When the temperatures plummet and snow starts falling, curl up with a new book or get inspired with your gift-giving for anyone on your list. Take your pick from these Western-inspired books to cozy up with this winter.
The Western Horse
By Randi Samuelson-Brown
Beginning in the 1500s, The Western Horse delves into the origins and variations of the Western breeds, their role in the expansion and settlement of the West, and the lawless element they attracted. The 1800s is when the stereotypes of Western Americana flourish, accompanied by the ever-present horse. The mounted Plains tribes, cavalry, Pony Express, pioneers, stock detectives, cowboys, horse thieves, and iconic rodeos come into sharper perspective.
Shop for $22.95 at Amazon.com.
Never Burn Your Moving Boxes
By Jolyn Young
Free-spirited cowgirl Jolyn Young’s wild romance turned into a practical marriage when baby-to-be entered the scene. As one ranch trailer home led to the next, Jolyn found her young family seeking stability in a transient lifestyle that moves with the seasons. She fought profound loneliness, finding comfort in writing and company in her camera. As her husband’s drinking became a liability, it would take leaving the life she knew to determine whether a world built on risk could coexist with the responsible mother she needed to become.
Shop for $19.95 at Trafalgarbooks.com.
The Horse Is My Teacher
By Van Hargis
Van Hargis grew up in the saddle on an East Texas ranch, training his first horse at age 12 and eventually making a living starting cutting and reining colts, many of whom would leave his hands to become champions. Naturally outgoing (labeled a “talker” by teachers in grade school), Hargis shared stories and lessons from his work with horses early on. This collection of down-to-earth, highly relatable tales have impacted his own horsemanship and life in significant ways.
Shop for $22.95 at Trafalgarbooks.com.
Running Free
By Ami Cullen
Celebrated for over a century for its rustic elegance, legendary service and exceptional horsemanship, The C Lazy U guest ranch in Granby, Colo., found itself in the destructive path of one of the worst fires in the recorded history of the state in October 2020. As fate would have it, Ami Cullen, an East Coast lawyer who had traded her business attire for cowboy boots and jeans several years earlier, had become the ranch’s Director of Equestrian Operations, and she would help guide the herd of hundreds of horses from the devastating inferno.
Shop for $16.95 at Amazon.com.
Wild Horses of Skydog: Blue Zeus & Families
By Clare Staples
In this striking book, gorgeously illustrated with hundreds of dramatic photographs, readers meet 21 horse families, including that of Blue Zeus. Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary founder Clare Staples had admired the stunning Wyoming stallion in the wild for years, but in the fall of 2020, his herd was slated for roundup and captured. The story of the urgent search for him and his mares and foals, and their eventual reunion, encapsulates all that Skydog hopes to accomplish for hundreds more horses.
Shop for $49.95 at Trafalgarbooks.com.
Blue Wild Indigo
By James Jennings
James Jennings, a native Oklahoman who writes Western fiction, explores how far a man will go for justice and the nature of truth in his new novel. Set against the dry, hard-edged landscape of the Western prairie, Blue Wild Indigo is a love story at its core, as well as an exploration of life in the 1960s in a small town, not accustomed to change. Horsemanship, cattle ranching, and other pursuits that are still a part of the West are told in vivid detail that only a native like James Jennings can describe.
Shop for $18.99 at Amazon.com.
Finding Your Superhorse
By Lynn Palm
For six decades, Lynn Palm has been a mainstay of the horse training, showing, and clinicing industry. She has four Superhorse titles—a prize awarded to a horse that demonstrates a broad skillset and proficiency in multiple sports. In these pages, Lynn shares the eight keys to her success in training and competing, and how you, too—whether you’re eventing or ranch riding—can shape a horse with a good attitude, correct movement, healthy biomechanics, and top-notch conditioning.
Shop for $32.95 at Trafalgarbooks.com.
Rosie’s Wild Ride
By Paige Murray
This picture book for ages 4-8 tells the heartwarming tale of Rosie, a big Clydesdale with an even bigger dream of becoming a rodeo star. With the support of her cowgirl companion Oakley, Rosie embarks on an inspiring journey filled with resilience and self-confidence. The book is penned by Paige Murray, wife of nine-time World Champion Rodeo Cowboy Ty Murray, and inspired by the Murrays’ own daughter.
Shop for $18.99 at Amazon.com.
Never Trust a Sneaky Pony
By Madison Seamans, M.S., DVM
James Herriot meets Jeff Foxworthy in these real-life adventures of a traveling horse doctor. Climb into the truck of large animal vet Dr. Seamans and race to the aid of horses with wounds, stomach aches, allergies, and bizarre behaviors. You’ll find yourself familiar with and understanding common equine medical problems and how they are diagnosed and treated, all while marveling at the remarkable situations a country veterinarian can find himself in.
Shop for $22.95 at Trafalgarbooks.com.
Dear Readers and Riders
By Lettie Teague
As an author, Marguerite Henry’s meticulously researched historical fiction about influential horses and the fascinating characters who surrounded them have had an outsized influence on those who grew up reading them. Lettie Teague has provided a unique biography that is as much a pleasure to read as her subject’s own books. Highlighting over a dozen titles that represent not only the best of Marguerite Henry’s work but help tell the story of Marguerite Henry herself, Teague gives Henry fans what they always strived for through their thousands of letters: personal connection.
Shop for $27.95 at Trafalgarbooks.com.
Your Complete Guide to Equine Arenas
By Abigail Boatwright
One of the secrets to keeping horses sound, reducing injuries, and enabling them to reach peak performance is careful consideration of the surfaces on which they are trained and conditioned. Whether you’re starting with an empty field or renovating an existing arena, the expertise Boatwright has gathered will help you make sure the riding and training space you have is the very best it can be: safe for both horse and rider, functional and correct for your chosen equine activity, and prepared to help rather than hinder the development of your horse’s performance.
Shop for $26.95 at Trafalgarbooks.com.
This article about Western books to read this winter appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of Western Life Today magazine. Click here to subscribe!
