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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE best book about evolution & South American horses, September 11, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Conquerors: The Roots of New World Horsemanship (Hardcover)
Deb Bennett has produced a very well-researched volume about the evolution of the breeds of horses, with special emphasis on how the horse developed in South America. If you are interested in gaited horses (pacers, amblers, fox-trotters), ancient and old breeds (Akhal-Teke, Hobbies, Amblers, the horses of the Hittites, Etruscans, Scythians, etc), and the development of horsemanship, this book is an excellent addition to your library. The information regarding South American horses is especially welcome. It is illustrated with clear B&W photos, line drawings, and charts. I might wish that some of the line drawings were accompanied by the original mosaic or painting. Also, some of her conclusions about the horsemanship evolution (particulary the origins of modern english and western saddles) are new to me. While her theses are perfectly clear, I would also have appreciated knowing why previous scholars came to other conclusions. If you read no other book, you wouldn't know there was any disagreement! Foot- or end-notes might have helped here. I would be very interested in seeing her research on African, Middle Eastern, and Asian horse breeds.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive and exhaustive historical reference, September 7, 2009
This review is from: Conquerors: The Roots of New World Horsemanship (Hardcover)
While researching horse breeds in North America, many contradictions existed among the most popular books and periodicals commonly used for discovering foundational origins. A friend recommended this book as an off-handed comment while riding a few years back. It took some time, but a seller had one affordably on Amazon.com. Normally new for over $100, I bought a near-mint library-discard for about $30.
Prepare to be blown away by the author's spectacular technique. Sprinkled through the text are anthropological excerpts, ancient horse orthopedia and anecdotal information from experts in the field. The book reads like a history text that covers over 5,000 years of horse husbandry. As "the" authoritative reference in the opinions of veterinarian and equine friends, I highly recommend this book for the more-than-casual reader with interest in the true origins of the North American horse.
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15 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Pretentious and poorly done, December 15, 2005
This review is from: Conquerors: The Roots of New World Horsemanship (Hardcover)
Happily, I bought my copy of this pretentious and poorly done book as a (cheap) library discard. Most libraries discard only dated books. This one is copyrighted 1998, so it is hardly "old", so one can only assume it was either of little interest or deemed not worth keeping on the shelves. I'd be kicking myself still if I'd paid the cover price of $49.95. (You can buy my copy from me as soon as I list it on eBay, if you wish!) Why the bad review, you ask? Oh, several reasons...beginning with the lengthy quotations in Spanish inserted into the Introduction. Not all of us are fluent in Spanish, nor do we care to be. Note to the author: translate the quotations you use rather than trying to impress us with your erudition! (Maybe I should write this review in Russian in retaliation.) The writing is belabored. I quote: "Scenario: The Encounter. A mare miraculously lifts herself, gasping, after a fall that should have spent her." (Spent? Is she a coin?). "The hunter who spies her is exhausted himself from the stalk and the rush to drive the frenzied herd over the cliff. He turns away, perhaps because he does not want to face nearly ten times his weight in rolling red eyes and flashing teeth." Even Jean Auel at her worst is better than this. Moving on...please understand that one CANNOT make assumptions on horse conformation or gaits based on ancient artwork! Remember, until photography revealed that galloping horses did not extend all four legs at once, depictions of this gait were incorrect, to say the least. To look at a wall painting from Pompeii and state that the "fiery chestnut goes forward at a fast amble" is pure hogwash, regardless of your credentials! The same thing goes for assigning meanings to prehistoric art. Not every artist of old (or even today) is capable of accuracy. They draw and sculpt to the best of what is most often very limited abilities. There is no way a rational person would be able to prove that Figure 2.2 on page 16 depicts mankind's first methods of trapping and controlling mares. Give us a break! I can't resist pointing out that there is a major error in the "reconstruction" of a Numidian cavalryman on page 75. Overall, the drawings in the book show a lot of effort, but their usefulness and quality fall short of what should be expected for a relatively expensive tome. Perhaps I am too critical, but I do have high standards as regards books that are added to my collection. This one fails to make the grade.
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