Holding The Lines

I was moved by her well written, warm-hearted description of how the desire for farm life and conservation of nature become reality and the life that define her and her family.

Reading “Holding the Lines” by Maureen Ash, a history of her organic farm, I was moved by her well written, warm-hearted description of how the desire for farm life and conservation of nature become reality and the life that define her and her family. Working with horses, training, breeding them, doesn´t only mean a lot of work but also a very emotional approach to work on a farm. The relationships the whole family develop with the animals and their different characters are so vividly told that you can feel the joy e.g. with every successful birth and the sorrow of the loss of a beloved animal friend to the family as well as the impact this way of life has on the education of her children. “Holding the Lines” is a wonderful journey into the dedicated endeavor of a woman committed to her family, her environment and her society. Maureen Ash was not only able to work very hard for her dream but also has the gift to share her experience thus providing her readers with an amazing, moving, and inspiring story.

a fellow breeder

I recently completed reading Maureen Ash’s new book “Holding the Lines.”  Although I cannot boast any literary authority, this book should be on the coffee table of every Suffolk breeder and in the curriculum list of anyone mentoring new teamsters. “Holding the Lines” is neither a how- to- book nor is it an attempt at some mystical utopic “culture.”  Maureen writes from where the tire meets the track, sharing her day to day, rekindling those “ah” moments you have experienced with your horse. I laughed, I sighed, I even cried.  Maureen, along with her husband Rich Purdy, show us there is a place for blending draft power and corporate duty.  “Holding the Lines” gives us permission to passionately seek improvement in our lifestyle, the breed, and the community in which we live.  

The bliss of slowing down the pace

Holding the Lines is packed with heartbreak, overcoming and humor that kept me turning the pages with anticipation. As I would finally relent to putting the book down after a good read and some giggles and tears, I would feel the bliss of the natural pace of life filtering into my life. In this book, things take the time they take and what a gift from the author, her family and her horses to all the rest of us.