The trajectory of one human life can be remarkably complex, such as is demonstrated by the extraordinarily varied experiences of TSB author Tom Equels. From a glance at his bio--which includes decorated combat-wounded Vietnam veteran, a black belt in karate, lawyer, CEO, and breeder of Thoroughbreds and champion Paso Finos--you may feel like you are viewing summaries of several lifetimes, rather than one. In recognition of Veterans Day, we caught up with Tom and asked him about his new novel THE HORSEMAN'S TALE, and what he hopes the book will bring to the reading world.
TSB: Your book The Horseman’s Tale explores journaling therapy as experienced by a war veteran who grew up on a Thoroughbred breeding farm. As a decorated veteran and Thoroughbred owner, yourself, which aspects of creating the main character “Jake” did you find came most easily? Which were the most challenging?
TE: Over the years I’ve had many articles published that were nonfiction. This is my first novel and Jake, as a character, was not clearly formed at the beginning. The level of detail I’d often bring to a nonfiction article was missing. I knew I had to "get under the skin" of Jake. I had to know Jake to effectively write in his voice. I did that, like an actor preparing to play a complex role on stage, by becoming Jake. When I wrote, I was often enveloped in this adopted persona.
TSB: While your novel is written for a general audience, one of the reasons it will appeal to readers who are horse people is the accuracy of details related to handling, riding, caring for, and competing horses. What is one aspect of the horse-human relationship that you felt was especially important to accurately capture in your novel and why?
TE: My experience as a horseman gave me insight into the way of the horse, how they think, feel and communicate with each other. The communion between a person and a horse can be a beautiful thing if one tries to understand not only their "language" but also the horse’s naturally high empathetic and telepathic abilities.
TSB: There is a lot of controversy around the sport of racing, as well as breeding and training Thoroughbreds, in the United States today. Does Jake’s story help the horse world in its modern struggle to legitimize equine sport in the eyes of the mainstream public? If so, how?
TE: Racing is perhaps the world’s most dangerous sport, for both horse and rider. Dangerous sport, whether concussions and paralysis in games of football or accidents seriously injuring horse and rider in stadium jumping or flat racing, are hard to legitimize. I do know that engaging in such competition is a part of the human condition. I also know that horses have a similar intrinsic drive to win and joy in the fight to get ahead. When competition is a part of both human nature and equine nature, the dangers, while hard to legitimize, are overshadowed by the desire to race and win. I have watched young horses, from a just few months after they are foaled, begin to race each other in the pasture. This desire to run and race is part of being a horse.
TSB: You pursued an education in karate later in life, earning your black belt and becoming a National Sport Karate Association (NASKA) National Champion. Are there aspects of the martial arts that you find parallel working with horses? Are there aspects that you find help you better understand horses?
TE: Success comes with training. The word "meek" originated with horses, describing the state where the horse transitions from wildness to accepting the training that allows the partnership between man and horse. A good rider must also become meek, learning how to interact with the horse in a knowing rather than ignorant way. Karate is much the same. Yes, it is a sport and a means of self-defense, but it is also an art. To master karate one must become, much like a horse, "meek" to the ancient traditions and techniques, connecting with a powerful harmony to the art.
TSB: You suffered a serious riding accident in 2023, not long before submitting the final manuscript for The Horseman’s Tale to TSB. What impact did that experience have on you? What impact did it have, if any, on your book and its development?
TE: Well, I almost died in that accident. Near death experiences always provide insight and perspective. Some of that rubbed off to make for a better book.
TSB: What is one lesson you hope readers will take away from your novel?
TE: This novel, at many levels and from many angles, is a lesson in love. I hope my readers, when they finish the novel, will learn something of love from the experience.
TSB: If you were trapped on a desert island with a horse, a record player, and a book, what breed of horse would it be, which record would you listen to, and which book would you choose?
TE: Well, since it is a desert island I’m influenced by Walter Farley’s novel The Black Stallion that I read over and over as a boy, so for a horse it is a black Arab stallion. As for the song, I’ll go with Sting’s "Desert Rose." My book? It is Hesse’s Siddartha.
TSB: If you could do one thing on horseback that you haven’t yet done, what would it be?
TE: I love watching those nimble riders who have mastered gymnastics on a horse. One of my dear friends, a retired jockey, often celebrated his training success by riding around our round pen while standing on the horse’s back. I tried and failed far too many times to do it again. I think being very tall was a contributing factor--at least, that was my rationalization.
TSB: What is the quality you most like in a friend?
TE: Love.
TSB: What is the quality you most like in a horse?
TE: Love.
TSB: What is your greatest fear?
TE: I have rational concerns as I deal with events and problems, but fear is not in my nature. “Fear is the mind killer,” to quote Frank Herbert’s Dune.
TSB: What is your greatest extravagance?
TE: I still love to play, and my playmates are things others may find extravagant: horses, high performance motorcycles, and antique sports cars.
TSB: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
TE: I’m 72 but would really enjoy feeling like 25.
TSB: What’s in your refrigerator at all times?
TE: Traditional Tamari soy sauce.
TSB: What is your idea of perfect happiness?
TE: For me happiness is not an idea. That suggests an external construct. For me happiness is a feeling brought on by happy thoughts that transport me to a happy place, a place I can go to, even in times of trouble.
TSB: If you could have a conversation with one famous person, alive or dead, who would it be?
TE: Marcus Aurelius.
TSB: What is your motto?
TE: I have two: “To thine own self be true” and “Live and let live.”
Tom's book THE HORSEMAN'S TALE is available now from the TSB online bookstore, and wherever books are sold.
Trafalgar Square Books, the authority in equine publishing, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont.