The Unscheduled Dismount

Charming and witty, this collection of essays chronicles the often-bizarre nature of life with horses. It covers everything from an ordinary day at the barn to the frustrations of training and riding lessons. In The Unscheduled Dismount, Ballou draws from her personal experience to create these accounts. "Does this Spandex Make Me Look Fat?" provides a fresh perspective on the outdated, unfashionable, and sometimes absurd riding apparel. With tongue-in-cheek humor, "Greener Pastures" laments California's lack of wide open pastures for the horses to romp in and roll in the dirt. In "Move Over, Hank Williams," Ballou confesses her love of country music, which is synonymous with equestrians.

Ballou, both a professional equestrian and award-winning journalist, captures the ups and downs of this industry with a perfect combination of reflection and laugh-out-loud humor.