What Readers Have to Say About Gift Horse...

Send us Your Thoughts about this book!  You may see them on this page.

"Hey, Mrs. Mackall - You know how we lost our goat Faith's 3-month-old baby?  Well, our other doeling, Hope, gave birth to a full-term little buck.  And, you know what?  He died!  We don't know why, but it might be because Hope is so young.  Whatever the reason, we lost a good buck.  We named him Liberty, because now he has the liberty to live without being cooped up in a fence or put in a stall.  But, I have some good news.  I get to go to the ranch to watch my friend ride her horse, Commanche.  And, my parents are going to sign a waiver so that I can ride Commanche, too." ~ Love, HorseCrazy

[A Note from the Winnie Team:]  We're so sorry to hear what happened.  Liberty was a very good name for this little guy.  We hope that you'll have a great time visiting the ranch, though!

"I thought 'Gift Horse' was such a touching book.  I almost cried when the mare died."

"Hay Winnie - How long do horses live?" ~ Lover of Horses

[A Note from the Winnie Team:]  The oldest recorded life-span for a horse was 50 (human) years.  But, most horses begin to show signs of aging in their mid-teens.  If they were living in the wild, poor dentition alone would probably lead to a natural lifespan of 12 to 18 years.  What can you expect for your horse?  If we assume that your horse does not suffer something like colic or fractured bones, it is reasonable to expect that your horse will live into his twenties - and many will reach their thirties.  Good dental care, veterinary care, nutrition and regular exercise will help your horse to live as long and healthy a life as possible.

"I thought this book was very good.  I liked how you compared Christ giving his life for us to Gracie dying for her baby." ~ Eddy

"Thanks for writing this series.  I love to read and these books make me feel like I'm in the book.  This is my favorite book." ~ Bookworm

"Awesome book... I cried so darn hard, I practically lost it!  Every time I read this amazing story, I remember God's love and the precious gift he gave the world!  I love this book so much!  I wish I was a good writer, but, well, I'm really lame.  Do you have any suggestions?  Love you guys!" ~ HorseCrazy

"Hi - I absolutely love your books.  I am waiting for 'Gift Horse' to come in from the library!  God bless all!" ~ Horse lover and owner, Alexis

"I cried at the end of this book, because it was so sad.  I'm glad the baby survived, though.  The way that Winnie tried to keep the mare alive inspired me to keep trying, even though it may seem hopeless." ~ Stephanie

"Dear Winnie The Horse Gentler - The book 'Gift Horse' is so cool!  I like the part when the foal is born." ~ Your Friend, Tabitha

"My aunt got me [Gift Horse] for my birthday.  Soon I found out there were more books and I was so happy.  This book was good.  I was sad when Gracie died, but happy that she had the foal.  I love your books and want to get the last two that you wrote.  I want a horse of my own someday." 
~ Jessica

"I loved [Gift Horse], especially when Gracie gave her life for her foal and Winnie saved the foal for her!"

"Best book ever!"

"I loved this sad-and-happy book.  It was so sad when Gracie died.  I thought it was really sweet of Winnie to give the filly to Mason.  I also thought it was cute when Mason called Gracie 'the other Towaco'.  I loved this book, but still am trying to get the next two!" ~ Horse Crazy Brianna

"Dear Winnie - I REALLY like 'Gift Horse' because it's a really good example of how Jesus gave His life for us.  I can't wait to get 'Friendly Foal'." ~ Sarah

"Dear Winnie - I loved 'Gift Horse'.  It was so sad at the end, but really happy at the same time, too.  I almost cried when Gracie died.  I know my sister will, too, when she reads her copy.  I really felt for you when you could not buy the Christmas gifts and everything else that was going on.  Summer is really mean.  You should stand up to her and really tell her off, but that would not be the Christ-like way to do it.  Thanks for writing such wonderful books.  Your writing really has inspired me.  Because of you and another author I am writing my own book about a wolf and his pack.  I hope you will read it if it gets published." ~ Alexa

"This book was really cool.  Mason had a great relationship with Gracie, but it made me cry practically to death when Gracie died."

"Dear Winnie - So far, 'Gift Horse' is my favorite book.  I love it!  I want to read the rest of the series.  Since my guinea pig died, I have nothing to do.  I read these books all the time.  They seem so real that sometimes I feel like I'm in the story.  Thanks for the books." ~ McKenna

"I loved 'Gift Horse'.  It was sad when Gracie died.   I really want a horse.  How can I convince my parents that I'm responsible?"

[A Note from Dandi:]  I'm glad that you liked the book!  Convincing your parents to take on a commitment like owning a horse may take quite a bit of time and effort.  The best way to start is to talk to your parents and decide together.  In the meantime, maybe you can compromise and go riding at a local stable or equestrian center.  That's lots of fun, too!

"I love this sad, but happy book.  I'm so glad that Gracie's foal lived.  I can't wait to find out her name!  It was really sweet of Winnie to give the filly to Mason, but if I were in her place, I don't think I could have. I'm probably just being selfish.  If anyone needs any horse names, here's my updated list: Stormy, Funny, Irish, Blaze, Barq (Lightning), Pepper, Fuego (Fire), Garnet, Cobalt, Rapido (Fast), Rojo (Red), Prancer, Streamline, Topside, Brinker, Iberia, Sunset, Cimmaron, Sierra, Niagra, Sahara, Daylight, Misty, Bucephilus, Starlight, Stella (Star), Luna (Moon). O.K., that was a lot!" ~ Horse Crazy Brianna

"I love this book.  It made me cry - even the second time that I read it.  I can't wait 'til I get the next two." ~ April

"I love this sad-and-happy book.  It makes me want to cry when Gracie dies, but I'm so glad that her filly lived.  It was really sweet of Winnie to give the foal to Mason.  I don't think that I could have done that if were me.  Maybe I'm just selfish.  I love this book, and am STILL trying to get my hands on a copy of the next one!  Thanx!" ~ Horse Crazy Brianna

"Girlz - I'd like to see more stories on the horse-talk page!" ~ Cierra

"Dear Winnie - I loved this book!  It was great!  I am looking forward to reading 'Friendly Foal' and 'Buckskin Bandit'.  You are blessed to have Nickers.  Just having a horse would be great.  Dandi - Please write more books!  I think that you should write fifteen!" ~ Horse Lover

"Hey Winnie!  I just got 'Gift Horse' for my birthday and it was great!  My favorite part was when Gracie had her foal!  I can't wait to get [Friendly Foal]!" ~ Anna

"I loved this book so much!  My friend lent me all of the books, because she owns every Horsefeathers and Winnie book.  I finished each of the books in less then a day.  Where can I find 'Friendly Foal and 'Buckskin Bandit'?
~Apples and Carrots~

"I love this book!  When will the next two books come out?  Will you update this web site when they do?"

[Editor's Note:] Thanks for writing, everyone!  The next two books, "Friendly Foal" and "Buckskin Bandit" have just been released!  You can read the first chapters here on our site and find out where to buy them on the Tyndale Store Locator page.  You'll also want to check out the new additions to stories from our readers in the Horse Talk section of our site!

"[Gift Horse] was so good!  It was really sad, though!"

"Winnie!  I love your books... especially this one!"

"[Gift Horse] was good, because it teaches girls that animals do not live forever and that you should enjoy them while they're alive.  I have read most of the Winnie books and I have loved them all.  I hope that everyone who reads them likes them as much as me."  ~ Emily

"This book helped me learn some foal care facts.  My palomino mare is going to have a foal in June!  She is beautiful.  I love this book!"

"Write more!  Write more!  Write more!  Write more!"

"This book was especially touching.  I liked the connection between Mason and Towaco.  All of these books are awesome."

"This book and all of the other books are so great.  Dandi Daley Mackall should keep adding more books to the series.  I just love these books.  I already finished all 6 books and am hoping for number 7..."

"[Gift Horse] rocks!  It made me cry tears of sadness & tears of happiness.  I can't wait to read the book about the foal."

"Winnie - Here is a true story about something that happened on our farm.  We have 4 does (female goats) named Hope, Faith, America and Merry and one buck (male goat) named Neodor.  One day I went out to feed the does.  I got into the stall with Faith and there, lying on the ground, was her premature little baby.  Faith had miscarried and given birth to a stillborn.  I cradled it in my hand and ran to the house to show my mom.  We buried the little baby.  I named it Freedom, because it is free.  Then I took care of Faith, the mother.  She is doing fine, but I think it is very sad that Faith lost her very first little baby.  Good bye for now.  I must go check on Faith." 
~ HorseCrazy

[A Note from Winnie:]  I'm sorry to hear about what happened.  That's a very hard thing to go through, but I think that you're being very grown-up about it.  And, I'm so glad that you're taking such good care of Faith.  I know that you'll get her through.

"Winnie - Even though I don't celebrate Christmas, I loved this book!  When Gracie died, I cried so hard that my mom asked me if I was OK.  I told her about it - how Gracie looked at her own precious baby and then laid down her head and left this harsh world forever - and my mom started crying!  I feel for that poor foal, but I am reassured because she is with one of the best horse-people in the world (in my opinion!) and I know you and Mason will love her!" ~ Love, HorseCrazy

Top