2012 Book and DVD Releases Great Gift Ideas from The Equiery’s 2012 Library
Maryland Equestrian Library Musts T e following selection of books has Maryland connections, from titles penned or published by Marylanders to those containing references to Free State horses, events or people. With too many titles to fi t in our magazine, here are just a few. For a complete list of titles and reviews, please check the “Archives” on
equiery.com.
CHINCOTEAGUE PONIES: UNTOLD TALES
by Lois Szymanski Schiff er Publishing LTD Maryland native Lois Szymanski has authored several books on the ponies of Chincoteague and Assateague. Some have been whim- sical children’s books and others are informational books geared to-
wards adults. Her newest book, Chincoteague Ponies: Untold Stories, written with fellow Mary- lander Pam Emge and with photographs and illustrations by Linda Kantjas, is an odd cross between a children’s book and a scientifi c fi eld guide. Although the photography is stunning and the captions are interesting, it is unclear who the intended audience is supposed to be. Most of the captions give too much detail
on breeding lines and the island’s ecosystem to keep a child interested. But then some of the captions are too childish, such as “Surfer Dude greets an egret….” making the readers feel as if they are about to hear a story about Surfer Dude. Which would be ok, considering the title is “Untold Stories.” However, if you are looking for untold stories about these island ponies, you will be sorely disappointed. What you get instead is an incredible fact-based in- formation guide on almost every pony that lives on Assateague and which, if you are into those sorts of things, is very interesting. T e fl ow of the book is also a bit disjointed, and seems to skip around a bit.
As for the photography and artwork… T e photography is stunning and often gives the ponies a romantic, mystical feel. T e artwork is nice, but honestly, is not needed and seems to have just been stuck in there to show off Kantjas’ work. And when you put a painting across from a photograph, it is clear which one is better. T ere is no doubt as you read through this book that Szymanski is an expert on Chincoteague ponies. T ere is no doubt that she is passionate
www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580
about the breed. I just wish the book had a more cohesive feel and a less misleading title. - Katherine O. Rizzo, Managing Editor
FLYING CHANGE: A YEAR OF RACING AND FAMILY AND STEEPLECHASING
by Patrick Smithwick Chesapeake Book Company T is charming book, written by Maryland horseman Patrick Smith- wick, is a true story of his return to steeplechasing and his quest to ride in the Maryland Hunt Cup. T e book turned into more than that, however. It is a story of trying to balance all the aspects of one’s life, facing the fear of failure, getting back in the game,
and stepping away from the television to enjoy the outdoors and really live life. T e author will take you on a fence-by-fence course walk of the Maryland Hunt Cup with Mikey Smithwick and sail over every jump with him during the race. For Marylanders and anyone involved in steeplechasing, the book is chock full of names and places you are sure to recognize. You may have even ridden across some of the same fi elds and jumped some of the same fences. T e story itself is compelling, but somewhat choppy and, at times, the overly detailed writing style became a bit of a distraction. - Emily Stangroom, Classifi ed Ads
FOR THE LOVE OF THE HORSE: VOLUME IV
by Ann Jamieson Ann Jamieson T is is a touching group
of stories documenting the wonderful relationship be- tween man (worman and child) and the horse (and one mule), stories touch-
ing every discipline and every part of the world, stories of how horses can return themselves and humans to health after horrifi c injury to body or mind.
One such story is from Reddemeade Stables
(Silver Spring) and rider Robert Goodman who recounts his experience participating in a Wash- ington, DC parade. Diana De Rosa, a New York photographer who has many Maryland clients, including T e Equiery, has several photos fea- tured throughout the book. And some stories
take place at shows just around the corner, such as the Washington International Horse Show. A super gift for the horse lover in anyone’s life. - Carolyn Del Grosso, Bookkeeping
KNOWING HORSES: Q&AS TO BOOST YOUR EQUINE IQ
by Les Sellnow & Carol A. Butler Storey Publishing
T is is a fun book for
a young teen with an in- terest in horses, a 4-Her interested in Horse Bowl or hippology, or an entry level Pony Clubber doing a Quiz Rally. T ere’s a lot of good general informa- tion, broken into easy- to-read sections, but it doesn’t fall too heavily on
the side of arcane trivia or on the side of the intense knowledge required by an older 4-Her or Pony Clubber. Questions such as “What’s the diff erence between a $1,000 horse and a $10,000 horse?” or “Which breed is known as the ‘Peacock of the Show Ring’?” are somewhat ho-hum (answers: “breed, bloodlines, age & health, training and potential”; “Saddlebred”), but a lot of the true information is buried in the exposition not included in the questions, such as “Earning One’s Spurs.” Although I knew knights earned their spurs, I was unaware of the rest of the story (such as a valet’s spurs were made of tin, or a disgraced knight would have his spurs chopped off with a cleaver in public). Some information is doomed to be outdated
(“who was the fastest horse,” “what was the most money ever paid for a racehorse,” “how many horses are there in the U.S.? T e world?”) and some information falls into the “Whaaat?” spectrum (“A well-trained horse will ‘shy in place,’ meaning that he jumps or startles, but will not attempt to fl ee the scene.”) T ere’s some great general horse knowledge and some really interesting historical detail that would make a fascinating book on its own, such as the history of African-Americans in horse racing’s early days. And here’s a bit of trivia: Touch of Class was the fi rst nonhuman to win the U.S. Olympic committee’s Female Equestrian Ath- lete of the Year Award. (Yes, we know by defi - nition it’s not possible, but it’s still interesting.) And in Maryland we continue to honor Touch of Class’s memory with the Maryland Horse Industry Board’s Touch of Class Awards, which
continued... DECEMBER 2012 | THE EQUIERY | 15
121212-856011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104