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.