Just Another Race Horse is an animal non-fiction book by Marion N. Seidel. Sonny is a horse that reminisces about his life with heartfelt emotions. He remembered the happy, idyllic times with his mother when he was a foal and the caring treatment from his caregivers on the farm. That contentment was shattered when Sonny grew older and a racehorse owner bought him. He worked extremely hard when training, but it was not appreciated. The abusive treatment Sonny received was not what he was accustomed to and he retaliated in his own way. This only made things more difficult for the yearling. People also thought he was just an average racehorse who rarely won races that should pay for his upkeep. How he wished he could roam freely in the pastures and make friends with other horses.

Just Another Race Horse is a poignant non-fiction read that gave me an unexpected view of the other side of horse racing. One usually sees the glamorous side of this sporting event, but Marion N. Seidel writes very descriptively about the actual treatment given to horses by some of their owners. Sonny, an adorable thoroughbred, narrates the story with heartfelt emotions. It is a story that made me ponder about the realities of horse racing and the living conditions that a few of these animals endure on the farms where they are raised. The author gave other relevant information about the categories of racehorses and the importance of these animals' birth dates. Just Another Race Horse is an interesting book.

Sonny is born at the wrong time of the year and doesn’t have an impressive pedigree nor the necessary qualities for becoming a stakes racehorse. All in all, he’s just an average racehorse; one of the unnoticed 75% or so of horses that have been trained to race but end up earning much less than the cost of their upkeep and training during their careers. Just Another Race Horse by Marion N. Seidel tells Sonny’s story, from Sonny’s perspective. Sonny’s life starts off happily enough with a mother who loves him and people who nurture and care for him, but life takes a startling turn when he’s sold at auction, and suddenly everything Sonny is fed and taught has a purpose – to prepare him for his life as a racehorse. There are now new people in his daily life like grooms, trainers, hot-walkers and exercise riders, but ironically enough, it’s the people who own him that he rarely sees or with whom he rarely has any interaction. Then, with his first race (in which he finishes close to last) come new experiences with jockeys with hard hands and lashings with whips, drug injections, pain medications, and having his tongue tied so that his breathing is more controlled during races. Although Sonny does win some races, none of them are high stakes races with big purses, and eventually the injuries come and with them the pain, further reducing his chances of becoming a prize-winning racehorse.

Just Another Race Horse is poignant and at times heart-wrenching, probably more so because the story is told from Sonny’s perspective. Seidel does a great job giving her protagonist life and an indomitable spirit that shines constantly throughout the book. From Sonny’s perspective, we are able to understand and relate to the importance of a kind word and the impact a human’s carriage or demeanor has on an animal’s behavior. More importantly still, Seidel’s book brings awareness of the ugly monetary aspect of horse racing and the exploitation of these animals, all for the sake of an impressive purse. Lacklustre performances and injury will abruptly end a racehorse’s career and, as Sonny’s story quickly shows us, there are certainly significant costs associated with their upkeep, both in labor for the grooms, trainers, hot-walkers and exercise riders, and in food costs, not to mention extensive veterinary and dentist bills. Once it is established that Sonny is no longer a contender on the racing circuit, seemingly overnight he becomes an unnecessary expense to his backyard trainer and, quickly, a victim of neglect. Luckily for Sonny, his story has a happy ending but for the many others like Sonny, their ending is far from happy. Just Another Race Horse is a must-read for all animal lovers.