Horse Nation: True Stories About Horses and People

by Teresa Tsimmu Martino

In "Horse Nation" Martino writes about the equine heroes and the fallen, the defiant ones and the teachers & healers. There was Casey, the blood bay, who jumped a teenage girl over her mother's sports car as a rite of passage; Icy, a deep black mare, strong and independent, embodied the circle of life; and The Corinthian, a gray gelding,defined what it is to be a champion. Martino also writes of the horse people---riders, grooms, coaches, and students---who have walked and breathed the equine path like acolytes.
This book is reminiscent of "The Black Stallion," "Misty of Chincoteague," and James Herriot's books, yet written with the wisdom of a Native American storyteller, and the humor of Coyote the trickster. Martino's characters, their adventures, and the slices of equine life are as engaging as a good story around a campfire. "Library Journal" describes Martino's stories as "work reminiscent of Joy Adamson's 'Born Free,' Martino is a poet and short story writer..."

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2004

Reviews

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ordered this book used online and read it while in Arizona for November. It is a collection of 18 essays about various horses and events in the life of the author. Originally published in 1999 with the title Dancer On The Grass, mine was the 2004 re-issue.

The essays tell about the different horses in her life, but they also tell about her father, her growing up years, her time in England, her days riding professionally in the grueling sport of eventing; and what came after, when she decided it was time to hang up her saddle. She writes in a personal, heartfelt way that made me feel we were sitting on a hay bale in a barn with a row of horses looking over their stall doors at us.

Many years ago I saw The Horsemasters on The Wonderful World Of Disney. In the two episodes of that show, Annette Funicello went to England for an intense course about horses. I never knew as a youngster that there really was such training. But our author attended a program very similar to the one in the Disney show. So part of my reaction to this book was "Well, how cool is THAT?!"

I was fascinated by the inside look at eventing, a sport with origins on the battlefields of long ago, when messages had to get through and a horse and rider had to carry them across whatever obstacle appeared.

I loved this book, and hope I can find more of her work someday, and I am kind of regretting that I left it in Arizona. I wouldn't mind reading it all over again right now!

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about the spiritual and emotional impact of horses in our lives, for those that are horse lovers or just admirers. The author lives on Vashon Island, and I purchased the book at one of her readings.