No comments about Legends 5: Outstanding Quarter Horse Stallions and Mares.

2 comments about The Complete Morgan Horse.

1. This book has a very informative description of the breed, and the most thorough description of the early bloodlines that I have ever seen in print. An absolute must for Morgan lovers, especially if you are an amateur thinking about getting into breeding, or someone with your first Morgan who just wants to know more about the breed origins and general purpose/use. The only thing I did not like about this book is that it does not go far enough! Most of today's living Morgans are far enough removed from these famous horses of the past that it is difficult to figure out (so to speak!) which horses in the book your own horse(s) descend from. It is nonetheless an informative book and a good read, as well.



2. I believe this book to be one of the most excellent and informative books on the Morgan horse. If you love Morgans or just love horses and want to learn more about this Spectacular breed, then get this book!

No comments about Old Men and Horses: A Gift of Horsemanship.

2 comments about A Textbook Of Horseshoeing For Horseshoers And Veterinarians (1897).

1. Great informative book for the farrier and horseman. Concise and easy to read. This book was the the one reference that most horseshoeing books later borrowed from. This book is a treasure for anyone with interest in the history and art of horseshoeing and farrier science. This is the number one book on the lost art of shoeing.



2. Great informative book for the farrier and horseman. Concise and easy to read. This book was the the one reference that most horseshoeing books later borrowed from. This book is a treasure for anyone with interest in the history and art of horseshoeing and farrier science. This is the number one book on the lost art of shoeing.

3 comments about The Allen Illustrated Guide to Bits and Bitting (Allen Illustrated Guides).

1. These Allen's Illustrated books are super for use in teaching Pony Clubbers, 4-Hers, etc. about equipment used in the equine industry. The color illustrations are fantastic. Anyone working on a Quiz Rally (think MegaRoom) or Quiz Bowl will find them useful. They are clear about what each item is and its use.



2. I suppose the confusion about BITS AND BITTING began at my local tack shop. I had gone there to try and make sense of the exhaustive array of bits that are available. Then I saw this book. They had it prominently displayed among a group of Western bits. The sales clerk spoke glowingly about it to another customer. Accordingly, I determined to add it to my library.
   
   What I discovered was a book that falls considerably short of the report I had heard in the tack shop. Not to mention the fact that it is written primarily for English Style riding. After a careful reading I find that there is really only one answer, at least according Hilary Vernon, when it comes to Bits and Bitting: there is no answer. It speaks in generalities and adds to bitting confusion by displaying photos of more bits than you can shake a stick at. In truth, I gained more useful information about the subject in a brochure from the Myler Bits company and from the bits pages found in my Smith Brothers tack catalog.
   
   What had I hoped for? I had hoped for a book that described the characteristics of horses and then recommended possible bitting solutions. I recognize that horses are as different in personality and temperament as people are but some advice on getting started would have been helpful. It would have been considerably more than what the book contained.
   
   Then there's price. This book, page for page, is one of the most expensive volumes that I have ever encountered. I rationalized that for such a high price it surely had to be good. Not nearly! Save your money and get more information for free from a good tack catalog or Myler Bits brochure.
   
   THE HORSEMAN



3. I found this book to be easy to read, yet informative. The photographs of the bits (over 400 bits!) are excellent. This is one book that will be a permanent part of my equine library.

No comments about Horse Psychology.

No comments about Grooming (Horse Illustrated Simple Solutions).

5 comments about Honest Horses: Wild Horses In The Great Basin.

1. Honest Horses by Paula Morin(oral historian & photographer) is compelling, highly-engaging and a dramatic read.Her creative photos enrich the comprehensive text. What makes this different is Paula's interviews with 62 westerners across a BROAD range-from BLMers, ranchers,environmentalists, Native Americans, historians, wildlife experts, etc The heart-pulling subject of wild horses has never been given such a thorough examination. We have to commend Paula for bringing the subject and all its complexity to us. Highly recommended.



2. More than a century has passed since the official closing of the American frontier, and yet our culture continues to harbor romanticized notions of the West. Included in that image is the idea that wild horses, like the deer and the antelope, still have free run of the range. But do they? And should they?
   
   Oral historian and photographer Paula Morin has assembled 62 narratives from the individuals who are most familiar with the Great Basin area, home to the greatest number of our country's wild horses. This geographical region covers parts of Utah, Idaho, Oregon and California, with its largest portion sitting within Nevada's borders. In each of those states, the wild horse issue is a complex one, complete with firm stands being taken by environmentalists, animal lovers, scientists, ranchers, wranglers, politicians and government workers. We hear many of their voices and their viewpoints in this compendium.
   
   Because the bond between humans and horses is a close and historic one, and because equines are such sizable animals, it's difficult to think of the wild horse as a non-native species to the western region. But as alien invaders often do, wild horses reproduce in such numbers that they wreak havoc on any ecosystem. Aside from the occasional mountain lion or coyote band attack, the horse has no natural predator. The Great Basin simultaneously offers an especially harsh and fragile habitat, with periodic dry seasons and soil that needs time to recover from any kind of disturbance. Anyone can predict the kinds of problems that will arise when too many large mammals are confined to such a delicate area.
   
   Horse history, captivating stories and personal experiences abound as the interviewees speak. A variety of opinions are aired here. But the majority of the individuals agree on at least three points: (a) letting nature take its course isn't a practical or humane solution when hundreds of animals die slow and gruesome deaths; (b) folks outside the Great Basin region don't understand all the complexities of the issue and shouldn't be the primary decision-makers involved; and (c) yes, it's still nice to have the wild horses out on the land, running free.
   
   One Amazon reviewer stated: "To me, wild country, while possibly requiring management and certainly requiring protection, need serve no human purpose. It is sufficient to itself." While I agree that we should preserve as many large portions of land as we can, that's not exactly the point of this book. The region in question has already been impacted by man, both directly and indirectly, by the accidental or deliberate introduction of wild horses. Once the habitat has been tampered with to such a drastic state, all options should be considered to restore its health. Limiting the number of wild horses on the land -- however that can be accomplished -- appears to be a logical remedy.
   
   "Honest Horses" is valuable reading for all of us here in the United States, especially since other books about wild horses, especially those for children, never mention the questions and problems they present. For those of us who live "away," it's easy for us to pass judgment or to think of a possible solution. After reading this book it should be obvious that all the stakeholders must sit down and work out the problem to the best of their abilities. Unfortunately, every environmental challenge turns into a political one.



3. This odd book isn't about the biology or behavior of mustangs or where to see them. Instead, it is a litany of more or less identical accounts, all of which stress the need to limit mustangs' numbers -- essentially by killing them -- before they overgraze the range and all starve to death.
   
   If the commentators are correct that there are no natural limits on mustangs' population growth (why not reintroduce wolves? Too unpopular with ranchers?), then their arguments seem convincing. I am willing to believe that too many scrub horses are running wild in Nevada and their numbers need to be drastically reduced. However, the total lack in this book of any dissenting argument means my conviction will remain on hold. Every statement here tells the exact same story, and that in itself is something I find questionable.
   
   I've also had enough of people referring to open range and wilderness as "the resource", as if it couldn't possibly manage itself without human interference and in fact had no purpose other than to serve human beings in whatever way; a viewpoint that seems unspeakably arrogant. To me, wild country, while possibly requiring management and certainly requiring protection, need serve no human purpose. It is sufficient to itself.



4. With a title like this you would expect a fair, even-handed assessment of wild horses in their natural habitat. Instead, what we are served reads more like a government-sponsored justification for the already planned eradication of our wild horses. Not surprising, since a little research shows that government funding went to the author to "research" this work. One-sided and misleading, a disappointment.



5. Honest Horses is a definitive book about wild horses in the high desert of the American West. It will open people's eyes. It will open their hearts, too!

1 comments about Equine Herbs & Healing: An Earth Lodge Guide to Horse Wellness.

1. I have this author's other books which are more metaphysical, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought this one, but it really was wonderful to read, and has proved very helpful for my aging horse who has some arthritis. Everything in the book is very well-researched, and she covers many important aspects of natural horse therapy and herbal uses. As usual, the book is really entertaining and written in the author's typical light and fun to read manner. I just love it, and hope the author writes something covering other animals soon!

1 comments about Horse Quotations (Quotations Books).

1. This "little" book is well put together and full of wisdom and lovely artwork. I would love to see a 2nd, 3rd and 4th edition. A wonderful gift for any horse enthusiast