The Horse Encyclopedia - Hardcover

Josée Hermsen first became interested in horses during a stay in Malawi. Unable to find any real experts on the subjec, she quickly realized just how important clearly written books about horses and riding can be. She spent hours poring over books in an effort to discover the right diet for a horse, or what to do in the case of disease and injury.

She now keeps horses in the picturesque are of the Netherlands known as Veluwe, where there are plenty of opportunities for riding. As a rider, whe enjoys the recreational side of the sport. As a spectator, however, she is often seen at competitive events.

Although the focus of the book is European, there is a chapter on Western riding; and North American breeds are included. An appendix lists foundation sires and other well-know sires, and there is an alphabetical index.

The encyclopedia does a good job of covering the broad spectrum of information of interest to horse lovers. Although The Horse Encyclopedia is not as lavishly illustrated as Dorling Kindersley's Encyclopedia of the Horse [RBB D 1 94], almost all of the short but informative descriptions and explanations are accompanied by photographs, and young readers especially will find the format appealing. Both International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds and International Encyclopedia of Horses and Ponies [both RBB N 1 95] cover more breeds, while The Horse Dictionary [RBB N 1 95] covers more related terms. The Horse Encyclopedia is recommended for school and public libraries needing another resource on the topic.