse ranch (part of a larger series called Second Chance Ranch), and Wings of Equinox, a trilogy series about two pegasi fillies with a destiny to bring the Truth and fight a war to end all wars. I also have a website called equineonthemind.com, where I write about all things horses in a safe online environment for all ages.

To Finish it Off…

I love horses because of what they remind me of. They remind me of God, my calling, my gifts, and my future. I don’t know exactly what I want to do in the horse industry, but I know I want to write about horses,

Today I take riding lessons, which I’m very thankful for, and I constantly thank God for giving me that horseless season in my life. That time gave me an invaluable perspective on what it’s like to love horses, but not even be able to touch them, and it gives me more gratitude for every time I touch a horse or ride on its back.

I want to write equine fiction that gives others the same feeling I have, of excitement for the future and hope of what’s to come. I want to write horse books that are faith-filled, but not cheesy, equine YA that brings light to a very dark genre. I’m not published yet, but I think God is beginning to open doors in that direction.

I don’t know where God is going to lead me with my gifts, but He is good, and He knows my heart. He gave me a love of horses, and He’s got a plan.

I can’t wait to see where it leads me.