.:EQUUS:.

A gift from some mates, it only took a day or so to devour this book that is well suited to early teens. Living in Australia is thirteen year old Shelby, her mother, father, two younger brothers and pony Blue.

Shelby lives and breathes horses. Having ridden for a few years, she daydreams about being recognised by those at Pony Club for the great rider that she is.

Concluding that it’s her skewbald pony Blue that is holding her back, Shelby responds to a ‘for sale or swap’ ad in a horse magazine. Very quickly things escalate once she swaps the reliable Blue for a gorgeous mare named Maxshine Celtic Copper.

With her newly acquired horse, a gorgeous brown mare with a ‘three-barrelled name’, Shelby is convinced everyone at Pony Club will recognise her capabilities and she’ll be put up to the next riding level. What Shelby doesn’t bank on is Brat (Maxshine Celtic Copper) being a lot more flighty and less reliable than Blue.

To top things off, Brat’s stunning brown coloured coat washes out with shampoo, leaving the young woman questioning the actual origins of the mare she acquired. The pieces fall together and Shelby soon realises she has a stolen horse. Worry and fear take over when she also realises that her reliable pony Blue could be anywhere.

For Sale or Swap takes the reader on a chase as Shelby and her friends work to catch the horse thief and return Brat to her rightful owner. The catch is even if they manage to do so, there’s no guarantee of Shelby being reunited with her trustworthy Blue.

A good read for the pre-teen or early teens, For Sale or Swap nicely catches the obsession that young girls have with horses – who’s to say anything else matters, really?

Alyssa Brugman
www.alyssabrugman.com.au
Fiction
In my library? Indeed. Given as a gift, the first in the series provides a great introduction to a well-suited horse and rider.

“Horse terminology… Reluctant = Sale Comes with Title Deeds to Sydney Harbor Bridge.”

Tag: horse story, equine book review, equine author, horse library, horse writing, Alyssa Brugman

I’ve recently discovered in town a gorgeous bookshop called the Already Read Bookshop. Now on the weekends where I’m working and have a gap in the middle of the day where time needs to be spent, it’s not uncommon for me to head into town and browse through the bookshelves of this shop that sells on old library books – at a rather cheap price.

Last visit my poor workmate thought if she helped to find horse books with me, it’d mean exiting the premises quicker. I figured it just gave me more time to seek out horse books! A few of the latest acquisitions included three from the library of Thelwell.

Thelwell’s Riding Academy, which is based on a series that appeared in the Sunday Express, provides advice in a comedic way with regards to having a pony. Many who get a first pony for their children will be able to relate the cartoons and quotes that accompany them.

This book covers:
- The Mount
- First principles
- The Academy
- Care of your pony
- Safety precautions
- What to wear
- Good manners
- Academy pictures

A very entertaining read with over a hundred pages of cartoons and accompanying text, Thelwell focuses on the sense of humour that is required of those owning and working with horses.

The opening cartoon involves a picture of a riding instructor with a dozen young female students, coaching them on confidence with regards to being around horses. The picture itself has an extremely angry looking pony below a stable block. Seated safely above, high on the roof are the twelve girls and their instructor who is saying, “Remember what I told you girls, never let him see you’re afraid.”

Any Thelwell book I think would be a valuable addition to one’s horse book collection and I was rapt to find some in this second hand bookstore. For those seeking out any of Norman Thelwell’s books, a visit to eBay may be the way to go.

Author: Norman Thelwell
http://www.thelwell.org.uk/
Fiction - cartoon
In my library? Indeed! Along with Thelwell Country and Thelwell Angels on Horseback and Elsewhere.

“Never try out novel ways of getting into the saddle… you’ll enjoy quite enough variety – getting out of it.”

Tag: horse story, equine book review, equine author, horse library, horse writing, Norman Thelwell

The Science Behind the Art

Here’s another book that was required reading for the Equine Behaviour subject I undertook as part of my course this year. Honestly I haven’t enough interest in equine behaviour, perhaps because a lot of it is someone’s theory rather than proven fact.

Andrew McLean’s text takes a different approach. As a zoologist and someone who in 2002 was completing his PhD in animal psychology, McLean focuses on explaining the natural mechanisms behind their training system based on how an equine learns. Following this is a series of defined practical tasks to be carried out in hand and under saddle. Each task has a specific goal and technique.

The McLean training system focuses on seven qualities required of the horse that will encourage the establishment of a disciplined individual. These qualities are progressive, being:

• basic attempt
• obedience
• rhythm
• straightness
• contact
• engagement
• proof

McLean suggests that any issue that arises while training a horse can be brought back to an inconsistency in one of these qualities. Consequently the problem can be fixed by going back in these progressive qualities and fixing the issue before again moving forward.

The book is very straightforward and logical, easily explaining why the training process works and how to go about fixing particular issues with regards to the horse’s response.

The success of both Andrew and Manuela McLean with regards to the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre and their riding achievements provides physical proof of this training system working. This book and other training resources can be found through their website.

Authors: Andrew and Manuela McLean
http://www.aebc.com.au/
Non Fiction
In my library? Not yet; I borrowed this one from a friend for the subject but would love to add it in the future as a training resource.

“A well trained horse isn’t less exciting than a wild one.”

Tag: horse story, equine book review, equine author, horse library, horse writing, Andrew McLean, Manuela McLean

It’s wonderful to know that amongst my 6 day working week and studying part time, part of my uni reading requires that I read an equine behaviour book over a 6 or so week period.  Nice that is, that doing something for my studies also means I get to do another review for the blog!

I love doing something that feels like it’s achieving a few things and this definitely counts as one of those things.

The prescribed text for my Bachelor of Equine Science, specifically relating to the Horse Behaviour and Training Management is Equine Behaviour: Principles & Practice by Daniel Mills and Kathryn Nankervis.

The first section covered is understanding behaviour concepts, taking a look at theories relating to the evolution of the horse and how it’s behaviour has helped it to evolve or adjusted in line with natural selection.  It also brings to light the differences in instinctive and learned behaviour and the time when the horse is most receptive to learn and consequently carry out particular behaviours.

The second section looks at the mechanisms of behaviour - why a horse carries itself a particular way and behaves in certain ways based on the mechanics of how the horse is built physically - a bit of an eye opener!  It covers topics such as how information is processed, the senses and how they relate to a horse’s behaviour, communication and social organisation and the sexual and reproductive behaviour of horses.

The third and final section looks at the flexibility of behaviour and it’s management and how horses learn and can be taught.  The last chapter looks at the welfare of a horse, how we would define it and how we can use management to assess the cause of stereotypies (wind sucking, weaving, box walking, crib biting)  and therefore problem solve for ways to minimise, stop or best manage these behaviours.

This book was definitely an eye opener and the graphics to further explain concepts are great.

I did find myself a little frustrated with the editing (or lack thereof) personally and struggled with some of the explanations, not finding them ’simple’  enough and requiring a few rereads to get my head around them.  The examples and images provided definitely did help to emphasise and explain points, however.

A good book to open the eyes to how a horse’s behaviour really needs to be considered when we’re frustrated with why they do something and cannot seem to fathom why they just don’t get what we want them to do.

Author: Daniel Mills and Kathryn Nankervis
http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/dbs/staff/479.asp (Daniel Mills)
http://www.hartpury.ac.uk/research/research_staff_detail.asp?RStaffSubCategoryID=2Non Fiction (Kathryn Nankervis)
Non Fiction
In my library? You betcha.  Bought on account of uni but a good addition to the non fiction section.

“It is the best of lessons if the horse gets a season of repose whenever he has behaved to his rider’s satisfaction.” - Xenophon - The Art of Horsemanship

Tag: horse story, equine book review, equine author, horse library, horse writing, Daniel Mills, Kathryn Nankervis

Fourth in the Horses of Half Moon Ranch series by Jenny Oldfield, this novel focuses on the gorgeous 5 year old half Arab stallion Johnny Mohawk that is part of the Scott family’s herd of horses.

With a new set of clients visiting the dude ranch run by the Scott family, Kirstie, her mother and brother come up against trouble with a father and son pair from Ireland who take part in the ride.  The son Stevie suffers a fall which causes problems.

Being from their own trekking company in Ireland, the pair are familiar with horses and trail rides. This doesn’t stop Stevie however from laying the blame on his mount, Johnny Mohawk.

Deemed unsafe by Stevie’s father, trouble ensues for the Scott family who have to seriously consider removing the horse from their business.

The situation that arises causing Stevie to become separated from the rest of the riding group and consequently falling without any witnesses shows how easy it is for a rider to get hurt and issues to result with regards to safety and who is liable.

Johnny Mohawk clearly shows the insurance issues that trail riding facilities have to deal with and what can happen when disgruntled customers try to get their way – even if not by true and legal means.

The main event the story is written around could easily be seen in real life making this story realistic; the only query I had was a trail riding place that allows clients to ride stallions out on the trail. This in itself is an insurance issue as it’s impossible to prove how much riding experience and horse knowledge a visiting person has.

Other than this, Johnny Mohawk tells the tale well, has you hoping the best for the Scott family and comes to a conclusion that is realistic and keeps the reader happy. A good follow on to the Horses of Half Moon Ranch series.

Author: Jenny Oldfield
http://www.jennyoldfield.com/
Fiction
In my library? Definitely.  I love collecting all the books of a series and this one wouldn’t be complete without each title in the series.

“Canter is the cure for every evil.” - The Book Of Horse Quotes

Competition:
I have one copy of Johnny Mohawk to give away! The first person to email me with the titles of the first four books in the Horses of Half Moon Ranch series will receive it. Email to darquette_@hotmail.com, titled Horses of Half Moon Ranch.

Alternatively, you can purchase your own copy at:
http://www.amazon.com/Johnny-Mohawk-Horses-Half-Ranch/dp/140221703X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246369137&sr=1-