Hell on Horses and Women

by Alice Marriott, Margot Liberty (Foreword), Margaret Lefranc (Foreword)

The world of the West has been from the beginning a man's world, but there are homes and wives and children there, too. And although the time of water hauled in barrels and of homemade candles is long past, the ranch wife of today must be prepared to deal with housekeeping, shopping, and personal problems in wholly original ways as the need arises. For ranches are usually far from town and neighbors are scattered, so that good humor and a good sense of humor, as well as the more conventional virtues of courage and fortitude, must be possessed by the ranch woman.

For more than eighteen months Alice Marriott traveled the cattle country from Wyoming to Florida–visiting, observing, and talking with the women on the ranches and with their men. This book is the story of these women, who share with their men-folks the problems and pleasures of ranch life. It's about the city girl transformed into ranch wife, about the women who were born on ranches, and about their families and the cattle they raise.

She reports on the modern roundups, the cattle sales, the courage of both men and women in the face of a howling blizzard, and the tragedy of a cow with a broken leg. Here they are-the real people of the cattle country and the real things that happen to them in a society in which the man's work is sharply distinguished from the woman's.

And, concludes Miss Marriott, ranch life "can be hard and tough and truly hell for the women who live it, but it can also come about as close to Heaven as any life a woman can live today." This is a book for Western enthusiasts, for women everywhere, and for just good reading.

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

Reviews

[Sequoyah Branham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of these “stories from ranches” kind of books. This one was a little different because it is about the women on the ranch doing “house work”.

Very interesting characters are shared about. How ranch housing back in the day was built (and why if you’ve been in an old ranch house it seems like there’s a couple stairs everywhere and a bunch of doors 😂)

Overall a good read I enjoyed.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

“After all, chivalry never did protect women from the hardest, dirtiest, most dangerous and painful work the world knows—childbearing. In fact, a great deal of the Protect the Women movement grew up as a side issue to Protect the Descendants. Once Father had fulfilled his biological function, he could get on his trusty horse and depart on a Crusade or a Punitive Expedition or just go off projecting for a year or so. Mother was left holding the diaper bag and running the place until he got home” (7).

[JaTonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a different perspective of Ranch life. Each chapter a different story. Wasn’t hard to read.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funnier than you might think

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has given me a special appreciation for several of my neighbors who are ranching women.

[Karleen Koen · Rating 2 out of 5]

An unexpectedly good read....not dry and too scholarly.....