Date: January 26, 2025
Author: Laura Hillenbrand
Title: Seabiscuit
I have heard lots of good reviews about this story as both a movie and a novel. My Auntie and Uncle have a personal library and when I saw this title on their bookshelf I knew I had to borrow it. She claimed that the book was a ‘very good story.’ So home with me it came.
I was unsure if this would be up my alley or not. I love horses but was a bit skeptical to read a book based solely on a horse. However, I found it to be quite entertaining. I learned lots of new fun facts about horse jockeying. One such fun fact is that to stay as light as possible the jockeys do something called reducing. This is an all-encompassing word that includes bulimia, anorexia, avoiding water because water weight is heavy, strong laxatives, running in rubber suits in the heat of mid summer, and taking a capsule that contains a tape worm. Carrying around the tapeworm in their belly until they became so malnutritioned they had to go to the hospital to have the tapeworm removed only to go home and eat another capsule.
Jockeys were often young boys around age 16 when their careers began/begin. It was feared to hire a jockey that was on his way towards a growth spurt so the owners paid attention to foot-size. To hide big feet that surely meant a growth spurt was imminent they would squeeze their feet into tiny, pointy, boots. One such pair that was an honor to wear was owned by a veteran and was literally made of silver. No give whatsoever for these poor, abused tootsies.
So, I was plugging along thoroughly enjoying the story. The races were so descriptive it was like you are right there in the saddle with the jockey flying at between 40 and 50 mph, the wind in your hair. There came quite a succession of tales of famous races that Seabiscuit triumphed in. However, there is only so many horse races that I care to read about. I am not trying to sway anyone from the story. But it just didn’t hold me for the long run.