Throughout recorded history, the horse has played many roles in human life. He has been man's partner in war, his servant in work, his teammate in sports, his inspiration in art. So it is only natural that literature includes many masterpieces about horses and horsemanship.

The Greatest Horse Stories Ever Told gathers together the best of the equestrian genre. It includes stories and articles by Pulitzer Prize-winners Red Smith, Maxine Kumin, and Jane Smiley, and tales by jockey-turned-mystery novelist Dick Francis and veterinarian-turned-writer James Herriot. Here also are reflections on fox hunting by Steven Budiansky and Anthony Trollope; a profile of Buck Brannaman, the inspiration for The Horse Whisperer; an inspirational piece from Ellie Phayer, and a story about the Spanish Riding School's dancing white horses by Felix Salten (author of Bambi), as well as writing from Tom McGuane, Bill Barich, humorist Cooky McClung, and classic western authors Will James and Zane Grey.

Heartwarming, adventurous, profound, and funny, this anthology is a treasure trove that includes favorite writers and little-known or long-forgotten gems, illuminating our fascination-and captivation-with horses.