Horse Fever: A Condition of the Heart that Affects the Brain

Dr. William E Jones writes about his early day dealings with horses from his perspective, now in retirement. His interest in horses started at an early age, inspired by Will James stories of cowboys in the West. He went to Wyoming to begin his veterinary practice and was drawn into the local cowboy culture of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly as it pertained to the horse business. Horse traders were a colorful lot during those days and Dr. Jones sought to identify himself with them, in the beginning. Horse trading was exciting and fun, but as he describes those times, it interfered with developing and maintaining a successful ranch veterinary practice. He wondered for years what driving force kept his interest focused on horses. Finally he recognized it as “horse fever.” In this book he defines it as a condition of the heart that affects the brain—meaning that it screws up one’s logical thinking. He discovers that horse fever is not simply wanting to own and ride horses, although it can be that, but it can also be working to improve the welfare of horses. In telling his story, Dr. Jones describes life in the West as it was 40 years ago. He warns that horse fever can be destructive to a person’s financial well-being while at the same time it can be the most important source of a person’s physical and mental well being.