Just Another Race Horse

by Marion N. Seidel

It’s how you start out and how you end up… but never about getting off track, just how fast you get back on!
Sonny is JUST ANOTHER RACE HORSE with a story to tell that will open a well of emotion in your soul and melt your heart as you read each endearing page of his young life! Sonny’s first memory is of being born and seeing the warmth and love in his mother’s eyes as she sees her newborn son for the first time. In the beginning, life is good. Sonny grows into a handsome, sleek thoroughbred, wrapped in a blanket of love and approval — trusting the good of the world that surrounds him. It isn’t long, however, before he realizes life is about to throw him moldy carrots!
The day he was taken from his home, from his mother, is the scariest day of his life. Everyone and everything is new. Herded into a huge horse trailer with other horses, he’s taken to a strange place. Everyone makes sure he’s fed well and groomed well, but for the first time in his life he’s yelled at for being playful, then sold at auction into the new and dangerous world of thoroughbred racing!
JUST ANOTHER RACE HORSE is the poignant story of a thoroughbred raised all his young life to be a race horse — complete with all the brutality of his training while immersed in the seedy side of horse racing! Through it all, Sonny keeps his positive attitude, but how can he ever know that winning has a very nasty side… losing — and you’re only as good as your next race!
Get your copy today and join Sonny in this winning memoir that stamps him as a king among princes and not JUST ANOTHER RACE HORSE!

76 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

Marion N. Seidel’s equestrian journey has traversed two continents, and spanned nearly four decades. Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, her love of horses drew her to the race track and as a teenager Marion became an apprentice jockey. For sixteen years she poured all of her love and passion for the majestic animals and racing, also known as “The Sport of Kings” into her work. In 1992 Marion made a move to Florida and continued working in the field as an exercise rider.

It was then that she was presented with a stark contrast of ideology between her home in Germany and of Europe as a whole, and how the Thoroughbred Horse Racing industry was run and operated in the United States. She was confronted with an astounding amount of performance enhancing medication administered to the animals, as well as drug use, and abuse forced upon them by the trainers. Training methods that were taboo in Europe were commonplace in the U.S., and Marion became disenfranchised with the entire structure of the industry. In 1995 she made the decision to step away from the sport and from the animals she loved because she couldn’t reconcile what she saw as abuse.

In 2011 Marion earned her Thoroughbred Trainer's License and it was also the time she felt moved to share her story and lifetime of experience with the equestrian world.

Marion has penned three novels since 2013. JUST ANOTHER RACE HORSE, RACE HORSE TRAINING: COMPARED, and FROM RACE HORSE TO TRAIL HORSE TO PET were all published within a year of one another, and showcase the knowledge and insight Marion has earned over almost forty years of working with the animals she loves.

Marion has become a champion for Thoroughbred Horses and continues to work with, and care for them today. She hopes to raise awareness and garner compassion for the beautiful animals being abused every day, simply for the entertainment of race fans. Marion’s next novel (Title and Release Date-TBA) is in production and promises to once again showcase her passion for, her love of, and her knowledge about Thoroughbreds and the industry in which many of them in the United States are trapped.

Reviews

[Mickie Bolling-Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heartbreaking and inspiring book. Heartbreaking because it shows the worst of us, and inspiring because it also shows the best of us. We are capable of such kindness and love, and this book shows us. And because part of the author's proceeds go to help horses at the Davy Jones Equine Memorial Fund, we as readers are brought into immediately helping. Buy the book, we make a difference right away. Read the book and learn, we make a difference going forward. And that is something that many of us want - to make a difference while we are here. Keep your tissues close - this is a full-boxer. But the end is well-worth it!

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short book written as if a mid-level race horse were reflecting on his life. You get a feel for what a day in the life of a race horse is during different parts of his life. The author covers the youth of the horse, auctions, breaking and training, gelding, race training and racing, claiming, and recuperating at a farm. The author focuses on the fear of horses in new situations. She also tells of poor treatment by her human handlers, sometimes intentional, sometimes without thought. There is a relatively happy ending. I’ve read a few horse books like this that told the story in the third person. I found this exercise to tell the story from the horse’s anthropomorphized perspective was not as compelling, but still an interesting perspective as so few racehorse books cover the lower level claimers as they fall in value and reach the end of their racing career.

[Michelle Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite

Just Another Race Horse is an animal non-fiction book by Marion N. Seidel. Sonny is a horse that reminisces about his life with heartfelt emotions. He remembered the happy, idyllic times with his mother when he was a foal and the caring treatment from his caregivers on the farm. That contentment was shattered when Sonny grew older and a racehorse owner bought him. He worked extremely hard when training, but it was not appreciated.

The abusive treatment Sonny received was not what he was accustomed to and he retaliated in his own way. This only made things more difficult for the yearling. People also thought he was just an average racehorse who rarely won races that should pay for his upkeep. How he wished he could roam freely in the pastures and make friends with other horses.

Just Another Race Horse is a poignant non-fiction read that gave me an unexpected view of the other side of horse racing. One usually sees the glamorous side of this sporting event, but Marion N. Seidel writes very descriptively about the actual treatment given to horses by some of their owners. Sonny, an adorable thoroughbred, narrates the story with heartfelt emotions.

It is a story that made me ponder about the realities of horse racing and the living conditions that a few of these animals endure on the farms where they are raised. The author gave other relevant information about the categories of racehorses and the importance of these animals' birth dates. Just Another Race Horse is an interesting book.

[Jil Stathis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for OTTB owners or perspective owners

What I loved about this book was the use of Sonny's voice to teach the humans about what a horse needs and how his emotions can be understood. Love, kindness and respect are so important. Be that strong, but kind leader and your horse will give you his best.

[Jeanie Lydick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written from the horse. It informs us humans the fears and actions horses experience. Worth the read for anyone that loves animals.

[Patricia L .Jex · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful perspective on the world of horse racing told from the point of view of the horse, or as close as we can get to that. The author is clearly dedicated to providing horses with their best possible existence. I hope this book helps raise awareness for these noble creatures.

[Valerie Ormond · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was obvious that the author knew horses from the way this story was told. As a horse lover, I appreciated the thoughts from the race horse's point of view. She gave the horse, Sonny, his own personality and hopefully enlightened readers with the ways horses may view the world around them. This was an interesting read and one I keep thinking about - recommended.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story starts from the day he is born, a brand new baby horse with his whole life ahead of him and all he wants to do is have a care free life but in life we don't always get what we want and that includes animals.

Sonny is abused by different owners until one day his savoir comes and takes him away from all the bad things in his life. I cried during the book because of the way people treated Sonny. No animal should ever be treated as bad as Sonny was but at the end is where his life gets turned around for the better.

If you love stories about horses and can handle what Sonny tells you what he went through, I do believe you will fall in love with him and you will be routing for him! I know I was right from the beginning.

I can't wait to read more from this author.

[Crystal Rafuse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a surprisingly heartwarming and yet sad story, all at the same time. Unbelievable how some people can be so cruel to another living, breathing, feeling creature, all just in order to make a buck.

I literally had tears in my eyes listening to Sonny describe his first meeting with his rescuer, the man who would take him from being a neglected, injured race horse; and give him the life of a happy, well cared for pet horse.

You would never think that a story written for adults, in the perspective of a race horse, could be anything but laughable, but this is seriously touching and very memorable book.

[Windy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the idea behind this book, and absolutely love that the proceeds are helping horses. The story does touch on some of the darker parts of the thoroughbred industry, which need to be brought to light. As an avid race fan, I can still say that there are many things in the industry that should change. I can only give three stars on this book, however, as it is rather poorly written and has a large number of grammatical errors, which, sadly, detract from the story.

[Kevin Lintner · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Just Another Race Horse" tells the story of Sonny, a racehorse, from the point of view of the horse. It is written in first person, so it gives you an insight to the brutality of what happens to a horse that is bred solely to be pushed to its physical limits. The story is sad, but it is also uplifting because Sonny is one of the lucky horses that got rescued instead of being put down when its racing career ended. If you are an animal lover, this is a perfect read.