Girls and Their Horses Author Eliza Jane Brazier on Horse Moms, Hollywood, and How Being a Lifelong Equestrian Has Shaped Her Career
“In a way, your novels are like your dreams.”
From captivating novels to stories about the bond between horses and humans, Eliza Jane Brazier creates memorable characters and compelling worlds in her books. I was lucky enough to sit down with the author, screenwriter, equestrian, and lifelong horse lover to discuss her novel Girls and Their Horses. While Girls and Their Horses takes center stage, Brazier also reflects on her broader career as an author and the enduring role horses continue to play in her life and work.
Ames Chang: I’m so excited to be talking with you today about Girls and Their Horses, which is one of my favorite books! You portray the horse world so accurately. I know you are an equestrian, so I’m wondering how much of this was inspired by real life?
Eliza Jane Brazier: Girls and Their Horses takes place in Rancho Santa Fe, and I grew up 10 minutes away from there. I was at a much more relaxed barn growing up and this is an extreme version of that reality, but I did try to use the ecosystem of the equestrian world, the trainers, the riders, and the horses.
AC: The horses in this book, especially Commotion, are so meaningful. How did you approach writing them?
EJB: Honestly, vibes! I’m just obsessed with horses, and I’ve been riding since I was 5. I love how they have such unique personalities, and I love writing about that connection with horses. Now that I’m working on the adaptation of Girls and Their Horses for TV, I’m hoping to further explore their personalities and have more horses as characters.
AC: Can you tell me a bit about the personalities of your horses?
EJB: I have three horses in my backyard right now. They do have their individual personalities, but I do think that they can be such mirrors for you if you allow them to be, and if you choose to see it. Sometimes it's stuff we don't want to see. All of my horses are super friendly and have chill personalities. Even though they're three different individual horses, they act similar, and I think they kind of get that from me. I feel like it really forces you to confront the energy that you use when you come into the world. Whatever your energy or vibe is, you have to confront that if you're having a bad day, your horse will start acting up, and you'll be like, “What's going on?” And you have to take that pause and think, “Wait a minute, I'm doing this.” You really have to face yourself and try to change yourself, which is really cool.
AC: You mention the animal-human connection ... how has this influenced your writing career, and what are the biggest lessons you’ve learned from horses?
EJB: Right now, I’m focusing on training my horses. I’m really into making progress that way and starting from the ground up. One of the biggest lessons is to work with the horse that’s in front of you. One of the most challenging and exciting things about having these relationships with horses is that it’s not a linear timeline. You may have setbacks and ups and downs, so it’s important to reset everyday. While being present in that moment and working that way is humbling, it has taught me not to have all these expectations going into things. I think that’s definitely a big life lesson for me.
AC: The novel explores the pressure of competition. What interests you in writing about that?
EJB: Growing up, I was frustrated because I remember being at my barn and thinking I wasn’t good enough. I didn’t have the right saddle, the fancy horse, or the right clothes. I used those feelings of frustration. There’s always someone that you think is ahead of you, and I need to remind myself that I’m not competing with everyone else. It is really hard not to be envious, and I kind of just put those feelings into the book, even though I try not to have them in real life.
AC: What role does perfectionism play in the lives of your characters?
EJB: Heather is a perfectionist, and as a mom, expects things to look or be a certain way. I think that’s so unrealistic, and one of the most important lessons I’ve learned from horses is that you really can’t be perfect. It is really unfair to expect that from yourself or your horse. The most important thing is progress.
AC: I love how Girls and Their Horses explores the dynamics between the horse moms at the barn, especially Heather and Pamela. They are both complex characters, and they have an interesting friendship because they are both so competitive. How did you go about writing that?
EJB: When I was living at home in Encinitas, I worked in Orange County at a barn, Hayden Clark. It was a different world to me. The barn was lovely and the trainers were amazing, but that was probably the closest it got to Girls and Their Horses. It was my first time being around these extremely wealthy people, and that really inspired the characters, because I remember meeting this one mom who had a son who could not care less about horses, but it was her dream when she was young to have a horse. So, all she wanted was to give her son her dream. He would come for lessons, and he didn't want to ride, and she was like, “Okay, you can hang out with the horses.” So we would do lessons where he would hang out in the arena with the horse wandering around. That was kind of my inspiration for Heather. Also, I experienced the very involved barn moms, so I kind of took a bit of both of those things for those characters.
AC: We’ve talked a bit about Heather and Pamela—did you have a favorite character to write about in Girls and Their Horses?
EJB: I feel like I love them all. I totally connect to all of them. I mean, probably my favorite ones to write were Vida and Piper. Vida because she's so extreme and crazy and Piper because she's really warm. I also like Maple, because that's like my anxiety, and I liked writing Douglas as well, because, you know, I just think he's really cute in my mind!
AC: I love how you reference actual places in Girls and Their Horses. Can you tell me a bit about Mary’s Tack and Feed which is prominently featured in the book?
EJB: Mary’s Tack and Feed is totally my favorite. Because I grew up near it, when I was younger, my barn friends and I would go to Mary's once a month. I am a horse equipment junkie. I literally know every type of saddle, every brand of equestrian equipment, and all the clothes. And as an adult, I still love tack shops. I agree with you, they are my happy place, and I still love going to Mary’s.
AC: I also really enjoyed the mystery in Girls and Their Horses. What are some of your favorite murder mysteries?
EJB: This is an obvious one, but I love Gone Girl. Also, Big Little Lies was a big inspiration for Girls and Their Horses. It's so authentic. It truly captures real people, even the way people talk and act, and I am totally inspired by that kind of writing. Maybe that would be my pick.
AC: I know that Girls and Their Horses is being adapted for television by Nicole Kidman, and that another one of your books, It Had to Be You, is being directed by Sam Hargrave and produced by Platinum Dunes. What does it feel like to have two books picked up by Hollywood?
EJB: It's been really cool. I moved to LA in 2018 and I wanted to write for TV, but I didn't know how to get into the business. Meanwhile, I was teaching riding lessons, and I started working on a book while I was working at the Paddock Riding Club. Within 6 months, I sold that book, and I got a few offers to adapt a project for TV. So, I came to LA hoping that I would get to this point where I'd be able to write for TV. That was my goal, but I also think horses are such a big part of that, specifically because one of the projects I was working on was about horses, and even the first book, If I Disappear, takes place at a dude ranch, so it's horsey. Also, just having that job and having that opportunity every day to go to the stable and be around horses—it was so good for my mental health, so it totally fed into me being able to achieve that dream.
AC: You’ve written six books. I know this is a little like asking a mother if she has a favorite child, but do you have a favorite, and if so, why?
EJB: I couldn't really pick a favorite. There are favorites at different times, but I will say that I like Girls and Their Horses the most because I love writing about horses. That's the one I want to see adapted the most. It would be a show that I would want to watch, and it would be amazing if I could keep working on it because I could work with horses, which would be so cool.
“I like the idea that horses are mirrors for us.”
AC: Are you writing or working on any books right now?
EJB: I've just been working on the TV show. I've been working on adapting, and I'm starting to branch out into adapting other people's projects. I love screenwriting, and that was my original goal, but I could see myself going back to books if I want to take a break from screenwriting. Working in film and TV is like a group project, which I’m enjoying right now, but if I ever want to do something by myself, then I'll go back to writing books.
AC: As an aspiring writer, I have to ask ... what is your best piece of advice?
EJB: My best piece of advice is just to keep going, even when you think that you suck, and even if you do suck. I think that sometimes that is the biggest and hardest thing for me. I'll write an entire book and I'll say, “Oh my god, this is terrible, and I never want to work on it again.” I can't even look at it and I'm so embarrassed. You have to just force yourself and push yourself to go back to it and continue to work on it. I’d also say that it is important to keep dreaming. My dream was to be a writer and here I am. In a way, your novels are like your dreams. Even if dreams can be kind of dark sometimes, it’s your imagination, and you should embrace it!
AC: Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview.
EJB: Of course! Thank you.
