She Flies Without Wings: How Horses Touch a Woman's Soul

Although author and longtime equestrian Mary Midkiff once presented a straightforward book on women and horses (Fitness, Performance and the Female Equestrian), she now explores the more ethereal terrain of this compelling feminine attraction. "Women and horse have always been drawn to one another," Midkiff writes. "They rode together in Greek myth and Celtic poem, Native American legend and Wild West folktales.... Women and horses emerge in life and literature as a huge tribe of spiritual sisters." (In fact, more than one million girls and women are involved in horse-related activities in the U.S. alone.)

Midkiff spent years researching this exquisitely written book that loosely mirrors the arc of a women's life. Using her life story as the backdrop, Midkiff shows how horses nurture feminine development. For example, the freedom to roam the earth on horseback liberates the dreams and ambitions of a young girl. Or how an affinity with horses can help awaken a teenager's emerging sensuality. And when women reach full adulthood, horses help women stay compassionate and spiritually grounded. This is a highly recommended book for older teens (15 and up) and women who value the equestrian relationship as much as the riding. --Gail Hudson