Ten Good Horses

“I was raised on Will James and cowboy movies … right up to and including Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven) and Robert Duvall (Lonesome Dove). Ten Good Horses is like a string of pearls. You do a fine job with the animals and the characters avoiding sentimentality. They are all creations of an observant and caring writer. The very end is you at your best and a memorable parting shot with two little words: ‘Damn dog.’ Way to go. - A.L. Hart

Ten Good Horses is a semi-autobiographical novel of the American West. Bob Wills’ thoughtful and humorous observations on life, love, war and the cowboy way is unflinchingly honest. Wills is not “all hat and no cattle.” There are no special effects, no aliens or big bangs. His journey to find meaning and redemption in his life is a story that will touch every reader, no matter what they di or where they are from. With a combination of savvy, good sense and dumb luck, Bob Wills’ story is a hash mark on the cowboy trail. A tale about horses, cows, a dog, Indians, white supremacists, rounders and even a fella’ named Lefty.
When Bob Wills rides a colt to a standstill, it is a not a victory. It is an understanding that he and the colt were both better off for the experience. Like Bob Wills would say, “You can talk a horse to death sooner or later you just have to climb aboard that hurricane deck and see where you end up.”

Robert L. Stave is a former Airborne Ranger and graduate of the University of Minnesota. He has worked as an assistant professor, photographer, cowboy, rancher, bodyguard, park ranger and marina dock master. For over thirty years he has worked (on and off) for Sombrero Ranches. He lives in DeLay Beach, Florida, with his wife Pam.