Dark Horse

by Jean Slaughter Doty

Massmarket -AR 1/30 B90

Genres: Horses, Animals, Fiction, Middle Grade

158 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Jean Slaughter Doty was born in New York. She was married to the cartoonist Roy Doty, and lived in Connecticut with her husband, children and numerous horses, dogs and Siamese cats. Her equine experience was wide: she hunted in England and Ireland, and was well known for breeding Welsh ponies at Rockrimmon farm, as well as Keeshond dogs. She was a show judge at numerous shows, including the National Horse Show at Madison Square Gardens. Almost all of her books are stories about horses for middle readers or young adults.

Reviews

[Mary Pagones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading and loving this book as a child but recalled the plot more vaguely than The Monday Horses and The Crumb. For a child's book, it addresses many sophisticated issues even older YA literature may be willing to shy away from, such as the fact that a starved rescue horse might have been left that way for a reason.

*spoiler alert*

Read with older eyes, it's hard not to poke a few holes in the narrative. For example, when Sandpiper starts rearing and trying to throw his junior rider, surely even a half-responsible stable owner would put a more experienced adult on to try to sort out the horse, rather than allowing his teenage catch rider to keep riding him? Also, while not suitable for a junior jumper, throughout the book there are intimations that the horse has Grand Prix potential and many Grand Prix horses have quite a few dangerous quirks. Everyone seems to agree that the horse needs to be put down pretty quickly, versus trying him out with a more experienced professional rider.

Still, the descriptions of horse showing and stable management are incredibly accurate and wonderful to read with modern eyes. I didn't grow up during the era in which the book is set but I loved reading about the era in which everyone wore velvet hunt caps, braided even for schooling shows, junior high kids rode bikes to the barn, and big, forward-going horses were rewarded and prized.

[hoofbts · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl and a horse book.
I really like the horse in this one
A more serious tone overall and it touches on a few darker themes: life changing accidents and the way people think of horses as disposable.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doty's books never get old to me, I've read them all maybe 10 times- comparing them to newer books like the Saddle Club or Canterwood Crest which I read once and decided they weren't worth my time. What makes the difference? It's because I relate so much to the plot lines in Doty's books, because they contain the gritty real things that happen in the show world. I relate to these so much more than the happy ever after bonding stories of the newer middle-grade horse books I've watched as a 8yo pony I've just bought passed away in front of me at 14 years of age, I've had to watch as the richer girls rode their fancy horses and I got bucked off the unschooled horses, I've stayed up late for sick horses, spent hours at the vet only to come home with an empty trailer... Doty's books have all of this in them and still seem to emphasize the love of horses that drives equestrians to do these crazy things and I think that's what makes them so appealing.

[Terri Kempton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been fun to revisit horse stories from early childhood. Often times they're terrible to read as an adult - this one was accurate, had some decent lessons in it, and has a realistic rather than "happy" ending. (Hint: the "dark horse" in question turns out to be dangerously crazy. oops.) I love little touches only found in kids books: like, where in the world are this girl's parents? She's having all these wild adventures as a jr. high school student, including expensive shows and break-neck hunting trips, without any parents interfering whatsoever. Rock on, pony porn!

[Jacque · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was also great! made sense and everything fell into place. lots of suspension

[Renata Shura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh phew. A good ending. This is another great story about the horse showing world, but rather than focusing on the negative aspects of showing Doty focused on a horse with great talent who suddenly decided he’s had enough of show jumping. What he truly loved was the hunting field and she illustrated brilliantly how these horses can be just as valuableas the show horses.

[Aysenem · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can you read it? I couldn't open it!