A Rider’s Reader is just the type of horse book I like to read. You can pick it up and thumb through the pages and start reading anywhere. The book has that unique blend of being both entertaining and educational. You learn while having fun, what we all try to do for our horses. The author has compiled a lot of great stories along with a lot of knowledge, and you come off the better for it after reading this book.
– Chris Lombard, author and horseman
What I loved about this book was that I could pick it up and find a selection to fit my mood at any momen
t. From drama to humor, Maddy writes authentically about life with horses and all its ups and downs…You’ll come away freshly inspired for your own journey.
— Editor, Northwest Horse Source
You’ll find a lot of good information and fun thoughts in this book. …This is a good book for your horse friends’ birthday!
— Cindy Furse, Editor, Utah Back Country Horsemen
Part memoir, part sound horse care advice, part effort to debunk various training and research claims, Maddy entertains readers with humor and a healthy dose of skepticism. Her reporter’s eye trains on a Horsemen’s Re-Union in California, where a dozen major names in Natural-Horsemanship-type training gathered to show off and exchange ideas. Her native Maine roots introduce western-reared horse trainer Elijah Moore to Maddy’s lobsterman neighbor, equally steeped in
his milieu, as Elijah and Maddy spend a day out lobstering. Fun stuff, giving us a new perspective on two seemingly different worlds.
As she transplants her menagerie of dogs, household and horses west from Maine, she entertains with her descriptions of the drastic shift in environments and culture. From
the open farmland of Iowa to the arid mountains of Utah, she has certainly had a chance to change perspective, all a good thing for an observant reporter.
Maddy has grouped these essays by subject area, which helps tie them together. I found myself skipping around a bit, much as we do when reading through a good blog. A lot of interesting material.
– Janet Blevin, owner Knight Books, Edgecomb, Maine
“Anyone interested in horses – living with them, caring for them, trying
to understand them, or riding them, will come away informed and
entertained by A Rider’s Reader. These are stories from the stable, the
stall, the ring and the trail…One woman, her horses, and their journey.
We are all lucky to have Maddy share that journey with us.”
– Gary Lawless
Gulf of Maine Books, Brunswick, Maine
“This compilation can be enjoyed on many levels. I believe it will pull you in and take you along for an educational ride.”
-Emily Kitching, President,
Eclectic Horseman
“For years, Maddy Butcher Gray has kept us enlightened and entertained
with her on-line magazines. Now, we finally have something to put on
our bookshelves and nightstands. What could be better?”
-Meris Bickford, CEO,
Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals
“There are beautiful, lyrical moments. I love the way she writes.”
-Cindy Meehl
Director of Buck
I intended to just read a few pages while waiting for dinner to finish cooking. I ended up reading well through the night. I was pulled in to Maddy’s life, and felt closely connected to her herd of horses and dogs. Her writing invites you into her world, full of
experiences thrilling and down-to-earth alike. The book is chock-full of fascinating information every horse owner should know as well as touching prose. A truly enjoyable experience that touches every level of horsemanship. Should be on every horse owner and lover’s shelf.
Amy Skinner
Instructor/Trainer at Bay Harbor Equestrian, MI
