General Knowledge on LA and Equine

[Breezyte]

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For those of us going into vet school who didn't grow up with LA or Equine, what are some good books to read so we aren't completely behind on the general knowledge of cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, etc...?

I would love to read a few books to I can get a better handle on the language and care of the species that aren't small animal.

Thanks!

 

[CarpeDiem89]

For those of us going into vet school who didn't grow up with LA or Equine, what are some good books to read so we aren't completely behind on the general knowledge of cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, etc...?

I would love to read a few books to I can get a better handle on the language and care of the species that aren't small animal.

Thanks!

Try reading books that your university uses in classes such as animal science or animal production. Many are designed to explain things for people who have no experience.

Just ask your teachers in that department. Or you could go to the library and look at the animal section. I bet you could find at least 10 good books on the subject.

 

[skittles12]

I agree that the library is a good place to start. There should be a lot of books about basic care of large animals. That information alone can go a long way. Also, there are a ton of websites out there. I'm partial to horses myself--you can sign up for free at TheHorse.com and get access to thousands of articles on all kinds of subjects.

For anyone interested in horse breeds, I adore my Encyclopedia of the Horse book that I received as a teenager. 🙂

 

[CurrySpice]

The Pony Club series is actually one of the best series of books to read if you're interested in learning about equine. There's a lot of horse care, and some basic riding techniques explained too (which are good to understand when a horse owner is asking you questions about their horse's behavior under saddle). I own the D and C manuals (D is beginner... A is advanced). The D is a good introduction, but you don't start to get into the nitty gritty until the B manual. The A manual probably has more involved health information, but I never looked at it (not a fan of our specific pony club...snooty members).

I have an entire bookshelf filled with horse books. It comes from being a crazy kid! Unfortunately they're all at home so I don't know any more titles offhand. I remember the Cherry Hill books on horsekeeping looking interesting, but I don't think I ever picked one up.

OH! And to get an understanding of horsey humor... read the Chronicles of the $700 Pony. It makes me laugh every time!

ETA: I'm one of those strange people who loves reading nonfiction books. I have actually read my car's manual full-through 2x. Yeah, I blame this trait for my vet obsession!

It might also be helpful to youtube some videos of normal horse movement. I know that sounds silly, but lameness exams are a huge part of being an equine vet. You want to be the awesome vet that notices something even slightly off... and you can't be unless you know the "normal."

I am looking forward to specific book recommendation for other species though 🙂

 

[rubygirl]

I used Lewis feeding and care of the horse when i was in 4-h, it was one of the nationals sources that were actually easier to read, and non horsey people would be able to figure out what they are talking about. another good book is The horse by Evans it pretty dense but has fabulous descriptions of alot of medical things as well as basic coat colors and breeds. it was always my go to source for national quizbowl and hippology questions