No comments about How To Raise Horses: Everything You Need To Know (How to Raise...).

No comments about Modern Horse Breeding: A Guide for Owners.

4 comments about A Way with Horses: Understanding the Horse and Human Relationship.

1. A Way With Horses expresses everything your horse wishes he could say to you about how he feels, thinks & acts & why he does the things he does. This book is particularly attractive to those who would like to learn more about the natural ways of horses but find American colloquialism difficult to comprehend & identify with. It's a celebration of a global shift in attitude towards horses.
   
   The photography is spectacular! They say a picture tells 1,000 words & this is true in this case.



2. This book is definately a must-read for all those who have ever or will ever have contact with the equine species. The horse - human relationship is beautifully portrayed by way of photos and text that reflect the Author's lifelong relationship with horses. This is far more than a coffee table read - it is packed with information that is easy to digest and makes the reader rethink their "way with horses".



3. This book is a 'must read' for anyone who is coming back into horses, has never had them or "knows all there is to know"!! It is an easy to read and follow text with excellent photos which captivate the reader from start to finish. I have had horses for years and learned new things and was reminded of things I should have remembered. In other words it helped me to look at things in a new light and and gave me another perspective on reading our much loved companions body language, to understand and not chastise for their way of doing things. This book will appeal to all diciplines, not any one in particular. Highly recommended.



4. This book is about empathy and understanding between horses and humans. Things that many of us know but many more need to know - that horses have feelings and emotions which will predict their wellbeing and active healthy life. Read, discover and be enlightened. A must for everyone interested in horses.
   Jeanette Garrett, B.H.S.I & NZ Pony Club Association National Instructor

2 comments about Western Training: Beyond The Basics (Equi Skills).

1. Great book for anyone you wishes to further their horses training. I have been training and working with horses for 40 years and I will be using this book to further the training of a horse. Very in depth descriptions, and illustrations. Everyone can learn something from this book. Very well written, I would highly recommnend this to anyone who wants to learn some tips and tricks to make training fun and easy for both you and your horse.



2. If you have a green horse of any age that you want to train for western events, here's the book for you: a title which goes beyond elementary lessons to provide step-by-step instructions on how to finish a Western horse. Black and white photos follow details which tell how to warm up a horse, correct common problems, use ground training to build a foundation, and more. A top pick for trainers who already know the basics and wish more.
   
   Diane C. Donovan, Editor
   California Bookwatch

1 comments about Harnessing Up (Allen Photographic Guides).

1. I was disappointed when I received this book as it was so thin! It is more of a pamphlet than a book. There are nice pictures, but they get out of order now and then which is confusing, and it is written with very British terminology. This book does not give you enough information to harness up, though it did have a few helpful hints. Also, there were no descriptions on the different parts of the harness until the last page, which had a poorly drawn diagram. Save your money.

1 comments about The BHS Manual of Equitation: The Training of Horse and Rider.

1. This is the riding manual that corresponds to the British Horse Society (BHS) horsemastership (Stage) exams. It covers material from learning to mount and lead a horse up to teaching the piaffe and cross-country riding. Surprisingly compact at 144 pages, this book would make an excellent text book for a college horsemanship class as its material covers multiple levels of riders.
   
   The illustrations are clear, chapters are "to the point," and the text anticipates rider questions and problems. Although it will not provide a BHS candidate with sample riding tests it is still worthwhile. Ideally this book would be purchased by a rider in one or more English riding lessons per week as it is easy to reference and would work well with a lesson program.

5 comments about The Formative Years: Raising and Training the Young Horse from Birth to Two Years.

1. I have read many books of Cherry Hill. Some of them contain useful information but most of them lack depth. The only book I can recommend from her is 101 area-exercises. This book descibes practices which should become forbidden. They would still work but there are better and friendlier alternatives with better results. I can recommend Bringing up baby from John Lyons and From my hand to yours from Monty Roberts.



2. Cherry Hill writes another very informative book, filled with pictures, and written in easy to understand language. Would recommend it for anyone thinking of raising foals.



3. This is a great book. It helps you know the little things to do when raising a foal. The things that most people wouldn't think of are in this book. Its a good book for beginner on up through experienced.



4. I was so disappointed in this book. I have bought many horse books, but this one was certainly the worst. I think it is a pitty that force and strength is substituted for time and patience and really *teaching* a young horse to be confident and trusting rather than be afraid and just submit while it cant move, being tied in hobbles...every lesson praticly was introducing hobbles. I thought it was disgusting. If anyone would STILL like to buy the book, you can take mine for half price!kmrothmann@aol.com



5. This book was highly informative, and easily understood. I've always a been tying legs up and laying horses down, but to go back and read it in print just confirmed the value of proper, safe handling from the start. There is a fine line between respect and fear with horses, and firm, but fairness is constant throughout this book.

   Even if one is not a handler, I recommend the book for a better understanding of the horse himself. This book is a must have for your home/business library.

2 comments about Complete Equine Veterinary Manual: A Comprehensive Guide to Horse Health.

1. Working as a riding Instructor and manager or a riding school this is a great book to have as a quick and easy referance.
   It does not go into any great detail but explains most things that may happen to a horse.
   It has lots of photos and this is great when you are trying to explain to students what each illness ect. is and what it looks like.
   Overall a good book for any horse riders collection



2. This was one of those books that I had a quick flick through at first and thought it was rather light in content. On second reading there was indeed a mention of 'every illness' and the front section had excellent diagrams on physiology and anatomy - including the nervous system which is often not included in anatomy diagrams.
   
   The book itself is in several sections, which makes it a little repetitive. The main portion of the book is dedicated to categorising various illnesses into 'effects' i.e. "Digestive system" or "Legs \ Lameness" etc There are tables of illnesses and injuries that can affect these areas and plenty of photos (this isn't a book for the kiddies or the weak of stomach).
   
   Next is a section which goes through things alphabetically and finally there is a section which I didn't think really fitted into this type of guide, which had various protocols and processes which may be useful for studs or barn owners when dealing with various illnesses.
   
   Because of the repetition - by area and then alpha - I didn't think that the topics received as much indepth coverage as perhaps I had wanted - the information on treatments, drug protocols etc was rather light IMHO. Although this cross-referencing system is designed to help you to work out what is wrong with your horse, I'd much rather that it was assumed that any serious illnesses would be diagnosed by your vet and that this would then be a reference for dealing with illness and injury at home and for helping owners to talk intelligently with their vet about available treatments.
   
   Overall a handy book to have and certainly one that I will use for reference from time to time but I don't know that it warrants the subtitle "A comprehensive guide to Horse Health"

5 comments about Horse People: Scenes from the Riding Life.

1. Here is the best book I've read on what it means to own or ride a horse. The author, Michael Korda has tried not to anthropomorphize horses, and as a result he sounds a bit detached from these noble creatures (I do attribute human characteristics to horses, but then I'm not a journalist). I'm left with the opinion that he could live without horses, but there are some people who couldn't, including his second wife, Margaret. "Horse People" is almost her biography.
   
   It is also an equestrian autobiography of Korda, himself. Here are the sometimes raffish, always respectful portraits of his mounts, including a "a dapper and rather flashy little Arab-Welsh pony cross that was just a little too small for me...and had, in fact, as it turned out, rather more character than was desirable." Mephisto was the pony's name and one of my favorite stories involves Mephisto's decision to back into the Serpentine, an artificial lake in London's Hyde Park. Korda has to be rescued by the regimental sergeant major of the Life Guards, aboard the regimental drum horse, Clarence "with hooves the size of dinner plates and thick, feathered fetlocks, a towering eighteen hands or more high and probably weighing over a ton..."
   
   Even though many of this book's stories are funny, and most are touching, this is not a collection for horse-loving children. It's a true-life amalgam of "American Beauty" and "National Velvet," with some of the sadness of Steinbeck's "The Red Pony" added to the mix. Horses go lame, suffer from narcolepsy, and have to be euthanized.
   
   Many of the chapters contain deft portraits of (mostly) East Coast equestrians--from Olympic medal winners to those folks, who are happiest at a slow ramble along Central Park's horse trails. President Reagan is featured (Korda wrote his biography in a separate book), as is Bill Steinkraus, who rode in five Olympic Games for the USA, and won the Individual Gold Medal aboard Snowbound at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games--he was the first American ever to win an individual equestrian gold medal. My favorite stories involve the not-so-famous eccentrics who dwell in the equestrian realm: the riding instructors, stable hands, and of course, the regimental sergeant major in "a khaki uniform with razor-sharp creases, and buttons, badges, leather, and cap peak so shiny that it hurt my eyes to look in his direction."
   
   If you are thinking of buying an old farm and keeping horses, then at the very least you should read the chapter, "The Grass Isn't Always Greener on the Other Side of the Fence." Korda takes a look at some of the myriad problems that beset horse owners, accompanied by "the steady, dismal noise of money going out" to farriers, vets, and electricians. Then there are the boarders "tramping through the living room of [the] great ramshackle house in muddy riding boots and spurs looking for a drink or a convenient sofa on which to nap." Included in the usual run of leaky roofs and sagging fences are automatic waterers that shock the horses every time they try to take a drink. This chapter would be extremely funny if it weren't true.
   
   Korda is a splendid raconteur, whether writing about horses, failed marriages, or equestrian presidents. "Horse People," a 'New York Times Notable Book' is perfect for those of us who grew up reading Walter Farley and Marguerite Henry.



2. I have always loved horses, but had only passing touches with them "in the flesh". But my cousin shows a lovely Arabian, and this book gave me a glimpse into her world. Even though I'm not in the horse show circuit, I could relate to Michael and his wife's love of their horses, and the tales of the good, bad, ugly and just plain odd points of each horse as they got to know it. I think the book would also help people who've lost a well-loved pet or companion animal, as throughout the author's lifetime, he had to say goodbye to several wonderful horses, and he shares his emotions in a way that allows you to remember and grieve well your own losses. It's also a step into another world to think of the big city and finding ways to ride within its confines, and I especially loved the pictures from this time period of glamour. I highly recommend it for other "horse people".



3. I found some of the hyper-critical reviews surprising, almost as if the reviewers weren't reading the same book. As someone who has renewed her riding after a 20-year hiatus (having been, in large part, turned off by Claremont and the rutted bridle paths of Central Park), I found this book absolutely charming. The tales of Korda's various horses were heart-warming - I loved the tale of Missouri who still finds purpose in his life at 29, I cried for Hustle, and found the final chapter extremely moving. Korda has great affection and admiration for his wife after over 20 years of marriage, and who can/should argue with that? He also has great affection for his horses, with all their quirks, which is as it should be. Much of what some of the reviewers interpreted as superiority is actually self-deprecating humor of the English variety but which I thoroughly enjoyed.



4. I had high hopes for this book, but was sadly disapointed in the quality of the story and writing. While the equine anecdotes were often interesting or "struck a chord" (the only reason I give this book 2 stars), the writing of the book was about at the level of a talented fifth grader. The stories are presented out of chronological order, which is irritating and confusing; you
   will find yourself reading episodes involving horses of whose death's Korda has gone into great detail about only a chapter or two before, which is a serious detriment to the flow of the story and has you contantly flipping back and forth. Not to mention that it's hard to believe Korda was ever employed as an editor, considering his flimsy grasp on the rules of punctuation and lack of common sense about the flow of a scentence. An entire paragraph may be one legnthy scentence, laden with commas (commas, along with the occasional period, seeming to be the only punctuation Korda is familiar with-- either that or the only two punctuation keys working on his computer). He also interjects "aside" comments into scentences with no regard for how confusing the jumbled information appears to the reader. Many (if not most) of his scentences are severly overburdened and would benefit from putting some information in parenthesis, using a hyphen or semi-colon, or simply making the scentence into two or three seperate scentences.
   
   I did not, however, notice him over-exaulting his wife, a common complaint in the reviews. Nonetheless, I did become irritated with his belief that his horses were all so much more special than and superior to everyone elses' horses-- even horses who (to the author's own admission) enjoy throwing their rider are exaulted and touted as better than all other horses, so long as they belonged to either Korda or his wife. Every one of the horses Korda has ever owned, he seems to believe, is the "best horse in the world". One eventually begins to wonder why Korda wote the book, as he continually critisizes fervent horse people and repeatedly admits that horses are but a hobby for him, not a true passion.
   Ultimately, I'd say read the book if you're very into horses and can get it free or cheap. Someone familiar with the horse world (especially Hunting or 3 Day Eventing) will certainly get a chuckle at some of the characters in the book, and as mentioned certain aspects of the anecdotes certainly strike a chord. However, be prepared for a frustrating, poorly written read as well as some general confusion due to the grammar and chronology of the book.



5. I found Horse People to be highly amusing, if a little too centered on the riding career of the author's wife and the world of eventing.
   
   I grew up in Southern California in the world of horses and I disagree with the author's analogy of "food stamps and old paint" in his description of Western horse owners. While I did know many people of modest means who owned high-dollar horses, I did not know any on the dole. Most of them were working class, as was my father. We had good horses of good breeding and we managed to take pretty good care of them--which was also true of most of the people we knew.
   
   I also knew real movers and shakers when I was coming up and, although some might criticize Korda's excessive attention to their world, he has them pretty well pegged, in my opinion. They're important, in my view--since it is they that help our cherished traditions continue--since only they can really afford to indulge themselves fully in this expensive endeavor. Also, it is they who provide employment for the countless trainers and other handlers, who are truly the unsung heroes of the equine industry.
   
   I do feel that he could have gone a little more into the details of horse rescue and retirement, which is carried on by people of relatively modest means all over the country. I also feel that he could have discussed the horse meat industry in a little more detail. For example, he might have mentioned the growing equine theft problem that it has given rise to, now that it is profitable for any petty criminal to steal a horse that might be convenient and sell him by the pound to the killers--something that happens frequently and almost happened to one of my horses about a year ago.
   
   Still, I highly recommend this to horse people and non-horse people. Above all, it is a fun read and maybe it will inspire more horse people, from other walks (or rides) of the "riding life" to tell their stories.

3 comments about Foundation Sires of the American Quarter Horse.

1. This is the book to start with for the Quarter Horse pedigree buff. Many pedigree analysts contradict Denhardt from time to time, but be careful, Denhardt was there in the beginning, and did the original research, which was very extensive. He did interviews and collected documents from many of the early Quarter Horse breeders from the late 1800's and early 1900's. A few minor details have since been discovered, and many of those are questionable, but Denhardt was there in the begining and did not have an axe to grind, only love and admiration for good Quarter Horses. He is a straight shooter.



2. This is a great book, it is very interesting, and tells a lot about the American Quarter Horse, and its sirs.



3. This is a great book, it has fantastic information about the Quarter horses sires.