Storey’s Guide to Feeding Horses
Developing a sound nutrition program for your horses is a task best accomplished with knowledge. A good veterinarian and your own expertise go a long way toward maintaining healthy stock through proper diet. Storey’s Guide to Feeding Horses by Melyni Worth is a good source for horse owners interested in increasing that knowledge—it’s also a very good reference book for seasoned owners who have extensive experience.
All the basics are covered in Feeding Horses: equine digestion, nutrients, pasture management, what to feed and why, developing a balanced feeding program, feed storage tips, et cetera. But Worth goes on to discuss the identification and treatment of nutritional disorders, as well as feed requirements based on age, weight and performance level. She also addresses feeding over a horse’s lifetime, with guidance on maintaining optimum health in foals, broodmares, performance horses and seniors. Seasonal feeding routines are also highlighted.
The author is a Ph.D. and consultant on equine nutrition and exercise physiology with 28 years of training and riding experience, so her advice has merit. Perhaps the only complaint an experienced horse person might have about Storey’s Guide to Feeding Horses is its lack of research references. However, most would probably agree that the book is a valuable tool to stock in the feed barn.
—TM
The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food
Written by an expert gardener and professional mediator specializing in environmental policy, taught by her own trials and errors over the course of many years, The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food is comprehensive, yet simple. Author Tanya L.K. Denckla describes the fundamental details of growing and maintaining 765 organic vegetables, fruits, nuts and herbs in six user-friendly chapters.
Each chapter conveys vital information such as growing and maintenance, soil and water needs, pest and disease concerns, soil and air temperatures, potential allies and companions, harvesting timetables and storage specifics for each plant. What sets this apart from other gardening books? Its extensive list of organic remedies to such problems as acid soil, fungal diseases and walnut wilt: Keep bugs away with soap and lime spray; fight fungus with garlic; add calcium to plants with wood ashes.
Beautifully laid out with charts and illustrations, The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food is inspiring and educational. I am already using it to plan my fall plantings! For those ready to jump in, this book serves as a primary gardening text and should grace the bookshelves of aspiring and practicing home gardeners everywhere.
—KKA
