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    Writing Horses: The Fine Art of Getting It Right
    Writing Horses: The Fine Art of Getting It Right
    Writing Horses: The Fine Art of Getting It Right
    Ebook305 pages3 hours

    Writing Horses: The Fine Art of Getting It Right

    By Judith Tarr

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    How to write about horses–and get it right.

    How far can a horse travel in a day? What does a horse eat? When is a brown horse really a sorrel (or a bay, or a dun)? What do tack and withers and canter mean?

     

    In this long-awaited and much-requested book based on her “Horseblog” at Book View Café, author and horse breeder Judith Tarr answers these questions and many more. She looks at horses from the perspective of the writer whose book or story needs them as anything from basic transport to major plot device, and provides definitions, explanations, and links and references for further research–leavened with insight into the world of the horse and the humans who both use and serve him.

    How fast can a horse run? What happens when a foal is born? How have humans and horses evolved together over the millennia? And above all, what mistakes do writers most often make when writing about horses, and how can the educated writer avoid them?

    Here is a guide to the fine art of getting it right.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBook View Cafe
    Release dateApr 26, 2015
    ISBN9781611380309
    Writing Horses: The Fine Art of Getting It Right
    Author

    Judith Tarr

    Judith Tarr is the author of more than twenty widely praised novels, including The Throne of Isis, White Mare's Daughter, and Queen of Swords, as well as five previous volumes in the Avaryan Chronicles: The Hall of the Mountain King, The Lady of Han-Gilen and A Fall of Princes (collected in one volume as Avaryan Rising), Arrows of the Sun, and Spear of Heaven. A graduate of Yale and Cambridge University, Judith Tarr holds degrees in ancient and medieval history, and breeds Lipizzan horses at Dancing Horse Farm, her home in Vail, Arizona.

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    Reviews for Writing Horses

    4/5

    65 ratings27 reviews

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    • 5/5
      A good guide to horses. It was a fun to read book.
    • 4/5
      After reading Writing Horses: The Fine Art of Getting It Right, I thanked my lucky stars that I had yet to put a horse in one of my stories. Apparently, I knew nothing at all about horses. Tarr covers everything you need to know about horses in order to bring realize to your story. Find out just how old a horse is before it is old, what and how they eat, and how relationships develop between horse and rider. And don't forget, a pony is not a baby horse!Overall, this is an excellent and thorough reference for any writing looking to add horses, as either main or background characters, to their stories. You will get it right with Judith Tarr's help.
    • 4/5
      I already knew a lot of the information in this books, but it is presented in a fun way, with some lovely pictures of the author's horses. For a writer who knows nothing about horses, this would be a great resource. Even if you are familiar with horses, it is a good refresher or spot check when writing or going through your manuscript.
    • 4/5
      If you ever need to know horse terminology this is the best place to start. I have read a lot of horse stories and never saw such an all inclusive resource to learn about horses. From body type to color to parts it makes it an easy resource to use.
    • 4/5
      Well thought out, comprehensive look at horses for the writer. Essential so you don't make the common mistakes that non-horsemen make when writing. Recommended!
    • 4/5
      Judith Tarr is someone who's been on my List forever; I think the first I read by her was The Hound and the Falcon, which was an astounding and beautiful trilogy. Alamut was gorgeous too, and I wanted a sequel to A Wind in Cairo in the worst way. It was the latter especially that proved to me that Ms. Tarr knows her horses - it was the perfect fantasy + horse book.So I was tickled to win her Writing Horses: The Fine Art of Getting It Right. This is a book by a woman whose love of horses only grew, and who knows horses through living and working with them 24-7-365, in a way I could only dream of (she breeds and works with Lipizzaners, for heaven's sake), who has been frustrated by the ignorance writers have shown in writing about horses and decided to do something about it.Honestly I've never to the best of my memory come across anything too egregious - I've never seen a writer refer to a male mare or anything too idiotic. I am, however, made very happy when a writer, as Ms. Tarr puts it, Gets It Right. I love it when a character's horse is not referred to as "it" - especially when it's been identified as a specific gender. I love it when a writer at least names the horses that appear. If there's more than that, I'm delighted. But I am aware that it's all a mystery to most people (hence all the hairy automata transporting people in so very many books) - so this is a brilliant idea.The book (an ebook) begins with the very basic basics: a mare is a female adult horse, bay is brown with black mane and tail and points, there are two basic modern styles of riding, and so on; it goes on to give deep and useful detail about the basics (there's no such thing as an albino horse) and some of the esoterica of breeds and disciplines. I'd say I did know about 90% of what this book explains (though not about the albinos) - but I'm a freak. For normal people who want to write anything in which a horse might come into the picture, this is incredibly valuable - I think anyone would be a fool not to use this book as backup for any mention of horses. It's wonderfully detailed, insightful, and expert - and funny and well-written. The only thing I wish it had gone into would be a little more of horse personality and communication. Horses speak with their ears: pricked sharply forward means interst, flattened back means you need to back away, slowly and without any sudden moves. Whickers and whinnies and snorts and flaring nostrils and head shakes - I think it would be equally valuable to have knowledgeable insight on all the little details of equine behavior: corroborative detail, intended to give artistic verisimilitude. Other little things about riding, like how it's helpful to stand in the stirrups to ease weight off the kidneys if the horse you're riding needs to urinate. Speaking of which, some talk about the scents associated with horses - from manure to hay to the sweetness of a horse's breath - would be a nice addition. But overall, as far as it goes, Writing Horses is pretty fantastic, and a pleasure to read. And now I want to reread A Wind in Cairo.
    • 3/5
      Although Tarr's book was not what I was expecting, if I were wanting to learn about horses, this would be a great resource. I was expecting a writing curriculum using horses as the subject. Instead this is more of an informational guide to horses. Not bad at all.
    • 5/5
      The writer is a horse person - she trains horses and loves them. Badly written horses in fiction annoy her, so this book is a guide to writing about horses for people who know nothing about them.Starting from absolute basics and covering a really wide range of interesting (and occasionally gruesome) things about horses, this book is a fascinating reference tool. It might be too simple for really horsey people, but I found it very interesting. If I ever write a novel that needs horses, I'll be back to read this again, and again.Even if you don't write fiction about horses, it is still entertaining - lots of funny stories.
    • 5/5
      I received this ebook through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer Program.I really enjoyed this book. It is very informative, and the author has a good tone and voice. The author made good use of the ebook format. The links in the text to other material were a great resource. This ebook contains a great amount of information; it covers a wide variety of subjects relating to horses in almost every activity and situation. There was a little bit of repitition, but overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who either loves horses or needs to know facts about them. I love horses and thought I knew a bit about them. After reading this book, I realize how much I don't know. The book deals with specific terms and some technical aspects of horses, but everything is explained. This was very enjoyable to read. A great read, and a great resource.
    • 4/5
      I received this ebook through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.The title of the book explains the intent clear enough: it's a book on writing about horses. In particular, Tarr addresses the needs of a fantasy/scifi/historical fiction writer as she explores the practical matter of using a massive warhorse or feeding and transportation for armies. Really, though, it's a book for any fiction writer. She covers everything from breeds and markings to births and the evolution of humans and horses.I was horse crazy as a child. Read every book in the kids' section of the library, drew horses in every margin of my school papers, took riding lessons. I'd describe myself as knowing more than the average person by far (heck, I know my fetlocks and forelocks) but I'm not an actual horse person. I thought this book did an excellent job of building on what I already knew, and I especially liked to learn about Tarr's personal experiences with her Lipizzaners. It's by no means a comprehensive book, and it's not intended as one. However, it does create a good starting place for research, and includes recommended books and websites. It currently sells for just under $5 on BookViewCafe. If I hadn't won the book for reviewing purposes, I would have paid for a copy. My inner-child-who-still-wants-a-horse would have demanded it.
    • 5/5
      I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers Program.I would highly recommend anyone that is either writing a book that involves horses in any aspect or just wants to know more about horses to get this book. There is a ton of information about just about every aspect of horses that you could possibly imagine. This might see like a overwhelming book with all that information, but the opposite is actually true. This book is fast and easy to read while gaining a plethora of information regarding horses. It is written on an easy level so anyone could understand and there is plenty of humor throughout. There are also links within the text that allow you to learn more information about that specific topic. Overall, this book was a great informational tool about horses and I would recommend anyone to read it!
    • 5/5
      This review is being written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.I was very pleased with this book - it was all I hoped and expected it to be. As I write my second novel, which includes adding a horse as a major supporting character, I feel much more comfortable with my level of knowledge with this book in hand as a reference. Thank you for the opportunity to get any early exposure to this important contribution to the field.
    • 4/5
      This book is chocked full of useful information for writers wanting to incorporate horses into their writing. It helps to breathe life into horses and make them more realistic. If a writer has hands-on knowledge of horses, I don't know that this book would add a lot to that experience, but for any writer that has had limited or no exposure to horses, the information is invaluable. My only negative comment would be that at times I felt the writer was being condescending toward "newbies" to the horse world and kind of flaunted the knowledge in a better-than-thou tone. As a writer with an open mind that can take critique, however, once I was able to get past that I found the information very worthwhile of my time.
    • 4/5
      While I am not necessarily fond of nonfiction ebooks, as a lover of horses and writing, I found this book to be very useful and most interesting. Definitely a book I will be turning back to for some of the projects I'm working.
    • 4/5
      I have received this book as part of LibraryThing Early Reviewers Project.The author's name rang a vague bell, and sure enough, it checked out - we were on a same mailing list back in the days of Internet dawn, a thing called LISTSERV, named EQUINE-L, where horse aficionados congregated and swapped advice, tips and tales of their owner equines.I'm obviously biased, as a long time rider and horse owner, rather than, say, a writer. However, I dare say this book is really not so specialized in its intent as the title may claim. That is, author tried - and succeeded - to incorporate specific writing-related twists of the equestrian knowledge. But at the same time, I'd easily recommend the book to anyone who shares a passion for horses and would like to introduce a friend or significant other to the beginnings of understanding that beautiful world. There's more than enough facts, links to outside resources and personal experience to satisfy most genuinely curious people. And if their luck holds, they might just want to wade a bit deeper.
    • 4/5
      As Judith Tarr states in her introduction to Writing Horses, there is no substitute for hands-on experience. However, if that experience is somewhat lacking, her book will give you a leg up. Just as each specialized genre in our lives has its own unique language, so goes the world of the horse. The familiarity which is conveyed in Tarr's book is a quick and helpful study of that territory and a useful reference for both the equine writer and new student of all things horse.Summarily, Writing Horses would be a very helpful tool for those desiring an introduction to decoding equine terminology and she has done a fine job of presenting information in a straight forward, useful manner. It is to be recommended.
    • 3/5
      This book is great for those who are interested writing about horses that don't have that great of a knowledge of them. This is also a good source for those just wanting to obtain more information about horses, riding and the horse business. For the more experienced horseman though, most of this you probably already know.
    • 4/5
      Even though I am not an author, nor do I intend to ever be one, I like to read everything about horses I can get my hands on. I am an avid horsewoman and already know most of what is talked about in this particular book, but I loved the way Tarr made it interesting and conversational. This is a must for anyone who is writing about horses, but does not necessarily know much about horses. I am going to recommend this to my author friend, although she is an avid horsewoman as well.
    • 5/5
      02 Dec 2010 - LibraryThing Early Reviewers programmeThis has the distinction of being the first e-book I've ever read! I read it on Matthew's old e-book reader, although I could have chosen to read a pdf version on my PC too, which would have allowed me to click on all the useful links as I read it, rather than going through them for the sake of research afterwards!The book itself is a guide to horses and horsemanship for the writer who wishes to use horses (real or fabulous) in their work. As it puts the references to writing in lightly, it would also serve as a useful introduction to horses in general. I know a fair bit about horses and riding (although I haven't ridden for years) and I found the information familiar but still useful and interesting (I did learn how to harness a foal, which was useful! and the descriptions of horse colours were spot on and marvellous - I used the bay/chestnut differentiation only this afternoon while watching some showjumping on the TV with Matthew!). The tone was friendly and supportive, but knowledgeable, with plenty of examples from Tarr's own experiences with her much-loved animals. Good illustrations, which showed up fine on the e-reader and looked lovely on the PC, and the excellent aforementioned links, appropriate in content and volume, made this a useful, interesting and engaging read, which I imagine the expert and non-expert, writer and non-writer could all get a lot out of.
    • 5/5
      This book was easy to read, conversational, and interesting! It was way more entertaining than I had expected as well as very informative! I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to write about horses, or who just wants to know more about them in general.
    • 5/5
      Being a horsewoman myself I feel strongly about some of the errors writers make about horses. In one book I read recently everybody rode stallions, these animals never noticed the other stallions (LOL). There wasn't a single gelding in the whole book. This book was entertaining and accurate. The web links where informative. I can wait to get my hands on the hard back edition. I love Judith Tarr's work!!!!
    • 4/5
      I received this as a free ebook from the publisher as part of the Library Thing Early Reviewer Program. The opinions are my own.Written by fantasy and historical fiction author Judith Tarr (a.k.a. Caitlin Brennan and Kathleen Bryan), this is a non-fiction resource book, geared to writers who need to write about riding/driving/working with horses. Ms. Tarr is a horsewoman and does a good job of sharing the basics and giving resources for more advanced research. The book is divided into several parts covering: I. The Basics (grooming, riding, disciplines, tack and age)II. Form and Function (size, speed)III. Care, Feeding and DoctoringIV. Horse Stowage (a day in the life of a horse farm/breeding farm)V. Baaaaaby HorsesVI. Horse TrainingVII. Mind and MagicFrom the Introduction "Horses are not Dogs":"Horses have their own distinctive biology and psychology. Extrapolating from other animals, notably dogs, can lead to egregious and sometimes fatal errors."If you need to write about horses but have no experience of them, at the very least get a horse person to do a beta read. If you can get some experience of horses yourself, that’s even better. There’s no real substitute for actual, hands-on, on-the-hoof horse time. Even a negative reaction to the animal can enrich your writing."But before you call that horse expert or arrange that visit to the local barn, here’s a compendium of information that can help you figure out what questions to ask and what directions to take with your characters or plot. I’ll begin with basics—terms and concepts that horse people often take for granted—and then move on to more specialized details. Not too specialized, I promise! But enough to add that crucial bit of extra dimension to your story."I have a little bit of horse knowledge...just enough to make me dangerous as a rider and a writer. Ms. Tarr is passionate about horses and it shows in her enthusiasm for her subject and her plea for writers to "Get it Right." She does a thorough job with the basics. Her prose is straight forward, easy to read; and, as promised, not too technical. One of the advantages of an ebook, which she uses appropriately/sparingly, is hyperlinked text. She links a more general topic, such as breeds, to more advanced or deeper articles on the web. I tended to ignore the links except for where I wanted more information or the link obviously led to a picture.My only (minor) complaint about the book has to do with the advice to writers. In the early chapters this tended to be more in the vein of "you can see how this can be used" rather than specific dos and don'ts. But in Part VII, Ms. Tarr gets down to the writing business and makes several suggestions on how to incorporate horse information/lore into fiction. Altogether, I found this book to be useful and well organized. Now I need to go back and check on the horse passages in my WIP and make sure I "Did it Right."
    • 4/5
      “Horses are not dogs” is the title of the introduction to Judith Tarr’s “Writing Horses.” A simple statement, but an important take-home message from this book. Unlike dogs and cats, who are the small and affectionate descendants of predators, horses are prey animals. Understanding that simple fact explains a lot about horse behavior. The author is a knowledgeable horse woman and her Lipizzaners are absolutely stunning. There are many pictures in the book, and they alone are worth the price of admission!“Writing Horses provides a great reference for the writer who is not intimately familiar with horses. There are chapters covering every aspect from the terminology of coat colors, to tack (the saddle and bridle) for different riding disciplines, to grooming, horse care, and breeding. There is information that will help you plan a realistic trip on horseback for your fictional characters – a critical part of many works of fantasy or historical fiction.My only complaint about the book would be in using the hyperlinks in different e-book formats. I ended up working with this book in several formats. First I read it in the mobi-pocket version, on my aging Palm TX. My TX has color, and is wifi enabled, so the pictures looked great and the links actually worked (if fiddly) if I was in range. More recently, I acquired a Kindle, and have loaded “Writing Horses” in two versions: the unconverted pdf, and the pdf as converted by Amazon for the Kindle. The conversion allows Kindle’s functionality to work (changing font size, text-to-speech), though it does alter the appearance of the text itself. Unfortunately, the links don’t work, even though my Kindle is both wifi and 3G enabled. So, the only book format in which I was able to get full functionality of the links was reading it on my computer screen in pdf format. Not ideal, in my opinion. I think it would have been a better choice to use pictures for illustrating discussions of issues such as coat color and anatomy. Links to studies and the like could be in an appendix at the end, where the reader could explore at leisure.Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who writes in settings that involve horses. Even if you are a horse person yourself, it will still help organize your thoughts on essential details for telling your story. If you don’t know horses, it will give you a solid overview of what you need to think about in making your fictional animals come alive for the reader. As a reader, I can tell you what a delight it is when writers get horses right – even when horses are not a central part of the story, but just appear in passing. Conversely, getting them wrong can ruin an otherwise good read.
    • 4/5
      This is a short enough little book aimed at a very specific audience; those who will be writing books with horses in them, yet don’t know very much about horses. Now, I’m not a writer, and I know a fair amount about horses, but I still found it an enjoyable read. Tarr gives us the do and don’ts in a very entertaining light-hearted way.writing_horses133x200As I said it is a quick enough read, if you are interested in the subject matter, I finished it in one evening. If you aren’t interested in horses and the mistakes some authors make while writing about them then I wouldn’t bother to pick it up. While Tarr’s style of writing is very easy to read unless you have some interest in the subject I can’t imagine that you’ll find it to your taste. Tarr covers all the basics of horsemanship; from the colours of a horse, to the difference between a gelding and a mare, and right up to what your character may, or may not know about horses given their situation in life. And indeed your book’s setting.What I really enjoyed about this book was the fact that Tarr takes advantage of the fact that this is an ebook and she links to other references and pictures. Including one not for the squeamish which shows what happens when a horse stands on a bare foot. I haven’t read many ebooks, so maybe this is a feature more authors use and I just hadn’t come across before.All in all, I found it an interesting read.
    • 5/5
      Are you writing a historical novel and need to make your descriptions of modes of transportation be something beyond “a black horse pulled the carriage”? Or perhaps you see yourself as the new Jilly Cooper and are trying to write a steamy romance featuring a quiet but amiable stablehand, a handsome but arrogant racehorse trainer and a beautiful movie starlet? If you know nothing of horses, but have to write about them, you need this book.This is exactly the sort of book that is ideal for publishing as an e-book. Scattered throughout the text are links to horse blogs, horse retail sites (so that you know what horse kit actually looks like) and YouTube videos. There are lots and lots of links to websites at the end so that you can do even more research should you require, but, since Judith Tarr is a horse breeder, rider and writer, there is a great deal here for the newbie to digest. Everything is explained, from how high your horse will be, what breeds are what colours and how people actually ride horses (hint: it has nothing to do with the kneeing the horse in the flank). An excellent resource!
    • 5/5
      Warning: I so thoroughly enjoyed this book that I find it virtually impossible to write a short review. There is so much in this book that I want to share with you, reader-to-reader. It's that good. Who would have thought that what is essentially a how-to book for writers could generate such enthusiasm. Just wait until you read it; then, you will understand.Judith Tarr endeared herself to me with her the subtitle “The Fine Art of Getting It Right.” The book, Writing Horses, is not just for writers. It is a book that enriches a reader's appreciation of not only the horse, but the writer who would have us believe in their knowledge of and love for horses.This book is invaluable for writers who want to portray horses accurately, publishers who need to evaluate the credibility and depth of a writer, editors who need to double-check and verify claims and presentations, and readers who want to believe in the books they read. From page one, you begin learning the truth about horses. Once you read Tarr's meticulously crafted book, you will be able to discern authors who truly love and understand horses from those who don't. You should be able, with Tarr's insights, to distinguish between the charlatans and the truly wise. If you love horses, you will want to read this book regardless whether you plan to write about them or not. It will deepen your respect for, expand your knowledge about and validate your fascination with horses and the writers who include them in their fiction and non-fiction.Did you know that if if a horse whinnies, you should be concerned for its well-being. Did you know that letting a horse go after a huge bucket of oats could be a way to kill it? Did it occur to you that horses need water as much as we do? Do you know that horses need to lie down for a short period every day or how to distinguish between a sleeping and dead horse? Do you understand why horses can't lie on their backs? Many authors don't even though that knowledge may be crucial to their narrative or might add suspense or fear to an otherwise bland descriptive passage?Details matter. Writers who pay attention to details and think about how to use them to maximize their story's emotional or intellectual impact become writers who stand out, writers who can move their readers flawlessly where they need to go.In Writing Horses, Tarr makes sure we know not only the basic requirements to keep a horse healthy, but she also teaches us how to read the body language of horses. Think about how much depth a writer could add to the story line, how much credibility the characters could gain with just simple details that telegraph to true horse lovers that this writer is the real deal. Consider, also, how young readers could benefit from learning about horses as they are, not as the stereotype most writers use.There is so much in this book that fascinates and amazes me that it was difficult to stop reading it in just one sitting. Judith Tarr hooks you from page one and doesn't let go. She is so passionate about her subject that she includes HTML links whenever she believes it will serve your quest for details – right in the middle of a paragraph if necessary. She sends you to charts, discussions and videos to augment her point. This woman believes in what she is doing and she does it well.You learn that much about her just from the Introduction! I not a horsewoman, nor have I spent much time around horses though I love horses and reading about them. However, after reading Writing Horses I desperately want to find a way to spend some time around horses. My appreciation and opinion of this animal has soared thanks to Tarr's book.You'll not only laugh as you read about how silly people can be in selecting names for their horses, but you will also learn how horse associations and breeders have rules about naming various types of horses. So, if a writer wants to have a character who is riding a registered Quarter Horse, attention must be paid to the 20-character rule. There are other, even more persnickety rules that can telegraph to a savvy reader whether or not the writer is credible or not. Of course, if you are writing fantasy fiction you need not be so concerned, but if your story is even partly-reality based, you should be aware of these constraints. You could easily build an admiring readership amongst horse lovers if you pay attention to these kind of details.I cannot emphasize enough how meticulously Tarr has been in writing this book and how valuable it is to readers, writers, and publishing professionals. Seriously, this is an amazing read worth your time. You learn about the physical, psychological, and emotional needs of horses and how the horses convey those needs. You learn just how smart horses really are and begin to feel some humility in being human. This is truly an engaging and fun read apart from its worth as a well-researched educational tool.It opened my eyes as to how foolish many stories are, how shallow many television or movies are that feature horses as the main theme or main character. Knowing the errors doesn't necessarily undermine the worth of the story, but it certainly diminishes the profile of the writers.I wish this book had been available when our daughter was in her horse-love stage. It would have fascinated her as well. I know I am going to recommend that she read it. I have no doubt she will want to include it in her library. This book can be read by almost any reader and certainly should be read by every author who introduces horses in any capacity to a story line. This is a comprehensive treatise that captivates and teaches; its details will stay with you. I promise you will not even be able to drive along the highway, see a horse, and think about it in the same way you did before reading this book. You will notice things about it and its surroundings that never occurred to you, and you may even being to spin your own tale about its life as you speed along to your destination. Tarr has written a lively, entertaining and exciting book about horses that gives writers the insights and information necessary to write believable, viable, interesting stories that enhance the pleasure and the profit of reading a good book. Isn't that the real reason we read – to enjoy and to learn, to grow from where we are to where we want to be, to understand more about ourselves and the world around us?
    • 4/5
      This is not a book I expected to enjoy reading. I thought it would be a useful book, like the “Death Investigator’s Handbook,” but I viewed it as strictly a reference book. I was pleasantly surprised to find the writing casual and conversational. I found myself pouring over details, carried into a pleasant world of combs and brushes and shedding blades. Tarr tells you how to catch an omega horse out of a herd and even the history of stirrups. She tells you what may happen if you approach or mount a horse from the wrong side, and where the word canter came from. There’s even a section on how to invent a fantasy horse. I don’t write about horses, but I’m a horse lover. Were I ever to have a horse in a story, this book would be a must.

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    Writing Horses - Judith Tarr

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