How Breyer Horses Led to 15 Years of Cowboy Romance
When I was researching equine therapy programs in Arizona last month, I found myself remembering a middle school science project that changed my life—though I didn't know it at the time.
My School Project (Before the Internet)
In middle school, my older sister and I collaborated on a project for a Science & Social Studies fair at our little school in rural Pennsylvania. We picked the topic of horses because we both loved the beautiful animals. Even though we lived in the country, our family could never afford a horse or a place to keep it.
That didn't stop me and my sister from collecting Breyer horses and imagining fun playtime stories with stables full of them.
So, our school project... Growing up in the 1980s (yes, I'm a GenXer) was very different from today. This was long before computers, printers, or the internet. How did we ever survive?!
Well, we made use of the cool Breyer horse figurines that we collected. Then we cracked open our World Book Encyclopedias and National Geographic magazines. Mom taught us how to use tracing paper (semi-translucent paper to trace the outline of pictures) and carbon paper (paper that would transfer pencil-like lines to real paper). We found pictures of the different parts of a horse's anatomy, coloring, tack, etc. and drew up some wonderful guides about horses. We also made little tent cards with the breed of each of the Breyer horses.
It was a fun project that solidified my love of horses even though I've never had the opportunity to own one.
From Research Then to Research Now
That childhood project taught me something valuable: authentic details matter. Whether I was tracing horse anatomy from National Geographic or learning about different breeds through my Breyer collection, I discovered that getting the details right made the story more believable—even in play.
Fast forward to today, and I'm still obsessing over horse details, just in different ways. For an upcoming writing project, I recently bought two books on horse training techniques, reading through them for just a few realistic tidbits. (Yes, I know I'm research-obsessed at times!) I've also been investigating equine therapy programs here in Arizona, fascinated by the deep emotional bonds possible between horses and humans.
The Connection to My Cowboys
Is it any wonder that I write cowboy romance stories now? It might just be so I can write about horses!
But seriously, those early lessons about authenticity stuck with me. When Will Colter rides his stallion Jackson in A Dream Unfolding, I want readers to believe in that bond. Will calls Jackson "the best animal I have ever owned," and that kind of connection doesn't happen by accident—it comes from understanding how horses and cowboys really interact.
Every time I reference horse breeds, training techniques, or the daily realities of ranch life, I'm drawing on that same curiosity that led my sister and me to trace horse anatomy in middle school. The tools have changed (thank goodness for the internet!), but the passion for getting it right remains the same.
Those Breyer horses taught me that every detail—from a horse's coloring to its temperament—helps build a believable world. Now, fifteen years into writing westerns, I'm still chasing that same goal: creating authentic stories where the horses feel as real as the cowboys who ride them.
All this Breyer horse research? It shaped the authentic western details you'll find in The Restless Wrangler. Want to see the result? Enter the Western Grit Giveaway for your chance to win signed copies of both The Restless Wrangler and RJ Sloane's Blood Justice!