Mane Character Energy: Carrie Seim Talks Horse Girl and Horse Camp
The world of horses has fascinated readers and aspiring riders for generations, sparking stories filled with adventure, friendship, and determination. Inspired by her own lifelong passion for horses, author, comedian, and horse lover Carrie Seim turned that love into a successful writing career with her children's novels, Horse Girl and Horse Camp. I had the pleasure of interviewing her at Annabelle’s Book Club LA, where she recently celebrated the release of Horse Camp.
Ames Chang: I’m so excited to be chatting with you today about Horse Girl, Horse Camp, and everything horses! How did you come up with the ideas for Horse Girl and Horse Camp, and what draws you to writing middle grade books?
Carrie Seim: I was inspired by my younger sister, Lindsay, the big rider in our family. I loved horses, but I was terribly allergic to them. I used to watch my sister ride and cheer her on. In many ways, the idea, especially for Horse Girl, was a love letter to my sister. I think anyone who has a sibling can connect to the story. Also, I wanted it to show a character that can love horses no matter what. Whether or not you have a horse, you’re just watching them from afar, or you’re reading about them, horses can be so important to your life and be a really meaningful symbol. And a lot of my love of horses was from afar. In terms of middle grade, I love exploring that time in life when your whole life is changing and you get to discover who you are as a person.
AC: I know you grew up going to a riding camp. What are the biggest similarities and differences from that camp to your book Horse Camp?
CS: My sister and I went to the Silver Spurs Riding Program in Nebraska. We loved it, but that’s where we learned I’m deathly allergic to horses. I loved them. That was a special time in my life. I felt instantly comfortable with horses, even though I was sneezing my head off.
AC: Did you attend a riding academy similar to the Oakwood Riding Academy in Horse Girl?
CS: I didn’t, but my sister did in Omaha, Nebraska. A lot of the horses and horse hijinks that happen in the books were inspired by her riding academy. I was obsessed, so I would go watch her ride all the time.
“What’s amazing about finding your forever herd is it can lead you to other herds that can keep that magic spark going through your life.”
AC: Is there any particular character (person or horse) that you relate to the most, or are there characters that are partially or fully inspired by people or horses in your life?
CS: Clyde Lee was inspired by the horse my sister rode. He was a gentle giant with infinite patience. There was a horse called Macho Man, an adorable, cranky pony. He inspired one of the horses that Willa rides later in the book. Character-wise, I love Amara. She’s a villain with a heart of gold. I’m also proud of Willa, and I relate to her because she makes mistakes. She’s not a good rider, she falls a lot, and she is a misfit. But she literally gets back on the horse, keeps going, and isn't afraid to look silly. She follows her dreams. It’s also important that she has a sense of humor. She always finds inner strength and a sense of humor that helps her keep going. That was important to me to write a story where girls can have a sense of humor and make mistakes.
AC: I really resonated with Willa’s coming-of-age-story in Horse Girl and how she found her “forever herd.” When did you find your forever herd? Did you find them through horses and riding?
CS: I love that we all need to find our forever herd, right? It’s an important part of coming of age and finding where you feel like your truest self. I found my forever herd when I started comedy performing in college. I took classes and performed with The Groundlings, an improv comedy company in LA. That’s where I thought, “I’m with my forever herd.” And the cool thing about that is it brought me back to my love of horses. Through Groundlings, I was writing for Nickelodeon, and I met a book agent. He asked if I had any ideas. I circled back to the beginning, and that’s where Horse Girl came from. What’s amazing about finding your forever herd is it can lead you to other herds that can keep that magic spark going through your life.
AC: Are there any memories or anything that stand out to you that you wish made it in the book or that may make it into future books?
CS: Well, another thing that inspired Horse Camp is in the summer my entire family gets together and we all go to Wyoming. Part of that trip is a trail ride. But my sister-in-law, who is the least comfortable around horses, got the naughtiest horse, Alberto. He went rogue. Thankfully, my other sister-in-law was a rider growing up. She handled it, and they ended up trading horses. It was a wild adventure, and that inspired Horse Camp. When you read the book, you’ll see the first chapter is this wild runaway horse, and I love that being out with horses and riding in real life can be this incredible spark for a book scene. And here’s another funny moment that I did put into Horse Camp. Part of the trail ride is you go through a creek. At this particular time we were going, the creek was quite high, and our guide warned me that my horse liked to swim. I thought it was a joke, but it was not a joke! Within 30 seconds, we were in the water. It was so much fun, a little scary, but mostly just super fun. Being with a horse in the water was my dream come true. That became a scene in Horse Camp that I’m really proud of.
AC: I know your interest in storytelling has brought you to so many different places — have you ridden in any of the places you’ve traveled to or have any of those experiences traveling inspired some of your books?
CS: Riding horses in Wyoming definitely inspired a lot of Horse Camp, and I’m lucky that my earlier job was as a travel writer. I went to a lot of places around the world. One of the best trips I’ve had was in the United Arab Emirates. We did a camel ride into the desert. Camels are much taller than horses, but I was so comfortable because I think if you’ve ridden a horse, and you trust the animals and have faith and relax, it is amazing, and I had the best experience. Maybe that will be inspiration for something in the future.
AC: Speaking of going to different places ... Here we are at my sister’s bookstore, where you had an event last summer, but I know that in addition to bookstores, I love that you also hosted events at barns, tack shops, and horse shows! You have also hosted an event with horses. What were the highlights of your tour?
CS: One of the best parts of my tour is that I’ve gone to BreyerFest three times, which, if you're not familiar, BreyerFest is like Comic Con for model horses. About 30,000 people go, and it’s so much fun. It’s the ultimate horse girl trip because you meet people from all over who are horse obsessed. At BreyerFest, I’ve sold my books, signed my books, and given presentations and seminars about how to become a horse author. With the audience, we create our own horse story together at the end. That’s one of my favorite parts of the ongoing tour. In addition, one of the coolest things was in New York, I went to a public library, and they brought a horse onto the lawn outside. Also, going to all the barns and stables is just the best. Going back to one of the previous questions, something I just remembered that I would love to put in a book is, I was doing a photo shoot for Sidelines Magazine, and we wanted the horse in the shot with the book, so we put peppermints in the book. It worked like a charm! I happened to be wearing a dress with pearl beads on it, and after the horse nibbled the peppermint, he kept nibbling on the pearls! It was really funny, and I think that would be a great scene in a book.
AC: You’re an author, but you are also a comedian, and you have a lot of experience in different forms of storytelling. How are your unique experiences highlighted in your writing?
CS: My focus in all my writing is to find the characters behind the stories. I’m really a character-based writer or creator. To me, I cannot have a story until I’ve figured out these wonderfully, beautifully, flawed characters and who they’re going to be, and then the rest can come from there. I think that is the throughline in all my creative work. I really dig into these characters, especially their mistakes, their strengths, and their ability to truly get back on the horse.
AC: Because you have experience in film and tv, were you inspired by any TV shows or movies as a child and who would be your dream cast if the Horse Girl duology were to be turned into a movie or series?
CS: My sister and I, growing up, used to put in a blank VHS tape and record show jumping whenever it was on TV. We would watch these tapes every rainy day. But also, my sister and I read the Saddle Club books, which later became a TV series that we loved. We loved Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken, which was a fantastic movie. But actually, the movie I would say really inspired Horse Camp is the movie Clue. It’s the best mystery movie ever, I think, because it's a mystery with comedy, and I really wanted to embrace that for Horse Camp. So, I thought the best thing you can do as a creative person is combine two of your loves. So if you love mysteries, and you love horses, then boom!
AC: Why do you think horses remain so prominent across generations in different forms of media such as tv, books, art, and fashion?
CS: I think horses are magical touchstones that are a metaphor for adolescence. They let us hop between our younger selves and our dreams, wishes, and fantasies. When you’re on a horse, you literally get to jump between those two stages of your life. I think that’s why they resonate, and they represent the pure-hearted tenderness and comfort of childhood and the strength, power, and independence of adulthood. I think they will be enduring symbols forever in all kinds of art and creative work because of that universal touchstone. And by the way, I should say, the previous question, that Horse Girl has been optioned for a TV series. It’s still in development, but fingers crossed!
AC: I know that you have worked with Gallop NYC, a therapeutic riding program. How has working with them inspired you and your books?
CS: I have done a couple of book signings with them. They are a fantastic organization, and what’s really exciting about writing about horses is that you get to meet other horse people. Part of my book tour is I’ve gotten to meet other horse authors around the country, and one of those authors, Sara Maslin Nir, who writes middle grade horse books and is now writing an adult fantasy unicorn series, introduced me to the Gallop NYC people. The work they do is incredible, and what the horses give the riders in the program is astounding. I also work with Thor and Athena’s Promise, a rescue sanctuary in Colorado, and they work with draft horses. They do such great work rescuing horses like Clyde Lee. The way they show them love is amazing.
AC: Lastly, what advice would you give to people who want to get more interested in riding or writing?
CS: The best advice I can give you for either is to do it! For writing, the best thing you can do is put words down on the page and start your writing journey. Even if it’s just taking notes about a funny person in your life, a friend, something that surprises you, take notes, even if you’re not sure what it will become, that’s an incredible resource for you. In terms of horses, I emphasize you don’t have to have a horse or be near a horse to love horses, so you can read about them, visit them, volunteer at barns and stables, volunteer with rescue organizations, or with Gallop NYC, so it’s just taking that first step to get close to the thing that you love is so important.
AC: Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview today. I had so much fun!
CS: Thank you! Me too!
Follow Carrie on Instagram: @carriekseim
