Dark Horses and Black Beauties is an exploration of the fascination and romance of horses. The author discusses the obsession with tackle and boots, the willingness to get dirty, to live with manure and hay, and to polish leather until it shines. She remembers the enthusiasm with which young girls read detailed treatises on equine behaviour. She recalls the burgeoning collections of combs, brushes and hats. The book is also extraordinary and tragic history of the horse's domestication by humans. For thousands of years, until the close of the Second World War, horses died by the million in military encounters and harsh agricultural work. The author reminds us that it has been less than a century since commerce, travel and war relied on the muscles and bones of horses. This is a book written in praise of a powerful and gentle creature.

An exploration of the fascination and romance of horses. The author discusses the obsession with tackle and boots, the willingness to get dirty, to live with manure and hay, and to polish leather until it shines and discusses the horse's tragic history of domestication by humans.

About the Author
Melissa Holbrook Pierson is the author of The Perfect Vehicle, an acclaimed book about women and motorbikes which is published by Granta Books. She lives in New York.

Reviews
'This is a book to cherish. Holbrook Pierson explores the romance and fascination that ponies have always held for the female sex. As a celebration of the horse, this book couldn't be bettered: literate, informative and amusing, it makes the perfect pony substitute' Marie Claire 'At first I wanted to hate this book on two grounds; first, because I wish I'd written it, and secondly, because I didn't believe Pierson could be as passionate as I am. But she is. She has the rare ability to write about horses in a way that doesn't make readers, horse-lovers though they may be, cringe...A beautiful book' Lucy Cavendish, Daily Telegraph



Book Information
ISBN 9781862074859
Author Melissa Holbrook Pierson
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Granta Books
Publisher Granta Books
Weight(grams) 184g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 130mm * 15mm