Horse and Pony Care

Children's Literature - Dianne Ochiltree

For every child who has ever dreamed of getting a pony for Christmas, this volume from the" Complete Guide to Horses and Ponies" series will provide interesting reading. It is an exhaustive compendium of equine "how to," full of detailed information that has been reviewed by experts in the field for accuracy. The focus on completeness and accuracy has, unfortunately, resulted in a text that is a bit dry. The information is presented in a montage of photo captions, sidebars and blocks of text on each page, grouped together by subject headings such as "Common Ailments" or "Handling Hints." Therefore, page layout is jumbled, crowded and confusing; actually counteracting its intent to make information easily accessible by scanning. A subject index, glossary and listing of sources for additional information are located at the back of the book. This is a useful reference book for a very limited readership.

School Library Journal

Gr 4 Up-Featuring a design reminiscent of teen magazines, this thorough, solid set presents information on double-page spreads with content-rich layouts that include colored boxes, checklists, and liberal use of full-color photographs. The attractively presented material is clearly written and accurate. Breeds is the weakest title as the use of action shots often makes it difficult to see the distinguishing features of the breed under discussion. However, a useful fact file on each type of horse is a plus, as are the discussions of the meaning of hot-, cold-, and warm-blooded breeds. Care is an excellent introduction to the intricacies of keeping an equine friend, covering stabling options, feed and feeding, grooming, shoeing, common ailments, etc. An outstanding overview of the details beginners need to familiarize themselves with, including the basic gear, lessons, and more, is offered in Learning to Ride. Each volume includes a list of books, videos, and Web sites for further information. Although The Random House Book of Horses and Horsemanship (1991) remains the genre's bible, these titles deserve a place on most shelves.-Lisa Falk, Los Angeles Public Library.