Why We Ride: Women Writers on the Horses in Their Lives

Women and their horses—a symbiotic relationship based on trust, camaraderie, friendship, and love. In Why We Ride, Verna Dreisbach collects the stories of women who ride, sharing their personal emotions and accounts of the most important animals in their lives.

This collection of stories includes the heartfelt thoughts of a range of women—those who rode as children, those who spent their girlhood years dreaming of owning a pony, and those who have made a lifelong hobby or career out of riding. Each story reveals how horses have made an impact in the lives of these women. 

With a foreword by bestselling novelist Jane Smiley, Why We Ride offers a reflective view on the relationships between women and horses.

Verna Dreisbach is an author, educator, and literary agent. Her stories have been published in EQUUS Magazine and Bernie Siegel’s faith, hope and healing; Inspiring Lessons Learned from People Living with Cancer. Her essay “The Racehorse” won first place in the 2007 Dominic J. Bazzanella Literary Awards. She is the founder and president of Capitol City Young Writers, a national non-profit organization dedicated to the education and inspiration of young writers. She holds a bachelors degree in English with honors from Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society. Verna is currently pursuing a master’s degree in English with a focus on creative writing at California State University, Sacramento. She lives in California with her husband, three kids and a myriad of animals. Her website is www.vernadreisbach.com.