My young adult book, Gaits of Magic, released this week and it’s the first book in the Divine Rein Academy series, which is a YA fantasy equestrian academy series. On one hand writing YA is different. The protagonists are in high school (I tend to write starting freshman year, which is on the younger side for YA) so the issues are different. There’s a lot more homework and a lot more interpersonal drama. But I got to thinking, is the horse part of writing YA different from writing adult?
Well, probably the first thing that comes to mind is that they ride a lot more in the YA books. These books are set at an equestrian academy, which means a lot of saddle time. But also, life just doesn’t get in the way as much when the main character is a teenager. *smiles* Of course, in my Heart Compass Stable series I deliberately made the main character a non-rider at the moment because of her horse’s needs. I wanted to showcase an equestrian who doesn’t ride or drive just to show that we exist, but also I feel like we’re left out of a lot of equestrian fiction because everyone wants to read about riding and jumping and showing.
The horses themselves, I don’t think are a lot different. They’re loved, beloved companions, and cared for well. Sure some may live outdoors in a pasture 24/7 having access to shelter in inclimate weather, while others live in a stall with adequate turn out, but as a general rule the horses are loved, cared for well, and live a pretty good horse-y life.
The horse’s ability, breed, and equestrian discipline all vary depending on the story.
So I guess the short answer is, the younger you are, you have more time to ride and spend with your horses, but then again, those of us who are young at heart already knew that. *smiles*
