Headed for the Win ~ Rachael Eliker
"Nadia Wells has spent her life trying to convince her parents that horses are a necessity but despite her best efforts, they see them only as an extravagant luxury. After landing her dream job mucking stalls in exchange for riding lessons, a wealthy philanthropist recognizes Nadia’s talent and decides to invest in her. Purchasing a mare nicknamed Winny, Nadia is sure she’s bound for equestrian greatness but on the cusp of their most challenging three-day event yet, Winny bucks Nadia off in front of a crowd of her peers. Humiliated and fuming, Nadia makes a birthday wish that she could better understand her horse. The next morning, she wakes up to discover she has four hooves and a tail swishing between her legs: she and Winny have switched places! If life as a teenage-girl-turned-show-horse wasn’t hard enough, Nadia has to figure out a way to tell the dashing Mike how she feels or risk losing him and the competition to the talented, gorgeous and spoiled Gretchen. Will the pair concede defeat or work together to overcome the impossible and be headed for the win?" ~GoodReads Description
Brittney Joy's Review ~ Nadia and her new horse, Winny, switch places - what a fun horse story with a fantastic plot twist! Right from the beginning I connected with the main character, Nadia. Nadia is so "head-over-heels" in love with horses that she literally faints when she finally gets one. She's a hard worker and a natural rider, but when she doesn't immediately understand her horse, an old "wives tale" forces her to switch places with Winny. I love this twist because the author really shows how a horse feels, what they see, and why they act the way they do. I would categorize this book as a tween-read, but a horse-lover of any age will enjoy! And, I'd especially recommend it to a new horse owner as the story will actually give the reader real insight into a horse's thought process! Fun read and I could completely see this story as a Disney movie! Tons of action and a great lesson!