The Joy of Keeping Horses: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Horses on Your Property [Paperback]

Learn to keep horses happy and healthy on your own land.

To a horse lover, there is no more appealing sight than horses standing or moving around a pasture or more appealing sound than the soft nickering as you approach the horse’s stall. And then there’s riding, whether competitively or for pleasure. And what could be more satisfying than to enjoy such sights, sounds, and activities on your very own property?

As the expense of commercial stabling and training increases, a growing number of property owners throughout the country have taken to acquiring and maintaining “backyard” facilities. To that goal, horse owner and keeper Jessie Shiers provides a clear and comprehensive, profusely illustrated, user-friendly guide for first-timers. Among the subjects covered are:

• Searching for a farm that’s right for you
• Barns, equipment, paddocks, and arenas
• Finding a horse
• Horse care, feeding, and nutrition
• Handling and riding
• And much more

Whether you’ve always dreamed of owning your own horse or you—or you and your children—have just discovered the pleasures of riding,The Joy of Keeping Horsesis the indispensable guide to putting you on the right track.Jessie Shiersis the author of four equestrian-related books, including 101 Hunter/Jumper Tips: Essentials for Riding on the Flat and over Fencesand 101 Horsekeeping Tips: Simple Strategies for a Safer and More Efficient Stable. She lives with her husband, Jason, and their two children and several horses and ponies in Norway, Maine.“This book is the connection between mankind’s mystical connection with horses, and the realities of buying and caring for those horses. A useful book for anyone who owns a horse, and an essential book for the first-time horse buyer.”
—Jim Wofford, three-time three-day event Olympic medalist and recipient ol³A