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The Horses of Half Moon Ranch #2
Rodeo Rocky
A wild and dangerous mountain setting and a daughter who lives, breathes and sleeps horses is a recipe for trouble for ranch owner, Sandy Scott. But Kirstie is undaunted by her mother's warnings. She's at her happiest riding the trails through the tall forests and deep canyons of the Meltwater Range ...
At a local rodeo contest, Kirstie is horrified to spot one badly-cut horse being forced back into the arena. She pleads for him to be withdrawn from the rodeo and persuades her mother to buy him for Half-Moon Ranch.
But training an ex-rodeo pony isn’t easy, and when Rocky throws Kirstie on a steep mountain trail, his fate hangs in the balance once more. Will Kirstie win her fight to keep and tame the problem horse?
At a local rodeo contest, Kirstie is horrified to spot one badly-cut horse being forced back into the arena. She pleads for him to be withdrawn from the rodeo and persuades her mother to buy him for Half-Moon Ranch.
But training an ex-rodeo pony isn’t easy, and when Rocky throws Kirstie on a steep mountain trail, his fate hangs in the balance once more. Will Kirstie win her fight to keep and tame the problem horse?
152 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 1999
About the author
Jenny Oldfield
280 books38 followersJenny Oldfield was born in 1949 and brought up in Harrogate, Yorkshire, and studied English at Birmingham University.
She has written a large number of books for both children and adults, including the Home Farm Twins, Animal Alert, and Half Moon Ranch series. A horse enthusiast, many of her novels feature horses and are popular among young horse fans.
Jenny has also written under several pseudonyms: Jasmine Oliver, Donna King, Kate Pennington, Lucy Daniels, Sable Hamilton and Kate Fielding.
She has written a large number of books for both children and adults, including the Home Farm Twins, Animal Alert, and Half Moon Ranch series. A horse enthusiast, many of her novels feature horses and are popular among young horse fans.
Jenny has also written under several pseudonyms: Jasmine Oliver, Donna King, Kate Pennington, Lucy Daniels, Sable Hamilton and Kate Fielding.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 23, 2025
When I read these books as a child I enjoyed them, now as I was rereading this I found that a lot of it was really unrealistic, like how Kirsty tamed a wild horse in no time at all. But then again, isn’t this similar to the last one where she got close to a wild stallion?
The books a quick, simple read and great for young children who like horses, if you ignore the unrealistic parts.
So this wasn’t much of a review but I didn’t have much to say.
The Horses of Half Moon Ranch Reviews
1. Wild Horses
2. Rodeo Rocky
3. Crazy Horse
4. Johnny Mohawk
5. Midnight Lady
6. Third-Time Lucky
7. Navaho Joe
8. Hollywood Princess
9. Danny Boy
10. Little Vixen
11. Gunsmoke
12. Golden Dawn (RTC)
13. Silver Spur (RTC)
14. Moondance (RTC)
15. Lady Roseanne (RTC)
16. Steamboat Charlie (RTC)
17. Skylark (RTC)
18. Eagle Wing (RTC)
Summer Special 1. Diamond Charm (RTC)
Summer Special 2. Jethro Junior (RTC)
Christmas Special 1. Starlight (RTC)
The books a quick, simple read and great for young children who like horses, if you ignore the unrealistic parts.
So this wasn’t much of a review but I didn’t have much to say.
The Horses of Half Moon Ranch Reviews
1. Wild Horses
2. Rodeo Rocky
3. Crazy Horse
4. Johnny Mohawk
5. Midnight Lady
6. Third-Time Lucky
7. Navaho Joe
8. Hollywood Princess
9. Danny Boy
10. Little Vixen
11. Gunsmoke
12. Golden Dawn (RTC)
13. Silver Spur (RTC)
14. Moondance (RTC)
15. Lady Roseanne (RTC)
16. Steamboat Charlie (RTC)
17. Skylark (RTC)
18. Eagle Wing (RTC)
Summer Special 1. Diamond Charm (RTC)
Summer Special 2. Jethro Junior (RTC)
Christmas Special 1. Starlight (RTC)
October 20, 2022
I thought it was amazing because it tells a lot of details and it tells what happened en then what happened to the characters.
April 15, 2011
so I'm supposed to believe a 13 year old girl with no experience can tame and train a wild mustang in a week? Nope. Doesn't work for me.
November 30, 2020
Like most other 'horse-girl' books, this one gives a really skewed view of various equine industry practices (Some rodeos are great, some ranches are real bad) but I love how whimsical this book is.
July 11, 2026
lol the other day i suddenly remembered this horse series i was OBSESSED with as a kid so i bought a few for nostalgia’s sake and it was so fun to read i read it in a day
November 26, 2012
Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com
Thirteen-year-old Kirstie Scott and her mother, the owner of Half Moon Ranch, have taken their guests to see the local rodeo.
Kirstie, however, is not enjoying the events as much as the guests are. She feels sickened watching the poor treatment of the animals, especially when they bring out the recently captured wild horses for the wild horse race.
Kirstie is taken by the beauty of a spirited bay stallion who gives his handlers a lot of trouble before winning the race. When she sees that they plan to use him for another event, Kirstie pleads with the organizer to let "Rodeo Rocky" rest. He refuses, saying that they plan on making him a champion so that they can sell him at auction for a high price.
Kirstie's mother, seeing her daughter in distress, offers to buy Rocky from the organizer on the condition that he not participate in another event. After some haggling, he finally agrees, and Kirstie is absolutely elated.
The other ranch workers protest that buying an untrained horse is a humongous waste of money, but Kirstie is determined to turn Rocky into a good working horse without the usual, harsh methods. She finds that breaking in a wild horse may be tougher than she'd thought.
Having recently attended the Tucson Rodeo, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the portrayal of the rodeo personnel, since most rodeos do not go to such violent extremes with their animals, and have strict regulations to keep the animals safe and healthy. Putting that aside, I think most animal lovers would empathize with Kirstie's struggle to find a kinder way to break in a horse.
Thirteen-year-old Kirstie Scott and her mother, the owner of Half Moon Ranch, have taken their guests to see the local rodeo.
Kirstie, however, is not enjoying the events as much as the guests are. She feels sickened watching the poor treatment of the animals, especially when they bring out the recently captured wild horses for the wild horse race.
Kirstie is taken by the beauty of a spirited bay stallion who gives his handlers a lot of trouble before winning the race. When she sees that they plan to use him for another event, Kirstie pleads with the organizer to let "Rodeo Rocky" rest. He refuses, saying that they plan on making him a champion so that they can sell him at auction for a high price.
Kirstie's mother, seeing her daughter in distress, offers to buy Rocky from the organizer on the condition that he not participate in another event. After some haggling, he finally agrees, and Kirstie is absolutely elated.
The other ranch workers protest that buying an untrained horse is a humongous waste of money, but Kirstie is determined to turn Rocky into a good working horse without the usual, harsh methods. She finds that breaking in a wild horse may be tougher than she'd thought.
Having recently attended the Tucson Rodeo, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the portrayal of the rodeo personnel, since most rodeos do not go to such violent extremes with their animals, and have strict regulations to keep the animals safe and healthy. Putting that aside, I think most animal lovers would empathize with Kirstie's struggle to find a kinder way to break in a horse.
Read
October 25, 2018In Rodeo Rocky, the author engages preteen girls in one of their passions: horses. The story immediately grabs her readers and holds them spellbound. The characters are believable and the plot and subplots maintain the pace and authenticity of the book.
To read our full review, go to the Reading Tub.
To read our full review, go to the Reading Tub.
July 3, 2013
No great surprises here, but a nice children's story to share. Our heroine rescues a wild mustang from the rodeo and proceeds to tame it. A nice feel good story for when you want a break from anything too strenuous!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews