“Horses in particular have been as much a part of my life as past birthdays.” p.108 West with the Night by Beryl Markham In her memoir, Beryl discusses only a handful of horses – one in particular, Camciscan, from the arrogant stallion’s perspective. She describes this headstrong breeding stallion and his slow adaptation to East Africa life. She would ride this stallion at the age of 12 and despite being thrown and tossed about, she persistently rode and interacted with him. This section made me wonder, why did she dedicate so many pages to this ornery stallion who tried to bite her, slammed her against stall walls and even left...
Swept away by West with the Night
True friends refer you to amazing books. Caitlin Muir, you rock. This was perhaps one of the best book recommendations ever. Ernest Hemingway said it best about this book (as he knew of Beryl Markham personally): “…she has written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer. I felt that I was simply a carpenter with words, picking up whatever was furnished on the job and nailing them together and sometimes making an okay pig pen. But [she] can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves writers.” Horse trainer, pilot and adventurer, Beryl Markham is a fascinating woman and an incredible...
Remembering what today means
Thank you to the men, women, families and service animals who have served.
The Majesty of the Polish Arabian Horse
Enjoy this beautiful video with highlights from an independent film project about the history and beauty of the Polish Arabian. Expect a review of this full-length film soon. đŸ™‚ Poland hosts an annual horse show called the “Pride of Poland” – and these horses truly are the heart of this country. Their history is lined turmoil but the rise of the Polish Arabian breed was unstoppable. These horses are unique, distinguished and revered. Enjoy this clip!
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Going back to what started it all
Along the journey of our careers and lives we are easily distracted. Opportunities that sound good pop up and we jump on them. Other interests arise that detract from our main goals, but we pursue them anyway. For me, I lost sight of what my writing began as and what I want it to be. I started writing around the same time I got my first horse — and the two loves became inseparable. I was 12 years old, and I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Ride horses and write novels. In high school, the story of one horse’s escape from Nazi rule...