The Natural Beauty of Horses

A pristine countryside adorned by a single grazing horse will capture my attention every time.  It's not easy turning away from and letting go of such beauty.

Horses are intriguing.  I've always thought living on a Flint Hills ranch teeming with horses would be idyllic despite the hard work required to manage the land and the animals. One of the activities I look forward to most during my vacations in Colorado is horseback riding in the mountains and the side trips into quiet pine forests where an enhanced sense of awareness prevails.  The pace is slow on these trail rides, allowing the rider to absorb the surroundings and get a feel for the horse's behavior as the landscape changes.  It's an opportunity to personally connect to an animal often admired from afar.

If you appreciate these extraordinary animals as I do, check out the following books portraying spectacular photographs of horses in their environment.  These books are perfect for your coffee table and not exactly beach reads, but consider taking one and a tall glass of lemonade to your favorite backyard lawnchair and prepare to relax. You'll find these books in the Pets Neighborhood shelved with related materials about caring for horses.  Enjoy!

The Majesty of the Horse: An Illustrated History

The evolution of the horse is explained and complemented by supreme photography of horses from around the world.

People We Know, Horses They Love

The people featured here are mostly celebrity actors. Learn about an aspect of their personal lives you may not know about--their hobby of owning and caring for horses.  It seems fitting that Robert Redford, who once groomed horses at stables in Estes Park, was chosen for the cover. Don't miss Robert Duvall's "barn" or the chapter about famed horse whisperer Buck Brannaman.

Horses of the Camargue

Napoleon once sought out these powerful horses from the south of France to furnish his army.  They are gray-white, stocky, enjoy a marshy landscape, eat aquatic plants and, of course, photograph beautifully while standing in water.