Roger Caras' Treasury of Great Horse Stories

by Roger A. Caras

Roger Caras, present head of the A.S.P.C.A. and award-winning author, has brought together a collection of tales by such master storytellers as Mark Twain, Zane Grey, Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, and many more, who join in their admiration for the mythical and practical beauty of the horse.

Genres: Fiction, Horses, Anthologies, Short Stories, Animals

512 pages, Hardcover

First published April 11, 1990

About the author

Roger A. Caras was an American wildlife photographer, writer, wildlife preservationist and television personality.

Known as the host of the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Caras was a veteran of network television programs including "Nightline," "ABC News Tonight" and "20/20" before devoting himself to work as president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and to becoming an author.

Reviews

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

There aren't many good horse story anthologies out there, but this one was pretty decent, because most of the stories aren't in a dozen other anthologies. This was put together by the late Roger Caras, once the voice of the Westminster Dog Show and past president of the ASPCA. I think this was one of the last books Caras did. He was assisted by Martin Greenberg, who has edited a hundred of so anthologies of many topics.

I used to have a first edition, but it fell by the wayside. If you are interested in reading this book, it's currently up on The Open Library for who knows how much longer.

After an introduction by Caras, stories include:

* "A Horse's Tale" by Mark Twain. This story of Buffalo Bill's horse and a little girl that goes on forever.
* "The Flight of the Horse" by Larry Niven. This combination of science-fiction and fantasy can be found in dozens of anthologies of several genres. It also was one in Niven's most memorable stories.
* "Mr Travers's First Hunt" by Richard Harding Davis. I think this was supposed to be funny, but the humor falls flat. Has a horse named Satan in it.
* "Levant" by Hugh Johnson. Story of a cavalry horse that is in a few anthologies, for good reasons.
* "The Man-Killer" by George Patullo. A grim Western about a black stallion named Midnight.
* "Skyrocket and the Blue Stuff" by Cloudesley Johns. A downer multi-part Western not in many anthologies, for good reasons.
* "The Maltese Cat" by Rudyard Kipling. Greatest polo story ever, but found in a hundred anthologies.
* "Treading Down the Herd's-Grass" by Charles A. Stephens. Two Morgan Colts are used in a desperate attempt to bring in the hay before it rains in Maine.
* "A Mistake in Identity" by Shelly Rider Meyer. Another black stallion, another Western, another downer.
* "Silver Blaze" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Is there a law that says you have to include this if you're putting together a horse anthology?
* "The Doctor's Horse" by Mary Wilkins Freeman. Bizarre story set in America's horse and buggy days. This has appeared in other anthologies.
* "The Old Jim Horse" by J. Lincoln Steffens. Cute story about an old fire horse.
* "In Front of the Stampede" by Alvah Milton Kerr. Another Western where Indians are the baddies, but not as bad as the buffalo.
* "Over the Jumps" by Alfred Stoddart. A quirky story about a steeplechaser in old America. Morris Park racecourse is mentioned, which closed down in 1904.
* "The Cumbersome Horse" by H. C. Bunner. Well written but bizarre story of a new house that comes with a mean horse.
* "Pete, the Circassian Horse" by Ellis Parker Butler. Two boys try to make money off of an old horse.
* "The Tale of a Cayuse" by F. R. Weir. Really good Western.
* "Skipper" by Sewell Ford. Told from Skipper's point of view. He's a police horse who falls on hard times.
* "The Black Roan of 265" by A. W. Rolker. Another fire horse tale, this one a major downer. It's also heavy with the jargon of the time.
* "The Man Who Could Not Lose" by Richard Harding Davis. Gambling story, not a horse story.
* "The Horses of Bostil's Ford" by Zane Grey. This is the short story that would turn into the novel Wildfire. I know it's a classic, but it's a downer.
* "Carved in Sand" by Erle Stanley Gardner. This has appeared in at least two other anthologies. It's more of a love letter to the American desert than a horse story.
* "The Winged Foal" by Deborah Moulton. Excerpt from the fantasy book The First Battle of Morn.
* "The Kidnapping of Bounding Mane" by James Powell. This Canadian comedy trip has also appeared in a few anthologies. Be sure to catch the titles of a horse book series.
* "Shadow Quest" by William F. Nolan. One of the most bizarre wild stallion Westerns you'll ever read.
* "The Trap" by Clay Fisher. An extremely well written Western, but another downer.
* "Miniature" by Max Brand. Surprisingly, not a Western. Set early in the 20th century in New York City. A wonderful way to end this anthology.

[Sherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book a raving review. I really do, but I can't. In my opinion, most of the stories weren't really about horses, but about people with horses as supporting characters. Three of the inclusions had the horses being mean if not downright evil. One of those had the horse being a serial killer. That was a new take on things when you think of when this book was published, but not exactly what I was looking for in a book of 'horse' stories.

The writing is good. The stories are good reads. They just weren't what I wanted.

[Alex Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these are kind of dated. Some of them are inspired. It's an interesting placement of stories together "about" horses, although sometimes horses are not that strongly featured in them. Sometimes horses are horses. Sometimes they are characters or props. Sometimes they are ways in which people relate to each other. Other times horses are people. The stories that are least interesting are the ones in which they are characters or people, because we know what people are like.

The ones that are more telling are where horses are props for how people relate to one another because these explain something about human nature, rather than just supporting the status quo of what is supposed to happen. In these stories, people discover something about themselves, through horses, which is how people relate to horses anyway. We get who we are when we are able to become part of everything that is around us. Sometimes we discover something unique in the distance. Sometimes we discover a horse.

As with all collections some of these fall flat, and others are really intriguing. It must be hard to find cohesion with all these authors some of whom did not set out to write a "horse story".

[Chris Meads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good collection of horse stories from some very well known authors such as Max Brand, Arthur Conan Doyle, Zane Grey, Rudyard Kipling, and Mark Twain to name a few. Some of the stories you will know such as Wildfire and learn about others as you read the book. Some of them can be heard breaking too.

This is a must for all horse lovers.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is worth it, in its entirety for the Mark Twain piece, "A Horse's Tale" which is heartbreaking and beautiful.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. On my list of books to reread when I get a chance.