John Strassburger

About the Book

Strassburger's view has always been that the people who own, train and ride horses don't exist in a vacuum, that they're affected by and have an effect upon the world around them. So The Things I Think Matter Most begins with a 16-chapter section called "We're Not As Isolated As We Think," with such topics as how the end of World War II changed horse sports and the threat from animal-rights activists. The book continues with another 16-chapter section called "The Things I'd Change If I Could," with topics that include horse breeding, safety and amateur competition.

Plus, Strassburger regularly wrote about the critical importance of preserving wildlife habitat and agricultural land, the best of which appear in the section called "It's More Than Fighting The Disney Mouse."

You'll find profound reverence and sorrow in "The Ones I'll Remember Most." And there's a final touch of lyricism and humor in the concluding section, call "In My Own Words."

Says Alan Balch, former president of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, "John's opinions reflect on virtually all the important issues those who love horses have had to face and still face today, a clear mirror of the evolution of our beloved sport."

About the Author

For more than 20 years, as the editor of the respected weekly magazine The Chronicle of the Horse, John Strassburger challenged readers' perceptions on a wide variety of aspects in the horse world. Now, in this special collection of his 75 favorite Commentaries, from 1982 to 2006, you can once again be intrigued by his analysis of the things the people in the horse world do right and wrong.

"Says Nancy Jaffer, America's best-known equestrian journalist, "Horse sports have had few better friends than John, always a thought-provoking crusader for the causes about which he felt most strongly."