What do you think?
Rate this book
The Belgian Horse
"Describes the Belgian horse, including its history, physical features, and uses today"--Provided by publisher.
32 pages, Library Binding
First published July 15, 2005
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 27, 2026
About 2006, Edge books did a 10 book series on horse and pony breeds aimed at American kids. Most of them weren't very good, but this was the best in the series. Still, it's not a comprehensive look at the most popular draft horse breed in North America, and one of the most popular draft horse breeds in the world.
The color and black and white photographs are decent. Only one bay roan is shown. All of the rest are chestnuts. There is no mention that in America, there are fewer recognized colors than in the rest of the world. When I was a kid, black, bay and bay roan were acceptable colors. At the stable where I took riding lessons for a few years, lived a bay roan Belgian stallion nicknamed Moose. Although most of the time he could be cared for by small girls, if there was a mare in season within a mile, fuggetaboutit.
There's also no mention that there are actually three official names for the breed. Known as the Belgian for short, it's also called the Belgian Heavy Draft and the American Belgian. This is because American breeders breed a different animal than in the rest of the world.
Although there are nice details sprinkled throughout the book, even mentioning that Belgians can be ridden, there's no mention of health problems. Also no mention of the prime purpose for breeding them -- meat. They are also the most popular breed in the production of PMU drugs like Premarin, short for pregnant mare urine. This is an incredibly cruel industry.
After the text, there's a one page glossary, three books for further reading, and the publisher's web site promoted.
The color and black and white photographs are decent. Only one bay roan is shown. All of the rest are chestnuts. There is no mention that in America, there are fewer recognized colors than in the rest of the world. When I was a kid, black, bay and bay roan were acceptable colors. At the stable where I took riding lessons for a few years, lived a bay roan Belgian stallion nicknamed Moose. Although most of the time he could be cared for by small girls, if there was a mare in season within a mile, fuggetaboutit.
There's also no mention that there are actually three official names for the breed. Known as the Belgian for short, it's also called the Belgian Heavy Draft and the American Belgian. This is because American breeders breed a different animal than in the rest of the world.
Although there are nice details sprinkled throughout the book, even mentioning that Belgians can be ridden, there's no mention of health problems. Also no mention of the prime purpose for breeding them -- meat. They are also the most popular breed in the production of PMU drugs like Premarin, short for pregnant mare urine. This is an incredibly cruel industry.
After the text, there's a one page glossary, three books for further reading, and the publisher's web site promoted.
June 18, 2025
Great book about a breed of horse that is unique and interesting. This book is perfect for research projects in elementary school. All non-fiction text features are here. I love the full double page spread photograph with labels of attributes of this horse breed. If you need captioned photos, fast facts, extra information in fact boxes, or a glossary it is all here.
Worth purchasing if you have the funds.
Worth purchasing if you have the funds.
December 30, 2008
This is a great series for any horse lover. Filled with great photographs and easy to read information, this book is a great addition to anyone's library collection.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews