On Monday, I discussed one of my favorite new books, Beyond the Homestretch (see below). Today, I’m recommending two more books, neither of which are brand-new but definitely worth checking out. As I mentioned on Monday, throughout the writing and reporting of Equine ER, I read many horse books for background Ð fiction, nonfiction, equine veterinary textbooks, you name it. I also read books about all kinds of animals in order to see the impact that comes from having creatures in our lives, as well as the universal themes. Similar reading continues today.

Today’s selections are:

Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of the World’s Smartest Horse
by Mim E. Rivas (HarperCollins, 2006)

This nonfiction book is the unforgettable story of a man and his horse at the turn of the century: Jim Key, the remarkable self-taught veterinarian, a former slave and Civil War veteran whose intelligence was only surpassed by his gentleness, and the horse he taught to do math, read, debate, and all manner of smart things. This is a dense, extremely well-researched book, and highly recommended. If you want to be inspired by two heroes whose relationship was a testament to the human-horse bond, pick it up.

The Nature of Animal Healing
by Martin Goldstein, D.V.M