3 comments about Dynasties.

1. Written for horse people, this book serves as an excellent reference but not an outstanding read. I never became comfortable with the author's style, and his annoying habit of reintroducing his favorite source ("Sire Lines" by Abram S. Hewitt) a different way in every chapter really started to bother me. Also galling were the inexhaustible personal anecdotes, which did bring a hint of personality to the book, but often sounded like mere name-dropping. Furthermore, the author frequently omitted explanations of the racing jargon he used, although a few terms were finally defined in the last section of the book. On the other hand, the stories of the various stallions' breeding, racing, and stud careers were very interesting and seemingly well-researched. I appreciated the in-chapter pedigrees as well as the more complete sire line charts at the end. Many black and white photos are included of the famous sires and some of their progeny.



2. Edward Bowen has selected what he thinks are the most important sires of the twentieth century and devoted a chapter to each, giving their own achievements and those of their descendants, as well as information about some of the more interesting people involved. To this end, he has included one or two sire lines that might not actually be the most important, but where their story is particularly interesting. In his introduction, the author acknowledges that the Challenger sire line was selected instead of the Count Fleet or Pharamond lines precisely because it presented a more interesting story. None of them were essential based purely on their importance.

   Of course, all the essential lines that are still thriving are there, including Nearco and Native Dancer, who between them have each established several important sire lines. Indeed, a significant proportion of the book is devoted to those stallions and their descendants, which include Storm cat, America's leading sire at the turn of the millennium, and Sadlers Wells, Europe's equivalent.

   This book is not a comprehensive guide to sire lines. Although there are charts near the back of the book giving diagrams of the sire lines covered by the book, they do not list once-important but now extinct lines like the Diomed/Lexington line - a line that was already struggling at the beginning of the twentieth century, but somehow survived into the 1980's. Indeed, there is no diagram of the Herod dynasty at all, although a different branch of it survives in Europe, most notably via the Irish stallion Indian Ridge.

   Also, the diagrams that are present focus, with few exceptions, on those branches where a stallion was standing in America at the time the book was written. Of course, this is understandable, as it is a book about American bloodlines, but since thoroughbred breeding is international, it is a bit misleading. The Hyperion line is not as close to extinction as the diagram makes it appear, although its long term future is uncertain.

   Still, I have learned that the best place to look for comprehensive sire line charts is on the internet, which has the advantage of being more up-to-date than any book is ever likely to be. Despite my reservations about the charts, the author is a great storyteller and the charts will be sufficient for most purposes.




3. Edward Bowen has done it once again with having written a marvelous book about the great sires of the twentieth century and their influence upon the thoroughbred breed. All of the important sire lines are included, such as Nearco, Northern Dancer, Princequillo, Mr. Prospector, Hail to Reason, Nasrullah, Bull Lea, and, in this reviewer's opinion, the greatest sire of them all, Bold Ruler. Bowen gives a detailed biography of each sire and that horse's important descendants.

   An added bonus is a section of charts in the back of the book of each sire's male line and the important winners from each of those lines. For example, the chart for Bold Ruler shows all of his male line ascendants, and his important descendants. One descendant, Bold Bidder, has under his name the important race horses Spectacular Bid and Cannonade, and Cannonade in turn sired Caveat who in turn sired Awad and Ops Smile. What is nice about the charts is that they instantly show how so few sires have had so much influence on thoroughbred racing.

   I highly recommend this book and the companion book MATRIARCHS.

1 comments about Equine Welfare.

1. This book is a MUST read for everyone who owns an equine, though I doubt many will find it a comfortable read. Bottom line, we humans have been doing grave disservice to equine and it's time to stop and rethink our ways of interacting and keeping these incredible *social* animals. I consider myself a forward-thinking donkey owner, and still found more than a few things to chew on in this book, and will be adjusting my care accordingly.
   
   If you've ever questioned why we keep horses -- herd animals -- in small box stalls alone, this book helps you realize you're not insane even though some horse owners will try to discourage your questions.
   
   With the growing popularity of "natural horsemanship" Kiley-Worthington goes that extra step to true equine welfare. If you truly care about horses, you must read this. But if you only keep horses for your own convenience, I warn you: this book will make you mad. But then, so would I if I encountered you.

1 comments about Giant Book of the Horse.

1. Helpful! This book has TONS of stuff on horses! I like how they split the book into chapters according to where the breed came from. It took me a long time to read it, but it was worth all the time! And it is worth what you spend on it too! The pictures in the book are beautiful! I found out there are three different breeds that begin with my sister's name. A book that any horselover should read! (Or anyone who just wants to learn about horses!) P.S. Horses did NOT just evolve from nothing, GOD MADE THEM on the sixth day.

5 comments about Consumer's Guide to Alternative Therapies in the Horse.

1. An excellent scientific approach that will no doubt send the oddball "alternative" therapy fans into a complete swoon. However, they'll not be able to come up with a single serious scientific article to refute the science in this book -- after many decades of frantic, fruitless attempts.
   
   The sad fact is that these "alternative" therapies simply do not work, as far as any scientific study has ever been able to tell. And the few little studies they occasionally cite are scientifically worthless, as a bit of research always reveals.
   
   This always brings out the worst in the homeopathic/chiropractic/crystal therapy/needle-stickers, etc., and they usually revert to claims that it's all just a plot by the evil veterinary/pharmaceutical community. A glance at some of the critical reviews on this site are typical -- you'll notice that they don't refer to any scientific publications or peer-reviewed journal articles ... because, sadly, they can't.
   
   This will, also sadly, do little to dissuade those desperate and gullible souls who will grasp at anything hoping to help their four-legged friend. After thirty years in dog & horse rescue, I understand the feeling all too well, but after seeing the results of alternative medicine vs. real veterinary medicine, I know that alternative medicine is 99% pure moonshine and marketing.
   
   This book should be required reading for all horse, dog & cat owners, period. We all need to know the facts in order to do right by our furry friends.



2. This author is well-known for his disparagement of alternative therapies. Do not buy this book if you are looking into alternative therapies for your animals as the author is strictly a "Western Medicine" kind of
   guy and very biased. Having used chiropractic, homeopathic, and acupressure on my horses, dogs, and cats, alternative therapy is extremely helpful when provided by a competent and trained professional. Research your practioner's training and background. See "Homeopathy for Horses" by Tim Couzens, "Veterinary Acupuncture" or "Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine: Principles and Practice" by Allen M. Schoen. All excellent reference for the holistic practitioner.



3. was very disappointed and felt the author did a disservice to balanced critical review and assessment. I did agree with a number of the findings in the books but the author should have provided less personal opinion and adhered to balanced scientific review rather than providing sweeping generalisations of certain therapeutic modalities. Absolutely regret having bought this book.



4. This book is a waste of money for people who are looking for good information on alternative care for their horse. The author considers any method other than his own to be unfounded and of no benefit. Could we say he is coming from a very egotistical point of view? I wonder how we and all the animals survived the thousands of years before modern medicine and his birth! The cover of the book is also cleverly laid out in order to trick the consumer who is interested in learning about alternative therapies into thinking the book will give them information on learning how to use complementary care. This was a total waste of my money.



5. Very Disappointing. The Author sets out "open mindedly" to investigate numerous alternative therapies for horses and proceeds to discredit each and every one of the therapies, concluding that the horse owner should revert to consulting the Veterinarian. A desperate attempt to preserve the Veterinary Profession.

No comments about Showing in Hand (Allen Photographic Guides).

3 comments about Concise Guide to Nutrition in the Horse (Concise Guides Series) (Concise Guides Series).

1. This is one of several books in the "Concise Guide" series by Dr. Ramey. I'd definitely recommend all of the books to any horse owner. Not only are they well written and incredible informative, but they cover topics that any horse owner should be aware of (tendons, colic, medications, etcetera). This particular book covers the basics of nutrition for your horse. It does not get too technical like many nutrition books do, which then either scares the reader away, or bores them senseless. What is DOES cover is quite important: feed ingredients, when to feed, what to feed, supplements, knowing your horse's condition, feeding for maintenance, growth, reproduction, performance, and for disease.



2. Out of desperation for my 30 year old first pony, I bought this book hoping it could help me put some weight on him. It helped enormously in that it made me realise that fat isn't necessarily best when it comes to old horses, and it helped me to feed according to Billy's needs, not what I thought he should have! This book also helped me in forming a more nutritional feeding plan for my other horse, Astral, (Billy's girlfriend!) as she too is approaching her twilight years now and her diet needs to take this into account. All in all this was an easy read and dispelled for me many fears I have had over the years of what to feed my two, and cut out some of the nonsense that you inevitably pick up along the way. If you really love your horse(s) and want the best for him/her then I would strongly recommend this book to first time owners and those more experienced alike. It really is never too late to learn. Enjoy!



3. This book offers a very clear easy to understand summary of horse nutrition. As a horse owner in Bermuda we are very limited to what feed, supplements, hay etc. are available. It helps to have an outline of what your horse requires & this book is very helpful. I would say that every horse owner should read or own one of these books. I own several of the other books in this series which are also very informative. There are a lot of misconceptions that go along with what you should feed your horse & this book will help you understand some of the myths.

1 comments about Schooling for Success With William Fox-Pitt.

1. Having drooled over William Fox-Pitt since Pony Club I am very disappointed to be giving this book a poor review. My expectations were perhaps too great. The first few chapters (Flatwork, Jumping) and those at the end (At The Competition, Get Your Horse Fit) I felt were a waste of paper. They essentially covered the basics and common sense tips experienced riders already know. Readers can go to other more specialized books for advice on these topics. However, I did enjoy reading more about William's background and early days.
   
   The chapter I wanted more from was Cross Country. This book should have been re-focused as "Cross Country Schooling for Success" and more technical detail could have been added throughout. The take home message was to approach each fence with confidence, look ahead, maintain contact and keep your horse between hand and leg. Stay balanced with a secure lower leg. The text rarely got more detailed than that and training tips "if you look into a ditch, you'll end up in it!" again common sense advice. Experienced riders will want so much more, therefore I think this book will be better for the beginning event rider. But then photographs of advanced level jumps are not immediately relative to them. Also, the short two pages on introducing a young horse to water were basic. I've read a better guide in Practical Horseman magazine.
   
   One of the main problems is that the text is by Kate Green. Although I appreciate many riders have another person write for them, I think you still want to feel that you are paying for William's advice. So you want it to read like William has written it, rather than just put his name to it. Thus when discussing photos of William riding over fences, it should read "Here I came in too fast, my reins got too long" etc etc., rather than "This pair came in too fast" or "This rider let his reins slip". Although many riders are photographed in the book, we can easily pick out William. The book would have a better feel, if it read like he wrote it.
   
   The best part of this book is the excellent use of sequenced photography. There are some great shots and certainly a few photos that will make you cringe. It is nice to visualize where things went wrong, and this can be a great training tool. But I can imagine some of these photos discouraging the nervous rider. Experienced riders may appreciate this book as a good review and relish the photography - as I did.

No comments about Mules Is Different: Everything You Wanted to Know about Longears, and More.

1 comments about Health Problems of the Horse (Western Horseman Books).

1. Good description of illnesses and practises. Easy to comprehend the treatments for any particular problems, especially the CPR for colts.

No comments about The Forgotten Horses.