C S Purdy

Book review for Equine Legacy: How Horses, Mules, and Donkeys Shaped America.

Much of the book was informative and well organized but sadly limited in sensitivity. Thirty years ago as a secondary school librarian charged with selecting titles for my library I would have welcomed a book such as this one except for a serious flaw. Nowhere is it clearly noted that the Spanish settlers were the first Europeans to bring the horse to the New World and to what is America today and especially to the West and Southwest. Many terms related to horses come from the Spanish language and are still in use today from California to Maine. The author failed to explain this in the book. No mention is made of the cowboy culture that stemmed from the Vaquero culture of the Southwest and California. The horse is an integral part of this culture that continues to be of interest worldwide, especially in Europe.

In the list of Highlights in 1598 the author missed a most important event for the Southwest USA. There was also an earlier event in 1540. In the year 1598 a caravan of 400 Spaniards that included almost 200 soldiers plus families came to settle in Santa Fe. They formed a military colony (presidio) with about 7000 animals, several thousand of them horses. In the following centuries there were about five smaller groups of Spaniards who came to settle in NM, then a territory of New Spain. The descendants of these early Spaniards form about one quarter of the population of New Mexico today. We are the descendants of the “ousted tyrants” that are mentioned in the book.

For almost three hundred years wagon trains laden with supplies for the church and for the settlers made their way to NM from Mexico City and from Zacatecas, Durango and later Chihuahua City. Thousands of horses were brought here, including oxen. About In 1820 traders from Saint Louis began to come to trade in Santa Fe and beyond also using horses and oxen to pull their wagons.

The author writes that Hernan Cortes, the conqueror of Mexico was “hungry for gold” and slaves. Mexico was never a slave-trading country. Its’ Indians are alive and well. Where are the dozens of tribes who lived in the USA between the Atlantic and the Mississippi? Were the US gold seekers any less hungry for gold? How about the American mining companies in Mexico, and American, Canadian and German mining companies all over Latin America? Is their gold hunger of a loftier type?

The war between Spain and England ended centuries ago. It is time for writers to adjust their language to suit the times. Too many writers copy from other writers of the past who put down everything Spanish. It is a sure sign of a lack of critical and original thinking.

For those people who write about the early history of the US I recommend the following book: Tree of Hate - by Philip Wayne Powell and introduction by Robert Himmerich y Valencia, 2008. Published by UNM Press, c.1971. 209pp.… (mais)

The Equine Legacy
This book (which I received an e-book of in exchange for an honest review) is very informative, thorough, and educational. It covers, in chronological order, some interesting topics related to the history of the equine (mainly in America). I would consider this book to be a valuable resource to have on hand for students and/or authors, especially anybody writing about the Wild West (fiction or nonfiction), and it has much information that would be useful. For the casual reader, however, the excessive mention of places, names, dates and numbers can be a bit overwhelming, and frankly, droll. I think that it could have been written in a more entertaining manner. Still, it was well worth the read, and I would recommend it to anybody interested in learning more about the history of the horse, mule, and donkey.… (mais)

I'm way behind on my book reviews but this one is important to me. I have always loved horses, even owned one briefly for a time. This book has shed some light on just how important the horse, the mule and the donkey was to us and our history. From carrying baggage, pulling wagons, and helping in war time before the advent of the automobile. Even today, the three animals help with kids and adults who have disabilities, just like the cat and the dog have.

The horse has had a varied history along with us humans. And this is the book that will teach you that history. And remember who carried Mary at Christmas who was about to give birth to our savior--it was a donkey.… (mais)