Joe Taylor's Complete Guide to Breeding and Raising Racehorses

Review from Equus Magazine

Joe Taylor’s Complete Guide to Breeding and Raising Racehorses is proof that little things mean a lot. As manager of Kentucky’s Gainesway Farm for almost 40 years, Taylor oversaw the daily care of the finest Standardbred and Thoroughbred bloodstock. Yet his manager’s manual is as down-to-earth and thoroughly useful for horse keepers of all stripes as you’d ever hope to find. Taylor, who now advises his four sons in their sales prep and bloodstock business, Taylor Made Farm, starts with a section on building the horse farm, then goes to bloodstock selection and finally devotes the largest segment of the book to horse-farm management, including a step-by-step pictorial guide to round-pen training for yearlings. From the big picture of farm layout to the everyday decision on the best latches and hinges for your gates, Taylor advises with the assurance that only years of thoughtful experience can impart, and the cornerstone for all his management practices is the well-being of the horses. The black-and-white illustrations and photographs are well-executed and instructive. The book’s one major flaw is its title, which implies that only racehorse caretakers will benefit from its wisdom. Not so. Any stable owner/manager will discover a raft of handy how-to's in this practical, easy-to-read manual.

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