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The Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies
Written by an expert on horses, The Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies is a look at the fascinating world of horses. More than just a reference book, this is a lavishly illustrated and highly accessible encyclopedia telling every horse lover all they ever wanted to know about this most magnificent of animals. From the significance of the horse to the Ancient Greeks to the origination of the Shire horse and Caspian pony, everything from history and anatomy, breeds and breeding, and grooming and showing is covered,. The coverage of horse breeds gives detailed descriptions of the Shetland pony to the less common Dole Gudbrandsdal. 1,000 photographs combine with the text, enabling all breeds to be quickly and easily identified. There is a compendium of horse care which will provide horse owners and owners-to-be with all the information they ever need to know about keeping these extraordinary, beautiful, and intriguing animals. The encyclopedia is full of information and essential facts about the did you know that the oldest ever recorded horse was Old Billy who lived to be 62 years old; or that the cowboy hat was invented by John B. Stetson in the Pennsylvania in the 1860s? Horse-owners and horse-lovers alike will find a wealth of essential information on the world of the horse in this all-encompassing encyclopedia.
Paperback
Published January 1, 2001
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About the author
Tamsin Pickeral
50 books14 followersTamsin Pickeral is an art historian and an author of books on art, horses, animals and travel.
She wrote her first book, The Encyclopedia of Horses and Ponies (published 1999) while living in the US, where she stayed for eight years, and has since that time written or co-written over twenty books.
She has lived back in the UK since 2004.
Pickeral's books are published internationally and have received critical acclaim in the media. This includes her book The Horse: 30,000 Years of the Horse in Art, chosen as Book of the Week by The Guardian newspaper (2006), and her book, The Dog: 5,000 Years of the Dog in Art, picked as one of the Top Fifty Art Books of the Year, 2008 by the Financial Times and voted into the Sunday Times Books Of The Year, Art, 2008.
She wrote her first book, The Encyclopedia of Horses and Ponies (published 1999) while living in the US, where she stayed for eight years, and has since that time written or co-written over twenty books.
She has lived back in the UK since 2004.
Pickeral's books are published internationally and have received critical acclaim in the media. This includes her book The Horse: 30,000 Years of the Horse in Art, chosen as Book of the Week by The Guardian newspaper (2006), and her book, The Dog: 5,000 Years of the Dog in Art, picked as one of the Top Fifty Art Books of the Year, 2008 by the Financial Times and voted into the Sunday Times Books Of The Year, Art, 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 22, 2015
Very informative book on horses. Great pictures. If you are to own/read one book on horses, breeds and other base info, this is not a poor choice.
April 13, 2013
one of my most favourite books that I have in my collection. I go back to the book time and again. It's like a wish book to me, moresom than any shopping catalogue.
October 12, 2017
A wonderful picture with excellent pictures and descriptions of the various various breeds and types of horses, competitions, uses, and facts. If you want to learn more about horses, this is the book you want.
June 17, 2025
When I was first gifted this book, I told myself I would read it cover to cover, take notes, and memorize every bit of it so I could one-up my know-it-all, horse-kid friend. I can not say I did make it all the way through, cover to cover, but I did learn a lot, and for that, I am glad I had it :)
May 3, 2018
I think it’s a awesome book!(mostly because I love horses and ponies). Also,I enjoy reading about the breeds and the colors!
September 21, 2011
In the opening chapters, it does what it says - a basic reference for an extensive number of topics related to horses, from biology to competitive riding. It's not as in depth as many books focussing on riding or caring for horses, and a lot of it will seem basic to people with good prior knowledge of the subject. It did, however, serve as a significant part of my beginning education on equine topics, so budding equestrians may find the information of interest.
More significantly, it is the most definitive printed resource on horse breeds that I have found. Not to mention the quality of photographs for each, which are often excluded from rare breed entries in similar books. Anyone who likes their references "complete" will definitely appreciate that aspect.
I've had this book since it was released, and my copy is in tatters by now from overuse. It's a staple on my animal reference shelf, and highly recommended for any horse enthusiast.
More significantly, it is the most definitive printed resource on horse breeds that I have found. Not to mention the quality of photographs for each, which are often excluded from rare breed entries in similar books. Anyone who likes their references "complete" will definitely appreciate that aspect.
I've had this book since it was released, and my copy is in tatters by now from overuse. It's a staple on my animal reference shelf, and highly recommended for any horse enthusiast.
May 15, 2011
very informative, and fairly complete.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews