Wild About Horses: Our Timeless Passion for the Horse

Why do humans love horses, and why has this ancient love affair endured for so long?

Horses, more than any other animal, have shaped the course of human history. The horse closed the gap between distant lands, changed the nature of the hunt, and altered the conduct of war. The bond that formed between humans and horses extends back more than six thousand years and continues today, stronger than ever. In this age of technology, it is a curious truth that many of us cannot get enough of horses: we watch them, ride them, read about them. Is this nostalgia for a simpler time, a time when at least you could count on your horse? Or is it something else, something much deeper?

Wild About Horses considers the question from many angles. Moving effortlessly from history to literature, from science to sport, from anecdote to personal experience, Lawrence Scanlan sets out to discover the essence of our powerful, almost mystical attraction to this noble creature. Scanlan covers a wide territory: from the mythic horses of cultures long past to the real-life whisperers of today, to the timeless wild mustangs still roaming the great plains. He tells stirring tales of famous horses, and of horses who should be famous. He chronicles some extraordinary journeys on horseback, and he examines the roles that horses have played both in battle and in Hollywood.

As he touches on each aspect of the equine-human bond, Scanlan makes perfect sense of "horse fever"--that curious affliction that has been known to strike both the seasoned professional and the rider who has galloped only in his or her dreams.

Written in lyrical prose with wit, humor, and an eye for drama, meticulously researched, and complemented by fifty compelling black-and-white photographs, Wild About Horses addresses our need to know everything we can about the horse.