In Wild About Horses, Lawrence Scanlan’s passion for the equestrian world takes readers on a journey of discovery.

What stands out in Wild About Horses is the author’s depth of knowledge. The animal’s rich and colourful history is uncovered as Scanlan explores its prominence in Greek mythology, cave paintings, and Japanese legends. He recounts heartbreaking statistics of horses in battle including the loss of 500,000 in the First World War. In films and literature, horses won hearts by way of works such as The Horse Whisperer, National Velvet, and Black Beauty. Through interviews and anecdotes Scanlan captures the worlds of show jumping, racing, and performance training, demonstrating horses’ intelligence, skill, and ability to entertain.

He also provides particularly thought-provoking coverage of horse-human relationships, by introducing a myriad of men and women who share emotional stories of the reciprocal bonding that takes place between humans and their equine friends.

A chapter on epic rides makes excellent novel-like reading. The reader journeys with people such as Barbara Whittome on her 2,500-mile trek across Russia; and A.F. Tschiffely’s 10,000 mile ride from Argentina to Washington, D.C. As well, Scanlan’s liberal sprinkling of personal anecdotes are entertaining and personalize the text.

As an author, journalist, producer, and editor, Scanlan’s expertise is evident. Wild About Horses is an extensively researched visual and literary work that is interesting, informative, and entertaining.