By Kim J. Harmon

If the Jumping Jack bronze statue is a bit too expensive (at $275), the First Love wood sculpture with the ivory finish (at $92) is a bit too charming, or the pilsner classes with the pewter horse heads (at $20.95) are a bit too exquisite, there are other options – like the gift of learning – for those horse lovers on your Christmas list

From instructional books to philosophical books, there are many, many ways to explore the world of the equestrian and the examples listed below are only just a few to choose from.

Starting with the instructional, since so many horse lovers are into competitions and shows, there is 101 Arena Exercises: A Ringside Guide For Horse & Rider by Cherry Hill (224 pages, $29.95). It is a ringside exercise book for riders who seek to improve not only their own skills, but those of their horse, as well. Cherry Hill, the author of more than 600 articles on horses and related subjects, demonstrates – through a unique read-and ride format – a variety of drills, from simple skills such as the Working Walk and Jog to the more advanced Two Squares and Flying Change. All the exercises are suitable for both English and Western riders.

Once the reader is done with that volume, he or she can move on to the sequel, also by Cherry Hill: 101 Horsemanship and Equitation Patters: A Western And English Ringside Guide For Practice & Show (224 pages, $29.95).

This offers step-by-step, lesson-by-lesson instructions for the most widely used patterns in Western horsemanship and English Equitation. All the patterns are discussed in beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, and the diagrams easily illustrate the step-by-step parts of each pattern. The author also includes helpful insights for preparing for shows and competitions, and helps riders identify and correct weak pattern performances.

Like 101 Arena Exercises, the sequel is presented in a read-and-ride format to allow for easy reference.

For some people, horses is more than just competitions, shows and pleasure rides – it’s a business. To that end, local author Bonnie Kreitler’s 50 Careers With Horses! From Accountant to Wrangler (193 pages, $26.95) remains the one real source for those people seeking careers in the horse- or horse-related industries.

This book comes chock full of detailed information about career contacts, schools, and scholarships, plus plenty of general salary data unavailable anywhere else. If you want to be an accountant, a lawyer or a sales representative, 50 Careers will help you find out what type of education, what type of experience, and what kind of contacts you are going to need to reach that goal.. Many people who have gone through those steps offer advice, too.

For the younger riders and horse lovers, ages nine to 12, there is Album of Horses (110 pages, $11.99) by Marguerite Henry and illustrated by Wesley Dennis. Readers can discover a wide array of fascinating information on many different breeds from the Arabian and Shetland ponies, to the thoroughbred and Clydesdale. There are better than 20 breeds looked at through pictures and interesting anecdotes. Many questions that have intriqued some horse loves – such as How did the Morgan horse get its name? What are the differences between a Belgian and a Clydesdale? Why are the Byerly Turk, Darley Arabian, and Godolphin Arabian so important? – will be answered.

Marguerite Henry is the award-winning author of the wonderful stories Misty of Chincoteague, King of the Wind, and Brighty of the Grand Canyon.

On a more philosophical bent, there is Some Horse (176 pages, $22.95) by Thomas McGuane. Since the late 1960s, Mr McGuane has explored the American landscape and exposed the American heart through his novels and essays. In Some Horses, he explores – through some fine essays crafted with wit and clear affection – his own relationships to the cutting horses he rides and works with on his Montana ranch. He also looks at the many aspects of horses in which he is involved – from the riding and working to the caring and breeding – and in his essay A Foal, he describes his anxiety as he waits through his favorite mare’s overdue pregnancy.

In another emotionally-charged book, Monty Roberts lets us visit with his beloved horse, Shy Boy, in Shy Boy: The Horse That Came In From The Wild (256 pages, $30). In a gripping, intimate narrative – accompanied by better than 100 photographs – Mr Roberts relives the relationship he had with Shy Boy from the time he encountered the horse in the high desert. This is the same horse that was chronicled in a PBS-aired documentary following a three-day ride across 100 miles of desert.