Far from the Kentucky Derby, running's no longer an option. If she can retrain them - and stay out of trouble herself - 16 year-old Max might help a few ex-racehorses avoid the slaughter-bound double deckers. While working at a hoity-toity hunter/jumper barn, Max - who's out on her own - has managed to stay in the saddle and make just enough money to get by. Barely. Not always legally. And definitely with the help of her punk-rock friends. Tall Omaha, the debut novel of equestrian author and competitor Kristine Oakhurst, is a story about life among the discarded, and the long climb back to wellness.