History On Horseback: The Early Years {Book Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

If you have a horse lover in your family, you are going to want to read History On Horseback: The Early Years from Sonrise Stable Books. My daughter loves horses, so when this book became available to review, she was excited to participate.

We all know horses, mules, and oxen were instrumental in moving settlers across our country. History On Horseback goes beyond simply mentioning these creatures, and provides a fascinating look at how the role of these animals shaped our country and world.

The book has a beautiful colored cover with interior pictures in black and white. The chapters are short and each tells an interesting story, beginning with the arrival of horses in America. There are 53 chapters of fascinating history covering events such as Lewis & Clark, travel on the Oregon Trail, military horses, stagecoach travel, and so much more! The content covered would make this book a great companion resource for history studies.

My daughter and I read several chapters together and were drawn into each story. Although I knew horses were brought to America, I was fascinated to learn more details of how they arrived and was surprised by the original numbers. Also, did you know the king of Spain sent George Washington two jennies and a jack (a female and male donkey respectively)? With the arrival from France of another jack and several more jennies, Washington was known as the first American mule breeder. He wanted to establish a herd of larger donkeys to cross with draft horses. His efforts to produce a large working mule resulted in the American Mammoth.

As for my daughter, she enjoyed learning how horses and ponies were used in mine pits. Reading the stories of their training and care gave her a new respect for the animals and the miners that trained and worked with them. It was captivating to see the old pictures of workers and ponies in the mines.

The book contains numerous stories of historical events we have previously studied, but it was such a different perspective than a traditional history text. We have enjoyed using the book for reading, and intend to refer back to it during future history studies.

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