Black Beauty, Afraid to Ride, The Black Stallion Books – most of us grew up with our favorite horse stories. Whether we were riding The Black with Alex, or wishing we could have a pony just like Merrylegs, horses held a magical place in our hearts and minds. I think I read all the horse books in my grammar school library by the time I hit second grade. For entertainment, I would make up stories that rivaled anything written by Anna Sewell or Walter Farley. Can you relate?
Fast forward a few (dozen) years, and we’re still telling ourselves horse stories, but so often now, we’re not the fearless heroine. Instead of the magic we felt with fictional horses, we’re feeling decidedly average with our own horses. See if any of these sound familiar…
Misty Memories of Chincoteague – You remember the carefree childhood days either spending time with horses or reading (and obsessing) about them. Those days are gone. Now there are always a million things to do, and time spent around horses is harder and harder to come by…
Black Beauty…With a Little Gray Around the Temples – Older horse and mid-life woman getting by the best they can. Many days, life is more of an ordeal than an adventure…
National Velveteen – Your horsey life seems like a poor imitation of what it used to be…
My challenge to you today? Re-write your story! Dust off your favorite children’s horse stories, remember what made them magic for you, and see if you can rediscover a little of that magic the next time you’re at the barn. Misty, The Black, Merrylegs, and The Pie will be waiting for you.
Share your favorite horse books in the comments, and let us know how your reminiscing went!