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Little Britches #8

Horse of a Different Color: Reminiscences of a Kansas Drover

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'Ralph Moody's story is a perfect example of rural American enterprise in the early 1920s. He found himself with mountainous debts through collapse of the livestock market. In the process of digging himself out of debt, he also saved a town from total bankruptcy. The reader lives through a flash flood, admires his sanitary slaughter house, and weeps over a forced farm auction. This book is a glorious recollection of Pre-Dust Bowl, pre-Depression days and is highly recommended. - Library Journal

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1968

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About the author

Ralph Moody

30 books193 followers
Ralph Moody was an American author who wrote 17 novels and autobiographies about the American West. He was born in East Rochester, New Hampshire, in 1898 but moved to Colorado with his family when he was eight in the hopes that a dry climate would improve his father Charles's tuberculosis. Moody detailed his experiences in Colorado in the first book of the Little Britches series, Father and I Were Ranchers.

After his father died, eleven-year-old Moody assumed the duties of the "man of the house." He and his sister Grace combined ingenuity with hard work in a variety of odd jobs to help their mother provide for their large family. The Moody clan returned to the East Coast some time after Charles's death, but Moody had difficulty readjusting. Following more than one ill-timed run-in with local law enforcement, he left the family home near Boston to live on his grandfather's farm in Maine. His later Little Britches books cover his time in Maine and subsequent travels through Arizona, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Kansas—including stints as a bust sculptor and a horse rider doing "horse falls" for motion pictures—as he worked his way back toward Colorado while continuing to support his family financially.

Moody's formal education was limited, but he had a lifelong interest in learning and self-education. At age 50, he enrolled in a writing class, which eventually led to the publication of Father and I Were Ranchers. In addition to the Little Britches series, Moody wrote a number of books detailing the development of the American West. His books have been described as crude in the language of the times but are highly praised by Moody's readership and have been in continuous publication since 1950.

After a period as livestock business owner in rural Kansas, Moody sent to Massachusetts for his former sweetheart, Edna. They married and moved to Kansas City. They had three children.—Source

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5 stars
638 (52%)
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413 (33%)
3 stars
148 (12%)
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20 (1%)
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6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
Profile Image for Christy Peterson.
1,536 reviews35 followers
September 23, 2013
Ralph Moody was a pretty amazing man. He showed that everything can be turned around, improved and made to prosper by thinking out of the box and hard work. Anyone lucky enough to know and work with him benefited.

This book, like the last one, was probably a little boring to the boys because all the details, but I made sure to talk about the principles.

Highly highly recommend this whole series. I would love to know how his family turned out, about his kids etc... He died in the 80's.
Profile Image for Sara.
579 reviews231 followers
March 29, 2015
Possibly the most inspiring book in the series. Ralph is one incredible man of virtue and value. His entrepreneurial mind is impressive and coupled with his strong core values, he is a man who is a blessing not only to himself and his family but all those who are his neighbors as well.
Profile Image for Jessie Mattis.
Author 2 books113 followers
May 31, 2025
One of the best books in the series! Loved reading this series aloud with my son, and this was a great one to end on.
Profile Image for Naomi.
361 reviews16 followers
December 2, 2024
This was a bittersweet family read aloud because it's the last of Moody's books in this series. We love Ralph and are sad to say goodbye. Our whole family has absolutely loved this series. Spare but evocative writing about a young man making his way in Kansas in the 1920's.
Profile Image for Angela.
22 reviews2 followers
June 13, 2017
I first started reading the 'little britches' series as a child. My father would tuck us into bed and then read aloud from the first few books in the series. It wasn't until I was an adult that I discovered that there were a few Ralph Moody books I hadn't read, Horse of A Different Color chief among them. I can't recommend this book highly enough :)
Profile Image for Becky.
161 reviews
January 14, 2010
This was one of my favorites of the series. This guy lived a thousand lifetimes in 22 short years. Love these stories - will read them again and again.
Profile Image for Luke Prizzi.
6 reviews2 followers
August 7, 2025
The last book of the "Little Britches" series is truly a "Horse of a Different Color." The boy from the beloved and charming days from the early stories completes his growth into adulthood. Ralph takes on business challenges larger than ever before with new levels of confidence and responsibility. he deals with shady companions, economic downturns, natural disasters, legal challenges, and a little bit of romance at the end. While not the most memorable of tales, Horse of a Different Color is a solid conclusion to a series which ranges in quality from solid American stories of perseverance to classic additions to the coming of age genre.
Profile Image for Leya Delray.
Author 1 book38 followers
November 9, 2020
I love all the Ralph Moody books I have read, and this one, which I just finished for the first time, is no exception. Fascinating to read about what life was really like in the American west. And inspiring to see how hard work and ingenuity eventually overcome the many challenges his life throws at him. We need more books about real people who worked hard and made a life for themselves, changing the little parts of the world they touched, even if they were "nobody special." Real life is beautiful!
Profile Image for Jason.
8 reviews
November 26, 2023
Favorite series. Loved it. Sad that they're done.
24 reviews1 follower
September 6, 2025
Thanks for the unforgettable ride Ralph. We will miss your stories every night.
Profile Image for Denae Christine.
Author 4 books171 followers
February 25, 2017
Reader thoughts: So, Ralph Moody is just a really cool guy. I wish I could have met him. The big things I didn't like about this book were that 1, it's the last in the series. 2, he gets married at the end.

So funny, and heartbreaking. My favorites are still the ones about when he's 8 to 14 best, the first 4 or so. He makes more mistakes in those, which makes it more interesting.

In this book, my favorite scene, which was only a paragraph or so, is the one with the sheep.

Ralph said the most he made in one trip was over some animals he didn't even ship. He found himself watching a frustrated shepherd, who shouted, "Who'll take these sheep?"
Ralph said, "I'll give you 4 dollars a head."
Then the man said, "SOLD!"
Another in the crowd said, "5 dollars a head!"
Ralph said, "SOLD!" and there were too many witnesses to deny that he had bought the sheep and owned them for two seconds. He made a dollar per sheep, and there were over two hundred sixty. Which means he made over $130 per second for that transaction.

HA! For a man saddled with someone else's debt, that was a big relief, and still so funny. Oh, and Ralph learns some things about himself in this book, too, and about his diabetes. Let's just say, it was a happy ending, which I love, and keeps this from being a 3-star book.

Writer thoughts: The small things I didn't like were all the telling (he summarizes a lot to get through about a year and a half). There were no times when Ralph's life was in danger (other than from the diabetes), and his worries were all about money rather than the more diverse concerns we saw in other books (friendships and safety and ornery horses and growing with a better character). There was a blizzard and a flood, I suppose, but Ralph spent barely a paragraph on those except to explain how much stock/money they cost him.

It's like there wasn't anything small Ralph had to deal with (or he didn't remember the small things) because of all the debt he worried about instead. He didn't worry about the car breaking down because of a $1 item. He was on good terms with the horses and people all around. He didn't break any toes or catch the measles or get attacked by bees or steal chocolate from his parents. Those happened when he was younger.

These picky pieces of the book don't change the story, and many readers might not notice them. Still, the first 7 books have stronger writing.
Profile Image for Greg Olson.
Author 15 books13 followers
November 17, 2013
This book is, to say the least disappointing. Though Eisler has obviously done a great deal of research in preparing the book, she has drawn some dubious assumptions from that research.

I am particularly troubled by her treatment of Native Americans, especially the Ioways and the Mandans. The book opens with a description of the Mandan Okipa ceremony in which she emphasizes characteristics such as torture, mystery and savagery. It does not seem to occur to Eisler that this may largely be a spiritual ceremony, much like the better-known sun dance. The chapter shows that she is far too willing to see the people and their ceremony through a 19th century lens. While this helps us understand how Catlin may have viewed the ceremony, it leads us to believe that Catlin actually understood it. Clearly, he did not, neither does Eisler.

I also take issue with her writings about the Ioway, in which she confuses people, tribal history and personal motivations. She seems to have learned all she knows about the Ioway from George Sands, who wrote a lengthy and erroneous essay on them in the mid-1840s. White Cloud was NOT a "breakaway Chief." He was simply trying his best to help his people survive the atrocities that were being inflicted on them. He believed that once Europeans found out how the Ioways were being treated, they would offer assistance.

The danger in all this is that Eisler leaves us with a picture of indigenous people that is based on racism, error and antiquated historiography. Since this book may be the only book some people ever read about the Mandans and Ioways, Eisler does them a grave disservice by providing a far too stereotypical understanding of the people and their culture.
Profile Image for Ariel.
30 reviews12 followers
March 31, 2016
By the end of this book I was thoroughly amazed at how much a 23-year-old had accomplished, how many trials he'd come out the other side of, and how much he'd grown since the start of the Little Britches series! As always, I like to note what lessons I learned from the books I read... so from this book I learned about how very, very useful it can be to have friends you trust who know about whatever business you're going into. I learned that bankruptcy is far from the end of the world, and it can be a good thing in certain circumstances. I also learned that aggressive investing and business makes things move along a lot faster (duh) - working like that can make you a lot of money quick but it can also take you for a nosedive.
Profile Image for Ashley.
291 reviews
November 2, 2011
I'm really not sure why exactly I've loved these books so much. I have loved reading about his adventures, his work ethic, how he always seems to come out on top, how nothing seems to get him down, how he never blames anyone for what life deals him, how he always has a plan to make things right.... I love that it's true! His story just seems like too much, too crazy, too unbelievable. And at the end of this book, he's only 23! I wonder what he did with the rest of his life....

The books aren't necessarily page turners. They aren't "that book" that you just can't put down. But they're good. I like them.

I will definitely read these again someday.
Profile Image for Dawn Marie.
28 reviews4 followers
June 10, 2015
We love Love LOVE this book series!! Horse of a Different Color is the last of 8 books... all beloved by our family. Beautifully written, laugh-and-cry-worthy, these books are such a delight to savor. Ralph Moody wrote the Little Britches series as an autobiographical sketch of his childhood and young adulthood. This final book ends on his 23rd birthday, after MANY great adventures that might make a mother cringe, lots of humor and heartbreak, crazy hard times and loads of wild fun! I have to say, these rank at the very top of our family's favorites list. Well worth your time... highly recommend!!
Profile Image for Sara.
545 reviews7 followers
June 13, 2017
The finale! Truly an uplifting, inspiring series of books. Ralph is a good guy and he certainly is dealt some tough hands, but he has a gifted way of seeing the potential, the positive and the possibilities within each of those less-than-ideal situations. And then he moves forward, not allowing self-doubt to stop him from making the very best of every circumstance he finds himself in. He seems to clearly understand the principle of being an agent to act and not to be acted upon.
Profile Image for Melanie.
1,184 reviews
May 5, 2016
This was a fantastic series. In this book, Ralph Moody gets to start from scratch, and he builds on his solid work ethic and experience to get his feet under him once more. He meets plenty of interesting people and has a turn of events that creates a bright future for himself.
29 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2009
So good! He's such a good man! You'll fall in love with his honest good heart.
195 reviews4 followers
March 3, 2024
I have read most of the books in Ralph Moody's autobiographical series several times. This is the last book in the series and is a very enjoyable read. While some of the earlier books have simpler content that is able to be understood by children, this one has fewer hijinks and a lot of descriptions of hard work.

The book picks up very soon after the end of The Dry Divide. Ralph (called Bud) is shipping cattle out of western Kansas and eventually teams up with a man, Bob Wilson, to feed livestock to send to market. They did well initially, but then disaster struck and Ralph found himself, at 21 years of age, in debt to the tune of nearly 12,000 dollars (about 180,000 dollars in 2023 terms). The rest of the book deals with his focus on working his way out of debt.

As always, there are characters who shine through the pages of the book. Ralph made it clear throughout that while he was willing to work hard, part of the key of his success was his willingness to accept the advice of others and the help that the local community gave him to get him back on his feet and see him succeed.

This book has certain times when Ralph is talking about bidding on something or figuring out prices and I imagine most readers skim over those sections. While it maybe interesting to a few to know how Ralph came up with 15 cents a pound that he bid, most of us don't really care that much.

Ralph had stated that his intention in writing this series of books was to give a picture of the people and the ethic that existed in pre-Dust Bowl farming and ranching communities in the western United States. I think he did a beautiful job here and I will certainly reread this book in the future.
Profile Image for Jamie.
302 reviews2 followers
August 16, 2022
After eight books, it's time to say goodbye to Ralph.

In the final book Ralph recounted his up's and down's living in Kansas in the 1920's. He was such an intelligent, hardworking, and innovative guy but once again chose a complete deadbeat to work with (in my opinion, it was due to loneliness). As such, he ended up in debt but was able to overcome it with his trademark determination by the end of the book.

Ralph was always willing to try a new job and he ended up farming, raising and selling pigs and cattle and learning the livestock market, and doing a short stint as butcher. After all of his generosity, it was inspiring to see the farmers rally around him when he came upon hard times.

As with the previous books, some of the agriculture and livestock technical descriptions/processes were lost on me, and that's probably why I found some of those parts dry. Still, it's a great series that my whole family enjoyed. While it's aimed at older youth, there's depth and greater meaning that appeal to adults.

"I ain't takin' a thing away from the girls, but I don't recollect givin' you no advice. Of late years I've been kind of leery 'bout passin' it out. If it's good the folks that take it generally always come to believe the notion was theirs in the first place, but if it turns out to be wrong they never forget where it come from, and it can stir up hard feelin's." - George Miner
Profile Image for Vonnie Skaggs.
208 reviews4 followers
July 15, 2019
From Little Britches to Horse of a Different Color, reading Ralph Moody's story was an amazing experience.
He was an amazing person! I've never come across a person like him, his integrity, his compassion for others, his kindnesses even when he's low, his endurance, his ability to "shake the nickel tree", his determination, his tenacity as he rode the highs and lows of his life and his remarkable ability to learn new things as he went along. I'd pay good money for an ounce of that ability.
All that to say, I found these books mesmerizing and hard to put down --- making my task of reading a book a week a lot easier.

These are a must read for any American. My parentage is American, but I was raised overseas and was not exposed to a lot of American history or literature in my formative years. Reading these books gave me a deeper appreciation and understanding of the growth of this country. I only wish more people during those formative years of this country, had Ralph Moody's integrity.
And although I don't entirely agree on some of his cattle rearing methods, I feel he would have appreciated knowing today's greats like Wendell Berry.
Profile Image for Jan.
3 reviews
December 22, 2020
My love affair with Ralphy Moody books began at the age of 13 when my Social Studies teacher Mrs. Berg read to the class from the first in the series - Little Britches. Like Ralph Moody I had just lost my dad and when I cried in class, the teacher took me to the hall and comforted me by talking to me and giving me a hug. Afterwards I began reading the other books in the series like Man of the Family and The Home Ranch. It wasn't until this year when I was looking for a book set in Kansas and I did a Goodreads check and was matched with Horse of a Different Color. It was so satisfying to be reunited with Bud as a young man of 19, going on 20 and doing well with the help of people like George and Effie. He grew by leaps and bounds with new-found knowledge and suggestions from friends and neighbors and rubbing shoulders with other businessmen -- from bankers, drovers and immigrants. It so paralleled the life of my husband and his dad in a similar business and the collective values acquired by my husband and Ralph, alike. Both left a lasting legacy about truth, values, and treating others as they wanted to ber treated.
1,070 reviews3 followers
August 11, 2024
This book marks the end of Moody's autobiographical series and chronicles his time in the livestock feeding, butchering and shipping business. It highlights the author's penchant for finding willing partners and friends, although some of those partners turn out to be pretty lousy. It's set in the tiny rural communities of western Kansas and Nebraska, a place where the harshness of the land and the friendliness of the people are memorable. I have personally spent time in this region and was delighted to find several mentions of the little town in Kansas where I'd stayed. It's a place of constant wind and endless sky, and like the author, I have a deep love for it even though I do not live there.
This series captures an incredible period in American history, when a predominantly rural way of life was slowly being overtaken by large-scale commerce and mass-produced goods. People who once had to do all kinds of things to keep a farm running were getting city or town jobs that only required one task or area of knowledge. With our current insulation in climate-controlled buildings with constant, instant access to commonication, entertainment, food and clothing from around the world, Moody's books are even more important as compellingly readable historic documents that preserve our collective heritage.
Profile Image for Ann.
593 reviews8 followers
November 6, 2020
The Dry Divide for me was just ok, so I didn’t really know what to expect of this book, and I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to it, except for the finishing of the series as a whole.
It must just be that certain parts of Moody’s life caught my imagination less than others, because this last installment had me just about enraptured. There was a fair amount of drama in his business dealings, and undeserved hardship when things took a downward turn, but Ralph meets it all with a steady determination to do whatever it takes to make something out of nothing.
These parts of his stories are what I find most compelling - a young man who refuses to be beat and will do just about anything to achieve his goals, is not afraid of hard work, and is unwaveringly determined to treat others around him with fairness and as much generosity as he can. In achieving those ends he is able to lift not only himself, but his whole community, and they repay him with loyalty and appreciation. He finds himself some good friends, a father-figure, and wraps things up with a happy little ending.
I feel like there may have been more adventures to tell after he got married; I can’t believe he didn’t have any other obstacles to surmount in creative ways once he had a new family to support, especially having gone through the Great Depression as well as WWII. I’d love for a biography or something to fill in the gaps of his life and maybe answer some of the lingering questions I have, but all in all, it’s such a fantastic story, well worth reading.
19 reviews2 followers
February 28, 2018
I read the whole series, & enjoyed them all, except for the fact that Ralph seems to be willing to be used by lazy people. I was really disappointed with his choice of a wife, who told him where they would live, instead of letting him choose where he could earn their living, being that he would be the breadwinner. She even refused to wear an engagement ring at her graduation...after he saved for a whole year to buy the ring! I think his loneliness clouded his judgment, & since he was such a good man, loved his community where he lived, then this little twit tells him where they would live when he had no idea how he would make a living in a city, it just really made me mad. He was too good for that. He deserved a wife that would love him for who he was, & where he could make a good living doing what he loved to do. He gave it all up because he was lonely. I hope she was a good wife, but I doubt it. Still, I was glued to the series!
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