Bernadette Johnson is the author of the book The Big Book of Horse Trivia for Kids: Fun Facts and Stories about Ponies, Horses, and the Equestrian Lifestyle. Her other books include The Big Book of Spy Trivia.
Q: What inspired you to write The Big Book of Horse Trivia for Kids?
A: I have loved horses since I was a little kid, and especially since I got to ride one as a teenager, so when Ulysses Press presented me with the opportunity to write about them, I jumped at it!
Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: I searched the Internet and my local library for everything I could find on horse habits, training, biology, history, and anything else equestrian, reading lots of magazine and newspaper articles and books on the subjects.
I also watched documentaries, as well as fun shorter videos, about things like dressage horses doing their dance-like routines and even people riding toy hobbyhorses as a sport!
One surprising thing I learned was that the horse’s ancestor actually came from North America and traveled to Europe and Asia across what is now the Bering Strait (while it was frozen over during the last major ice age between 120,000 and 11,500 years ago). And this horse ancestor was the size of a small dog!
These days, the smallest adult horses are about the size of a large dog, and the largest horses can reach over 7 feet high (about 21 hands high in horse-speak) and can weigh over 2,700 pounds!
Q: How did you choose the information to include in the book?
A: I tried to include a good mix of information on equestrian terms, horse biology, breeds, care and feeding, riding styles and equipment, sports and events, history, toys and entertainment, and common English phrases that came from our long relationship with horses.
I read as many sources as I could for each topic to make sure the information was as accurate as possible, and made sure to include anything I ran across that was too strange or fun to ignore, like the fact that a horse’s teeth take up more room in their heads that their brains do.
Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?
A: I hope this book educates and entertains them and helps them appreciate these amazing creatures.
I also hope giving them a glimpse of how much horses have enriched human lives since we started domesticating them over 6,000 years ago sparks their desire to learn more.
And, if they ever get to interact with horses in person, I hope this encourages them to treat the animals kindly, and to keep both the horses’ and their own safety in mind. Stay out of those kicking zones!
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m currently working on a cozy mystery novel set in a small mountain town with fellow author Bobby Nash, along with several other books and short stories on my own. I don’t have any nonfiction in the works right now, but hope to in the near future.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: When I started working on The Big Book of Horse Trivia for Kids, I bought a Breyer Bright Bay Morgan horse toy that I named Ulysses and kept nearby for inspiration while I wrote. Now he stands on a corner shelf in my living room and watches television with me. 🙂
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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