For horse lovers, there’s lots of ways you can enjoy your animal when you’re away from the barn. Reading about your favorite animal is one of them. When the daylight gets shorter and the night turns colder, who doesn’t love a good book in the dead of winter?
There’s plenty of classic novels and even new stories about horses, and we’ve narrowed it down to a few that will help in your search. Here’s some of the best horse books you can lay your eyes on.
Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
It’s not just one of the greatest horse books, it’s one of the best books of all time. With 50 million copies sold, it’s also one of the top sellers and most well-read. Sewell wrote this novel about kindness, sympathy and respect during a time when she was an invalid. It also teaches a great deal about animal welfare.
National Velvet, Enid Bagnold
Here’s another classic tale that spawned a TV series and major motion picture. It’s the story of a 14-year-old girl named Velvet Brown who trains and rides her horse to victory in the Grand National steeplechase. The novel is a fine example of how ordinary people, especially women, can accomplish great things in life.
Misty of Chincoteague, Marguerite Henry
This novel tells the story of the Beebe family and their work in raising a filly born to a wild horse. It received several honors after being published in 1947. It was the first of five more stories in this children’s series, and the 1961 film “Misty” was based on the original book.
The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
After a truck injures a family’s daughter and kills a friend, a mother’s quest to save her maimed daughter begins. It brings her to the Horse Whisperer. For his debut novel, Evans’ book was an instant success by selling over 15 million copies and becoming one of the best-selling books of all time.
Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Laura Hillenbrand
Though the author was no horse expert, she was praised for her excellent storytelling, who did plenty of research on the tense and historic races. Her descriptive account of Seabiscuit’s epic wins made reviewers rave over this non-fiction book published in 2001. It was soon adapted into a Disney feature film.
Riding Lessons, Sara Gruen
Twenty years after a world-class equestrian and Olympic contender has a tragic accident that destroys her riding career, Annemarie comes home to her dying father’s farm. Ghosts of an unresolved youth still haunt her, but hope comes in the form of a gentle veterinarian and the allure of a trainer with a sweet touch.