Some Horses: Essays

Funny, wise and just charming as hell. I hadn't read a Tom McGuane book for well over thirty years when I picked this book up, which I did simply because I've been mostly absorbed by all the Montana books/authors I've been reading lately - Groneberg, Blew, Spragg and McCumber, to name a few. They're all good. And I knew McGuane had lived in Montana for many years now. Well, SOME HORSES didn't disappoint me. And I'll admit I barely know one end of a horse from the other. But this book was just so much fun to read, filled with its self-effacing humor and hard-earned wisdom on horses and men. I found myself chuckling at many of McGuane's observations - like his description of how he broke his thumb and tore off the end of it while calf show more roping and the first thing the ER nurse asked him was, "Miss your dally?" Or, in the last essay, "A Foal," he tells of holding a newborn colt and watching it find its legs and begin to nurse: "A new horse." A world of hope and promise in just those three simple words. This is one hell of a good book and there's not a wasted word or phrase to be found anywhere in it. I think I'll try some more McGuane again. It's about time. show less

McGuane's essays cover his introduction to the cutting horse world, spanning the years from his early days to the near present. He rambles slightly, reminiscing about the good horses he's known, quirks, flaws, and all. Ultimately, his belief that a horseman who really wants to excel needs to find the place where the horse is doing what comes naturally, and then just get out of its way is refreshing. More philosophy than methodology, it offers a glimpse into a way of life that isn't completely dead, but grows less familiar to the majority of people with every passing day. McGuane has known some greats -- both two and four-footed.

A collection of essays on the author's experience with cutting horses. You really don't need to know anything about ranching, cutting, or horses to enjoy the storytelling properties of this book. The writing was straight forward, yet had a humorous side that easily made me "feel" the rancher-rider of the midwest. An easy, enjoyable read.

Insightful, funny, smart, touching -- a beautiful collection of essays about the author's experiences with horses, specifically competitive cutting horses. It will strike a chord with anyone who knows horses, and dressage riders may be surprised at the many similarities between the two disciplines.