Book Reviews

Here is a list of books I have found helpful, informative or plain ol’ enjoyable to read.     The first book  I want to mention is :  The Ultimate Guide to Pampering Your Horse by June V. Evers.  I received it as a ‘re gift’!

The foreword by Kristine Gunter best described the way I  feel about my horses.  Here is an excerpt from the foreword written by Kristine that was written for “The Ultimate Guide to Pampering Your Horse”.

“It was when the sky darkened and the queer light and whipping wind sent me to the barn, that I realized how it was I pamper my horses.  It was quite simple and probably universal:  I think of them first!

   They were in the far corner of the pasture.  I opened the gate and called,”Lady, bring ’em in.”  Three heads came up.  My proud lead mare flagged her tail.  They popped into their stalls before the first drops of rain fell. 

  While the heavens roared and cracked, I had the security of knowing that Lady, Mara, and Buttercup were quietly munching hay.  There is work to the care and spoiling of my horses, yet it’s a labor of love.  Their trust and responsiveness continue to bring a lump to my throat.  And always will.” 

I just love how simply and effectively Kristine puts it!  I believe that all of us “ordinary horse owners”  try our very best to do exactly that!

The book has wonderful photos and suggestions!  It talks about feeding, and special treats and ideas and suggestions that have worked for a lot of horse owners.    One idea that I liked and used was to relieve boredom.  It was as simple as bringing a cardboard box (with no staples or anything else to hurt the horse) down to the barn!   At one time I had impulsively bought an (expensive) ball guaranteed to bring enjoyment to my horse.  Um, not so much.  One of the drawbacks I had was that my pasture slants downhill and the ball kept rolling by the fence and getting wedged on the electric wire!  {Fortunately I traded the ball for a nice saddle-pad}.    Another idea I used was to bring a dog toy (it was shaped like a tire) and hung it in the barn for the horse to play with.  Because of the tire shape, I was able to put treats in it and let Brego figure out how to get them out!

I keep the book handy and occasionally browse through it to see what ideas I can use to help make my horses’ life that much more healthy and enjoyable!