Miskeen: The Dancing Horse.

Gregory Bryan is a member of the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

Horse lovers will enjoy Judy Andrekson’s True Horse Stories series of books. Fosta: Marathon Master relates the story of a champion distance horse that successfully completed Australia’s premier endurance ride, the Shahzada, 10 times. A five-day, 400-kilometre cross country course, the Shahzada is so gruelling that less than half of the approximately 100 horses that begin each year are eventually able to complete the trial. Andrekson’s portrayal of Fosta, the brave little horse with an enormous heart, is informative and uplifting.

In JB Andrew: Mustang Magic, Andrekson details the extraordinary life of a wild mustang horse captured in the mountains of Nevada in 1985. Despite his untamed beginnings, the horse, Andy, develops such ability that he becomes the first wild horse ever to compete successfully at the elite level in dressage competitions.

Perhaps the most courageous of the three horses featured in these three books, though, is Miskeen, the Russian circus horse. Born some time in the late 1980s, Miskeen is trained to perform in the big top for a travelling circus. Miskeen’s life is hard and the horse’s treatment is sometimes cruel. When a stressed Miskeen bites a young boy, a vet extracts almost all of the horse’s teeth, leaving the animal sore and swollen.

Although the focus of the True Horse Stories books is primarily on the horses, Andrekson includes information on the lives of the people involved in each horse’s story.

Rather mature upper elementary and middle school readers will find Andrekson’s work ideally suitable. Each book features an attractive colour photograph on the front cover. Several black-and-white sketches appear within each book. Andrekson’s research is thorough and her skilful blend of facts and emotions make her books engaging reads. Highly recommended.