Gunner: Hurricane Horse

By Judy Andrekson and David Parkins

Each book in the True Horse Stories focuses on a contemporary horse from a different part of the world, and each animal is, in his or her own way, a hero.

PBJ Decks Smokin Gun (Gunner) is an American Paint Horse, one of the many of Heather Lott Goodwin's herd, and a valuable show animal that won the World Championship Paint Horse title. When Hurricane Katrina passed over the Goodwin property, it took with it the fences, the cattle, and several horses. Heather and her family lived in their horse trailer for six weeks and considered themselves lucky to have safe, comfortable shelter. After the storm, they searched for the animals and recovered many of them. But three months passed before they located Gunner, a hundred miles away. They were told he was in terrible shape and should be put down. Nevertheless, Heather drove on washed-out roads to bring him home, starving, dehydrated, and blind in one eye. With the help of a vet and her mother, she nursed him back to health. Amazingly, nine months later, he was well enough to compete again in the World Championship Paint Horse Show. Gunner's story is a testament to love and to determination.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 14, 2010
• ISBN: 9781770492271

Reviews for Gunner

[saffron12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this book for LT's Early Reviewers. I think people like my mother (who was really into horses when she was growing up) would absolutely love this book. It is intended for 8 to 12 year olds in my opinion. Personally I loved the weather descriptions the best, as well as Gunner's interactions with Heather's little son. The descriptions of training and showing got a little long. It is a very quick read.

[dragonlibrary8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't ready for this book - I thought that this would be a light, fast read. This idea was reinforced by the illustrations and the short length of the book. I enjoyed the story very much. I found the descriptions of the world of training and showing horses to be accurate and interesting without getting too involved. I found myself laughing and crying. I had no idea that the story would take ahold of my heart the way it did. I was not prepared for the end of the story and the dedication. It's a great read - be ready with the tissue.

[thoroughbredlibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gunner: Hurricane Horse, by Judy Andrekson is a gift to all ages. Although the target audience is young adult, it would be an excellent book to read and share with your children or grandchildren. Just under 100 pages, the book conveys accurate information on the Paint Horse breed, circumstances surrounding the story, and portrays the deep animal/human bond.Gunner: Hurricane Horse is a work of courage and determination. Ultimately, the story of the Lott-Goodwin family is simply inspiring and I found myself deeply moved by the book.

[mindylou182 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was really enjoyable to read. Since I recently joined my college's equestrian team, I have taken more interest into horse showing.This book starts out with how Heather came to own Gunner and how she decided to train him for showing. The first half of the book is spent describing their lives (both at home and at shows) and talks about Gunner's success in showing. Then, the second half goes into the details of how Katrina changed their lives forever. This book was a nice and easy read. I've always been fascinated by horse stories, and this one definitely hits home. It shows the bond between horse and human, and tells the miraculous story of how they were separated and brought back together. This book doesn't just talk about horses, but also allows the reader to see the importance of family and appreciating the little things.

[pebblesgmc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gunner's story is very moving, the hardships faced by the horse and his people was very interesting.I enjoyed this book, Judy Andrekson has a very strong understanding of the subject(horses). I am looking forward to reading other books by this author.I would like to see a sequel to the story from Gunner's point of veiw.

[readaholic12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This short, sweet and ultimately heart-wrenching love story of a woman and her horse is highly recommended. Gunner is a fascinating, mischievous horse who meets his match and human soul mate in Heather, as they win competition after competition through hard work and mutual respect.Hurricane Katrina changes everything, and this small book captures some of the hardships, losses and challenges faced by those who survived the storm. A rollercoaster of emotions flooded me as I read, in part due to the 5th anniversary of the Katrina disaster, and because I was able to truly care about the characters in the story. Their story, especially Gunner's, is as inspirational as it is heartbreaking.

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rather sweet. An interesting story - I liked Gunner and Heather. There's not much to it - Gunner as a colt, his training, a quick sketch of the shows they did, the events of Katrina, his return and recovery. If this were fiction, of course, he would have won the show - I like that he didn't. I wish the story had told less or more of the last disaster - I don't know whether it was skimmed over because they couldn't bear to talk of it or just because it didn't have a happy ending (though in either case, the story could have ended without mentioning it - Gunner's story isn't over yet, so it had to stop somewhere). A few typos - my proofreader's eye had me noticing a couple possessive it's (should be its) and one place where Gunner 'wracked' up some awards. Nothing that seriously knocked me out of the story. This would be an excellent book for a new reader, especially if he or she was already interested in horses. I doubt I'll read it again - it literally took me under an hour to read - but I will remember the story.