Hands-On Senior Horse Care: The Complete Book of Senior Equine Management and First Aid [Paperback]

Karen E. N. Hayes DVM MS (Author), Sue M. Copeland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

Over 400 pages of management tips, insights, and red-alert action plans designed by an equine veterinarian specifically to care for the aging horse.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Geriatric medicine helps prevent health problems in the older horse and improve its quality of life. Veterinarian Hayes and journalist Copeland (who previously collaborated with Hayes on Hands-On Horse Care) address the special needs of horses aged 15 years and older. Symptom charts guide users through a series of questions aimed at determining possible causes and appropriate courses of action for common age-related conditions. The "Age Events" section highlights eight common health conditions of the aged equine such as arthritis, colic, and Cushing's Disease, and other sections cover feeding, evaluating physical condition, and stretching exercises. Owners will appreciate the "While You Wait" suggestions explaining what to do until the vet arrives. Alternative medicine is briefly covered, as is a compassionate description of euthanasia. The result is concrete, pithy advice in a nicely illustrated volume. Welcome addition to collections serving horse lovers. Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans' Hosp., Tampa, FL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

With more pleasure horses reaching the age of 15 years, this book fills a need for information on the care of these equine senior citizens. Hayes, a veterinarian, and Copeland, an equine journalist, provide an excellent guide to all phases of caring for the older horse. The book is billed as "like having a geriatric specialist in your barn," and fulfills this promise handsomely. The first section covers changes in the horse's condition, with extremely clear flowcharts that use yes/no questions to advise owners on the steps they should take based on the symptoms they observe. The second section examines major ailments that occur with greater frequency in older horses, such as arthritis or colic. Section three is a hands-on guide to the management of an older horse, including health checks for the animal's condition and suggested veterinarian checkups, while section four contains a glossary and references for further reading. Employing a succinct yet caring writing style, the authors cram an amazing amount of information into their book. Highly recommended for all collections. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 431 pages
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929164114
• ISBN-13: 978-1929164110
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #693,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential for the Young Rider, July 22, 2005

By 

J. Sulls - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hands-On Senior Horse Care: The Complete Book of Senior Equine Management and First Aid (Paperback)

This book, although not as specific and technical as many other books dealing with horse care, is a great reference for a teenage horse owner. Its language it simple to understand and gives reasons why certain changes occur and what to look out for. Adults would probably get frustrated at its simplicity but for a 12-18 year old this book offers a means to understand an aging horse and what to look out for in case a veterinarian needs to be called. Afterall, most young teenagers are spending lots of hours with their horses --maybe even moreso than working adults -- both monitoring general care and riding. This book provides an exceptional resource for this age group (nevermind being a good resource for a completely clueless adult parent!).

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Didn't Help with Crises, October 10, 2004

By 

C. Grant "Mustang Lady" (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hands-On Senior Horse Care: The Complete Book of Senior Equine Management and First Aid (Paperback)

Since I bought this book, I've had three crises with my senior horse. And in each case, this book was useless. It didn't cover what to do when my horse came down with the neurological form of equine herpesvirus! For colic, it didn't mention Banamine. Banamine is no where in this book. For ulcers, it had minimal solutions.

Their formula for measuring a horse to determine its weight is for the metric system, not the English system we use. But they use inches, not meters.

Another ridiculous section -- they suggest using "cold-pressed" oils to add to your horse's feed. I checked into this -- these oils are EXPENSIVE!!!!

I thought this book would be wonderful. It's not. Save your money. The Internet has more useful and free sites.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource, February 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Hands-On Senior Horse Care: The Complete Book of Senior Equine Management and First Aid (Paperback)

This book features flow charts that help guide you through decision making processes when dealing with an older horse. Yes, many of the choices turn out to be call a vet. Maybe that's because most people won't look at a book until there is a medical problem in the first place.If you own a horse, then you are going to have to deal with having a veterinarian from time to time. And, think about this for a minute. If these people gave advice that said, oh don't call a vet, just do this or that, then how many lawsuits do you think they would face from owners of dead horses? This book helps you eliminate factors when deciding if you can take care of them at home, or call in a professional.
There's also a section covering how your horse ages and changes that take place. That's a nice section to have. You may notice the changes over the years, but having this book will make you look at your older horse with a new perspective. I think every barn who has a senior horse should have a copy of this book.