Tall Ears and Short Tales: Observations from the Barn [Paperback]

Carol M Chapman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2003

When Carol Chapman sold her home in Connecticut, she soon found herself on one of those roads less traveled and that has made all the difference. Arriving in Texas, she bought a ranch and created The Last Refuge, a sanctuary for unwanted dogs, cats, goats, and, most of all, for horses, mules, and donkeys that were destined for the slaughterhouse.Meet Chipper, a chocolate Lab who not only participates in nursing horses back to health, but has also raised cats, lambs, and baby chicks. Learn how goats secretly yearn for the mountains of their ancestors and happily leap onto the hood of a car to illustrate that point. Follow Chapman around for a day and discover that it's hard to get out of shape when caring for horses-if lugging what has to go in one end (massive buckets of water, sixty-pound bales of hay, and fifty-pound bags of grain) doesn't keep a waistline trim, shoveling up piles of what comes out the other end will.Grab a cup of coffee, pull up a hay bale, and enjoy Chapman's unconventional collection of earthy, hilarious, but always heart-warming and timeless reminiscences.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

With humor and a deep sense of wonder, the stories in this book introduce the depths of interaction between an eclectic cast of animals and the woman who cares so deeply about them.

Tall Ears and Short Tales invites the reader to pull up a bale of hay, grab a cookie, pour a cup of coffee, sit and relax to stories framed as barn chats. In her stories, Chapman focuses on the bond between humans and animals, gently stressing that animals are not objects over which humans have dominion, but are kindred souls on a mutual passage through our life experiences. She invites readers to watch donkeys playing hide and seek, dogs stealing carrots, and an elderly horse caring for a blind horse. Chapman vividly enables us to feel the emotions that animals share with us and to recognize the beauty within all animals that can change our own lives. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Born into a widely traveled military family, Carol M. Chapman grew up toting pets from country to country. As an adult she adopted cast-off animals, and now lives in Texas, guardian to fifteen special-needs elderly equine once bound for slaughter.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (October 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595289355
• ISBN-13: 978-0595289356
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,257,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tall Ears Gently Waving, November 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Tall Ears and Short Tales: Observations from the Barn (Paperback)

The back of the book says "With humor and a deep sense of wonder, the stories in this book introduce the depths of interaction between an eclectic cast of animals and the woman who cares so deeply about them". That does not begin to touch on everything this book is. It draws the reader in, and there is a gamut of feelings shared with the reader in gentle, clearly worded images.

I felt as if I knew the author and her "babies" personally before I was half through the book. Some of the stories are sad, some so funny that I actually laughed out loud. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever loved an animal or had to put up with someone who stares at golf courses and says "What a waste of good grass!"

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tall Ears, Short Tales, April 7, 2004

By 

Connie J. Carmichael (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tall Ears and Short Tales: Observations from the Barn (Paperback)

This book is written with love, warmth and humor. I sometimes laughed, sometimes cried, but always realized the author's love of horses and her dedication to end horse slaughter. May God bless her for the work she's doing for all equine!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommend!, January 7, 2004

By 

E. Kostro "An author and bookreviewr" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tall Ears and Short Tales: Observations from the Barn (Paperback)

Join the author on her personal journey into the hearts and souls of neglected, abused, and unwanted animals. You'll meet lots of courageous horses looking for a second chance at life, and you'll also learn a little about a delightful Chocolate Lab who mothers horses, cats, and baby chicks.

Knowledgeably written by Carol M. Chapman, owner of The Last Refuge, a sanctuary for horses and other assorted creatures no one else wanted. Tall Ears & Short Tales is a compelling and informative look at one of nature's wonderful and often terribly abused creatures - the horse - and the extremely dedicated people who rescue, rehabilitate, and provide sanctuary for them. Respect, humor, and thoughtful reflections upon the horses' point of view combine to make a thoroughly fascinating assortment of anecdotes from a wonderful writer and true animal lover.