Half Broke Horses

by

Jeannette Walls

Breaking (horses) Term Analysis

To break a horse means to make it submissive to human riders. Lily learns to break horses as a child in Salt Draw and becomes an expert at getting even the wildest of horses to bend to her will.
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Breaking (horses) Term Timeline in Half Broke Horses

The timeline below shows where the term Breaking (horses) appears in Half Broke Horses. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1 
Women’s Strength in a Man’s World Theme Icon
Connection to Nature Theme Icon
Fate vs. Self-Reliance  Theme Icon
Lily says she was in charge of breaking the horses, a job made easier by the fact that they raised them from foals.... (full context)
Chapter 2 
Women’s Strength in a Man’s World Theme Icon
Connection to Nature Theme Icon
Fate vs. Self-Reliance  Theme Icon
...her, so she needs to make the most of what she has. She begins to break Patches properly, and the horse proves a quick learner. They start racing in small races. (full context)
Chapter 4
Women’s Strength in a Man’s World Theme Icon
Poverty and the American Dream Theme Icon
Fate vs. Self-Reliance  Theme Icon
Word spreads about Lily breaking the mustang, and her help with horses becomes sought after in Red Lake. Rooster follows... (full context)
Chapter 6
Women’s Strength in a Man’s World Theme Icon
Poverty and the American Dream Theme Icon
Fate vs. Self-Reliance  Theme Icon
...lessons on nursing, women like Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt, and her own story of breaking horses and learning to fly a plane. She encourages them that they can all do... (full context)