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All About Horses
The history of the horse, the many breeds, the physical characteristics, and its relationship with man comprise this illustrated study
129 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1962
About the author
Marguerite Henry
130 books761 followersMarguerite Henry (April 13, 1902–November 26, 1997) was an American writer. The author of fifty-nine books based on true stories of horses and other animals, her work has captivated entire generations of children and young adults and won several Newbery Awards and Honors. Among the more famous of her works was Misty of Chincoteague, which was the basis for the 1961 movie Misty, and several sequel books.
"It is exciting to me that no matter how much machinery replaces the horse, the work it can do is still measured in horsepower ... even in the new age. And although a riding horse often weighs half a ton and a big drafter a full ton, either can be led about by a piece of string if he has been wisely trained. This to me is a constant source of wonder and challenge." This quote was from an article about Henry published in the Washington Post on November 28, 1997, in response to a query about her drive to write about horses.
Marguerite Henry inspired children all over the world with her love of animals, especially horses. Author of over fifty children's stories, including the Misty of Chincoteague series, Henry's love of animals started during her childhood. Unfortunately, Henry was stricken with a rheumatic fever at the age of six, which kept her bedridden until the age of twelve. Born to Louis and Anna Breithaupt, the youngest of the five children, Henry was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Because of her illness, Henry wasn't allowed to go to school with other children because of her weak state and the fear of spreading the illness to others. While she was confined indoors, she discovered the joy of reading. Soon afterward, she also discovered a love for writing when her father, a publisher, presented her with a writing desk for Christmas. On the top of stacks of colored paper her father wrote, "Dear Last of the Mohicans: Not a penny for your thoughts, but a tablet. Merry Christmas! Pappa Louis XXXX."
Henry's first published work came at the age of eleven, a short story about a collie and a group of children, which she sold to a magazine for $12. Henry always wrote about animals, such as dogs, cats, birds, foxes, and even mules, but chiefly her stories focused on horses.
In 1923, she married Sidney Crocker Henry. During their sixty-four years of marriage they didn't have children, but instead had many pets that inspired some of Marguerite's stories. They lived in Wayne, Illinois.
In 1947, she published Misty of Chincoteague and it was an instant success. Later, this book—as well as Justin Morgan had a Horse and Brighty of the Grand Canyon—were made into movies.
She finished her last book, Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley, just before her death on November 26, 1997 at the age of 95.
"It is exciting to me that no matter how much machinery replaces the horse, the work it can do is still measured in horsepower ... even in the new age. And although a riding horse often weighs half a ton and a big drafter a full ton, either can be led about by a piece of string if he has been wisely trained. This to me is a constant source of wonder and challenge." This quote was from an article about Henry published in the Washington Post on November 28, 1997, in response to a query about her drive to write about horses.
Marguerite Henry inspired children all over the world with her love of animals, especially horses. Author of over fifty children's stories, including the Misty of Chincoteague series, Henry's love of animals started during her childhood. Unfortunately, Henry was stricken with a rheumatic fever at the age of six, which kept her bedridden until the age of twelve. Born to Louis and Anna Breithaupt, the youngest of the five children, Henry was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Because of her illness, Henry wasn't allowed to go to school with other children because of her weak state and the fear of spreading the illness to others. While she was confined indoors, she discovered the joy of reading. Soon afterward, she also discovered a love for writing when her father, a publisher, presented her with a writing desk for Christmas. On the top of stacks of colored paper her father wrote, "Dear Last of the Mohicans: Not a penny for your thoughts, but a tablet. Merry Christmas! Pappa Louis XXXX."
Henry's first published work came at the age of eleven, a short story about a collie and a group of children, which she sold to a magazine for $12. Henry always wrote about animals, such as dogs, cats, birds, foxes, and even mules, but chiefly her stories focused on horses.
In 1923, she married Sidney Crocker Henry. During their sixty-four years of marriage they didn't have children, but instead had many pets that inspired some of Marguerite's stories. They lived in Wayne, Illinois.
In 1947, she published Misty of Chincoteague and it was an instant success. Later, this book—as well as Justin Morgan had a Horse and Brighty of the Grand Canyon—were made into movies.
She finished her last book, Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley, just before her death on November 26, 1997 at the age of 95.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 1, 2016
Nice little book for the horse beginner. Bit of a keepsake, belonged to my cousin Ann and was given to her in 1964! I found it in her sister's, cousin Theresa, house.
October 2, 2015
Of interest only to Marguerite Henry fans or to those who collect horse books. The information is skimpy, out of date and sometimes just plain wrong. For example, I believe this is the book where she states that the near extinction of the buffalo (American bison) was due to the Native Americans. WRONG!
April 11, 2016
I really liked the book. My mom bought me this book last year at the library and i never read it. But, I regret it because, this year of 2016 i finally read it and i enjoined the book. It has several chapters about feeding, birth, and many more i would recommend this book to anyone who loves horses.
November 14, 2012
Well done for a child's history about horses, their near relatives, their development & uses over the years. I have always loved her books, & this one had eluded me till now....
September 22, 2013
My great aunt bought this for me when I was a kid. I think it is STILL on the bookshelf in my childhood room ... or maybe not. My mom keeps boxing up my stuff.
May 10, 2016
Enjoyed learning more details about what makes the horses I ride so special. Lots of good information without overdoing the details.
September 25, 2019
I decided to re-read this book because I'm working on a story about horses. I've had the book since I was a child and was horse-crazed. Marguerite is such a great writer and made understanding the history and culture of horses so easy for me as a youngster. It was fun to go back and compare how our knowledge of horses has progressed since the 60s.
September 30, 2023
For kids who are horse enthusiast, this is a great book. Henry was such an incredibly talented writer, and it was she whose books got me really interested in learning to ride. I never did anything fancy except trail riding, and I'm not as familiar with Most of the horse breeds beyond draft horses. I learned quite a bit from this fun little book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews