- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Free Press (April 8 1997)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0684827689
- ISBN-13: 978-0684827681
- Product Dimensions: 24.8 x 18.6 x 2.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 694 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #279,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Library Journal
Horse riders, trainers, and others who spend their daily lives in the company of horses will appreciate this in-depth study of equine behavior and its origins. Science writer Budiansky begins by examining the environment and circumstances to which the horse has adapted throughout its long evolution, presenting evidence that much of the horse's behavior is genetic rather than learned. A full chapter is devoted to the development of the horse's relationship with humans over the centuries, and another outlines a breeding program that could produce a superior performance horse. This book will appeal to professionals and horse fanciers seeking a thorough understanding of horse behavior. For academic equine collections and public libraries where interest warrants.?Deborah Emerson, Monroe Community Coll. Lib., Rochester, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Budiansky, a writer at U.S. News and World Report, may not provide as many ``insights into the true nature of the beast'' as he hopes, but he serves up fascinating historical, behavioral, and biological nuggets about our equine friends. Troubled that our understanding of Equus caballus is badly flawed, Budiansky (Nature's Keepers, 1995) endeavors to set the record straight, clearing the air of ``what millenniums of tradition, love, and wishful thinking have sometimes muddled,'' and telling the horses' story through the ``objective tools of science.'' He starts at the beginning of domestication, 6,000 years ago, with the Sredni Stog people. They, it is surmised, either clambered atop the horse or ate him; their bones are mixed together at archaeological digs in the Ukraine, marking the onset of a long, fruitful association. Horses and humans discovered what they had in common: an intuitive language of dominance and submission, an adaptation to grasslands, a social fabric built on subordination to authority and trust. Budiansky's portrait delves into mitochondrial DNA analysis, the mechanics of movement and eyesight and vocalization, but he's hesitant to guess at the ultimate meaning of this data. He is less edifying but far more entertaining when he occasionally hazards subjective rather than scientific information, as in his observation of the horse's ability to interpret subtle social cues shared with humans (dispelling notions of horses as mind readers) or when he simply throws out an idea he has concerning their fabled homing instinct. And he's incisive when describing the curious world of the stud book and the ambiguous effects of inbreeding. As a science journalist, Budiansky brings together a wealth of equine research; as the devoted horseman he is, he knows there is more than the objective interface, and that magic is a persistent part of the equation. (70 drawings and photos) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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First Sentence
Of the more than 4,000 species of mammals that have occupied the earth during the last 10,000 years, the horse is one of fewer than a dozen that have achieved widespread success as domesticated animals. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Of the more than 4,000 species of mammals that have occupied the earth during the last 10,000 years, the horse is one of fewer than a dozen that have achieved widespread success as domesticated animals. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!!!,
By David (New York) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Nature of Horses (Hardcover)
As a rider, trainer, and avid reader of equine literature, I can say assuredly that this is a "must read" for anyone serious about truly understanding why horses behave the way they do. It debunks many of the long standing myths that are so oft repeated in the horse world. Budiansky also gives us some history behind the human-horse relationship. Enjoyable to read, and has added to the relationship I have with my horses.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must buy for all horse enthusiasts,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Nature of Horses (Hardcover)
My only regret about this book is that it is too short! The author writes in a way that is both informative and easy to read, pulling together many resources to attempt to provide a comprehensive and objective look at the horse, its evolution and relationship with humans.I particularly enjoyed the sections on the horse's domestication and horse genetics. The discussion of the way in which horse 'breeds' have been brought into existence and the various motivations for breeders to proceed with 'closed studbooks' while espousing the notion that they are breeding a horse suitable for a particular purpose. But there is much more. The story of the horse is expanded with explainations of anatomy and physiology and how these have affected the horse's evolution and interactions with man. How a horse's digestive system affects its size, ability to prosper on poor grazing and performance for instance, or why the absolute speed of horses, and indeed other quadrupeds, is determined by their physiology. I enjoyed this thoroughly and intend to not only read it all again but check out many of the references provided on some of the topics.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Info by the ton,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Nature of Horses (Hardcover)
Overall, this was a great book, but there were several drawbacks. The author writes in a very scientific way, and puts so much information into one paragraph-long sentence that, having no time in the middle to pause and recollect and sort what you have read, in some places it was very difficult to understand. Because of this, several chapters were very slow reads for me. The author also employs the use of many large, scientific words, and I found myself constantly running for my dictionary. Although this did present a problem in some cases, the book very educational and i feel all the wiser for my persevering through it. If you have the time and patience to go through it slowly, it is well worth the money.
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