The beauty, grace, and uniformity of these magnificent horses, bred selectively for centuries, are unexcelled, and every Arabian owner will agree that there is a spiritual bond and kinship between the Arabian horse and its master such as exists with no other breed. This is the most comprehensive and authoritative work on its subject. The author traces Arabians from 1580 B.C. to the present and through all the countries where they have been bred. Over 200 photographs and reproductions of ancient and modern art depict the great horses of the past and present, the conditions under which they were kept, how they were trained, and how the strains were developed. Drawings show the important points of the classic Arabian, and charts outline the major strains. The canvas on which the author has painted this panorama of the Arabian is large, and it is dedicated to the creative breeders, not only of the past and present, but especially of the future.

'Poignant and compelling, an equine Bridget Jones.' - Racing Post Being a stable lass is probably one of the hardest jobs in the country, and yet for Gemma Hogg it is the most rewarding. She works in the beautiful Yorkshire market town of Middleham and if her colleagues are occasionally challenging, then the horses are downright astonishing. Now, in Stable Lass, she takes us into the closed world of a top racing yard, from the elation of having several winners in one day to the almost indescribable grief of losing a horse. Like most stable lads and lasses, Gemma arrived in her yard as a teenager fresh out of racing college and had to cope with living away from home for the first time, as well as adapting to the brutal long hours, backbreaking work and often treacherous weather. She describes falling in love with Polo Venture, the first racehorse in her care, the pure exhilaration of riding him on Middleham Gallops for the first time and what happens when a horse takes against you, from the growling gelding Valiant Warrior to the potentially lethal Broadway Boy. She brings to life the characters around the yard, from straight-talking boss Micky Hammond to the jockeys starving themselves to make weight, the wealthy owners and the other stable lads and lasses who come from a range of different places and backgrounds. Stable Lass by Gemma Hogg is a unique look into the world of horse racing filled with heart-warming stories and amazing thoroughbreds - some loveable, some cantankerous, all impressive.

The inside story of the crisis within the country’s most classic sport—horseracing—and why money is killing thoroughbreds at the top of their game.

Every year, hundreds of horses die on the racetrack. Why?

In this deeply reported and propulsive narrative, CNN reporter Katie Bo Lillis shows how two high-profile cases lay bare the ills facing the sport: the abrupt, industry-rocking indictments of top trainers Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro, and the untold story of Bob Baffert, the most successful and recognizable horse trainer in modern history, and the allegations he faced after a string of mysterious horse deaths and the high-profile disqualification of his latest Kentucky Derby winner for a failed drug test.

Death of a Racehorse delves deep into the horse racing world, offering intimate access to dozens of top trainers, owners, breeders, veterinarians, lab specialists, and more. The mainstream perception has been that rampant drug use is forcing these horses to run past their natural ability, resulting in heart attacks and broken legs. But this doesn’t paint the full picture.

That picture is driven by class tension between the affluent old stables and an ambitious new guard. This upstairs-downstairs drama shows blue-blooded families on a quest to restore horse racing to the good old days that never existed, versus those like Bob Baffert who are still viewed as outsiders—fantastically successful, but coming from less pedigreed backgrounds and experience. The privileged few, determined to save the sport, seem to hold a powerful suspicion that the sport’s brash, pioneering working class could not possibly be doing so well on their own.

Lillis shows how the breeding industry prioritizes making millions over breeding a sound, durable horse. A disjointed race schedule, created by racetrack operators that are trying to maximize betting opportunities, makes it impossible to manage a horse’s athletic career safely. In this purely capitalistic industry, the brute force of winning and the money that follows has taken the place of a responsible husbandry of the animal that is its beating heart.

Death of a Racehorse is a cutting, on-the-ground investigation into the morally ambiguous behavior at the industry’s glamorous center, raising nuanced questions about the relationship between animal and human—and offering a hopeful path forward for one of America’s oldest and most treasured sports.

This book demonstrates how horse breeding is entwined with human societies and identities. It explores issues of lineage, purity, and status by exploring interconnections between animals and humans. The quest for purity in equine breed reflects and evolves alongside human subjectivity shaped by categories of race, gender, class, region, and nation. Focusing on various horse breeds, from the Chincoteague Pony to Brazilian Crioulo and the Arabian horse, each chapter in this collection considers how human and animal identities are shaped by practices of breeding and categorizing domesticated animals. Bringing together different historical, geographical, and disciplinary perspectives, this book will appeal to academics, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students, in the fields of human-animal studies, sociology, environmental studies, cultural studies, history, and literature.

ONE OF USA TODAY'S "20 SUMMER BOOKS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS" In the bestselling tradition of works by such authors as Susan Orlean and Mary Roach, a New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist explores why so many people-including herself-are obsessed with horses. It may surprise you to learn that there are over seven million horses in America-even more than when they were the only means of transportation-and nearly two million horse owners. Acclaimed journalist and avid equestrian Sarah Maslin Nir is one of them; she began riding horses when she was just two years old and hasn't stopped since. Horse Crazy is a fascinating, funny, and moving love letter to these graceful animals and the people who-like her-are obsessed with them. It is also a coming-of-age story of Nir growing up an outsider within the world's most elite inner circles, and finding her true north in horses. Nir takes readers into the lesser-known corners of the riding world and profiles some of its most captivating figures. We meet Monty Roberts, the California trainer whose prowess earned him the nickname "the man who listens to horses," and his pet deer; George and Ann Blair, who at their riding academy on a tiny island in Manhattan's Harlem River seek to resurrect the erased legacy of the African American cowboy; and Francesca Kelly, whose love for an Indian nobleman shaped her life's mission: to protect an endangered Indian breed of horse and bring them to America. Woven into these compelling character studies, Nir shares her own moving personal narrative. She details her father's harrowing tale of surviving the Holocaust, and describes an enchanted but deeply lonely upbringing in Manhattan, where horses became her family. She found them even in the middle of the city, in a stable disguised in an old townhouse and in Central Park, when she chased down truants as an auxiliary mounted patrol officer. And she speaks candidly of how horses have helped her overcome heartbreak and loss. Infused with heart and wit, and with each chapter named after a horse Nir has loved, Horse Crazy is an unforgettable blend of beautifully written memoir and first-rate reporting.

'I absolutely love Snow Foal - it's so truthful, tender and touching. A book to read in a day and remember for a lifetime.' - Dame Jacqueline Wilson

The perfect children's book to curl up with and begin the new year. A beautiful and heart-wrenching middle grade debut for kids aged 9 to 11, full of love, healing, friendship and hope. Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson's Tracey Beaker, Cathy Cassidy, Pax and Gill Lewis.

When eleven-year-old Addie goes to stay with a foster-care family on a remote Exmoor farm in the midst of a very cold winter, she is full of hurt, anger and a deep mistrust of everyone around her. Until one day, when she rescues a tiny wild foal from the moorland snow and Addie discovers that perhaps she’s not so alone after all.

And as adventure and unexpected friendship blossom, Addie is determined that both of them will know what is to be home again soon . . .

Man has always been fascinated by Equus caballus, recasting horse power into many forms: a hunk of meat, an industrial and agricultural machine, a luxury good, a cherished dancer, a comrade in arms and a symbol of a mythical past. From the wild tarpans sought by the Nazis to jade-laden treasure steeds in Ancient China, broken-down nags recycled into sausages and furniture stuffing, stallions that face fighting bulls and brewery horses that charmed the founder of the Sikh Empire, The Age of the Horse knits the history of the horse into that of humans, through revolution, war, social change and uneasy peace. It also uncovers new roles for the horse in the twenty-first century as a tool in the fight against climate change and as a therapist for soldiers damaged in unwinnable conflicts. In this captivating book, Susanna Forrest takes a journey through time and around the world, from the Mongolian steppes to a mirrored manege at Versailles, an elegant polo club in Beijing and a farm, a fort and an auction house in America, exploring the horse's crucial role and revealing how our culture and economy were generated, nourished and shaped by horse power and its gifts and limits.

Kevin De Ornellas argues that in Renaissance England the relationship between horse and rider works as an unambiguous symbol of domination by the strong over the weak. There was little sentimental concern for animal welfare, leading to the routine abuse of the material animal. This unproblematic, practical exploitation of the horse led to the currency of the horse/rider relationship as a trope or symbol of exploitation in the literature of the period. Engaging with fiction, plays, poems, and non-fictional prose works of late Tudor and early Stuart England, De Ornellas demonstrates that the horse a bridled, unwilling slave becomes a yardstick against which the oppression of England s poor, women, increasingly uninfluential clergyman, and deluded gamblers is measured. The status of the bitted, harnessed horse was a low one in early modern England to be compared to such a beast is a demonstration of inferiority and subjugation. To think anything else is to be naive about the realities of horse management in the period and is to be naive about the realities of the exploitation of horses and other mammals in the present-day world."

The Clinical Practice of Equine-Assisted Therapy bridges theory, research, and practical methods to fill a rapidly developing gap for physical, occupational, speech, and mental health professionals interested in incorporating horses in therapy. Extensively researched and citing over 300 peer-reviewed journal articles, it examines core issues such as terminology, scope of practice, competency recommendations, horse care ethics, and clinical practice considerations. This book is an essential resource for professionals who wish to use a best-practices approach to equine-assisted therapy.

The Equine-Assisted Therapy Workbook gives readers the tools they need to increase professional competency and personalize the practical applications of equine-assisted therapy. Each chapter includes thought-provoking ethical questions, hands-on learning activities, self-assessments, practical scenarios, and journal assignments applicable to a diverse group of healthcare professionals. The perfect companion to The Clinical Practice of Equine-Assisted Therapy, this workbook is appropriate for both students and professionals.

"Amazing adventures. Apparently I was there." Richard Hammond For over 12 years Phillipa Sage worked alongside Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May as their PA, gofer, and fixer where she saw the boys at their best and, hilariously, at their worst. A closet petrol head, Phillipa started working in the motor industry on live events over 20 years ago and first worked with Jeremy Clarkson in 1997. She proved to be a loyal, trusted friend and colleague to all the presenters—from back in the beginning with Tiff Needell, Vicki Butler-Henderson and Quentin Wilson—to the now infamous trio of Clarkson, Hammond and May, and was a key member of what became known as 'The Bubble', the exclusive, dysfunctional working family that toured the world. With an enormous budget, they travelled like rock stars—with super cars, yachts, private jets, helicopters, and five-star wining and dining—taking their unique brand of motoring madness to 18 countries, 31 cities and to over 2 million fans in arenas and at festivals from New Zealand to Norway. Supported by a large crew and their personal entourage, Clarkson, Hammond and May, when not performing in their extraordinary, high octane, live action, motoring theatre, indulged in extravagant holidays. They and their 'Bubble' family relaxed in luxury resorts or private houses entertaining themselves with pool parties, drinking, heli-sightseeing, drinking, private motorboat cruises, drinking, jet skiing, sailing, drinking and eating, and drinking. In Off-Road with Clarkson, Hammond & May, Phillipa shares the tour highs, lows and laughter of three clever, funny, and very stupid motoring journalists.

"Two kindred spirits find each other in this beautifully written memoir about the human-animal bond" (Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation). The horse Susan Richards chose for rescue wouldn't be corralled into her waiting trailer. Instead Lay Me Down, a former racehorse, walked right up that ramp and into Susan's life. This gentle creature--malnourished, plagued by pneumonia and an eye infection--had endured a rough road, but somehow her heart was still open and generous. It seemed fated that she would come into Susan's paddock and teach her how to embrace the joys of life despite the dangers of living. An elegant and often heartbreaking tale filled with animal characters as complicated and lively as their human counterparts, this is an inspiring story of courage and hope and the ways in which all love--even an animal's--has the power to heal.

"His lordship's Arabian," a phrase often heard in eighteenth-century England, described a new kind of horse imported into the British Isles from the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary States of North Africa. "Noble Brutes" traces how the introduction of these Eastern blood horses transformed early modern culture and revolutionized England's racing and equestrian tradition.

More than two hundred Oriental horses were imported into the British Isles between 1650 and 1750. With the horses came Eastern ideas about horsemanship and the relationship between horses and humans. Landry's groundbreaking archival research reveals how these Eastern imports profoundly influenced riding and racing styles, as well as literature and sporting art.

After only a generation of crossbreeding on British soil, the English Thoroughbred was born, and with it the gentlemanly ideal of free forward movement over a country as an enactment of English liberties.

This radical reinterpretation of Ottoman and Arab influences on horsemanship and breeding sheds new light on English national identity, as illustrated in such classic works as Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" and George Stubbs's portrait of "Whistlejacket."

Final Calls to Absent Friends is a collection of newspaper columns and personal reminiscences in tribute to numerous jockeys, horses, and people related to horse racing.

PONIES PAST AND PRESENT - THE BREEDS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. By Sir Walter Gilbey, Bart. Originally published in 1900, this rare early work on Native British Ponies is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. READ COUNTRY BOOKS has republished it using the original text and illustrations. The author was a respected authority on all equestrian matters and published several important books on the subject as well as contributing numerous articles to the sporting and farming press of that era. This title was the first comprehensive work on British Ponies ever written, and the first to draw attention to their important contribution to polo pony breeding. The book consists of one hundred and thirty six pages, including eight full page plates. A lengthy introduction takes the reader through some of the early history, origins, and laws relating to the pony breeds. This is followed by eight Detailed chapters: The New Forest Pony. The Welsh Pony. The Exmoor and Dartmoor Ponies. The Cumberland and Westmoreland Ponies. Ireland The Connemara Pony. The Ponies of Scotland and the Shetland Islands. Uses and Characteristics of the Pony. Breeding Polo Ponies. This is a fascinating read for any pony enthusiast or historian of the breeds, and also contains much information that is still useful and practical today. Many of the earliest equestrian books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. READ COUNTRY BOOKS are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Harry de Leyer first saw the horse he would name Snowman on a truck bound for the slaughterhouse. The recent Dutch immigrant recognized the spark in the eye of the beaten-up nag and bought him for eighty dollars. On Harry's modest farm on Long Island, he ultimately taught Snowman how to fly. Here is the dramatic and inspiring rise to stardom of an unlikely duo. One show at a time, against extraordinary odds and some of the most expensive thoroughbreds alive, the pair climbed to the very top of the sport of show jumping. Their story captured the heart of Cold War-era America-a story of unstoppable hope, inconceivable dreams, and the chance to have it all. They were the longest of all longshots-and their win was the stuff of legend.

In warm, conversational anecdotes taken from his own practice, Kelley - an award-winning columnist for The Thoroughbred Times as well as a practicing vet - writes about horse health care, from fertility to fractures to foot care. Appealing to the ongoing reader fascination with vets' lives and experiences, as well as to horse owners' needs for sound veterinary advice, THE HORSE DOCTOR IS IN is a medical reference without the endless pages of unreadable medical-speak. Sound, browsable, practical, and usable, this book will both be read in armchairs and used in 3 a.m. barn emergencies.

A broad range of equine health issues is covered in four major sections: Disease; Lameness; Breeding and Foaling; and Care and Management (which covers barn safety, stable vices, goats as companion animals, and more). Each chapter uses a true story to set up a health scenario, then flows into a practical discussion of problems, conditions, or diseases. There are chapters on everything from foaling through equine old age, allowing readers to enjoy the pleasure of fine narrative storytelling while learning how to better handle and understand horses. A particularly satisfying benefit of the book is becoming acquainted with a variety of interesting horses and their owners.