Smoky knows only one way of life: freedom. Living on the open range, he is free to go where he wants to and do what he wants to. And he knows what he has to do to survive.
Smoky can beat any enemy, whether it be a rattlesnake or a hungry wolf. He is as much a part of the Wild West as it is of him, and Smoky can’t imagine anything else.
Then he comes across a new enemy, one that walks on two legs and makes funny sounds. Smoky can’t beat this enemy the way he has all the others. But does he really want to? Or could giving up some of his freedom mean getting something in return that’s even more valuable?
This is the classic great horse story written by a cowboy who trained a little black colt to become his most dependable horse. Here are the experiences of a fascinating horse from his birth in the wild, through his capture by humans and his work in the rodeo and on the range, to his eventual old age.
Smoky the Cowhorse is one of the most famous and beloved horse stories told. Will James writes in 1920's cowboy vernacular and tells the life of the horse, Smoky, in the western United States from his birth to eventual return to his home range. Smoky is born in the wild, captured, and trained by Clint, and becomes known as the best cow horse. Then a horse thief steals Smoky and beats him repeatedly. Smoky eventually attacks and escapes from the abusive thief. When Smoky is eventually captured, his new violent demeanor results in him being used as a bucking bronco in rodeos as "The Cougar." Years of bucking take their toll. "The Cougar" becomes "Cloudy" the riding horse, and eventually he is sold to an abusive man who starves him. It would be the end, but Clint happens to find him. With careful treatment, Smoky recovers while back on his home range.
Smoky the Cowhorse won the 1927 Newbery Award and was adapted to the screen three times as Smoky.
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