Who Ever Heard of a Horse in the House?: Jacqueline Tresl

"Who ever heard of a Horse in the House?

"That's a question Jackie and Mark Tresl could answer. They've lived with Misha, a full-grown American Quarter Horse mare, for the last thirteen years.

"As a five-month-old filly, Misha suffered from pneumonia and malnutrition when the Tresls adopted her. Fearing that the cold Ohio winter would be deadly for the little horse, Jackie brought the foal inside the house and made a bed for her by the woodstove. Gradually, winter wore on and Misha grew stronger. She also grew more and more attached to Jackie and household living.

"Now, at nearly fourteen years old, Misha enjoys her own porch with a swinging door that enables her to help out in the kitchen, watch television in the living room, and slurp water from the bathtub. She is also fully housetrained. Her unconventional lifestyle and diet (spaghetti is one of her favorite foods) has prompted criticism from acquaintences, but Misha is a happy and healthy horse, defying those who believe her life is anything but perfect.

"Jackie Tresl's story of her life with a house-horse demonstrates that horses are just as capable and deserving of the capable and deserving of the emotional bond we share with our other animal companions."

I work in a library and I've shelved this book several times. Finally, I decided to pick it up and read it. Now, I'm not normally one for this type of book as anyone who has ever read any of my other blog posts will realize... However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

It was unbelievably cute and the stories that Tresl had were so sweet and touching. From one animal-lover to the next, I believe that her story is one of undeniable love for our animal bretheren. The Tresl family is a strong one and I don't know how many people could keep a house-horse and show as much unconditional love as they did for Misha. I recommend this book for anyone who loves horses or animals in general!

The Mad Marquis: Fiona Carr

“SPURRING A MAD DESIRE

“Julia Westfall was being forced into marriage—with her fiercest rival on the hunt field. True, Henry Pelham was the man to whom she’d lost her heart, and he was still her secret dream. But what the widowed marquis proposed was hardly suitable—a loveless union with no children. A woman who raced her own stallions for the thrill and challenge of it could hardly be expected to rein in her passion.

“Her new husband saw his dotty aunt, loopy uncle, and willful daughter as evidence that madness ran in his family, as proof that siring more offspring would be irresponsible. But Julia would show that the craziest thing he could do was spurn her advances. For her most exciting and dashing competitor on horseback would soon be her most potent and powerful match in the bedroom.”

This was the first book by Fiona Carr that I’ve had an opportunity to read. I must say that I was impressed. The book started out interestingly enough, slowed only a little bit (though I might have to attribute that to the fact that I’m on a vacation with my two little cousins who demand a lot of attention), then really picked up pace. I LOVED the characters and the plot was fascinating. This was genuinely a fun read! I caught myself smiling on more than one occasion.

In other words, I really enjoyed it. Fiona Carr is a very talented author and I will try to get my hands on her other book as soon as possible!