In researching Eclipsed by Shadow and the other books of the Great Horse trilogy, it became clear there is a universal equestrian literary tradition. From the ancient Greek General Xenophon’s Anabasis, one of the earliest surviving works of journalism, through chivalric literature to Romantic novels to pulp westerns and up through today, horses have been popular subjects in countless works.
Authors from Saki to Mark Twain have written stories about horses, a tradition continued in contemporary works such as Farley’s “The Black Stallion” and Hillenbrand’s “Seabiscuit.”
It is difficult to find expressive terms to describe how close and longstanding is mankind’s partnership with the horse: We can talk of horses in very bold terms. The depth and universality of man’s relationship with horses is illustrated through one of our oldest creative impulses: Art. And it seems horses inhabit all the arts.
Besides mankind itself, no living creature is so celebrated in art as our ancient partner. Horses have adorned virtually every medium of artistic conception, which makes horsemanship one of the most well-documented historical activities of mankind.
The idea that horses are a source of human inspiration is a theme running through history. The Muses of Greek mythology–a sisterhood of divine beings who inspired creative art–were entrusted with the care of Pegasus and held the winged horse sacred. The history of the world moves to the sound of hoof beats … and art records it.