Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen

I picked this book up soley because it was half off at Target. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. It was engaging and technically accurate. This was Sara Gruen's first novel and I was impressed. As a genetics buff, I love the fact that the main horse is a white brindle :) I hate how her publisher keeps comparing her to Horse Whisperer. I think her writing definately stands out well enough on its own. This book gets four horse shoes!

Flicka

I was initially boycotting this movie because of the "disneyfication" of the story. There is very little in common with the classic My Friend Flicka that we have all come to know and love. With that being said, I love this movie. The cinematography is amazing. I think it is well done and has a believable story line that isn't dumbed down. I think the clincher for this movie is the sound track. Wild Horses, performed by Natasha Bedingfield, is one of those rare songs that actually makes me tear up when I hear it. I had to watch this movie by myself because of that one scene. This gets the coveted five horse shoe award!

Bella Sara

This review is of Bella Sara Trading Cards. I purchased these on whim just to see what they were about. Each card features horse artwork along with a postive quote or saying. Each card also has an activation code that you can enter on the Bella Sara website. Once your horse is entered you can groom, feed and play games with your horse. It is definately geared more towards children but I know plenty of adults who also collect Bella Sara cards. The website is well designed and enjoyable to use. I give it three horseshoes. They are still in the developing stages it seems. Once they have everything built up a bit more, they're rating will definately go up :)

She Flies Without Wings

This review is of the book She Flies Without Wings: How Horses Touch a Woman's Soul by Mary D. Midkiff. This was another amazing book. It was so nice to read the experiences of someone who is like me, feeling more at home in the barn and with horses than anywhere else. Mary tells the story of her own life from childhood to middle age through the stories of the horses that have made impressions in her heart. She makes you laugh and she makes you cry, while also causing you to think about your own life and horse experiences. Another must read. Four horse shoes!

Tao of Equus

This review is of the book Tao of Equus by Linda Kohanov. I have to say that this book is the single most influential book that I have ever read. It drastically changed the way I think about everything from my reltionships with horses to my relationships with people. It also shed a new light on the situation with Bailey that I discussed in a previous post. This allowed me to finally let go and stop blaming myself for the things that have happened in the past. If you are a woman and you love horses this is an absolute must read. Even if you aren't, it will change your life. This book definately deserves the coveted 5 horseshoes!

I am so behind on reviews so I just might be posting a few today :)

My First Product Review!

I use so many horse related products that I figured I might as well start writing reviews on them. I'm going to use a 1 to 5 scale, one being sucky and five being great. I even found a cute little horseshoe graphic to use.



In honor of Funny Cide's recent retirement I am reviewing the book Funny Cide. I found this book incredibly interesting. It followed every detail of his life from foaling up until he lost Preakness. I was left feeling almost like I knew Funny because of how much they described his personality and habits. It's a side of Funny that most of us didn't get to see in the press. It's amazing that the Barnes and Noble in Hoboken had it for only $5.00! It was writen as more of a human interest piece but it was writen by his owners who are more like investors than horsemen. I would definately recommend this book. It gets four horseshoes out of five, but only because I am very hard to please. :)