Backyard Horsekeeping: The Only Guide You'll Ever Need

by Joan Fry

Overview

Experienced backyard horsekeeper Joan Fry leads the prospective horse owner through the process of assessing suitable land; choosing a veterinarian and farrier; constructing and furnishing a small barn, paddock, and arena; purchasing a horse; and feeding and care. Of special value to both novice and experienced owners are the sections on feed, which take into account the most up-to-date nutrition research, and training the horse for safe and enjoyable trail riding.


Written with encouraging cheer and plenty of “horse sense,” Backyard Horsekeeping leads the way to maintaining and enjoying your own horse on your own property.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781599210612
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/01/2007
Edition description:	New and Revised
Pages:	424
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.84(d)

About the Author

Joan Fry has published countless articles, celebrity profiles, and short stories on a wide range of subjects. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Poets & Writers, Black Warrior Review, Westways, and nearly every major horse periodical. She is also the author of The Beginning Dressage Book. She and her husband, John, live with an assortment of four-legged friends in Acton, California.

Her Web site is www.joanfry.com.

Read an Excerpt

Excerpt from p. 175:
 
Important Questions
 
If you do reach the owner, the first thing to do is verify the information you saw in the ad. If it described the bucksin as a five-year-old gelding, make sure that's the horse you and the owner are both talking about. Ask all the questions on your list. One of the most important is, "Why are you selling this horse?"
 
This question is particularly pertinent if you know the owner is a small breeder, because most breeders want their horses off their account books and out of their paddocks as soon as possible. Realistically, that means by the time the horse is three. Why has the gelding been hanging around for two additional years? Listen closely to the answer—is it believable? To me, an answer like "My daughter rode this horse but she's getting married and moving out of state," sounds believable. An answer like, "He did a lot of winning for us but now it's time for him to move on," does not. Why is it time to move on? Did the horse hurt himself? Did the horse hurt his rider? Some shoppers like to ask this question twice: once on the phone, and a second time when they ride the horse and their riding instructor or trainer is standing there listening.

Editorial Reviews

"Acton resident Joan Fry has turned out a responsible but entertaining manual. Fry adroitly covers hundreds of topics on horse-keeper basics. Even the advanced horse owner will benefit from Fry's insights."—Antelope Valley Press


 
"The title caught my attention because I think the 'backyard' horse and rider have been neglected. Your book, in my opinion, goes far beyond the scope of the backyard horse and should be informative to all readers." Dr. Robert Miller, author of The Revolution of Horsemanship

 

From the Publisher