Reviews of Books/ The Horses of Proud Spirit/Hoof Prints-More Stories from Proud Spirit

"This book is informative, engaging, inspiring, and charmingly written - an example of one courageous woman's journey to make a difference in the lives of unwanted horses, and in doing so, make our world a better place in which to live"

~ Linda Tellington-Jones, creator of the Tellington Method and author of The Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book

"From tears of joy to tears of sadness, Hoof Prints truly touches my heart and soul. Melanie and Jim's compassion to provide these amazing creatures with the life they deserve is an inspiration for all of us. a must-read for everyone!"

~ Lisa Ross-Williams, host of the If Your Horse Could Talk show and associate editor of Natural Horse magazine

"Of all the different things people do with horses, there is one common denominator among the ones who are great at it - a genuine love and respect for animals. Bowles affords these horses the dignity they deserve."

~ Ty Murray, Nine Time World Champion Cowboy

"I have read The Horses of Proud Spirit and find it wonderful. This should be a good read for anyone who loves horses and is interested in making the world a better place for horses (and people, too)."

~ Monty Roberts, horse trainer, inspirational speaker, New York Times best-selling author of The Man Who Listens to Horses

"Many people are born with the magic 'love-or-the-horse' gene, but Melanie Bowles is among the few curious and observant enough to understand the object of her love and the responsibilities that go with loving. What she has learned and relates in her book should be required reading for any human being who thinks they want to be around horses."

~ Jim Squires, author of Horse of a Different Color

"As with all good works in this currently-popular genre . . . The Horses of Proud Spirit reveals as much about the author and humans in general as it does about the horses that are its overt subject."

~ The Small Press Book Review

"A tremendously important book" ~ The Gaited Horse Magazine

"Not just for horse lovers, this book will appeal to anyone who cares about animals" ~ Animal Wellness Magazine

"***** Five Stars!" ~ Amazon.com

"This is a wonderful, delightful, deeply moving book" ~ Natural Awakenings Magazine

"Do yourself a favor and read this book" --- Prime Times Publishing

"A remarkable book by a remarkable person" ~ Florida Today; Book Notes

"The abandonment and neglect of unwanted horses is a growing problem. This is a descriptive, gripping, and emotion-stirring account of one woman's attempt to help."

~ Robert M. Miller, DVM, equine behaviorist

"The horses come to life in the pages of Hoof Prints, and each one is more beautiful than the last. Anyone who has ever been touched by an animal will have their hearts stolen by the stories in this book."

~ Roland Mesnier, White House pastry chef for 26 years and author of Dessert University, All the President's Pastries, and Basic to Beautiful

The Horses of Proud Spirit (2003) introduced readers to Bowles and her untiring devotion to abused, abandoned, and neglected horses. Hoof Prints, her latest book, describes in more detail her horse sanctuary, Proud Spirit. Operating on the philosophy that horses have an integral worth unrelated to serving humankind, Melanie and her husband, Jim, provide a haven for horses to live out the remainder of their lives in safety, without stalls, and among their own kind. Her stories are a delight to read as well as wake-up calls to all who love animals. One moment she charms her readers with a tale about how she and her niece seduced a recalcitrant burro into a trailer, and in the next, she educates us on the ghastly practice of soring a horses hooves to produce a gait called the big lick. Bowles writes beautifully, adding to the pleasure of this celebration of horses and eloquent plea to horse owners to treat these magnificent animals with kindness and respect.