The Best Horse Books Recommended by You...
So we decided to reach out to you, our reader/viewers, and find out what the best horse books are, that you have read.
And we have not been disappointed.
You came back with the most incredible suggestions and recommendations.
So we thought it would only be right, to put a list together, of YOUR recommended reading when it comes to horses.
So here it is, as per what you've told us are the best books on horses, that you have read.
Don't see your favorite book? Be sure to let us know what it is through a comment at the bottom of the page...
The Most Popular Horse Books:
Let's start with books and authors that were recommended by multiple people...
"most any book by Mark Rashid" was one of the recommendations for an author who had 2 books recommended, multiple times.
The 2 books are:
- Horses Never Lie - by Mark Rashid
- Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse - by Mark Rashid
"My favorite book is Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse by Mark Rashid" - Karen Biggs
And then...
- The “Horse Control” Series - by Tom Roberts
Books including…
- Horse Control -- The Young Horse
- Horse Control and the Bit
- Horse Control -- The Rider
- Horse Control -- Reminiscences
Some of the recommending words for Tom's books were:
“I constantly pick these books up if getting stuck with something, or going on to a new step. Tom has a great way explaining how a horse is thinking and how you should think as well. He must have been a great old horseman.” - Bill Campbell
- Essential Hoof: The Complete Modern Guide to Horse Feet - by Susan Kauffmann and Christina Cline with Forward by Gene Ovnice
"One of the best books i've read this year is "Essential Hoof" The Complete Modern Guide To Horse Feet, Susan Kauffmann and Christina Cline with a Foreword by Gene Ovnicek" - Lisa Hill
"I have so many favorites but I'd like to give a shout out to The Essential Hoof Book by Susan Kauffmann and Christina Cline with Forward by Gene Ovnicek."
- The Man Who Listens to Horses - by Monty Roberts
- From my Hands to Yours - by Monty Roberts
- ABC of the Horse Atlas - by Pauli Gronberg
- ABC of the Horse Biomechanics - by Pauli Gronberg
- Polo Life: Horses, Sport, 10 and Zen - by Adam Snow
"Hi Gav and Rob, I am about half way thru Adam Snow and wife's book Polo Life. I am finding this very interesting how a 10-goaler got there. And it is also very encouraging that you don't have to be from Argentina and start when you are 2 years old to become a good player!" - Michael Agren
And then there are some novels and stories that were recommended multiple times...
- The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, The Horse That Inspired a Nation - by Elizabeth Letts
- The Perfect Horse - By Elizabeth Letts
"The Daring US Mission to Rescue the Priceless Lipizzaner Stallions that were Kidnapped by the Nazis" - Hunter Glass
- War Horse - by Michael Morpurg
"Warhorse by Michael Morpurgo. Even though fictitious, it gives one an idea of the faithfulness of those horses!!!!" - Belinda
Now on to single recommendations...
Best Horse Books - Single Recommendations:
- True Horsemanship through Feel - by Bill Dorence
- The Faraway Horses: The Adventures and Wisdom of One of America's Most Renowned Horsemen - by Buck Brannaman
- Veterinary Notes for Horse Owners - by Captain M. Horace Hayes
"This book is considered the bible in our house!" - Brian
- Encyclopedia of the Horse - by Elwyn Hartley Edwards
- Keep Calm & Ride On - by Faiz Siddiqui
- School of Horsemanship - by Francois Robinchon de La Gueriniere
"School of horsemanship from Francois Robinchon de La Gueriniere. Published in 1732. The Best riding school book ever written. EVERY horseman should have read it. At least everyone who deals with training of horses. Its interesting for every discipline - I think also Poloplayers could extract a lot of interesting information, since at that time horses where still trained for battle. Similar skills as required from a polo horse. Would be curious about your opinion on that book." - Philipp
- The Gimnasium of the Horse - by Gustav Steinbrecht
- Dark Horses - By Heather Cato
- Talking with Horses - by Henry Blake
- The Modern Art of Taming Wild Horses - by J. S. Rarey
- Beating Muscle Injuries - by Jack Meagher
- Training Strategies for Dressage Riders - by Charles De Kunffy
- Horse Keeping On a Small Acreage - by Cherry Hill
- The DK Complete Horse Care Manual - by Colin Vogel
"The DK Complete Horse Care Manual is the best and most useful I’ve read." - Julian Deeming
- Beyond Horse Massage: A Breakthrough Interactive Method for Alleviating Soreness, Strain and Tension - by Jim Masteron
- The Horses Mind - by Lucy Rees
"Hi Gav,
best book I read YEARS ago (early or mid-80s) was The Horses Mind by Lucy Rees. It might be a bit dated now as the science of animal behaviour has developed and grown so much since then, and I haven’t re-read it recently, but it opened me up to a completely different way of understanding horse behavour and how to interact with horses.
In terms of riding, the “ride with your mind” series by Mary Wanlass has been extremely useful. She does good videos too – some are on you tube.
And I’ve always loved the Thelwell cartoon books – they were always around the house when I was a kid. Great insights on horses and people!" - Sue Mitchell
- Centered Riding - by Sally Swift
"Centered Riding by Sally Swift is Always first in my mind." - Tamlyn Labuschagne
- Horses and Ponies - by Sandy Ransford
- Get out of Your Head and into Your Mind: The Missing Piece to Winning at Barrel Racing Secrets the Pros Don't Tell You (Mentally Tough Barrel Racing) - by Shelly Johnson
- The Nature of the Horses, Exploring Equine Evolution, Intelligence and Behavior - by Stephen Budiansky
"The best book about horses ! Everybody should read it...." - Lotje
- A Teamsters View - by Steve Bowers
- HOW TO LOOK COOL WHILST LEARNING POLO - by Steve Thompson
- Acupuncture Diagnosis and Treatment of the Equine - by Dr. Marcin Cain and Dr. Mieke Maelfait
- Where Does Your Horse Hurt: A Hands-On Guide to Evaluating Pain and Dysfunction Using Chiropractic Methods - by Dr. Renee Tucker, DVM
- The Hackamore Reinsman - by Ed Connelly
- True Unity - by Tom Dorence
- Horse Agility Handbook - by Vanessa Bee
- The Horse Conformation Handbook - by
- Horse Anatomy: A Coloring Atlas - by Robert Kainer and Thomas McCracken
- Fear free Horse Training - By Neil Davies
"Hi Gav,I'm in my late sixties,rode saddle broncs,still compete campdrafting,got two breakers here going nicely.I've read as many books that I could lay my hands on over the years and in my opinion the best would be "Fear free Horse Training" by Neil Davies.It's not a touchy/feely method but challenges a lot of the methods commonly used to start horses but is a goldmine of horse sense and logic that anyone can benefit from." - Mick Gleeson
- The Mind of the Horse; An Introduction to Equine Cognition - by Michel-Antoine Leblanc and Giselle Weiss
And then yet again, there were a few novels, stories and autobiographies that were recommended...
- Black Beauty - By Anne Sewell
"Black beauty by Anne swell.
Other that that i have not read any book on horses...
I must say that being her only book She had a lot of awareness about horses...
Cheers Gav:-) you are doing a yeoman service for the sport of polo and improving horse sense of the horse men, women and polo enthusiasts.. . " - Akshay Sangma
- Harry and Snowman - by Catherine Hapka and Rutherford Montgomery
- Ruffian Burning from the Start - by Jane Schwartz
- Gold: My Autobiography - by Nick Skelton
- Secretariat
And that's a Wrap...
This page of recommendations will be a constant work in progress as you, our viewers and readers, continue to send in more recommendations...
OR recommend certain books on the above list more highly!
So leave a comment below with your recommendations and suggestions...
Comments
Got questions, comments or feedback! Then have your say in the box below...