A very well written book and a great insight into her life with horses. A thoroughly enjoyable book and I would recommend it.

We first meet Gemma on her first day at one of Britain’s top racing yards in 1998. She is sixteen and leaving the comfort of living at home with her mum and dad in Leeds to renting a grubby room close to Mickey Hammond’s stables in Middleham, North Yorkshire. This is the next step in Gemma’s career, she has already undertaken a college course but this will be her first time working daily with racehorses. She describes the unglamorous side to the job, the early starts and mucking out to the privilege of riding these amazing thoroughbred’s who are at peak fitness.

As a Yorkshire lass, Gemma is straight-talking, funny and honest. She tells of the ups and downs of working in an industry which was then dominated by men. Her love of horses shines out and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the horses (and humans) she has met throughout her long career. I felt the elation she achieved on winning a race, to the total devastation when a horse doesn’t get to do the journey home.

Horse lovers will adore this book, it is informative, honest and truly inspiring.

Lovely book, I was so envious while reading as I would loved to have done this when I was younger. NIce easy read as well as being very informative, enjoyed this book very much.

Thanks to NetGalley for a read of this book - it is great !! I have read many of the British horse racing memoires and this gives the reader access a whole new aspect of the industry. Gemma writes as if she is just musing out loud with an easy style which quickly gets you into her life. I had to pace myself and not charge straight through the book. I was glad to see that it is not just a succession of race meeting and prestigiously titled race names but a well thought out behind the scenes book. I am sure that the book contains favourite photographs but sadly they were not evident on the Kindle issue I read. I am almost tempted to go and buy a real copy to read again in the near future. Well done Gemma - I hope there will be another book in your head soon !

Sixteen year old Gemma leaves her family in Leeds to join the racing stable of Micky Hammond in isolated but beautiful Middleham. She's mad on horses and very enthusiastic but life as a stable lass is hard, long hours and poor pay, highs and lows.
This is book driven by passion. It is clear that Gemma was no academic at school but she had a dream to work with horses and made it happen, this book is a testament to her love for the racing game and the characters that inhabit it. The style of writing is breathy, fast-paced and naive but all the more honest for that and it works well in the context of this memoir. Being a racing fan I recognised most of the names mentioned and many of the horses which was even better.

Written from the heart, and plenty touches of humour, this book gives a really good insight into life in a racing yard. A very enjoyable but short read. One for anyone interested in horses and racing. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC. Reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Facebook.