Where the Fur Flies

"My horses not only taught me riding but they also made me understand many a wisdom of life besides." Words of Alois Podhajsky of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria. "The world's past has been born [sic] on his back. We are his heirs; he is our inheritance." From: "Ode to the Horse" How true this is if you love horses. Horses have played an important role in the history of the world.

Enjoy the many different books and media we have to offer. Here are a few of my favorites.

Hollywood Hoofbeats: Trails Blazed Across The Silver Screen by Petrine Day Mitchum.
You will have fun identifying horses from your favorite TV shows and silver screen movies. Tricks of the trade are also discussed such as the proper way to teach a horse to fall on cue. These behind-the-scenes portraits of the horses, their trainers, owners, and co-stars will bring you to a 'galloping good read.'

Mary White. Mary White lived from 1904-1920. She was the daughter of William Allen White, a well known Kansas state journalist. This film is based on the story that he wrote as a tribute to his daughter, an equestrian, whose outlook on life is was refreshing. You don't even need to be a horse lover to enjoy this.

Horseplay: A Novel by Judy Reene Singer. Judy Van Brunt catches her husband in another relationship. She decides she has had enough. She quits her job and heads south to work on a horse farm. There, she shares an apartment with three other women and a teenager. Working with horses and her friends outweights any problems. Those who love horses will enjoy this light, funny story.

My Horses, My Teachers by Alois Podhajsky. This story is a literary monument to Podhajsky's equine teachers and companions of a lifetime. It is full of love, humor, sadness and devotion to his four-legged friends. Not only did the Lippizaners fulfill his life, but the thoroughbreds helped him to win a bronze medal in the 1936 Olympics.

Full Cry by Rita Mae Brown. This is the third novel in the foxhunting series with Jane Arnold, master of the foxhounds. She leads us into another intricate, witty, who-done-it murder with the Jefferson Hunt Club members.