MWSA Review
Believing in Horses Out West is an excellent follow-on to award-winning Valerie Ormond's Believing in Horses (2012) and Believing in Horses, Too (2014). The story continues with Sadie, who turns fourteen in this story, seeking and finding her true purpose in life. In this book, the author enlarges the storyline to include animal cruelty and human trafficking. She also continues with the coming-of-age experiences of a teenage girl in today's complex society, with emphasis in this book on interaction with boys.

Both overcoming fears and the transition to teenage years are central themes in Believing in Horses Out West, and it should appeal to readers beyond the YA set. Sadie faces her fears, never gives in, asks for help when needed, wins by working hard and not by luck, accepts kindness, and is rewarded for her efforts.

Ormond is clearly a passionate horse person and a gifted author who draws the reader into the story with characters that show numerous equestrian techniques. She writes well, and readers of all ages will have no problems enjoying the book. I particularly appreciate the use of chapter titles as a way to provide a clue to the next phase of the plot. I also loved the resolution that is complemented by tying up all the loose ends to make a most satisfactory outcome.

The book is sprinkled with additional gifts of wisdom passed on from one generation to the next – primarily from the grandmother character. Among those are: faced with what appears to be insurmountable obstacles you can find solutions, rely on your instincts, you have to believe you can do it to succeed, everyone needs a helping hand at some time, constantly beating yourself up over mistakes does no one any good, you need situational awareness, not all parents do a good job, being on your own is exhilarating but can be fraught with danger, there are temptations in life, jealousy and envy are normal but need to be monitored, sometimes not everyone needs to know what happened, being with a horse is a partnership, teenage girls have difficulty understanding themselves and it is normal, boys have difficulty understanding girls, boys have a sensitive side but are reluctant to display it, older brothers can be a pain in the neck but they (like dad) always have your back, every life has a purpose, and the most important is crime does not pay.

I highly recommended the book for those who enjoy children's horse books, coming of age fiction, teen and young adult equestrian fiction, teen and young adult family, and equestrian sports.

Review by Jim Tritten (January 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Sadie Navarro rescued a mare from an auction accomplishing what she thought was the most important mission of her young life.

Now, that mare is headed to a ranch in Montana and a home Sadie knows nothing about.

She wants to make sure the horse is in good hands, but Montana is far away and a different world from Maryland.

Will fourteen-year-old Sadie need to stand up to rugged cowboys to protect her special rescue horse?

ISBN/ASIN: 9780985187422, B09H3V1V2Q, 9780985187415

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Young Adult (fiction or non-fiction)

Number of Pages: 260