Conquerors: The Roots of New World Horsemanship

This is a truly fascinating book. Bennett, a paleontologist and horse trainer, traces the origins of the domestic horse and horsemanship. Starting with two chapters on the subspecies of Ice Age Equus caballus, the author traces how multiple domestications of these subspecies led to the ancestral breeds of domestic horses. The first section covers the rise of horse keeping, with its attendant equipment and riding styles, in Europe and Asia, while the second takes the horse to the New World. The fact that the first horses were brought to North America from one place, Spain, has affected both the later genetic history of horses in the New World as well as the styles of riding and training. The author's dual background brings major strengths to the book, evidenced by her careful research into the paleontology and archaeology of the horse as seen through the eyes of a well-known trainer. This scholarly, readable, and well-illustrated work belongs in all libraries. Nancy Bent