70/ MARCH/APRIL 2013 THE RIDER The Rider’s Spring Reading List Perfect books for those long nights on the road to horse shows (or when there’s no cable TV in your motel room!)


By Noah Vail and Mary I. Farr


NEVER SAY NEIGH An Adventure in Fun, Funny and the Power of Yes


Two Harbors Press Softcover: $12.95 201 pages


www.noahvailauthor.com


Written by American Quarterhorse Noah Vail with a little help from his owner and “business part- ner”, Mary Farr, this enchanting book takes readers through Noah’s daily life as he shares his views on travel, horse shows, human-equine friendships, the wins and losses of everyday living


luxury Comfy Sundowner trailer sharing his positive thoughts on the universe and how all creatures have an important role to play. This handsome bay gelding introduces us to his four- legged pals Omar, Gabe and Ghillie as well as his other companions, the dogs, cats and even goats who live at his barn.


and even gin rummy, his favourite card game.


Never Say Neigh con- tains inspiring observations from Noah as he travels the horse show circuit in his


Co-author, Mary Farr, introduces the book by assuring the reader that despite the abundance of bad news and sad stories out there in the world, inside the covers of Noah’s book you will be able to laugh, learn and embrace the good. Noah and his friends offer a tiny respite


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from the stress of our everyday human lives from their perspective inside the barn.


Readers quickly dis- cover that Noah is no ordi- nary horse; he motors around the world in his Comfy Sundowner trailer hosting cribbage tourna- ments, opining on human behavior, dishing on the economy and spreading horse hilarity along the way. Though Noah observes the world through equine eyes, his words hold universal appeal on impor- tant matters such as friend- ship, fairness and compas- sion. Whether sharing his thoughts on work or play, old friends or new or even horsey love and loss, Noah speaks from the heart of an expectant fellow traveler anticipating that the future holds nothing but good. The book carries the authors’ uplifting message skillfully woven into charming stories that fill each chapter with inspira- tion and more than a touch of humor. It’s an ideal read for all members of the fam- ily and you don’t need to own a horse to enjoy the book. Never Say Neigh begins and ends with the power of “yes” and a promise of fun.


Author Mary I. Farr works as a health care mar- keting executive and has received numerous national and international awards for her innovation and edi- torial excellence. Never Say Neigh is her fourth book. Her equine boss, Noah Vail, once enjoyed a brush with fame on an Oklahoma racetrack but that plan stalled when he and his trainer failed to arrive at a shared vision. Today Noah blogs and serves as chief entertain- ment officer at Fortuna Farm in Long Lake, Min- nesota. He also manages a large Facebook fan club. Why not log on and “friend” him now?


Softcover $13.95 344 pages


BLAZE OF GLORY By M. Garzon Petal Press


www.mgarzon.ca


If you liked the popu- lar Twilight books and films, just imagine horses instead of vampires or wolves, mixed with intrigue and deception and a forbidden love. If that thought gets your pulse racing, I highly recommend you check out Blaze of Glory, the first of a series of books from Canadian author M. Garzon, which is soon to become a major television series.


This is a heavy book - literally - at 344 pages it’s packed with the twists and turns of seventeen year old Tea’s life as she navigates her way through family secrets, tragedy and loss, while discovering love and a new maturity.


moment. Blaze of Glory is more than just a Harlequin romance with horses; it offers well developed char- acters, thanks to author Garzon’s own personal real-life experiences, who experience situations that are not beyond real-life actualization. Garzon knows her subject and readers well. She rode horses professionally for ten years until an injury forced her to change careers. Not only did she return to school and com- plete a B.Sc., she got her MBA, too. But after sever- al years as a business con- sultant, she knew that an office-bound life was not for her and that her new- found passion for writing would be the saving grace for her sanity! She recently completed the second book in this series, Look twice, which we’ll review in next month’s edition of The Rider, and is now hard at work on the third install- ment.


The Rider Has An Autographed Copy of BLAZE OF GLORY For One Lucky Reader To Win!


The book has been given the thumbs-up from USA TODAY and as soon as you start turning the pages of the first chapter, you’ll understand why. Tea’s relationship with her widowed stepfather is tense and always just this side of explosive. Her twin broth- er, Seth, her horses and show-jumping are the cen- tre of Tea’s life until she discovers a new obses- sion…and his name is Jaden.


This is the perfect read for teens and young adults who love to live their lives in the saddle and in the


Just email us at barry@therider.com and tell us how many years The Rider has been published and we’ll select a lucky winner to receive the book. Send us your name and your mailing address along with the answer and you could add Blaze of Glory to your home bookshelf. Entries must be received by March 31st. Good luck!


HOOF PRINTS ON MY HEART


By Mitzy Tait-Zeller Xlibris Publishing Softcover $19.99 or Hardcover $29.99 398 pages


past thirty-two years, suit- able for readers of all ages. Her horse encounters shared with family and friends are fondly remem- bered, often in a humorous light, and the book chroni- cles Mitzy’s lifelong love affair with horses that start- ed at age two when she would watch horse movies on TV with her mum. No doll’s tea parties for Mitzy – it was all about horses! Readers are treated to an insider’s look at rural Canadian farm life, foaling, training, breeding and the inevitable loss of treasured 4-legged friends, all told in a compassionate tone and with a warm sense of the absurd.


www.mitzytaitzeller.com


Hoof Prints on My Heart is a heartwarming recollection of author Mitzy Tait-Zeller’s experi- ences with horses over the


On a more personal note, the author contributes a great deal of time and energy rescuing and reha- bilitating horses that others abandoned, including those who have been scheduled for euthanization. As part of her animal welfare work Mitzy has served on her local SPCA board and has made equine welfare an important component of teaching others on a one- on-one basis. These contin- uing efforts to effectively raise awareness of equine welfare led to Mitzy being awarded the 2013 Equine Welfare Award for Com- munication by the Saskatchewan Horse Fed- eration and Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan. From a young horse- mad girl to the equine pro- fessional she has now become, Hoof Beats on My Heart recalls the humor, the heartbreak and the obsta- cles Mitzy has encountered as her dreams and goals have evolved. So mount up and ride with the author on the backs of all the hors- es who have left hoof prints on her heart.


Hardcopies of all these books are available on the author’s websites and also as eBooks, too, so choose your favourite online source (Amazon, Kindle, etc.) and get reading & rid- ing!


Glenda Fordham


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