Another updated and revised edition by Dr. Lose, this one of her 1987 classic on the foal's first year.

This book could be subtitled "All the Things that Can Go Wrong with Your Foal". Sensitive readers may find all the pictures of things that have gone wrong with other people's foals upsetting, but knowledge is power, and early recognition of warning signs could save your foal, so take a deep breath and study all the photos and text. There is a large amount of information in this book which will greatly contribute to your education as a horse breeder and foal caretaker.

I found the discussion on crooked legs to be very informative. The author states that most foals have a tendency to either toe in or toe out, and they can, in most normal mild to medium cases be completely straightened with early and frequent corrective rasping which can be undertaken by the owner or the farrier, following the clear instructions in this book. This valuable information, if acted upon in a timely manner, can render your foal straight-legged by weaning time.

If I had any complaint about "Blessed are the Foals" it would be that a lot of the information seemed to have been lifted from "Blessed are the Broodmares", although I suppose that is an inevitable side effect of the fact that the two topics are intimately intertwined. Also, the foal book does not seem to have as many of the author's delightful anecdotes as the broodmare book does.

Blessed are the Foals is definitely worth reading to enhance your knowledge of how to care for and safeguard your foal during that exciting, but sometimes precarious, first year.