In which questions were asked and answered, and now there is a prize offered

 A little more than a year ago, the world was closing down, and my employer sent us all home "for two weeks."  

I posted on social media: 

 "WHAT ARE YOUR QUESTIONS?

Y'all, the libraries in my region are CLOSED.

Here's my offer: ask me your questions via FB.

THE LIBRARIAN IS IN."

People asked all kinds of fabulous questions!  They wanted to know about the eating habits of earthworms, how the bit on a bridle functions, and where slugs go in winter.  They asked for book recommendations, they asked for reliable sources of news about Covid-19 (it wasn't a "pandemic" yet).  

And one person asked about long-distance riding:

Elizabeth Letts

How far can a horse with no special conditioning walk in a day with a 200lb load (assuming the horse weighs about 900 lbs)

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  Aarene Storms

  Elizabeth Letts

   in endurance circles, it is commonly believed that most horses can complete a 25-30 mile Limited Distance ride with minimal athletic conditioning. I have seen very out-of-shape saddle horses and mules cover multi-day distances of 20-25 miles at a walk (this event did not employ veterinary controls).

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  Aarene Storms

  And of course, weather, terrain, and footing are important variables.

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  Aarene Storms

  (The out-of-condition horses got into shape pretty fast, btw. Walking is excellent training!)

  

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• Elizabeth Letts

  Aarene Storms

   perfect!

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  Aarene Storms

  Please note: for most of the queries on this thread I have cited websites and reference books, but since I wrote the reference book I would have cited in this case, you just get me! 

  

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• • Aarene Storms

    Elizabeth Letts

     dare I hope that your query is in aid of a new book from you?

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  • Elizabeth Letts

    Aarene Storms

     I have your book! And yes, for a new book.

The reason I bring this up?  The book Elizabeth Letts was writing last year is almost ready! It will be released in June, 2021...and she sent me an Advance Reader Copy!

The Ride of Her Life : the true story of a woman, her horse,
and their last-chance journey across America  by Elizabeth Letts

And...LOOK!  In the Bibliography section (because Elizabeth Letts is a Proper Author who lists all her information sources).

Listed in the bibliography, right after "Steinbeck, John."

I remember how thrilled I was when Endurance 101 was purchased by the library system, and how I squealed the first time I saw it listed in the library catalog.

I literally squealed like a piglet.  I'm not a bit ashamed of that.

And now, the book is actually being used as a reference book? 

 HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!  

A: as a librarian, it pretty much tops my "coolness chart".

I'm now halfway through reading The Ride of Her Life, and so far I'm loving it.  Although I usually prefer novels to nonfiction, I enjoyed all the Elizabeth Letts books I've read in the past.  

What's that you say?  You've never read an Elizabeth Letts book?

Well, I can fix that for at least one reader.  

You can't have my ARC of the new book, but it just happens that I have on my desk an ARC of the new Young Reader edition of her book about Harry de Layer and his horse Snowman, The Eighty-Dollar Champion.  And I will give it away!

Having stacks of ARCs around is another of those "book geek" thrills

Want to win it?  Let's celebrate National Library Week.

To enter the drawing, put your name and the name of your local library, plus your email address, in the comment box.  Next week, I'll pull one of the names and contact the winner and I will mail out the book.   US addresses only, please.