"'Sit deeply.' Thrown by her horse, Laurie Brock received that counsel from her riding instructor. 'Sit deeply and ride.' Brock's book centers the reader in the necessity of balance and breath, routine and repetition, in our physical existence and our spiritual lives as well. Her relationships with the horses she rides, grooms, and loves speak to our relationship with both the embodied and the transcendent. In the world of riding, some actions feel intuitive, while others require us to do what seems strange. We cannot grow without persistent practice, whether as riders or people of faith. It is not enough to approach our incarnate God with our intellect. Will we show up to meet God the way Brock settles on her horse, ready to move together, to be as one?" -Rev. Martha K. Spong, author of Denial is My Spiritual Practice

"This is a beautifully written meditation on belief, the holy, and the healing power of horses. Mertonian in its wisdom, this profound book not only helped me to see the magic of animals in our everyday lives but also allowed me a better understanding of my own faith journey in the Episcopal church." -Silas House, author of Southernmost

"In 17 essays succinctly summed up by one-word titles (Still, Collect, Balance), Laurie Brock offers an extended meditation on how the bodily act of riding horses opens her soul to a new experience of divine presence, one that discards words to express a different tongue: "The language of healing that only horses speak." She explains, "These creatures teach me to feel life and faith in my body and in my being, not to cover these feelings with words and intellect." Brock takes us onto the back of the American Saddlebred where, through wisely chosen metaphors, we not only learn how to ride, but she also encourages a renewal of thinking about what it means to be a spiritual person and how to live out a fresh style of faith." -- Jennifer Meyers, The Presbyterian Outlook

"Laurie Brock takes common things--horses and humans, saddles and stirrups--and finds in them profound truths. This beautiful and honest book will give you new insights into yourself and your relationship with all God's Creation--even if you've never once been on a horse." -Nurya Love Parish, Executive Director, Plainsong Farm; Priest-in-charge, Holy Spirit Episcopal Church

"I've seen books change lives. This one demonstrates the importance of nurturing faith with our whole selves, in work and play and relationships. Sometimes it's a pleasant canter. Sometimes it's a hard fall. All the time, it is holy." -Rachel G. Hackenberg, co-author of Denial Is My Spiritual Practice

"Laurie Brock writes beautifully, with great depth and passion. She gives us a sense of how horses - powerful, beautiful animals - might teach us about ourselves and about God." -Reverend Canon Scott Gunn, Executive Director, Forward Movement

"In this slender, meditative volume, Episcopal priest and saddle seat equestrian Laurie Brock considers how horses and their ways of knowing can help humans find the divine--and perhaps also themselves. Brock's writing is both honest and humorous and speaks particularly to those who find their church in the time they spend with horses, in barns, and in their emotional engagements with their pastimes." --"8 Books for the Barn," US Equestrian, (Winter 2018)

"Even though I am open to all spirituality and have spent time in the Christian church with friends, it is easy for me to feel alienated by some Christian focussed writing. I felt very included by Laurie's book, both as a woman with her own spiritual life that is sometimes a challenging path, and as a horse woman and an Equine Facilitated Therapist. I found much wisdom, compassion, sisterhood and authenticity in the writing. Engaging with both horses and God is not an easy path and both will land you unceremoniously on your butt when that needs to happen and I so appreciated the honesty of that experience being shared." --Shelley Carr BA (Hons), MNCP (Accred) www.equinesoulconnection.com