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(Treasured Horses Collection)
Kate's Secret Plan
Believing that her Quarter Horse, Chinook, could compete well in the cattle cutting contest at the fair, Kate tries to figure out how she can enter the contest, which is limited to boys only. Original.
121 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 11, 2025
just as good as i remembered from my wannabe horse girl days of reading this in the bathroom. and i knew there was another reason i named one of my horses chinook in botw!
January 23, 2026
Savannah, if you read this, this one is for you.
When I was nine years old, my house burned in a fire, and I lost basically every book I owned. My best friend knew how much I loved books and horses, and she gave me one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received — five middle-grades horse-girl books that I read from cover to cover until the pages were falling out. Kate’s Secret Plan was the first of those books, and it has remained a special book to me all these years.
In Alberta in the summer of 1926, ten-year-old ranch girl Kate McGill dreams of having a horse of her own and winning the annual cattle cutting contest at the fair in Medicine Hat. Her first wish comes true when she receives a beautiful four-year-old Quarter Horse gelding named Chinook, but Kate is faced with another problem: girls are not allowed to enter the cattle cutting contest. Kate’s father has his hopes pinned on the McGill family legacy as cutting champions being carried on by Kate’s twin brother Brian, who is far more interested in baseball than he is in horses. Still, Kate is determined to train Chinook herself and find a way to enter the tournament, and her opportunity comes in the form of Jimmy Willis, the sour and condescending son of the new ranch foreman. As they slowly develop a mutual respect, Kate and Jimmy launch a secret plan that is more likely to go wrong than right, but their dedication to their goal (and their love for the intelligent Chinook) will land them in the Medicine Hat cutting tournament.
Kate’s Secret Plan, intelligently and elegantly written by Susan Saunders (in her last contribution to the series), is part of the Treasured Horses Collection, a 1990s historical fiction series about girls and the horses they love. Each book focuses on the adventures of a girl, aged 10-12, with a specific horse breed in a specific historical period; the books used to come with little horse replicas, and though the books shared no characters or timelines, they were always centered on adventurous, likable young girls who rose above what people expected of them. Interestingly, unlike many other horse-girl books, the Treasured Horses Collection tends to focus on the girl herself and only includes the horse as part of the plot (which becomes especially common as the series progresses), but that’s part of the enduring charm of this series. Kate’s Secret Plan was the only installment I had read for many years, but it’s proven to be a mostly well-written, informative, entertaining series — the only one I haven’t been able to track down is The Stallion of Box Canyon. Sandy Rabinowitz’s black-and-white sketch illustrations are simple but lovely, a perfect complement to the stories.
While it’s not a terribly original story (it echoes strongly of National Velvet), Kate’s Secret Plan is a cute little western tale with a strong heroine, plenty of historical facts, and simply the horsiest setting you could conceive. Saunders writes clearly and in a tone that is suited for children but never goofy or childish. In a genre dominated by American girls, it’s nice to see some Canadian representation — I learned about Canadian geography, history, and vocabulary from this book when I was little, as well as information about cattle cutting tournaments, horse training, and Quarter Horses. The heart and soul of a horse-girl book is in its depiction of the relationship between the girl and her horse; though Kate and Chinook’s relationship could be a little stronger, Saunders is wise in not over-anthropomorphizing the horse and letting their bond be natural. Kate shows great horsemanship skills, spends constant time with Chinook, and cares for him faithfully, .
Saunders does a great job of including a full cast of characters with unique histories and motivations, but her strength is in her protagonist Kate. Good-natured, considerate, and friendly, Kate demonstrates patience, dedication, and intelligence as she concocts an impossible plan and pulls it off simply by paying attention and seeking opportunities.
Kate’s Secret Plan is a really fun little western novel that demonstrates the importance of bonding with your horse, not judging people based on your first impressions of them, and not letting people’s opinions stop you from reaching for the stars. Kate and Chinook are a fun pair to spend an hour or so with, and there’s plenty of adventure and excitement to hold a horse-girl’s attention!
When I was nine years old, my house burned in a fire, and I lost basically every book I owned. My best friend knew how much I loved books and horses, and she gave me one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received — five middle-grades horse-girl books that I read from cover to cover until the pages were falling out. Kate’s Secret Plan was the first of those books, and it has remained a special book to me all these years.
In Alberta in the summer of 1926, ten-year-old ranch girl Kate McGill dreams of having a horse of her own and winning the annual cattle cutting contest at the fair in Medicine Hat. Her first wish comes true when she receives a beautiful four-year-old Quarter Horse gelding named Chinook, but Kate is faced with another problem: girls are not allowed to enter the cattle cutting contest. Kate’s father has his hopes pinned on the McGill family legacy as cutting champions being carried on by Kate’s twin brother Brian, who is far more interested in baseball than he is in horses. Still, Kate is determined to train Chinook herself and find a way to enter the tournament, and her opportunity comes in the form of Jimmy Willis, the sour and condescending son of the new ranch foreman. As they slowly develop a mutual respect, Kate and Jimmy launch a secret plan that is more likely to go wrong than right, but their dedication to their goal (and their love for the intelligent Chinook) will land them in the Medicine Hat cutting tournament.
Kate’s Secret Plan, intelligently and elegantly written by Susan Saunders (in her last contribution to the series), is part of the Treasured Horses Collection, a 1990s historical fiction series about girls and the horses they love. Each book focuses on the adventures of a girl, aged 10-12, with a specific horse breed in a specific historical period; the books used to come with little horse replicas, and though the books shared no characters or timelines, they were always centered on adventurous, likable young girls who rose above what people expected of them. Interestingly, unlike many other horse-girl books, the Treasured Horses Collection tends to focus on the girl herself and only includes the horse as part of the plot (which becomes especially common as the series progresses), but that’s part of the enduring charm of this series. Kate’s Secret Plan was the only installment I had read for many years, but it’s proven to be a mostly well-written, informative, entertaining series — the only one I haven’t been able to track down is The Stallion of Box Canyon. Sandy Rabinowitz’s black-and-white sketch illustrations are simple but lovely, a perfect complement to the stories.
While it’s not a terribly original story (it echoes strongly of National Velvet), Kate’s Secret Plan is a cute little western tale with a strong heroine, plenty of historical facts, and simply the horsiest setting you could conceive. Saunders writes clearly and in a tone that is suited for children but never goofy or childish. In a genre dominated by American girls, it’s nice to see some Canadian representation — I learned about Canadian geography, history, and vocabulary from this book when I was little, as well as information about cattle cutting tournaments, horse training, and Quarter Horses. The heart and soul of a horse-girl book is in its depiction of the relationship between the girl and her horse; though Kate and Chinook’s relationship could be a little stronger, Saunders is wise in not over-anthropomorphizing the horse and letting their bond be natural. Kate shows great horsemanship skills, spends constant time with Chinook, and cares for him faithfully, .
Saunders does a great job of including a full cast of characters with unique histories and motivations, but her strength is in her protagonist Kate. Good-natured, considerate, and friendly, Kate demonstrates patience, dedication, and intelligence as she concocts an impossible plan and pulls it off simply by paying attention and seeking opportunities.
Kate’s Secret Plan is a really fun little western novel that demonstrates the importance of bonding with your horse, not judging people based on your first impressions of them, and not letting people’s opinions stop you from reaching for the stars. Kate and Chinook are a fun pair to spend an hour or so with, and there’s plenty of adventure and excitement to hold a horse-girl’s attention!
January 23, 2020
These sorts of books are bloody adorable and perfect for young horse lovers. I love the theme of how girls can do anything boys can do!
September 18, 2021
Turtle just re-read and said: great! Return to library.
May 29, 2009
OMG I did my first book report on this book. And my mare's old name was Chinook. So I glad I found this!
Read
January 18, 2010A good book to reread LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!
August 28, 2013
Loving riding and women's Liberation. Times have changed- a look into the past. Great reading for middle schoolers and older grade school kids.
April 28, 2016
gr 3-5 1926 Canada
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews