Is Ben tough enough to please his hot-tempered dad? On the Nevada ranch where his dad cowboys, it's a man's world. His dad wants him to "buck out" some colts, but Ben secretly fears getting bucked off. His former enemy, Fred, the old crusty cowboss, teaches him another way to "start" colts, and it looks like magic! Not only is Fred a mind-reader, but his horse is too, and when Ben rides him, he feels like riding a cloud. That's how Ben wants his colts to feel.
Ben fights fire, wrecks his ATV, and punches out his best friend, which gets them both kicked out of school. When Ben and his dad break down out in the middle of nowhere, injuring one horse, there are hard choices to be made as Ben rides for help. Will Ben obey his dad? Will he lie again?
In trying to balance loyalty to his dad with admiration for Fred, Ben learns what it means to be tough, that daydreaming and lying are not wise choices, and that he is man enough to stand up to his dad and form his own values.
The buckaroo traditions, passed down from the vaqueros, still survive in Great Basin ranch culture, expanded on in the glossary of ranching terms and cowboy slang. Horsey readers will appreciate how "bucking 'em out" is giving way to a better approach to starting colts in today's West. The author's engaging style will keep you turning the pages as you find yourself drawn right into the story.
