Twelve-year-old Winnie Willis loves horses just like her mother did. But in the two years since her mom died, she, her sister, Lizzy, and father have moved five times. Winnie never cared much until now. She has a chance to buy the horse of her dreams at an upcoming auction but how will she ever earn enough money to buy it? More importantly, how can she possibly convince her dad not to move them to another town again?

What Readers Have to Say About Wild Thing...

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

"I loved this book!  It was so good that I read it in a single day!  I love Arabians, too. They are the best horse around. They are so pretty."

"[Wild Thing] is a great book and the beginning of a great series.  What I liked best about it, is that the characters have everyday problems that we have in real life.  In most books, they make up things that might not really happen.  Winnie is like most horse lovers out there, too.  She cares about horses and just loves to have a good time.  So, if you are looking for a fun and active book to read, then start at he beginning of the series with ' Wild Thing'.  Thanks for the GREAT Books!" ~ Kate

"Winnie - I have wanted a horse for so long!  I don't live where I could own one, though.  This book has renewed my hope.  God saw this desire and I will probably be moving to a ranch in a year or so!  Thanks!" ~ Ashely the horse lover!

"Dear Winnie - I loved 'Wild Thing'!  I've read three of the books in the series; 'Wild Thing', 'Unhappy Appy' and 'Gift Horse'.  I loved them all.  Thanks!" 
~ Mckenna

"[Wild Thing] was one of my all-time favorite books!"

"Dear Winnie - I like the way that you can do all those different things with horses.  I like this book, because you talk about horses while you are talking about God.  I am Christian.  I have been praying for a horse all my life.  I think it is really cool the way your dream came true.  I keep asking my parents for one, but they just won't do it.  I just can't figure out a way that I can get one." ~ Taylor

"When my mom bought this book for me, I could not put it down!  She bought the first three and I finished them in two days. I love this book series!  I can't wait to read books 7 and 8!  Thanks for making this great series!"

"In this book, Winnie is sharing what it feels like to move somewhere new."

"I LOVED this book and want to read it over and over again."

"Hey E. HorseCrazy and Horse Crazy - I really like your stories.  I can't wait to see the rest of 'A Saved Friendship' and 'Perfect Gift'.  You guys are great writers." ~ Grace

"I loved how you kept on trying to get Nickers, even though it looked hopeless." ~ Stephanie

"What's a good price for boarding, health care and training for a stable?" 
~ HorseCrazy

[A Note from the Winnie Team:]  To find the best rate in your area, you'll need to do some research.  Try doing an Internet search for "horses and boarding" and your county and state names.  Or, call some local stables and horse farms.  The Ely Ranch site has a good sample page.  It gives details about rates, facilities, grooming, food and treatment that are included.  The page is at:

http://www.elyranch.com/horses/horseboarding.htm#rates   

"This is the coolest book ever.  I personally like what Winnie does in the horses' lives." ~ Horse Freak

"Hey, Everybody!  I just wanted to say that I taught my goat a really hard trick!  I taught her that when I smack my lips, she kisses me!  Oh, you'd have to see it, but it's so cute!  I also love my llama!  He helps console me, because I can't own a horse!  P.S. Mrs. Mackall - You know how my dad said that I had to read the whole Bible before anything else?  Well, I want your books so bad, that I asked my dad if, for every 3 chapters of the Bible, I could read 1 chapter of your AWESOME Winnie books!  And, you know what he said?  He said to read the whole book of Genesis and then we'll talk!" ~ HorseCrazy

[A Note from the Winnie Team:]  LOL  Sounds like you're making progress!  And, the book of Genesis is a great story, too, so don't rush through it...

"Dear Winnie - This is the best series ever!  I am trying to get books 7# and 8#.  Please don't ever stop writing your books." ~ Horse Lover

"I LUV this book.  It is an awesome story.  Sometimes, I am like Winnie so much that it is scary.  I own a white Arabian mare named Pollyanna.  The tips in the book are really helpful." ~ Tammy

"I liked this book a lot.  I would also enjoy reading the other books in the series."

"[Wild Thing] is a great book!  I really loved it and I am now going to read the rest of the series.  Please keep writing!"

"This book is a perfect example of pursuing your dreams and placing your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ!  It helped me in many ways, but most importantly; it inspired me to learn more about God - and to write and to learn more about horses.  But, it also taught me to do everything within my power to get my very own horse!  I really love how Winnie is my age.  She loves and understands horses and does all she can to make them happy.  My dream horse is the same as Winnie's - a snowy-white Arabian; powerful, graceful and high-spirited.  But, maybe I should get something calmer until I learn to ride?  Well, love you lots!" ~ HorseCrazy!

"I really like Winnie and Wild Thing!  I'm reading the book now and only have one more chapter to go.  I really want to get a horse some day."

"Cool book!"

"I LUV this book!  I think 'Wild Thing' is a good name for a horse, but Nickers is much better!  I really, really want a horse.  But, there's no room at our house and it costs a lot of money to board them.  At least I get to take riding lessons.  I love the horses there so much, that sometimes I forget they're not mine!  I especially love a Morgan pony there, named Star.  I'm one of the few riders that's small enough to ride her.  If it means that I'll always be able to ride Star, I won't mind that I'm short for my age!  Winnie, you said in the third book that you're over five feet tall and you're short for your age?  Well, don't feel too bad; I'm four feet, eight or nine inches!  Anyway, Dandi, love your books!" ~ Small-and-Horse-Crazy-Brianna

"I just love these books.  They're so cool.  I wish I had a horse like Wild Thing.  When I was younger, I used to pretend like my bike was a horse name Fire." ~ Taylor, your book fan

"I love the picture on the cover, because it's an Arabian and I absolutely LOVE Arabians!  They rock!"

"Hi, Dandi!  I luv your books!  'Wild Thing' is such a beautiful horse!  Even though I'm thirteen already and Winnie's still twelve, I really enjoy these books!  An EIGHTEEN-year-old would love these books, as far as I'm concerned!  Love 'em!  Still trying to find 'Friendly Foal' and 'Buckskin Bandit'..." ~ Horse Crazy Brianna

[A Note from the Winnie Team:]  Thanks - Glad you're enjoying the books!  You might want to visit the new Tyndale Store Locator page to search for retailers near you or online stores that sell our products.

"I just read 'Wild Thing' to my daughter, Jessica, who is 5 years old.  I loved it as much as she did and couldn't wait 'til our next reading time together.  I especially loved how you included God's love and scripture in the book!  We will be memorizing these verses together.  We home school and we can now learn so much about horses.  We are off to buy 'Eager Star'.  Awesome!!  May God bless you!" ~ Jessizmom

"Hi, Dandi!  I've sent you two stories already, but every time I start one, I start coming up with another!  How do you like the name Schatze, in the second story I sent?  I'm not sure what language it is, but my friend told me it means 'Sweetheart'.  Anyway, I've been working on another story called 'Sunset's Beauty'.  It's about a girl named Merideth (her friend calls her 'Merry').  At the stable where she mucks out stalls, there's an Appaloosa mare that she loves, named Starlight.  But Starlight gets sold, and a new palomino horse comes...   I guess I don't want to give too much of it away.  Should I send it in?" ~ Horse Crazy Brianna

[A Note from the Winnie Team:]  We think that Schatze (German for Sweetheart) is a wonderful name for a horse!  And, please feel free to send in your new story.  Happy writing!

"I like this book because Winnie starts working at Stable-Mart, and finds Nickers.  Also, because she rescues her and gentles her.  I am glad that she was able to keep her.  They were meant to be together."

"Hi, Dandi!  This is Brianna again.  I recently sent you the 3rd and 4th chapters of my story-'Morning Star'.  How often should I send additions to it and how often can you post them?  Thanx!" ~ Horse Crazy Brianna

[Editor's Note:]  Hi Brianna!  We're enjoying your story.  I post additions twice a month to the Horse Talk section of the site - around the middle and end of each month.

"This was a great book!  I love the series.  Right now, I have books #1-7.  How do you make the horse treats? ~ Mandie

[Editor's Note:]  Good question!  Check out our Links page for some great resources - including a site with lots of horse treat recipes.

"This was one of the best books I have ever read.  It is well-written and is my favorite in the series." ~ Tasha

"I love the book 'Wild Thing'.  It got me started on the Winnie the Horse Gentler books.  We have books one through eight."

"After I got done reading 'Wild Thing', I thought that this would teach people to love their pets and give them care, instead of just getting a pet and forgetting about it."

"[Wild Thing] is the best Christian book I've read in ages!  Dandi, you are a great author!" ~ Esther

"Hey, Dandi!  A girl said that we should be Pen Pals.  Do you know what that is?  Thanks for your help." ~ HorseCrazy Eowyn ~

[A Note from Dandi:]  Pen Pals write back and forth and become long-distance friends.  We used to write letters, but we have the Internet now.  Why not just use our Nickers and Neighs message board to share ideas and get to know each other?  We do ask that you don't share any personal information (last names, where you live, school names, etc.).  That way we can provide a safe, secure environment for everyone to share ideas.

"Hi, Dandi!  I LUV this book!  I've already read the whole series (except 'Friendly Foal' and 'Buckskin Bandit') twice!  Eowyn Greenleaf... that's so neat that you have sheep!  It sounds like a lot of fun (but it's probably a lot of work, too).  I really liked your story 'Keeta's Gift'.  I felt like crying after I read it!  Hey, all you horse luvers... I'd love to see more stories!" 
~ Horse Crazy Brianna (author of 'Morning Star')

"Dear Winnie - I absolutely loved this book!!  I think that this is a book that really keeps you reading and it is definitely full of adventure, mystery, and action!!  You definitely have to keep writing more books!!  These books aren't only good, they also help you learn about horses!!" ~ Molly

"This was an interesting book!"

"Dandi and Winnie... What is the distinct difference between gentling and breaking?  My mom says breaking is more effective, because it's faster.  She said gentling takes way too long and is almost like breaking.  What is the truth?"

[Editor's Note:]  It sounds like you and your mom have a shared interest here and that's a wonderful thing!  This would be a good opportunity for you to do some research together and then share some ideas.  Frank Bell is a famous "horse whisperer" who has a web site packed with information about his philosophy and training methods.  You'll find a link to his site on our Links page.  Check out the sections of his site about horse training philosophy, training methods, advice and articles.  Then, choose some specific situations that you might encounter and discuss together different ways that you might handle them.  I'll bet that you'll both have some good ideas and have some fun doing this. 

"I thought [Wild Thing] was awesome!  I want to read all of the Winnie the Horse Gentler books!  I love the Horsefeathers books, too!"

"I loved every moment of reading 'Wild Thing'.  I felt so sorry for Winnie, because her mom died.  It was very sad and hard for her.  I really liked this book."

"Best book!  I love Arabians.  I have a thoroughbred.  Wild Thing's personality is awesome!" ~ Love, Jammer

"Dandi... if a horse intentionally holds his breath, how do you tighten the cinch?  Also, what do you do if a horse bites you?" ~ HorseCrazy

[A Note from the Winnie Team:]  Both of these issues may take some time and study to resolve, depending on the reasons for your horse's behavior.  Here are things to think about, but your safety is important.  So, we'd like to recommend that before you do anything, you get an adult involved and do some reading together.  You can search for advice, training videos and horse gentlers on the Frank Bell and John Lyons web sites.  You'll find links to both sites on our Links page.  Then, you can decide how to handle both situations together.  Here are some other things to consider:

First of all, do you have a good fitting saddle and cinch for your horse?  He might be cranky because he's hurting.  Check out some tips for proper tacking from a saddle shop in Washington at:
http://www.kdsaddlery.com/faq.htm.  

And, some horses are expert "bloaters", especially with a new owner.  Check the cinch three times, once before the rider gets on, once right after (due to saddle compression, especially with saddles constructed of man-made materials) and finally again 10 or 15 minutes into the ride ... and as many times after that as you need to feel comfortable.  If things don't get better, then you'll need to look into this further as a behavioral issue that may have some other basis.

Here's what John Lyons says about biting.  "Without question, biting is the most dangerous behavior a horse can have. That's why it's so important to take biting - even nibbling - seriously and work to prevent it.  There are several ways to prevent a mouthy horse from becoming a biter.  The first is to give him more attention that he really wants.  When he comes nuzzling around, gently rub his nose, and keep rubbing it until he takes his nose away.  The next is to give him plenty of hugging, particularly on his head.  If he's not starving for attention, he's less likely to be pushy about trying to get it."   Frank Bell offers lots of advice about biting horses on his site.  The advice varies, based on the horse's age, amount of time with you, etc.

Most importantly, if your horse is already biting, then be sure to have a trained adult present at all times.  This isn't something that you should try to handle by yourself!

"Eowyn HorseCrazy Greenleaf - Hey, it would be cool if we were pen pals.  We seem to like the same thing.  I wish I had horses like you; we don't have enough property.  These books are the coolest.  If I had not found these books in the Christian book store, I would've had no place to type in my story.  I'd like to see more reader stories on the Horse Talk page, too!" ~ Cierra (Horse-lover)

[Editor's Note:]  Don't forget to check out the Nickers and Neighs message board on this site!  And, we'd love to see more reader stories, too.

"Dear Winnie - I loved 'Wild Thing'.  l will do anything to get a horse.  l have a miniature horse, but l am saving for a bigger horse."

"I think that 'Wild Thing' is such a good book!  My friend lent it to me and now I feel like buying the whole SERIES!  I am totally, completely, amazingly, undoubtedly, HORSE CRAZY!  I take lessons twice a week and sometimes three.  I have been riding for four or five years and my parents won't let me have a horse, but reading books like 'Wild Thing' makes me calm down."  ~*~Allie ~*~

"IT'S GREAT!"

"[Wild Thing] is a great book.  Everyone should read it, even if they don't like horses that much.  I love horses though, so PLEASE keep writing Dandi!" 
~ Rosalie

"Are there jet-black horses with pure white manes, and pure-white horses with jet-black manes?"

[Editor's Note:]  In a word, no.  But, if you're interested in horse colors, here's a good resource site with tons of links to sites about horse color: 
http://members.aol.com/battyatty/other.htm 

"I think that this book is the greatest ever!  I love horses, but I don't have one.  :(   I wish that I could do everything that Winnie Willis did.  I'm going to breed Arabians when I grow up!  I had a few riding lessons in the summer and I hope to have more this year!  I only own the first book - just finished it today!" ~ Emilie

"GREAT!  I loved it!  Oh, I have a suggestion for a book.  It could be about a Half-Linger gelding.  Winnie rescues him (his name's Harley) from a stable that hardly cares about him!  True story." ~ Hannah

[Editor's Note:]  Sounds like a story that you could write!  Why not give it a try?  Just send it to me via the Your Thoughts form.  I'll be glad to post it to the Horse Talk section of our site.

"This is the only book in the series that I have so far, but I really want to read the others!  I have llamas, but have been interested in horses my whole life." ~ Crazy about animals, Kiersten

"I think that 'Wild Thing' was great.  I have read it twice and have also got some of the other books.  I am waiting for my dad to get me the rest of the books.  I love you, Winnie!"

"I think that Winnie had great perseverance to not give up on Wild Thing -- sorry, I mean Nickers."

"I just got [Wild Thing] today, along with books 2-3.  I started reading it and I LOVE it!  I couldn't even put it down during dinner.  It is SO great!"

"Hi!  I love this series.  I have read the first 6 books and am waiting to read 7& 8."

"I thought it was really sweet of Winnie's dad to buy Wild Thing (Nickers) for her and I also like how, in all the books, Winnie is learning more about God and is developing a relationship with Him, just like me!"

"This is probably my favorite of all the Winnie books.  It was very exciting.  When I was done, I felt like I knew Winnie."

"I love this book!  It is GREAT!  My favorite breed of horse is the Arabian!  I can't wait to read 'Friendly Foal' and 'Buckskin Bandit'!  I own the first six books and am hoping to complete my series soon." ~ Horse Lover

"Wild Thing You Make My Heart Sing. : )" ~ LoVeR oF hOrSeS

"This book is one of my favorites.  You're awesome!"

"I loved 'Wild Thing'!  I love reading about horses and about Winnie's love for them, just like me.  I especially like that it mentions God quite often."

"Hi, Dandi!  I just LUV 'Wild Thing'!  The Spidells remind me of the Daltons from the 'Horsefeathers' books!  And they annoy me just as much.  It makes me want to cry when Summer and Richard are so cruel to Wild Thing (a.k.a. Nickers).  Please...  WRITE MORE!!  :-)  Thanx!" ~ Horse Crazy Brianna

"I loved this book so much.  I read it in one day.  Also, I think you should write twenty books!" ~ Lizzie

"This was the greatest book I have ever read.  I work at stables now and they treat some horses really bad.  It burns a hole in my heart."

"Cierra... Thank you for the compliment!  I really love your story, too!  I am sending the 3rd part in today!" ~ E. HorseCrazy G.

"Editor... I am so sorry!  I cannot figure out how to use Eowyn HorseCrazy's Stables in the message board.  I tried to post something, but it wouldn't let me.  What am I to do?" ~ Love and thanks, HorseCrazy

[Editor's Note:]  Hmmm...  I know that it is working, because other people have been posting to it.  Are you registered and logged in?  Are you opening the topic and clicking on Post Reply?  And, then clicking on the Post Reply button beneath your message to send it? 

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