The Kingfisher Illustrated Horse and Pony Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Generous, willing, and patient, horses have been serving people well for thousands of years..." (more)
Key Phrases: stabled pony, square halt, pony breeds, Przewalski's Horse, Welsh Section, Great Britain (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8 - This comprehensive and beautifully illustrated volume provides a wonderful overview of horses and horsemanship. The first part of the book covers the life cycle, domestication, and types of horses and ponies. The many different breeds appear in striking full-color photos, often highlighted by comments about the standards that are important to that breed. The second part deals with how to care for these animals and discusses horsemanship from taking riding lessons to training and driving a horse. Procedures are explained with great detail and accuracy, and the illustrations effectively expand on the words. Hard hats are the rule in the photos even in the section on western riding, clearly emphasizing the importance of safety. Whether youngsters want to know how to braid a horse's mane, what the different types of concentrated food are, or what a Haflinger looks like, they will find the answer in this clearly written book. Filled with appealing photos of young people interacting with their four-legged friends, this title is an extremely useful addition to any collection. It covers the information found in both Elwyn Hartley Edwards's The Encyclopedia of the Horse (DK, 1994) and Bernadette Faurie's The Horse Riding and Care Handbook (Globe Pequot, 2000), but the many photos of the interaction between the young people and their horses make it particularly appealing. - Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Author Ransford is a full-time writer who has written more than 30 books for children. An expert horsewoman, she owns a horse and two ponies.

This volume has suggested grade levels of three through eight. The opening sections contain general information on horses and then describe various breeds--hotblood horses, coldblood horses, warmblood horses, and pony breeds. The remainder of the volume covers keeping, feeding, grooming, health care, and riding in chapters that are detailed and precise and convey the serious level of commitment necessary to all aspects of care and riding. The lavish color photographs, some of which are taken from the author's The Kingfisher Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horse and Pony Breeds (2003), are indispensable visual aids to descriptions of housing, saddling, mounting, and so on. Photographs of youngsters handling animals will appeal to the targeted age group. The text is supported by a clear table of contents, a glossary, and an index. Younger children may have difficulties with some of the text. Terms, such as gymkhana, are not defined in context, although they may appear in the glossary.

An attractive, thorough book such as this one should satisfy horse lovers. It is a good choice for both school and public libraries. Sharon E. Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Kingfisher (October 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753457814
• ISBN-13: 978-0753457818
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,010 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #3 in	Books > Children's Books > Sports & Activities > Sports > Miscellaneous > Nonfiction
  #6 in	Books > Children's Books > Animals > Horses > Nonfiction
  #7 in	Books > Reference > Encyclopedias > Sports

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!, April 25, 2007

By	mh - See all my reviews

I found this book very readable with lots of beautiful pictures. It has sections on horse breeds(horses&ponies), horse's coloring/markings, grooming, traveling, trimming, stable management, feeding, health & caring for a sick horse, tack, it even has a section on riding(mostly eastern)and driving! This book only gives basic information with a reasonable amount of detail, I would reccommend this book for any horse lover of any age. If you plan on owning a horse someday and want a book on training your horse, this isn't the best choice. If you want to know what goes into caring for a horse I would reccomend this book. Again, it has wonderful pictures and is easy to read, I love it and have confidence you will too.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Kingfisher Illustrated Horse & Pony Encyclopedia, January 27, 2007

By	N. Murphy "#1 book gift giver" (CT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This was a wonderful book for a person who loves horses and likes to see different pictures of horses and ponies. My niece loved it so much she actually sleep with it the firsr night.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Horse Book, September 20, 2009

By	A. Buker (MN, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchsed this book for my oldest daughter. She's 7, and absolutely ADORES horses. She LOVES this book. I looked through it as well. It's very informative. Also, the pictures and digrams are very nice. Definately a good purchase in my opinion for anyone who enjoys horses!