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Hoofbeats: Katie and the Mustang #1
Hoofbeats: Katie and Mustang # 1
Orphaned at age six and taken in by a heartless couple, nine-year-old Katie Rose spends her days doing chores and dreaming of going west to find her Uncle Jack. Then Mr. Stevens brings home an unbroken Mustang, and Katie's world changes. Katie is drawn to the horse's wildness, and he seems to sense her need for companionship. So when Katie learns that the Stevenses plan to join the expansion West&150without her or the Mustang&150she makes a desperate decision to go on her own. And she will not leave the Mustang behind.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2004
9 people are currently reading
414 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Duey
157 books362 followersKathleen Duey grew up in Colorado. She loved riding her horses, hiking, being in the mountains. Reading was always important to her. Writing became a fascination early in her life. In the fourth grade, Kathleen began writing stories and told everyone who would listen that she was going to be an author. Then she did nothing about it until she was 35 years old. Writing was her passion and her dream-come-true.
from: fantasticfiction.co.uk
Kathleen died of cardiac arrest at her home in Fallbrook, California. She was 69. She had struggled with dementia in her latter years which prevented her from completing her Skin Hunger trilogy.
https://web.archive.org/web/202101052...
from: fantasticfiction.co.uk
Kathleen died of cardiac arrest at her home in Fallbrook, California. She was 69. She had struggled with dementia in her latter years which prevented her from completing her Skin Hunger trilogy.
https://web.archive.org/web/202101052...
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 20, 2011
I know there are a lot of girls-and-horses books out there, but the hoofbeats series is special. I saved my own money when I was 10 so that I could buy every one of them. Historical fiction and coming-of-age, this series is the perfect combination of genres. The books are sweet, and I reread them over and over. I love the cover art on them all, too.
August 14, 2016
Skyped with author. I would have loved this series as a kid. A nice alternative for those who have already read all the little house and American girl series.
August 29, 2023
I felt incredibly uncomfortable reading this. People (almost always men) who want to "return" to days gone by no doubt want the power exercised here by Mr. Stevens, where he freely yells at his wife, who bends to his will and doesn't talk back but who then turns around and takes it out on Katie, our protagonist. (Sadly, this happens in modern times, too, though luckily with more resources for abuse victims who finally decide they want out, where Katie is sort of stuck as an orphan isolated on a farm.)
Honestly, all Katie does is chores, almost literally. She has no friends and no caring family, only a desperate hope that maybe one day her distant uncle Jack will write back that he will come get her and take her to a loving home. Of course, the one hope she ends up having is befriending the wild Mustang that Mr. Stevens is conned into buying cheap, that
It's a Book 1, so no doubt Book 2 continues where Katie leaves off (literally, haha). That's also predictable, as it's a clear stopping point anyway. I don't know if I would read Book 2, if I can even find it, since it's a complete enough story on its own. The story is fine, but I wouldn't read it again, just because the misery Katie goes through is enough to experience once (and I'm sure she'd agree).
Also, she feeds the cat milk, which I've regularly called out in my reviews as SUPER UNHEALTHY for cats. In this case, though, it fits, since I don't think people in 1847 Iowa had much in the way of dedicated cat food nor cared about barn cat health as much as contemporary folks with indoor cats whose diarrhea is horrible (not my direct experience, but I can name one cat who is making certain folks I know a bit miserable with his poor health).
Long review short, it's interesting to read the introductory paragraphs containing the horse's point-of-view, but the story as a whole, at least for this volume, is too painful to read more than once, speaking for myself.
Honestly, all Katie does is chores, almost literally. She has no friends and no caring family, only a desperate hope that maybe one day her distant uncle Jack will write back that he will come get her and take her to a loving home. Of course, the one hope she ends up having is befriending the wild Mustang that Mr. Stevens is conned into buying cheap, that
It's a Book 1, so no doubt Book 2 continues where Katie leaves off (literally, haha). That's also predictable, as it's a clear stopping point anyway. I don't know if I would read Book 2, if I can even find it, since it's a complete enough story on its own. The story is fine, but I wouldn't read it again, just because the misery Katie goes through is enough to experience once (and I'm sure she'd agree).
Also, she feeds the cat milk, which I've regularly called out in my reviews as SUPER UNHEALTHY for cats. In this case, though, it fits, since I don't think people in 1847 Iowa had much in the way of dedicated cat food nor cared about barn cat health as much as contemporary folks with indoor cats whose diarrhea is horrible (not my direct experience, but I can name one cat who is making certain folks I know a bit miserable with his poor health).
Long review short, it's interesting to read the introductory paragraphs containing the horse's point-of-view, but the story as a whole, at least for this volume, is too painful to read more than once, speaking for myself.
April 27, 2021
Katie and the Mustang, Book One, by Kathleen Duey, is a four part series that’s a classic horsey story. There’s a wild horse, and of course the only person who can tame him is the young girl. Thousands of horse books and movies follow this theme (do they even have any other themes??), but Katie and the Mustang is close to my heart, because it was a childhood favourite.
Katie’s family have died from cholera, and Katie lives with the Stevens, a childless couple who use her as slave labour (another common theme). One day, Mr Stevens brings home a Mustang stallion, in the hopes of turning him into a saddle horse, but the horse is too wild.
This book is set in old America, in the time of horse-drawn carriages and oxen ploughs. Amongst the neighbours, there is talk about moving west, to find better land, and Mr Stevens is readying his family to pack up and travel.
But Katie overhears a plot to shoot her Mustang, and leave her in an orphanage, and so the book ends with her and the farm hand traveling on their own.
It’s such a classic cheesy tale of oversimplifying horse whispering, but it is very enjoyable. Perfect for kids.
Katie’s family have died from cholera, and Katie lives with the Stevens, a childless couple who use her as slave labour (another common theme). One day, Mr Stevens brings home a Mustang stallion, in the hopes of turning him into a saddle horse, but the horse is too wild.
This book is set in old America, in the time of horse-drawn carriages and oxen ploughs. Amongst the neighbours, there is talk about moving west, to find better land, and Mr Stevens is readying his family to pack up and travel.
But Katie overhears a plot to shoot her Mustang, and leave her in an orphanage, and so the book ends with her and the farm hand traveling on their own.
It’s such a classic cheesy tale of oversimplifying horse whispering, but it is very enjoyable. Perfect for kids.
January 26, 2024
This was a super good book! Not only was the story interesting, the information about horses in it is very accurate. Breeds, colors, and equipment are all described correctly throughout the whole book, which I really appreciate. I have read some horse books where the horse information in them is horribly inaccurate and sometimes downright dangerous.
I really liked how Katie went about “taming” the mustang. She did it how it really should be done, gently and kindly, without punishment for behavior that is ingrained into horses brains. We saw how “disciplining” these behaviors turns out in the book- with an even more scared horse who is even less apt to work with humans than it was before.
I very much enjoyed the ending, too. As someone who had to escape from a less-than-good situation, I appreciated that Katie was granted that escape, and it stuck with me.
I really liked how Katie went about “taming” the mustang. She did it how it really should be done, gently and kindly, without punishment for behavior that is ingrained into horses brains. We saw how “disciplining” these behaviors turns out in the book- with an even more scared horse who is even less apt to work with humans than it was before.
I very much enjoyed the ending, too. As someone who had to escape from a less-than-good situation, I appreciated that Katie was granted that escape, and it stuck with me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2020
Although this book is way under my age range, and I may never read it again, it was a good book to read for a final time. I remember loving this book as a kid. It deals with a lot of hard issues like how to handle
yourself in tough situations, abandonment issues, and how to survive emotionally in rough times of your life. Of course, the thoughts of the horse at the beginning of each chapter and the friendship the horse and Katie build is just so pure and selfless. It makes me smile and I would highly suggest this book for kiddos in middle school or so.
yourself in tough situations, abandonment issues, and how to survive emotionally in rough times of your life. Of course, the thoughts of the horse at the beginning of each chapter and the friendship the horse and Katie build is just so pure and selfless. It makes me smile and I would highly suggest this book for kiddos in middle school or so.
December 15, 2022
My daughter and I are reading this together and I think it is a pretty decent book. My daughter is younger, but reads at a higher level and was looking for horse chapter books to read. She didn't really like that there were so many sad parts so she is unsure if she will continue the series. I don't blame her, but I am going to continue the series to see if I think the other books will be something she will want to read. I did like the ending and am personally looking forward to reading the series in hopes it ends happily.
July 3, 2017
I forgot about these books! Perfect for my horse loving childhood. I think I read this series around 5th or 6th grade? I remember really enjoying them at the time.
September 11, 2018
If you like horses or adventure you will love this book!
January 4, 2021
Love this book series! Such a beautiful story and one that I read at least twice a year!
June 9, 2021
It was a really good book
October 4, 2018
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‘Ware Spoilers!
Generalized Synopsis: Basically the story is a series of small plots in an overarching theme. The best way to experience the books is to read them all in one sitting (very easy to do) once you have them. All but book 2 is available from Archive.org.
The story centers around Katie, a little girl who ends up, after some bad circumstances, an orphan being taken in by a childless couple. In a Harry Potter-esque fashion, Katie ends up in an even worse situation – which weirdly fits the timeline this is all happening- and finds herself escaping her stepparents with a mustang that the man had bought. The horse is, of course, wild to anyone who isn’t Katie. The rest of the books revolves around Katie traveling the Oregon Trail, first with the farmhand who helps her get there, then again with another family all the way to Oregon City.
What I liked: The one thing I’ve come to appreciate about Duey’s plots is they’re entirely grounded in realistic expectations. She follows in Marguerite Henry's fashion, where the protagonist doesn’t always get what they want in the end, or does get something close to what they wanted, despite everything. I appreciate it and find it terribly depressing at the same time. I grew up with the books where everything tied up perfectly in a bow, the protagonist’s dreams and wishes become reality and the bad guys got their just desserts. This doesn’t completely happen in this book. The whole book gravitates around the girl’s relationship with this horse, and yet at the end she’s forced to make a difficult decision. The whole drive behind the plot is to find her uncle, as we’re reminded constantly all the way up to the end, and that doesn’t exactly end how she expected, either. It’s great in that it shows children this … sense of realism, reality, what the world is actually like. But at the same time it’s just like man something needs to go right, something über positive needs to happen here.
What Annoyed Me: While I liked the realism, some of the wishy-washy characters were frustrating, and only showed just how weak the plot really is. It is a children’s series. The plot revolves around relationships and circumstances, and some of those characters only existed to be the antagonist, to cause conflict, or to…evolve into protagonists later in the books for no real reason other than the author wanted them to.
Overall: This series has its faults, sure, but it’s a really good animal/historical fiction series. It does have negative notes, and I would suggest reading it yourself before deciding if your child is up for it. I’d say it’s for mature older children, or children who enjoy these types of books.
I give this series 3 Stars.
‘Ware Spoilers!
Generalized Synopsis: Basically the story is a series of small plots in an overarching theme. The best way to experience the books is to read them all in one sitting (very easy to do) once you have them. All but book 2 is available from Archive.org.
The story centers around Katie, a little girl who ends up, after some bad circumstances, an orphan being taken in by a childless couple. In a Harry Potter-esque fashion, Katie ends up in an even worse situation – which weirdly fits the timeline this is all happening- and finds herself escaping her stepparents with a mustang that the man had bought. The horse is, of course, wild to anyone who isn’t Katie. The rest of the books revolves around Katie traveling the Oregon Trail, first with the farmhand who helps her get there, then again with another family all the way to Oregon City.
What I liked: The one thing I’ve come to appreciate about Duey’s plots is they’re entirely grounded in realistic expectations. She follows in Marguerite Henry's fashion, where the protagonist doesn’t always get what they want in the end, or does get something close to what they wanted, despite everything. I appreciate it and find it terribly depressing at the same time. I grew up with the books where everything tied up perfectly in a bow, the protagonist’s dreams and wishes become reality and the bad guys got their just desserts. This doesn’t completely happen in this book. The whole book gravitates around the girl’s relationship with this horse, and yet at the end she’s forced to make a difficult decision. The whole drive behind the plot is to find her uncle, as we’re reminded constantly all the way up to the end, and that doesn’t exactly end how she expected, either. It’s great in that it shows children this … sense of realism, reality, what the world is actually like. But at the same time it’s just like man something needs to go right, something über positive needs to happen here.
What Annoyed Me: While I liked the realism, some of the wishy-washy characters were frustrating, and only showed just how weak the plot really is. It is a children’s series. The plot revolves around relationships and circumstances, and some of those characters only existed to be the antagonist, to cause conflict, or to…evolve into protagonists later in the books for no real reason other than the author wanted them to.
Overall: This series has its faults, sure, but it’s a really good animal/historical fiction series. It does have negative notes, and I would suggest reading it yourself before deciding if your child is up for it. I’d say it’s for mature older children, or children who enjoy these types of books.
I give this series 3 Stars.
March 27, 2010
After she was orphaned in an epidemic at the age of six, Katie was taken in by the Stevenses, a childless couple. Three years have gone by, and Katie continues to be unhappy. She has no friends, and the Stevenses treat her more like a servant than a daughter. When Mr. Stevens buys a wild Mustang and brings it home to the farm, Katie falls in love with the horse. She forms a bond with the Mustang, and when she learns Mr. Stevens plans to sell it, Katie takes the horse and runs away, eventually joining a wagon train west on the Oregon Trail, hoping to find her uncle, who had gone west years before.
This four book series is really cute and is sure to appeal to young girls who enjoy historical fiction and horse stories. I liked the details of life along the Oregon Trail, and Katie's bond with the Mustang is very sweet.
This four book series is really cute and is sure to appeal to young girls who enjoy historical fiction and horse stories. I liked the details of life along the Oregon Trail, and Katie's bond with the Mustang is very sweet.
November 21, 2015
A pretty straightforward young readers chapter book about an orphaned girl in the mid-1800s and the wild mustang her foster father buys and she tames. Each chapter opens with a few brief sentences from the mustang's POV and then moves to Katie's first person POV. A bit slow moving overall (and it bugs me that she's not naming this mustang!), but it managed to surprise me a bit more than once near the end, and that's always a good thing in my book (pun intended). I would've like more character development for Hiram, but it looks like that might happen in Book 2. And if I like it, then I'm going to have to track down #3 and #4 in this series.
May 11, 2012
This book was a historical fiction book about a girl, Katie, whose parents and sister have died. Katie works for a harsh couple named Mr. & Mrs. Stevens. One day, Mr. Stevens brings home an untamed mustang. Most of the book focuses on Katie working to gain the mustang's trust while dodging getting in trouble with Mrs. Stevens.
This is the first book in the "Hoofbeats" series. It would appeal to girls who like horses, but would probably be boring to anyone else.
This is the first book in the "Hoofbeats" series. It would appeal to girls who like horses, but would probably be boring to anyone else.
June 23, 2010
I thought this book was very good. It is definitely below my level, but I always love a good horse book. Sometimes they're hard to find. I am going to read the rest of the series to find out what happens.
February 25, 2013
I think it is a great book even though i am only on chapter 3, it still is a greatbook! What I ave read so far is so touching. It will always be a good book to read for ages 9-15.( if younger have some one to rea it to you.)
September 2, 2008
Kathleen Duey's books are wonderful, so good that even though they are for my daughter, I just can't put them down. I don't know who enjoyed them more, me or her.
February 6, 2009
Katie and the Mustang was an excellent book-considering I first read it because I have the same name. Kathleen Duey writes excellent books!
March 4, 2011
Gosh the Stevenses were mean to Katie! I think that Hiram and Katie made the right decision in the end of this book.
December 27, 2011
one of my childhood favorites
October 21, 2012
Love this book (and the whole series) Kathleen Duey is an amazing author I also love the movie Spirit and of course she wrote the book too (want to read it SO bad)!!!
December 24, 2014
When I read this as a teen, I said it was ''Nice. Boring ending.''
April 1, 2015
Loved this series when I was younger. What a wonderful story.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews