Very simplified instruction with little emphasis on horse The book is all of 24 pages long. Contains lots of good pictures and diagrams of harness tack, but very little instruction on dealing with the horses reaction to it! Since the title is "Starting to Drive", I assumed there would be more information concerning getting the horse aquainted with the tack. This would be a good book to familarize yourself with the various harness components, however I wouldn't use it as a direction to harnessing a horse, especially a green one!

I've read better I found this info very dry and hard to get thru. I much prefer the writings of Lynn Miller (Work Horse Handbook & Training Workhorses / Training Teamsters) who is actually fun to read.

Sets the standard on the subject of Draft Horses Looking for a book that deals with today's draft horse? This is it. The Draft Horse Primer describes today's breeds and the contributions they can and are still making to society. In addition, it deals with care, breeding, harnessing, and non-mechanical (i.e. old-timey) horse-drawn equipment. Lots of pictures illustrate the text. A fun book for the Draft Horse enthusiast and a useful one for those wishing to return to the horse-drawn days of yesteryear.

Improve Your Horse's Well-Being: A Step-By-Step Guide to Tteam This is an outstanding book. Whether you are new to the Tteam system, or whether you have seen the videos and attended clinics, this book offers clear, step by step directions, with very helpful pictures. An extremely useful reference book. I have used Tteam on lots of different horses and seen immediate and positive results. This book gives very clear directions and instructions.

"Barns" is designed to help horsemen solve housing problems. We have worked with horsemen from around the country, from back yard innovators to Olympic Team members, to find good solutions to common and uncommon horsekeeping challenges. From clever watering systems to low-cost horse housing, we've found people with good ideas they are willing to share. And with our backgrounds as equestrian management professionals, we've been able to review each idea with an eye to safety, economy and the reality of the average horse owner.

Excellent Reading! This is one of the best horse 'training' books I've ever read. I found that Mark presented his theories in a unique format, where each story teaches you something about horses. I was able to read through the book in a matter of hours and was not only entertained, but felt like I could apply many if not all of his practices to the horses I deal with everyday; it isn't your typical how-to at all. I especially like the way Mark explains how horses view us and how, many times, it is miscommunication between humans and equines that becomes the culprit in many 'problem' horse cases. Bravo to Mark Rashid for taking a new approach to writing about horse training and keeping it humble, down to earth, and honest (just like our horses!)

Don't start reading this at night! Well, once again all I can say, is that Mr Rashid caused me to lose many hours of sleep upon receiving his book - I read through the night! He has hit home with his customary wit, insight and thought provoking advice. Not only does he show you how to become your horse's trusted partner, but also how you should trust your horse in his opinions, decisions and desires. He is not shy to admit that he too, can sometimes be wrong. Like his other two books, he leaves you with the opportunity to figure things out for yourself. He doesn't give you a step-by-step instruction on "how to", but equips you with the knowledge that you can make the right decision. If you are at all interested in a different way of dealing with your horse, then you should read not only this book, but his other two books as well.

They've done it again! Cris Peterson and Alvis Upitis have done it again!! This book combines well-written text with gorgeous pictures. It shows the importance of draft horses in the early 20th century in agriculture in the United States. This should be in every primary classroom to show kids how far we have come in 100 years. Mrs. Peterson writes clearly and in simple language for children to understand tough concepts. --This text refers to the School & Library Binding edition.

Coming from the horse's point of view, these entertaining stories quiet, compassionate solutions to horse training problems with insights so simple they are startling. Readers will be amazed at the ways horses communicate with humans beings in this unique horse owner's guide. Illustrations.

This combined reprint of Volumes 1 and 2 of the 1892 edition of Practical Carriage Building is perhaps the most complete and accurate contemporary work on the subject. It covers in great depth, and with many illustrations, the materials and tools used, the making and repairing of wheels, the making of carriage parts and their assembly, framing and construction, axles, yokes, whiffletrees, patterns and layouts, and many other useful and fascinating subjects. All sorts of carriages are discussed: buggies, cabriolets and broughams, phatons, rockaways, as well as sleighs and sleds, and express, delivery, and farm wagons. A definitive, easy to follow reference on this early trade that is now enjoying a well-deserved renaissance. 512 pages. Fully illustrated. 5 1/2" x 8 1/2". Soft cover.

Until the early 20th century, horse drawn sleighs were essential to winter travel (and to recreation) in much of the country. Yet not much has been written on the subject. This wonderful book remedies that. It is a compilation of articles from three of the outstanding carriage journals of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and covers almost every imaginable type of sleigh: Albany (or swell-body), Portland cutter, speeding cutter, multi-passenger, box-body, trap and sporting sleighs, Canadian, rumble-seat, cabriolet, vis-a-vis, closed-body, and more. Not only are these various sleighs fully illustrated with detailed line drawings, but full descriptions are given covering dimensions, materials used, trim, and painting details. In addition, the last part of the book provides much valuable information on sleigh construction: ironing, body design, painting, and trimming. The topics are enriched with the more than 360 line drawings that are original to the articles. The reader will find this book a treasure-house of information, an invaluable sourcebook. 271 pages. 362 illustrations. 81/2" x 11". Soft cover.

Horsekeeping is good for your horse, the land and you! During the last 25 years, my husband, Richard Klimesh, and I have owned horse acreages in the midwest, the southwest, Canada, and the foothills of the Rockies. We've purchased bare land and started from scratch; we've purchased small farms that desperately needed remodeling; and we've purchased horse acreages that had been over-grazed and needed to be revived! During those years of fixing up all of those acreages, I gathered some valuable information that I'd like to share with you in this book. I cover layout, barn planning, pasture management, fencing, tractor and implement selection, and much more.

Excellent illustrations of 19th century carriages Includes a wide variety of carriages for all uses, all presumably once available for purchase. Also includes catalog descriptions of each model, somewhat useful in learning about features on each item. Illustrations appear to be stylized a bit, very attractive. No photographs. The best book of its type I have seen so far.

MUST HAVE IF YOU ARE A HORSIE PERSON I volunteer as a horse wrangler with a non-profit group and get to work with a number of different horses. I read this book cover to cover and carry it with me whenever I'm around horses. It is All the horse people I work with borrowed it so much I had to buy a second copy just for myself! The information in the book is very easy to read and understand. Every time I see a horse or look at a picture, I look for the "moose-nose", the "pin ears" and the forehead swirls. And its amazing how these characteristics are tied into personality! A must have book!

Interesting, but not magical. I bought this book and was well into it before I realized it was TTouch book (pronounced "tee-touch")! My only previous experience with TTouch was a late night info-mercial several years ago. Their angle to snag buyers was to make it seem almost magical. Simple touch excercises completely changing an animal's personality! I was sold, but never got around to making the call. The majority of the book points out facial characteristics which were incredibly helpful for me, one who is notoriously horrible at recognizing horses, but the validity of Tellington-Jones' theory that they corrolate with aspects of their personality and intelligence was quickly and paradoxically disproved by the author! This made for a very confusing read, in the end. Unless one took the time to memorize the first section which is littered with too-vague illustrations and too many differentiations of anatomy, you'll be either lost, or constantly flipping to the beginning for the rest of the book. Like I said and many reviewers will contend, this is a very interesting book that's pretty hard to resist for most horsemen. If it takes, however, assurance of mystical properties to make the modern horsemen realize a horse's personality is as sensitive and complicated as yours and mine, indeed traditionalism has plagued equestrian sports. By the way, my horse found the TTouch excercises interesting at first, but quickly caught on and now only gets annoyed when I start the "clouded leopard" excercise. Did I mention the ridiculous excercise titles?

Not as helpful as I had hoped This book does have an interesting chapter regarding the history of driving, which I enjoyed. However, I was hoping to use this book to help me learn the basics of training my horse to drive, and was disappointed. Unfortunately for me, the author is English, and therefore uses many terms regarding both the horse and the harness which I am unfamiliar with.

Here's a misnamed book. It's not really about building a barn; instead, it's How to Build a House 101. The differences between building a barn as Wagner describes it and building a house aren't all that great. A wise reader will pick up on this, and someone with a yen to build their own abode could easily use the book as a primer. On a more modest note, you could probably substitute garage or storage shed for barn in the title and still have an excellent book. Wagner covers all the basics--laying out the foundation, creating the walls and roof, adding basic electricity and plumbing, and the other exciting stuff you wind up undertaking in such a project. The illustrations are well thought out and executed, and the worksheets (encourage patrons to photocopy these and leave the book intact) that allow you to budget the cost of construction are excellent. If you're intending to build a structure 24 feet by 30 feet and use it for storage, you could, following Wagner's advice, create something that will still be standing 50 years hence.

The Restoration Of Carriages is the definitive work by the foremost international expert on the restoration of horse-drawn carriages. George Isles employs both modern an d 19th century materials and procedures and step-by-step instructions are given for every stage of restoration. The Restoration Of Carriages is intended for those dedicated carriage restore rs whose finished work is to be seen in museums, private collections and at horse and driving shows. T here is vital information for both the novice and the professional, and for all those who wish to b ring a high standard of excellence to their work. The Restoration Of Carriages is a vitally impor tant addition to the reference shelf for anyone charged with the responsibility of maintaining or rehabilitating horse-drawn carriages.

A very informative volume packed with hard to find information and photos. Detailed histories of the horses, their breeders and their exhibitors is included. As a member of a family once deeply involved with these fine work horses this book provided me with information and photos that I was unable to find anywhere else. With the principal people involved with the establishment of this breed in America diminishing with time, it should become an ever more valuable resource.

I chanced upon this book while browsing for a title to donate to our small-town local library in memoriam for a deceased friend who was very active in old time farming displays with draft horses. (A practice we substitute for funeral flowers) Having grown up on the edge of the Percheron epoch in this country, I bought this book for myself. Upon reading it, I found a comprehensive history of the Percheron Horse that takes up where the previous history of the Percheron Horse leaves off. It's all here, the detailed story of the rise and fall of the glistening blacks, grays and dappled draft horses of yesterday. We find that the old gray mare certainly ain't what she used to be and how that all came about. We travel in time from the massive production of the American Percheron breeding movement in this country to the near extinction of the Association and the movement of their offices from the Chicago Stockyards to a small rural farm in Indiana, where the incubus of the Association survived. Then, the influx of interest in draft horses grew and the breed proliferated to the levels of today. The names which ring famous throughout the history of the breed, not only of the horses, but of the men and women who made the breed here in America are featured along with graphic illustrtions. This book is not only packed with the history of the Percheron horse in America, but is full of pictures from the beginning to the end pages which feature detailed timelines and chronological tables defining the rise, fall, and resurgence of the breed. If you are interested in horses, read this book. It will deepen your understanding of the majesty and dedication of breeding and change forever your ideas of the "old gray mare".

The publisher, Storey Books , April 17, 1998 Twenty budget conscious projects for the do-it-yourselfer, with complete plans and step-by-step instructions. Projects include four types of barns: all-purpose, pole, horse, and milk; plus plans for garages, equipment sheds, greenhouses, workshops, home offices, guest houses, and more.

Winner in the 1993 Stanley National Home and Workshop Writers Association writing contest

Although it dates from a time before power tools, electricity, and gasoline, this book abounds in simple ideas that rural householders and farmers find useful today. Barns, poultry houses, piggeries, corn cribs, ice houses, spring houses, granaries, smoke houses, root cellars and even kennels and birdhouses are includes in this fascinating compendium from days gone by.

Excerpted from Barns, Sheds & Outbuildings (c)1995. Reprinted by permission, all rights reserved

An extraordinary mass and variety of know-how has gone into the planning of these simple buildings ... real, practical understanding not only of materials and construction but also of farming and farm economics, weather, geography, history and especially of the animals of the farm. (Foreword)

Great Book about Drafts, Useful for Other Breeds as Well This is an easy to understand handbook. It covers all aspects of owning and maintaining a healthy draft horse: with topics considered ranging from exercise to diet; hoofcare to healthcare. The volume would serve any draft owner well, but would also make a great addition to any farrier's library. I would also highly recommend this book to owner's of other breeds as many of the disease processes, parasites, and lameness issues prove to be, for the most part, non-breed specific.

This book is quite informative but has its flaws. "Breaking a Horse to Harness" is an informative book and is quite good for a basic overview of what you are getting yourself into. However, the book is a bit too "British". At times, I found the lingo a bit confusing. It would have been nice to see a "troubleshooting" section for problems you may incur while training; the author didn't seem to anticipate many problems while training. The book is not really detailed enough to use as your only tool for training; a book that is more "well endowed" in the areas this book lacks is recommended as an accompaniment. Overall, the book does a good job of reviewing the steps involved in breaking your horse for harness but should definately not be the primary training tool for first-time trainers. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

5 out of 5 stars A terrific book!, December 31, 1998
Mr. Ehringer's fine book helped me build the horse facility of my dreams in southeastern Wyoming. It exhaustively covered virtually every topic I needed to learn about. Three cheers for Gavin Ehringer and his fine work!

Basic Training of the Young Horse While Klimke lays the basic foundation of dressage training, he speaks from a perspective that is far removed from most American dressage lovers. Most don't have full time grooms and the ability to turn their horses out to pasture in the summe.

Logically presented and well-written

This is an excellent source for people beginning to drive their horse, or for those who want to improve their driving techniques and their horse's performance.

...I am buying a second copy as a gift for my friend who is learning to drive.

A complete guide to great backyard buildings with ninety four designs of barns, stables, garages, sheds and garden structures; plans that you can purchase directly from their designers; a directory of hard-to-find building products, guide books, kits, timber frames and prefab buildings; and good advice on site planning and construction.

A complete guide to great backyard buildings with ninety four designs of barns, stables, garages, sheds and garden structures; plans that you can purchase directly from their designers; a directory of hard-to-find building products, guide books, kits, timber frames and prefab buildings; and good advice on site planning and construction.