A narrative retelling of the life of a horse girl who moved west and started one of the nation's longest running equestrian schools.In early autumn, 1958, thirty-two-year-old Eleanor Fracker Smith left her family roots in Massachusetts and moved to southeast Wyoming. There, she realized her life philosophy: that people can do without a lot of things, but no one should have to live without horses. Living on the dry, wind-swept prairie west of Laramie, Ellie bought horses she could afford: ill, malnourished, and poorly trained. Through her accumulated knowledge of equine care, Ellie turned her unimpressive herd into show-ring winners and sought-after breeding stock. In 1961, she established Sodergreen Horsemanship School based on a uniquely immersive curriculum, with lectures and lessons based upon love, patience, mutual trust, communication, and—most importantly—groundwork. For forty years, Ellie's renowned depth of knowledge and commitment to educating the horse-loving public drew...