Horse People: Scenes from the Riding Life

by Michael Korda

Bestselling author Michael Korda's Horse People is the story -- sometimes hilariously funny, sometimes sad and moving, always shrewdly observed -- of a lifetime love affair with horses, and of the bonds that have linked humans with horses for more than ten thousand years. It is filled with intimate portraits of the kind of people, rich or poor, Eastern or Western, famous or humble, whose lives continue to revolve around the horse. Korda is a terrific storyteller, and his book is intensely personal and seductive, a joy for everyone who loves horses. Even those who have never ridden will be happy to saddle up and follow him through the world of horses, horse people, and the riding life.

Genres: Horses, Animals, Nonfiction, Memoir, Sports, Biography, Biography Memoir

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

is an English-born writer and novelist who was editor-in-Chief of Simon & Schuster in New York City.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

In some ways, this was a 4 star book about horses, but more of a 3. It wanders a bit with choppy timelines & can be repetitious or even boring in spots. Korda isn't a bitten-by-the-bug type of horseman nor does he get his hands too dirty, but he admits that. Given his job, the top editor of Simon & Shuster, I wouldn't expect it of him. He writes well & credibly, though. Some of his wandering is entertaining & I learned a lot about city riding that I hadn't known, if it was true.

Unfortunately, he's dishonest &/or disingenuous about Fox Hunting & horse slaughter & that makes me wonder where else he's led me astray. Probably nothing of importance since I know horses & horse people at least as well as he does, but he still loses 2 stars, one for each instance in which I caught him.

Fox Hunting is actually now known as Fox Chasing, which it was & has been even back in the time Korda recounts about in Middleburg, VA. I read that section & thought he was really good capturing the hunting people, but he doesn't know squat about actually riding in a hunt. According to Korda, only rich thrill seekers & nuts seem to hunt & the purpose is to kill the fox. WRONG!!!

Not a big deal, but then he went on to further foster that opinion about the hunt around his property in Upstate NY. Supposedly one of the proponents of the hunt says it helps farmers protect their chickens. He has to be kidding. No real fox chaser would say anything like that except in jest. A fox hound can't get into a fox den. That's why Fox Terriers & Jack Russells were bred, neither of which are carried on the saddles of any US hunt that I've known or heard of. He's slick about this lie, though. In Middleburg, he has one person say the hunt isn't about the fox, but the way he paints the guy drinking, who would believe him? Sorry, Korda, you flat out lied & you had to know it.

If a fox goes to ground, the run is done. Good job & thanks for the run. I've known foxes to run from their cover around an area a couple of times & then go to ground right where we picked them up regularly. It wasn't as if we (2 dozen baying hounds & maybe 50 people on horse back) snuck up on them. One was close to the kennels and knew damn well we were coming. If she didn't feel like playing, she just didn't come out. Her choice & we appreciated it when she wanted to play.

Further, he talks about how wild & crazy a run is. He fails to mention there are usually at least 2 fields; jumpers (fast) & non-jumpers (slow). The first can get pretty wild & is a blast. The second is paced for those with weaker riding skills & green horses. Many hilltop, too. That's just viewing the hunt from afar. He mentions drag hunts, but never went on one. That's where a sack is dragged earlier in the day or even the day before & the hounds follow that scent. No wild fox involved. They're not as fun because foxes are sneakier & far less predictable, which is part of the excitement.

Apparently he's against horse slaughter too. He tells us how many horses were shipped one year, but fails to mention how many are born or what the trends are. I agree with him that the numbers are too high, but have no respect for anyone who paints half a picture on an emotionally charged problem, using the numbers with the most impact, & then wanders off. Only one side told & no solutions are offered. He talks about some alternatives, but fails to mention how few horses fit into those programs.

For instance, he makes a big, shining deal out of one old, lame mare who will take up space in a penal program for life, but doesn't mention that if she were put down, a dozen other younger, better horses could have used her slot to be rehabilitated & sent on to decent homes. Instead, what becomes of them? Slaughter? I sure hope not, but it might be better than the alternative of starving to death out on some backwoods farm, which happens all too often. Like dogs & cats, there are more horses bred than people can take care of. The Thoroughbred racing industry is only one part of the problem, but it is the richest target, so the whole way Korda handled this seemed like a cheap shot to me.

I don't recall a mention of his son, Chris, once he was remarried, but I found it odd, no matter what Chris has turned into (the transgender leader of the Church of Euthanasia) according to Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Korda
That's his business, but I found the lack very sad. My kids' horseback adventures are some of my fondest memories. He has my condolences there.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretentious, boring crap. Here and there an insightful characterization or anecdote will get your hopes up, but for the most part this book is a "Look at me, I'm so rich, my wife looks great in her underpants, we are super" vanity project that made me cranky. I read this book years ago and I'm still mad I bought it. There are so many horse books out there that are worth reading: Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley is an excellent place to start. Don't bother with this one. If you're a real horse person, it will only irritate you.

[Carrie Rolph · Rating 1 out of 5]

I will give the book jacket this much. This book is "intensely personal." To the point of being completely uninteresting to anyone who is not Michael Korda. I wanted funny anecdotes about crazy horse people, not the story of how you met your hot model girlfriend while riding horses in Central Park.

[Ms.pegasus · Rating 3 out of 5]

They might be called the “horse nation,” a wide swathe ranging from those who own horses or grew up with them, to those who merely on occasion ride. They love the rich smell of horses and leather; they may even fill their homes with horse-themed paraphernalia. This is the natural audience for Korda's collection of essays about himself and his wife, Margaret. It's an audience with strong individual opinions about horses and the book will certainly elicit criticism on one point or another. For example, Korda touches only briefly on the problem of overbreeding in the thoroughbred industry, and not at all on the Bureau of Land Management's shameful mustang culling program. He does, however, visit “The Farm” at Wallkill Correctional Facility where a program connects prisoners with rescue horses. The prisoners learn not only to care for the horses, but form a genuine bond with them. Korda is at his best, however, when he describes his own personal encounters with the horse and with some indelible horse people.

One of the funniest anecdotes occurs early on in the book. He is riding Mephisto, an Arab-Welsh pony cross, in London's Hyde Park. Mephisto, of typically resolute and independent pony nature, not only refuses to move forward, but backs up into the large artificial lake. Korda relates: “I renewed my work with the riding crop, but it had no effect. Mephisto just rolled his eyes, snorted, and shuffled back a few more steps until the water was approaching the top of my boots.” (p.14) Korda is rescued by the regimental sergeant major of the royal Life Guards out on the bridle paths with his drum horse Clarence. The sergeant has the British reserve and authority that's reminiscent of the days of the British Empire. “He stared at Mephisto with intense dislike. Disobedience in any form, from man or beast, was, I had no doubt, the thing the RSM liked least, along with tarnished brass or dull leather.” (p.15) A few harsh words from the sergeant and Mephisto shapes up instantly, much as a recalcitrant schooling horse will react when he sees the instructor coming at him. Besides knowing how to locate food, horses seem to have a natural instinct for knowing who's in command.

Korda was editor in chief at Simon and Schuster, and his job brought him into contact with a number of colorful people. One of these is Jane McIlvaine McClary, a writer who resides in the heart of old Virginia hunt country. McClary honors Korda by including him in the grueling Middleburg Hunt and providing a spirited horse named BlackJack for the occasion. Though we suspect he's being a bit disingenuous — he does survive, after all, — his terror-filled account is hilarious and his exploits earn him the approving epithet, 'a real daredevil', from Jane's friends. Jane, herself, is apologetic. Perhaps she should have provided more exciting entertainment, she laments. She urges him to return and she'll take him on the Rappahannock Hunt, where they'll have some real challenges.

Much later in his career, Korda edits Ronald Reagan's memoir, An American Life. Despite his folksy Western image, Reagan actually preferred to ride English, and enjoyed talking about horses with Korda's wife, Margaret, who was a successful eventer. Apparently, the British press was dismayed when he showed up in English-style regalia rather than a cowboy outfit to ride with the queen.

Korda, himself, is not an eventer, and although he writes extensively about his wife's efforts and triumphs, his narrative lacks a sense of involvement. His comparison of dressage to ballet doesn't really convey the physical grace and countless hours of training shown by horse and rider. He's a better writer than that, and his account does not do justice to the subject. His mention of stadium jumping seems dismissive. It's not just the third leg of eventing, and therefore a test of the horse's stamina. It requires a level of extreme focus: Getting the line just right, overcoming the aversion many horses have to landing in water, managing speed for a controlled jump that transitions into the short bursts necessary to finish within time limits, negotiating successive barriers that can be dislodged by the touch of a feather, and gauging the stride length that will permit the most expedient approach.

Korda is more at home describing his musings as he trail rides the retiree Star on his farm. “All this is familiar ground to Star, and like most horses he reacts to even the slightest changes along the way....He remembers things I have hardly even noticed, and the slightest change attracts his attention. Anything that has been moved, repainted, or fallen down attracts his attention....”(p.363) Here, Korda captures the horse's singular view of the world as closely as we humans are capable of imagining it.

[Wolf · Rating 1 out of 5]

My main problem with this book - or one of them - was my expectations. I was not expecting a memoir or even first-person narration. I actually thought this would be more informational, scientific, or... something of that sort. So that was a huge disappointment. Outside of that, it was very repetitive, and despite claims in the book that Korda isn't prone to anthropomorphism, the last half was very clearly just that. He nearly drove me crazy with his continuous blabbering on about how he "isn't so sure about" the authenticity of 'spiritual' connections or how his horse FEELS about so-and-so author's claim to spiritual responsibilities or a sisterhood between woman and horse... and how dare people put so much burden on horses by using them as therapeutic teachers. Not to mention his steadily ambivalent and removed judgments on horses and "the horse world" seemed a little haughty, as if he enjoyed the time he spent with horses but knew his wife was awesome and he couldn't be bothered to compete with all the better horsemen or to actually try improving his horse skills.

Of course, here I am being judgmental - always the hypocrite. But it just irritated me how carefree his attitude seemed to be from the very beginning. Maybe I read into it wrong and he wasn't as bored and mildly amused as it sounded, but either way this book wasn't a very enjoyable read for me. His prose was probably artistic and flowing and it got the job done, but honestly the sentences were usually very long and involved a lot of commas. They weren't technically run-on sentences, but I could clearly tell they were over the top. And I'll say it again: the book was very repetitive. The book as a whole repeated similar scenes and reused the same observations on life (presumptuous as they were), but even more irritating than just the circularity of the "plot" was the fact that on a single page, I could read the same paragraph twice, written with only slight changes in adjectives, adverbs, and grammar.

I would not recommend this to any horse lovers. It was tolerable but really not worth the ridiculous amount of time I spent reading it.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book the author, one of those infinitely lucky people who can afford to keep horses on their own land, shares his numerous experiences with equines and the humans who love them. He's ridden with Virginia foxhunters, spent mornings riding in Central Park, and dabbled in showing. Most of the praise of the relationship between horse and human is given to Korda's wife, who had some successful years showing in eventing. Korda describes the long line of horses that graced their lives in an appreciative and dryly humorous English tone, but also touches on the "spiritual" relationship people are finding with horses, though he can barely contain his derision for the New Age saps who write about it. It can be a little dry in places, but interesting enough for the horse-obsessed. In all, a very engaging peek into the lives of people who can't get enough of horses.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

after finishing this book. i can say its disjointed at best, lacking any type of narrative structure that i would call streamlined. its like a compilation of journal entries over a not that interesting 25 year period.

[Christie Bane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows just how you go from a casual interest in animals can spiral into a lifestyle with animals, where everything revolves around the animals. The animals in question in this book are horses, but the idea is the same no matter what kind of animal it is that you become obsessed with. I’m just glad I’m obsessed with dogs and not horses; they’re a lot more affordable!

[The Mad Mad Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a horse person, this book was like a delicious dessert- I loved every moment of the book. Korda has a wonderful sense of humor and a very obvious understanding of the horse world and "Horse People", and tells beautiful stories of how horses have changed his life and the lives of others. Korda also does his research, and places many fascinating historic horse facts throughout the book. The humorous descriptions of every kind of horse out there and the spot-on understanding of how horses impact our lives for the better made this book delightful. A must read for every horse lover, young or old, serious competitor or backyard owner, Western cowboy or English foxhunter; a stunning portrait of horses and horse people.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can you not like a book in which the author describes being thrown by his horse Zapata thusly: “…the moment you exchanged a seat in the saddle for a trip through thin air Zapata was off and running, kicking, breaking his reins, galloping flat out, letting off triumphant, thunderous farts in a wild ecstasy of motion.”

Korda is erudite, urbane, intellectual and funny. This is a memoir of his mature life, built around his and his wife’s relationships with their horses. Likable, with loads of well drawn observations of a certain class of wealthy horse owners, and many more of not so wealthy horse lovers.

[Angela R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought I did not find the main character to be someone I could relate to (or even particularly like) I did enjoy this book. I am one of those "horse people" but neither the "old money" or "new money" types he mostly talks about. This book makes it sound like horses are a game for wealthy people trying to hang onto those traditions of gentility and social class that put them above other people. Most of the horse people I know are like me, hard-working, middle class Americans who occasionally exist on Ramen noodles and Mac N Cheese just to pay the horse's board. If only my biggest problem was finding and keeping good help at my small private estate. Must be nice to have that problem!

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for people who are already into horses- it may be lost on those with little knowledge of the horse world, but it provided many hours of lighthearted fun. Korda tells of his experiences with horses and the people that surround them, and how he fell into the world that sucked him in further and further until much of his life centered around the animal he had once intended to bring into his life only as a hobby.

This book really makes you think about all the lessons that horses do teach us.

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though it's written from the perspective of someone who is not totally passionate about horses (which he admits himself, though he enjoys riding), this is an enjoyable read for the horse lover, or anyone who has spent time in the company of horses or the people whose worlds revolve around them. There's many amusing anecdotes from shopping for the perfect horse (one's fast, one's slow, one's just plain crazy!) to broken automatic horse waterers to all the cranky, old, young, weird or whimsical people whose lives are inexorably entwined with horses.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. I wasn't sure I'd find it interesting--I read more novels and fiction. But it is well-written and very funny. One story that I still remember is how a horse ran away with the author and he unwittingly jumps a huge jump in the field, impressing the woman he's riding with. I am a horse person myself and really appreciated all the different stories that illustrate the different ways to be a "horse person."

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It probably helps to be a 'horse person' to fully enjoy Mr. Korda's recounting of his life with equines, but you don't have to be. However, being a self-styled horse person, I did love Horse People most of all because of the wonderful way Korda illustrates the provocative relationship humans and equines. Mostly, though, I loved it because it was a Horse Man telling the story. At least in my experience, there are far more Horse Women in the saddle than the opposite sex.

[Vincent Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh out loud tales of the upper crust of horse people from renowned editor Michael Korda. Korda's voice is dapper and British, of course, which makes for dryly hysterical tales of his various mishaps and relationships with horses. I've "loaned" two copies to friends and never gotten them back; in fact, I have a request for it on Bookmooch because I another one. I savor the re-reading of this one; a wonderful horsey memoir.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow, but good enough to stop & start. Without drama and a committment to a story line this was a pleasure to read. To someone who knows zilch about horses like myself, Korda gives good insight and something(s) to think about when it comes to the love, care and responsiblities of horseownership.
Yet, personally, I wish he would have said something more about his son. What on earth became of him? After all, the man partly owes his reborn interest in horse riding to the six year old.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretentious? Yes. Hilarious? Absolutely. It is a little bit of 'I'm so rich, and here is my hot girlfriend, and look at our money', but really? It's a funny look at little excerpts from someone who lived a horse-oriented life. From the description of his first instructor, to the terrifying trip around a fox-hunt field.... I found myself laughing along.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure how much appeal this book has for people who aren't horse nuts, but if you are, this is one funny book. The fact that he lives a few miles from me and writes about the horse world in my area made the book seem more personal.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a new horse owner

This book is as hilarious as it is insightful. At 45 I got my first horse to go riding with my wife. I feel cheated having missed all the stories you will read here. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.

[treehugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO right-on with the hunter-jumper set..

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A NY Times "notable". Funny and the author does hit the mark when it comes to "our world", as horse people.

[Carly Theofield · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny and relatable if you're a horse person.

[SusanO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accurate, exciting and entertaining.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Horse People", by Michael Korda is a love story. I don't think that was actually Mr. Korda's intent, but I think that is what it became.
Mr. Korda tells of his early experiences in horseback riding. We learn what a horse is- ... "horses aren't exactly pets, like dogs and cats. For one thing, they don't live in the house, or even visit it." We learn of the horse's " conformation", how we recognize traits and characteristics in a horse, what they want, what they need. We learn the care of the horse. We learn about saddles, English, Western, side. We learn saddle terminology, and the importance of every part.
At first, I thought this book could have been called, " Horse People... in Central Park", or perhaps, " Aristocratic Horse People."
But then, there was this subtle, inexorable progression of Mr. Korda's life, meeting Margaret, who becomes a preeminent rider and competitor in eventing, (dressage, cross country trial, stadium jumping), falling in love, and ultimately moving to the countryside and have ... horses, a stable, horse trails, and room to ride, pastoral serenity.
More than any other chapter, Mr' Korda's skill as a raconteur are best seen in his mirthful narrative of the foxhunt. ... " More than most sports, foxhunting is full of unbreakable rules and traditions, but the two things that matter most are never passing or riding ahead of the master, and never riding into the hounds. "..." Get back, get the hell back!" ...." we passed the master, spattering him with mud-"...." It was dawning on me at last that unless I did something, we were going to gallop right through his hounds... " " Did you ride past the master?' ..."Up to a point. That I may have done yes." ...Jane chuckled. " Nobody's done that in years... He looked as if he was about to have apoplexy, didn't he Thady?'.. " Aye, that he did, Thady said contentedly." I told him that's what happens when you get a real daredevil in the hunt field. In Ireland, I said, the master just rides faster than anybody else, damn if he tries to slow them down like a policeman at a crossing. He sipped his tea, into which Jane had poured a generous shot of Irish whiskey. ... " I'll tell you what though, laddie, " Thady continued, " he won't forget you in a hurry"
I don't know that I am a " horse people". ( My experience is rather limited, riding three or four times in my life, once in Mexico about 45 years ago, on " Diablo Rojo" [translation- RED DEVIL], a big horse, the ranch hand telling me he wasn't broken in yet, whereupon he proceeded to run for about 15 straight minutes right up the barranca, and seeing a brick wall at the top, and thinking about it for a brief second, he tried to jump, and at that point I thought it best for me to dismount, so I jumped and/or was thrown?!!. So I don't think this book was written for me.
And yet, it is, because when we see love and feel it, we know it is truly for all of us, and Mr. Korda has given us that.

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Korda has spent most of his life around horses, and it shows. He has a broad understanding of horses, their disciplines (from foxhunting to rodeos), and most of all, their people. Horse people are easy to spot - and they come from all walks of life. Michael Korda has met many of them, admittedly more from the upper crust of horse society than the dregs, and here he shares many of his experiences. It's more of a memoir than a collection of stories (the title is misleading), but Korda had a wide enough exposure to many areas of the horse world for it to remain insightful and interesting for the horse lover.

Sit back, relax, and be entertained by debacles on the foxhunting course, fierce competition in the show ring, easy-going rides through Central Park and across country fields, horses with big personalities, and riders, trainers, and grooms with their own unique perspectives on how horses "should be done." Some heavy horse history is dropped in periodically, which definitely slows down the pace and sometimes sounds a bit preachy. Name dropping is unavoidable but it was interesting to learn about various well-known personalities who entered the horse world, or were a part of it. There was a section about President Ronald Reagan's love of horses that I found fascinating, and I thrilled to read about horses and riders of legendary status. Overall this is a solid offering for the horse lover, though a bit heavier than the collection of stories that I was expecting.

[Marion Irwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book by random choice in a book store at the bargain table.
I once rode a horse rented from the Claremont stables, in New York City and achieved a brief dream of riding in Central Park. The book has a chapter on the goings on at the Claremont stable, which was fun and satisfied my curiosity about that place, and lead me into the rest of the stories, which is about a man who liked horses and fell in love with a woman who loved horses. That journey took them out of Manhattan and into the countryside north, which I am also familiar with.
There is a trip down to Virginia, which transports the reader to the highly privileged world of fox hunting clubs (which may no longer exist), complete with descriptions of the fashions and architecture of the equine inclined. The descriptions are priceless.
From there, the author describes many elements of horsecare, horse carers and horse careers, and as a former horse owner, it brought back many memories, both wonderful and heartbreaking about engaging with these remarkable animals.
I would only recommend this book to people who love horses, or are curious about the attraction.

[Rachel Anne Kieran · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was charming in places, and sometimes in the descriptions of people a little too real (I'm looking at you Mom). It was spoiled, however, but the occasional (fairly unintentional) sexism, and the reflection of the racism the author encountered in the NYC and upstate NC of the 60s especially. While this is clearly something that he did not agree with, it is simply left there, like a superating cyst under the skin, uncomfortable and unaddressed. And as a result, unforgettable and noticeable throughout the rest of the book in echoes of sexism, classism and racism that likewise go "nevermind"ed.

[Racheal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring, repetitive.... I actually got this book from a second hand book store for $4 and i'm glad I didn't pay more. I actually stopped reading it 40 pages in just to google the reviews and thankfully several people say the same thing. In short it's a very boring book written by someone who isn't truly horse crazy like the person who is buying to book thinking it's going to entertain them with great horse stories from someone like minded. It rather ended up being dull, written in a monotone way and I almost felt like I was reliving having to sit through a lecture in college where the professor goes on and on about nothing relevant to class. so yea.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the author's Country Matters: The Pleasures and Tribulations of Moving from a Big City to an Old Country Farmhouse and have thought about living on a farm at some point, so this one seemed a no-brainer. I learned a lot about horses, including the fact that I don't really want to own one after all (way too much work). The author's prose continues to be beautiful and highly descriptive.