Horses in the Making

Horses in the Making by Lady Wentworth (1951, George Allen & Unwin) is a classic and deeply influential work on horsemanship, breeding, and the making of fine horses. Written by one of the 20th century’s foremost authorities on the Arabian and thoroughbred horse, the book combines personal experience, careful observation, and decades of breeding knowledge to present a comprehensive guide to raising, training, and understanding horses. The author’s pedigree — as owner of the legendary Crabbet Stud — gives the volume rare authenticity and authority.

Within Horses in the Making, Lady Wentworth explores the essential qualities that distinguish an outstanding horse: conformation, temperament, endurance, and spirit. The text provides practical advice on selection of stock, early handling and breaking in young horses, training techniques, and care — all grounded in the context of breeding for both physical soundness and character. The book’s tone is both disciplined and respectful, reflecting the author’s lifelong dedication to preserving and improving equine bloodlines.

The 1951 edition is richly illustrated with photographs, drawings and diagrams, giving readers a tangible sense of the horses described — their structure, movement, and presence. These visual elements complement the text, making the book equally valuable as a reference and as a collector’s item. For equestrian enthusiasts, historians of horse breeding, or collectors of vintage sporting books, Horses in the Making remains a timeless, authoritative work that captures an era when horseflesh, lineage, and horsemanship were matters of both science and soul.