WOW! What a book that my friend and former co-worker Joe Armstrong has put together. This book captures a lifetime of knowledge and experience with horses, both professional and private. Joe has lived what he is writing about. He has addressed the knowledge and skills that horse owners need with great illustrations to provide a better understanding.

In my lifetime, I’ve observed many great horsemen practicing their profession in a lot of different ways. Many have been successful. There are few who will take the time to share with others, and even fewer who can share in a way that can be easily understood. Joe is one of these rare individuals.

This is a book about horses – one of God’s great Creations for man to use in all his endeavors – and I feel compelled to point out that the Bible mentions horses 188 times. America was built with horsepower before mechanization became a reality. While still used in some agricultural enterprises, the great growth of the horse industry has been for recreational and human development purposes. Joe has put together a Handbook for today’s horse owners that is easy and enjoyable reading but could also serve as a reference in college classes.

Joe and I met and developed a long time friendship through our careers in developing horse programs at the college level – Joe at New Mexico State in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and myself at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. We met at AQHA and other horse breed judging clinics, and each of us developed and managed horse judging programs, horsemanship schools and state 4-H horse shows. We were in the early days of formal education about horses and shared stories and experiences. We also shared the experiences of raising our children with horses. I developed a great respect for Joe, and the times we spent visiting and working in mutual programs are cherished.

Joe Armstrong has spent a career living with horses and, as an educator, has greatly contributed to the growth of the horse industry. He has put together a great handbook that is well illustrated and is a combination of both scientific and practical information that can be used as a reference throughout the horse industry. I strongly recommend this Handbook to current and future horse owners.

Thank you, Joe, for putting this book together. The practice of using “Thumb Rules” to highlight important truths is unique and helpful. Each time I review a section, I find another “pearl of information” that I had originally overlooked. The following pages contain valuable knowledge that could only come from a lifetime of experiences.

      — B.F. Yeates