Pounding Hooves

by Dorothy Grunbock Johnston

Lori Goodman had discovered the most beautiful horse in the world, but finding her and owning her were two different things!

Storm: the regal Arabian mare that others had failed to tame...

Darlene: the girl who had everything, but always wanted what belonged to someone else - who also had the money and the mind to make things hers...

Ken: Lori's secret love, whom Darlene also threatened to steal away...

Genres: Young Adult, Horses, Animals, Fiction, Childrens

254 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1976

Reviews

[Sam (The Favorites Shelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I discovered this Christian fiction book in a relative's attic, years ago. When I saw the horse on the cover, I just had to rescue it from its dusty corner. Now I've read this three times and consider it a favorite!

Before I dive into my full thoughts, here's a quick summary of the plot: The main character, Lori, is training a neighbor's horse, and the owner's son happens to be her crush. She's also in an art contest, and her competitor likes the same boy and wants to own the same horse...

So, there's lots of dramatic buildup with that rivalry! I always enjoy this trope in equestrian fiction (because no horse story would be complete without a classic rivalry). And I loved the art-related scenes! Art and horses are two of my favorite things, so this is a major reason why I liked the book so much! There's also a quick side mystery that adds some intrigue.

I did find the main boy a little frustrating - mostly because he rejects his horse for being an Arabian. At times, I wanted to step into the story and say, "Love the poor horse in front of you! She's a gem, and you're missing out!"

As for the faith content, Bible verses and church are mentioned, but the most obvious message can be found through the main character, as she tries to do what's right and forgive others.

Side note: This book is currently out of print, but it's always possible to discover a used copy! And, although it isn't a modern story, it doesn't feel out of date (the lack of modern tech actually adds to its charm, in my opinion). I'd recommend this to girls/teens looking for a fun horse story!

*Content to note*
One scene takes place on Halloween/side characters appear in costumes.

[Jamie Dacyczyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that I had as a kid, and probably read about ten thousand times (when you don't have a public library, summertime is spent rererereading whatever's laying around at home). I remember so many details from it, but for a long time I couldn't remember the title. I eventually tracked it down through some diligent Googling, and recently I decided to obtain a copy and reread it for the first time as an adult.

Imagine my surprise when my copy arrived from eBay, and I read the back cover only to discover that this was a Christian™ book! Well, that makes sense, because I think a lot of the paperback books I acquired were hand-me-downs from my horse-loving, God-fearing cousins in North Carolina. It also makes sense that this blossoming young atheist totally overlooked the religious stuff in this book. Like, I remember the details about the loft studio that the dad in this book made for his artist daughter. And I remember that she felt guilty for baking him a quick apple cake instead of the apple pie he wanted....But do I remember the gospel messaging? Nope. Clearly I just blanked those moments out, and it's not hard to do. The religious stuff kind of comes out of the blue, very shoe-horned in. It's as if the author wrote a regular book about a girl wanting a horse, and the only publisher she could find was this Christian™ one who said, "Sure, we'll publish your book, but you have to shove some Bible messaging in there." Like, you could take a Sharpie, black out the religious bits, and have exactly the same story.

In hindsight, I have to admit that the writing in this book is....only so-so. Very 1970s mass-market paperback style. Of course, I didn't expect to uncover a forgotten gem of American literature, but I was hoping maybe I'd have a repeat of Here She Is, Ms Teeny-Wonderful where an obscure nostalgic book I hadn't read in 25 years actually turned out to be pretty entertaining even today. Alas, no....I don't think this one quite holds up. The dialogue doesn't flow (the main character has a habit of saying her emphatic non-sequitur thoughts out loud and her family mostly ignores these outbursts), the same descriptions are used over and over, and scenes don't always progress in a sensical manner. Like, she thinks of making a pie, and in the next sentence she's crimping the crust and popping it in the oven. Or, she had to get dressed up for an award ceremony, and decided to wear the her wool, because the teal coloring is flattering. Wool what? Dress? Sweater? Pantsuit? Just a pile of unspun wool?

This is the kind of wholesome book my mom liked for us to read. Country people, workin' hard, some kind of animal relationship, completely chaste. I'm glad I reread it after all these years, because so many details from it stayed snagged in my reading memories....but I don't need to read it again.

[Willa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up used because I remember loving it in elementary school. Doesn't hold up great, but 3 stars for nostalgia and horse girls, lol.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written young person book that accurately portrays the struggle to be content and love others. Any girl who loves horses would love this story. I read it as a child, and then I read it again to see if I wanted to give it to any of my 6th graders. I'm excited to introduce the power of the gospel without being heavy handed.

[polyimperfect · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the book as a kid in the early 80s, but it hasn't stood the test of time. This is more a story about a young woman developing her skills as an artist than anything, which is an interesting and unusual element that I enjoyed as a fellow young artist myself. However as a kid, I didn't pick up on the clumsy dialogue, the ham-handed attempts at proselytizing, and the very tired, 1950's era sexist tropes embodied by the male protagonist. Not recommended for today's young audiences.

(and for a book written about someone who supposedly can draw horses really well...her technique was totally ripped off of Sam Savitt's "How to Draw Horses," and the illustrations of the horses in the book--including the cover!!--get the head proportions way wrong each time. Following a formula is no substitute for actually understanding your subject.)

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, I enjoyed this book about a high school girl and her love for a particular horse that she helps to train and hopes to one day own.

[Emma Zinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it!

[Julie Havener · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clean book for girls who love horses.

[Lucinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another childhood revisit - very authentic horse girl in small country town, I can vouch - church & God too

[Hildegart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened to come across this book at a used bookstore in the bargain bin. It's quite enjoyable and it is more than just about horses. It's also about family relationships and relationships between the schoolkids.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved loved loved this young girl's romance.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite books growing up. This is a book for teens/young girls. The love between a girl & her horse... :)

[Pauline Creeden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was my favorite book while growing up, and now I happen to own a palomino half-arab - think about the book all the time when I look at him!

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weirdly random God stuff thrown in -- what is Christian fiction doing in my horse book? -- and lacking in basic fact-checking (purebred Arabs: not palomino), but otherwise sweet.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

my daughter's book.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Auntie Rhee gave me this book when I was a teenager.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book perhaps 25 times while growing up...I really loved horses!