Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
My family loves history. We love history of all kinds, but we get really excited when we discover a little-known fact or detail that helps to open up understanding in a new way. That’s why we’re so excited to share History on Horseback: The Early Years from Sonrise Stable Books with you.
This book is really unique. It begins with the arrival of horses in the Americas in 1493 and continues that story all the way until 1866, and it’s the perspective of this time period that makes this unlike any other history I’ve ever seen.
Each chapter is super short – usually around two pages – and each chapter has two special features. There’s always at least one picture or piece of art, and sometimes a lot more than one. Sometimes the chapters include logos or other artifacts, too.
The other element that each chapter contains is a sidebar full of fun facts. These are little-known nuggets of information that aren’t crucial to understanding the history told in the chapter but definitely up the interest factor. My Little Man loves these!
The story isn’t told from perspective of horses – that’s been done; and it’s not a history of horses, exactly, as it doesn’t focus solely on a single breed or the animal alone. Instead, it’s a joint story of people and horses and how their stories influence each other. There are many more details about horses and animals than in a typical history book, then, but there are still facts and figures and anecdotes about the legacy of the human action. It’s a really neat way of looking at it!
My Big Helper was excited to see Ezra Meeker featured in one chapter. He’s the guy credited with preserving the Oregon Trail, and she did her very first National History Day project about him several years ago. She read several of his books, visited the websites of memorials all along the Trail, and studied everything she could get her hands on connected with his story. As I read it out loud while the kids cracked nuts, I kept seeing her shake her head as if saying, “yes, that’s right! That’s how it happened!” We enjoyed the detail and depth put into this chapter, and My Big Helper liked seeing how much she remembered – and how much her research matched the author’s.
The chapters are organized chronologically and often relate to each other. Readers will really be able to see the cause and effect patterns in history.
I mentioned that I read some of these to my kids – this is something that we often do. They find a project that allows them to work with their hands while listening, and I read something to them. This book worked very well for us with this structure; they were able to listen and then we could discuss it together, immediately, without having to pass the book around or wait for anyone. It could be paired easily with other activities to expand learning like journaling projects or research into the people or primary sources mentioned. It would even be fun to build or create versions of things in the story, like the manchila from the Pony Express chapter.
Right now, you would have to create those things yourself (and it wouldn’t be hard, because the chapters are definitely high-interest and meaty); but there’s help coming for those who don’t want that added step! There’s a study guide on the way, so while you can read this however you choose and leave the learning there, soon there will be more to help you dig deeper into the history.
Because of this, the book works well as a partial history credit if that’s what you’re looking for, or you can pair it with another program or other books to create a full-credit program. When the study guide is ready, it will be able to stand alone as a full credit.
I think History on Horseback: The Early Years is the perfect way to look at history over time in a way that keeps the learning moving but digs deep into the real story – but don’t take my word for it! Go here to read other reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew.
