Zen and the Art of Horseback Riding

You either have it, or you don’t. Either your bicycle was a horse, or it wasn’t. Either you drew horses on all your schoolbooks, and every piece of blank paper you could ever find, or you didn’t. You either drooled in desperation every time you were in the car and you drove by a horse, or you didn’t. You were either a born horse lover, or you weren’t. Author Mary Anne Donovan was a born horse lover, and in this book, she regales you with tales of the tremendous effects these sensitive, magnificent creatures have had on her life. You will go with her on spring morning rides, lazy summer days at the barn, and winter adventures with the horses in her life, but in particular, with Buzzy, a stalwart, former harness racehorse who completely devoted himself to the author in his career as a pleasure horse. In her memoir, Ms. Donovan captures not only the experiences of riding so you feel like you’re riding alongside her, but also how her horses and riding were instrumental in helping her overcome a difficult past. Take the worst “f” word there is – fear! By facing and overcoming her saddle-born fears, Ms. Donovan overcame a host of fears that had crippled her for years. She writes of the parallel between riding and life: “In each case, I did it. I learned. I asked for help, I regrouped, I questioned myself, I found answers within myself, I sweated, I shook, I cried, I laughed, I'd think, 'I should give this up.' I didn't give up.”