Can the Horse Whisperer Tame the School Marm?
348328
Sarah Hansen never forgot the cruel words uttered by the frustrated young man. Yes, she'd acted like a shrew, but she was so young and trying to look out for her sisters. There was no cause for him to make the charge in front of all her classmates. And now, years later when he returns as the fabled "horseman" all her insecurities return with him.

Oscar White used to be sweet on Sarah's sister and had no use for the bossy mother hen who tried to act so mature, but when his job brings him to the ranch where the school teacher boards, he can't help but notice the change in her. Or maybe it's him who's changed.

What I love most about Williams' writing is that she excels at turning ordinary, daily tasks into acts of devotion. No hero shines as bright as Oscar when he steps in to help some of Sarah's disadvantaged students. I don't want to give any spoilers, but this story is full of heart and devotion.

A great read.
3812200
This is a such sweet book, very short and aimed at a young audience .. under tens I would suggest. A lot of the content is in the blurb so it doesnt leave much else to comment on here.
All Pip wants for her birthday is a pony but delve a little deeper and what she really desires is a friend. I suspect she is very lonely.
This displays how making fiends is give and take, Pip assumes wrongly that Buck (the pony) will do whatever she wants him to do and its quite a learning curve for her once her dad explains that she has to work at the friendship.
The first half of the book is Pips POV and the second half interestingly is from Buck .. I as an adult found that quite charming.
The author shows a passion for horses and this shines through. An excellent book either for a group school study or to read alone/together at home.
The pictures are delightful and it will appeal to many horse loving kids.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Susan Barton for the opportunity to read and review.
4117205
Arrogance and spoiled, a man takes advantage of an innocent girl. He is punished by being turned to a stallion with the ability to speak out only once by her Magician father. As a horse, he learns humility, loyalty, and the ability to love. This is one of my favorite stories.
839445
A wonderful story of a brave horse and the people that enter his life. The people are a wide range of interesting personalities. At times it can be a tear-jerker so if you're with your lady, be prepared.
575340
I loved this book.  It is action packed and a great read for horse lovers. All of us have had that horse that was a too much to handle. The author really gets adolescence too. Teens will identify with Lara as she struggles with unfamiliar feelings, tries to become independent and finally learns through experience. Just when Lara seems mainly focused on romance, she discovers the situation with Spook and faces an adult decision.
4272868
I loved Night Mare.  Janet is thirteen and her parents won't buy her a horse.  Her coach gladly lends her the stables horse and Janet is ungreatful.  The horse is slow and clumsy.  When she meets a horse at night  she can't tell if it's real or not.  She visits again and discovers that  the owners were ghosts.  Janet alone sets their spirts free.
1822749
This is a great book, with great explanations and detailed (although dated, and b&w) photos. Some very inspirational photos of bareback/bridleless riding are there, and details of your first and most important steps to get to the goal of perfect communication. He uses horse language, habit and psychology to allow a human to ensure better communication, and how to be a hose's leader. He even has the old level 1 self - test in the back. He teaches other very important skills to have around horses, especially safety issues. (Of course the most important skill is self confidence without ego, which can not be taught) I like the way he presents the material - a bit of comedy to lighten the mood, while still making a point. Even my not so horsey boyfriend enjoys reading excerpts.
However if you want to follow Parelli, he has formed a new "Pattern" system which, although has less guidance, does allow you to progress beyond level 1 in one skill set (on-line, liberty, freestyle, finesse) even if you can't go forward in another skill set. (for example, not being able to ride your Mini used to work against you - Now you progress fully in the non riding disciplines of on-line and liberty.) I still use this book even following the "patterns" for better explanations on certain tasks.
4316706
We'll never know if this is a true story or a well-meant but fanciful tale.  An adult would doubt the truth of this 1845 pioneer and wagon train tale, but a child would want to believe that a wild white stallion intervened on two dangerous occasions and saved the life of a very young girl named Gretchen.  So..., I would present the tale as a family legend--believed by some and not by others.  Nevertheless, the story does have some suspense--once it gets going--and also endears us to a faithful family mare named Anna who had to choose between freedom with a wild stallion and his herd or loyalty to her human "family."  This is a nice story for those almost-independent readers.

Fiction:  For very young readers (grades 1-3)

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Creative-Teacher-Activities-for-Language-Arts-Grades-4-through-8-and-Up/dp/1604945486/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Creative Teacher: Activities for Language Arts (Grades 4 through 8 and Up)</a>
3266209
I loved this book, can't wait to find the BBC film! Monty Roberts brought Natural Horsemanship to the attention of horse enthusiasts....many more followed his lead and now there are so many "Horse Whisperer's". He brought hope to horses!
4707479
I enjoyed this light fun horse story. It is for the elementary age group. I think the first time readers might need a little help but second grade up can read on their own. Little girls who love horses will especially like this book. I am a daydreamer too so I completely got her. I remember getting in trouble at school too. lol The book is well written and the pages fly by. There is a faith element that is blended nicely. It is the first in the Backyard Horses series. Highly Recommended!
4458390
Any rider will benefit from becoming a horse friendly rider and this book will tell you how. Sadly, the author does anthropomorhize horse behavior and gives questionable advice on groundwork. Read "Equitation Science" first in order to be able to separate the sense from the nonsense in this book and any other horse book you read.
2472344
<div id="video-block-R19DS1LS4R1N8U" class="a-section a-spacing-small a-spacing-top-mini video-block"></div><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1oOS6coTxS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1oO2CT6L8S.png" class="video-slate-img-url">&nbsp;Great product!  Works just as advertised, really helps my horses understand how I want them to carry themselves. I use it on multiple horses from 14hh to 17hh. If your horse is large (17hh+) you may need to get extra rope to add some length but its worked for me.
My only dislike is that to get everything even takes some time as the adjustment is just slipping the ropes through keepers with no markers or such to know where you're at. I just used a sharpie in 1 inch increments to ensure a consistent adjustment for when I have my students using it.
1431199
Like any book or DVD on any subject, take what you like and leave the rest. All horses won't enjoy or respond favorably to all
the treatments in the Masterson Method, Some Love it, some pick and choose what they like. I've been working on people and now horses for over fifteen years, and I have found that rings true with any modality. That's why I always try to learn as many different ways to work out problems as possible, you can never have too many tools in the box.
I enjoyed the book. I had purchased the DVD earlier, and I got a good feel for Jim Masterson's personality, which for some reason
made the book easier to follow. I will continue to use it, I think he is a wonderful teacher.
346317
Also published as The Black Stallion and the Girl (Paperback)
This book could be read alone but complements the series well.
Alec Ramsay is still racing his Arabian stallion The Black to earn prizemoney while he gets a breeding stable established. He is advised by his surrogate father Henry Dailey, an elderly horse trainer. In need of extra help, Alec hires a girl called Pam Athene with fine blonde hair who really has a way with horses. Even the temperamental Black gets on with her.
A fair bit of the book is spent with Alec mooching about getting to know Pam and walking into her room when she is not present. There is a reason for this. But back to the story. Alec is injured and cannot ride the Black in a race and the issue then is whether Pam - who is willing to try - can stay on the Black and if so, would make a fair enough jockey to help the Black do what he does best. Alec has definite feelings for her and doesn't want to risk her life.
The personal story behind this book is that Farley had a daughter called Pam who died young. This book was his way of immortalising her - the hint comes with the Greek goddess surname, as 'those whom the gods love die young' in ancient Greece. So when Alec stares around Pam's belongings and posters, we can see the author doing just that, and when Pam steps up to mount the Black, we can see Farley telling us that one cannot wrap young people in cotton wool. Knowing this I find it a sad story but for a subtly romantic horsey adventure it is a fine read.
4719744
The most interesting characters in this novel are a pony and a spurned lover, the other characters are okay but the mystery surrounding the aforementioned are much more interesting.

Sybilla is a horse midwife and for some reason only the Church knows, assisting horses during birth is evil and she is banned from practicing her services.  Somehow Sybilla manages to get the funds to buy a pregnant mare and she assists in the birthing of a special colt that is bigger than normal with special markings.  When the sheriff and Lord Hamon discover what she is about they are determined to find her and take away her colt.  She plans on using this animal to start a horse farm.  This, by the way, was hardly plausible as she has no money or parents and she cannot practice her skill.

Sybilla is saved from certain death by Sir Guy, a landed knight bent solely on avenging his sister and nephew's deaths.  He is convinced Lord Hamon killed his sister.  Guy and Lord Hamon have a history, Sir Guy had an affair with Lord Hamon's wife, Lady Morna, and her husband is the possessive sort.  Lady Morna is a seer and has predicted that a horse marked like Sybilla's colt will lead Sir Guy to evidence of the murder.  To protect Sybilla, Guy claims the colt and states that Sybilla is his servant.  This is difficult for her as she is a freewoman, however, Sybilla is aware of the danger surrounding her and her colt and she takes a subservient role with Guy except when it comes to horses.

To ensure Sybilla and the colt's safety, the two must make their way to Sir Guy's liege lord but there are some bumps along the way, namely the little colt which develops some strange afflictions (I never knew how the colt would behave.)  Lord Hamon is not about to leave them alone either.

What I found intriguing in this novel was Sybilla's horse skills more than her romance with Guy, who seemed morose, he just could not let go of his sister's death.  He is stubborn and at times unfair, I felt like he really did steal Sybilla's colt.  His self banishment from his own home was a form of punishment and not only does it affect him but Sybilla also. Now she must travel as a servant instead of being a freewoman in Guy's home. His former lover Lady Morna was mysterious and complex, more so than Sybilla.  She has a part to play in Guy's life but so does Sybilla.  I give this almost 4 stars.  The horse midwife idea was novel and at times Sybilla was engaging, especially with the horses but Guy was so gloomy that I had a hard time getting beyond his self punishment.
2229829
I wasn't sure I would like Charlie at first. She's a Jersey girl who refers to cowboys as stupid cowboys. She's a vegetarian animal rights activist, who doesn't believe in riding horses - It's morally wrong, forcing animals to serve us. She's a grad student, and has been sent to this ranch in the wilds of Wyoming to attend a clinic for the purpose of assessing the parallels between the training techniques of Western livestock managers and the nonverbal cues with which humans communicate their wants and needs. Or as Charlie sums it up, harassing innocent animals with a bunch of cowboys. I love animals, and I'm all for animal rights, but I don't support PETA and their over the top, at times bullying methods of grabbing headlines. And Charlie sounded like a card carrying member. She's even participated in PETA protests.

Nate doesn't quite know what to make of her either. Especially when she tells him she's here to attend one of his clinics. Because he has no idea what she's talking about. Seems his ex-girlfriend flew the coop recently, cleaning out his bank account, but not before printing up a bunch of brochures and collecting four deposits for his non-existent clinic services. But Charlie's car has broken down, and she has no way to leave. Plus her boss would expect her to bring that deposit back with her, which neither she nor Nate have. So the shy, quiet cowboy is forced to come up with a lesson plan and carry on with the promises made in the brochure.

Once Nate introduces Charlie to a couple of horses, and she sees his training techniques in action, she chills out with the abuse accusations and becomes quite enamored with one stallion in particular, and of course, despite her disdain for cowboys, with Nate himself. And I did like her quite well after all. The other three students trickle in one by one, and each individual was quite a character in their own right, though not necessarily who or what they seemed to be upon first meeting them.

When the ex-girlfriend puts in an appearance, things get tense and skewered. Nate is the strong sensitive type. He gets tongue tied very easily and struggles to form a coherent sentence, though the smoldering looks he aims Charlie's way speak loud and clear. With the horses he's much more confident of himself, hence his reputation as a horse whisperer. I got a little frustrated with him when the ex came back and began taking over his life again, and he let her bully him without standing up to her. But he's a good guy, coming to realize what a crappy relationship they've had, and seeing through Charlie what a real relationship could be like.

My only real beef were some inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story. In one scene, Nate is having trouble sleeping, tossing and turning as he tries to get comfortable on the sofa. All he could think about was that morning he'd woken up on this same sofa with Charlie in his arms, tucked against him. Yet on the next page: He swung his feet to the floor and levered himself out of bed...He shuffled quietly across the bedroom... When did he get from the sofa to the bedroom? And then later, he and Charlie are riding together on a horse, him sitting in front of her: Nate leaned back against her, his broad back warm against her chest. But a few paragraphs later, while they are still riding: He kissed the back of her neck. How the hell did he kiss the back of her neck from in front of her?

There's a bit of humor, some nice descriptions of the Wyoming countryside, a locked attic hiding secrets, some twists and turns in the storyline, and a lot of heart as Nate and Charlie dance around each other, fighting, then being friends, getting closer, then blowing up at each other. Not quite as good as COWBOY TROUBLE, the only other Kennedy book I've read so far, but very enjoyable.
3335975
for a horse crazy girl this is the perfect book for you! its so worth the money and it goes through some really exciting and scary chapters. Andi is really scared when he brother gets hurt. Oh and there is a bank to. buy this book!