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The Horsey Life: A Journey of Discovery with a Rather Remarkable Mare
 
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The Horsey Life: A Journey of Discovery with a Rather Remarkable Mare (Hardcover)

by Simon Barnes (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
RRP: £12.99
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Frequently Bought Together

The Horsey Life: A Journey of Discovery with a Rather Remarkable Mare + Chosen by a Horse + The Horse Boy: A Father's Miraculous Journey to Heal His Son
Price For All Three: £25.26

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Short Books, London (17 Sep 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1906021422
  • ISBN-13: 978-1906021429
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 31,303 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #42 in  Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Equestrian & Animal Sports > Riding & Horsemanship

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Product Description

Book Description

"All I can say is that there was something - right from the first. She was not a My Little Pony sort of a horse, not a dolly-girl, not winsome and winning, not even terribly pretty.

"A stubby little mare, bright bay with remarkably large ears. A white star in her forehead shaped like Madagascar. A huge arse; which is good, not bad, because that's where the power comes from. Not a horse that would turn heads, no, just a very horse-like horse. She stood, quiet, docile, as I approached her. I was a bit disappointed not to be offered something more lively. Ha. I placed a foot in the iron and swung on board...

"It was as if I had turned a key: all the lights came on. In that single instant, the horse came alive. She started buzzing. To tell the truth, I was a little alarmed: a little intimidated. This was definitely rather more horse than I was expecting..."


This is the story of an extraordinary relationship - and an extraordinary horse. When Barnes buys Dolly Dolores VII on a hunch, he knows he has got something special. She is feisty, restless, mysterious - unpredictable to the point of craziness. But she is also, to her owner's delight, a jumper of mesmerising poise and skill; she canters like a ballerina, gallops like a wild thing. And somehow, they just get on.

Then, one day, Dolly does something so startling, so inexplicable that she brings her owner to breaking point. Barnes is faced with a terrible decision...

The Horsey Life is about a friendship pushed to its limits. But it's also a book filled with larks and joy, which takes you right to the heart of the world of horses and those that love them.



About the Author

Simon Barnes is the multi-award-winning chief sportswriter for the Times. He is also a novelist, nature writer and horseman, and the author of a dozen books, including How to be a Bad Birdwatcher and The Meaning of Sport. He lives in Suffolk with his family.

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Horsey Life: A Journey of Discovery with a Rather Remarkable Mare
51% buy the item featured on this page:
The Horsey Life: A Journey of Discovery with a Rather Remarkable Mare 3.8 out of 5 stars (6)
£8.58
Chosen by a Horse
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Chosen by a Horse 4.6 out of 5 stars (12)
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In the Pink: A Rural Odyssey
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The Horse Boy: A Father's Miraculous Journey to Heal His Son
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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Just wish it had been longer!, 23 Sep 2008
By judith (Bucks, UK) - See all my reviews
When I read the extract in the Times I knew I wanted to read the book. And I read it in one sitting and loved every word. If you are a horse owner/rider/lover this book will resonate with you..it says what you know but better and it makes you think. It interpreted a lot of my unacknowledged feelings and experiences of horses in a way that I found not just hugely entertaining but also very helpful. It's a tender, funny, insightful book and you just want Simon on your yard because you know he'd be the best fun!
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars thin, but fascinating, 7 Nov 2008
I was expecting more from this little book - i'm not sure what - i think it may be the briskness of the canter through the story that disappointed me as i prefer more reflective reads. it's a great story though and people who love horses will find it interesting. for those of us who ride and who have bought and sold horsey friends and enemies over the years it's doubly interesting. but it is kind of like a gossipy newspaper piece that you gobble down with toast and tea and then feel you don't really have a need to read ever again... still, simon barnes' capable journalistic style and lifetime of experience make it worth a look, and it couldn't be a more ideal stocking present for a horsey chum.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars insubstantial, 13 Mar 2009
By Misty (London) - See all my reviews
This is a well written little book, but doesn't really add anything to the genre of horsey memoirs. There isn't really a story as such, just a series of anecdotes & observations on horsiness. It is not particularly funny nor revalatory it is just about a bloke and his horse. Simon comes across as a very nice man who looks after his horses to the best of his ability whilst freely acknowledging his own limitations and failings - which is all any of us can do.
Some of the observations about livery yard life are quite pithy and the book is a very easy read (I read it in a coupld of hours) but overall this feels like a collection of newspaper columns
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars The Horsey Life
Following the review I bought this book and was keen to read it. Half way through and not finished, probably never will!!
Published 4 months ago by F. Wallbank

4.0 out of 5 stars Great holiday read
I read this book on holiday. Parts of it were really funny and made me chuckle as I could relate some of the experiences to my own and there were also some lovely reflective and... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jenta

5.0 out of 5 stars The Horsey Life
A fabulously funny entertaining and enjoyable book written so well by Simon Barnes. Has he written any more?
Published 9 months ago by Fiona Long

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