Horsewatching. Die Körpersprache des Pferdes.

Petwatching

by Desmond Morris

How intelligent are horses? Why do they toss their heads, and what makes them paw the ground? Why do they swish their tails, and what makes them flare their nostrils? In Illustrated Horsewatching Desmond Morris gets out to answer these and numerous other questions of consuming interest to horse-lovers. As a zoologist and a lifelong student of animal behaviour, Desond Morris approaches the horse world in an unusual way, dealing with topics often ignored in the equine literature. In addition to examining the details of horse behaviour he answers a wealth of fascinating cultural and sociological questions, such as why horseshoes bring good luck, why we (at least in this country) don't eat horses, why jockeys are allowed to whip their mounts, and why we call a bad dream a nightmare. Desmond Morris even applies his zoological mind, and his superb writing skills, to the all-important question why some horses run faster than others.

Genres: Nonfiction, Horses, Animals, Nature, Science

Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Desmond John Morris (24 January 1928 - 19 April 2026) was an English zoologist, ethologist and surrealist painter, as well as a popular author in human sociobiology.
He is known for his 1967 book The Naked Ape, and for his television programmes such as Zoo Time.

After the death of his wife in 2018 he lived with his son and family in Ireland. Morris died in Naas, County Kildare, on 19 April 2026, at the age of 98.

abridged from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Ana]

I'm doubtful about some statements

[Kyri Freeman]

A slim volume discussing horse gestures and behavior, as well as some horse-related trivia.

I found lots of misinformation here -- everything from wild canines being sprint predators (they're distance chasers) to the idea that horses run races because they're frightened of the "monster" attacking them from behind (as a horse can see the jockey and the whip, even a really airheaded animal is unlikely to imagine a cougar) -- mostly in the service of an anti-racing screed. The photos are few and far between and lack captions.

I thought that a much better book on this same topic was Robert Vavra's SUCH IS THE REAL NATURE OF HORSES.

[Jane Vulcu]

Horse behavior by a zoologist who is also author of "The Naked Ape." The book is organized as a series of unrelated short chapters. As a horse lover, I found the sections about how horses communicate with us and with each other fascinating. Morris also discusses the evolution of the species and its long, inequitable relationship with humans. The book focuses more on thoroughbreds than on the other breeds, perhaps because the general public is more familiar with them.
An interesting and easy read.

[Tenaya]

I think this book was either a gift back in middle school or something, recently rediscovered in a box of books from childhood and my education. Don’t think I ever read it back then. Some interesting information, but this book is essentially the equivalent of typing horse-related questions into Google. Very brief answers, some of which contradict each other, some of which are just plain wrong, and all without a proper citation.

[Melissa P.]

I really enjoyed this book. I found it in one of the little free libraries. I actually got it for a friend, but I read it first. Very interesting facts and history of horses. I love animals and enjoy learning more about them. I recommend this book as well. Always good to learn something new! Easy read.

[Jessica]

Some interesting information, but also some boring parts and the author has a very liberal and pessimistic view of humanity, history, and religion.

[Caitlin Day]

Kind of an odd little book, but informative enough I came away with lots of fun facts about horses I didn’t previously know

[June Price]

Available April 11, 2023

As a horse crazy girl who grew up reading anything and everything she could find on horses, not to mention contributed to horse focused magazines as an adult, I was psyched to get this book. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting but, well, this wasn't it. It isn't that there isn't an abundance of information, but perhaps in the way that it's presented. Even the b/w drawings mentioned on the cover weren't quite what I was expecting.

Rather than cartoon or simple drawings, they are old engraving/drawings of horses at rest and moving. This was my first hint that this book probably isn't intended for casual readers. Instead, while the topics, listed as questions as simple as how horses show expression and even the meanings of the horseshoe as a symbol, the answers frequently delved into history and background, making for tougher reading for those looking for quicker bites of info. That is in itself not a fault, but I wasn't expecting the depth it'd dive into. Some of it was fascinating. Other times I found my eyes glazing over. As I said, not what I went into the book expecting, so it obviously influenced my reaction.

Despite my reaction, if you have an interest into delving more into detail about certain aspects of horse history and nature, you may find this book totally fascinating. Just beware, there's definitely negativity toward racing, albeit some interesting tidbits did grab my attention such as the why of the shape of the traditional jockey cap and, for that matter, the likely origin of the word jockey itself. Thus, the fault may be my own.

Bottom line, this book was a mixed bag for me, partly because of the info I came to the book with, partly because it seemed to zoom from horse behavior to racing without much transition. It also ends rather abruptly, too, no wrap-up, unless my review copy was lacking some pages. I do thank #NetGalley and #RowmanAndLittlefield for allowing me to spend some time revisiting my horse crazy girl days. I even learned a few things. 3.5rounded to 4 stars.

[AnnieM]

I picked up this book because I know very little about horses yet my plan is to someday volunteer with an Equine Therapy organization to work with people with disabilities and Veteran's with PTSD. Horses are incredible, sensitive animals and I am so glad I found this book because it gave me good insights into body language and vocalizations and other horse behavior. For example, never approach a horse from the front (or rear) because of its small blindspots -- better to approach from the side. Also, upon greeting to show you are friendly, "groom" horse by sniffing its nose and kneading its mane by holding your fingers like they are teeth. Of course Morris also warns us to be prepared to get groomed back and so your clothes may be ruined. I also liked reading the chapters on feeding horses and giving birth -- humans often interfere with the process by cutting the cord and wiping off the foal with the blanket -- both of these interfere with the natural bonding that needs to take place between the mare and the foal. There were some interesting factoids on racing, etc. but the best part for me was the behavioral information. I remember reading his book "Cat Watching" years ago and it was helpful in identifying the moods and temperament of my cat.

[Dione Hanke]

Horsewatching is a book that I really looked forward to reading. I was planning to review the book on NetGalley. But it is really a struggle to read it with the writing across the written words - "For Review Purposes Only". I did read the Introduction until I got annoyed. Then I skimmed the rest of the introduction.

I did read the first chapter - What Does a Horse Signal with Its Ears? This chapter is informative and would be helpful to most horse owners. I am very interested in learning about how horses interact with the world and with us. If you review the Table of Contents, the rest of the book would be informative too.

This will be a great book for anyone that really wants to know and understand horses. My review would have been a lot more positive if I could have finished the book. But it is impossible for me to enjoy reading the review copy.

This book was originally published in 1988/1989/2015. The number of pages seems to be the same. So not sure how this new release is different.

[Lauren Nicole]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I am a horse owner for 23 years so there was a lot in this book I already knew but I also learned some too.
This is definitely geared more towards someone who has some horse experience and not someone brand new to horses.
The downfall of this book is the negativity towards racing. I am a harness race horse trainer so I love racing and I think the industry gets a bad reputation from people who do not know much about it.
So this book was ok for me. I prefer facts over opinions and when it comes to the racing industry getting into opinions causes some problems.

[Scarlett]

Informative book about horses, easy read

[Antares]

Konkretnie, bez lania wody. Dobry punkt zaczepienia dla żółtodzioba jak ja :)
Ocena LC: 7/10

[Kaisa]

Somewhat outdated.

[Anonymouse]

Published in 1988. Does not seem to have been updated much. Not even a new introduction.

I received a review copy through NetGalley.

[Pherit]

I have always loved horses; their beauty, their power, and just how incredible they are as animals. So when I first came across Horsewatching, I was immediately interested.
I've read this book multiple times over the years, and I still find it fascinating. It gives you a window into how horses communicate and interact with the world around them, while explaining some of the behaviors and body language that make them such interesting animals. Even after spending time around horses, I enjoyed learning more about the reasons behind some of the things they do. It's the kind of book I can pick up again years later and still find something interesting in it.

Overall, it's an informative and enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone interested in understanding horses beyond simply admiring them.

[Aubrielle]

This is a very good educational book. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about horses.

[Cws]

J636.1-Mor

[Drew Johnson]

Some good basics

[Randine]

I knew a lot of the things he writes about simply because I read a great deal about horses but he managed to include some things I didn't know like the sex life of horses (interesting!)

[Dale Muckerman]

Lots of interesting and often surprising information in this book. Unlike Olympic runners, horses aren't running faster now than ever. Read this book to get some ideas as to why.7

[Grace]

Good information on popular horse-related questions.