THE TRAIL OF PAINTED PONIES. Jean Louis Husson, Karlynn Keyes, Rod Barker and Evelio Mattos. Trail Of Painted Ponies. 15679 N. 83rd Way Ste. 4. Scottsdale, AZ 85260. 123 pp. $29.95.

The Collectors Edition of The Trail of Painted Ponies is the perfect addition to any horse person’s coffee-table book collection. Each page is filled with vibrant photographs of the painted ponies art project.

After looking at the beautifully photographed artwork, it’s hard to resist the urge to see the painted ponies in person. The idea for The Trail of Painted Ponies began in New Mexico in 2001 as a public art project. The Trail of Painted Ponies raised almost $1 million for philanthropic organizations, and the book allows those who cannot see the ponies in person to get a glimpse at them.

The photos are grouped and divided into chapters that each begin with a brief explanation. The number and variety of the life-sized ponies is a bit amazing. One chapter highlights the ponies of unknown artists, who answered the call to participate in the project. Their ponies, such as Ellen Sokoloff’s “Route 66 Pony,” portray the American West in a unique way. “Route 66 Pony” is designed with yellow road markers under its hooves and kitschy symbols reminiscent of the famous highway painted on its body.

For lovers of art, the ponies in the “Homage to the Masters” chapter pay tribute to famous artists as a way to “imagine what the masters may have created had they been given the opportunity to paint a pony.”

“Go Van Gogh” by Star Liana York is a tribute to starry night, with a replica of Van Gogh’s famous painting of a star-filled night decorating the pony. Paint brushes lay at the pony’s hooves, as if Van Gogh had left them there himself.

Each page of ponies is delightful to view, but some of the pony designs stand out for their creativity. “Paint By Numbers,” by Kevin MacPherson, is one of those. The pony’s body is a half-painted, like a paint-by-numbers drawing, in purple and green, while its mane is made up of pointy paintbrushes.

Throughout the book, the brightly colored pages and crisp photography will delight both children and adults.

But the book is lacking in written content. More description of the project behind The Trail of Painted Ponies would have made this book more effective.

The final chapter is basically an advertisement for the figurine versions of the ponies and other merchandise associated with the project. Next to each figurine picture is a description of the pony and a description of the artist’s inspiration. If this information had been included in the earlier chapters with the larger photos, paging through the book would be infinitely more satisfying and would have transformed it from merely a pretty coffee-table book to a collectors’ edition of substance. Jennifer Smits

HORSES FOR COURSES. Bryn Parry. Swan Hill Press. Trafalgar Square. No. Pomfret, VT, 05053. 141 pp. 2005. $32.50.

Want a good laugh? Like that acerbic British sense of humor?

Then pick up a copy of Bryn Parry’s cartoon book, Horses For Courses.

The British cartoonist has delivered a biting, yet extremely funny look at horse people and their crazy ways. With collaboration from Giles Catchpole, who delivers the words to accompany Parry’s Thelwellian cartoons, Parry takes an in-depth look at “horse-types” such as the Eventer, the Pony Club Mum, the Dressage Rider and even the Yard Dog.

While Parry’s cartoons are succinct and haiku-like in delivering their message or impression, Catchpole’s words are sly parody at their best. In his look at owners, in particular racehorse owners, he describes the wife:

“She is in muted shades but plenty of them. There is heather lurking under the voluminous mauve cloak and a pink pashmina somewhere to highlight the ruby earrings, which are invisible under the broad fur hat. A scarlet stripe of lipstick divides hat from cape and gives the onlooker a clue as to the direction she is facing. But at least she’s warm.”

The accompanying cartoon shows the woman robed as described, with a rather self-satisfied look on her face, accompanied by her husband “resplendent in double-breasted houndstooth and racing felt. [The owner’s tag] gets him into the grandstand; it gets him into the paddock. It gets him everywhere. And he just loves it.”

Parry is clever to make every cartoon relevant to all horse people, so if you have the gracious ability to laugh at yourself, or to at least recognize some self-truths, then Parry, through his masterful cartoons, and Catchpole, through his clever words, give you a mirror to do so with this book.

The only drawback might be that this book is so terribly English. If you’re not familiar with British culture or the way their Pony Club is structured, for instance, then some of the humor may fly over your head. Nicole Lever

THE HORSE OWNER’S PROBLEM SOLVER. Vanessa Britton. David & Charles. Distributed in the U.S. by F & W Publications, Inc. 2002. Republished for U.S. distribution 2005. Photos. 159 pp. $19.99.

With hundreds of equestrian reference books on the market, it’s difficult to make waves with another guide to solving horse care and behavior issues But author Vanessa Britton’s has offered a refreshing look at an old subject.

A complete guide, it covers all sorts of subjects, from the mundane to the obscure. The book is divided into four sections: Stable Management, The Horse At Grass, Health and Veterinary Care, and Feeding and Nutrition.

Each section covers a range of problems from the general to the specific. For example, the Stable Management section covers everything from basic bad ground manners to insurance, electricity in the barn, and theft.

Every page asks a question, offers a solution, and has pictures to illustrate the issue, along with additional tips and warnings.

For the new horse owner, this book is a wealth of easily accessible information. Britton doesn’t go into detail, but she offers common-sense solutions to most horse problems that are likely to crop up.

And experienced horse owners may find valuable information here too. Have a horse that is nippy? Try pulling on his whiskers instead of slapping him for his naughty behavior. Want to know your horse’s bit size, but don’t have one of those fancy measuring devices? Tie a knot in a piece of string, place the knot in the corner of the horse’s mouth, and then pull the string through the mouth, over the tongue, and tie another knot on the other side.

Another reason to read this book is to enjoy the British vocabulary. Is your horse stroppy at shows? Do you feed him nuts and chaff? Reminiscent of the British Pony Club Manual we all read as Pony Clubbers, the language is a good reminder that the American way isn’t the only way. The only downside is that the information doesn’t always translate.

The Horse Owner’s Problem Solver may not be revolutionary, but it provides good advice and suggests that the complicated solution is not always the best solution. Sara Lieser