Kressley trumpets his latest work

Even viewers who have only a passing acquaintance with the cable makeover series “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” will recognize Carson Kressley.

With his big shock of blond hair, bold fashion sense and endless supply of bons mots, Kressley quickly became the leader of the Fab Five, that quintet of gay men who every week help turn a well-meaning hetero schlub into a lady killer.

Kressley used to work for Ralph Lauren, and he exudes New York urbanity. So viewers might be surprised to learn that he grew up on a horse farm in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. His family raised Shetlands and Miniature Horses, and Kressley was entering horses at American Royal competitions long before the media spotlight fell on him.

He is now using his fame on “Queer Eye” (which is returning for a new season at 9 tonight on Bravo) to promote his new book, You’re Different and That’s Super. It’s a book for kids, and it stars a horse named Trumpet, who is rejected by his stallmates because of the unusual horn growing out of his forehead. However, when a barn fire breaks out, Trumpet is able to use his horn to save himself and the other horses. The media then discover the unicorn, and Kressley — I mean Trumpet — is carried off to fame and fortune.

On a recent trip to Kansas City, Kressley read his book inside the horse barn at I Can Ride, a therapeutic horseback-riding program, and answered a few questions afterward.

The new season of “Queer Eye” starts with a wedding proposal, and I read that you’ll be doing more proposal shows in the future. Why the focus on weddings?

Our viewers like it. I always say as a joke, “If the gays can’t get married, at least we can help the straight people do it the right way.” And all along our show has taken “Emergency 911” requests. This is just a natural progression of that: “We’re getting married — help!”

When you make these personal appearances, who’s happier to see you? Straight women or gay men?

Sometimes, actually, it’s the straight men who are very excited. Many times I’ll be in the airport and a guy will run up to me and say, “Oh, I love your show,” and I’ll be like, “Are you like, hitting on me?” and then he’ll say, “And my wife loves you even more,” and I’ll be like, “Darn!”

Tell me about you and horses.

I grew up on a pony farm. My grandparents had ponies in the 1960s. My grandmother — I dedicated my book to her — she grew up in the 1920s on a farm in Pennsylvania, and they only had big horses like draft horses and Clydesdales.

She wanted a pony because you can’t ride these other horses. So in the 1950s when there was the big pony craze, she told everyone that my dad wanted a pony. Well, my dad didn’t want a pony. He was not interested whatsoever. So she got a boy pony and then a girl pony, so then they had two ponies, and then three and then nine — it’s math. By the 1960s they had hundreds of ponies and were one of the largest breeders of Shetland ponies in the United States. It’s crazy. She’s kind of like me, she does things in a big way.

I started showing American Saddle Brook horses, and I’ve been coming here (to the American Royal) since 1991, at least to watch. It’s very competitive. It’s our national championships. This year I have two, a horse of mine that I think is pretty nice, and then another horse that I’m showing for some friends in Minnesota.

This book. Is it a parable for Carson Kressley’s life?

It may be semi-autobiographical, but it’s not literal. The main character, Trumpet, is different from the herd.

The main theme is that we’re often in situations where there is a herd mentality, and it’s not always the most healthy thing for everyone. And sometimes sticking to your guns or embracing your diversity is the best source of strength and enlightenment and happiness for you.

But it’s not just about me, because there are lots of reasons why kids feel different. My niece is 8, and she says, “Uncle, I’m the tallest girl in my class. I can’t stand it.” And I’m like, “Really? You think Heidi Klum ever felt like that?” So the message is, you might not fit in now, but everyone has a special place in the world, and sometimes it takes a different set of circumstances for us to find it.