Sarah Hickner's Blog, page 3

Knowing When to Say Goodbye

Grab your tissues and a warm drink. If you sought out this info, you’re probably sad enough as it is. Our animals are gifts from God, and knowing an end is coming is hard. Six months later, it’s hard. Six years later, I still cry, Sixteen years after the fact, I have a hard time thinking about the moments I said goodbye. Knowing when to say goodbye, is one of the hardest parts of loving animals.

My Stories for Your Story

I hope that through my stories, you can gain clarity for your own experience.

I can say them by name, and remember each time clearly – the way my heart felt, the questions swirling through my mind.

As the youngest kid and the most in love with animals of any variety, the family dog felt most like mine (though other members of my family might fight me over that statement). What I remember from my middle school brain, was that in our love and desire to keep him around, we waited too late. 

We Waited Too Late

His hind legs barely held him up, he couldn’t see or hear or even control his own bladder. We fed him Vienna Sausages to try to get some weight on his protruding ribs. One night, in a whirlwind of trying to cook family dinner before the football game, and tired of the constant cleaning up of urine and worse, my mom let him outside for a bit.

My dad, knowing how poorly Bama had been doing, never expected our dog to be outside when he careened into the driveway – also in a rush to eat and make it to my brother’s football game in time.

There was no blame. Only crushed hearts because we all loved that dog so much, and we all knew.

We waited too late.

 

Losing Them Young

Then there was Tippo. She was a young retired Thoroughbred racehorse who had been a wedding gift from a friend. I was smitten with this filly. I had trained her for a year before her owner gifted the horse to me. She moved to Virginia with us after the wedding, and a year later she coliced.

The vet was at the barn when she first showed signs of discomfort. Every step of the way I had a medical professional monitoring her intestines. As a horse girl, I knew that I knew that I knew that colic was a leading cause of death in horses. I just never imagined it happening like this, and certainly not to my Tippo.

 

A couple of hours after the first signs, the vet said her intestines were swelling so rapidly that if we didn’t euthanize her soon, something would rupture and she would die an unbearably painful death.

I was so confused. I’m a fighter. I fight for my dreams and my beliefs and my family and my horses. I wanted to fight. But what if this was a losing battle? And what if my fight only hurt my beloved Tippo more?

So I gave the vet a nod and watched her fill a syringe with pink liquid. I’d never hated pink more than in that moment.

The One I Had Peace Over

Then there was Gideon. Gideon was the horse I loved with all my heart – he had broken a leg, been bitten by a snake, was even stolen in Kentucky (read about it in my book Finding Gideon), and together we survived it all. 

He’d also gone to college with me, carried me away on my wedding day, and moved with me to three states. 

He was what we call in the horse world, my heart horse. We connected on a soul level.

Oddly enough, he’s the only one I felt a true peace over. His health issues were piling up, but it wasn’t a deal. We were fighters and would fight for each other. I was sitting at a red light after another vet appointment and heard God say, “It’s time for Gideon to fight in my battles. You don’t need him anymore.”

Praise the Lord for peace and clarity. When the Ball Was In My Court, and I’m Still Not Over It

My dog Sandi, who had been with me in Kentucky as I cried myself to sleep wondering where Gideon was, who lived to be at my side no matter where that was, was a different story. 

As I became an adult, she grew old. Her soft belly was covered in liver spots, and the grey that once covered just her nose spread to most of her head. Sometimes she wouldn’t breathe for long stretches while she slept and I begged God to take her in her sleep. 

I saw it in other people’s eyes – they thought it was time. When I asked for advice everyone gave the same canned phrase, “She’ll let you know when it’s time.”

The phrase still makes me angry. I waited and watched and listened for Sandi to let me know she was ready. She was my best girl and I would do anything for her, even the hardest thing. But when she looked into my eyes, all I saw was a dog who wanted more than anything to be by my side.

She would never be ready.

But I remembered Bama. Eventually, when my perfectly behaved dog had uncontrolled accidents in the house, and I was living in fear of her attempting the stairs on her own and falling, we called a vet who would meet us at her favorite place. 

On days I go to the barn, I walk by the spot. Sometimes I pause and remember saying goodbye to my best friend who would never have chosen to leave me. 

The One Who Taught Me Most About When To Say Goodbye

Most recently, there was Silas.

Silas lived at the barn where I kept Gideon. His owner got sick and stopped paying his board. He was abandoned.

After saying goodbye to Gideon, it became clear that I needed a horse, and Silas needed a mom. I paid his bills, and Silas joined the family. 

Silas was passive-aggressive, skeptical, and not much for affection. But when it mattered, he stepped up, taking care of me when I rode pregnant, sticking his nose into carseats to greet his new human siblings, and taking me on adventures when his chronic back issues were under control.

He wasn’t Gideon or Tippo, but I wasn’t the same girl I’d been back then, either. I think it took both of us a few years before we looked at each other and said, “You know what, I really like him (he of course said “her”). Around eight years into our relationship, I found myself telling people regularly, “I really like this horse.”

They would give me the strangest look like I sure hope so. You’ve had him long enough.

I figured out his back issues, and since he couldn’t jump I caught a new dream for us – we could fox hunt! Silas was 17 or 18, and I decided it was time to be brave and let my horse have some fun and stretch his legs. We did one mock hunt and it was the most fun we’d ever had together.

The next time I saw him, he was breathing a little harder than normal. I thought it odd, but tend to overthink things, so I chose to dismiss it and we went on a slow ride through the woods.

The breathing episodes would come and go, and I moved him to a barn by my house so I could take care of him. I was sure if I was in charge of his care and he was getting his daily vitamins everything would get back to normal. 

Except, it didn’t.

The episodes kept happening, progressively getting worse. I’d look at my horse withering away in the field. His bones beginning to show, and sometimes he’d even sway like he didn’t have the strength to stand. I’d cry and call a vet. The vet would give me something to try, and I’d say, “I’m going to give it one more month.”

 

How Do You Know When to Say Goodbye, When His Health is a Rollercoaster?

The problem was, between these episodes where my horse looked like death on hooves, he’d have a few weeks where he was normal. The one-month mark would roll around and Silas could breathe, and run, and would seem actually happy to see me. We went on walks, and we found a creek he enjoyed walking in. I’d have hope.

I constantly prayed, “God, if I need to let him go, tell me. But if not, tell me. I’ll fight, or I’ll let him go, I just need to know.” The only word I heard was patience.

The cycle continued through the fall. At the barn, Silas was either living or dying depending on the day. Even at home, my bearded dragon had stopped eating and no matter how much I changed his lighting or how many baths I gave him, he sat in his tank lethargic.

I couldn’t escape this feeling of failing my animals whom God had put me in charge of, who had brought me so much joy. 

In November I finally made the call on Silas. It was a new vet since we moved out of my regular vets jurisdiction. I didn’t tell the new guy the truth – that I expected we’d be putting Silas down when he arrived. That’s a bit much for a new client visit. 

Sunday night Silas could barely stand. It was scary to even be near him, and I was resigned. Monday morning I got to the barn early to get ready for the vet, and found a happy, almost normal Silas munching away on grass like he hadn’t been on his deathbed the night before. 

The vet spent an hour and a half telling me all the new food and hay I should put him on. Since Silas was acting normal, the only symptoms he could see were my horse’s ribs visible through his dull, furry winter coat.

That day was strange. Part of me was elated. Silas was alive, his ears were forward and the light was back in his eyes. There was hope.

Part of me felt like I was being strung up and beaten. 

Am I crazy? 

Am I causing this by being obsessive about him being sick?

Is this even real?

Is this an easy fix and I’m just missing something?

Am I just that bad at taking care of animals?

God, is this for real? Is he getting better? 

Silence.

It was the week before Christmas when I called the vet back and asked him to do a full bloodwork panel. We were in the middle of another episode, and I was prepping for a trip to visit family in Mississippi. The day before Christmas Eve, the results came in, and it wasn’t good.

To be honest, I’ve blocked most of it out. Something about white blood cells being almost nonexistent, and I think low platelets. He said I could take him to a clinic and do head-to-toe imaging to figure out the problem, but based on the blood results, the problem was bad and likely wouldn’t be fixable.

But, of course, by the time the test results came in, Silas was looking good and eating again. I decided to get another opinion. I reached out to two more vets and paid for more bloodwork, but what I really waited for was a word from God.

From the beginning, I felt like this horse was a gift from above. At a time when I needed a horse, there he was. He had carried me as I learned to be a mom and took me on adventures when I needed a change of scenery. In the last few years, I had learned to see his small tells of affection – the way he kept his eye on me even when he faced another direction or tried to tell me when he wasn’t feeling great. He seemed to feel safe and content in my presence. 

He was my gift from God, and who was I to decide it was time to euthanize him?

I needed clarity, but all I got was silence

 

On the week between Christmas and New Year I coordinated vet visits from 1000 miles away and tried to enjoy the trip like a life so dear to me wasn’t in limbo.

On the trip back to Virginia, with my two kids in the backseat and my husband driving, I got the email from the other vet. It didn’t look good.

There were always more suggestions, more things to try, but I knew in my gut it was just more money, more stress, more prolonging the necessary.

Writing it now, the answer seems so clear. Put the poor horse down. But I hadn’t heard from God. I didn’t have clarity. I’m a fighter. Silas is scrappy and never quits. And there were still those weeks of health and hope between the episodes. They whispered, maybe this time he’s fine. Maybe he’s better now.

As soon as we made it back to our house in Virginia, while my husband was unloading, I rushed into the basement for some privacy. I wanted to scream at God. “What is this?!” Instead, I hit my knees and cried.

“God, Silas is a gift from you. The bloodwork is bad. It seems like it’s time. But I can’t put this horse down, this gift from you, without you saying it’s ok.”

Through the snot, tears, and sobs, my brain was filled with a thought that wasn’t my own. Did I not give humans dominion over animals?

I was shocked that the silence was finally broken, and with such a random question. 

“Well, yeah,”

And do I not love all of those animals? As God’s still small voice whispered into my heart my mind was filled with the vision of my own animals and a thousand more, even the ones we eat. I could see myself eating a piece of chicken and knew that even the chicken was dearly loved.

I knew in that moment, even if Silas was perfectly healthy and I chose to put him down, it would still be ok. I had this sudden understanding that God gives us free will as humans, and dominion over animals. If we’re walking with Him and acting in love, it’s ok.

I had one more issue, though. “God, I hear you, but Silas is a gift from you. Who am I to kill a gift from my Creator?” 

This time my mind was rushed with the images of everything in my life that I loved. Is it not all a gift? He whispered.

I could only cry and whisper a thousand thank you’s.

 

Knowing When It’s Your Animal’s Time

You probably came to this blog post hoping for a three-step solution or something black and white. If this happens, you make the call. If your dog, cat, bearded dragon, or horse gives you this look, you’ve got to end it. (Speaking of bearded dragon, Spike had to be euthanized in December when the vet found a quarter-sized tumor in his belly. No lighting would have fixed that.)

What I’ve found is every situation is different. As the “animal person” in my household, I have decided not to make financial decisions for an animal that will jeopardize the financial well-being of my family. College savings will not be transferred to save the dog. No matter how tempting. Now matter how many tears will be shed.

I also reach a point with animals, usually around middle age, where I decide I won’t be doing heroics. Silas was 17 or 18, which is past middle age for horses. He also had a lifetime of back issues. I tried every affordable option thrown at me, from medicines to supplements to different feeds. In today’s world, even the “affordable option” quickly adds up.

Everyone’s situation is different – emotionally, financially, and with the animal’s health situation. 

I guess like all my well-meaning friends said, some animals will tell you when it’s time. But sometimes we have to be the one who makes the nearly impossible decision because that’s what love looks like. 

Sometimes love is hard.

 

Coming soon: Tips for Saying Goodbye

Gideon was not only the horse who held my heart, he was stolen when I was in college. Read about it at www.liveridelearn.com/books

Saying goodbye to an equine partner? I highly recommend Susan Friedland’s book, Strands of Hope (affiliate link that helps pay to keep this blog going)

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How to Sell More from a Book Table

I’m falling in love with this author world and the people in it. I love the joy and the passion when they talk about their books. I’m inspired by the hard work and persistence people put into their stories. It feels like a gift to be around such hope and determination. How often do you hear someone say they want to write a book, yet authors are the ones who follow through?

I’ve now been to a handful of author events. Each one had different energy, different markets, different setups, but one thing is the same. Authors are there to meet new people and get their books to the world.

For the past fifteen years I’ve been a part of a direct sales company. When I first started, I was new to the area and didn’t have a network to start my business. The main method I used to meet new customers was tables at festivals, stores, etc. I’ve done a lot of table events, so when I started doing author events with tables, I just applied the same concepts.

 

Books Were Moving

It turns out, the lessons I learned in direct sales, applied to books. I noticed that for the most part, I was selling more (sometimes a lot more) books than the authors around me. Let me make this clear – I am not famous and neither is my book. Nearly every book sold was a result of hard work on these techniques. 

The Rising Tide Lifts All Ships

At my most recent festival from writing this, it happened again. When I checked my sales numbers with the hosting bookshop, they told me my sales were about 3x higher than the average attending author. It was at once exciting and deflating. I want us all to sell a lot of books. I love the endorphin rush when someone excitedly hands me her money and I hand her a book. It’s one of the best feelings, and I want all the authors to have that feeling. 

What Sells Books

I’ve spent a ton of time analyzing and breaking down the techniques that help me sell books. And let me preface it by saying, it’s hard work. I leave a book table day exilerated but also completely exhausted.

Teaching these techniques will take way more than I have time for in a blog post, but I wanted to share the list I’ve compiled and extend an invitation to a free webinar I’m hosting, as well as a course. Sign up for the free webinar here.

Before the Table

1. Finding & scheduling Book Festivals and author signings is the first step in a successvul table. From looking at the market best for your book, to thinking outside the box for opportunities, there’s more to it than just showing up.

2. Make sure you have an excellent product – from cover design to editing to formatting, it needs to be something you’re proud of that can compete in today’s market

3. Something to draw people in – I always have some type of freebie to draw people to the table. It needs to do multiple things – draw people to your table, and give them information on your books if they don’t buy on the spot. Bonus points if it’s something they don’t want to throw away.

The Visuals

4. A beautiful setup with height will draw people to your table. 

5. Your outfit can add to the experience – from an outfit that matches your book cover, to simply dressing to match the theme of your book

The In-Person Sale

6. A smile is your biggest asset, and a frown your biggest detractor. People feel most comfortable walking up to a smiling person.

7. Have a quick spiel. Mine goes something like this: “Did you get your postcard?” If they take it and seem interested, I have a 30 second book description I share. If they don’t seem interested, I smile and tell them to have a great day! Whatever people decide, I smile and am kind. Not everyone is my customer, and that’s fine!

8. Closing the sale – if someone is still interested after your 30 second description, you can say something simple like, “Would you like me to sign a book for you?”

9. Pricing Strategy – This one was hard to accept. Cheaper is not always better. Keeping prices in $5 increments with sales tax rolled into the price keeps sales easy and nearly mindless. The more someone has to think or do, the less likely they are to purchase. That’s why Amazon has mastered the market with their one click purchase.

10. building your email list – always have a giveaway and don’t forget to ask people to enter. If you don’t ask, people don’t even notice the giveaway.

If you want to learn more, I’ll be deep diving into each of these topics in my upcoming course, “How to Sell Books from a Table.” While it’s still in the works, go ahead and sign up for the free webinar.

If you have any questions, or fantastic ideas you have for selling from a table, drop them in the comments!

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How to Buy an Ebook for a Friend

I’m Obsessed With Books

I’m obsessed with books. I love how a great story can whisk you out of reality and into another world. A character’s journey can lead you to search within yourself to see areas where you can grow and be better. A great how-to or self-improvement book can literally change your life. Even if you only apply the new principles you learned for a few days, it makes those days that much better.

Even more, I’m a fan of gifting books.

I know not everyone is into reading. Not everyone is into coffee or alcohol either, yet they still make very popular gifts. Sharing a book with someone feels like sharing a piece of myself. It’s a way of saying, this book brought me joy or changed me, and now I want you to have it.

EBooks Make Great Affordable Gifts

With my direct sales business, I have over 200 customers in my customer list, and there was a time when I had over 50 team members. Gift-giving is one of my love languages, but I simply couldn’t afford to mail everyone a gift. That’s where ebooks make an incredible and affordable present! I figured out that when an ebook I love is on sale, I could buy a TON of copies. Then, at Christmas time, I could just spend a couple of hours emailing everyone their gifts!

In my email, I let them know their book code was redeemable for three months. If it never got redeemed, I could either return it to Amazon, or gift it to someone else. Because I didn’t want to hurt the author, I chose to simply gift it to someone else several months later. A couple of reminder emails is helpful, too. How often do we plan to get back to something later and then completely forget?

But How Do You Send Ebook Gifts?

It’s not very clear when you log into Amazon, but it’s actually quite easy. I made these graphics to walk you through it.

Now you know how to purchase ebooks for your friends, team members, customers, and family! Books make great gifts!

I have only done this with Amazon, and am not sure how to do it with other book sites, however, I assume it would be similar.

 

 

Leave a comment and let me know what book you love to gift!

The ebook of Finding Gideon is on HUGE sale for just a few more days! It’s usually $8.99, but currently, it’s just 99 cents! This is definitely a deal worth taking advantage of. Here’s the link to Amazon: LINK (it’s affiliate, btw)

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The Misty of Chincoteague FanGirl Episode

Susan Friedland, author of the new book Marguerite, Misty, and Me, took time out of her day to chat all things Marguerite Henry and the Chincoteague pony swim.

If you grew up on Marguerite Henry books like King of the Wind, Misty of Chincoteague, and Brighty of the Grand Canyon, you will LOVE this interview and Friedland’s newest book!

I’m not typically a non-fiction reader, yet I found myself completely enchanted by this book and our conversation. Be sure to check out Susan’s blog, www.SaddleSeeksHorse.com

Disclaimer: This post is full of affiliate links! I don’t make money on the podcast, so affiliate links help a bit 🙂

Don’t forget to check out my book Finding Gideon: A Broken Dream, a Missing Horse, and the Faith of a Mustard Seed

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Adventures at the Retired Racehorse Project

Hundreds of Off-the-Track Thoroughbreds Gathered at the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover

The Kentucky Horse Park sees plenty of horses and competitions throughout the year, but I’d venture to say few are as special as the Thoroughbred Makeover. The event has two names. Some call it the Retired Racehorse Project while others call it the Thoroughbred Makeover. Either way, it may have moved into the slot as my favorite horse show.

Riders and trainers across the country work with recently retired racehorses or broodmares who have had minimal handling since their previous jobs. They have a training period of December to October to turn these horses into show horses in whatever disciplines they choose to focus on.

 

My Favorite Event was Freestyle

I was there as a vendor and got to watch all of the events happening in the large indoor arena. The most interesting by far was the freestyle! Freestyle competitors were given creative freedom to make a routine that included certain elements such as cantering each direction and backing up. Some competitors kept it simple, doing things like a dressage or reining pattern to music. Others put on a show that was impossible to look away from! Some even brought in a second horse, like the pair who wore knight armor and jousted before trading the shield and stick for swords.

My friend Sarah and I were asked to be a part of a Zumba class in one of the routines where the horse stood in line and did the dance with us!

The (unofficial) RRP Bookstore

The Retired Racehorse Project had a bookstore this year! Vendor spot 22, right across from the concessions in the indoor, was the place to find a book for nearly every taste (as long as your taste includes horses). Back in January when I started looking at bringing my horse Danny to the Retired Racehorse Project, I decided to invite some author friends to join me at a vendor table. The funny thing is we had never actually met in person. These are people I’ve emailed, messaged, and even talked to on the phone.

It’s strange to see people for the first time when you already consider them friends

I thought maybe we’d feel awkward. I worried we wouldn’t get along or that we’d drive each other crazy. It turns out, we got along swimmingly. It’s as if we’d known each other for years (which we kind of have). I’ve read almost every single one of these authors’ books, and can’t recommend them enough. They are SO good!

There was simply too much goodness packed into this week to share in a blog post. My friend Amanda joined us for some girl time and became the booth “Mom”, making sure we were fed and caffeinated. She gave us pep talks and planned dinners. How did I score such an incredible friend?

The Bluegrass State Stole My Heart Back

I’ve always loved Kentucky, but this trip really felt like coming home. Every day we drove 8 miles to and from the Kentucky Horse Park through miles of narrow roads bordered by four boarded fences and young Thoroughbreds. The landscape was breathtaking and the people were kind. I’m peopled out after a week of talking and telling about my story in Finding Gideon, but I also feel so blessed.

Now to get to the barn and see Danny!

Want to check out the other authors books or my Mom’s business? Here are some links:

My book shop link for Finding Gideon and other books: www.liveridelearn.com/books

Susan Friedland has books about Marguerite Henry, coping with the loss of a horse, and a memoir on horse and husband shopping. saddleseekshorse.shop

Sarah Welk Baynum writes equestrian themed romantic suspense stories based in Ocala, FL Amazon Link (affiliate)

Tiffany Noelle Chacon writes equestrian romance based in Wellington, FL Amazon Link (affiliate)

Janet Bullock makes beautiful pieces from old quilts her Etsy site

Katrina Bills wrote a memoir about her fiery chestnut who loved to bite and gallop across hunt country her website

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Sellers Beware!

The Woes of Selling Online

The term is no longer buyer beware. In this virtual world of selling, sellers beware! Scammers seem to lurk in every online corner.

From my Mary Kay website to a horse sale ad to a saddle on Facebook marketplace, I’ve seen my fair share of scam attempts. With Mary Kay, I’ll often receive texts saying a sister is getting married and they need an insane amount of skincare and perfumes, or they were suddenly struck blind and their former consultant no longer wants to work with them. It’s pretty easy to spot.

My most recent horse sale ad brought an onslaught of people offering to purchase my horse sight unseen. If that’s not a red flag, I don’t know what is!

 

This week I decided to finally take the plunge and put my saddle for sale. It��doesn’t fit my horse, and it’s time to move it so I can use the money to purchase one that does.��

��The first scam attempt was pretty obvious. The account messaging me was only a day old, and they asked me to confirm a number they sent me to ensure I was legit. (Isn’t it funny they want to make sure I’m the legit one?) It was an attempt at breaking into my google account. The “number” was a Google Voice password reset number. Ummm…no. #BLOCK

A few hours later I logged into Facebook to see a comment on one of my posts, “Hey I sent you a message about your saddle.”

That’s odd, I thought as I dug through all the message folders to find it. The buyer was from Oregon, and I couldn’t help but think – Why didn’t she message me through marketplace & why on earth is she buying my saddle from the complete other side of the country? I mean, it’s a lovely saddle, but it’s a basic storebrand model. Search Circuit Saddle on Facebook Marketplace and you’ll find a plethora of choices. But otherwise, there were no red flags, so I decided to proceed with caution.

Ok, a LOT of caution. I tried my best to go into detective mode.��Her Facebook account was over ten years old, so that made me feel a little better, and I googled her email, Facebook name, and everything else associated with her account and nothing came up. I even searched the shipping address on Google maps and found a very normal-looking house. Furthermore, if she really was paying by PayPal, the only scam I could think of would be her disputing the payment to get her money back, and therefore getting a free low-end but decent saddle out of the deal. Not exactly a big money-maker.

We agreed Paypal was the safest and easiest payment method, and she was willing to pay the steep price of shipping. When I sent my initial guestimate of shipping, she sent a photo of a shipping receipt from the last saddle she received to let me know my guestimate was quite low. How honest of her! I thought. Maybe she is legit after all!

I sent her the��PayPal money request to cutesaddles@gmail.com��and waited to see what would happen next…

A story in screenshots

In case the images are slow loading or you don’t feel like laughing your way through the ridiculousness of those screenshots, she sent me a “confirmation email” from a gmail account. Heads up, large companies like Paypal will NEVER email you from a gmail account. Her email was pretty impressively made and the wording was genius – “once the shipping is confirmed they’ll deposit the money into my account.” Too bad Paypal doesn’t have such a feature to my knowledge.

When I realized she was on a mission to get a free saddle, I sent her a message and asked what she does with all those saddles? She has yet to respond. I still stand by my initial thought – that’s a lot of work for a free not very expensive saddle.��

We all know scammers are out there. It’s an unfortunate side effect to this new and convenient virtual world. Remember those days of horse shopping in actual print classified ads? Hopefully, this post will help you feel less alone the next time someone tries to steal your hard-earned money, passwords, or items for sale.

 

Because my google search turned up nothing on this person, I’m going to drop the information given to me to help the next person in their red-flag research.

Facebook account: Haley Beaner Elizabeth Hopkins

email: cutesaddles@gmail.com

fake paypal email: paypalinstantpaymentalert@gmail.com

shipping address: 486 NE Scott Ave, Gresham, OR, 97030

Have a scam attempt you think the world needs to know about? Can you commiserate with this experience? Let us know in the comments!

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A Horsey Summer Reading List for Romance Readers!

It seems plenty of us will never outgrow the horse obsession. Not only is all my spare time spent at the barn and all my spare (and not so spare) money spent on horses, but when it comes to summer reading there���s only one theme I really want: horses.

Now, I won���t complain if there���s some romance thrown in. Romance AND horses? Even better!

I���ve compiled a summer reading list for adults who haven���t quit their horse obsession (or those who picked it up somewhere along the way. I hear it���s contagious), and who LOVE a good romance.

Here we go… 1. Horses Adored and Men Endured: A Memoir of Falling and Getting Back Up

by Susan Friedland

I read a peak inside on Amazon and it was enough to have me laughing, cringing, and clicking the buy button. This is at the top of the pile on my bedside table, and I can’t wait to read more hilarious and heartwarming stories!

Synopsis:

When a single woman searches for her knight in shining armor, sometimes the horse is the better option.��When Susan was a girl of 10, she thought it would be perfect if only she could marry a horse. Two decades later, she sometimes feared she might have to marry a horse as there seemed to be no suitable human alternative. Trot through��Horses Adored and Men Endured,��and you���ll sneak a neighbor���s Palomino to a horse show, buy a green gelding as a first horse against all conventional advice, and trek across the Irish countryside on a sassy chestnut. Tag along on several cringe-worthy dates starting with food poisoning at prom to the surprise pie fight. Be there when Susan finally falls head over heels with someone tall, dark and handsome���a bay Thoroughbred gelding. If you love heartwarming animal stories and laugh-out-loud tales of bad dates, pick up the memoir��Horses Adored and Men Endured��right now and gallop away on a horse-loving, awkward dating adventure!

2. The Project Horse: A Rom-Com About Going Home and Second Chances

by Natalie K Reinert

Reinert writes a lot of horse books, and so far I’ve loved every single one. The horses are on point, the characters feel like someone you’d actually meet at the barn (except for the hot guys – thankfully for my marriage they are not at my barn), and the slow-burn clean romance makes me squeal. Just go ahead and buy them all. Take our money Natalie!

Synopsis:

Posey Malone is heading home. With her horse trainer father gone to the great bookmaker in the sky, her love life in shambles, and her career as a copywriter low-income at best, she figures it���s best for everyone if she just shacks up with her mother for a while. Abandoning New York City for the wilds of north Florida won���t be easy, but Posey figures she can use some quiet time back in her old bedroom to save money, help her mom adjust to life without her dad, and get her head on straight again.

So when she pulls up in front of the family house and sees a big “For Sale” sign in the front yard, please forgive Posey if she says a few swear words…

“A story about growing up, coming home, and finding love: The Project Horse will take you on a gallop through Florida’s horse country with plenty of friendship, laughter, and redemption along the way.”

3. Finding Gideon: A Broken Dream, a Missing Horse, and the Faith of a Mustard Seed

by Sarah Hickner

This is a memoir that reads like a novel. And a HUGE bonus that isn’t mentioned in the synopsis – part of the storyline is a sweet romance that makes readers giggle and swoon.��

Synopsis:

Since the day I read my first Thoroughbred series book in fifth grade, I imagined crouching over the withers of a racehorse, feeling its muscles bunch together and release with each stride. But I wanted more than an image in my mind���I wanted it in real life.

It was my junior year of college when I left home to chase that dream, and for a minute I had it between my fingers. Gideon rode in the horse trailer and my dog Sandi was curled into a ball in the backseat when I moved to Louisville. Within two weeks I was pounding down the track on young Thoroughbreds, impressing trainers with my bravery and skill. But soon, piece by piece, it began to crumble. Holding onto the dream, and my faith, was like grabbing water by the fistful and watching it slip between my fingers.

How could I keep going in this land of strangers and broken dreams? How could I trust the God who gives when He���s also the God who takes away? But how could I quit when the dream still stirred in my bones and Gideon was out there somewhere?

4. Impelled: An Equestrian Romantic Suspense Series

by Sarah Welk Baynum

This is the definition of a bingey series. Between the horses, the mystery, and the slow burn romance, I couldn’t put this series down!

Synopsis:

Will Emma have a chance at love and the new future she has worked so hard to build, or will an unknown stranger bent on destroying her life do so first?

For twenty-two year old Emma Walker, there is one thing that has been at the center of her world since the age of twelve: Horses.

As Emma tries to balance a job, her last year of college, and the fallout of a bad breakup, she is thankful for the escape being at the barn around horses still brings her in adulthood.

Despite torn feelings of guilt for being drawn to a new horse after the death of her first horse, Emma finds she has an undeniable connection to a chestnut mare named Valentine and begins training the mare to compete in the sport of show-jumping.

Then, one seemingly ordinary day, Emma receives news that impels her to make a life altering decision, turning her entire world upside-down and taking her on a journey to a new life in a place far from everything she���s ever known.

5. My Queendom for a Horse

by Bridget E Baker

This one is for the fantasy and shifter romance lovers out there (proudly raises hand until my husband sees me and then hides). I’ll be honest. The *idea* of shifters weirds me out. But then I read shifter books, and I’m like hot dang give me another! This author is a force in the sweet romance scene and according to her Instagram has wanted to write this book for a long time. She finally did, and people are obsessed. I can’t wait to read it!

Synopsis:

Kristiana Liepa was supposed to use the money to save her family farm. She was NOT supposed to spend it all to save a massive, black stallion.

But when she saw how he was being treated, what’s a vet to do?

She had no idea that gorgeous beast was really a powerful (and morally gray) magician who had been cursed by a witch, or that she was the only one who could reverse the curse.

And she couldn’t possibly have known how that one rash decision would irrevocably change her life. . . and his.

6. Good Things Come: A Slow-Burn Horse Racing Drama

by Linda Shantz

I’m pretty picky about authentic horse books, so when a book that takes place at the track is written by someone who worked on the backside, I’m all in! Plus the author is an artist and created her own covers! They’re beautiful enough to display around your home.

Synopsis:

If Liv wasn���t such a control freak, it wouldn���t have rubbed her the wrong way when the farm���s new exercise rider stepped in to resuscitate newborn Chique, the first foal out of her father���s favourite mare. Nate���s equal parts good-looking and good with horses, and the kind of distraction she can���t afford as a woman trying to make it in a man���s world.

When she drops out of vet school to get her jockey���s license in New York, intent on coming back to Ontario to ride Chique in the Queen���s Plate���Canada���s most prestigious race���Nate���s skill and dedication make him the obvious choice to keep an eye on the filly.

He���s not supposed to become key to her plan.

Tragedy brings her home prematurely, disrupting her career, and her life. Now if Chique���s going to become the racehorse she���s meant to be ��� and Liv���s going to find significance again ��� she���ll have to let go of her stubborn ideals and let Nate in, to her dream���and her heart.

That’s it for now! If you want to check these books out on Amazon, just click the book cover or the book title and it should take you there. Be sure to follow this page for more horse book reading lists.

Do you have a horse romance book that you love? Please share about it in the comments!

The post A Horsey Summer Reading List for Romance Readers! appeared first on LiveRideLearn.

A Horsey Summer Reading list for romance readers!

It seems plenty of us will never outgrow the horse obsession. Not only is all my spare time spent at the barn and all my spare (and not so spare) money spent on horses, but when it comes to summer reading there’s only one theme I really want: horses.

Now, I won’t complain if there’s some romance thrown in. Romance AND horses? Even better!

I’ve compiled a summer reading list for adults who haven’t quit their horse obsession (or those who picked it up somewhere along the way. I hear it’s contagious), and who LOVE a good romance.

Here we go… 1. Horses Adored and Men Endured: A Memoir of Falling and Getting Back Up

by Susan Friedland

I read a peak inside on Amazon and it was enough to have me laughing, cringing, and clicking the buy button. This is at the top of the pile on my bedside table, and I can’t wait to read more hilarious and heartwarming stories!

Synopsis:

When a single woman searches for her knight in shining armor, sometimes the horse is the better option. When Susan was a girl of 10, she thought it would be perfect if only she could marry a horse. Two decades later, she sometimes feared she might have to marry a horse as there seemed to be no suitable human alternative. Trot through Horses Adored and Men Endured, and you’ll sneak a neighbor’s Palomino to a horse show, buy a green gelding as a first horse against all conventional advice, and trek across the Irish countryside on a sassy chestnut. Tag along on several cringe-worthy dates starting with food poisoning at prom to the surprise pie fight. Be there when Susan finally falls head over heels with someone tall, dark and handsome—a bay Thoroughbred gelding. If you love heartwarming animal stories and laugh-out-loud tales of bad dates, pick up the memoir Horses Adored and Men Endured right now and gallop away on a horse-loving, awkward dating adventure!

2. The Project Horse: A Rom-Com About Going Home and Second Chances

by Natalie K Reinert

Reinert writes a lot of horse books, and so far I’ve loved every single one. The horses are on point, the characters feel like someone you’d actually meet at the barn (except for the hot guys – thankfully for my marriage they are not at my barn), and the slow-burn clean romance makes me squeal. Just go ahead and buy them all. Take our money Natalie!

Synopsis:

Posey Malone is heading home. With her horse trainer father gone to the great bookmaker in the sky, her love life in shambles, and her career as a copywriter low-income at best, she figures it’s best for everyone if she just shacks up with her mother for a while. Abandoning New York City for the wilds of north Florida won’t be easy, but Posey figures she can use some quiet time back in her old bedroom to save money, help her mom adjust to life without her dad, and get her head on straight again.

So when she pulls up in front of the family house and sees a big “For Sale” sign in the front yard, please forgive Posey if she says a few swear words…

“A story about growing up, coming home, and finding love: The Project Horse will take you on a gallop through Florida’s horse country with plenty of friendship, laughter, and redemption along the way.”

3. Finding Gideon: A Broken Dream, a Missing Horse, and the Faith of a Mustard Seed

by Sarah Hickner

This is a memoir that reads like a novel. And a HUGE bonus that isn’t mentioned in the synopsis – a sweet romance that makes readers giggle and swoon. 

Synopsis:

Since the day I read my first Thoroughbred series book in fifth grade, I imagined crouching over the withers of a racehorse, feeling its muscles bunch together and release with each stride. But I wanted more than an image in my mind—I wanted it in real life.

It was my junior year of college when I left home to chase that dream, and for a minute I had it between my fingers. Gideon rode in the horse trailer and my dog Sandi was curled into a ball in the backseat when I moved to Louisville. Within two weeks I was pounding down the track on young Thoroughbreds, impressing trainers with my bravery and skill. But soon, piece by piece, it began to crumble. Holding onto the dream, and my faith, was like grabbing water by the fistful and watching it slip between my fingers.

How could I keep going in this land of strangers and broken dreams? How could I trust the God who gives when He’s also the God who takes away? But how could I quit when the dream still stirred in my bones and Gideon was out there somewhere?

4. Impelled: An Equestrian Romantic Suspense Series

by Sarah Welk Baynum

This is the definition of a bingey series. Between the horses, the mystery, and the slow burn romance, I couldn’t put this series down!

Synopsis:

Will Emma have a chance at love and the new future she has worked so hard to build, or will an unknown stranger bent on destroying her life do so first?

For twenty-two year old Emma Walker, there is one thing that has been at the center of her world since the age of twelve: Horses.

As Emma tries to balance a job, her last year of college, and the fallout of a bad breakup, she is thankful for the escape being at the barn around horses still brings her in adulthood.

Despite torn feelings of guilt for being drawn to a new horse after the death of her first horse, Emma finds she has an undeniable connection to a chestnut mare named Valentine and begins training the mare to compete in the sport of show-jumping.

Then, one seemingly ordinary day, Emma receives news that impels her to make a life altering decision, turning her entire world upside-down and taking her on a journey to a new life in a place far from everything she’s ever known.

5. My Queendom for a Horse

by Bridget E Baker

This one is for the fantasy and shifter romance lovers out there (proudly raises hand until my husband sees me and then hides). I’ll be honest. The *idea* of shifters weirds me out. But then I read shifter books, and I’m like hot dang give me another! This author is a force in the sweet romance scene and according to her Instagram has wanted to write this book for a long time. She finally did, and people are obsessed. I can’t wait to read it!

Synopsis:

Kristiana Liepa was supposed to use the money to save her family farm. She was NOT supposed to spend it all to save a massive, black stallion.

But when she saw how he was being treated, what’s a vet to do?

She had no idea that gorgeous beast was really a powerful (and morally gray) magician who had been cursed by a witch, or that she was the only one who could reverse the curse.

And she couldn’t possibly have known how that one rash decision would irrevocably change her life. . . and his.

That’s it for now! If you want to check these books out on Amazon, just click the book cover or the book title and it should take you there. Be sure to follow this page for more horse book reading lists.

Do you have a horse romance book that you love? Please share about it in the comments!

The post A Horsey Summer Reading list for romance readers! appeared first on LiveRideLearn.

National Buy a Horse Book Day, 2023!

It’s National Buy a Horse Book Day! Yes, this is a real thing! A couple years ago, a major horse book publisher joined forces with other horse book authors to create a day to celebrate the thing that so many of us love – HORSE BOOKS!

So in celebration, I put together some slides to highlight some of my favorite horse books. 

Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

Grab it on Amazon Grab it on Amazon Grab it on Amazon Grab it on Amazon Grab it on Amazon Grab it on Amazon

The post National Buy a Horse Book Day, 2023! appeared first on LiveRideLearn.

Bringing Home Baby

In April of 2022, I was preparing for a trip to Kentucky to purchase a newly retired racehorse. As I calculated the cost of gas, a text came in from my barn bestie, Caitlin:

“My father-in-law has a horse he needs moved off the track asap. I want him but can’t take him at the moment so you’re next in line. If you want him, you should take a trailer with you when you look. He won’t last long.”

Her father-in-law trains at Charles Town Races and Slots just under an hour away from me in West Virginia. The asking price was a bit higher than I had planned to spend, but I would save on gas money and time. The next morning, as soon as kids were dropped at school, I hooked up the truck and trailer and headed to Charles Town to see this horse Caitlin swore was a gem.

I asked to see him go on the track, not because I cared how fast he went, but I wanted to see his temperament and how he moved. As we followed the dark bay/black gelding with legs for days up to the track, his trainer explained how they decided to retire him from racing ten days before, and he hadn’t galloped since. 

The horse walked flat-footed up to the track, picked up a happy jog as soon his feet hit the dirt, and about 100 feet later he rolled into a quiet gallop. My jaw hung low as I marveled at this phenomenon. I had ridden on the track in college, and it was rare for any horse to behave so well going to the dirt oval. If the horses had a single day of being cooped up, you better strap down and hold on tight because you’d be riding a dragon.

This horse had been in his stall for ten days, aside from being walked around the barn.

I wanted a five-year-old because at five a horse is pretty much done growing, and can start jump training. This guy was four. I wanted to buy a horse from my friend, Mike, in Kentucky. This wasn’t Mike and it wasn’t Kentucky. 

But I knew a horse this handsome and chill didn’t come along often, and in such a hot a market like we were experiencing, he’d be gone fast.

“I’ll take him!” I declared before even getting a close look at his legs or rubbing my hand down his face. 

We drew up the paperwork, I wrote a check, and as we went to load him, his former trainer said, “Now he’s a little hesitant to get on the trailer. We may need help.”

It took three of us to lift his butt in the air and shove him into the compartment while a fourth person stood in front and tugged on the rope, but within a couple of minutes, my new horse munched hay and waited for his next adventure. I decided to focus on how quiet he was. I never felt unsafe or like he might try to kick my brains out when we lifted his butt in the air and shoved him into a trailer. 

Never mind he needed four people to load. That was a problem for late

From the onset, I made three promises to myself and this horse:I would take my time.

While moving slow with horses is excruciating for me, especially when my friends are off doing fun things and my horse isn’t ready, I know in my gut that moving slow is better than rushing things. The slowness started with the very first step in retraining – free time. The Don of Squan, who we soon called “Danny”, was turned out into a huge field of lush grass with one geriatric fieldmate for company. 

I’ll be honest. Every day I felt like I was wasting time. The constant tug to go work with my new horse was relentless. But after living the life of a racehorse for a couple of years with no turnout or freedom, Danny needed some time to learn to be a horse. 

I would maintain a confident, relaxed attitude.

When you’re dealing with young horses, your energy affects them a lot more than it would a mature horse. When I look back on my days of riding at the track, when I was a nervous wreck, so was my horse. And when I was confident and happy, so was the horse! 

Young horses need leaders. I’ve realized that horses often don’t care how well a person rides, but if the person is a good leader, they happily follow. 

We all know the person who walks into a room and the energy shifts. We happily defer to them and their problem-solving ideas without even considering their expertise on the issue at hand. Have you ever followed someone you assumed knew the direction only to find out they were more clueless than you? That’s the energy I pursued around this horse. 

I would enjoy the process.

The opportunity to bring along a young horse is a gift. It won’t always be fun or easy, and there will probably be times I’d rather get off and hand the reins to a braver or more capable rider. But, I’d do my best and enjoy the firsts – first spook, first ride, first trail, first time crossing water. 

And when the firsts got fewer and far between, I’d enjoy the mundane rides and learning to listen to his signals (like when he doesn’t have at least one ear towards me his likelihood of misbehaving goes way up.)

Some days maybe the best thing for both of us will be for me to hand the reins off, and I will try to be humble enough to admit that. But I’ll also try to be game enough to ride through tough moments until then.

You may have noticed this journey started nearly a year ago. 

I’ve got some catching up to do on the blog! I’ve made a few mistakes I’m embarrassed to admit (but I will, just for you), and we’ve done some cool things too. 

Stay tuned for the next blog where I’ll post the basics of step 1 of Danny’s retraining.

The post Bringing Home Baby appeared first on LiveRideLearn.