The Western Horse - by Randi Samuelson-Brown (Paperback)

About the Book

The Western Horse celebrates more than four centuries of history and culture of the western horse, its ability to capture the popular imagination, and the means by which it has come to symbolize the American West.

Book Synopsis

2025 SPUR AWARDS FINALIST

This book celebrates the history and culture of the western horse, its ability to capture the popular imagination, and the means by which it has come to symbolize the American West.

Beginning in the 1500s, The Western Horse delves into the origins and variations of the western breeds, their role in the expansion and settlement of the West, and the lawless element they attracted. The 1800s is when the stereotypes of Western Americana flourish accompanied by the ever-present horse. The mounted Plains tribes, cavalry, Pony Express, pioneers, stock detectives, cowboys, horse thieves, and the iconic rodeos come into perspective.

The book dispels some of the falsehoods of the western horse and replace those inaccuracies with interesting facts. Case in point: many people grow up believing that the wild mustangs are the offspring the conquistador's horses. While that belief is partially true, it is also partially incorrect. While the conquistadors returned with horses re-introducing them to the American landmass, the Spaniards only rode stallions. The progenitors of the mustangs likely occurred a bit later--lost stock of the Spanish settlers and the missions that returned into the wild.

Review Quotes

"The Western Horse: A Popular History of the Wild and Working Animal uncovers the past, dispelling myths and falsehoods along the way so that we might be better suited to look forward with perspective -- in this case, readers will better know the American icon that is the spirited Western horse and will come to appreciate how the animal has captured the image of freedom and strength."-- "Big Sky Journal"

"Randi Samuelson-Brown has left no stone unturned in this comprehensive history of the horse...Filled with passion and respect for horses everywhere, this book is a must-have for any Western historian and horse owner."-- "Roundup Magazine"

"The history of the horse in the West is one of courage, tragedy, glory, and hard work. Samuelson-Brown manages to capture it all in a thought-provoking, easy to read account."-- "Cowgirl Magazine"

"Though a work of non-fiction, Samuelson-Brown's book is anything but a dry textbook-dry treatise. Her historical accounts are lively and interesting and her subjects - human and equine - are colorfully described."-- "Eastern Colorado News"

"The Western Horse: A Popular History of the Wild and Working Animal uncovers the past, dispelling myths and falsehoods along the way so that we might be better suited to look forward with perspective -- in this case, readers will better know the American icon that is the spirited Western horse and will come to appreciate how the animal has captured the image of freedom and strength."

"Randi Samuelson-Brown has left no stone unturned in this comprehensive history of the horse...Filled with passion and respect for horses everywhere, this book is a must-have for any Western historian and horse owner."

"The history of the horse in the West is one of courage, tragedy, glory, and hard work. Samuelson-Brown manages to capture it all in a thought-provoking, easy to read account."

"Though a work of non-fiction, Samuelson-Brown's book is anything but a dry textbook-dry treatise. Her historical accounts are lively and interesting and her subjects - human and equine - are colorfully described."

About the Author

Randi Samuelson-Brown is a native of Colorado, originally from Golden. She is the author of multiple books including The Bad Old Days of Colorado: Untold Stories of the Wild West, which was a finalist in the Colorado Book Awards 2021 and was featured on C-SPAN. Market Street Madam, an award-nominated historical fiction, is set in a vice-riddled Denver and Leadville during the 1890s. Because of her books' successes, Randi is emerging as a known Denver historian and has presented at: Center for Colorado Women's History at the Byers-Evans House Museum; History Colorado; Historic Denver; Golden History Museum; various Colorado historical societies and libraries; and writers' conferences across the region. She lives in Denver, CO.