Our Equine Friends: Stories of Horses in History

Dr. Patrick W. Colgan is Director of Research and Natural Lands at the
Royal Botanical Gardens.

During his life, Grant MacEwan (1902–2000) was a prolific author,
writing more than 40 books mostly about Western Canadian history. His
books about horses include Heavy Horses: Highlights of Their History
(1986), Memory Meadows: Horse Stories from Canada’s Past (1997), and
Blazing the Old Cattle Trail (2000). Our Equine Friends reviews the
roles that horses have played throughout the ages, but especially in
Western Canada. The book provides a useful perspective on the evolution
of horses, and on their reintroduction into North America by Spaniards.

Much of Canadian history has involved horses, from Mounties through
stagecoaches to the rivalry of Regina and Saskatoon. MacEwan looks at
the qualities of different breeds, and the vital support that they have
provided, fondly recounting legend and lore from agriculture to war. The
style of this pleasant book is conversational and affectionate, with
amusing anecdotes enlivening the tales.