Jan 7, 2010

The Nature of Horses

by Stephen Budiansky

A very interesting book about horse evolution and behavior. It has a scientific bent, but is well-written and easy to read.  As well as delving into the origins of many things horses do and how they act, it also debunks a lot of myths about horses, looking closely at reasons behind them. I wasn't familiar with a lot of these misconceptions, having never owned a horse or been part of the horsey world, but I liked reading about them nonetheless. Some of the more interesting parts were in the beginning, where The Nature of Horses discusses how horses might have first been domesticated by man. In the latter section the book focuses on how present-day horse breeding practices (particularly closed stud books) are affecting the animal, and what this might do to domestic horse breeds in the future. Overall a book any horse owner (or one just interested in the animals, like myself) is sure to enjoy.

Rating: 3/5 ........ 290 pages, 1997

More opinions at:
Dana's Doodles
Women and Horses 
the stay at home bookworm

1 comment:

  1. I love horse, but my sister especially loves them. I'll have to check if she either has this book or has read it already. If not, I think she'd love it. Perhaps you just gave me a birthday present idea for her :)

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