cover image Shy Boy: The Horse That Came from the Wild

Shy Boy: The Horse That Came from the Wild

Monty Roberts. HarperCollins Publishers, $30 (256pp) ISBN 978-0-06-019433-8

Not just for animal lovers, this delightful and deeply moving page-turner, a sequel to Roberts's bestselling The Man Who Listens to Horses, picks up the story of this California horse trainer's relationship with Shy Boy, a wild mustang whom he ""gentled."" By mimicking an equine body language that he believes is genetically ingrained in the memory of all horses, Roberts, as detailed in his earlier book, quickly and painlessly transformed Shy Boy from a free-roaming steed of the Nevada foothills into a trusting, cooperative and worthy mount. Roberts's nonviolent approach to acclimating horses to saddle, bridle and rider was highlighted in 1997 and 1998 in a PBS-aired BBC documentary, which led countless viewers to inquire: If given the chance to be free again, would Shy Boy take it and run? Here is the answer to that question: Roberts describes taking Shy Boy back to his original free-range herd. The mustang's choice--after an overnight romp--makes for an unforgettable climax that will leave no dry eyes. Shy Boy, a mix of vigor, strength, innocence, ego and impish high spirits, will win readers' hearts, while Roberts's humane alternative to the harsh treatment of horses holds inspirational lessons about the abuse we inflict on animals--and on our fellow humans. Dydyk's breathtaking color photographs capture the rugged majestic terrain while exploring, without sentimentality, the spirit of nobility and freedom that the horse represents in America's collective psyche. Plainspoken yet powerful, this remarkable story is one of those very rare books that can restore one's faith in humanity. Agent, Jane Turnbull. (May)