Update to February 10 post (upcoming books)

An update to the Feb 10 post about new and upcoming horsey books for 2010 - I've received a very kind email from the authors of the new book Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs which says that the publication date is actually March 16, but "you can order advance copies at the Interational Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros -- Wild Horse Annie's original organization -- and proceeds benefit its work." Also, "We have started a blog to provide information about Wild Horse Annie that we couldn't fit into the book. Here's the link. www.wildhorseanniestory.com"

So, thanks to Alison Griffiths and David Cruise for the news, and for the very lovely book trailer above.

Oscar Night

In honor of it being Oscar night and the month of March (aka, the official 30-day celebration of St. Patrick's Day), here's a review of a movie about an Irish breed of horse.

The Little Horse That Could - The Connemara Stallion: Erin Go Bragh

1996, Dreams Come True Productions

Dir: Stirlin Harris

This video for children features a voiceover narration from the horse himself as he recounts his life story and pursues an eventing career with rider Carol Kozlowski. Go Bragh and Carol are shown training and competing, with simple explanations of both everyday events like a farrier's visit and more specialized events like a trip to Anne Kursinski's Market Street Farm for lessons.

Beautiful, fun and very kid-friendly, though the Lucky Charms accent on the voiceover and the relentless fiddle music in the background will make you want to mute it and just watch. Ground-level shots frequently add humor as the farm's ubiquitus and iniquitous Jack Russell Terriers begin threatening the cameraman; the little terrors also function as neckwarmers for Carol on the long drives south to events.

Note

Available in VHS or DVD, this film was for a time also packaged with a Breyer model of Go Bragh.

Update

Erin Go Bragh was retired from competition in 1999; he is now a sire. Carol Kozlowski continues to ride. In 2009, one of the horses she has been competing is a Go Bragh offspring, Lookover Erin.

Horses

Hideaway's Erin Go Bragh (aka Go Bragh) - 15.1 bay Connemara stallion

Hideaway's Erin Smithereen - Go Bragh's sire, grey

Links

Hideaway Farm Connemaras

Dreams Come True Productions

Breyer model

American Connemara Pony Society
USEF article about Kozlowski

The Trouble With Skye (aka A Horse To Love), 2004

The Trouble With Skye (aka A Horse To Love)
Series: Keystone Stables (#1)
Marsha Hubler
2004, Zonderkidz

"God made a horse's mouth very sensitive. It doesn't take much to stop him with that bit in his mouth, so be careful. Did you know it tells us in the Bible that a tiny bit controls a powerful horse like this one? God's Word has wisdom for every facet of life, even how to handle God's creatures."
What is he talking about? Skye asked herself. The Bible? What does that have to do with horses?

13-year-old Skye Nicholson is a jaded foster kid who's been through 13 homes and a long list of tangles with the juvenile court system. Her latest trick, throwing a soda at a classmate and setting fire to her books, has earned her a one-way ticket to the local juvenile lockup, but she's re-routed by Christian foster parents Eileen and Tom Chambers, who also run a special needs camp. Skye is less than impressed with the God talk, but falls head over heels for their Quarter Horse, Champ.

She released her hand from the horn, reaching cautiously toward Champ's neck. Gently, Skye crawled her fingers under his thick, flowing mane and stroked his coat, which was warm from the rays of the sun - as warm as her not-so-nasty heart. She took a deep breath and smiled.

But of course, just learning to love and ride horses - which Skye does with the typical ease of a series heroine - isn't enough. Skye's problems are at school, where she can't resist once again assaulting her unfortunate classmate Hannah, and at the counseling sessions at Maranatha Treatment Center, and at her new foster home. Rules irk her. Hannah irks her. Life irks her. And when things irk Skye, she feels free to flip out and start punching people. She's not a tremendously likeable heroine.

The religious message is consistent and forceful, but well-integrated into the plot. A child could read it simply as a horse story, as the religious tone is not clunky. As an adult, it's hard to avoid seeing the very Christian-of-a-certain-type themes and beliefs in the plot of a black sheep reclaimed, and particularly in the indifference of the main characters to the effects of Skye's actions on others. As long as poor little Skye learned to trust and love, that's the only important thing.

The writing is better than that of most series, though the quality is not consistent. The strong characters and brisk plot make this an appealing series book, which would have benefited from better editing, and tightening up language that is sometimes weak or clumsy.

There isn't much horse in this horse story. Champ is very much background, despite Skye's affection for him and the part he plays in the plot.

The first few books of the series have been reissued with new titles and covers. This installment's new title is A Horse To Love and the cover is of a horse running (see here). An improvement over the sulky teen model on the original cover. According to the author's website, the new editions feature chapters in the back about horses and horse care.


Note:
The first quote references James 3:3
Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body

The whole meghilla:

1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Biblegateway


Horses
Champ - chestnut Quarter Horse gelding (5yo)
Pepsi - bay Quarter Horse mare
Diamond - grey Thoroughbred

Dogs
Tippy Canoe - West Highland White Terrier
Tyler Too - West Highland White Terrier

Note: This is a very modern book to have a reference to Tippecanoe and Tyler Too! This old slogan goes back to the 1840 presidential election, and a campaign song celebrating William Henry Harrison and his vice-presidential candidate, John Tyler. The Tippecanoe was a river near the 1811 battle in which Harrison had led the Indiana Territory settlers against a Native American uprising. The settlers won, Tecumseh's forces never recovered, and Harrison used it in his presidential bid 29 years later. He won the election, but 22 days after his inauguration, he came down with a cold. With the limited medicine of the time, the relentless pressures of office and no time to rest, his cold turned into pneumonia. Nine days later, he died, and is still the president with the briefest tenure.

Just had to mention it, as I've seen the Tippy/Tyler duos in older books, ones from the first half of the 20th century, but didn't think I'd see it in a book from 2004.

Other books in series
On The Victory Trail (aka A True Test For Skye)
Southern Belle's Special Gift (aka Trouble Times Two)
Summer Camp Adventure (aka Teamwork At Camp Tioga)
Leading The Way (aka The Winning Summer)
Blue Ribbon Champ
Whispering Hope
The Long Ride Home

Links
Author website
Zonderkidz

Peanuts The Pony (1941)

Peanuts The Pony
Arensa Sondergaard and Mary Maud Reed
1941, D.C. Heath & Co.

True, there is no actual review here. But I feel this is a) fitting as the book itself contains no actual words, and b) beside the point, as the illustrations are very lovely.


One of a series for beginner readers called Our Animal Story Books.


Trivia
S.E. Hinton's first library book!




Other books by Arensa Sondergaard
The Horse With The Flying Mane
My First Geography of the Panama Canal
The Little Fir Tree
Fun For Fidelia
The Snow Man
Fuzzy Tail
A History of the United States for Young People
Biddy And The Ducks
Maybelle The Donkey
A Day With Old Joe
They Went Exploring

Other books illustrated by Doris and Marion Henderson
Penny The Puppy
Little White Rabbit
A Real Kitten
Why?
Dick and Dot: A Primer
Singing Hearts
Zeke the Raccoon
Trim The Christmas Tree
Maeterlinck's The Children's Bluebird
My Dog Laddie

Animal Magnetism (2009)

A short review of a memoir by Rita Mae Brown, author of the popular Sister Jane foxhunting mysteries. To explain the last two links, which are left hanging by the review itself, among the topics Brown's wide-ranging book addresses are horse slaughter and the death of the racehorse Ferdinand.



Animal Magnetism
Rita Mae Brown
2009, Ballantine Books


This book is about the many lessons I've learned, the animals who have loved me, endured me, and taught me, and my bottomless love for them in return.

The prolific writer and author of the popular Sneaky Pie cat mysteries and Sister Jane foxhunting mysteries rambles pleasantly in this memoir, always returning to her love of nature, animals and life.

Born in Pennsylvania, Brown was raised in a family that identified intensely as Southern and eccentric.

Mother had a refreshingly low opinion of monogamy. Naturally, one did one's best. If a wild moment came upon you, the best course of action was to be discreet...

A little of that flavor of playful southern charm can go a long way, and Brown doesn't belabor it. She flickers over to her mother's interest in foxes, and her own childhood study of them. While the book ranges over topics as diverse as farming, politics, cats and family history, it keeps returning to horses and foxhunting.

Horses, like women, dazzle. The result: brains fly out the window. Even experienced horsemen can lose their composure. You pay for beauty.

While I long ago reach my lifetime quota of country wisdom and southern oddity, there are just too many good lines in this book to hold her tendency toward both against her. One final crack:

A dog will whine if it's upset or needs something, but no animal whines in the manner of a human. It's deeply boring when a woman does it and beyond the pale when a man does it. Patriarchy brings extra benefits, extra burdens. You want the benefits, accept the burdens.


Links
Author website - Sister Jane books
Author website - excerpt from Animal Magnetism
Oak Ridge Fox Hunt
The Bloodhorse article about Ferdinand's fate
Thoroughbred Retirement Fund

Other books
Brown has written a lot of books, so I'll just list the foxhunting mystery series in which horses, hounds, and everyone else gets a voice.


Outfoxed
Hotspur
Full Cry
The Hunt Ball
The Hounds And The Fury
The Tell-Tale Horse
Hounded To Death