The Story of One Horse, One Horseman, and One Final Shot at Redemption by Mitchell Bornstein

Reviewed by Kelly Bowers

About This Book

     Last Chance Mustang is the story of Samson, a formerly free-roaming, still wild-at-heart American mustang that was plucked from his mountainous Nevada home and thrown into the domestic horse world where he was brutalized and victimized. After years of abuse, Samson had evolved into a hateful and hated, maladjusted beast until the day he found his way to a rural Illinois farm, an ill-equipped owner, and one last chance. Mitch Bornstein's task was to tame the violent beast whose best defense had become offense. He had twenty years of experience fixing unfixable horses, but Samson would be his greatest challenge. Through the pair's many struggles and countless battles, Samson would teach Mitch about the true power of hope, friendship, redemption and the inspiring mettle of the forever wild and free American mustang.

     Last Chance Mustang explains Samson's violent and antisocial behaviour while addressing the remedial techniques employed to remedy these issues. The art of working with damaged horses is demystified. Though his story is sad, the reader is asked to respect Samson--not pity him. He has good and bad days, and he has a dark side. Like all of us, Samson is far from perfect. And his saga will move the reader to both tears and laughter. Part history lesson, part training manual, and part animal narrative, Samson's is a story that all readers will be able to relate to: a story of survival, of trust, and ultimately, finding love.

Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: St. Martin's Press (June 23, 2015)

This memorable tale was written by Mitchell Bornstein, a self-proclaimed, "unpublished author wannabe". After many years of training the horses nobody else would, and working on his book, he was rebuffed by a publisher, saying Bornstein "probably wasn't even the right person to tell this powerful story." With a new agent who told him all he needed was a good story with the passion to tell it, his self-doubt vanished and the pieces just started falling into place. And then it just took off.

     Last Chance Mustang is a well written story that is entertaining, enlightening honest and heart warming, but heart breaking too. It's even laugh-out-loud funny in parts. Bornstein skilfully tells the main story of his training of and his growing relationship with the complicated Samson, while weaving the history of the American Wild Mustang and Samson's background, throughout. The less palatable element tells of the American Bureau of Land Management Mustang roundups. This story is of a teacher and a student who each take turns playing both roles. And the real lesson is there for us all to learn.The Last Chance Mustang makes you want to Google and read Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, written by Congress. The many statistics provided by Bornseein were eye opening, disturbing and heart breaking creating unavoidable concern, even fear for the future of North America's wild mustangs.

     The Last Mustang, One Horse, One Horseman, and One Final Shot at Redemption will be loved by animal lovers and horse enthusiasts, but also horse owners and trainers (some tips you might find useful) and anyone who just loves reading horse stories. Frightening is the thought of what might have been Samson's fate if he'd been captured a year later when the law was passed making it nearly impossible for "problem" mustangs to avoid the slaughter house.

Author's Bio

     At the age of seven, MITCHELL BORNSTEIN jumped atop his first horse, and in the thirty-eight years since, he has pursued his life's dream of working with damaged, abused, and difficult horses. College, law school, and nineteen years as an attorney led him on a journey to save the horses that no one else will. Bornstein lives in Wheeling, Illinois. Last Chance Mustang is his first book.