Equus Rising:
How the Horse Shaped U.S. History
By Julia Soplop
Illustrated by Robert Spannring
Winner of an Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY)
Winner of a Feathered Quill Book Award
“A compelling, concisely written, beautifully illustrated, important read for any horse or history enthusiast.”
-Shelley Paulson, author of Horses: Portraits & Stories
"Thoroughly engrossing…ambitious…A fun and fascinating read.”
-The Prairies Book Review
“A rare blend of social and biological history…Well-written and well-researched, this volume fills a key niche in the science, politics, and literature of the horse.”
-Chad Hanson, PhD, president of the Wyoming Mustang Institute and author of Trout Streams of the Heart
Book Description
Weapon. Legend. Energy source. Shaper of cultures. Center of controversy.
Throughout U.S. history, the horse has served as one of the most powerful influences on the country’s development.
Beginning fifty-five million years ago with the evolution of the horse across the Great Plains, this story charts its extinction in North America, followed by its reintroduction to the continent by the Spanish. The eventual acquisition of Spanish horses by the native peoples of the plains had profound consequences for the continent’s future: it resulted in the explosion of wild horses across the West and unleashed some of the most talented and brutal mounted warriors in the world, the Comanche, who staved off European-American development of the plains for nearly two centuries. From there, the story tracks the horse’s incredible contributions—through warring and racing and hauling, through companionship and servitude and strength—across the broad arc of the country’s next three hundred years.
Soplop employs the horse as a narrative thread not only to bind seemingly disparate events, but also to allow for the inclusion of figures often written out of traditional histories: women and minorities. Through a modern, unconventional lens, she skillfully weaves together science, policy, literature, and history to trace the fascinating story of how one animal shaped the nation. Captivating pen and ink illustrations by Montana artist Robert Spannring, interspersed with Soplop’s stunning photography, add further depth to the account.
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About the Author
Julia Soplop is an award-winning writer and photographer whose work has appeared in numerous publications. A fascination with animal behavior has led her around the globe and spurred her to investigate the story of the horse. She is also the author of Documenting Your World Through Photography. Soplop has a master’s in Medical Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s from Duke University. She lives with her husband and their three girls in the woods outside of Chapel Hill, NC.
You can visit her online here.
About the Illustrator
Robert Spannring has been a professional painter and illustrator for fifty years. Born and raised in Montana, he grew up sneaking away from school to draw landscapes and wildlife and explore what might be around the next corner. He has served as Artist-In-Residence at the Lake Hotel in Yellowstone National Park, and created interpretive dinosaur illustrations for the Museum of the Rockies’ Special Museum Exhibits. Spannring has done illustration work for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (of which he is a founding member), Defenders of Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Montana Audubon Council, among others. His work has appeared in numerous museums and galleries in the West and in private collections across the U.S. You can visit him online here.
Interviews & Reviews
Book Award Interview: Read Julia’s interview following the book’s Feathered Quill Book Award.
Book Review By FQ: Read this fantastic review of Equus Rising.
Equestrian Author Spotlight Podcast: Watch or listen to Julia’s interview with host Carly Kade, author of the In the Reins series.
Feathered Quill: Read Julia’s interview on her impetus for writing Equus Rising, the writing and research process, and what makes the book unique.
The Luminous Mind Podcast (website, Libsyn/iTunes/Stitcher, YouTube): Listen to Julia’s podcast interview on the book’s origins, the importance of broadening our narrow perspectives on history, how her approach to homeschooling has evolved over the years, and how she tries to model lifelong learning for her kids.
Virtual Book Launch Party
Watch the abridged virtual book launch party featuring author Julia Soplop and illustrator Robert Spannring
Press Kit
The full press kit for Equus Rising can here found here.
Publication Information
Hill Press
July 1, 2020
Available wherever books are sold
ISBN: 9781735111308
$15.99 (paperback)
$ 9.99 (ebook)
Page Count: 330
HISTORY/United States/General
NATURE/Animals/Horses
SCIENCE/Natural History