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Christmas Horse
"He's no good. Not with a wild horse like King for a sire!"
That's what Ben Darby's father thinks. But Ben believes in the little black colt. And he takes on the job of breaking and training the son of the wild stallion.
It isn't easy. When Ben leaves the ranch to go to school in the city, the colt, Inky, goes too. Ben has to earn the money for Inky's keep. He has to get up winter mornings at 4:30 to ride him.
Does Inky really have the stuff? Is he all that Ben believes him to be?
The test comes the day Johnny Horn rides for the calf-roping championship — on Ben Darby's Christmas Horse.
That's what Ben Darby's father thinks. But Ben believes in the little black colt. And he takes on the job of breaking and training the son of the wild stallion.
It isn't easy. When Ben leaves the ranch to go to school in the city, the colt, Inky, goes too. Ben has to earn the money for Inky's keep. He has to get up winter mornings at 4:30 to ride him.
Does Inky really have the stuff? Is he all that Ben believes him to be?
The test comes the day Johnny Horn rides for the calf-roping championship — on Ben Darby's Christmas Horse.
252 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1990
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Glenn Balch
38 books15 followersBorn December 11, 1902 in Venus, TX, Glenn Balch was a talented essayist who published many articles in Field & Stream and other outdoor magazines. He was also known for his many juvenile novels. His love for dogs, horses, and the great outdoors marked his life from very early on.
His earliest life memories involved being put on the back of a horse, and first dog, Trix. Early on, his love of reading was fostered and encouraged by his family. After going to college at the age of 16, he wrote for the collegiate newspaper and was involved in athletics. After graduation, he wanted a career outdoors, so he applied to the Forest Service as a fire guard. One reason was that a career as a forest ranger seemed like steadier work than the life of a cowboy. Eventually he received an offer to be a fire guard in Garden Valley, Idaho and in 1925 he moved to the Gem State, together with his new bride.
After that first fire season, he rode horseback from Garden Valley to Boise to apply for a newspaper job and was hired by the Idaho Statesman. He spent the next five years as a roving reporter, traveling about the state, combining hunting and fishing expeditions with his newspaper work. He wanted to spend more time doing his own writing, so resigned from the Statesman after his divorce and relocated to Boise. The Statesman did not want Balch to resign, so they offered him a position as a night telegraph editor, leaving his days free. Balch found it still prevented him from doing his own writing and also interfered with a newly found passion for polo, which was popular in Boise in the 1920s and 30s. With his love of horses, horseback riding, and athletic competition, Glenn Balch wanted to be part of the polo scene. In the Spring of 1931 he enlisted in the Idaho National Guard and became a member of its Boise polo squad. In 1932, he began to get his articles published in both Field & Stream and The American Boy. In 1937 he enrolled in a writing class as Columbia University in New York, where he met Elise Kendall, a fellow student from Florida. She became his second wife. On their return to Boise in 1938, they bought a house, settled down, and began raising a family. Balch had one daughter, Betty, from his first marriage to Faula Mashburn, and three more children-daughters Mary and Nikki and son Olin-with his wife Elise. His first novel was published in 1937.
When the United States entered World War II, he entered active duty as a captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was commanding officer of the 10th Combat Camera Unit in the China-Burma-India campaign and was awarded the Bronze Star.
After the war was over, he resumed his career as a writer of juveniles, writing many. Several of his books were translated into foreign languages, and two were illustrated by acclaimed illustrator Ezra Jack Keats. In 1965 his novel Indian Paint was made into a motion picture starring Johnny Crawford and Jay Silverheels.
His 34th and last book was published in 1976. He died in September of 1989 from injuries after an automobile accident on August 29. The following year, two of his novels were republished as part of Idaho's statehood centennial commemoration.
His earliest life memories involved being put on the back of a horse, and first dog, Trix. Early on, his love of reading was fostered and encouraged by his family. After going to college at the age of 16, he wrote for the collegiate newspaper and was involved in athletics. After graduation, he wanted a career outdoors, so he applied to the Forest Service as a fire guard. One reason was that a career as a forest ranger seemed like steadier work than the life of a cowboy. Eventually he received an offer to be a fire guard in Garden Valley, Idaho and in 1925 he moved to the Gem State, together with his new bride.
After that first fire season, he rode horseback from Garden Valley to Boise to apply for a newspaper job and was hired by the Idaho Statesman. He spent the next five years as a roving reporter, traveling about the state, combining hunting and fishing expeditions with his newspaper work. He wanted to spend more time doing his own writing, so resigned from the Statesman after his divorce and relocated to Boise. The Statesman did not want Balch to resign, so they offered him a position as a night telegraph editor, leaving his days free. Balch found it still prevented him from doing his own writing and also interfered with a newly found passion for polo, which was popular in Boise in the 1920s and 30s. With his love of horses, horseback riding, and athletic competition, Glenn Balch wanted to be part of the polo scene. In the Spring of 1931 he enlisted in the Idaho National Guard and became a member of its Boise polo squad. In 1932, he began to get his articles published in both Field & Stream and The American Boy. In 1937 he enrolled in a writing class as Columbia University in New York, where he met Elise Kendall, a fellow student from Florida. She became his second wife. On their return to Boise in 1938, they bought a house, settled down, and began raising a family. Balch had one daughter, Betty, from his first marriage to Faula Mashburn, and three more children-daughters Mary and Nikki and son Olin-with his wife Elise. His first novel was published in 1937.
When the United States entered World War II, he entered active duty as a captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was commanding officer of the 10th Combat Camera Unit in the China-Burma-India campaign and was awarded the Bronze Star.
After the war was over, he resumed his career as a writer of juveniles, writing many. Several of his books were translated into foreign languages, and two were illustrated by acclaimed illustrator Ezra Jack Keats. In 1965 his novel Indian Paint was made into a motion picture starring Johnny Crawford and Jay Silverheels.
His 34th and last book was published in 1976. He died in September of 1989 from injuries after an automobile accident on August 29. The following year, two of his novels were republished as part of Idaho's statehood centennial commemoration.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 24, 2014
i loved the book. i miss how they used to write children's books with real adventure and excitement not teenage romance fantesy fluff.
December 29, 2025
This is the sequel to Wild Horse, and the second book in the Tack Ranch series. There's a revised dumbed-down version with a different illustrator called The Stallion King. Ben Darby has a long-standing feud with his father about Mustangs becoming good ranch horses. Ben wants a colt he saw running with King's herd in the last book. Ben's Dad doesn't want anything to do with Mustangs, especially since he's trying to raise and sell the offspring of his oddly named Morgan stud Keister.
Well, if you've read a hundred books like this, you know what's gonna happen. If you read either version of the previous book, you'll already know that Ben's Dad has a soft spot for old King and his bunch. As the title suggests, Ben is surprised with the colt on Christmas morning.
But Ben has to go to school in Boisie. That's a long way from the ranch. How Ben figures out how to train his colt himself is the best part of the book. I wonder what modern readers in Boisie would think of this book. I don't think you can go riding there anymore.
This would've gotten five stars but for one thing -- Ben, at times, is way too rough with his Christmas horse. Granted, this was published in 1949, when even the best horsemen and women insisted that horses were dumber than dogs. The training here is still milder than in contemporary books like The Capture of the Golden Stallion by Rutherford G. Montgomery. But if your horse won't move, whipping him ain't gonna work in the long run.
For a book published in 1949, it was interesting (and a bit puzzling) that Ben's ranching family never heard of Quarter Horses. They find out through a family friend, who calls them Steel Dusts (which was one of the names given to Quarter Horses before they were finally called Quarter Horses.) Western Horseman was called a new magazine, but it had started in 1937. So, I'm not entirely sure when this book is set.
The black and white line illustrations were done by one of my favorite illustrators, Pers Crowell. His strength is doing animals and landscapes. He doesn't do a good job with people this time around.
Well, if you've read a hundred books like this, you know what's gonna happen. If you read either version of the previous book, you'll already know that Ben's Dad has a soft spot for old King and his bunch. As the title suggests, Ben is surprised with the colt on Christmas morning.
But Ben has to go to school in Boisie. That's a long way from the ranch. How Ben figures out how to train his colt himself is the best part of the book. I wonder what modern readers in Boisie would think of this book. I don't think you can go riding there anymore.
This would've gotten five stars but for one thing -- Ben, at times, is way too rough with his Christmas horse. Granted, this was published in 1949, when even the best horsemen and women insisted that horses were dumber than dogs. The training here is still milder than in contemporary books like The Capture of the Golden Stallion by Rutherford G. Montgomery. But if your horse won't move, whipping him ain't gonna work in the long run.
For a book published in 1949, it was interesting (and a bit puzzling) that Ben's ranching family never heard of Quarter Horses. They find out through a family friend, who calls them Steel Dusts (which was one of the names given to Quarter Horses before they were finally called Quarter Horses.) Western Horseman was called a new magazine, but it had started in 1937. So, I'm not entirely sure when this book is set.
The black and white line illustrations were done by one of my favorite illustrators, Pers Crowell. His strength is doing animals and landscapes. He doesn't do a good job with people this time around.
May 28, 2015
A great story by a great writer. I read this book as a child and it has stuck in my mind so I ordered it to re-read. A story about a boy who wants to tame a wild horse and prove his father wrong that wild horses can indeed become worthy champions. Many struggles and defeats to weather. Moral character and patients building. Christmas Horse is as good of a read now as was then 47 years ago when I first read it. Recommended reading for any boy or girl animal lover or ranching fan. A family story without violence, immoral characters or offensive subjects. Glenn Balch was a great writer in his time and his legacy lives on.
June 9, 2016
I collect Glenn Balch books as he was an Idaho author and as a child I lived in Idaho. I have his 1st Edition autographed edition.
His stories were good for imagination and I love horses (and dogs)
His characters were children about my age. (then)
His stories were good for imagination and I love horses (and dogs)
His characters were children about my age. (then)
June 29, 2020
This was an enjoyable read on a night when I needed to relax and rest. Good story suitable for children who like horses.
December 22, 2013
The horse genre of juvenile lit is one of the most well-stocked of all, boasting such fantastic writers as Mary O'Hara, Anna Sewell, Will James, Marguerite Henry and Glen Rounds. The wealth of the genre is almost unbreachable, ten good horse stories popping up for each one a person reads, and many novels widely regarded as distinguished classics are about relationships between horses, or between human and horse. There's something about horses that provides illustration for every joy and difficulty we ever face, explaining our own fiercely held beliefs and personal idiosyncrasies through equine behavior, putting it in others' words and thoughts so first we can understand it before trying to apply it to ourselves. Mankind's link to the horse will never end, I believe, as advanced as society becomes or whatever alternative sources of labor we develop, because the horse is an irreplaceable part of our past. As long as we stand on the shoulders of giants to see beyond the next horizon, those giants, in turn, have stood on the steady backs of galloping horses, who made possible so much of humanity's progress. Many are they who have written eloquently and forcefully of the equine experience, from serialized junior novels to timeless manifestos of man versus steed, but among the other names of great authors who have penned horse literature should be mentioned that of Glenn Balch, who carved out his niche in the middle of the twentieth century and worked within it nearly as well as any of his contemporaries. A reservoir of information helpful in understanding, respecting and even managing horses for oneself is available in Christmas Horse, each turn of the page introducing a new tidbit or two that mightn't otherwise have ever occurred to the reader, and along with all that is this nuanced story about a teenager growing up beside a horse of his own, both making mistakes and adjustments as they develop the type of kinship between horse and human spoken reverently of in the annals of literature. A novice to the experience can learn a tremendous amount from this book, and seasoned veterans of ranch and rodeo life will find creative affirmation of what they've learned dealing with the live animal, as well as sweet remembrance of those formative years growing up so close to horses and seeing the unique connections formed between master and mount.
A childhood spent on the ranch watching horses broken and learning to ride like a natural is about to come to a close for Ben Darby now that he's graduated to high school. The big school in Boise, Idaho that his father wants to enroll him in is seventy miles from home, and there isn't a closer high school for Ben to attend. So Ben will be a boarder there, much to his chagrin, having to fight the distraction of wondering what's happening at home on the ranch as his teachers challenge him in all new ways, working his mind to be as sound as his body. Ben would rather drop out of school and learn to be a full-time ranch man like his father, but Vince Darby has strong ideas about the importance of education in a boy's life, considering he never had one, and isn't going to let Ben squirm out of at least finishing high school. "It is more important...to know what you don't know—especially for a young fellow like you. And the way to find out is by going to school. You don't want to grow up dumb, like me." But Ben sure would like to have this whole next year to maybe catch one of the wild colts roaming the area around his family's ranch and break it to ranch life, see if he can't make a fine performing equine out of wild stock, a feat his father thinks impossible. Why, that wild stag King has fathered several mighty fine young horses who'd be fantastic for roping and riding, teaching the tricks of the trade, and Ben is itching to get to work with them.
School comes first, though, and Ben accepts his father's firm stance on the matter. Ben goes to Boise peacefully, but he's already looking forward to the first vacation of the school year, so he can return home for a spell. When Christmas break comes and Ben has a couple of weeks to roam the land surrounding the ranch, there's an extra surprise added into the deal for him: one of those strong young colts sired by King, a fast, wild creature the family has nicknamed Inky. Imagine, Ben's father consenting to have a wild horse caught and settled just to give Ben for his own. The trouble is, Ben has to return to school in Boise after vacation is over, and there's no place to store a horse where he's staying, let alone enough free time during the school session to get in the extensive riding practice needed to properly train one. Inky might be better off if they turned him loose again to run the land surrounding the ranch as a wild horse, rather than staying penned up until Ben returns for summer break. What can Ben do to solve the problem presented by the horse he was so thrilled to receive?
But Ben is an educated young man, determined to do whatever is necessary to keep and train his horse, and he finds a way around the thorny issues of Inky's keeping and training. It might require a heap of hard work from Ben to maintain solid grades and find the time to work out Inky, but if his will is strong enough to have thought of a way to keep Inky with so much going against it, then there's will enough to do the grunge work to stabilize the status quo. Now Ben just has to train Inky the way a young horse needs to be trained, with a firm, kind hand from his master, and Ben is ready to learn beside his mount what it means to become so in tune it's as if horse and rider were a single entity.
Vince Darby's insistence that no son of a wild horse could ever amount to as much as a domestic thoroughbred stallion continues to rankle Ben, however. His father's opinion on ranch matters is of the utmost importance to him, but he's sure his father is wrong about what can come from wild horse stock, especially King's powerful and majestic colts. Why, Inky is the best horse Ben ever rode on; he wouldn't trade him for a thoroughbred if the offer were made, and Ben wants to prove to his father it wasn't a mistake having Inky caught for him. Deep down, Ben is convinced a horse like Inky can attain whatever excellence a product of sophisticated breeding can, but more than that, he loves and believes in Inky because he is his horse, and Ben would be willing to put Inky's competitive prime up against that of the best rodeo horses available. Ben is sure Inky would have as good a chance of winning as any opponent he might face. But is Ben confident enough to put Inky up for the challenge when the opportunity actually comes? Under the lights of the arena, when split-seconds count and the pressure rises, can Inky perform up to the standards of his thoroughbred peers? Has Ben's trust in his beloved colt been soundly placed?
Besides thoughtfully exploring presumptions as to how background and lineage dictate performance in animal or human, Christmas Horse also beautifully describes the emotion of the moment when all is on the line for the one we believe in most, the testing of one we've invested our time and heart in because we believe they were worth it. Yet the potential we see in someone can be affected by subjective factors, such as how deeply we care for them, so a part of us wonders if they will hold up under competitive pressure and perform as we know they can, as we hope they can, as we've believed the entire time they are capable of doing. The wild unpredictability of that moment of reckoning is rendered with delicious suspense in this book, from the first glimpse of our "horse in the race" (as it were) preparing for action under the big lights beneath the endless Idaho night sky, a sight so emotionally complex and thrillingly evocative one can't explain all its accompanying sensations, to that straining instant of uncertainty, teetering eternally on a knife's edge, right before the show starts and there's nothing left to do but hope for the best. It's beautiful, it's real life, and it's all here in these pages, a treat for fans of horses, the writing of Glenn Balch or sensually engaging storytelling. I like Christmas Horse, and have no doubt it's worth two and a half stars. I look forward to plowing deeper into Glenn Balch's library of works.
A childhood spent on the ranch watching horses broken and learning to ride like a natural is about to come to a close for Ben Darby now that he's graduated to high school. The big school in Boise, Idaho that his father wants to enroll him in is seventy miles from home, and there isn't a closer high school for Ben to attend. So Ben will be a boarder there, much to his chagrin, having to fight the distraction of wondering what's happening at home on the ranch as his teachers challenge him in all new ways, working his mind to be as sound as his body. Ben would rather drop out of school and learn to be a full-time ranch man like his father, but Vince Darby has strong ideas about the importance of education in a boy's life, considering he never had one, and isn't going to let Ben squirm out of at least finishing high school. "It is more important...to know what you don't know—especially for a young fellow like you. And the way to find out is by going to school. You don't want to grow up dumb, like me." But Ben sure would like to have this whole next year to maybe catch one of the wild colts roaming the area around his family's ranch and break it to ranch life, see if he can't make a fine performing equine out of wild stock, a feat his father thinks impossible. Why, that wild stag King has fathered several mighty fine young horses who'd be fantastic for roping and riding, teaching the tricks of the trade, and Ben is itching to get to work with them.
School comes first, though, and Ben accepts his father's firm stance on the matter. Ben goes to Boise peacefully, but he's already looking forward to the first vacation of the school year, so he can return home for a spell. When Christmas break comes and Ben has a couple of weeks to roam the land surrounding the ranch, there's an extra surprise added into the deal for him: one of those strong young colts sired by King, a fast, wild creature the family has nicknamed Inky. Imagine, Ben's father consenting to have a wild horse caught and settled just to give Ben for his own. The trouble is, Ben has to return to school in Boise after vacation is over, and there's no place to store a horse where he's staying, let alone enough free time during the school session to get in the extensive riding practice needed to properly train one. Inky might be better off if they turned him loose again to run the land surrounding the ranch as a wild horse, rather than staying penned up until Ben returns for summer break. What can Ben do to solve the problem presented by the horse he was so thrilled to receive?
But Ben is an educated young man, determined to do whatever is necessary to keep and train his horse, and he finds a way around the thorny issues of Inky's keeping and training. It might require a heap of hard work from Ben to maintain solid grades and find the time to work out Inky, but if his will is strong enough to have thought of a way to keep Inky with so much going against it, then there's will enough to do the grunge work to stabilize the status quo. Now Ben just has to train Inky the way a young horse needs to be trained, with a firm, kind hand from his master, and Ben is ready to learn beside his mount what it means to become so in tune it's as if horse and rider were a single entity.
Vince Darby's insistence that no son of a wild horse could ever amount to as much as a domestic thoroughbred stallion continues to rankle Ben, however. His father's opinion on ranch matters is of the utmost importance to him, but he's sure his father is wrong about what can come from wild horse stock, especially King's powerful and majestic colts. Why, Inky is the best horse Ben ever rode on; he wouldn't trade him for a thoroughbred if the offer were made, and Ben wants to prove to his father it wasn't a mistake having Inky caught for him. Deep down, Ben is convinced a horse like Inky can attain whatever excellence a product of sophisticated breeding can, but more than that, he loves and believes in Inky because he is his horse, and Ben would be willing to put Inky's competitive prime up against that of the best rodeo horses available. Ben is sure Inky would have as good a chance of winning as any opponent he might face. But is Ben confident enough to put Inky up for the challenge when the opportunity actually comes? Under the lights of the arena, when split-seconds count and the pressure rises, can Inky perform up to the standards of his thoroughbred peers? Has Ben's trust in his beloved colt been soundly placed?
Besides thoughtfully exploring presumptions as to how background and lineage dictate performance in animal or human, Christmas Horse also beautifully describes the emotion of the moment when all is on the line for the one we believe in most, the testing of one we've invested our time and heart in because we believe they were worth it. Yet the potential we see in someone can be affected by subjective factors, such as how deeply we care for them, so a part of us wonders if they will hold up under competitive pressure and perform as we know they can, as we hope they can, as we've believed the entire time they are capable of doing. The wild unpredictability of that moment of reckoning is rendered with delicious suspense in this book, from the first glimpse of our "horse in the race" (as it were) preparing for action under the big lights beneath the endless Idaho night sky, a sight so emotionally complex and thrillingly evocative one can't explain all its accompanying sensations, to that straining instant of uncertainty, teetering eternally on a knife's edge, right before the show starts and there's nothing left to do but hope for the best. It's beautiful, it's real life, and it's all here in these pages, a treat for fans of horses, the writing of Glenn Balch or sensually engaging storytelling. I like Christmas Horse, and have no doubt it's worth two and a half stars. I look forward to plowing deeper into Glenn Balch's library of works.
January 7, 2025
Idahoan teenager Ben Darby longs to catch a wild colt. Can he train it to be a working horse? Does the colt have what it takes to compete in the calf-roping event at the rodeo?
June 10, 2012
Ben and Inkpot make a wonderful pair in the novel. Ben is determined to prove his father wrong about wild horses. Ben thinks that the black colt in the herd would make a could cow horse. Ben doesn't know it, but his family, with help, captured the black colt while he was in Boise. He's in for a surprise when on Christmas morning, Inkpot is right outside as his Christmas present.
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April 20, 2016At certain developmental stages in our lives we read books that imprint on us and influence our personality and lives. I read this book at a young age and never forgot it. Found it recently via Amazon and possess it once again. I read Cormac McCarthy to get one view of the west and this type of book to get another. Both are valuable lessons about people and their motives and morals.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews