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Rating: 
Summary: Absolute heaven!
Review: Faulkner, who needs Faulkner when you have McGuane...the only thing better than Some Horses would be Some More Horses. No horse lover should be without this book, no McGuane fan should be without this book and no reader should miss it. Amazon...call us when the second and third and ?parts appear...I can't wait.
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Summary: Not just for horse lovers
Review: I greatly enjoyed this well-written and amusing book of essays by novelist Thomas McGuane. Although I have ridden a horse and get out to the occasional rodeo, it's mostly my interest in Western literature that got me to read "Some Horses." And it turned out to be an entertaining journey into the complex relationship that can exist between human and equine intelligence.One essay is about rodeo calf-roping and another about mountain trail riding and camping in snow, but most of the essays are about McGuane's experience with cutting horses. Developed as a specialized skill of horse and rider on open rangeland, cutting is the exacting art (and now sport) of separating out a single cow or calf from a herd of cattle. Given the strong herd instinct of cows, this is no mean feat, and it takes a fine horse, superior training, and a competent rider to do it well and consistently. In these essays, each devoted to individual horses, McGuane invites the reader into this world of nonverbal communication between horse, rider, and cow. In the hands of another writer, this subject could easily be arcane, technical, vague, or dry as corral dust. But McGuane makes literature of it. The opening essay owes its rambling form and spirit to Montaigne, and all of them are rich with sharply observed details, nuances of emotion, and fascinating character sketches of both people and horses. The only thing dry is McGuane's wry sense of humor. In the essay about a winter road trip with his wife and four horses from Southern California to Montana, I was laughing out loud. You don't have to be a horse lover for this one. All that's required is a curiosity about animal psychology and the place where it comes in contact with the psychology of humans.
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Summary: What a pleasure...
Review: I had been encouraged to read some of McGuane's work and decided to start with Some Horses. This is a book about McGuane's experience with horses through his life. It gives an interesting and entertaining look into the life of an active horse owner. McGuane has been fortunate to have the life he describes in the book and calls for an appreciation the horse has played and continues to play in our lives. From ranch work to modern day cutting competitions, horses and their mark on the West live in both fantasy and reality for many people. McGuane's book brings depth and definition to dreams we have of using and working with horses. The horse is an interesting creature, often weighing 10 times the rider but still at the rider's command. If you have a horse or dream of having a horse, Some Horses will give you a respect and appreciation for why horses are important to us.
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Summary: Took the words right out of my heart....
Review: In "Some Horses" Thomas McGuane goes beyond describing the the mere atheticizim and mentality of both the horse and horseman and describes the zen-like trance acheived when horse and rider are at their peak of communication...As a horseman this book takes the words right out of my heart...
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Summary: Mastering words or horses, McQuane does both well.
Review: Like a caramel apple, the layers of the prose of Tom McQuane combine myriad tastes. The sweetness of his humor spins throughout this collection of tales and I found myself rereading chapters that struck a note of common experience. A bond with Nature is evident in any of his writing but his appreciation of horses and the challenges they present is born of long experience. In the modern word, so many humans miss out on the joy of companionship with this unique and complex animal. They can somewhat temper their loss by reading this book.
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Summary: "Great book for horse-lovers"
Review: SOME HORSES is a new collection of essays by Thomas McGuane. They tell of a number of horses he's owned, of cutting, roping, trail rides, road trips, and other such things related to his relationships with horses and horse people. Well written (no surprise there), insightful, and occasionally inspiring. Certainly worth reading, especially if you're a horse lover.
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Summary: Some Horses-Some Book
Review: Some Horses is an honest work by someone with a mastery of saying just what they mean. The prose is spare enough to stay out of your way, but descriptive enough to carry you deep into the story. They key to how good I think the book is comes from my response, I am not a "horse person" yet nowhere feel snubbed by the fact that the horse world is really a pretty tight sphere of people, horses, situations, and landscapes. McGuane opens the window to the world he experiences with insight and humour and lets you know something of the fabric of traveling to cuttings, training intractable animals, and ending up pretty close to ground level. I put the book down feeling right at home with the author's western writing style(Abbey to Stegner I guess, an appreciation of his deep feeling for western life and horses, and I think I'll pick it up again when I feel the need for a dose of fine prairie dust and open space....maybe it will serve you the same way
Rating:
Summary: Some Horses-Some Book
Review: Some Horses is an honest work by someone with a mastery of saying just what they mean. The prose is spare enough to stay out of your way, but descriptive enough to carry you deep into the story. They key to how good I think the book is comes from my response, I am not a "horse person" yet nowhere feel snubbed by the fact that the horse world is really a pretty tight sphere of people, horses, situations, and landscapes. McGuane opens the window to the world he experiences with insight and humour and lets you know something of the fabric of traveling to cuttings, training intractable animals, and ending up pretty close to ground level. I put the book down feeling right at home with the author's western writing style(Abbey to Stegner I guess, an appreciation of his deep feeling for western life and horses, and I think I'll pick it up again when I feel the need for a dose of fine prairie dust and open space....maybe it will serve you the same way
Rating:
Summary: Some Horses by Thomas McGuane
Review: What a wonderful book for all horse lovers! I enjoyed every page, and am looking forward to reading more by the author on this subject. This is not another piece written on "horse whispering" in order to cash in on the latest craze. McGuane reveals himself as a true horse person with just the right amounts of humor, insight and truth. Great Christmas gift for your horse lover friends, whether they are into cutting, dressage, or just being around horses.
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