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California Riding Magazine • August, 2010 Book Reviews |
Dream Race Author and illustrator Robert Clark introduces young readers to the history and beauty of horseracing through the eyes of Leonard, a long time stable worker who loves horses and racing. It’s obvious from their first meeting that Leonard is more than just a stable worker. His work is much more than a job and, as the book progresses, Leonard is much more than he originally appears to be. Assigned to write a newspaper article on the greatest racehorse of all time, green reporter Allen Clemens spends time with Leonard, hoping for a quick answer to the question. Instead of a simple answer, Leonard introduces Allen to racing through a series of “dream races,” where horses run together regardless of their place in racing history. Leonard’s wisdom and knowledge of racing are apparent as he compares and shares the stories of the greatest horses ever to run. Each dream race is illustrated with a painting of the horses involved. Each chapter outlines the history of a group of horses, some famous and some not so well known, including some interesting facts about each horse and sometimes the jockeys and trainers involved. Leonard’s inside information on these great racehorses makes the book a fascinating read, and a great book for anyone interested in racing, young or old. Each individual race takes place at a different racetrack, and there is some discussion about these famous and beautiful tracks as well. The stories of the horses, and Leonard, offer a glimpse into the history of racing, beginning with the three foundation sires of the Thoroughbred breed, and the inside world of racing. Stories of intrigue, glory and defeat, all told by Leonard, make this an easy and very informative read. If asked to name the greatest of all racehorses, you might think it an easy question. After reading this book, you may have a much more difficult time with the answer. There are so many variables involved in just one race, and so many more over the years, that it is a more complex question than you might think. This book is a must for any racing fan. Dream Race was written and illustrated by Robert Clark, whose own pedigree traces back to Mark Twain and M. Lewis Clark, the founder of Churchill Downs. Storytelling and horseracing are in his blood. The illustrations alone are worth the price of the book, but the stories within make it priceless. Reviewer Jennifer Chatfield worked at the racetrack for several years as a groom, before working as a gorilla keeper at the LA Zoo. Recently retired, she now has two off-the-track Thoroughbreds who will hopefully become dressage mounts.
Starting & Running Your Own Horse Business, 2nd Edition This is a wonderful book for anyone currently involved in the horse industry or for those who are thinking about starting their own horse business. The book is overflowing with tips on how to safely cut expenses and increase income during these difficult financial times. For example, the author illustrates that one can bring in much more money teaching group lessons instead of private lessons. The math she provides in the book demonstrates that it is possible to bring in $245 for a one-hour group lesson with seven students ($35 per student) as opposed to using that same hour of your time to teach one private lesson for $75. For those managing a riding school, there are ample herd management suggestions including saving money by vaccinating your own horses, leasing your school horses out to earn extra income, picking the best school horses possible (those who are also easy keepers), to knowing when it’s time to let school horses retire from your program into happy homes before their health requires too much extra maintenance. However, the book is not solely about money saving tips. McDonald brings her experiences as a farm manager, trainer and equine veterinarian to life by sharing vital information with her readers. The book has a complete framework to help new professionals make sure they cover their bases. She describes the importance of proper management techniques to get the most out of your staff, how to brand and advertise your business, managing budgets, the importance of liability insurance as well as walking you through profit/loss statements. A valuable appendix includes sample forms that may be tailored to fit your business needs including: Boarder Information, Shoeing Record, Equine Lease Agreement, Student Record, Riding Camp Application, Horsemanship Certificate, DVD/Photo Order Form, Vehicle Maintenance Record, Maximizing Consignment Sales, Organizational Calendar, Barn Rules, Money Management Records and a list of helpful websites. This is an easy to read book packed with useful information. A truly valuable book for anyone involved with horses on a large or small scale, but especially for those who are just getting their feet wet. In enables you to follow sample business plans for running riding schools, boarding stables, opening a tack shop, breeding and selling horses, running a carriage-driving business, running horse camps to hosting horse shows and clinics. Well worth the purchase price for the amount of headaches and hassles this book will save you. Reviewer Hannah Finder is a dressage and eventing enthusiast from the Central Coast.
A Horse Lover’s Companion: 365 Days of Tips and Inspiration for Living a Joyful Life with Your Horse Horse Lover’s Companion: 365 Days of Tips and Inspiration for Living a Joyful Life with Your Horse, by Audrey Pavia, is a book set up in a fun format. It is designed to be an informational book targeting an audience of horsemen and horse lovers alike. The gimmick is that the information is fashioned in the style of a weekly dayplanner, with each of the days of the week and weekends alternating categories of informational tidbits, finally equaling 365 days of a year. The material is up-to-date and concise, with weekly entries varying from horse breeds to equine history, practical applications to equine activities. The book also gives tips on overall wellness of horses, human relationships with horses and training ideas and advice. The book is liberally strewn with wonderful photos, which, aside from the breed photos that actually illustrate the article of the day, were unmatched to the other articles throughout the book. I found this strange juxtaposition to be very confusing and frustrating. For me, this was a serious flaw that decreased my enjoyment of this book. The content overall of this book seems to be geared toward novice and intermediate riders and horse lovers in general. Horsemen and women with a great deal of experience may not get a lot out of this book, but may enjoy the format, one nibble at a time. The book’s author Audrey Pavia is an award-winning equine writer and horse owner who resides in Southern California’s “Horsetown Reviewer Jane Brown is an award winning artist and art teacher who owns two Arabian mares, works with numerous other horses and loves learning about anything related to horses!
America’s Horses: A Celebration of the Horse Breeds Born in the U.S.A. I read the book America’s Horses; A Celebration of the Horse Breeds Born in the U.S.A. by Moira C. Harris and photographs by Bob Langrish. The editor of Horse Illustrated, Harris writes a factual and fun book highlighting the most treasured horse breeds that originated in the United States. I was expecting a basic coffee table book with nice pictures and little else. This book proved me wrong. Accompanied by lovely photos by Bob Langrish, each breed is portrayed in a way that illustrated and celebrated its traits, uniqueness, strengths and rich histories. The book was full of information and lovely photography, organized to highlight the history of each breed and compare them to other international breeds. I liked how the author added blurbs about the various controversial issues within each breed. For example, the practice of soring hooves to get flashier action in the Tennessee Walking Horse show arenas and the controversy around the Bureau of Land Management’s policies on wild horse removal. It was also clever and sometimes amusing how she showcased the most famous ambassadors of each breed, in some cases using famous celebrities and historical figures that cherished that breed of horse. I had no idea that William Randolph Hearst was the first person to really breed and develop the Morab for his massive ranch in California or that William Shatner is a Saddlebred fancier and one of his horses made a Star Trek appearance. I found these tidbits very interesting and I am sure most horse lovers
would find something in this book that they did The book showcases breeds that even those deeply involved in horses did not likely know of. I found the beautiful pictures of these rare equines refreshing, whether it was the Florida Cracker Horse, the Colorado Ranger Horse or the Racking Horse. However, a few of these little known breeds, like the Nokota Horse, were left out. While this is a very factual and interesting book, it can get redundant because the author uses the same strategy to showcase each breed. While it is invaluable for reference, I would not suggest readers to read it cover to cover in the same day. However, I do recommend this book because of its lovely pictures by Bob Langrish and its content. It goes beyond being a simple horse breed coffee book, and it really does accomplish the job of honoring the unique treasures and history behind every horse breed that was founded on U.S. soil. Reviewer Paige Hill is an intern at California Riding Magazine. She has trained and shown in hunter/jumper and reining disciplines, and has worked for racehorse breeding farms and the yearling sales in Lexington, KY. She is finishing up her degree in Communication Studies at University of San Diego to pursue a career in journalism.
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