No comments about Feeding Your Horse for Life.

No comments about Fitting Tack (Horse Illustrated Simple Solutions).

No comments about THE COMPLETE BOOK OF HORSE CARE.

1 comments about Shiatsu With Horses (Allen Photographic Guides).

1. I met Pamela Hannay in one of her adult education classes on Shiatsu for horses. Pamela was so in tune with the horses and a beautiful person. Even my untrained eye could see the difference in a horse's gait after the session - how improved it was. The horses (I took her course twice) really seemed to enjoy the touch, and the connection with, and touching horses made me feel great. This small book is a great primer on shiatsu for horses, and the photos will show you how to perform the shiatsu techniques.

No comments about Bit and Spur Makers in the Vaquero Tradition: Pocket Guide.

4 comments about Field Guide to Horses.

1. Though a great effort, the book should not be used for breed identification. I was very disappointed in the attempts to represent over half of the breeds that the artist was trying to convey. Either the artist was not a horse person, or she could not convey the breeds' charactaristics through this medium. The pictures in themselves were, lovely, full of motion and life, but if one were to try to identify horses through this field guide, they might run into great difficulty.



2. Bird-watchers have field guides. Hikers have field guides. Even weed-lovers even have field guides. Now horse-watchers have a field guide.

   "Field Guide to Horses" by Kindrie Grove (Lone Pine Publishing, ...paperback, 176 pages) is a colorful and accessible reference guide to identifying horses. If you like to look at horses, but don't know a fetlock from a fore cannon, this is a remarkable little book. Thanks to easy-reading summaries and sharp artwork, you'll be able to find and identify horses by markings, coloring, gaits and behavior, and learn about equine history, vernacular and evolution all at the same time. This is a great book for people who drive across the country and wonder what all those pretty horses really are.

   If you want to go a little deeper, pick up Gail Bunney's "Horse Stories: Riding with the Wind" (Lone Pine Publishing, ...paperback, 224 pages). Bunney, a Canadian horse-trainer who even got married on horseback, collects her own horse tales, trying to convey some passion for the animals, as well as her own savvy and horse wisdom. "These stories don't tell how to buy a horse, how to train a horse, how to handle different temperaments or even how to break a horse to ride," the book says. "They are stories about one woman's enduring love for horses."




3. I think that a true horse lover would definitely enjoy this book.This book isn't a chapter book like regular books,but it's still good.The auther divided the book into sections.For example,the first section is about the different breeds of ponies.The author has a picture of the horse,ponie,or other equines and underneath the picture it has information about the horse,ponie,etc.Well i've probally bored you enough with this review,and i probally won't win.So that's about it for my review.Oh and i recomend this book to all horse lovers everywhere.



4. I think that a true horse lover would definitely enjoy this book.This book isn't a chapter book like regular books,but it's still good.The auther divided the book into sections.For example,the first section is about the different breeds of ponies.The author has a picture of the horse,ponie,or other equines and underneath the picture it has information about the horse,ponie,etc.Well i've probally bored you enough with this review,and i probally won't win.So that's about it for my review.Oh and i recomend this book to all horse lovers everywhere.

No comments about Horses: An Owner's Guide.

No comments about Vetting the Horse (Allen Photographic Guides).

4 comments about The Marching Wind (Equestrian Travel Classics).

1. The formal reasons for Clark's 1949 journey in Qinghai (surveying uncharted mountains; archeological excavations; and aiding escape of Nationalist Chinese) may be mere rationales for his archaic 19th century-style expeditions. But the former OSS major certainly found adventure, with arduous conditions, bandit raids and political machinations recounted in melodramatic but serviceable prose. "Marching Wind" has useful ethnographic and scientific data from eastern Greater Tibet, though some critics doubt its accuracy. Clark briefly enjoyed fame because his flawed calculations suggested that the Anye Machin range had peaks higher than Everest, but the bulk of the book holds up better. Its main value may lie in detailing the tensions between the end of "old" China (already vastly transformed, as the presence of foreign devils like Clark confirms) and Chinese efforts to avoid or adapt to the impending Communist new order. The story often alternates between the anxieties of officials and communities loyal to the Guomindang, and the routine--not timeless--activities of people for whom epochal changes in China proper seemingly had little relevance. Despite use of a station wagon (no kidding) in the early stages, this Equestrian Classic will find readers among the growing number of trekkers to these remote regions. Owen Lattimore's slightly earlier travels and writings offer a substantive contrast to Clark's rather self-absorbed, but still worthwhile, account. G. Rowell, "Mountains of the Middle Kingdom" assesses Clark and other explorers of China's Far West, with many stunning photos.



2. This is truly a well-written, great adventure. Although I think that Clark embellishes the dangers of his trip, you definitely get a good feeling of the difficulties and potential threats.
   (Immediate post WW-II period, during Chinese Civil War). Basically, it details Clark's expedition to explore Amne Machin, which he suspected to be higher than Mt. Everest. The probable real mission was however to map the region and prepare for a retreat of the defeated Chinese Moslem/Nationalist Army through Tibet. In any case, it makes for exciting reading, and Clark is a fine writer, with a good sense of humour and insightful comments. He's not a scholar, but a true adventurer; nevertheless, he seems to exhibit detailed knowledge over many subjects and appears to be an astute observor.
   I first read this book (hardback edition from the 1950s) some 30 years ago, and was quite pleased when I discovered that LongRiders has re-issued in paperback form. The paper and binding seems pretty decent, and the only real negative is the poor quality of the photographs, which are not reproduced on glossy paper. The other minor quibble is the fact that since this is a reprint, an introduction/retrospective would have been useful. This could have included some info on the fate of the author (he died under somewhat mysterious circumstances in the late fifties in South America) or Amne Machin (it's not higher than Everest) or even some info on the Qinghai region today. But again, these are minor points that shouldn't detract from a great story...



3. I noticed this book on my parent's book shelf when I was growing up. My 5th grade class had studied Tibet and I always meant to read it. Well, many years later, I finally got around to it and it turned out to be a rather interesting book. What makes it interesting is this glimpse at the many different people who make up the vast area of Tibet.

   The author, Leonard Clark, is a rather archaic type of fellow to read in the 21st century. It's somewhat akin to reading about a 19th Century explorer 50 years ago. The man, fresh out of World War II intrigue in this general area of China, decides that he wants to explore the area of a sacred mountain. The name of the mountain is Amne Machin and it is located deep in the thinly explored areas of Tibet. Mr. Clark briefly explains the background to his quest and, before we know it, he is on his way to Tibet with a mere $1200 to finance his travels. He is an odd sort of fellow who reminds you of a middle-aged bachelor British nobleman who explores for a living. His rare reflections on life indicate a rather detached point of view.

   We sense his quest to find and measure the height of Amne Machin although I didn't feel particularly excited about this aspect of his travels. I was most interested in the many different tribes of peoples and their remoteness from the rest of the world. Many of these different tribesmen are Mongols who date back to the original Horde. Mr. Clark has convinced the local military leader of the need to find an escape route from the unstoppable advance of the Red Chinese. Thus he is able to explore this lawless area accompanied by a small army. Mr. Clark is an astute observer of the many different tribes, flora, fauna, customs, topography and travails of the area. I found myself shivering with him in the many blizzards he seemed to encounter. I also found myself wondering if I, too, could survive on the various forms of food and drink that he subsisted on.

   This book didn't exactly grab me once I started reading it. In fact I kept it at the office and would read a bit of it several times a week during my lunch break. It left me wondering about whatever happened to these many tribes of people rather than wondering whatever happened to the author.




4. Although The Marching Wind was written in the late 40's, this non-fiction story is still very intriguing in today's world. It relates the story of traveler/explorer Leonard Clark and his yak caravan journey through Tibet. Clark convinced the Chinese Nationalist leaders that he could find them an escape route through Tibet as the communists approached. At the same time, Clark plans to measure a mountain in Tibet that is reputably higher than Everest.
   The book is written as a detailed travel log of the expedition through the wilds of forbidding Tibet during incredibly cold weather for which none of the modern equipment used for extreme weather is available. The caravan is constantly on watch for the fierce Ngolog tribe members reputed to be highly aggressive and murderous. It is a well written and exciting story.

2 comments about Jack Russell Terriers and Their Friends: Delightful Photographs.

1. No one can capture the spirit of a Jack Russell, in a photograph, like Marilyn Mackay-Smith. She pairs very appropriate (or humorous!) quotes with the amazing photos.
   This is a wonderful book for any dog lover.



2. For anybody who loves the Jack Russell and can appreciate their terrier personality. I live in a multiple terrier home so seeing these pictures were like looking at my own funny dogs. I have tried to line up terriers for Christmas photos, but not with the success of Mrs. Mackay-Smith. Favorites have to be the JRTs at the piano, on the back of a blanketed, tinseled horse, and asleep (!!!) beneath Christmas stockings filled with dog biscuits. Mrs. Mackay-Smith, how did you manage that?! Thank you for publishing this delightful little book whose subjects remind me of my own beloved terriers.