Why We Ride: Women Writers on the Horses in Their Lives

Sacramento Book Review

2010-12-03T13:25:00.000-08:00

Sacramento Book Review gives Why We Ride a great review:

Like many girls, I fell in love with horses at an early age. I’ve owned several and currently care for two. My fascination has never faded. Even now, my breath will catch as I watch my mare fly across a field at full gallop. Therefore, I was very interested to read Why We Ride and I was not disappointed. Verna Dreisbach, the editor of this book, did an excellent job of selecting the essays that comprise it. No two stories are the similar. Each writer in this book faces a different situation. One woman takes years to see her father in a new light. Another watches underserved children bond with the horses they ride in an equine program. One woman faces deepening anxiety issues, while another watches her son growing into a responsible young man. Another helps her 92-year-old grandmother ride once more. In each of these situations and the others in the book, horses enrich these women’s lives in different and surprising ways. This book will make a great read for every woman who has dreamed of riding, has owned a horse, or is awestruck watching a horse run free.

Reviewed by Annie Peters

Click here to see the article online.

Why We Ride Recommended as a Beach Read

2010-08-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

Beach books by and for animal lovers....by OregonLive.com

Why We Ride is a collection of 27 short essays by women who are both writers and riders. Best-selling author Jane Smiley leads the way, in a story that ends with: "It's time to give them some credit for having an inner life, and past time to study it." Needless to say, she's talking about horses.

Smiley's introductory essay perfectly sets the scene for the writers that follow, and each gives ample credit to horses for having an inner life and for having profoundly affected their own inner lives.

Some of the women speak of insights garnered about marriage from being around horses. Some write about the way horses changed the way they dealt with their fathers. All talk about being better people -- better women -- because of horses.

Click here for the link to the article.

Contibutor Published in Literary Journal

2010-07-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

Contributor Jill Widner's story, Akualele, has just been published in The Hummingbird Review. Be sure to check out this great literary magazine.

Why We Ride Literary Contest

2010-06-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

Verna Dreisbach sponsored the first ever non-fiction writing contest this year for the San Mateo County Fair, Literary Arts Division, in California. The Why We Ride contest was open to both men and women, all ages and ended on April 30th. On June 13th, the winner of the writing contest, Melanie Denman, received an autographed copy of Why We Ride and a cash prize of $100. While at the fair, Melanie read her winning piece "All There Is To It." Congratulations!
Verna will sponsor the Why We Ride writing contest again next year. Start writing!

Reading at Powell's Books

2010-06-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Five of the contributors met at Powell's Books in Portland on June 6th at 7:30 p.m. to read from the anthology, Why We Ride. Contributors included Samantha Ducloux Waltz, Janice Newton, Chansonette Buck, Valerie Riggs and Jill Widner.

Reading at The Elliott Bay Book Co.

2010-06-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

Seven of the contributors to Why We Ride, from 4 different states, were able to attend the Seattle reading at The Elliott Bay Book Company on June 5th at 4 p.m. Contrubitors were: Samantha Ducloux Waltz, Janice Newton, Chansonette Buck, Valerie Riggs, Kathryn Hohmann, Diane Mapes and Jill Widner.

Why We Ride on Blogs and Websites

2010-06-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

Lisa Romeo, one of the contributors to the anthology, posted an interview about Why We Ride to her blog. For the chance to win a free book, respond to her blog by Sunday, June 13.

You can also find Why We Ride on the following sites:

Equine Chronicle

Horse Girl TV

American Horse Publications

Michele Scott, contributor to Why We Ride, writes about the book on her blog at Professional's Choice

The Northwest Horse Source

Website Now Active

2010-05-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Please take a look the website for Why We Ride at www.vernadreisbach.com. There, you can also read an excerpt from Jane Smiley's foreword.

Why We Ride in Seattle and Portland

2010-05-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

Join us on Saturday, June 5th from 4-6PM, at ELLIOTT BAY BOOK COMPANY in Seattle, WA.
Contributors reading are: Michele Scott, Diane Mapes, Janice Newton, Valerie Riggs, Samantha Ducloux Waltz, Chansonette Buck, Kathryn Hohmann and Jill Widner.

Join us on Sunday, June 6th from 7:30-9PM, at POWELL’S BOOKS in Portland, OR.
Contributors reading are: Michele Scott, Diane Mapes, Janice Newton, Valerie Riggs, Samantha Ducloux Waltz, Chansonette Buck and Jill Widner.

Folsom Reading

2010-05-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

Join Us At the Folsom Borders!

2010-05-07T06:51:00.000-07:00

Date: May 15, 2010 1:00 PM

Folsom - Borders
Location: 2765 E Bidwell St, Folsom, CA 95630

Verna and Chansonette Buck will be reading at this event. We hope to see you there.

Library Journal Review

2010-05-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

Why We Ride: Women Writers on the Horses in Their Lives. Seal, dist. by Publishers Group West. May 2010. c.254p. ed. by Verna Dreisbach. illus. ISBN 978-1-58005-266-5. pap. $15.95. ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6726812.html?industryid=47112

Dreisbach writes that we choose a horse for many reasons, such as beauty, ability, what we see of ourselves reflected in the horse (or what we wish we were like). All 20-plus contributors to this collection—for example, Jane Ayres, Kara Gall, Michele Scott, and Jacqueline Winspear—believe that their horses taught them something about themselves and made them stronger, better people. If you're looking for a rational, objective reason as to why women ride, it will not be found in this book—all the contributors write of a passionate love and connection with the horse (sometimes in spite of being physically injured while riding), and most are impressed at being in control and/or partnering with such a beautiful, graceful, and powerful animal. VERDICT Animal lovers and readers of horse memoirs such as Susan Richards's Chosen by a Horse and Jane Smiley's A Year at the Races (Smiley here contributes a foreword) will enjoy this compilation.—Patsy E. Gray, Huntsville P.L., AL

Why We Ride Released!

2010-05-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

Today is the official release date of Why We Ride: Women Writers on the Horses in their Lives (Seal Press / May 2010 / $15.95). Again, thank you to the amazing women who have contributed to this anthology. It would not have been possible without you! I feel that I now have 26 new girlfriends and I can’t wait to meet all of you.

Why We Ride sales have already done quite well, having gone into a second printing prior to the release date! Amazing! Thank you, readers! More great news to share soon…

In Why We Ride, educator, literary agent, author, and editor, Verna Dreisbach offers readers twenty-seven personal, heart-felt stories by women whose horses have been a catalyst of personal exploration—each horse providing insight, revealing their hidden selves - those parts that ultimately make us whole. Pulitzer Prize and NY Times bestselling author Jane Smiley contributes the foreword, offering her insight into her life-long relationship with horses and the moments of unity we yearn for and sometimes capture. Just as we ride through life collecting bits and pieces of ourselves, this collection of stories offers a journey through the horse lives of so many wonderfully gifted writers. Animals can endear themselves to almost anyone’s heart, but horses - and specifically the bond these women share with their majestic creatures - tell a special story.

Book Cover for Why We Ride!

2009-09-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

Accepted Stories

2009-06-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Ladies,

Listed below are the accepted stories for the anthology that I have submitted to the publishing editor. Stories still need to go through this final acceptance process as well as a copy edit.
Thank you again for all who submitted. It was a pleasure reading your stories as you shared with me the importance of horses in your lives.

Verna

FOREWORD

Jane Smiley

Number One Son
"When we finished this course, it has been a single thought with different aspects that are all connected and a single feeling from beginning to end, counted out by the rhythm of his strides. It is like a piece of music or any other art object that presents itself as a whole rather than a bunch of separate parts—it has a defined beginning, a defined end, and a sustained dynamic in which every good stride builds on the last good stride and all the strides are good. Unlike other works of art, though, it cannot be re-experienced. In a few seconds, it has come and gone."

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Verna Dreisbach

The Racehorse
"The horses were my family and the racetrack was my home."

CONTRIBUTORS (alphabetical by last name):

Dee Ambrose-Stahl
Painted Christmas Dreams
“Because you wanted her from the beginning. I wanted to be the one who made your dreams come true.”

Jane Ayres
Hoofbeats
"I led Splinter up and down the yard, pointing the microphone at his feet as they clip-clopped on the concrete. It felt a bit crazy but I was convinced the key to Mum’s recovery lay with Splinter. I played the recording, praying for a miracle. The hoof beats sounded unreal and I watched Mum for any sign of change. Did her finger twitch? Maybe her eyelid moved? I was willing it to be. I felt certain something would happen. But then nothing did. I was out of options and Mum was out of time."

Linda Ballou
Irish Mist
"When I stopped to ask Ken how I was doing, he asked, 'Are you still in the saddle?'"

Chansonette Buck
Thrown
"Every time I rode her I came up against my own limitations as a rider. Every time I rode her I came up against the possibility of losing control and the possibility of getting hurt. Mia taught me the measure of who I am. I have found myself, more and more, year after year, saying "yes" to possibility. And in teaching me that, Mia also taught me this: I am not a "no" kind of girl."

Lynda Fenneman
Kiss and Tell?
"My whole life changed irrevocably by one fateful kiss."

Kara Gall
Getting Back on the Horse
"I let a horse stand between me and my father. But, even worse, I let a horse stand between me and myself."

Kathryn Hohmann
Stop and Eat the Flowers
"I knew enough to linger and watch the sun set behind the mountains."

Dobie Houson
Bear
"He strained against the bit, hollowed his back and stiffened his neck in defiance as he pranced sideways around the arena. Some days I was frustrated with him. Some days I was frustrated with myself. I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t surrender. I was confused about why nothing was working. But I knew deep down that if I was doing everything right, Bear would too. I knew he was telling me that I was over-riding with my hands, and under-riding with my seat. I just couldn’t make the transition with him."

Jacklyn Lee Lindstrom
Journey of a Champion
"My son learned that even though he had a talented horse who loved to perform, it was the hours of practice at home that led to trophies in the ring. I learned just how easy it was to get too caught up in the chase for the ribbons."

Diane Mapes
Horse Crazy
"Like roller rinks and Chick-O-Sticks, I’d always assumed my horse crazy years were a thing of the past."

Janice Newton
Riding Lessons
"I noticed my mind had wandered, sometimes just slightly, to watch other students, or to problems at home. When I returned to Tucker, he returned to me."

Penny Porter
A Horse of a Different Color
“It's not what's on the outside that counts. It's what lies deep in the heart."

Andrea Richards
The Pros and Cons of Bombproofing
"As Rusty and I learn to trust one another, we can let more of ourselves go. The story will eventually stop being about my fears or his history and we will start with a blank page together. That’s the sense of freedom I’m starting to feel in the saddle, it’s one similar to writing the first sentence: possibility."

Valerie Riggs
A Man Like My Horse
"I have a vision for my life that includes a 50th wedding anniversary with a loving husband, and is filled with the joy of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

Lisa Romeo
It Always Happens One Summer
"My parents joked that I lived in the barn, but the truth is, the horses lived in me."

Sonia Saruba
Trevor
"Rule number one when working with horses is to never let your guard down, or get too cozy with the status quo. This applies to life as well, which can sometimes seem terribly unfair. Just because you’ve been through something hard doesn’t mean you’re off the hook when the impossible comes calling."

Michele Scott
The Billy Dal Gang
We would giggle at my dad’s silly antics, but once we were up on our horses it was a different deal. "Okay, girls, we got three bad guys, and I mean bad guys on the run. They stole a lot of money from that there bank." He’d point to our house. “Now we gotta go find them and arrest them, and bring ‘em back."

Beth Sears
Learning to Love
"I still have a faint scar that runs the length of my finger and provides a daily reminder of that time I was ready to give up on Lily and myself. Had I sold her and bought another horse, I’m sure that horse, too, would have revealed her imperfections over time."

Kate St. Vincent Vogl
Owning Clydes
"I was four and didn’t know that horses don’t usually travel with hooves planted firmly in the back footwells of a car. I’m not sure my dad knew either."

Emily Strong
Rearranging the Furniture
"After my lesson, I drove home with a dumb grin on my face, singing to an oldie on the radio, like a girl in love. I approached my house with all its imperfections. Weeds sprouted between the stones leading to my front door. Inside, books would still spill from the bookshelf and pictures remained against the wall. And I cared a little less."

Samantha Ducloux Waltz
Two Loves
"I turn and see Ray smiling that crooked smile. Only this time, I know exactly what lurks behind it. He isn’t afraid of the horse. He’s afraid if he doesn’t love the horse, I may not love him as much."

Jill Widner
Akualele
"He moves recklessly beneath me down the face of the crag, his hooves clattering over the scree in the last of the light. By the time I see the kinks of the barbed wire, he's walking straight through it, shaking his head, taking me with him, my knees slashing through molasses grass, high as his withers, taking us to the trail that leads to the road. And I let him. Or I don't know how not to let him. Or I don't want not to let him. Because it's what he wants. And I love that he knows what he wants."

Jacqueline Winspear
It’s All In The “T” – or perhaps the “D.”
Sometimes I feel that, with the reins in my hands, it’s like playing a concerto, each muscle in my body teasing out the melody. And there are days when my fingers glide across the keyboard, words I’ve never even spoken before tumbling out onto the page to create a scene, an image, a stepping stone in the story that I know really works. But as my dressage trainer said on a particularly challenging day, “You can’t expect yesterday’s ride today. It’s another day, the horse is the same horse, but different today, and you’re different too.”

Vanessa Wright
Great Grand-Mare
"That night, Nonna blazed a new trail for us, and reminded us that we can run as far, as fast, and as near forever as we wish."

Therese Zink
Outsiders in Navajo Land
"We were a team. I was not alone, and his ability to be in the present was a reservoir of strength. The past was the past, the future had not yet arrived, but here in the present we had greeted what emerged with all the grace we could muster."

Jane Smiley Contributes to Anthology

2009-05-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

I would like to welcome Jane Smiley to the Women and Horses anthology. Jane is writing the foreword, sharing a personal story about the horses in her life. I am honored to have her as a part of this project and look forward to reading her story.

Update to Anthology

2009-04-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hello Ladies,

I want to first thank all of you who have graciously shared your stories with me for this anthology. After my first round of reading, I have chosen a diverse group stories as finalists. I have had several inquiries as to the status, so I thought I would post where I am at in the process.

Two rules here. Not all of the following stories will be chosen and just because your story is not listed here, does not mean that I might not need to go back and reconsider my choices.
Also, I did receive a large number of "first horse" type submissions, so that particular theme became competitive. I can only choose a few, otherwise the anthology would get rather boring with so many similar stories.
I may be contacting the following authors for possible revisions to resubmit for further consideration.

We are still struggling with a name for the book, back and forth with the editor, and neither of us are jumping up and down with the options. If you want to offer a suggestion, please feel free to email me, and if your title is chosen I will send you an additional copy of the book.

Thanks again,
Verna

First Round of Finalists (not a promise of publication):

A Horse of a Different Color
A Man Like My Horse
And Then, I Was Not Afraid
Best Friends
Christmas Paint
Dancing With Gypsy
For the Love of a Horse
Getting Back on the Horse
Great Grand-Mare
Healing on Four Legs
Hoofbeats
Horse Crazy
Irish Mist
It Always Happens One Summer
Journey of a Champion
Kiss and Tell
On So Proud a Back
Outsiders in a Navajo Land
Owning Clydes
Rearranging the Furniture
Riding Lessons
Sister Woman
Snow Angels
Stop and Eat the Flowers
The Pros and Cons of Bombproofing

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

2008-08-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

WOMEN AND HORSES: A STORY COLLECTION
Seal Press, Berkeley CA
Editor, Verna Dreisbach

Dear Friends,

Here is an exciting opportunity for you to be published in a new story collection by Seal Press. Previous anthologies of this nature by Seal Press include Cat Women and Woman’s Best Friend. The expected date of publication will be spring 2010, giving ample time to collect, choose and edit stories.

I am looking for truly inspirational stories that speak from the heart and show the unique bond between a woman and her horse. Each story should be at least 1,000 words, but no more than 2,500 words in length. Please send double-spaced versions only, in 12 point font Times New Roman as a Word Document.

Should your story be selected for inclusion in the book, you will receive two complimentary copies of the book plus $100 for the right to use the story in the anthology. Your name will appear with the story as well as the option to include a high quality photograph of you and your horse. Please consider that photographs will be printed in black and white. Do not send photographs until asked to do so.

I am accepting submissions until January 15, 2009. Please be sure to include your contact information with your submission: name, address, phone numbers and e-mail address. Send stories to: womenandhorses@gmail.com. You can read more about the progress of the book at http://horsesandwomen.blogspot.com.

Due to the volume of submissions, only finalists will be notified.

I look forward to reading your stories and thank you in advance.

Sincerely,
Verna Dreisbach