No Job for a Lady: The Autobiography of M. Phyllis Lose, VMD

by M. Phyllis Lose, Daniel Mannix

Tells of how Phyllis Lose fought against prejudice, ridicule, and opposition to become a horse veterinarian and describes her efforts to establish an award-winning equine clinic where she has ministered to today's most famous stallions and racers

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very inspiring. If only books like this were around in the 1960's perhaps I would have become something other than a teacher. Phyllis became a veterinarian when a woman's place was in the home, schoolhouse, hospital as a nurse, or secretary. She worked hard as one of the first female vets. Great story from beginning to end.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in my early teens and still love to read her story. Everytime I read it I want to go to vet school. About what a women went through in the '50s to be a vet in a male dominated field.

[Joe Rodeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

M Phyllis Lose was the first female veterinarian. She became an authority on horse medicine and surgery. Not just that, she was a jumping derby champion with her favorite mare. Her book is her career climb. She had to work stables to pay for her college It's more about horses, which are studied in depth.

This book is a bit too much all business; nothing about her private life–but then she didn’t have one fixing horses all her life and averaging four hours of sleep a night.

She does have a good sense of humor. Sample: “The only horse you can trust is a dead horse.” [French saying]

Grade A-. Warning: you have to be interested in horses.

[Phil Hodge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remembrances of a horse lover. Lots of cute and interesting stories of life in the horse and vet business. Very enjoyable, but part of that is because my wife is also in love with horses. I would probably not recommend it to anyone outside of the horse/vet circle, though.

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable thus far.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

One day when I was alone in the house I ran out of paper. So I went for more paper in the drawer where my parents kept it. I found the paper but also a small brown paper bag. I opened it up and saw a paperback book in it -- this one. I got hooked on the first page. I'd never before read a horse book where a woman was the protagonist. She also lived in Newtown Square, where I went to school. My heroes were all men (or male, like Godzilla.) I think M. Phyllis Lose was the only woman I admired as I grew up. The paperback cover looks like this:



Mom wasn't too happy when she saw me reading this book. Turns out it was supposed to be a Christmas present. Mom learned that she could not shop too far in advance of Christmas for my brother and me since she said we purposefully snuck around the house looking for Christmas presents every single day of the year. I would have explained to Mom that her hiding places sucked, but that would have given the game away.

ANYWAY this book is a great biography of the woman behind the New Bolton Center Hospital, where famous racehorses go to die. She was not only a vet but also a jockey, an author and show horse rider. Now, I had the paperback edition which did not include any photographs. I recommend the hardback edition which does have photographs. One day I will get a replacement for this book -- a hardback edition. Here is a photo of Lose helping a Philadelphia police horse.



My only complaint is that sometimes she did not tell the whole story about the horses she owned, such as the thoroughbred Paper Cutter. It was only after reading the book three or four times did I notice that.

Lose did take care of other animal species than equus caballus but the horses and ponies stick out the most in my memory. Warning -- she also describes her veterinary "failures" as well as successes.