Summer Reading List for Horse Lovers

There’s still enough summertime ahead to devour some fabulous horse books. Here are some of the titles I am immersed in at the moment. Perhaps you’ll find your next favorite book in this summer reading list for horse lovers!

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Right now I am on Chapter 6 of Head to Head: Conversations with a Generation of Horse Racing Legends by Lenny Schulman. Each chapter is an interview with a notable person connected to Thoroughbred racing. From Secretariat’s owner Penny Chenery to the gentleman who introduced syndication into the world of race horse ownership, each story is a behind-the-scenes view on racing. (Thank you to Carly Kade for recommending this book!)

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Speaking of Carly Kade, the cowboy romance author who has a popular horse book podcast has just released the fourth novel in her In the Reins series. This one is titled Beyond Eight Seconds. It develops the storyline of JD McCall, a bull rider and man’s man who scoffs at the idea of love–until a certain someone he meets at his brother’s wedding makes an impression on him.

If you’re a fan of middle grade fiction, you might love Horse Girl by Carrie Seim. The main character Wills is beyond excited to get to learn how to ride, but her life is complicated by the riding academy mean girls and the fact her mom is in the military and stationed on the other side of the world. As a personal fan of The Dork Diaries, and a former middle school teacher, I felt the vibe of dialogue as well as storyline were spot on with Horse Girl. (Thank you to Sarah Maslin Nir for posting about this one on Instagram).

Speaking of Sarah Maslin Nir, if you haven’t read Horse Crazy yet, you might be crazy! Sarah’s memoir shares her passion for ponies and the stories of several other horse-loving kindred spirits from around the world. I’m not exaggerating when I say this book will make you laugh, cry and have all the feels. I knew I “got her” when I read the chapter on Misty. Click here to read my blog post review of Horse Crazy.

While we’re on the topic of Misty, I want to share with you two titles currently on my night stand: The Wildest Horse Race in the World and Dear Marguerite Henry. Both titles were written by Marguerite Henry. I don’t remember reading these twohorse books when I was a kid so I’m making up for lost time now.

If you have been following Saddle Seeks Horse for a while, you will know I’m a fan of horse books, especially memoir. I’ve even written my own, which in hindsight is now quite embarrassing, but it was a life goal so there you go. Click here to check out my memoir Horses Adored and Men Endured.

In the memoir category I think you might enjoy Half Broke by Ginger Gaffney, Wild Horses of the Summer Sun by Tory Bilski and Stable Weight by Lisa Whalen.

In case you missed it, here’s my review of The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts

Next Up: Summer Reading List for Horse Lovers

Rounding out this summer reading list for horse lovers are a few titles that are in the queue. The first is The Equine Listenology Guide which my mom actually got to before I did (she’s taking notes).

Brain Training for Riders is a book I started a few months ago and I made a ton of notes in the margins and underlined passages. Then I lost it. Womp, womp. But I found it again right before I moved. It was hiding under my bed. This horse book came highly recommended from my friend Emily who blogs at May As Well Event.

Finally, my friend Heather Wallace (you might know her as The Timid Rider) recently published Body Conditioning for the Horse and Rider. As I sit here, completely muscle sore from the two polo lessons I took earlier in the week, I think I can use some help in the body conditioning department. lol

Question: What horse book/s is/are on your summer reading list for horse lovers?

Thanks for reading and tally ho!

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