THE HORSE: 30,000 YEARS OF THE HORSE IN ART. Tamsin Pickeral. Merrell Publishers, 49 West 24th St., 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010. 288 pp. Photographs. Bibliography. Index. 2006. $49.95.
If you’ve ever strolled through one of the world’s major museums–such as the Metropolitan in New York City, the Tate in London or the Louvre in Paris–you’ve likely seen some of the equestrian artwork depicted in this impressive coffee table book. But, if you’re like me (and likely most other museum attendees), you admired the works for their great beauty, recognized the more famous artists and wished you had someone with you to further explain the details.

Well, if I’ve described you then you’ll thoroughly enjoy this book, which is exactly like having author Tamsin Pickeral as a personal tour guide. She entertains and educates you as you study some of the most famous and recognizable equestrian art from throughout the world, lesser-known pieces from smaller museums and others from private collections.

Although Pickeral includes a useful timeline to better understand how the horse in art has evolved, what I really enjoy about this book is that it’s not strictly chronological. The 12 chapters are divided into descriptions of the artwork’s theme, such as The Eastern Horse, The Fast Horse, The Real Horse and The Modern Horse. In most chapters she includes a wide range of works to describe the theme, from those in the years BC to the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

The book begins with Pickeral’s introduction. Here she explains the origination of the horse in art and also describes some of the cultures in which the horse played a major role in development, war, recreation and rituals. It’s a useful preface to better understand the horse’s place in history and why this animal is such a prevalent theme in man’s artwork.

Starting in the first chapter, titled The Primitive Horse, each work shown includes Pickeral’s thoughtful description of the piece, with tidbits of history and explanation that keeps the reader interested and prevents the book from becoming a textbook experience. Each piece of artwork also includes the title, artist name (if available), years active, date of work, dimensions and location of original piece.

The fine reproductions of the artwork and the high-quality paper allow you to see many fine details of the pieces and even some of the brush strokes. In addition to the expected paintings, there are a variety of mediums included, such as tapestries, mosaics, sculptures, woodblock prints and scrolls.

One example of Pickeral’s meticulous narrative is her description of artist Peter Paul Rubens’ Equestrian Portrait of the Duke of Lerma, (c. 1603) in which she discusses the gray horse he’s riding.

“There is a particularly wise and tender air to the horse, in part achieved through the soft luminosity of its eyes. It bears itself with pride and control, the ultimate in noble and quietly powerful animals. Where the horse is soft, fluid and moving, the Duke of Lerma is stiff and commanding, regal and imperious–qualities associated with his position of power.”

In her description of another Rubens painting, Philip IV of Spain On Horseback, (c. 1645) the author provides equestrian art aficionados with a valuable and interesting factoid: “Following a precedent set by Rubens, the artist has shown the horse frothing at the mouth, a phenomenon that commonly occurs, especially in dressage horses, and indicates a horse with a soft and giving mouth�From about 1606 Rubens shows almost all of his horses frothing; interestingly his contemporary Vel�zquez also later adopted this practice.”

The wide range of works, artists, styles and genres depicted in this book will keep just about every art lover turning the pages. My only wish is that the author could have included a few more pieces from our more recognized contemporary artists. But, I also realize that 30,000 years is a lot to cover, and the book already is a substantial tome that will look best on an oversized coffee table. Thankfully, I have just such a table in my family room.    Tricia Booker



GETTING HORSES FIT. Carolyn Henderson. Trafalgar Square Publishing, North Pomfret, VT 05053. 228 pp. Photos. Index. 2007. $39.99.
Getting Horses Fit, an exercise tutorial by Carolyn Henderson, joins the ranks of myriad other books that are a letdown to serious horsemen. It’s packed with potential, but it just never quite manages to take readers and riders where they need to go.

This manual does serve as a nice, comprehensive introduction for beginners, but it’s certainly not detailed enough to be used as a true reference book by anyone beyond the green-as-grass phase of the equine experience.

The first three chapters preach the rudimentary equine ownership basics found in every beginner’s handbook. Henderson explains, in a manner that is neither original nor particularly stimulating, everything from recording vital signs to assessing the angle of a shoulder to choosing the right barn layout. While these skills are undoubtedly important, the material is perhaps better suited for the U.S. Pony Club’s D Level Manual, not a handbook devoted to achieving equine fitness.

Henderson’s regurgitation of the obvious continues in chapter 4, where she comes to the point of fitness at long last. “To get a horse fit,” she says, “you gradually increase the stress on his body so that his response to it improves. If done correctly, this will not cause any harm; stress does not have to be a dirty word.”

The remaining chapters offer only slightly more depth. There are brief discussions of interval training, lateral exercises and jumping gridwork, but there’s a surprising lack of explanatory illustrations or try-it-at-home exercises for the reader.

The highlights of the book come mostly in several case histories written by professional riders and trainers in various fields of equine sport. The special sections, which span a few pages each, address the fitness philosophy, feeding preferences, schooling and fitness routine and rider fitness ideals of each professional. These case studies add touches of refreshing individualism to the book, as event rider Jo Lawrence discusses conditioning her horse on hard versus soft sand beaches, and endurance competitor Linda Hams explains the benefits of working out with a wool half-sheet on her horse to build up heat and add healthy stress.

On another positive note, Henderson makes a conscious choice to address the importance of rider fitness, devoting the entire final chapter to the issue. “Whether your horse therapy is based on the challenge of competition or the chance to unwind on a leisurely hack, you owe it to your horse to build and maintain your own physical fitness and balanced state of mind,” she says, reminding us that we cannot expect our horses to be the equine equivalent of an Iron Man winner whilst our own rear ends meld with the couch cushions.

On the visual side, most of the photos are high quality and are aesthetically pleasing, particularly the ones of eventers and race horses that adorn the book’s face and whet the reader’s appetite for some in-depth training techniques. But on the whole, the interior doesn’t befit its lovely cover, and the old clich� unfortunately applies: don’t judge the book by it.    Kat Netzler