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Half Broke: A Memoir
Half Broke: A Memoir | Ginger Gaffney
4 posts | 2 read | 2 to read
A top-ranked horse trainer’s gorgeous, life-affirming memoir that offers profound insight into the fascinating ways both horses and humans seek relationships to survive. At the start of this remarkable story of recovery, healing, and redemption, Ginger Gaffney answers a call to help retrain the troubled horses at an alternative prison ranch in New Mexico, a facility run entirely by the prisoners. The horses are scavenging through the dumpsters, kicking and running down the residents when they bring the trash out after meals. One horse is severely injured. The horses and residents arrive at the ranch broken in one way or many: the horses are defensive and terrified, while the residents, some battling drug and alcohol addictions, are emotionally and physically shattered. With deep insight into how animals and humans communicate through posture, body language, and honesty of spirit, Gaffney walks us through her struggle to train the untrainable. Gaffney peels away the layers of her own story—a solitary childhood, painful introversion, and a transformative connection with her first horse, a filly named Belle—and she, too, learns to trust people as much as she trusts horses. As her year-long odyssey builds toward a dramatic conclusion, the group experiences triumphs and failures, brave recoveries and relapses, as well as betrayals and moving stories of trust and belonging. Resonant, smart, and beautifully written, Half Broke tears at the heart of what it takes to find wholeness after years of trauma and addiction and offers profound insight on how working with animals can satisfy our universal need for connection.
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bthegood
Half Broke: A Memoir | Ginger Gaffney
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Pickpick

A good read about a rehab ranch where a horse trainer comes in to help the residents deal with some “broken“ horses. It is the story of how Gaffney learns to deal with her own vulnerabilities while helping horses (and people) deal with theirs. I am not much for memoirs, but this one was good. A low pick for me.

Putting Candles Burning back on the shelf for now (just not feeling it) -

#20in4 goals completed!!

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bookishbitch
Half Broke: A Memoir | Ginger Gaffney
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Pickpick

I loved the writing in this. It an interesting peek into a prison rehab ranch, where the author helped get a horse training program on track. But it was really so much more. It was also a realistic look at the struggles of addiction and childhood traumas. As a queer woman she also wrestled with her own issues. Working with the residents at the ranch helped her move forward from her own past. And ultimately horses helped them all. A great read.

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bookishbitch
Half Broke: A Memoir | Ginger Gaffney
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When I saw this I just knew I had to have it. I look forward to seeing how it compares to my own prison dog training program. I'm also hoping it is good motivation for me to do more writing on my book as well. This one is definitely going near the top of my pile. #tbrpile

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Anna40
Half Broke: A Memoir | Ginger Gaffney
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Pickpick

A prison ranch in New Mexico hires a horse trainer because the horses are aggressive, attack the team that cares for them. I loved how Gaffney describes the healing that the relationship with the horses brought to some prisoners who have been broken by trauma and drugs. Horses that have been traumatized by humans learn to trust. Animals, prisoners and horse trainer become a team and much more than that: they find healing, acceptance, belonging.