By Mary Smith (author name Mary Aggas)
I started searching for kids’ books on equine therapeutic riding several years ago when I was in charge of the education portion of the Horses with Heart Center’s Happy Trails camp held in July each year.
I was looking for something that would be a fun read for the participants and be a story about someone just like them, involved in therapeutic horseback riding. There was not much out there, and there was nothing for the youngest readers.
About that time, I heard a podcast with a sort-of well-known author who said, “If you can’t find a book on a topic important to you—write it yourself.” So, I did.
That’s why my children’s picture book, Wishes & Whinnies: Tyler’s Dream came into being.
How the story became a book is complicated. It involved more than sitting down at the computer and typing it out. Even though the story is fictional, there were many knowledgeable people at Horses with Heart who I consulted regarding disabilities and therapeutic riding, to make sure details in the book were authentic.
After drafting a 1600-word story inspired by moments I’d witnessed in the arena, and having virtually no knowledge of the publishing world, I enrolled in a picture-book writing coaching program to learn the ropes. And I’m glad I did.
Twenty-one manuscript revisions later, I had cut more than half the words from the original draft because the word count for picture books must be, at most, 500 to 800 words. Next came three rounds of professional editing. And finally, a wonderful illustrator put pictures to my words.
A little about my book. The main character, Tyler, dreams of riding horses but his cerebral palsy restricts his mobility, and he needs crutches to help him walk. His family discovers a horseback riding center that teaches people with disabilities to ride. Tyler is over-the-moon happy, but when an obstacle threatens his path to independent riding, he loses faith in his dream. Will he be able to rediscover his dream?
Before writing Wishes & Whinnies, I did some research on the history of equine-assisted therapy. To my amazement, I discovered that the first writing about interaction with horses as being physically and emotionally beneficial for humans is attributed to Hippocrates in 460 B.C. It makes sense though: Hippocrates – hippotherapy!
A French neurologist is credited with the first real study, in 1865, of equine-assisted therapy and its effects on healing. His work led to equine-assisted therapy being used to rehabilitate wounded soldiers from the World War I at the Oxford Hospital. It’s astounding to know that what we do at Horses with Heart has a 2,485-year history.
My hope is for my book to reach parents whose children can benefit from therapeutic horseback riding. My book also conveys a double message to kids that: 1) disability does not mean inability; and, 2) never give up on your dreams.
You can read about Wishes & Whinnies on my website: maryaggas.com.
About the Author
2026 will mark Mary Aggas’ twenty-year anniversary as a volunteer at Horses with Heart’s therapeutic riding center in Chino Valley. Her book, Wishes & Whinnies, brings together her life-long love of horses, and the joy she sees on the faces of riders as they progress in classes at Horses with Heart. She also coordinates the Marvelous Minis program for the facility, and takes Miniature Horses to visit special education classes at schools and senior living residences in the quad-cities area.
Where You Can Buy the Book
Wishes & Whinnies is currently available in hardbound, paperback, and ebook online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and from the author’s website (hardbound and paperback only) at maryaggas.com. You can also find the at Olsen’s Grain in Chino Valley. If your local library doesn’t have a copy, please ask them to order it.
