We all know that the best days are the ones chock-full of horses: riding them, talking to friends about them, and—of course—reading about them! If you love to read or if you’ve ever envisioned writing your very own horse book, we have the inside scoop for you, straight from the horse author’s mouth.
Read a Lot!
Author Susan Friedland didn’t set out to be a writer, but she’s always loved to write. In fact, she was a middle school English and history teacher for 22 years. A self-proclaimed “word person,” Susan was a total bookworm as a child.
“I wrote horse stories for fun when I was in elementary and middle school,” she says. “I guess that was a foreshadowing of what I do now!”
As a horse-crazy kid, Susan was obsessed with Arabian stallions. She especially loved reading anything by Marguerite Henry, who wrote Misty of Chincoteague, King of the Wind and many other beloved horse stories.
“Marguerite was on her school’s yearbook staff and was a member of a literary club,” Susan explains of her idol. “She read voraciously, too.” Like Marguerite, Susan has read like crazy her whole life, and she credits reading with helping her become the great writer she is.
“To be a great writer, you need to be an avid reader,” she says. “I can’t stress this enough.”
In 2013, Susan attended a writer’s conference to find out what it took to get a book published—her ultimate dream. She learned that publishers want to see writing not just in a story submitted to them for possible publication, but on your very own website. To show publishers she had what it took, Susan launched saddleseekshorse.com and began blogging, writing short stories about her off-track Thoroughbred named Knight and their adventures.
From there, she started pitching ideas to magazines (like Horse Illustrated) and got published. With a blog and articles to her name, Susan started sending horsey story ideas to book publishers. Though she knew a book focused on horses would sell lots of copies, the publishers thought the subject was too specific and rejected her ideas. But Susan didn’t give up!
“Sometimes you’ve just got to be brave, believe in yourself and take a chance,” she says. “If your writing gets rejected, it’s OK. Keep going. Rejection is part of the writing process.”
Susan had lots of people following her horsey adventures on her blog; she knew a book on horses certainly wasn’t “too specific.” People loved her short horse stories—she knew they would love her longer stories, too. Susan did her research and learned that she could publish her own book, without a big company to represent her. In 2018, she independently published Horses Adored. And it was a hit!
Susan’s newest book combines her passions for history and writing. Titled Marguerite, Misty & Me, the book takes readers on a cross-country journey to learn more about the beloved author as Susan connected with fellow Misty fans and even met some of Marguerite’s friends! You can buy the book on Susan’s website, at bookstores or online.
Keep Writing
Like Susan, author Carrie Seim knew she wanted to write books since she was young. In kindergarten, Carrie made her own “books” out of stapled construction paper, simple sentences and stick figures. She remembers being so proud of her books, which all featured families and animals—the same things she writes about now.
“You’re never too young to start writing down your ideas,” she says.
Carrie’s parents helped fuel her desire to be a writer by reading books to her every night; they also encouraged Carrie to stretch her imagination by inventing stories, games, and plays. An avid reader, Carrie says the authors she read were mentors on her writing journey.
“I of course never actually met any of the authors in real life, but they guided me through their words,” she explained. “If you’re looking for your own mentor, ask a teacher or a librarian!”
There are many ways you can make writing and horses a part of your life—you don’t just have to write books.
“You could write your own horse book, you could become a journalist writing articles for a magazine like Young Rider, you could write for a TV show about horses, you could become a teacher who helps students write about their passion for horses—or maybe you’ll do all of those things!” she says. “There are so many ways to share your writing and your love of horses with the world. The only rule is to keep writing.”
Like every job, being an author isn’t always fun. It can sometimes seem hard or lonely when you’re forcing yourself to sit down and write all by yourself.
“There aren’t any shortcuts to doing that hard, lonesome work,” Carrie says. “But there’s no better feeling in the world than creating a story that captures the imagination and heart of readers—and riders—around the world!”
Carrie’s next book, Horse Camp: A Horse Girl Mystery, will hit shelves this May. A standalone sequel to Horse Girl, this adventure-packed novel follows seventh-grader Willa as she experiences the excitement and mystery of Juniper Ranch sleepaway camp. You can buy this book online, in bookstores, at major chain stores, or on Carrie’s website, horsegirlbook.com.
You Can Do It
Sarah Maslin Nir, author of the “Once Upon a Horse” series, was already a reporter for the New York Times and a Pulitzer Prize finalist when she was asked to try her hand at books.
When asked what she wanted to write about, Sarah said, “the only thing I could think of when I put down my pen [every day] that made me want to write again was horses!”
Her journey to being a book author was different than most.
“Working hard at one thing can often lead to success at another,” she says. “The common denominator is you have to work hard.” Most horse-crazy kids do that already!
If you’re struggling to come up with a subject, she advises you to stop trying so hard.
“You’re already an author,” says Sarah. “Anyone who comes home from a day at the barn and talks about how this happened and that happened is already a storyteller.”
She struggled with spelling and had learning issues growing up, but she found ways to write that worked for her.
“You can put a recorder on your phone and talk out your story in your horse’s stall,” Sarah suggests.
Her most recent book in the “Once Upon a Horse” series, The Star Horse, follows seventh grader Lori Allegria and Billy, a Norwegian Fjord, as they’re split apart and struggle to find each other again. You can purchase this book online, in bookstores, and wherever books are sold.
Start Now
If you want to write horse books, what can you do now? Write, Susan says. Don’t wait until you’re older! Write for yourself.
“If your school has a newspaper, submit articles,” she says. “Join the school yearbook staff. Submit stories to writing contests and even Young Rider!” You have wonderful stories to tell, so write them down.
“It’s a great idea to keep a notebook nearby so you can write down anything funny, annoying, stressful, exciting or surprising that’s happening with you, your friends, your family and any horses you might know—whether they’re real horses or dream horses,” Carrie says.
These details can inspire fantastic scenes in your future stories. Go writing!
Meet an Author
Susan Friedland loves meeting readers and riders and presenting author talks. Visit her website, saddleseekshorse.com, to see the latest schedule of bookstore meet-and-greets, or DM her to set up an event.
Sarah Maslin Nir is always ready to do a “Barn Tour” to meet readers and talk about her books! DM her on Instagram to see if she can come to you at @onceuponahorse.
This article about a career as an equine author appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!
