by Alison Hart
Horse racing has always had claiming races and stakes races. In a claiming race, all the horses in the race are for sale for the same price. Before the race, a buyer may claim (buy) the horse whether it wins or loses. A track official will tag the horse, which will then go to its new owner. In stakes races, the horse cannot be claimed.
Racing is exciting but also dangerous. In the 1930s, jockeys did not wear protective helmets or vests. The tracks did not have ambulances or safety rails. Nineteen jockeys were killed between 1935 and 1939. Like Marie’s father, many more were injured. Racing is safer today, but it is still a dangerous sport. Between 1992 and 2006, twenty-six jockeys died, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Racehorse Rescue
There are many risks for racehorses as well. Thoroughbreds often begin their racing careers as two-year-olds. They can break down in training or, like Risky Chance, be injured during races. Greedy owners who are only interested in winning may race older horses with injuries such as sore ankles.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was formed in 1866 in New York City with a full-time staff of three. Henry Bergh was the driving force behind the organization, which then focused on horses and livestock. In 1867, the society operated the first ambulance for horses and provided fresh water for the horses that pulled streetcars in Manhattan. Soon humane societies were formed in Buffalo, Boston, and San Francisco.
Today there are many wonderful organizations that specifically rescue racehorses. They can retrain the horses so they may go to pleasure riders, sport riders, and families. Some of these organizations are CANTER (canterusa.org) and Thoroughbred Adoption Network (thoroughbredadoption.com). You can find more about these groups on their websites.
Northern Nevada, 1951
Black Cloud is a black-and-white mustang colt. He loves roaming free with the rest of his herd, playing with the other foals, and learning the ways of wild horses. But when humans intrude on his wandering life, Black Cloud’s world is changed forever. Here is Black Cloud’s story … in his own words.
About the Author
Alison Hart has been horse-crazy ever since she can remember. A teacher and author, she has written more than twenty books for children, most of them about horses. She loves to write about the past, when horses like Bell’s Star and Risky Chance were valuable in everyday life. Her novel Shadow Horse was nominated for an Edgar Award. Today Ms. Hart still rides, because—you guessed it—she’s still horse-crazy!
About the Illustrator
Ruth Sanderson grew up with a love for horses. She drew them constantly, and her first oil painting, at age fourteen, was a horse portrait.
Ruth has illustrated and retold many fairy tales and likes to feature horses in them whenever possible. Her book about a magical horse, The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring, won the Texas Bluebonnet Award in 2003. She illustrated the first Black Stallion paperback covers and a number of chapter books about horses, most recently Summer Pony and Winter Pony by Jean Slaughter Doty.
Ruth and her daughter have two horses, an Appaloosa named Thor and a quarter horse named Gabriel. She lives with her family in Massachusetts.
To find out more about her adventures with horses and the research she did to create the illustrations in this book, visit her website, ruthsanderson.com.
