Horse fiction

[cclark]

I wasn’t sure where to post this, but I hope I’m in the right place. I’m super excited to find this forum and for it to be active. I’ve been looking for some fiction based around horses. I love the Thoroughbred books, saddle club the heartland books (and show), and all the other great horse novels, but they’re all aimed for 11-17 year olds.

I’m wondering if I’ve somehow have missed all the great horse fiction for adults.

I looked into Dick Francis books and while they are adults, I wonder if they haven’t aged well.

Most of my googling has found books that have horses around the edge of the storyline.

I hope to at least find some to see what the writers have done and start writing a series of horse novels aimed for adults (Of course, nothing r rated.) More like heartland but maybe without the crazy drama that’s been added to that show.
Is horse fiction for adults not publishable? Is my hope of writing one crazy?

P.S. Ideas for horse fiction are more than welcome. (I’ve got the characters and the basic plot but I need some horse-related conflict!)

Thank you!

[HPFarmette]

There was a fun mystery series, one of them was called Death by Dressage.

[Willesdon]

If you look in the “Off Course” section there are a lot of threads about books, films etc that people have enjoyed.

[Rackonteur]

Good luck! Your idea sounds like fun – and hard work! I would suggest you read every horse novel you can find and see what you like and what you don’t like. For myself, I don’t care how old a horse novel – or any novel – is, if it’s well written. I like horse books that are about horses and their people, not about their people’s divorces/drug problems/PTSD/affairs. I would rather read details of tacking up, riding – of whatever discipline, as long as I learn something – than details of the humans fornicating in the loft/bedroom/trailer dressing room between dressage tests.

[kateh]

Jane Smiley has some well-written horse-related fiction. My favorite was Horse Heaven, from numerous characters surrounding the racing industry- including some horses! If I remember correctly, there are some racy bits, but it’s on the tame side- definitely not some romance bodice-ripper.

[betonbill]

Try the Dressage Chronicles by Karen McGoldrick (isn’t she also on COTH?). I have book #4 on order right now; had read volumes 1 and 2 a few years ago.

The Lady by Anne McCaffrey, Grand National by John Welcome, The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss, The Show Gypsies by Leigh Brown (if you can find it–I still have my copy, heh, heh), Wild Swan, A Season of Swans, Swan’s Chance by Celeste DeBlasis (colonial horse racing bodice ripper), Riders by Jilly Cooper. Nonfiction books include: Equal to the Challenge, Pioneering Women of Horse Sports by Jackie C. Burke, The Horse God Built (Secretariat) by Lawrence Scanlan, In the Middle Are the Horsemen by Tik Maynard, Taking Up the Reins by Priscilla Endicott.

I also think that the Dick Francis books age well. I periodically go through and read all of them.

[ParadoxFarm]

And don’t forget Jody Jaffe’s (COTHer) mysteries. Love those.