In Service to the Horse: Chronicles of a Labor of Love

Follows the grooms in 3 areas of horse sport: eventing (grooms of the O'Connors), show jumping (of Anne Kursinski), and racing (of the breeding stallions at Lane's End). Very interesting, and for the most part not too dumbed down or inaccurate. The stuff about Parelli got to be very annoying-this was back when the O'Connors were actually fans of him. The author seemed to be a bit too impressed with the man. Some history of the horse was mixed in, as well as plenty of stuff about each discipline. It was very interesting to see how the horses were treated by each group of grooms. For example, the race horse grooms didn't seem to have a ton of affection for their charges and were very pragmatic. The O'Connor's grooms thought of "their" horses almost as if they were their pets or kids. Also enjoyed seeing the true lives of these people: long days, hard work, little pay, not much time for other people in your life. Don't recommend this book for young kids: Some bad language, references to drugs and sex. Also some graphic scenes in the breeding shed of Lane's End. But for adults, this is an informative, entertaining read that doesn't make riding and horses out to be glamorous (unlike many horse books today). Nice book for the 99% of horse owners who do their own work, and for those that want to see what goes on in high-caliber equestrian operations. And it really makes you respect these incredibly hard-working people who get relatively little credit for any wins.

What more can you ask of a book? When first I picked out this book, it was with the intention of learning about the world of a professional horse groom. What I did not count on was learning all about that and so very much more. I would not have given the equine sport called Three Day Eventing a second thought before reading this book. This author describes it so brilliantly & colorfully, I could not wait to turn each page to, as they say, "find out what happens next". It is the true account of this groom's daily life in the professional stables of World Olympic Champions David & Karen O'Conner. Many other well-recognized names at the top of the horse world are featured as well, as this skilled writer takes you on an intimate journey few spectators are ever privey to. This honest & intrigueing portrait of life at the top of the equine world is one that no horse enthusiast should miss. However you feel about the sport of Three Day Eventing, this honest & compassionate portrait will engross you page after page. The sheer strength & beauty of the writing made this book a joy to read.

And I didn't. I read the entire book in one sitting! Susan Nusser depicts the lives of these professional horsepeople (and their horses) with humor and sensitivity. Her writing made me feel like I was there with the horses and their handlers. Not only was the book interesting, but it was informative. It makes you think about your own abilities and qualities as a horseperson.

As someone who has groomed for years on the 'A' show circut, a stint at a top QH breeding farm, and now owns a small H/J barn of my own, I can say this book does an excellent job of illustrating the 'real world' of the horse show and breeding scene. Too often riders (and owners) have absolutely no idea how much time and effort are involved in producing and maintaining a top notch operation. This book should be a must read for anyone wanting to go into any form of an equine career. It offers the worker a true perspective on what to expect, while also reminds the owners and managers how hard the grooms work and how they are often motivated. It is also a wonderful 'behind the scenes' look at a level of expertise many equine enthusiasts will never otherwise have the opportunity to share.

I really enjoyed this book, and I recommend it especially to people interested in show jumping and/or eventing. It deepened my respect for David and Karen O'Connor, who are featured throughout. They, and others like them, are all about promoting true horsemanship. Riders come from all sorts of backgrounds. Many professional riders exchanged barn chores for lessons when they were young. It's not about how expensive your horse is or how much your boots cost; it's about loving horses and riding, and this book conveys that on nearly every page. I have to confess I didn't learn a whole lot about grooms that I didn't know already (low pay, long hours, bad food, etc.), but that's okay. It was fun to go behind the scenes with them, and I admire them all the more. Nusser does a really good job of giving the reader a "you are there" perspective. Little, Brown: if you're out there, bring this book to Lexington for Rolex in 2005. About 10,000 copies should be sufficient!