They Rode Good Horses is a culmination of stories, both humorous and entertaining, about the author and his father-in-law who is throughout the book referred to as the ole cowboy. Together and for the better part of fifteen years, they raised, trained, and rode good horses but were more like water and oil whenever together. Perhaps it was because the man the ole cowboy would introduce his friends to as his wife's son-in-law had married his only daughter and was probably not the cowboy he would have preferred she marry. Unfortunately, it was not until after the ole cowboy lost his life in a freak accident by one of the young horses he had raised that his son-in-law came to admire, respect, and understand more of who this man was and the integrity and wisdom he possessed. Follow this journey of real-life experiences as my hope for you, the reader, is that before you come to the end of your trail, you will realize what is most important in life.

Midway through Sid Gustafson's new novel, Horses They Rode, I found myself put in mind of all the second chances I have had. His take on the reknitting of family, friendship, and one man's tumultuous life is such a story-a tale of second chances where hope effervesces across a storyscape of high country, horse corrals, drunkenness, and regret that seems, at moments, irresolvable. It's a wholly American novel, for of course, America is a land forgiving of first mistakes-where a shot at trying again is fair and right.Wendel Ingraham, Gustafson's protagonist, is a ranch hand who has roamed Washington State's Inland Empire, Idaho's panhandle, and Big Sky Country on a multi-year binge, leaving a daughter and a broken marriage in his wake. A series of experiences, including encounters with a high-school sweetheart and with mentor, companion, and part-time Blackfoot medicine man Bubbles Ground Owl, leads to his sobriety and amends.Wendel and Bubbles take jobs as hands on a ranch where they worked as youths. And this is where the novel cries its message in earnest. The protagonist is never so competent as when he's reunited with his beloved horse. The symbiosis that is rediscovered between them, a language of faithfulness and trust, portends atonements awaiting Wendel. A gathering of horsemen and their mounts prompts language from Gustafson that is a gorgeous but gritty admixture of potential: "Whoever they were, whatever breed of horsemen, they brought horses and they brought hope, hope that horses could revive a manifest heart."At the ranch there are additional reconciliations required of Ingraham. In their execution, he emerges whole, ". . . grateful for all the people who'd gathered to live the life they knew best, everything and everyone connected, men and animals, fishes and birds, grass, trees and stars."As in his first novel, Prisoners of Flight, Gustafson often joyfully eschews writing conventions. By turns, his forms are starkly tangible or cloaked in mythology. His prose is exuberant and accessible. Rhythmic, he often reads like a long poem: "Parents want their children with them, children of the land, something about having your children with you on the land, native children on native land."Horses They Rode is a one-sitting book. And it's the kind of book about something important in a world full of books about unimportant things. Readers of classic Montana fiction will like it.Reviewed by Brian Ames '85Washington State Magazine Steeped in Native American spirituality and stories, Horses They Rode is a compelling tribute to contemporary ranch culture. Like his debut novel, Prisoner's of Flight, Gustafson's latest is thick with metaphor, weaving together both inner and outer journeys. By rail, by horse, and by mountain highway, Gustafson paints a magical landscape as his protagonist recreates his life and connections with others, the land and himself. Annahttp: //wsm.wsu.edu/r/index.php?id=37#.Wamzv62ZNE5http: //www.outsidebozeman.com/fall-2006/horses-they-r

Max's wife, Deborah, is about to have her baby, and the Saddle Club girls are keeping her company before she goes to the hospital. Stevie, Carole, and Lisa all recount—in their own words—what their lives were like before horses, and how they've never been the same since. When the last tale has wound down, Deborah realizes that the baby is about to arrive.

EXCLUSIVE: CARVILLE RESPONDS TO THE STARR REPORT ...And the Horse He Rode In On gives the first full accounting of what's really behind the longest-running, most expensive dirty trick in politics: Ken Starr's investigation.

When eighth grader Abby Lovitt looks out at those pure-gold rolling hills, she knows there’s no place she’d rather be than her family’s ranch—even with all the hard work of tending to nine horses. But some chores are no work at all, like grooming young Jack. At eight months, his rough foal coat has shed out, leaving a smooth, rich silk, like chocolate. As for Black George, such a good horse, it turns out he’s a natural jumper. When he and Abby clear four feet easy as pie, heads start to turn at the ring—buyers’ heads—and Abby knows Daddy won’t turn down a good offer. Then a letter arrives from a private investigator, and suddenly Abby stands to lose not one horse but two. The letter states that Jack’s mare may have been sold to the Lovitts as stolen goods. A mystery unfolds, more surprising than Abby could ever expect. Will she lose her beloved Jack to his rightful owners? Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley raises horses of her own, and her affection and expertise shine through in this inviting horse novel for young readers, set in 1960s California horse country and featuring characters from The Georges and the Jewels.

"A young, sheltered son of a preacher finds his idylic life cast into turmoil as he struggles to survive the atrocities imposed upon him by three Civil War deserters who kidnap him, tether him about the neck with a rawhide lace, and then use him as a hostage to futher their unclear, but dark mission. Matthew embraces the violence he despises in his captors and begins the downward spiral that he believes has cost him his soul. His salvation comes down to an old Indian horse trainer and a small band of unbroke horses."--Amazon.com.

With an elegant sweetness and a pitch-perfect sense of western life reminiscent of Annie Dillard, Glosss breakout novel is a remarkable story about the connections between people and animals and how they touch one another in the most unexpected and profound ways.

A beautifully designed, full-color photo-essay celebrating the intimate bond between some noted equestrians and the horses they own, ride, train-and love! Leading man Richard Gere fell for a girl on horseback. For actress Alfre Woodard and her daughter Mavis, the connection with horses is spiritual. Chevy Chase says his Icelandics "get very hairy during the winter, but then so do I." And Robert Redford, recalling his month-long ride down the old Outlaw Trail that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid rode, says: "What I marvel at is how wild and free this land still can seem from the back of a horse." In People We Know, Horses They Love, we meet nearly thirty celebrity horse lovers, from Whoopi Goldberg and Christie Brinkley to the original horse whisperer, Buck Brannaman and bestselling author Tami Hoag, who's also an amateur international champion dressage rider. Gorgeous, full-color, never-seen-before photographs capture the majesty and grace of the animals, the beauty of the ranches and stables where they reside and intimate moments shared with their owners. Whether highlighting Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward on their ranch for special needs children, exploring Hilary Duff's passion for wild mustangs, hanging with Jeff Bridges on the set of Seabiscuit, or illuminating the interior lives of Maria Shriver, Morgan Freeman, and many others, People We Know, Horses They Love pays tribute to the special relationship between human and horse. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Pegasus Therapeutic Riding Program.