Friday, November 2, 2007

Horses, Horses, Everywhere...

As I continue to exist in the "no reply zone," I find myself contemplating two possibilities for the lack of response to my book proposal: 1) I missed the window of opportunity for the Barbaro story and 2) Horses are a timeless source of inspiration and appeal to many people.

I know the two are polar opposites, which may have to do with the level of frustration I often feel.

If indeed the Barbaro story is "old news," why do three horses standing in a field save George Clooney's life in the current movie, Michael Clayton? And why does Blood Horse magazine, one of the thoroughbred world's leading publications, devote one quarter of its recent issue to a deceased 32-year old gelding named John Henry, whose life was a rags to riches story on many levels? And why did news organizations devote footage to rescued horses during the recent California wildfires?

The answer, I truly believe, is that horses have always held a special appeal for Americans in particular. Our country was literally built on horse power. Horses cleared out fields, took us to uncharted territories, carried soldiers into battle and transported our goods. And along the way, they earned special places in our popular culture--think the Lone Ranger's Silver, Comanche, the horse that survived Custer's Last Stand, and Secretariat as well as, yes, Barbaro.

So the mystery remains...Why doesn't anyone want to take a chance on story that has already stood the test of time?

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