Horses of the Maury River Series

Handsome but headstrong, a retired racehorse finds a second chance in this affecting, fast-paced novel told straight from the horse’s mouth.

When Dante’s Inferno is born early, on a February night, there are already great expectations for him. He may be the grandson of the greatest racehorse in modern times, but Dante’s start proves a rough one, both in life and on the track. When Dante fails as a racehorse, he ends up at a Thoroughbred rescue facility run by rehabilitating prisoners before being adopted as a project horse at the Maury River Stables. It’s not easy for Dante to make friends—horse or human—but slowly horses Daisy and Napoleon let him into the fold, and a student named Ashley begins to work with him to learn dressage and jumping in hopes that he’ll find redemption as an eventing horse. Can Dante put his fears aside and succeed on the cross-country course? Narrated from Dante’s point of view, this is a story that animal lovers will cherish.

“Macadoo’s response to his struggles will resonate with readers.” —School Library Journal

When Macadoo is just a colt, he challenges his father—a huge Belgian stallion—in order to protect his dam. From that moment on, Mac knows that his purpose in life is to help others. From surviving a kill auction to learning how to be a vaulting horse to giving therapeutic riding lessons, Mac is always patient and never loses hope in his mission to serve others—and he finds the courage to “walk on” through even the most difficult circumstances.

On the night that Chancey is born, a “fire star” gallops across the sky, a signal that a great horse has entered the world. But it will take many years of slights and hardships before the orphaned albino will believe that the prophecy is truly meant for him.

On the night that Chancey is born, a “fire star” gallops across the sky, a signal that a great horse has entered the world. But it will take many years of slights and hardships before the orphaned albino will believe that the prophecy is truly meant for him. First he must find a home at the Maury River Stables and a girl named Claire who needs him as much as he needs her. Then, when his aching joints and impending blindness bring an end to their training together, he must start a new chapter as a therapeutic horse, healing people with wounds both visible and unseen. In the manner of a latter-day Black Beauty, Chancey’s observant voice narrates this absorbing story, filled with fascinating details of life at the stable and keen insight into equine instinct, human emotion, and the ineffable bond that connects them both.