<DIV>"The horses are blessed, chosen by God." Teresa Martino took the words her father whispered to her as a child to heart, and for more than 40 years has lived and worked with horses, hearing their stories and learning their lessons. In <I>Horse Nation, </I> she tells of the heroes and the fallen, the defiant and the healers, the gentle pony and the angry stallion: Casey, the blood bay, who jumped a teenage girl over her mother's car in a rite of passage; Icy, a black mare, strong and independent, who embodied the circle of life; and The Corinthian, a gray gelding, defining what it means to be a champion. She writes also of the riders, grooms, coaches, and students who have walked and breathed the equine path like acolytes. Martino's poems and sketches further illuminate this lyrical exploration of the unique relationship between horse and human.</div>