Bev, I had no problem inferring her age; it seemed quite clear that if she could give orders that briskly and ride as well as she did and get people to listen to her, she was whatever age a woman would be in the AU you were using to be able to pull that off.

The Arabian Horse in Europe, Jane Ross Ewing's Horse Pet Peeves.

Most riding stock, IIRC, regardless of breed--and my head is rusty on this--would have been slightly shorter than riding stock today. Despite what many novels would have you think, 17hh is quite tall. A tall riding horse (everyday riding, not bred-specially-for-an-event) still tends to be 16.2 or under.

I *think*, and don't quote me on this, because my books aren't handy, that most riding stock 200 years ago would have been under 16hh. Arabs (who are now generally overbred and scary-looking) about a hand shorter?

having James purchase Ghost and the second horse he later gives Lucy as a wedding present from a friend who has something of an experimental breeding stable.

This is a great way to deal. Fanwank has taught us well.

Arabs (who are now generally overbred and scary-looking) about a hand shorter?

Everything I came to love about Arabians I learned first in King of the Wind, where a good horse measured equally from withers to nose, and withers to tail.

Thanks, Deb. I was hoping it would work that way.

Thoroughbred Heritage's Foundation Sire section.

Racing sites *are* the best way to get information on the oriental influence on English horseflesh. The breed-specific Arabian sites are head-up-the-ass romantics about it.

Maybe I should change "seventeen-hand hunters" to just "tall hunters" or somesuch. Other than that, I'm happy to say I think I've successfully avoided all of those horse pet peeves. For example, I'm so sick of heroes on big black stallions that no one else can control that I deliberately gave James a 14.2- or 15-hand gray mare that, although fleetfooted and spirited, is good-natured, promiscuous in begging for carrots and sugar lumps, and could be managed by any experienced rider.

Everything I came to love about Arabians I learned first in King of the Wind, where a good horse measured equally from withers to nose, and withers to tail.

My favorite book as a child, that was.

I think mine was probably Twenty Gallant Horses, or Thoroughbred Breeding and Nicking Patterns.

I was (more than I am now), extremely pedantic on the subject of equines, read far more fact than fiction or fictionalized accounts, and would on occasion get into knock-down drag-out brawls as a result.

Hmm. Went to Amazon to look for Tweny Gallant Horses. Three used copies, all ex-library. The "good" copy is $78. The "very good," $177.

Beverly, go bid on this.

[link]

Also, check out [link] which has a copy for as low (!) as $40.00.

Never, ever use Amazon as your sole source for a used book.

No, Betsy is smart about this.(And of course, bunches of other things, too.)