In which we (finally!) finish Horse Mad Heroes and compare it to a great work in the history of horse books

walrusbooks — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:47:41 +0000

Okay, so we’re very behind on our summer reading list. We know it’s not good. It makes us feel like we’re back in university, sitting in class in our pajamas, our fingers wrapped around a hot coffee, praying that by some miracle we’re only going to be discussing the first chapter of Bleak House in today’s seminar. We spent most of our university career in pajamas. They were so comfortable we even wore them out dancing once. We often danced alone in those years.

Today we finished Horse Mad Heroes and we loved it. One of the things we loved in particular was the fascinating horse facts that found their way into the book. Did you know that horses used to have toes?

Maybe the most interesting thing we learned was that one of the first books ever published about dressage was On Horsemanship by Xenophon, published in 350 B.C.

How could we not be curious? We love books about horses – and Horse Mad Heroes has a dressage competition in it. It turns out, many things have changed since 350 B.C. To illustrate some of these changes, we’ve created a handy table comparing On Horsemanship to Horse Mad Heroes.

On Horsemanship	Horse Mad Heroes
When selecting a horse, choose one with large nostrils.	When selecting a horse, choose an ill-treated and abandoned horse and nurse her back to health. Uncover the secrets to her past and then love her all the more for overcoming adversity.
The horse’s groom should be well-trained.	The horse’s groom should know many excellent horse jokes, such as: Q: What’s the most important part of the horse? A: The mane part!
The main point of owning a horse is to ride it into battle.	The main point of owning a horse is that it can be your best friend when you and your person best friend get in a fight.
A horse’s mane should be brushed, first against the grain to lift the dirt, and then in the direction of the grain to remove the dirt.	A horse’s mane should be brushed, and then if you like you can smooth it down with a little hair gel.

Wow, Horse Mad Heroes sure was good. A huge fight between best friends, a new baby brother, a secret rescue mission, lots of great horse races.

We can barely wait for Horse Mad Western, which we’re publishing next fall. Here’s a sneak peek at the quality, quality jokes that Pree tells in Book 5.

Q: Where do you take a sick pony

A: To the horsepital!

The Walrus Books Blog

In which we (finally!) finish Horse Mad Heroes and compare it to a great work in the history of horse books