Post by tintin on Jul 9, 2015 12:43:16 GMT 1
I will start with a confession. Despite, in my opinion, holes so large in the plot you could drive a motor bus through them, I really enjoyed Rodeo Rocky, so, although this review may seem negative, that's not the whole picture. The book is written with some verve, pace and passion.I was at page 50 before I knew it. This is a very good book easily earning a 5 or even Gold Cup if it were not for its shortcomings. It could have been an excellent or even great book.
The book forms part of a long series, "Horses of Half Moon Ranch" which centres on Kirstie, the daughter of the owner, and her palomino Lucky. This allows a wide variety of horses to pass through with different qualities and stories.
Rocky is a wild bay stallion who is captured and we first see him at a rodeo where he is very harshly treated, much to Kirstie's distress who prevails on her mother to buy him.
Rodeos are largely illegal in the UK (the poor Parliamentary draftsmen had a dreadful time defining them - events involving livestock and "the throwing in of ropes") I used to think this a strange law (its from the 30's, but having read this book I understand it more - although it is in in any case offence to overbear, over ride, overload, cruelly beat or torment a horse. Poor Rocky's misadventures in the ring illustrate all these offences)
Rocky is completely unbroken and pretty damn angry and the book is about turning him in to a domestic riding horse.
Unfortunately, in this book, it is all too easy taking a matter of days. Even a most biddable gelding would take a very long time to break, back and school to his paces to a basic level and this horse is intended to be a trail riding horse for paying guests. The ranch staff are sceptical and he is under threat of sale while this is going on. It is a puzzle, as it is quite clear that physically Rocky is a very fine, even exceptional horse, why they have not a plan B of using him to make money doing what Stallions do. It could be mentioned in a non-graphic age appropriate way. The author deftly handles the adult issue of domestic violence in another book in the series.
Rocky makes wonderful progress, but shies at a campervan, rears and dismounts Kirstie who is injured. He runs away and her mother decides he is untrainable and must be sold (this is a bit unbelievable - he is a recently broke stallion and takes fright at a noisy vehicle - mother is an experienced horsewoman, what exactly did she expect? Getting Rocky out of the horse box in one scene was also amateurish in the extreme)
All ends well (the author gets away with a cliche "horse in a bog", but done very well) and Rocky redeems himself and stays.
Damn good read, but suspend your disbelief.
The book forms part of a long series, "Horses of Half Moon Ranch" which centres on Kirstie, the daughter of the owner, and her palomino Lucky. This allows a wide variety of horses to pass through with different qualities and stories.
Rocky is a wild bay stallion who is captured and we first see him at a rodeo where he is very harshly treated, much to Kirstie's distress who prevails on her mother to buy him.
Rodeos are largely illegal in the UK (the poor Parliamentary draftsmen had a dreadful time defining them - events involving livestock and "the throwing in of ropes") I used to think this a strange law (its from the 30's, but having read this book I understand it more - although it is in in any case offence to overbear, over ride, overload, cruelly beat or torment a horse. Poor Rocky's misadventures in the ring illustrate all these offences)
Rocky is completely unbroken and pretty damn angry and the book is about turning him in to a domestic riding horse.
Unfortunately, in this book, it is all too easy taking a matter of days. Even a most biddable gelding would take a very long time to break, back and school to his paces to a basic level and this horse is intended to be a trail riding horse for paying guests. The ranch staff are sceptical and he is under threat of sale while this is going on. It is a puzzle, as it is quite clear that physically Rocky is a very fine, even exceptional horse, why they have not a plan B of using him to make money doing what Stallions do. It could be mentioned in a non-graphic age appropriate way. The author deftly handles the adult issue of domestic violence in another book in the series.
Rocky makes wonderful progress, but shies at a campervan, rears and dismounts Kirstie who is injured. He runs away and her mother decides he is untrainable and must be sold (this is a bit unbelievable - he is a recently broke stallion and takes fright at a noisy vehicle - mother is an experienced horsewoman, what exactly did she expect? Getting Rocky out of the horse box in one scene was also amateurish in the extreme)
All ends well (the author gets away with a cliche "horse in a bog", but done very well) and Rocky redeems himself and stays.
Damn good read, but suspend your disbelief.