Customer Reviews

A Year at the Races: Reflections on Horses, Humans, Love, Money, and Luck

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

When Jane Smiley won the Pulitzer prize for Literature in 1992 for her novel "A Thousand Acres", she celebrated by buying a skinny, white Thoroughbred gelding called Mr T. Mr T, Smiley then discovered, had trained at Longchamp in France and had won races all over the United States. From here there was no going back.

Thanks in part to Mr T, Smiley now owns a string of Thoroughbred race-horses and dreams, but only dreams, of leaving her writer's days behind her and becoming a full-time horse-trainer. In the meantime, she has compromised by writing "A Year at the Races", an account of her experiences as a racing-stable owner.

Each chapter reads like a letter to a friend and the entire book covers an amazing amount of ground. The author looks at the special role of horses in human society: Horses, according to Smiley are more intelligent than dogs and more like humans in their wide-ranging abilities. She considers the personality types of horses, compares them to human types, and considers how we both react to our environment, challenges and communities.

The book also takes a long, hard look at what horses have to do earn their living. Horses, unlike other "pets", are too expensive to be indulged as only companions: They must race, jump, show or carry. Mini-horses are even earning a place as guides for the blind. A horse that fails to socialize properly and learn to earn a living has a poor future. That gives owners and trainers a particular responsibility to help the horse succeed at its job and remain healthy and strong.

Where I am sure the book will draw criticism is in Smiley's use of "horse communicators," who claim to be able to "talk" to horses. It sounds silly and it's only when the author disarmingly admits that such activities are probably "rubbish", but nevertheless wildly entertaining, that you realize that it is not Smiley who is the fool. She is an intelligent and open-minded individual, who can explore possibilities that are beyond the imagination of most of us. That is what made her a Pulitzer prize-winner and that is what makes "A Year at the Races" a great read, even for those who don't consider themselves "horsy."

This is a smiley sort of book about a year at the Thoroughbred races. It is philosophical, mystical at times, and is an in-depth look at the psychology of horses and humans together.

Jane Smiley has a very ingratiating style, even though she gets a bit weird at times. She has on tap a different sort of horse whisperer--this one telephones telepathic messages from horse to owner. For instance, according to the telepath, the beautiful gray Thoroughbred, Hornblower didn't like his name so Smiley changed it informally, i.e. not through the Jockey Club, to Wowie. She had everyone at the track call him 'Wowie' and he perked up and earned his keep, although not exactly setting the racecourse on fire. Smiley also learned that Wowie liked the turf better than the main course, and preferred horse shoes with pads. I realize the trainer probably had a lot to do with the last two items, but they also came over the telephone from Wowie's mind reader.

At first, I felt embarrassed about reading a book where people communicate telepathically with horses and give them energy massages without actually touching them. Then I realized that all people who raise, train, or race Thoroughbreds are a bit eccentric by non-horse-lover standards.

I decided I would rather fit in with the horse-crazy folk any day, even if they do wear their underwear inside-out for luck. Besides, Jane Smiley proves once and for all that horses are smarter than pigs, and they may be smarter than dogs.

Some of the books that influenced Smiley while she was writing "A Year at the Races," were "A General Theory of Love" by Dr. Thomas Lewis, et. al., Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs, and Steel," and Stephen Budiansky's "The Covenant of the Wild: Why Animals Chose Domestication." She quotes freely from her sources while developing her own unique philosophy of why horses tolerate, and even like humans.

This is not just a book about a year at the races. It also includes the author's insights and adventures while jumping, riding, grooming, and just hanging around with horses. Smiley writes calmly and flatly as though she were reassuring a jittery mount. I think that if you tend to be nervous around horses, you'll be able to form better equine relationships after reading this book.

As a non-racing horse person, I really enjoyed this book. I thought that author did a great job of explaining the perspective of the amateur horse owner. She did it without apologizing for how much she invested (finacially and emotionally) or how she chose to spend her resources (like animal communicators). Amateurs keep the horse industry going in racing and other sports. I enjoyed reading a book that described how she tied her hopes and dreams to her young horses and how emotionally invested she became. I enjoyed learning about her relationships with her trainers and her other horses. I would recommend this book to horse people of all disciplines and folks who are interested in exploring the emotional lives of animals.

If you are looking for a rags to riches racehorse story pick a book about a famous horse. Seabiscuit and the Funny Cide book are great books about horses, racing and the people who were part of their greatness.

I am a big J.Smiley fan as well as a racing fan, and I anticipated a pleasurable read when I bought this book. If I was still 16 years old, I would have loved it. Since I'm not...
The book is amusing in places and presents a few interesting ideas, but the reader has to wade through some dull patches to get to them. I wasn't expecting quite so many anecdotal passages about Ms. Smiley's non-racing horses, and some of these seemed repetitive or irrelevant. And I was annoyed by the way she figuratively holds her nose when she goes into the racetrack grandstand area, characterizing racing fans as a bunch of chainsmoking sleazes who aren't safe to be around. Grow up, Ms. Smiley: the fans are no different than the people on the track backside, and without them the sport of kings would be as dead as Henry VIII. As a horse owner, racing fan, and someone who has loved thoroughbreds all my life, my opinion is that she did not do the sport any favors by writing this book. And from the viewpoint of someone who loves a good book, I found this one disjointed, a bit naive, and far below her usual literary performance.

Yes the book is all sweet and mealy mouthed and pink-happy ended, but why did then the sexy filly Waterwheel, that the author actually owned in real life turn up at an auction and sell for 1000 $, with a broken sesamoid bone and in foal? So much for care, love and responsibility! It is only luck, and none of Smiley's doing that Waterwheel ended up in a nice green pasture and not in somebody's dinner plate. Hypocrite! The book is nice and entertaining, but horse lovers should never buy it.

Jane Smiley, A Year at the Races (Knopf, 2004)

Jane Smiley, novelist, is also Jane Smiley, horse owner. A Year at the Races is exactly that, a depiction of a year with two of her Thoroughbred racers, Hornblower and Waterwheel. It is also an extended meditation on what we know and don't know about horses and how we, as humans, interact with them.

There's a lot here to absorb, and I get the feeling that those who are already familiar with the world of horses-- racing them, training them, breeding them-- will likely get more out of this immediately than someone who is entirely new to the process. However, the latter person will just have to read a little more closely in some sections to figure out what Smiley is on about. (It's always there, you may just have to search for it a bit at times if you get overwhelmed.)

A good book, one that horse lovers will want to have in their collections. *** ½

Jane Smiley sold a racehorse broodmare at California's premier auction house for thoroughbred racehorses. She did not "dump" the mare at an auction where she could have gone to slaughter.

Selling horses is a normal part of owning horses, especially racehorses. Auctions are the primary method of selling racing bloodstock. Writing a book about one's experiences owning racehorses does not obligate Smiley to keep every horse she has ever owned forever. People are actually suggesting that it would have been better to kill the mare than send through the ring at Barretts???!!!!

These reviews are absurd, and these reviewers need to get a life.

For dumping your racehorse at an auction because she wasn't good enough for you.

I read the book a few years ago. I wasn't terrible, but a little too touchy-feely for me (and I'm the type of person who spoils her horses), but rest assured I will never buy another book from an author that "disposes" of any unwanted horse at an auction. What does she think will happen to a broken down mare (she'll never be sound enough for work) that has a record of 2 unplaced starts and less than 5k in earnings? To Ms. Smiley: Show a bit of responsibility and either keep the mare or euthanize her. Use some of that book money. Don't risk her ending up at the killers.

Why did Smiley not end the book with a chapter describing how she dumped her beloved Waterwheel, pregnant and broken-down, at an auction where she could have easily been purchased for slaughter? Unfortunately, this is where many ex-racehorses end up, brutally slaughtered. Smiley is no different than the unfeeling horse owners she vilifys in her books as she apparently could not be bothered to provide for a mare she gushed about in her book. She made money off her mare and then cruelly disposed of her horse.

As a horse racing fan, I was looking forward to this book. I've read a number of Smiley's books including Horse Heaven and appreciate her interest in racing.

The problem is that this book is about a lot more than racing. We hear about Smiley's other horses who aren't race horses. The problem is that she jumps from one subject to another and it's very hard to follow. Worse yet, we spend a lot of time talking about an "expert" who talks to horses and can supposedly communicate with them. Great idea and I'm glad it makes Ms. Smiley happy, but it takes away from the potential value of this book.

The other annoying part of the book is her vagueness on some topics. She always refers to her trainer on a first name basis. Alexis happens to be Alexis Barba. Why not reveal her last name? Smiley mentions that Alexis Barba took over for Eddie after he died. Eddie is, or was, Eddie Gregson who committed suicide. Whether or not Smiley should have mentioned that fact is open to debate. Since it received extensive coverage in racing circles, I don't have a problem in mentioning it in this review.

Then there are the other details such as costs. She mentions that taking care of a horse is like paying for the cost of sending your child to an expensive university. Why not tell us how much it is? What does it cost to employ a trainer, to pay for dental work and shoeing? What is the cost for a Lasix shot that must be supervised by a vet? How much is vet care when a horse gets injured? Instead of mentioning them in passing, why not delve into the subject?

In summary, I'm not sure if I would be as tough on this book if I wouldn't have had such high expectations, but given Smiley's talent, lofty expectations shouldn't be surprising. What is surprising is that Smiley failed to live up to them.