Jim,
The cover art on your latest novel prompts these comments about horses. There may be folks who are thinking that in the future horse power would be a viable alternative for transportation, agricultural, and other uses. It can be. But you need to be aware that horses are not just hairy vehicles, and they don’t come with an owner’s manual. They are thinking, feeling, decision-making animals. And regardless of how well trained they may be when you get them they will quickly settle, for better or worse, at your level of knowledge and experience. If you don’t know what you’re doing you may fairly quickly wind up with a horse that is useless, dangerous, or both.
If you’re considering the use of horses in the future it would be prudent to learn all you can now. And that means hands on learning. Book learning won’t do. The only thing that will keep you safe is knowledge and awareness.
A lifetime isn’t long enough to learn all there is to know about horsemanship, but it’s a start. Find a competent teacher, start now, and enjoy the experience. – Rick S.
JWR Replies: Thanks for your letter. A good deal of the story in “Survivors” has to do with the lead character getting to know and work with his horse, an excellent gelding named Prieto. Yes, I agree that there is a steep learning curve. For newbies, I recommend that they learn from a pro, and that they spend a lot of time around horses before they ever even consider buying one to bring into their family. (Yes, I do mean family.) Clinton Anderson’s excellent series of instructional DVDs (such as Downunder Horsemanship- Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground) are a great start, but there is no substitute for lots of hands-on time. Frankly, most people’s temperaments are better suited to buying an ATV than a horse.