Can I review a book before I have even read it?
On 3/10, Horse Nation published my essay “Why This Rural Middle-Aged White Woman is Looking Forward to Reading “Compton Cowboys: The New Generation of Cowboys in America’s Urban Heartland”. The book’s release date is in April so I have not read the book yet. The “review” is actually a commentary on why this book caught my attention.
Many years ago, I completed a graduate degree in social work. A lot of the material we covered was about confronting our own biases and preconceived notions in working with people from a different racial background than our own. It introduced me to issues that many non-white people experience in a largely white America.
As an equestrian, I see that in most parts of the country, there is not much diversity among riders. And beyond that, it is not a topic that is even generally discussed. When I read a review of the Compton Cowboys book in Untacked (published by Chronicle of The Horse), I saw an opportunity to address this issue through my freelance writing.
Perhaps the essay can help further the conversation about diversity among equestrians. In a time when the equine industry is seeing a leveling or even reduction in participants, how can we welcome everyone who would like to participate?
Click here to read the essay on Horse Nation:
The Backyard Horse Blog 