its a really cool book and it talks about this girl way back then and she broke horses for a living on the road. it talks about how she breaks horses gently and easy, and everyone else is really cruel when they break theire own horses.

its a good book, its a story line and everything, but thats like the main idea
References :

I detest the methods used and hate the use of the words broke or break as it means breaking the horses spirit so it submits to you rather than the horse learning to accept you on the same level.

What they would do is tie the horse to a post with no food and water or shade until it becomes submissive. They also used to tie its legs up. They would throw on a saddle and bridle and ride the horse until it’s too weak and tired to fight back.

The whole method is cruel and disgusting.
References :

Actually tying a horse down to a post is still widely used alot of your old time cowboys who know how to do it still do. Infact last year a rancher held a demonstration. and NO they dont tye them down and give then no water food ETC they tie them to the post and saddle them and get on it keeps the horse centered in the arena. its not something i would do but if done correctly is a way to break a horse.
References :

I think most things written by Dick Francis has horses in it. The only one I’ve read is Bolt, which is centered around a jockey.
References :

Duel in the Sun – King Vidor (1946) Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones

My Darling Clementine – John Ford (1946) Henry Fonda, Victor Mature

Red River – Howard Hawks (1948) John Wayne, Montgomery Clift

Broken Arrow – Delmer Daves (1950) James Stewart, Jeff Chandler

The Gunfighter – Henry King (1950) Gregory Peck

Stars in My Crown – Jacques Tourneur (1950) Joel McCrea, Ellen Drew

Winchester ‘73 – Anthony Mann (1950) James Stewart, Stephen McNally

High Noon – Fred Zinnemann (1952) Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly

The Naked Spur – Anthony Mann (1953) James Stewart, Robert Ryan

Shane – George Stevens (1953) Alan Ladd, Van Heflin, Jack Palance

Johnny Guitar – Nicholas Ray (1954) Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden

Vera Cruz – Robert Aldrich (1954) Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster

The Man from Laramie – Anthony Mann (1955) James Stewart

The Searchers – John Ford (1956) John Wayne

Seven Men from Now – Budd Boetticher (1956) Randolph Scott

Forty Guns – Samuel Fuller (1957) Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan

The Tall T – Budd Boetticher (1957) Randolph Scott

The Big Country – William Wyler (1958) Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons

The Bravados – Henry King (1958) Gregory Peck

Man of the West – Anthony Mann (1958) Gary Cooper, Lee J. Cobb

The Hanging Tree – Delmer Daves (1959) Gary Cooper, Karl Malden

Rio Bravo – Howard Hawks (1959) John Wayne, Dean Martin

The Magnificent 7 – John Sturges (1960) Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen

One Eyed Jacks – Marlon Brando (1961) Brando, Karl Malden

Lonely Are the Brave – David Miller (1962) Kirk Douglas, Walter Matthau

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance – John Ford (1962) Wayne & Stewart

Ride the High Country – Sam Peckinpah (1962) Scott & McCrea

For a Few Dollars More – Sergio Leone (1965) Clint Eastwood

Good, the Bad & the Ugly – Sergio Leone (1966) Eastwood, Eli Wallach

The Professionals – Richard Brooks (1966) Lancaster, Marvin, Ryan

El Dorado – Howard Hawks (1967) John Wayne, Robert Mitchum

Hour of the Gun – John Sturges (1967) James Garner, Jason Robards

Once Upon a Time in the West – Leone (1968) Bronson, Fonda, Robards

Mackenna’s Gold – J. Lee Thompson (1969) Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif

True Grit – Henry Hathaway (1969) John Wayne, Dennis Hopper

The Wild Bunch – Sam Peckinpah (1969) William Holden, Robert Ryan

The Ballad of Cable Hogue – Sam Peckinpah (1970) Jason Robards

The Hired Hand – Peter Fonda (1971) Fonda, Warren Oates, Verna Bloom

High Plains Drifter – Clint Eastwood (1973) Clint Eastwood

My Name Is Nobody – Tonino Valerii, Leone (1973) Fonda, Terence Hill

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid – Peckinpah (1973) Kristofferson & Coburn

Bite the Bullet – Richard Brooks (1975) Gene Hackman, James Coburn

The Outlaw Josey Wales – Clint Eastwood (1976) Chief Dan George

The Shootist – Don Siegel (1976) John Wayne, James Stewart

Pale Rider – Clint Eastwood (1985)

Dances with Wolves – Kevin Costner (1990)

Unforgiven – Clint Eastwood (1992) Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman

Tombstone – George P. Cosmatos (1995) Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer

Open Range – Kevin Costner (2003) Robert Duvall, Annette Bening

60 More Super Westerns

Pursued – Raoul Walsh (1947) Robert Mitchum, Teresa Wright

3 Godfathers – John Ford (1948) Wayne, Pedro Armend‡riz, Ward Bond

Colorado Territory – Raoul Walsh (1949) Joel McCrea, Virginia Mayo

The Furies – Anthony Mann (1950) Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Huston

Viva Zapata! – Elia Kazan (1952) Marlon Brando, Anthony Quinn

Hondo – John Farrow (1953) John Wayne, Geraldine Page

Garden of Evil – Henry Hathaway (1954) Gary Cooper, Richard Widmark

Silver Lode – Allan Dwan (1954) John Payne, Dan Duryea, Lizabeth Scott

Track of the Cat – William A. Wellman (1954) Robert Mitchum

Run for Cover – Nicholas Ray (1955) James Cagney, John Derek

The Violent Men – Rudolph MatŽ (1955) Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck

Bandido – Richard Fleischer (1956) Robert Mitchum, Gilbert Roland

The Fastest Gun Alive – Russell Rouse (1956) Glenn Ford

The Last Hunt – Richard Brooks (1956) Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger

Decision at Sundown – Budd Boetticher (1957) Randolph Scott

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral – John Sturges (1957) Lancaster & Douglas

Night Passage – James Neilson (1957) James Stewart, Audie Murphy

The Ride Back – Allen H. Miner (1957) Anthony Quinn, William Conrad

3:10 to Yuma – Delmer Daves (1957) Glenn Ford, Van Heflin

The Tin Star – Anthony Mann (1957) Henry Fonda, Anthony Perkins

The Badlanders – Delmer Daves (1958) Alan Ladd, Ernest Brognine

Buchanan Rides Alone – Budd Boetticher (1958) Randolph Scott

Cowboy – Delmer Daves (1958) Glenn Ford, Jack Lemmon

The Left Handed Gun – Arthur Penn (1958) Paul Newman, John Dehner

Saddle the Wind -
References :
Yahoo

"The Sweetest Gift" by Janet Mills

"The Wren" and "The Dove" by Kristy McCaffrey

I enjoyed Louis L’Amour’s "Sacketts" series.
References :
http://www.janetmills.net/

http://www.kristymccaffrey.com/

http://www.westernauthors.com/AuthorsList.htm

http://www.louislamour.com/sackett/index.htm