Journeys With Horses
Journeys With Horses by Leslie McDonald is not an instruction book. Instead, the book presents sixteen vignettes describing events in the lives of a variety of people involved, one way or another, in the world of horses. With over 45 years experience as an equine professional, McDonald draws on her experiences and acquaintances to describe interactions between both people and people as well as between people and horses.
Each chapter is a self-contained look into the lives of one or more individuals. McDonald shows her readers that horse people are not a homogeneous lot. Her book presents glimpses into the lives of a wide variety of people with varying backgrounds.
The book begins with an account of a young woman who exercises sale horses while on a break from college. Her curiosity is aroused by a taciturn older man whom nobody at the barn seems to know much about aside from his meticulous work as the head groom. A chance comment just before he leaves for the weekend leads him to open up to give her just a peak of his life away from the barn.
The last chapter presents a story of an avid equestrian whose personal ambitions are cut short by polio. Instead of letting this disease ruin her life, however, she uses her situation to bring new equestrian experiences to the lives of young girls who otherwise could not afford such experiences.
Between these two chapters, McDonald offers her readers fourteen other stories, each with a different perspective. Readers of this book should find themselves exposed to areas of the equestrian world they may never have known or experienced.
Those who are only interested in their own little part of the horse world may not care about a book like this. For others, this book may open up new thoughts and possibilities.