The best books about adventure on horseback for adults

Why am I passionate about this?

My favorite mode of transport is being on the back of a good horse. I have enjoyed horse treks in Ecuador on the Inca Trail, in the backcountry of British Columbia, the High Sierras, and on the Wild West coast of Ireland, as well as numerous stays at guest’s ranches in the U.S. My equestrian articles have appeared in Equus, Horse Illustrated, and California Riding Magazine, to name a few. A back injury forced me to give up my mare and the riding world I loved. Writing The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon was my way of letting go and moving forward in life.


I wrote...

The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon

By Linda Ballou,

Book cover of The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon

What is my book about?

Gemcie and her Irish Hunter, Marshal, are about to capture the World Cup when a nasty fall dashes their chances. While she is mending, her arch-rival seizes this opportunity to seduce her young husband. Confused and dazed by her new circumstances, Gemcie heads for the high Sierras hoping the majestic spires that captured the heart of the father that she never met will provide the answers she seeks.

She finds strength and solace riding solo on the John Muir Trail, but a bear attack places her in the care of a solitary cowboy manning a fire lookout. Brady shows her love and gives her the courage to get back in the saddle. Gemcie returns to reclaim Marshal and fly high with him once more.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Horse

Linda Ballou Why did I love this book?

I was drawn to this historical novel because I love horse-centric books. Geraldine Brooks received a Pulitzer Prize for this novel, so I knew it would be well written. It did not disappoint.

I learned about Lexington, a wonderful stallion claimed to be the fastest horse on record. But, the story is more about Jarret, his keeper who kept him from being damaged and exploited in the greedy horse racing world.

By Geraldine Brooks,

Why should I read it?

20 authors picked Horse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Brooks' chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling." -The New York Times Book Review

"Horse isn't just an animal story-it's a moving narrative about race and art." -TIME

A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history

Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an…


Book cover of The Sand Pounder: Love and Drama on Horseback in WWII

Linda Ballou Why did I love this book?

I am far from being a young adult, but I still found this charming book enlightening. The protagonist is a young woman who disguises herself as a man so she may join the equestrian military force patrolling the West Coast to spot submarines offshore.

The story also touches on the very sad fact that Japanese people were rounded up, deprived of their property, and confined in camps in California during WWII.

By M.J. Evans,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Sand Pounder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The world is at war. A teenage equestrian takes on a man's world to make a difference...and finds love along the way.

Fearing an invasion by German and Japanese forces during World War II, the U.S. Coast Guard enlisted horsemen to patrol the beaches along the east and west coasts. The unit was called “The Sand Pounders” and they rode their horses up and down the beaches from 1942 to 1944.

In Tillamook, Oregon, a young equestrian decided to join them. There was only one problem…they were only accepting men. That didn’t slow her down.

The Sand Pounder is a…


Book cover of The Horsewoman

Linda Ballou Why did I love this book?

I enjoyed this story, even though it was more about the rivalry between mother and daughter striving for Olympic Gold than it was about horses.

The horse jumping world is filled with backstabbing competitors, abuse of gorgeous animals, and risk of serious injury. Patterson dwells more on this than the very real connection riders have with their mounts. Still, it is a fun, engaging read.

By James Patterson, Mike Lupica,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Horsewoman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A great read for horse lovers and fans of show jumping' Jilly Cooper
'This is a hugely entertaining, riveting, page-turner of a book' Louise Penny
'An eye-opening ride through the high-stakes world of equestrian show-jumping . . . Three fearless women connected by blood, competition, and a passion for fast horses.' Carl Hiaasen
_____________________________

Maggie Atwood and Becky McCabe - mother and daughter, both champion riders - vowed to never, ever, compete against one another.

But a dramatic turn of events ahead of the Paris Olympics changes everything.

Mother and daughter share a dream: to be the best in the…


Book cover of In The Reins

Linda Ballou Why did I love this book?

If you ever dreamed about a lean, mean Cowboy with six-pack abs and the sun glinting off of sea blue eyes beneath his Stetson, this book is for you. 

I enjoyed slipping into the world of bull-riders, and skilled western riders with Devon a journalist dropping out of the prying eyes of society to heal from an affair gone south. A sweet romance blooms, which is the beginning of the In The Reins series. 

By Carly Kade,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked In The Reins as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

McKennon Kelly is a handsome horse trainer who knows the cure for wannabe cowgirl Devon Brooke's horse troubles. Can he train her without revealing his secret? He's not so sure ...

Devon Brooke is a city girl gone country who desperately needs a certain Romeo in Wranglers' help with her new horse. People say she's a cowboy crazy cowgirl with horse problems. They may be right ...

Meet McKennon and Devon in the In the Reins series.
A city-girl-gone-country, a handsome cowboy and a horse meet by fate on a southern farm. She's looking for a fresh start and unexpectedly…


Book cover of The Dark Horse

Linda Ballou Why did I love this book?

I bought this book because I am a Longmire fan. The tight-lipped, tough Wyoming sheriff with a big heart and true grit is my kind of guy. I expected a juicy murder mystery, but not the heart-catching ride on a black beauty double. 

Although Longmire's wild bareback ride on an unbridled mare stretches credulity, it is great fun to be there. If you like the haunting landscape of the West, the relentless pursuit of the truth, the mysticism of the Native Americans, and a good mystery, you will tick off all those boxes here.

By Craig Johnson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Dark Horse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The fifth book in the New York Times bestselling Longmire series, featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire

Wade Barsad locked his wife Mary's horses in their barn and then burned it down. In return she shot him in the head six times - or so the story goes. Sheriff Walt Longmire doesn't believe Mary's confession, and he's determined to dig deeper.

Posing as an insurance claims investigator, Walt goes undercover and soon discovers that the population of an entire town might have wanted Wade dead, including a beautiful Guatemalan bartender and a rancher with a taste for liquor but not so much…


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Split Decision

By David Perlmutter,

Book cover of Split Decision

David Perlmutter Author Of The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a freelance writer from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, specializing in media history and speculative fiction. I have been enchanted by animation since childhood and followed many series avidly through adulthood. My viewing inspired my MA thesis on the history of animation, out of which grew two books on the history and theory of animation on television, America 'Toons In: A History of Television Animation (available from McFarland and Co.) and The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows (available from Rowman and Littlefield). Hopefully, others will follow.

David's book list on understanding the history of animation

What is my book about?

Jefferson Ball, the mightiest female dog in a universe of the same, is, despite her anti-heroic behavior, intent on keeping her legacy as an athlete and adventurer intact. So, when female teenage robot Jody Ryder inadvertently angers her by smashing her high school records, Jefferson is intent on proving her superiority by outmuscling the robot in a not-so-fair fight. Not wanting to seem like a coward, and eager to end her enemy's trash talking, Jody agrees.

However, they have been lured to fight each other by circumstances beyond their control. Which are intent on destroying them if they don't destroy each other in combat first...

5 book lists we think you will like!

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