The reason I began reading books was that I was a city kid who loved horses. I started with the Billy and Blaze books by C. W. Anderson when I was in first grade and continued with Black Beauty and the Black Stallion series by the time I was in second. These books gave me the joy of being someone else, somewhere else and the empowering feeling of being able to do things in my imagination I could never do in real life.
The first fantasy I ever read was Year of the Unicorn by Andre Norton. There weren’t a lot of horses in it, and I was very disappointed (at age ten or eleven) that there wasn’t even a unicorn, given the title, but it was a great book nevertheless. Andre Norton also wrote the first science fiction novel I read, Beast Master, with a main character who communicates with animals—including a horse. So I went from riding in steeplechases to traveling in star ships, but I still have a weakness for fantasy novels with horses that function as characters in their own right.
The Hero and the Crown—Robin McKinley
Ms McKinley uses horses as characters in a lot of her books and I love them all. But Talat, the crippled and stubborn old warhorse who is brought back to fitness by the equally stubborn and unfit Aerin is still my favorite.
Sword-Dancer (Tiger and Del series)—Jennifer Roberson
Maybe Tiger is the only one who can ride the Stud in this terrific fantasy series by Jennifer Roberson, but the horse is not the gorgeous and untamable Black any more than the decidedly non-PC Tiger is Alec Ramsey. Grumpy, nasty and unbreakable, the Stud is a three dimensional character whom I adore—even if I never want to own a horse like him.
Grimbold’s Other World—Nicholas Stuart Gray
I adore Nicholas Stuart Gray. I know he wrote this book for children, but I love it today as much as I did when I first read it. Any list of my favorite anything book has to include Nicholas Stuart Gray. The two mundane plow horses who, in the Night World, become noble creatures of flight who still retain their sweetness, justify this classic’s place upon this list. Gray’s works are difficult to find in the US, mostly long out of print, but this one is probably the easiest.
A Wind in Cairo—Judith Tarr
When I get together with horse nuts who also read fantasy, this book always comes up. I think I have five copies. This story which is, as many of Ms. Tarr’s wonderful fantasies are, set in a middle east as it almost was, is the story of a spoiled prince who commits a great crime against the daughter of a great mage and is transformed into a horse that he might redeem himself. How he discovers the grace of servitude is a tale that works on a number of levels.
You probably have noticed that all the books I’m mentioning were published decades ago. It isn’t that there are no fantasies with good horse characters being published today, but because these are my favorites. But here’s a recent book with great horse characters—who never speak a word because they don’t have to.
Written in Red—Anne Bishop
Who would have thought that in a book filled with scary creatures (vampires, werewolves, and wicked bad men), the scariest creatures would be little fuzzy ponies? This is a terrific urban fantasy novel that, as is usual for Anne Bishop, doesn’t read quite like anything else. There are a host of great characters in this book, but for me, the cherry on top was the ponies.
Patricia Briggs is the author of the Mercy Thompson novels, including Night Broken and Frost Burned, and the Alpha and Omega novels, including the recently published Dead Heat. She lives in Washington State with her husband, children, and a small herd of horses.
I love Dumpling from Elizabeth Bear’s Range of Ghosts. And I’m pretty sure someone will have mentioned ShadowFax before I manage to hit “submit” on this comment…
I’ve never read any of these books, but I have read almost all of yours!
The best fantasy writer about horses (i.e who writes realistically about them) is Joyce Ballou Gregorian (not particularly surprising as she bred and competed Arabians.)
@Stefan Raets I was going to mention Bansh/Dumpling, myself!
I’ve only read the first and last books in your list. Yes, great horse/pony characters in both. Off to look for the others…
And P.S. I love your books. They are on my keep forever and re-re-re-read shelf.
No mention of Bree from CS Lewis’ The Horse And His Boy? It’s not the best Narnia book (far from it) but it’s pretty good and Bree is a fun character.
I once met a girl named Bree and made the mistake of saying “Oh, I know a horse named Bree.” Needless to say, that wasn’t the best ice breaker.
You can’t forget the terrifying capaill uisce from Maggie Stiefvater’s THE SCORPIO RACES!
Shadowfax (even if a bit late).
The special cool horses in Sanderson’s Stormlight Archives
Lord Midnight from the Vorkosigan Series – the horse that was named as the heir to a count, setting off a big legal battle.
Fat Ninny from Vorkosigan (especially Mountains of Mourning).
Definitely there with the McKinley, but I’d have to include Bela from TWoT
Can I vote for the definition of “horse” in Diana Wynne Jones’ Tough Guide to Fantasyland?
Oh, and I’d also call out Bill the Pony from LotR.
Despite being the one who leaves horse mash notes about the hero’s horse in LADYHAWKE and the Lippizaner in SLEEPY HOLLOW, I am curiously blank on recent fantasy horses.
As far as children’s books, don’t forget the FLAME books by Walter Farley which not only had a gorgeous horse and his boy, but a horse and race-loving alien who used his space ship to allow the boy and horse to race. That’s a sf horse story, but still….
Give some love to the following horses.
Faran (from David Eddings’ Elenium series);
Horse (from David Eddings’ Belgariad series); and
Pips (another horse from Robert Jordan’s WoT series)
Finally, do the Ryshadium in Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archives count as horses. If so, you have to include Gallant and Sureblood.
Thanks for reading my musings,
AndrewB
Having just finished Ben Tripp’s Accidental Highwayman, I have to say that Midnight is a pretty darned awesome horse.
I’ve never read the book, but wow, I can’t believe Artax isn’t on here.
The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West by Mary Stanton
The Birth of the Firebringer by Meredith Ann Pierce (ok, a unicorn, but…)
How about the Ranyhyn from the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant?
Does The Grey Horse by R. A. Macavoy count? He’s a bit more than your average stallion, of course, but the other horses have personality, too.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/941467.The_Grey_Horse
Artax!!!
I’m … so sorry…
Winters Tale!
I did read Neverending Story by Michael Ende, how could I have forgotten Artax?!
When I was young, I read Walter Farley’s Man O’ War and Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty until they fell apart in my hands. Also Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn (another unicorn, what can I say?)
BELA.
#TeachTheControversy
In J. V. Jones’ Sword of Shadows series, there are horses that can ice-dance, bred by mysterious and ancient tribes for generation. A horse who can ice-dance instinctively knows how to cross ice, sensing where the ice will hold wieght and where it will not.
I would like to humbly add two of my favorites – “The Heavenly Horse of the Outermost West” and “Piper at the Gate” by Mary Stanton. The author knows horses well and her version of horse society and mythology are a treat to experience. They’re a little like “Watership Down” with horses. :-)
Of course, in Good Omens, the Four Horsepersons of the Apocalypse ride, respectively, bicycles and Harleys.
We are now live at Manor Farm with Boxer the Horse, where we’ve just shared with him Patricia Brigg’s list of her favourite books with “fantastic” horses, and that he doesn’t appear on the list.
When asked what his opinion of the horses named were, Boxer replied, “If Comrade Patricia says it, it must be right.”
When asked his thoughts on a potential future list and what he might do to get Animal Farm on the list, Boxer was model of inspiration stating, “I will work harder.”
I’ve always thought the night horses in CJ Cherryh’s “Rider at the Gate” & “Cloud’s Rider” were fascinating. And two horses-cum-unicorns (ie ridden but with horns) are Imraith-Nimphais in Guy Gavriel Kay’s Fionavar trilogy and Dur’chai in Joy Chant’s “Red Moon & Black Mountain.”
Someone mentioned Bree in Lewis’s “The Horse & His Boy”, to which I have to add Hwin as well. :)
The Houyhnhnms from Gulliver’s Travels!
The Horse Girl books by Constance Ash: The Horse Girl, The Stalking Horse and the Stallion Queen.
What about Mercedes Lakey and her companions of Valdemar? Also C J Cherry and her shadow at the Gate?
Dun Lady’s Jess, by Deanna Durgin, a parallel world story, where the heroine and others are horses in the other world, but transferring to our world, they become horses.
Peachblossom, Kel’s warhorse from Tamora Pierce’s “Protector of the Small” series.
Ceincaled, Gwalchmai’s horse from Gillian Bradshaw’s Hawk of May and its sequels, recalled to mind by the recent “British-inspired” thread.
And, while they are not fantasy horses, all the horses in Jane Smiley’s Horse Heaven are fantastic: Mr. T, Justa Bob, Limitless, Residual, Epic Steam, Froney’s Sis, (to say nothing of the dog).
Sean Patrick Little wrote a book called Longrider (actually, it’s two books, but they’re really one long novel). It has a great horse called Zabiel in it. Worth a read. I don’t think it sold well, so he’s currently posting it for free a chapter at a time on Wattpad.
How about the telepathic horses in Piers Anthony’s Mode series, especially Seqiro?
Seconding the Companions from Valdemar, who may be shaped like horses, but are considerably more.
Lackey’s Companions are really people with a horse body. I prefer her Shin’a’in warsteeds. That said, I’m a donkey person, but sadly books with geat donkey characters are really rare.
The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West was a book I read at school and then, years later, trawled op-shops for. It was years before I found it again. I love Boxer from Animal Farm and also Gahltha from Isobelle Carmody’s Obernewtyn chronicles.
The paladin’s horses in Elizabeth Moon’s Paksenarrion books.
I actually woke up in the middle of the night and thought “Binky! We forgot Binky!” In light of the great Sir Terry’s recent passing, we should definitely include Death’s great horse, who surely helped carry the author to his final rest.
King of the Wind by Margerite Henry for me is the greatest book about horses that I have ever read. It’s about Agba the stable boy and Sham the Godolphin Arabian. Sham is one of the three stallions sent to England that established the Thorobred breed.
You can’t forget the messenger horses in the green riders series(Kristen Britain) or the companions in the Heralds of Valdemar series( Mercedes Lackey)
Never forget Artax of The Neverending Story and The Scorpio Races multiple water horses (known as the capaill uisce)! I’m amazed no one has mentioned the tenacious, talking, little equine known as just “Horse” from Rafe Martin’s BIRDWING. Not a pretty pony, but definitely a stocky fighter.
Doranna Durgin’s Dun Lady’s Jess is one of my favorites.
I also have fond memories Marguerite Henry’s ponies from Chincoteague. (Misty, Stormy, and Sea Star)
I definitely do not think it counts as a horse– almost the opposite actually– but I will say that reading The Last Unicorn took my breath away.
Don’t forget Foley from the Artemis Fowl books and the numerous centaurs from Piers Anthony’s Xanth series, and, of course, Firenze from Harry Potter.
GAHLTHA!!! The horses in the Obernewtyn Chronicles are all awesome.
Athansor?
MBrent: For great donkeys, the sweetmaker’s donkey from Anna Tambour’s “Crandolin” and Serena the ass from Pat O’Shea’s “Hounds of the Morrigan” are my two favourites!
For horses, I would have said Artax and Bella. I love Boxer, Beauty and the Pie from National Velvet, but they’re not fantasy :)
Best donkey clearly goes to Shrek, even though that’s not a book.
If unicorns count, I’d add Piers Anthony’s Split Infinity — warning, loved it when I was an early teen; No idea if it holds up to an adult reading. (Obviously, Last Unicorn takes first in the unicorn category.)
If cows count, Dish of the Day from the Restaurant at the End of the Universe easily takes the category.
I can’t really think of any ordinary horses that stand out in fantasy — except Shadowfax and Mandarb. (I know most WoT fans go for Bela, but seriously, how many times has Lan ridden Mandarb to their mutual certain doom? Charging a whole army of trollocs all by yourself?Mandarb’s your go-to horse. And Faile calling herself Mandarb when she first meets Perrin is still priceless after all these years.)
So, humbly, I ask, have you ever read Bone Girl? It features an amazing Arabian stallion, Chief, who showcases fidelity. Just a suggestion.
Okay — they made me pick five. Only five. That’s why so many of the books are very old because it takes years of rereading to make the list. Other horses: Bill the Pony (seemed too obvious), Binky (Sir Terry Pratchett will be missed in our household), Great Heart (Robin McKinley again–Beauty), Hwin and Bree (Lewis definately got his horses right. My old guy is Bree-like and I’m glad he can’t speak English.). I have to say that I read the Scorpio Races while on this signing tour or Corr and Dove would have been contenders–wonderful story. Mercedes Lackey’s Herald stories are wonderful, but her white horses have always been too close to McCaffery’s dragons for me to think of them as horses. Didn’t affect my enjoyment of the books, but it did mean I don’t think of them as horse stories . . .
It took me longer to pare my list down than it did for me to write the piece . . .
Best,
Patricia Briggs
No question, the creator itself, Bela, from WoT. What a journey that horse went on.
I loved Pansy from Dragon Bones. Also, there’s Susan Dexter’s magical, mystical war horse Valadan in her Esdragon series.
Copperhead from Bujold’s Sharing Knife sereis–although he’s more of a really mean alley cat who happens to be disguised as a horse. He doesn’t talk but, if he did, he’d say things like, “Oh, did I shatter your leg into small splinters? Really sorry. Heh, heh, heh.”
@commenter Nr. 3: I respectfully disagree with your opinion as Judith Tarr also breeds horses, she does it with Lipizzans, though.
No question that Bela belongs on here. Her final scene was one of the most affecting aspects of AMOL. Also, I have to cast a vote for Shadowfax, as the chief of the Mearas in Middle Earth, and without whom Gandalf would have missed most of the action in the LOTR and Sauron would have won (barring the return of the Valar).
The silver Brumby series by Elyne Mitchell all about wild horses in Australia. The Hunnuli in Mary h. Herbert’s dark horse series, and of course the Coursers of David Weber’s war god series. The Hunnuli and the coursers seem to be quite similar in style despite coming from different authors.
Great list & loved the comments suggestions, too!
Billy & Blaze! Yep. And King of the Wind was my favorite horse book, too. Also so many others. The Sunbonnet books, the winter pony/summer pony books, Scarlet Royal, Golden Cloud, My Friend Flicka & Thundercloud, tons of English books like Show Jumping Secret … sigh. Never got a horse.
I liked fantasy horses, but I preferred the stories about real ones.
And then there’s Terry Pratchett’s Binky (DEATH’s horse) and The Key of the Keplian by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie.
There are so many good horse characters in classic and modern fantasy, but for some reason the first one that popped into my mind was Renti in Mary Stewart’s Ludo and the Star Horse! I haven’t read that book in 20 years…
Love this article and these posts. When I was young, all my fantasies focused on riding my own horse. So, since I couldn’t have that, I read everything I could get my hands on–until the wonderful day when that fantasy came true as an adult. Still riding, and still reading practically everything I find about horses. Found many of my favorites on other’s lists, and some new ones to look for. Not on anyone’s list so far Sherri Tepper’s Grass– it describes the connections between humans and horses and indeed other sprecies–one of my all time favorites. And Judith Tarr’s trilogy, White Mare’s Daughter? And while never a main character, I love the horses and the accurate care and breeding descriptions in Chelsea Quinn Yarbro’s St Germain series. And I agree, I do love those ponies in Anne Bishop’s latest series.
Thanks for the new horse/fantasy books to look for.
@21: Hah! Right on.
So many horses I instantly thought of while reading the article that have already been mentioned – Black, Shadowfax, Bela and Mandarb, but also Aldieb should be on this list; the Ryshadiums, and Bree …
And another I would like to add. Has anyone read the great Swedish children writer Astrid Lindgren’s “Mio, my son”? For Miramis is as fantasy horse as they can get.
This is enough to make me really curious about Anne Bishop’s newest book. I’ll admit to feeling disappointment that yet another woman who wrote epic fanasy had switched to urban/paranormal, but scary, fuzzy ponies. Hmmm…
So many fantasy wriers treat equines as if they were vehicles with no needs, quirks or personalities. I’d love to see more where they’re treated like they’re, you know, living things instead of four legged motorcycles.
@63 Roxxsmon, yes, the Courtyard books can techincally be called urban fantasy, but it’s really alternate Earth fantasy. And I LOVE them. There are three out now, and I hear tell that there will be two more.
Since we are now ranging into other equine personalities, may I mention Ariel, by Steven R Boyett? She is a unicorn, and the original version of this story has haunted me for decades. I have yet to read the expanded version or the sequel, I was almost afraid to. Now that my TBR list has expanded I will have to add these.
I just finished reading two of the books in the Courtyard series by Anne Bishop and I just have to say that I loved them! I have read her work before and loved it and these did not disappoint. I loved the ponies and how they were different parts of the elements. Poor Hurricane… :(
Dun’s Lady Jess. Tops for fantasy horse story. by Doranna Durgin
Haha, why is there a picture of Shadowfax (from Lord of the Rings) here …
I’ve yet to really dive in these oldies, they all sound like super cool, dudes.
What came to my young mind are the Immortals series, by Tamora Pierce, and the Study series, by Maria V. Snyder. Their horses are awesome characters, even if too humanized.
Seriously no mention of Yfandes from The Last Herald Mage Trilogy OR Rolan from the Arrows trilogy both part of Mercedes Lackeys’s Valdemar Series or even others from this group of books. It’s like not mentioning Pern if asked about dragons.Helab
I have read all of these except the last one…I had forgotten..now I think its time to visit old friends again and also make a new one!!
And you have Shadowfax for the picture at the top. o/
What about ‘The Grey Horse’ by R. A. MacAvoy (Ah, I see it is listed above but I’ll keep my comment here anyway!)
This was a great thread. I’m going to second the opinion above that the unicorns of Valdemar are in no way horses, and then really invalidate my opinion by saying that when I read the title of the article it never occurred to me that it was referring to ‘horses from fantasies’. Thus, the series my mind ran to was by Dorothy Lyons, from back in the ’40s, and included such titles as Silver Birch, Golden Sovereign and Midnight Moon.
I must say that I’ve read The Hero and the Crown (and a sequel) and Sword Dancer (and a couple of sequels), and I have no memory of the horses in either book. I guess I’ll have to turn in my Horse-lovers’ Membership Card.
…and of course the Companions of Valdemar are no more unicorns than they are horses. *sigh*