United States
£ GBP
The Horse: A Natural History looks not only at the horse in the human context, but also at its own story, and at the way horses live and have lived both alongside people and independently. An initial chapter on Evolution & Development takes the reader from the tiny prehistoric Eohippus to modern-day Equus. Subsequent chapters on Anatomy & Biology and Society & Behavior offer a succinct explanation of equine anatomy, and outline the current thinking on horse behavior, incorporating information taken from the most recent research. Chapter 4, Horses & People, studies the part the horse has played in human history. Finally, a visually stunning gallery of breeds offers wonderful photographs alongside individual breed profiles. This is an essential addition to every horse enthusiasts library.
Introducing the horse 6-11
Chapter 1 Evolution & Development
Ancestors of the modern horse 14-15
Related species & distant cousins 16-19
The full breadth of species 20-23
Conquering the globe 24-27
First links with humans 28-31
Chapter 2 Anatomy & Biology
The horse as a mammal 32-33
Life cycle of the horse 34-35
The mechanics of breeding 36-39
The skeleton 40-43
The teeth & jaw 44-47
How the hoof developed 48-49
Eating & digestive system 50-51
Hearing & smell 52-55
Coat & color 56-57
Horse sense-how horses think 58-61
Equine illness 62-63
The horse genome 64-65
Chapter 3 Society & Behavior
Eating & sleeping 66-69
Courtship & mating 70-73
Birth & parenting 72-73
Foals & early life 74-77
Social groups & behavior 78-81
Horse-horse communication 82-85
Horse vocalization 86-87
Cognition in horses 88-89
Memory in horses 90-91
Learning in horses 92-93
Wild vs. domesticated horses 94-95
Chapter 4 Horses & People
Early relations: before domestication 96-97
The first herders 98-101
Many uses: early horses 102-105
Riding horses: the story of tack 106-109
The history of training 110-115
The war horse 116-119
The sporting horse 120-123
Early breeding science 124-127
Breeding for specifics 128-131
Centers of breeding worldwide 132-135
Horses for profit: the economy of horses 136-139
Ethology & ethics 140-145
What we know about how horses think 146-149
Chapter 5 Horse Breeds
Historic breeds 150-153
The range of modern breeds 154-157
Directory of horses 158-213
The future of breeding 214-217
Useful Resources
Author biographies 218
Bibliography 219-220
Index 221-223
Acknowledgments 224
Debbie Busby is an equine behaviorist with degrees in Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare and Psychology. She is certified by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and runs the Evolution Equine website.
