This book details everything from ongoing daily activites to social interaction among horses to abnormal behaviors. Each behavior is further explained by original line drawings, photographs or both.
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From Publishers Weekly
More than 15 years of research and observation from students and experts at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center have gone into McDonnell's formal catalogue of equine behavior. Designed to be useful to the widest possible range of readers, from veterinarians to high school students, and from horse buffs to those engaged in serious scientific study, this fully illustrated volume (the first of its kind) offers definitions of hundreds of actions observed in domestic horses and other equids such as zebras, donkeys and Przewalski horses (the domestic horse's primitive living ancestor). McDonnell (Understanding Horse Behavior) organizes the book into six general categories, including maintenance behavior, social communication, intermale interaction and play; each specific behavior is defined and illustrated with both a photograph and a line drawing. Additional comments about the behavior are often included in the entry (e.g. rearing is a way of establishing dominance), as well as brief lists of scientific papers that also identify the behavior. Many of the observations come from the study of a semi-feral pony herd that McDonnell established at the Bolton Center (and most of the photos, like the one captioned "foal picking up field data sheet," feature these ponies as well), but the author also includes a section on shaped and aberrant behaviors more common in "domestically managed" horses. A careful and serious reference, this volume is also an accessible introduction to horse behavior.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
About the Author
Sue M. McDonnell is an associate professor and founding head of the Havemeyer Equine Behavior Programme at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center. She has published widely on stallion sexual behaviour and dysfunction and is author of The Equid Ethogram, A Practical Field Guide to Horse Behavior.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Would you buy a dictionary where you would look up a word, find it, and then there was no meaning or usage listed under it? Then pass this book up!
There are many behaviors listed in this book. Some with drawings (not really professional but you get the idea of them).
Example: You have a drawing with a description of the act; THAT'S IT! No explanation of why it is occurring, possible impact, not even an utterance!
Anyone can sit there and watch a horse for a week and document what they see. Good job on that accomplishment. You certainly don't need a PHD for this task unless it is in marketing useless stuff. Next week I am going to watch my dog and write a book on everything he does. I have to remind myself NOT to include any interpretation of why he is doing this. Hopefully some people who really want to know answers will buy this book and find it just as useless as I cash my monthly commission check.
Where is the meat of this book? In the past I have bought some pretty horrible books. Even with the worst of them I could find a reason not to have to repack and reship it back. In this case I couldn't find one! This is the first book among over $15,000 worth of book, bought in the last 4 years to ever be returned.
I can almost put money on WHO wrote the rave review!
PROS:
Great as puppy lining in a crate
Something to give a grade school student for the nice roughly draw photos
Something to give to a writer on what not to write
Cons:
You have to pay for it
You have to invest about 5 min before you realize what you have purchased
You have to make a choice of throwing it out or shipping it back
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Jim Schwalbe
Format:Hardcover
I was expecting to see a fairly exhaustive review on horse behaviour and EXPLANATIONS or at least studied observations on why horses do a certain behaviour. Dr. McDonnell does have an exhaustive list and pictures of various horse behaviours, but virtually ZERO explanation on what or why. She lists other books and references. I was extremely disappointed. The ads surrounding the book gave the impression it would be much more than it actually is. I would NOT recommend this book to anyone trying to learn about why horses do what they do.
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
This was a GREAT TREAT! It's like an illustrated dictionary of horse behavior, listing the natural behaviors of horses, from the cute little early behaviors of newborn foals to the complex social and sexual interactions of adult mares and stallions. There are also some of the common abnormal behaviors that are happen to stabled horses. This book is just great if you have a horse or pony and are wondering about the natural basis of its behavior. It's neatly organized and well referenced, so would be a SUPER learning tool. Teachers of horsemanship, equine science, or even pony and 4-H clubs will want each student to have their own copy. Even though it is like a mini-encyclopedia, you can get into it and go from cover to cover in one sitting. But then you'll want to keep it so you can go back to it whenevr you see a horse do something interesting. I have always been fascinated with horse behavior, but found it difficult to find good information. I never knew animal behavior could be so organized, simple, and understandable.
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