The Illustrated Horse Management

Edward Mayhew's Horse Management is a spirited practical guide to every major aspect of horse care, from anatomy, feeding, and medicine to shoeing, teeth, stable design, breeding, training, harness, and the conduct of grooms, dealers, and trainers. It opens by challenging the claim that humane reform is "unpractical," insisting that true practicality means methods that can actually be carried out with intelligence and sympathy. At its heart is a forceful argument that horses are shaped far more by treatment than by breeding, and that cruelty, ignorance, and bad stable custom create the very vices people blame on the animal. Drawing on anatomy and observation, Mayhew explains the horse's lungs, stomach, digestion, and feeding habits, arguing that its body is built for frequent nourishment, movement, and care with the head lowered, not confined by rigid routine. He condemns overwork, premature labor, and one-size-fits-all handling, while exposing the dangers behind common problems such as jibbing. Throughout, he presents kindness not as sentimentality but as a necessary principle of civilization, defending humane practice as the truest form of horse management. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.