Twelve-year-old Caroline Owen has “a way with horses” – she’s been riding for years, usually comes first in the local gymkhana, and shows an intense desire to win. As other girls in her Grade 7 class start to look at boys with new interest, Caroline remains a staunch tomboy. Though she has friends, it is primarily to her horse, Wallace, that she turns for solace and companionship. The owner of a ritzy stable near Calgary sees Caroline perform, and offers her riding lessons, convinced that she can compete in the Jump Alberta finals. Caroline is thrilled, but soon realizes that the horses at the stable are being mistreated. When she confronts the owner, she is threatened with dismissal from the team. Will she keep quiet for the sake of certain glory, or will she pit herself against one of the most powerful figures in the sport? It doesn’t take long for her to make the right choice. In a surprise ending, her home town, Millarville, sponsors her to represent the entire community at Jump Alberta.

First-time novelist McPhee writes well about the equine aspects of the story, less so about the people. While Caroline is fairly believable, the other characters are mere ciphers. The book delivers an interesting look at the differences (including social ones) in the rough-and-ready local way of riding, and the more formal English style of training and jumping. However, it should also deliver a strong story, and here the performance is lacklustre. The villain is overdrawn. We know Caroline thrives on competition, and that with her talent and hard work she’ll go far, so there’s isn’t much suspense. A Way with Horses isn’t nearly as satisfying a read as other horse books with more substance, such as Jan Truss’s Summer Goes Riding, Mary-Ellen Lang Collura’s Sunny, or any of Marilyn Halvorson’s books. Horse-crazy readers in Grades 4–6 will doubtless enjoy the subject matter, but shouldn’t expect much more.