HORSE BOOKS-What did you read as a child?

[MintHillFarm]

My favorite were the "Jill" books...Written by Ruby Ferguson, a British author. I read these in the 60's after finding one in the school library. I loved it so much that the librarian let me trade another book for it so I could keep it...
Set in England, the series of books followed Jill, her ponies and friends...Great books, still available at some hard to find specialty stores and on line. I ordered a few of them several years ago to re-read and still love them.
Here is the complete list and year published:
Jill’s Gymkhana, 1947
A Stable for Jill, 1951
Jill Has Two Ponies, 1952
Jill Enjoys Her Ponies, 1954
Jill’s Riding Club, 1956
Rosettes for Jill, 1957
Jill and the Perfect Pony, 1959
Pony Jobs for Jill, 1960
Jill’s Pony Trek, 1962

[Whoop Di Doo]

PONY PALS!

[BAC]

I have some of the Jill books too. My other favorites were The Horsemasters, Pamela and the Blue Mare and The Blue Mare in the Olympics (or Olympic Trials?) as well as the 3 Cammie books, Cammie's Choice, Cammie's Challenge and Cammie's Cousin. When I was really small I "read" the CW Anderson Billy & Blaze books, so beautifully illustrated by the author; I also read Nancy Caffrey's books, Pony Farm, Somebody's Pony, Show Pony, Pony School, all illustrated by Paul Brown. I have bought many of these books used, partly for the wonderful illustrations. That's just a few of my favorites.

[Quinn]

C.W. Anderson :

A filly for Joan
Great heart
Billy and Blaze
A pony in the rumble seat


http://community.webshots.com/user/ballyduff

[Eclectic Horseman]

Walter Farley's "The Black Stallion" series.

All Marguerite Henry's books ("Misty of Chincoteague," etc.)

[Beau Cheval]

Pony Pals, The Saddle Club, and Thoroughbred. And I remember there being books called Pine Hollow, which were when the saddle club was older teenagers, and dealt with slightly more adult things. I want to find those lol.

[CHF]

I remember reading all of the Black Stallion books by Walter Farley over and over again. There was a whole series and I loved them. I also loved the books like King of the Wind, Misty of Chincoteague and I think there was a whole series by Marguerite Henry that I LOVED!

I think I have them somewhere ... I should pull them out and have my kids read them!

[Spud&Saf]

The Saddle Club and the Thoroughbred series! (90s)

[Spud&Saf]

Pony Pals, The Saddle Club, and Thoroughbred. And I remember there being books called Pine Hollow, which were when the saddle club was older teenagers, and dealt with slightly more adult things. I want to find those lol.

If you find them....please let me in on the fun. :yes: I'm still not too old for Stevie, Lisa and Carole.

[seeuatx]

I read Thoroughbred, Saddle Club, a few of the Pine Hollow (but I don't think that series lasted long) and anything by Jean Slaughter Dotty (Monday Horses and The Crumb are in my keeper library). There were a few favs from my school library that I remember titles too, but not author names... Everyday Friends, Flying Changes, Last Junior Year, and Tic Tac.

One book I remember vividly but cannot remember title or author... Girl has a horse named Raz that she took all the way to medal finals. Now horse is lame and she wants to do the right thing by him. Her dad was her trainer but then her mom died and he became an uncaring jerk. Girl gets haunted by teen boy who her dad killed by stringing a trip wire across an atv trail. More teen angsty stuff and then the horse is put down and ghost boy rides him away (and I thought Twilight was strange...).

Oh and another... Book about girl who rescues a horse but it is way too much for her... makes a deal with her dad that they would give it a year. She likes her trainer's son and he is a good rider... trainer and son leave at the end of the book because the trainer's husband was a jerk who hit golfballs at horses. Book goes on for another 100 pages somehow, horse and girl have a lightbulb moment and dad lets her keep it.... yaaay.

Strange that I had forgotten about all of those until just now.

[kateh]

The typical-Marguerite Henry, Walter Farley, Pony Pals, Saddle Club. And Heartland!

I was so horse-crazy I even read this absolutely hideous series about a girl who's simultaneously a world-champion reiner and a Jr Jumper or something insane like that. To top it off, the writer liked to randomly insert Christian teachings. It was something like Higher Flyers or something.

[SmileItLooksGoodOnYou]

The Perfect Distance by Kim Abalon Whitney

[webmistress32]

The Blaze books. C.W. Anderson
Misty and series. Marguarite Henry.
The Black Stallion and series. Walter Farley.
Sam Savitt - an awesome horse illustrator of my childhood.

[seeuatx]

I was so horse-crazy I even read this absolutely hideous series about a girl who's simultaneously a world-champion reiner and a Jr Jumper or something insane like that. To top it off, the writer liked to randomly insert Christian teachings. It was something like Higher Flyers or something.

Haha, I remember those ones.... my mom tried to buy me some from the Bible store, but I never got into it. Even I knew some of it was waaaay too far fetched ;).

[pattnic]

Dark Horse; Summer Pony; Winter Pony; Can I Get There By Candlelight?; Valley of Ponies; King of the Wind; Misty of Chincoteague; Sea Star; Stormy, Misty's Foal; Old Bones; a few of the Saddle Club series, and just about all of the Thoroughbred series.


ETA - I just remembered that I used to have a book about a unicorn that I enjoyed... shoot me the names of some "chapter" books dealing with unicorns that would date no later than the early 90s. I vaguely remember an ogre, I think, and a snotty/grumpy Lady (capitalized intentionally).

[Mayaty02]

I practically devoured the entire Black Stallion series (and still have them complete with my little horse drawings all over them!). as I got a little older, I got heavily into Dick Francis mysteries.....

[hedmbl]

My Friend Flika
Thunderhead
Green Green Grass of Wyoming

King of the Wind (far and away my favorite..I still read that one once a year and I'm 20!)
Most of the Marguerite Henry books, actually.

Smoky the Cow Horse

Black Beauty
Man O'War
Some of the black stallion books

The Thoroughbred books pertaining to jumping.

[Firebug]

Pony Pals, The Saddle Club, and Thoroughbred. And I remember there being books called Pine Hollow, which were when the saddle club was older teenagers, and dealt with slightly more adult things. I want to find those lol.

You can probably find Pine Hollow books on Amazon

[Firebug]

Pine Hollow books

http://www.amazon.com/Pine-Hollow-Books/lm/1WXBCNDV4O0TR

[appychick59]

I practically devoured the entire Black Stallion series (and still have them complete with my little horse drawings all over them!). as I got a little older, I got heavily into Dick Francis mysteries.....


I absolutely adore Dick Francis, I've been reading him since I was a teenager ( bad before electricity) When I was younger of course the obligatory M. Henry King of the Wind was my absolute favorite. I may be a total dork :lol: but I got on that all pedigrees website and traced my little 'ol appy mare (through her TB blood) all the way back to Sham. Another great use of company time.

[MissintheSouth]

Saddle Club, Thoroughbred, Black Stallion series.

Also as a smaller kid I loved "A Very Young Rider." I wore that book out!

[ccoronios]

The Horseman's Encyclopedia (Margaret Cabell Self?); Marguerite Henry; Walter Farley; An Album of Horses (?) - had a story about an old gray horse who'd worked the pole/millstone and was retired - almost died before one day when he happened to hear the noon whistle while standing near a tree - and proceeded to live quite a bit longer, going around and around that tree.

My Friend Flicka; anything I could get my hands on.

[Limerick]

I loved The Monday Horses and The Crumb by Jean Slaughter Doty. I also enjoyed Summer Pony, Winter Pony and Can I Get There By Candlelight. I've actually found them on Alibris and my nine year old has read the last three and seemed to like them. I even wrote a letter to Jean and she wrote back. :) Sam Savitt illustated a few of her books. His books were very enjoyable too and accurate in their stories.

I checked out A Very Young Rider from the library over and over too.

Ponydom.com has a very comprehensive list of equine stories.

[schmoe1]

Very foggy memory of a book with a horse named Mutton Bones or Mutton Chops, but no other concrete details.

[SarahandSam]

"Fly-by-Night" was my favourite horse book as a kid because it was so realistic--muddy and difficult pony rather than the magical "National Velvet" or "Black Stallion" kind of perfect experience. (Not that I didn't like those books too!) All the Marguerite Henry, Walter Farley, CW Anderson and Jean Slaughter Doty books. I loved CW Anderson's illustrations especially--they're what I strive toward when I'm doing sketches of horses. Sam Savitt too. Also a bunch of books whose authors I can't remember... "Dark Sunshine," "Smoky the Cow Horse," "A Horse for XYZ," "Night Cry," and that one with the rose-grey Arabian cutting horse. I believe we established the title and author on that one with a separate thread before, but I can't remember it now and the book is selling for a small fortune on Amazon--wish I still had my copy. (:

I also loved the Saddle Club when it first started and I read a couple of the Thoroughbred series, but I outgrew those fairly early into the series. Though I have been looking everywhere for Saddle Club books now to revisit them. Basically I loved anything in the young adult section of the library that had the little "horse book" sticker on it. d;

[copper1]

I LOVED "Somebody's Pony" one of my very favorites! I remember reading almost all the books mentioned here and especailly loved the ones illustrated by Sam Savitt and Paul Brown! I just bought a couple of Ebay just to have memories: CW Andersons "Afraid to Ride" , "The Summer Pony" are a couple-would love to find more!

[Dinah-do]

I just found "Merrylegs - the Rocking Pony" by Paul Brown. In one of the drawings there is a picture on the wall of a horse that I swear is by Sam Savitt. Love Paul Brown drawings. My all time favourite book is "The Five Circles" - the Olympic story of Cilroy.

[jumpslikeadeer]

My favorite book was this old one of my mom's called Riding Course Summer. I still have it in my bookshelf, even though the pages are crumbling and the cover is ripped off. It's by Pat Leitch, and it's about a bunch of kids in England who teach themselves to ride. I loved it because the little girl in it does not end up with her own pony and all her riding dreams still come true. At the time, I felt as if I would never get my own horse, so this situation seemed more hopeful. :)

[whaat]

I loved Saddle Club and the Throroughbred series. I LOVED Saddle Club and would read the book in one sitting.:D I have the whole series packed away for any children I might have one day.

[Janeway]

Read all the Walter Farley books, even though they got worse as the series went on. The Black Stallion and Man O' War are probably my favourites.

So glad to see someone reference "Old Bones" - I loved that book as a child! I still have it in a box somewhere along with the Misty books.

One of my other favourites is a British book about an orphaned girl riding jumpers and making it to the Horse of the Year show at White City - does that ring a bell with anyone? I can't remember the name, but I read it over and over. Its probably from the 1960's or so as I remember it being old when I read it in the '80's.

Of course the other major horsey book I read as a teen was "Riders" by Jilly Cooper Now that one stuck with me for a long time... it was a real eye opener for many reasons when I read it at 14!!! :winkgrin:

[eqrider1234]

OMG i was ADDICTED to the thoroughbred series, i think i read like... up to 56?? i know they went up to 150 or something ridiculous

Heartland was also a nice series

never read the saddle club, but used to watch it on TV and drive my parents and older siblings crazy

another book called LuckLady was one of my favorites!!

[woodhillsmanhattan]

another vote for the Thoroughbred series, those were AWESOME. Also enjoyed pony pals, saddle club, and loved "The Everything Horse Book" which wasn't actually a fictional horse book but was very kid friendly horsie educational book. Also Misty of Chincoteague was an awesome one, and Mr Friend Flicka

[loni1949]

Most of what's been mentioned and i still have a large box of The Saddle Club and Pine Hallow in my parents attic.

Recently when I need a light travel read I picked up Riding Lessons and Flying Chagnes by Sarah Gruen and Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley.

[Silk]

The Horsemasters
Hobby Horse Hill
Jumping Jack
Fly By Night
Vicki and the Black Horse
Vicki and the Brown Mare
summer Pony
Winter Pony
harlequin Hullabaloo

[ww3467]

Not necessarily a children's book, but when I was a young teenager someone gave me a copy of British showjumper Pat Smythe's autobiography "Jump for Joy". I don't think I've seen it mentioned before on any of these book threads. Does anyone else remember it? I used to read it over and over - it had a lot of great photos in it also. I still have a copy. It looks like she wrote several other books also, but I've never read any of them.

I was also a big C.W. Anderson fan. "Afraid to Ride" was a favorite, as well as the "Billy and Blaze" books when I was younger.

[FlashGordon]

I loved the Thoroughbred series!! And Saddle Club of course.

My favorites though were the CW Anderson books. What gorgeous illustrations. In fact I should start tracking those down and collecting them for little FG....

[Linny]

I had a series about a young girl who owned a racehorse. I don't recall the name of the author but I think that the horse was named Sun Bonnet.

I had a story about a police horse named Trusty.

Ofc ourse I read Farley's "Man O' War" and everything by Margurite Henry and CW Anderson.

[Figment]

What was the beautiful hardcover book with each breed in it? The pics were I think copies of paintings. I remember the lipizzan pic of one with a Spanish guy on it doing airs above the ground. Was that The Album of the Horse? Gorgeous book. Wish I still had it.

[HappyTalk]

My absolute fav was Pidgy's Surprise by Jeanne Mellin. Wonderful illustrations. Another favorite was Bold Venture by DVS Jackson. I was very lucky to find both my copies on e-Bay.

[badawg]

Gads...I would seriously go to the library and find, read and devour ANY book that had ANYTHING to do with horses, fiction or otherwise. This was long before Saddle Club though...but I do remember reading CW Anderson, Anna Sewell, all of Walter Farley's books, Sam Savvitt. I remember a book called " The White Stallions of Lipizza" which told the story of the Lipizzanner Stallions (obviously)...Oh lord, I think I could go on forever. I remember another book, I think it was called "Dark Horse", had to have come out in the mid '80's, but it was one of my faves. I wasn't able to own a horse when I was a kid, so I read all that I could and lived for the rare moments when I could actually get near one. *sniff* Now, I count my blessings every day that I not only have one, but two amazing horses! What a dream!

[Alta]

I had (almost) every Saddle Club book, and I had every Pine Hollow too, although there weren't that many in the series... maybe like 10 or 12? I can't remember. I had a few Thoroughbred books, but I never really liked them. I also had a couple Heartlands and Sandy Lane Stables. Or course I read Misty of Chincoteague and Black Beauty. Shadow Horse by Alison Hart and Willow King by Chris Platt were big ones for me too. I know there were many many other that I can't think of right now!!
Not a kids book, but a good horse book is Riders by Jilly Cooper. I read it last winter and loved it! I guess it is based on a famous big-time showjumper, like Michael Whitaker, but I could never find out for sure! I guess Riders was a TV movie (or series?) in the UK too.

[crackerjack]

I read all the Jill books over and over as a kid - as well as the Jinny and Shantih series. I also read a lot of the Pullein-Thompson sisters books. I loved the book Tic Tac but can't for the life of me remember what it was about! Also enjoyed the Chincoteague books.

[DancingQueen]

OMG I read the Jill books. Need to get them now for a revisit and get lost in the past evening!!!
Thought they were great, she messed up here and there but was always pretty down to earth and fessed up to not being perfect. There was no in your face moral stuff but you kind of wanted to be the person she was in good and bad and handle yourself the way she handled herself.

[RugBug]

Very foggy memory of a book with a horse named Mutton Bones or Mutton Chops, but no other concrete details.

Melody, Mutton Bone and Sam by Lavina R. Davis. GREAT book! She also wrote Hobby Horse Hill, another of my favorites.

What else? Hrmmm...

'A Very Young Rider' is a favorite
Any of the Dorothy Lyons Books (Silver Birch, Midnight Moon, Golden Sovereign, Dark Sunshine, Bright Wampum, Harlequin Hullabaloo(title was later changed to Bluegrass Champion), etc.....I am only missing one in my collection)
The Dragon Series by Lynn Hall
The Bonnie books (A Horse Called Bonnie)
Spurs for Susanna and Spring Comes Riding
All Jean Slaughter Doty books
For Love of a Horse and the sequels (Jinny and Shantih)
The Maguerite Henry Books

I basically read any fiction about horses I could get my hands on.


I recently read A Horse Like Mr. Ragman....so good.

[copper1]

On the day the local 6th graders took a tour of the high school, I was excited beyond words since the hs library was HUGE! By this time I had devoured every horse book in the local library so this was a gold mine! Didn't take long the next year for me to go through all the obvious horse books then I had to do "creative" searching to find more since many titles didn't have a horsey term in them. We were forced to do a book report on a biography which didn't excite me as I was thumbing through the stacks until I found "Jump For Joy"! Then I learned that horse people did have bios! Also discovered "A Girl and 5 Brave Horses" the story of Sonia Carver and the diving horses-"Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken".
I don't think the more modern horse stories are as good as back in the day-those ones seemed more real and possible!
Does anyone remember one about a girl that goes to spend her summer with her country cousins and their horses. Her parents buy her a real fancyhunter but she ends up loving one of the cousin's more backyard type guy, I think hsi name may have been FRosty or something. We all need to spend more time on Ebay to find all these titles!

[867-5309]

I loved the book Tic Tac but can't for the life of me remember what it was about! Also enjoyed the Chincoteague books.

Tic Tac was my favorite. It was about a girl who didn't have the $ to buy a horse, took the bus to the barn and was a working student for the barn owner, he was a Col. and a strict? She began showing, and jumping- the horse had an injury, there were girls with tons of $ and nice horses- the usual- and a great story because in the end she somehow got the horse.

[MintHillFarm]

A great book that he illustrated was "I'll take Cappy". I found that on Amazon too as well as the Jill books.
Another book that is fun, though more recent, is "Show Gypsies"...has anyone read that one??

[MajMeadowMorgans]

If you find them....please let me in on the fun. :yes: I'm still not too old for Stevie, Lisa and Carole.

Amazon.com I found all of them on there. And CHEAP (like .25 per) book! I'm 25 and not too old for Carole, Lisa and Stevie! :D

[BAC]

Melody, Mutton Bone and Sam by Lavina R. Davis. GREAT book! She also wrote Hobby Horse Hill, another of my favorites.

I still have both of these. We were reading all the same books RugBug. :yes:

[Sleepy]

My favorites were the Pat Smythe books about the 3 Jays.

And, of course, Harlequin Hullabaloo. Ever time I got really mad at my trainer, I told him I was going to quit hunters and go get a spotted ASB, preferably 5-gaited. :winkgrin:

[poltroon]

What was the beautiful hardcover book with each breed in it? The pics were I think copies of paintings. I remember the lipizzan pic of one with a Spanish guy on it doing airs above the ground. Was that The Album of the Horse? Gorgeous book. Wish I still had it.

This sounds like Album of Horses, by Marguerite Henry and illustrated by Wesley Dennis. Your library may have a copy, and it is in print again as a softcover from Scholastic. Probably many used copies out there as well.

For anyone looking for titles, we built a long list at http://www.ponydom.com/books/index.html. There's even a way to find only books that are related to hunter/jumpers. :)

And here is the last big long thread for horse fiction in Off Course:
http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=168031

The good news is that there seems to be a recent renaissance in horse books for younger kids. My daughter is devouring two new series, Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa, about a western pair, and Keeker and the Sneaky Pony, an english pair. And there are other series that seem to be going strong as well. I love the old ones, too, and I'm glad that Jean Slaughter Doty's Summer Pony and Winter Pony are back in print. It's fun to systematically read my way through my library's catalog of Horses-fiction. :D

Great horse books for younger kids:
http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=173137

[BAC]

Does anyone remember one about a girl that goes to spend her summer with her country cousins and their horses. Her parents buy her a real fancyhunter but she ends up loving one of the cousin's more backyard type guy, I think hsi name may have been FRosty or something. We all need to spend more time on Ebay to find all these titles!

That is Hobby Horse Hill by Lavinia R. Davis, I still have it.

[BAC]

Not necessarily a children's book, but when I was a young teenager someone gave me a copy of British showjumper Pat Smythe's autobiography "Jump for Joy". I don't think I've seen it mentioned before on any of these book threads. Does anyone else remember it? I used to read it over and over - it had a lot of great photos in it also. I still have a copy. It looks like she wrote several other books also, but I've never read any of them.

I was also a big C.W. Anderson fan. "Afraid to Ride" was a favorite, as well as the "Billy and Blaze" books when I was younger.

I have her Jump for Joy as well as a later book about her horse Flanagan, I think the title is Flanagan My Friend.

For those who like Jean Slaughter Doty, I loved her non-fiction books Pony Care and Horsemanship for Beginners. Both are beautifully illustrated with great photos of kids on their ponies, I used to fantasize about being lucky enough to be one of those kids with their own pony to ride whenever they wanted to.

[akrogirl]

My favorites were the Pat Smythe books about the 3 Jays.

And, of course, Harlequin Hullabaloo. Ever time I got really mad at my trainer, I told him I was going to quit hunters and go get a spotted ASB, preferably 5-gaited. :winkgrin:

Thank goodness someone else has mentioned the Three Jays books, lol. I wish I had kept mine and occasionally check to see if I can find them on-line. Great stories on Pony Club activities etc. by one of the biggest names in the sport. At least I still have my copy of "Flanagan My Friend" :-)

[BAC]

Love Paul Brown drawings.

One of Paul Brown's earliest jobs was drawing the sportswear ads for Brooks Bros. About 5 or 6 years ago I was walking by the store on Madison Avenue and they had several of PB's originals in their storefront windows. :eek: I immediately went inside, as it turns out they were doing a display of his works, the store owns many of his originals and they were scattered throughout the store. I was in heaven walking around and admiring all these wonderful works of art. I spoke with a couple of employees who were working back in the day and they said many of the employees had small drawings that PB had done for them while working there. It was a wonderful experience.

There is a bio about Paul Brown that came out several years ago, it has copies and photos of many of his works, including some that are in color, they are called "aqua-tints" - very lovely and unusual as most of his work was pencil or charcoal, I'm not sure what the correct term is.

[Two Black Cats]

I second "A Very Young Rider" -- plus "The Pony Book" (all about the world of the late Emerson Burr) and "Fit to Show" (how badly did I want to be Francesca Mazella and win BOTH the Medal and Maclay!!!)

[llsc]

Does anyone remember a book about a girl who hides a horse named Highboy in an abandoned stable next to her house? She works to buy his food and doesn't tell her parents about him?

[Lessonlady]

My very favorite was called "Challenger" I don't know who wrote it but I reread it till the pages fell out! Anyone know the author?
Other favorites were:
Harlequin Hullabaloo
The entire Black Stallion Series and the other series...Blood Bay??
Any C.W. Anderson books
Any Marguerite Henry books
Flanagan, my Friend
Cammie's Choice
Dark Horse
Smoky the Cow Horse
Cabin on Ghostly Pond by Margery (or Margaret?) Reynolds
Any books or posters by Sam Savitt
Then, when I got a little older, all the Dick Francis books!

[poltroon]

Does anyone remember a book about a girl who hides a horse named Highboy in an abandoned stable next to her house? She works to buy his food and doesn't tell her parents about him?

This is The Secret Horse, by Marion Holland. I had read it in my 4th grade classroom, then hunted it down a couple of years ago and bought a copy. I still like it. :)

[topcterv]

love dick francis now... but how about "the horse of hurricane hill"...and of course all the black stallion/island stallion...

[appychick59]

Of course the other major horsey book I read as a teen was "Riders" by Jilly Cooper Now that one stuck with me for a long time... it was a real eye opener for many reasons when I read it at 14!!! :winkgrin:


I'm with you there Yikes! I think I read it at about 14 too.:D

[llsc]

This is The Secret Horse, by Marion Holland. I had read it in my 4th grade classroom, then hunted it down a couple of years ago and bought a copy. I still like it. :)

Thank you. I know my daughter would love to read it, but I couldn't remember much about it since I'd read it about 30 years ago.

[SarahandSam]

Thank you. I know my daughter would love to read it, but I couldn't remember much about it since I'd read it about 30 years ago.

I forgot about that book until that description, too... now I'm going to see if I can get a copy. (:

[Pleased_As_Punch]

Keeping Barney by Jessica Haas

I liked it because it was realistic in that the main character go a horse, which had been her dream, but then the horse turns out to be a bit of a character.

http://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Barney-Jessie-Haas/dp/0688158595

[dogontired]

OMG, I can't believe anybody else remembers Afraid to Ride. I still have it around here somewhere..........does the Horse Box by Thelwell count as a "horse book"? It had 4 different Thelwell books in it, including my favorite Angels on Horseback...........

[JGHIRETIRE]

I love the Thelwell Books!!
I read everything by Walter Farley and Marguerite Henry - My Friend Flicka - National Velvet and Black Beauty too.
There was also a show on t.v. about a horse - was that Fury???
I can't remember the writer's name but in the last couple of years she has put out a couple of books - one of the is called Flying Changes. I really liked those too.

[MAD]

Harlequin Hullabaloo (title was later changed to Bluegrass Champion

I remember it as Harlequin Hullabaloo. I loved that book.

[LittleGray]

I love the Thelwell Books!!
I read everything by Walter Farley and Marguerite Henry - My Friend Flicka - National Velvet and Black Beauty too.
There was also a show on t.v. about a horse - was that Fury???
I can't remember the writer's name but in the last couple of years she has put out a couple of books - one of the is called Flying Changes. I really liked those too.


Sara Gruen wrote Flying Changes and Riding Lessons, though I don't remember which one came first. I liked those books.

Does anyone remember the writer that wrote mysteries in the h/j world? I read them when I was a teen, later 90's, I always wondered if she wrote anymore because I loved those books.

I am now also a Dick Francis fan, and it's so cool that theres LOTS and LOTS of books for me to read! Even though there isn't much about horses in most of them, they really pull you in!

[Tamara in TN]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Blaze books. C.W. Anderson
Misty and series. Marguarite Henry.
The Black Stallion and series. Walter Farley.
Sam Savitt - an awesome horse illustrator of my childhood.

ditto...double ditto in fact....there weren't any "series" book that I recall...(we were a pretty poor little mountain county) but we did have about 25 years of the TWH Bluebook...:>

best

[eclipse]

My favorite were the "Jill" books...Written by Ruby Ferguson, a British author. I read these in the 60's after finding one in the school library. I loved it so much that the librarian let me trade another book for it so I could keep it...
Set in England, the series of books followed Jill, her ponies and friends...Great books, still available at some hard to find specialty stores and on line. I ordered a few of them several years ago to re-read and still love them.
Here is the complete list and year published:
Jill’s Gymkhana, 1947
A Stable for Jill, 1951
Jill Has Two Ponies, 1952
Jill Enjoys Her Ponies, 1954
Jill’s Riding Club, 1956
Rosettes for Jill, 1957
Jill and the Perfect Pony, 1959
Pony Jobs for Jill, 1960
Jill’s Pony Trek, 1962

Oh, I LOVED those books too (I grew up in England). I didn't ride but was horse crazy & thought Jill was just amazing! :lol: Now, whenever I re-read them (sigh, yes at 41yrs old) I just think "wow, to be able to learn to jump that quickly and find a barn in your back yard!" :lol: :lol:

[dogontired]

I forgot to add Black Stallion and the Marguerite Henry books. My trainer wanted to know if anybody else remembers "Blaze Finds the Trail"?

[SarahandSam]

I forgot to add Black Stallion and the Marguerite Henry books. My trainer wanted to know if anybody else remembers "Blaze Finds the Trail"?

That was one of the Billy and Blaze books, right? I read all of those. (:

[azadehbd]

I love this post! Between this and the other post about the good old days, I'm getting all nostalgic and I'm just 20! Lol. I read the Billy and Blaze books (my little brothers loved those too!), I was addicted to Thoroughbred (I'd always rave to my mom how realistic it was, because things went wrong, haha), read all of the pony pals books (anyone remember those little trading cards that came in them?), then of course the saddle club. Also, the misty books, justin morgan had a horse, and king of the wind (which I forgot about till now!). Also this other one that was a true story about a girl who had polio as a kid and had to wear a body cast and then adopted a mustang or something? Anyone remember that? :confused:

[poltroon]

Also this other one that was a true story about a girl who had polio as a kid and had to wear a body cast and then adopted a mustang or something? Anyone remember that? :confused:

I suspect this is "Tall and Proud" by Vian Smith.

[lb2005]

Does anyone recall a book about a jumper (I think) named Corinthian (I think). My friend brings this book up occasionally in conversation, and wishes he could find it. Short of calling the Hannibal High School (NY) librarian (and I doubt the one working in 1975 is still there), I don't know what to do.

Corinthian? Show jumper? Ring any bells?

I thought it would be a cool Christmas gift. Hmmm.

[IveGotRhythm]

I swear my (and all my friends) favorite book as a child was Jane Marshall Dillon's "School For Young Riders."

A fictionalized account of a young Kathy Kusner, it had as much adventure as it did fact. We LOVED all the stories in it (and DREAMED of foxhunting like they did in the book) and practiced all the exercises in it.

OH- and we imitated all the photos in it. I can still remember grinning at my girlfriend Theresa saying "Pair jumping minus tack is fun, too!."

[SarahandSam]

I suspect this is "Tall and Proud" by Vian Smith.

Or "Dark Sunshine" by Dorothy Lyons--a girl with polio who finds a buckskin mustang mare trapped in a canyon, gets her out, tames her and takes up endurance riding. (:

[dogontired]

That was one of the Billy and Blaze books, right? I read all of those. (:

I'll have to ask him, I didn't remember the book myself. Of course, he is a couple of years OLDER than I am :winkgrin: (for the record, I'm 48).

Another question: how many of you bought/gave your favorite horse books to your kids/nieces/nephews?

[Blinky]

Does anyone remember this series of books?
Orphaned girl about 12ish that goes to live with her Aunt and Uncle that run a Dude Ranch in either Montana or Wyoming? Think the saddle pony that becomes her favorite is Gypsy.
These would have been out late 70's or early 80's?

Loved the books by Doty and of course who can't forget those Thelwell ponies! Swear I learned to ride on those critters. :)

[Guin]

Or "Dark Sunshine" by Dorothy Lyons--a girl with polio who finds a buckskin mustang mare trapped in a canyon, gets her out, tames her and takes up endurance riding. (:


Dark Sunshine was what inspired me to start competitive trail riding. I hunted down a copy on Ebay a couple of years ago and paid a ridiculous price for it. :)

[Bella'sMom]

All the Misty books (Misty of Chincoteague, Stormy, Misty's Foal etc)
All the Black Stallion books (it seemed so REAL!)
All the Thelwell Books (I still giggle over them)

[Guin]

Does anyone remember one about a girl that goes to spend her summer with her country cousins and their horses. Her parents buy her a real fancyhunter but she ends up loving one of the cousin's more backyard type guy, I think hsi name may have been FRosty or something. We all need to spend more time on Ebay to find all these titles!

This is HOBBY HORSE HILL by Lavinia Davis. LOVED this book. Also paid a nice bit of change to buy a hardcover of it on Ebay!!

[Guin]

Does anyone remember a book about a girl who hides a horse named Highboy in an abandoned stable next to her house? She works to buy his food and doesn't tell her parents about him?


YES! What is the name of it??? Was it something like "Secret Pony" ??/

[Guin]

Does anyone remember this series of books?
Orphaned girl about 12ish that goes to live with her Aunt and Uncle that run a Dude Ranch in either Montana or Wyoming? Think the saddle pony that becomes her favorite is Gypsy.
These would have been out late 70's or early 80's?
:)


Don't recall a book, but that plot sounds exactly like the TV show "Caitlin's Way" that was on Nickleodeon a few years ago.

[IveGotRhythm]

This is HOBBY HORSE HILL by Lavinia Davis. LOVED this book. Also paid a nice bit of change to buy a hardcover of it on Ebay!!

Oh, I HAVE that one!!!

That's so obscure, I didn't think anyone else had read it!

So it's worth $$(not that I would ever sell my copy)?

[lessthan3]

I was addicted to the Thoroughbred series. I stayed devoted well into the 70s (number-wise, not decade, lol), even though I knew they were getting progressively worse.

High Hurdles series - someone may have mentioned it earlier. There were random Christian moments thrown in (at one time the girl is hanging off a cliff and God talks to her? Maybe?) that I mainly just pretended weren't there.She ends up learning to jump on her former police horse. I don't remember there being any reining in it, however.

Pine Hollow, though I never got into the Saddle Club when they were younger characters. There were 17 books in the Pine Hollow series, which I know because book 17 was not at all conclusive and I kept waiting for book 18 :D

Into the Land of the Unicorns, plus sequels.

A Horse Called Toby. I don't particularly remember what it was about, or whether it was at all good. I just know I was super excited because Toby was the main horse and MY favorite horse was named Toby.

[RugBug]

Does anyone remember this series of books?
Orphaned girl about 12ish that goes to live with her Aunt and Uncle that run a Dude Ranch in either Montana or Wyoming? Think the saddle pony that becomes her favorite is Gypsy.
These would have been out late 70's or early 80's

These were:

Gypsy From Nowhere
Gypsy and the Moonstone Stallion
Gypsy and Nimblefoot.

My three came in a little box together.

Other books I haven't seen mentioned yet:

Pounding Hooves
Hold the Rein Free
Danza
The Green-Eyed Stallion
Wild Horse Running
My Friend Krow

It made me sad when I realized the other day that a lot of my 'horsemanship' knowledge came from reading. I didn't have my own horse until I was 32, but my goodness, I learned the signs of colic and that horses will eat themselves to death from The Summer Pony. I also learned not to tie a horse too loose from that book as well. And that a blind eye was considered an unsoundness. So much of my information came from these ficitional books.

I was sad because none of the people at my barn had even heard of most of the books that have been listed here. How can any self-respecting horselover born in the 70s NOT have read The Summer Pony? I just lent my copy to a tween at the barn (under much trepidation and many instructions of how it must be treated) and she LOVED it.

[Kinsella]

...and that one with the rose-grey Arabian cutting horse. I believe we established the title and author on that one with a separate thread before, but I can't remember it now and the book is selling for a small fortune on Amazon--wish I still had my copy. (:

Arabian Cow Horse!! I love that book! And man, has this thread taken me back! Summer Pony & Winter Pony, Harlequin Hullabaloo... Gypsy and Nimblefoot.... Sigh...

[copper1]

Don't you all wonder what happened to all those books that our libraries had? There is a book stall that goes to some of our shows that sells some oldies. I like to browse and reminisce!
HObby Horse Hill-now I remember the title-thanks!
Anyone remember one called the Golden Mare about a Saddlebred who was 5 gaited but also foxhunted? Horses in those days could do anything and do it well!
How about a series set in Idaho or somewhere about ranch kids and wild horses and one became a champion roping horse. The ranch was called Tack (as in nail)? I beleive the author was Glenn Balch who wrote a lot of horse stories. Another fun series was the Mountain Pony and all of his adventures and another about the pony, Windyfoot, set in New England? Jeeze, this thread is really bringing back long supresse memories! Fun!

[SarahandSam]

I really want to read Summer and Winter Pony again now... I loved both of them. Pony was named Mokey, right? I also remember learning so much about horses from fictional books; this may or may not have been a good thing. Then again, I didn't get much interaction with real horses when I was a kid, so I had my imaginary stable instead. (:

[HorsesinHaiti]

YES! What is the name of it??? Was it something like "Secret Pony" ??/

Secret Pony is a different book - the Pony was Lancelot (according to Amazon). Highboy must have been in The Secret Horse by marion Holland. I liked that one too.

[HorsesinHaiti]

Quote:
Originally Posted by llsc
Does anyone remember a book about a girl who hides a horse named Highboy in an abandoned stable next to her house? She works to buy his food and doesn't tell her parents about him?



This is The Secret Horse, by Marion Holland. I had read it in my 4th grade classroom, then hunted it down a couple of years ago and bought a copy. I still like it. :)


Already answered on a previous page. I guess a bunch of us liked that one.

[glfprncs]

As a tween, I absolutely LOVED C.W. Anderson's "Afraid to Ride." I think I checked it out from the library at least once a month to reread. The illustrations in it were stunning as well.

I remember one of those "Gypsy" books, and in the book is a description (at least I think it was one of the Gypsy series) where Gypsy is in a horse trailer with another horse and the floor breaks through where the other horse is standing. The book describes in agonizing detail what was going through the horse's mind as his hoof was dragging along the pavement for hours. Anyone else remember that? It obviously made an impression that I remember the agony the horse went through.

Love, love, loved Will James', "Big Enough." I also believe he wrote "Smokey the Cow Horse."

Finally, I have a copy of a novel titled, "Little Vic," about a racehorse and a young African American boy who dreams of becoming a jockey. The horse, Little Vic, is deemed too small to be successful, and the boy chastised for even considering being a jockey because of his race. They find one another near the end of the story and race together in the Santa Anita Derby (I think).

[akrogirl]

I just remembered another series I loved to read - the Silver Brumby books by Elyne Mitchell, which are about wild horses in Australia.

[poltroon]

I really want to read Summer and Winter Pony again now... I loved both of them. Pony was named Mokey, right? I also remember learning so much about horses from fictional books; this may or may not have been a good thing. Then again, I didn't get much interaction with real horses when I was a kid, so I had my imaginary stable instead. (:

Yes, the pony was named Mokey - and I'm so glad that these are back in print and being promoted as beginning chapter books to a new generation of readers (and hopefully riders).

[BAC]

Does anyone recall a book about a jumper (I think) named Corinthian (I think). My friend brings this book up occasionally in conversation, and wishes he could find it. Short of calling the Hannibal High School (NY) librarian (and I doubt the one working in 1975 is still there), I don't know what to do.

Corinthian? Show jumper? Ring any bells?

I thought it would be a cool Christmas gift. Hmmm.

There is a horse named Corinthian in the book Cammie's Choice by Jane McIlvaine.

[BAC]

I forgot to add Black Stallion and the Marguerite Henry books. My trainer wanted to know if anybody else remembers "Blaze Finds the Trail"?


I remember Blaze Find the Trail, I still have the copy from my first grade classroom so its about 50 years old. :eek: The school copy got a bit water damaged and I insisted on my mother buying a brand new copy to replace it. I've collected several other Billy and Blaze books over the years, as well as others by CW Anderson, A Pony for Linda being one of my very favorites of his.

[Room 31]

This thread is simply wonderful and bringing back so many memories!
Does anyone remember the Foxhall Academy series about girls at boarding school who rode?

[ferrispony]

I can't believe that others remember Hobby Horse Hill. I wanted to find that farm in CT and live there! I still have it and passed it on to my 12-year old daughter. Tall and Proud was another good one -- it was set in England and the girl got polio from playing in a stream. There's another one that I read and re-read and can't remember the name of -- the girl is horse crazy, but her parents don't have much money. She and her little brother Ned (why can I remember his name and not hers?!) buy an old neglected wreck of a horse. Her parents let her keep it and she teaches herself to ride and then to jump. She is new to the town and all the kids are mean to her and make fun of her horse. Spring comes, the horse sheds out and is beautiful. She decides to enter him in a "fancy local hunter show" where she is about to be disqualified for riding in a McLellan army saddle. Someone lends her a saddle and she wins the class. Anyone remember this one?

[riverbell93]

The Black Stallion books, almost all of which are wonderful. I admit, the last 3were not up to the standard, but that happened with a lot of children's authors from the first half of the 20th century who tried to make their writing style 'relevant' during the 1960's and 1970's. They got pressured out of their comfort zone by oblivious publishers, and their books didn't gel. I read that series to pieces, and stumbled across truly beautiful hardback copies with jackets at a yard sale a few years ago - utterly gorgeous jackets, vivid deep colors and great horses that look real before they look epic. The latest paperback edition in stores have hideous illustrations - like something from the fantasy shelves.

Two that haven't been mentioned: "A Morgan For Melinda" by the same woman who wrote "Little Vic." One of those horrifying books where the little protaganist doesn't WANT a horse but has one thrust upon her. I didn't like the heroine, but I loved the horses, all Morgans and described deliciously.

"Blueberry" by Helga Sandburg, Carl's daughter. About a farm girl who gets her heart's desire in a blue roan mare and has that sort of intense, child-centric summer that doesn't seem to figure in books anymore, the sort where part of the time the heroine's trying to prove herself to her dad by being responsible with her chores, and the other half she's hanging out in a cave by the creek training her horse to bow.

"Spurs For Suzanna" by Betty Cavanna. For everyone who liked Hobbyhorse Hill, this is nearly identical - a girl visits a farm family, is intimidated by the very different lifestyle and as she's pretty much dismissed as a sissy by the rough-and-tumble kids, has to prove herself.

Don't you all wonder what happened to all those books that our libraries had?

Weeding. Librarian shorthand for "evicting everything over 5 years old that didn't win a Newberry and replacing it with another Harry Potter ripoff." Scandalous. How do horse-crazy kids get their fix? Those series like "Thoroughbred" are of much lower quality than the older books.

I had a series about a young girl who owned a racehorse. I don't recall the name of the author but I think that the horse was named Sun Bonnet.

I can't remember the author right off the top of my head, but I remember those books - Sweet Running Filly was another one.

[RugBug]

"Spurs For Suzanna" by Betty Cavanna. For everyone who liked Hobbyhorse Hill, this is nearly identical - a girl visits a farm family, is intimidated by the very different lifestyle and as she's pretty much dismissed as a sissy by the rough-and-tumble kids, has to prove herself.

"Spring Comes Riding" by Betty Cavanna was a favorite of mine. I've got both in my collection.



Weeding. Librarian shorthand for "evicting everything over 5 years old that didn't win a Newberry and replacing it with another Harry Potter ripoff." Scandalous. How do horse-crazy kids get their fix? Those series like "Thoroughbred" are of much lower quality than the older books.

And this is how people like you and me end up with these books. I have all of the Dorothy Lyons books (I checked...I DO have them all) due to discards. I've got the Lavinia R. Davis (Hobby Horse Hill and Melody, Mutton Bone and Sam) as discards. Etc. I do feel bad for the horse crazy kids of today, though. IMO, The Saddle Club just doesn't measure up.


[quote}
I can't remember the author right off the top of my head, but I remember those books - Sweet Running Filly was another one.[/quote]

I think this is "A Horse called Bonnie" There were four others: The Betrayal of Bonnie, Bonnie and the Haunted Farm and Sunbonnet, filly of the year, and the Sweet Running Filly.

[dogontired]

That was one of the Billy and Blaze books, right? I read all of those. (:


asked Jeff, and sure enough, it was the Billy and Blaze books. I don't remember those, may have to go check them out!

[ww3467]

C.W. Anderson also wrote a book on horsemanship titled "Heads Up - Heels Down". I still have a copy, although the cover is long gone. Lots of great information which is still true today (although the book was originally published in 1944), and of course his usual beautiful illustrations. Anyone else remember that one?

[Tackpud]

Some really oldies, but goodies:

Hundred Horse Farm
High Hurdles - Francis Duncombe
Jumping Jack
The Blind Connemara
Cammie's Choice, Cammie's Challenge, Cammie's Cousin
Cintra's Challenge
Afraid to Ride
Harlequin Hullabaloo
Dream Pony For Robin - wasn't there another one with Robin?
A Horse Called Bonnie, Sunbonnet and Sweet Running Filly
Fly By Night
A Girl and Five Brave Horses
All the Walter Farley books - loved Man O War!
National Velvet
International Velvet
All of Marguerite Henry's books


Others are sitting on by bookshelf and I just can't remember them all! I have tried to re-collect all that I read when I was younger...

[Tackpud]

C.W. Anderson also wrote a book on horsemanship titled "Heads Up - Heels Down". I still have a copy, although the cover is long gone. Lots of great information which is still true today (although the book was originally published in 1944), and of course his usual beautiful illustrations. Anyone else remember that one?

Yup - still have that one too!

[MintHillFarm]

I had been wracking my brain - Afraid to Ride! Thank you.

[Janet]

Some others
The Little White Horse
Riders from Afar

[swgarasu]

Some really oldies, but goodies:


Dream Pony For Robin - wasn't there another one with Robin?


Others are sitting on by bookshelf and I just can't remember them all! I have tried to re-collect all that I read when I was younger...

"Big Jump for Robin" ^_^


Other good ones-

A Horse like Mr. Ragman
Working Trot
The Fields of Praise
For Love of a Horse
Smoke Rings
Show Ring Rogue
Horsepower
Loco the Bronc
Diving Horse
Everyday Friends
The Team

[BAC]

"Big Jump for Robin" ^_^


Other good ones-

Smoke Rings


Big Jump for Robin, beautifully illustrated by Sam Savitt. I paid a lot of money for my copy of Smoke Rings, that one and Java Jive (both by Dorothy Lyons) are hard to find so quite expensive.

[BAC]

C.W. Anderson also wrote a book on horsemanship titled "Heads Up - Heels Down". I still have a copy, although the cover is long gone. Lots of great information which is still true today (although the book was originally published in 1944), and of course his usual beautiful illustrations. Anyone else remember that one?

CW Anderson wrote a ton of books, I keep buying them for his illustrations, what a great talent he was. His pictures seem so alive, I am expecting the horses to just trot right out of the pages. Paul Brown's are the same way IMO, even the tack is so realistic I want to hop on and ride.

[riverbell93]

[QUOTE=RugBug;3660082And this is how people like you and me end up with these books. I have all of the Dorothy Lyons books (I checked...I DO have them all) due to discards.[/QUOTE]

:lol: True. I also have several Lyons books straight from the library booksale. Half the time, my library doesn't even bother to sell old children's books, just sticks them on a shelf with a "Free" sign. Undeniably lucky for me, but it kind of sticks in the craw to see fine children's books being given away alongside outdated science texts, as if fiction could be rendered useless with age.

[RugBug]

I paid a lot of money for my copy of Smoke Rings, that one and Java Jive (both by Dorothy Lyons) are hard to find so quite expensive.


And to think I just bought ANOTHER copy of Smoke Rings (but only paid $44 for it). I thought I didn't have it but somewhere along the line I must've purchased it. Java Jive took some time to find and I think I've conveniently forgotten how much I paid...but I did get a nice copy with a great dust jacket still in place (it's hard to find any of them with the dust jackets).

I paid $100 for Silver Birch. It was the only one I had never read as a kid...could never seem to get my hands on it.

Here's the complete list of Dorothy Lyons books (for those that care):

Silver Birch (1939)
Midnight Moon(1941)
Golden Sovereign(1946)
Red Embers (1948)
Bluegrass Champion/Harlequin Hullabaloo (1949)
Dark Sunshine (1951)
Copper Khan (1952)
Blue Smoke (1953)
Java Jive (1955)
Bright Wampum (1958)
Smoke Rings (1960)
Pedigree Unknown (1973)

I just did a little checking and collectible copies go for around $275. If I had that kind of money...I'd be hunting down collectible copies.

[poltroon]

On weeding... it's easy to be critical, but as part of our parent group for our school, I've become more aware of the constraints that librarians work with. They have only so much shelf and storage space, and patrons want to be able to read new and recent books, both fiction and non-fiction. Most library systems have reached this equilibrium and must discard a book for every book that they buy.

If you want to make sure that those old wonderful horse books stay in your library's collection, check them out. Librarians will generally not weed a book that is being regularly circulated.

I'm happy to report that while they may be down to one copy for the three-county area, my library system is full of the wonderful old horse books that come up in these threads.

[mrs.smith]

Three of my favorites:

Casey Jones Rides Vanity- Can barely remember the plot. Any ideas?
Sun Dust, Devil Horse
Lucky Star

[Nix]

Everyone is bringing back such great memories for me! I miss all my old books...

There's one that I remember but just can't put my finger on what it was. No idea of the author or title but it was about a young girl that owned a horse/pony and one day a "ghost" horse/pony appeared in the stable. It was about the relationship with the ghost. He was either black or gray and it was quite a mysterious and curious story. I'm guessing it was written in the late 70s or early 80s? I'll try to remember the horse's name...

[Nix]

FOUND IT!!!

The Mystery of Pony Hollow by Lynn Hall

The pony's name was Oberon. I think I wore this book out it was SO darn good!


Product Description
Sarah Elgin doesn't believe in ghosts--until she explores her family's new farm and hears a frantic whinnying from an empty old stone house. Determined to rescue the animal trapped inside, Sarah breaks open the door and is shocked to find a dusty old pony skeleton instead. What was making that noise? As Sarah searches for the answer to this haunting question, she uncovers an old secret and discovers that not every mystery has an earthly explanation.

From the Inside Flap
Sarah Elgin doesn't believe in ghosts--until she explores her family's new farm and hears a frantic whinnying from an empty old stone house. Determined to rescue the animal trapped inside, Sarah breaks open the door and is shocked to find a dusty old pony skeleton instead. What was making that noise? As Sarah searches for the answer to this haunting question, she uncovers an old secret and discovers that not every mystery has an earthly explanation.

[MintHillFarm]

Off Exclusively Equine.com - A new book for us all! "Beautifully illustrated and written for the young and young-at-heart, Skipingo Home is the true story of a racehorse who is reunited with the people who raised him and who give him a chance at a new career after a failed attempt to become a champion racehorse like his famous brother, Skip Away."

[copper1]

I went to a local antique store a couple of weeks ago and they had a bunch of older books there. None we any of our old favorites but I am thinking we all should start haunting those stores and see what we can turn up!
When my grandfather died in 1976, I was left a lovely old book about hunting in the English shires. Since my GF was not a horseman, it was a nice surprise to get it. Think any of your GP's may have some great treasures in their book shelves?

[The Big Bay Mare]

I was so horse-crazy I even read this absolutely hideous series about a girl who's simultaneously a world-champion reiner and a Jr Jumper or something insane like that. To top it off, the writer liked to randomly insert Christian teachings. It was something like Higher Flyers or something.

OMG, I Remember that series! The main character was DJ Randall and her horse was Major.. I absolutely loved that series. I remember she went from REALLYREALLYREALLY wanting to learn to jump in the first book, and by the third she was competing in the jumpers at some ridiculously high height. Hahah I loved it.

Did anyone ever read The Perfect Distance by Kim Ablon Whitney? I can't find my copy or else I would totally read it again.. like 5 more times. :D It's about this hispanic girl who's father is the head groom at this Big Name Barn and she has to work really hard at the barn to take lessons from this Big Name Trainer and she rides the hardest horse in the barn in the Medals and the whole story takes place around the Maclay.. it's really cool, and realistic. I think the author actually rode in the Maclay at some point, so it's legit. None of that Pony Pals sappy stuff (although I did love the pony pals!)
Here's the link to the cover:
http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Distance-Kim-Ablon-Whitney/dp/0375832432
You have to read that book!

Seriously, you have to buy this book!

[freckles]

I, too, loved "Afraid to Ride", but my favorite was "Blue Mare in the Olympic Trials". I've looked in every antique store for a copy, but never found one.

[J. Turner]

Every Black Stallion book
Every C. W. Andersen book (The Blind Connemara was my first longer book besides the Blaze series.)
- I loved A Filly for Joan and the one about the steeplechaser who had to be reconvinced to jump with carrots - pre-clicker training
Vicki and the Black Horse
Vicki and the Brown Mare
Winter Pony
Summer Pony
All of Marguerite Henry's books

I have a very old (well '30s maybe?) called "The White Pony in the Hills," which I loved. It was about a very cute, sensible grey/white Shetland pony named Greylight and his girl.

Working Trot
Prarie Lady
The Pony Problem (a Scholastic Book Fair number about a girl who lives in a subdivision and wins a pony out of girls' magazine for naming it and thus has to find a place to keep it other than her front yard)

I had a lot of short story compliations some of which had excerpts of longer stories, some short stories. I remember a short story called "If Wishes Were Horses." And there was another one about two rival sisters who rode saddle seat and lived on an army base where their father was a colonel or something.
Little Vic
C'mon Seabiscuit!
A Horse Called Summer (surprisingly juvenile illustrations)
National Velvet
International Velvet
My Friend Flika
Thunderhead
Green Green Grass of Wyoming (loved the romance in that and still love the name Kenny)
The Horsemasters
vaguely remember Fly-By-Night, but not sure
think I remember the Gypsy books
some series with a boy as the main character and a dapple grey pony named Cloudy or Stormy?



Is anyone else geeky enough to remember the Dewey Decimal codes for horses and riding?
636.6 and 798.8 I still can go straight to them in the library!

Non-fiction
Young Rider and First Pony
Show Pony
A Very Young Rider (of course)

[BlueBobRadar]

Lots! Of course, I'm still 15, so I'm still reading them all.

-Billy & Blaze
-Anything by M. O'Henry, Jean Slaughter Doty and Dorothy Lyons
-The Black Stallion Books
-National & International Velvet
-Pony Pals
-Saddle Club
-Thouroughbred series
-The Judge & the Junior Exhibitor by Eric Hatch
-The Horse Show by Pat Johnson
-A Very Young Rider
-The Perfect Distance
-Show Rider by Lynn Haney
-El Blanco-The Legend of the White Stallion
-The Wild Arabian
-The Ghost Pony/The Mystery of Pony Hollow (2 diff. titles)
-The Horse Lovers Handbook
-Casey the Utterly Impossible Horse
-Take Care of Dexter (or "Dexter")
-Lost Pony or "Somebody's Pony"
-Basil & Maggie!!! I love this book!!!
-The Horse that Brings the Milk Around
-Bonnie Bess the Weathervane Horse

Sorry, but I love to read so I went looking for my favorites! There are many more, I'm sure. I love old horse books!! Just curious, Show Rider was about a junior rider in the 1980's, kind of like A Very Young Rider, who showed in Junior Hunters and was starting to show in the Big Eq. She had a chestnut named Cinema 1 and by the end of the book she moved to Joy Farms to ride with ride w/ Rita Tempanaro(sp?). I looked back through the book because I was wondering if anyone knew how she ended up doing in the rest of her junior career. Wow that was looooong! Sorry;)

[just_me]

Blaze and Billy
all The Black Stallion books
My Friend Flicka
Thunderhead
National Velvet
Black Beauty
Airs Above the Ground
Don't remember the name, but it was about Man O' War
and anything else that had a horse in it.

I didn't ride as a kid, but I read every book in the public library about riding. When I started riding as an adult, I already knew in theory what I was supposed to do. I knew about posting, diagonals, leads, and the aids you use to get the desired result. Made my first riding instructor's life a lot easier. :lol:

[Blinky]

So many good memories of reading all these books I'd forgotton about!

What is out there that is current?

[Jumphigh83]

"The Three Little Horses at the King's Palace"...read it til it fell apart...got so nostalgic for the book I ordered it from Amazon Books today....Copyright 1959..can't wait to get it and go back several zillion years!:):)

[Roxy SM]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned the Windy Foot books!
I grew up in the Pony Pals/Thoroughbred/Saddle Club era, but my elementary school's and public library's horsey book collections were generations old so instead I read Windy Foot, Summer & Winter Pony, The Mystery of Pony Hollow, Old Bones, Can I Get There by Candelight?, the books about Crumb, A Very Young Rider, etc etc etc. I read them over and over and over again.

Also, I believe one poster said she traded a book of her own for a horsey book from the library. How honest of you! My high school had this awesome book about show jumping from 1975. It had photos and descriptions of all the current top horses and riders of the time, detailed course diagrams of big competitions like World Championships, and in the back it had all the results of the Olympics, Nations Cups, and major championships since they started. It was such an awesome book, and nobody except me had taken it out since like back in the 80s, so I asked the librarian if I could buy it from the library, and she said they weren't allowed to sell them. So one day I was in there with my binder and some textbooks from classes, and just added the book to my pile, walked out, and never brought it back! I doubt they miss it/probably don't even know it's gone.

[poltroon]

So many good memories of reading all these books I'd forgotton about!

What is out there that is current?

My daughter loves Keeker and the Sneaky Pony, which is a beginning chapter book series, but quite funny and true to life. I like them too.

[copper1]

I DID mention Windyfoot!
I was checking out books on Ebay and some of our favorites were on there for some major money!
I have another very old book(30's) called "Skags the Milk Horse" my uncle had won it as reading prize way back then and I have read it and treasured it for many years!

[Spud&Saf]

I am so excited about all of this good news! This is making my day! Hurray for Coobie and LSM!

MK - you must let us know what antics your horse pulls during the free lunge.

Ok, well I'm feeling like today will be a good day. Mr. Lazy Hunter has his new cushy runners on, so hopefully he will come out ok today. Can't wait for work to be over :yes:.

[PaintPony]

I went to an online bookseller a few years ago and bought the following books that I used to read as a kid. I probably paid a few dollars each for them.

Everyday Friends
Ride a Proud Horse
Dark Horse
Last Junior Year

Also, does anyone remember The Short Stirrup Club series? And there was also a series about 4 girls at a boarding school - anyone remember the name. It think these are boxed away in my mom's attic somewhere. :)

[MintHillFarm]

Freckles: if you want "Blue Mare in the Olympic Trials" , it is on Amazon; not cheap, $125.00!

ALSO: Does anyone remember the book that had a horse named Sir Summer Salt in it?

[just_me]

I recently bought two old paperbacks at a library's used book sale:

Little Vic
Tall and Proud

[merrygoround]

Will James, and more Will James!!!! My mother was positive I'd grow up speaking as he wrote. :lol:

Misty of Chincoteague. Every Black Stallion I could get my hands on, My Friend Flicka, Thunderhead, and that whole series by Mary O'Hara.

And Lassie , too, of course.

[I'm Dreamin]

Pamela and the Blue Mare - Alice O'Connell I think
Blue Mare and the Olympic Trials
Challenger _ Patsey Grey I think - about getting to and competing in medal finals
Jump Shy
Horse Show Hurdles

[I'm Dreamin]

AbeBooks.com has Pamela and the Blue Mare for $195. Guess we should have held on to those books!!

[BAC]

Pamela and the Blue Mare - Alice O'Connell I think
Blue Mare and the Olympic Trials

My most favorites, I loved all the specific details about training, etc. I bought both books about 10 years ago and they were quite expensive although in beautiful condition, one even has a perfect cover too.

[diKecnadnuS]

Bumble and Me and Billy and Blaze were my favorites. Weren't there multiple Billy and Blaze books?

[Tackpud]

My high school had this awesome book about show jumping from 1975. It had photos and descriptions of all the current top horses and riders of the time, detailed course diagrams of big competitions like World Championships, and in the back it had all the results of the Olympics, Nations Cups, and major championships since they started. It was such an awesome book, and nobody except me had taken it out since like back in the 80s, so I asked the librarian if I could buy it from the library, and she said they weren't allowed to sell them. So one day I was in there with my binder and some textbooks from classes, and just added the book to my pile, walked out, and never brought it back! I doubt they miss it/probably don't even know it's gone.

I still have that book in my house!!

Another couple:

Kentucky Derby Winner
Golden Lady - about a saddlebred if I remember right
Eventing in Focus
To Win the Hunt

And of course I have a couple of copies of Commonsense Horsemanship!

[riverbell93]

More books:
Me And The Colonel - John Chambers
The Ponies Of Myka... (unspellable Icelandic name)
Scarlet Royal - Anne Emery
A Horse Called Mystery - Marjorie Reynolds
A Horse Of Her Own - Selma Hudnut
Darkling - K.M. Peyton
For Love of A Horse - Patricia Leitch
Hold The Rein Free - Judy Van der Veer
The Grey Mare's Colts - Judy Van der Veer
Nicki & Wynne - Barbara Morgenroth
Pony Girl - Janet Randall

There are a couple I can't recall the titles - in one, a girl wins a pony in a contest and finds a place for it to live in a nearby falling-down farm; very 1970's, with a somewhat freespirited mother and us-v-the-conformists attitude, and a cover of a gorgeous chocolate palomino pony. In the other, English, a 20-something in her first job goes to buy a first horse and impulsively pity-buys a broken-down racehorse, who turns out to be in foal.

[ferrispony]

Hi, im Ferrispony's daughter! I am on her account (with permission! :D).I have red so many of those books! At the library last year I found a "Justin Morgan" Margurite Henry book. I was old, and a hard cover. When I went to take it out, it wouldn't scan, and someone had stamped "DISCARDED" on it and ruined the scanner bar. The lady said I could take it out anyway. When I returned it, they told me to keep it cause they didn't want it:eek:! Slowly all of those books have been disapearing:cry:. I have to special order them now. I always check the 25 cent discard bin and sometimes I find them:sadsmile:. I have lots.

[ferrispony]

Opps, I mean "It was old", not I was :lol:

[SarahandSam]

Okay, I have glimmers in my head of two books I read when younger and was wondering if anyone can patch them together into the titles. (:

One involved a chestnut Arab mare with a wide blaze; I believe there was something about a trailer accident, she got loose, no one could catch her, teenage girl tames her, etc. I think the book was British; I might vaguely remember the mare being called Gypsy or something like that, but that could be an unrelated memory.

Another had a girl who got a compound fracture at some point, in her arm, I believe; I just remember a grisly description of bone sticking through. She had to ride a horse for help cross country and over a bunch of fences. I don't know if she had the injury and was scared by it, or if her friend broke the arm and the girl was riding for help for her, but I remember the jumping for help at the end, and the broken arm. (Maybe it was a collarbone. My mind is like a sieve...)

I think I'm going to start collecting these books... I miss all my old ones and really need to go raid my parents' attic at some point to see if I have any left, since apparently they're all worth a small fortune now. (:

[dbtoo]

Scarlet Royal
Windy Foot
Horse Show Fever
All of Walter Farley's. I still have my copy of Man O'War
The Horseman's Bible by Jack Coggins. I read that book SO many times
Smoke Rings, Golden Sovereign, Bluegrass Champion,etc.
Hold the Reins Free
Sports Illustrated's Book of Horsemanship
Any book that had a little horse head on the spine :)

I also read a a two book series. The second was entitled "Fantasia" or something like that. Fantasia was a very loud Leopard appy filly whose coloring saved the herd in a blinding snow storm. Any one else know what I'm talking about?

[Dawnd]

The Blind Connemara!

[riverbell93]

One involved a chestnut Arab mare with a wide blaze; I believe there was something about a trailer accident, she got loose, no one could catch her, teenage girl tames her, etc. I think the book was British; I might vaguely remember the mare being called Gypsy or something like that, but that could be an unrelated memory.

In "For Love of A Horse" by Patricia Leitch, our heroine gets the horse of her dreams when a trailer accident releases an Arab mare (later named Shantih) onto the moor, where she subsquently runs wild with a herd of Highland ponies. Girl has to track the horse down and tame it with the assistance of a helpful blizzard. The mare is initially seen in a Brutal Circus (book is highly, highly socially aware and conscious and sorta tedious) where her name is different, don't recall if it was Gypsy) Very, very British, it was available in the US through Scholastic's school book sales in the 1980s, but the host of sequels by Leitch are pretty much impossible to find in America.

[Windsor1]

The mare is initially seen in a Brutal Circus (book is highly, highly socially aware and conscious and sorta tedious) where her name is different, don't recall if it was Gypsy)

Her name was "Yasmin" in the circus, but Ginny renames her "Shantih."

[debsinsb]

All these names from the past!

One book I have and re-read is called "Something to Jump For"
I think it's from England, that's where the story is set anyway. It's about a girl and her sister that own a riding school. She has a young horse to start for someone, finds out how talented she is, and wants to buy her...but can't afford it.

I wish I still had some of the books that are mentioned!!:no:

[poltroon]

In "For Love of A Horse" by Patricia Leitch, our heroine gets the horse of her dreams when a trailer accident releases an Arab mare (later named Shantih) onto the moor, where she subsquently runs wild with a herd of Highland ponies. Girl has to track the horse down and tame it with the assistance of a helpful blizzard. The mare is initially seen in a Brutal Circus (book is highly, highly socially aware and conscious and sorta tedious) where her name is different, don't recall if it was Gypsy) Very, very British, it was available in the US through Scholastic's school book sales in the 1980s, but the host of sequels by Leitch are pretty much impossible to find in America.

I loved this book, read it again and again as a child, and I've enjoyed the sequels as an adult (which were not published in the US). One of the things I like best about it is despite Jinny's undying love and devotion to Shantih, she is still fairly beastly to ride and Jinny is frequently in over her head. Finnmory has left an indelible mark in my mind as well.

[heelgirl4381]

Definitely the Saddle Club. There is a TV show that comes on now. Sometimes I find myself watching it and my husband gives me weird looks (I am 27 now! haha) It is just nostalgic. I also loved all the Marguerite Henry books. My parents took me to Chincoteague when I was about 8 years old. I was a little traumatized when I saw Misty stuffed in a museum!!! But Stormy was still alive and it was neat to meet her. There was another series that was like Sweet Valley High with horses. It was more "grown-up" than the Saddle Club. I cannot remember the name but there was a girl named Dara that had a gray named Arpeggio and I swore some day I would own a gray and name him that! Ahh.....to be a kid again; that means my parents would still being paying for my horse habit :D

[MintHillFarm]

Hanover's Wishing Star....did anyone else read this true story??:) I went on line and purchased it last year for a re-read...great book still!

[BAC]

Hanover's Wishing Star....did anyone else read this true story??:) I went on line and purchased it last year for a re-read...great book still!

Not only did I read it, I wrote to Karen Ann and received several autographed pictures of her and Star, which I still have. I still have the book too. This was in the early or mid 1960s and Karen Ann was now a young woman but she was very gracious and friendly. I don't know what happened to the letters she sent me but her photos have little notes written on them and he is wearing the same bridle with the houndstooth/checkerboard browband that he wore in the book and she is wearing the matching houndstooth riding jacket that is on the back of the book jacket. :yes:

[icy98ach]

All Marguerite Henry's books ("Misty of Chincoteague," etc.)

Ditto

[smay]

... is "War Horse" by Michael Morpurgo. It's a kid-friendly story about a horse "drafted" into service in World War I and reunited with his young owner at the very end of the book...kind of ala Black Beauty. Dramatic and a quick read for kids.

[N2Equus]

When I was really little I used to have a book that I carried around all the time. Does anyone remember the "Little Black" series. "Little Black, A Pony" and "Little Black goes to the Circus." There were a few others.

When my daughter had her 12 hand pony and was getting good enough to ride our 15.2 hand QH, I remember her pony looking through the fence rails at her riding that big red horse and it reminded me of that book. When I told my daughter the story she thought I was nuts. :lol::lol::lol: It was such a cute story.

[Trevelyan96]

The entire Black Stallion and Flame series. Over and over again!
Black Beauty.

[RugBug]

When I was really little I used to have a book that I carried around all the time. Does anyone remember the "Little Black" series. "Little Black, A Pony" and "Little Black goes to the Circus." There were a few others.


They're by Walter Farley as well. In fact, I'm sitting here looking at a copy of Little Black goes to the Circus. I bought it a few years back but haven't it taken it home...it's on my shelf at work. :winkgrin:

[LittleblackMorgan]

OMG the monday horses! I LOOOVVED that book!
What about If Wishes were horses?

[AHC]

Like many others I read the Black Stallion series, the Chincoteague series, "Afraid to Ride," "Come on Seabiscuit" (went back and read it after reading the Laura Hillenbrand book and seeing the movie), "National Velvet," etc.

There are two I don't think I've seen mentioned. One called "Born to Trot" about a foal that grows up and wins the Hambletonian, overcoming all kinds of odds in the process.

Another is "Black Gold," which may have been written by Marguerite Henry. I read this book when I was in 4th grade. My teacher was really boring, and I snuck it to school and read it under my desk. Kept getting caught and going right back to it. How much trouble could I get in for wanting to do extra reading? :-)

[RugBug]

How much trouble could I get in for wanting to do extra reading? :-)

A LOT if you were me. My 2nd or 3rd grade teacher made me stop reading horse books even though I had the highest book count in the class.

In Jr high I would 'hide' a book behind my binder during class. I say 'hide' because while I thought I was getting away with something, years later as a teacher myself, I realized my teachers must've allowed me to get away with it. I wasn't hurting anyone...I still got As...and I wasn't disruptive, so no harm, no foul?

[SarahandSam]

In "For Love of A Horse" by Patricia Leitch, our heroine gets the horse of her dreams when a trailer accident releases an Arab mare (later named Shantih) onto the moor, where she subsquently runs wild with a herd of Highland ponies. Girl has to track the horse down and tame it with the assistance of a helpful blizzard. The mare is initially seen in a Brutal Circus (book is highly, highly socially aware and conscious and sorta tedious) where her name is different, don't recall if it was Gypsy) Very, very British, it was available in the US through Scholastic's school book sales in the 1980s, but the host of sequels by Leitch are pretty much impossible to find in America.

Thank you thank you thank you! That's it. (:

[BreezyB]

The Thoroughbred series was my crack as a kid....I have the whole series collecting dust somewhere in the attic.

[SarahandSam]

There are two I don't think I've seen mentioned. One called "Born to Trot" about a foal that grows up and wins the Hambletonian, overcoming all kinds of odds in the process.

Another is "Black Gold," which may have been written by Marguerite Henry. I read this book when I was in 4th grade. My teacher was really boring, and I snuck it to school and read it under my desk. Kept getting caught and going right back to it. How much trouble could I get in for wanting to do extra reading? :-)

Yup, those are both Marguerite Henry. (: I used to always get in trouble for reading in school too... I read like a fiend...

[MMorgan]

I inherited a book from my older horse-crazy cousin when I was a kid called, "Horse Fever". It was an orange, hard cover book with a picture of a girl (in her showhunter attire) and her horse. It was from the early 60's and as an adult I rumaged all through the stacks of old things my parents had saved but could never find it.

After reading this thread, I got inspired, looked on ebay and lo and behold I found a couple of copies and bought one! It arrived last night and I was really pleasantly surprised at the beautiful photos and text. It covered different show horse breeds, but focused primarily on foxhunting and hunter jumpers. It was great looking once more at all the pictures that I once looked at a thousand times as a dreamy kid.

Does anyone else remeber that book?

[ww3467]

I inherited a book from my older horse-crazy cousin when I was a kid called, "Horse Fever". It was an orange, hard cover book with a picture of a girl (in her showhunter attire) and her horse. It was from the early 60's and as an adult I rumaged all through the stacks of old things my parents had saved but could never find it.

After reading this thread, I got inspired, looked on ebay and lo and behold I found a couple of copies and bought one! It arrived last night and I was really pleasantly surprised at the beautiful photos and text. It covered different show horse breeds, but focused primarily on foxhunting and hunter jumpers. It was great looking once more at all the pictures that I once looked at a thousand times as a dreamy kid.

Does anyone else remeber that book?

Yes - I loved that book! It had been on my mind the last couple of days, thanks to this thread. I was thinking about ordering a copy too!

[copper1]

I still have that book! I got it and another called Horse Show from my parents for Christmas, way back before I was a horse owner. Great books!
I was surfing book sites to see if any of our "old friends" are available and many are but at some major prices!

[Ware Whip!]

What a great thread :)

As with every horse crazy kid, my book shelf was loaded with horse books.

My faves,

National Velvet,
Big Jump for Robin,
The Monday Horses,
Saddles for Breakfast.

[MintHillFarm]

BAC: That is so neat! I remember reading that book in the library in elem., school and WISHING so hard that was me! What a great story that was. Hanover Shoe Farm was recently in the news:
[I]Hanover Shoe Farms will be honored with the American Association of Equine Practitioners' (AAEP) 2008 award for outstanding service in equine welfare, the Lavin Cup. The Lavin Cup, named for former AAEP President A. Gary Lavin, VMD, will be presented to a representative of Hanover Shoe Farms Dec. 9 at the AAEP's 54th Annual Convention in San Diego. www.thehorse.com has the rest of the story...

[DominoEffect]

Fritz and the Beautiful Ponies
Mumpkin
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
The King of the Wind
Jame's Herriot's Bonnie's Big Day

A little older it was the Saddle Club, Skye Ryder,

The Perfect Distance was the BEST by far, one of my favorites, I still read it sometimes!

[riverbell93]

There is a book I remember very fondly but can't recall the name or author to save my life. Anyone?

It was a big, oversized board-type book which was very short, intended for beginner readers. Most of the book was photos - I think each page was a photo, with some text at the bottom to tell the very basic story. The story was a little boy wakes up and goes out to ride his horse, a chestnut mare. They have a long ride, and return home at dusk. I seem to recall that the lights in the house are on when they get home, and that the whole effect is very 1970s, with slightly reddish tinged photos. I had it as a kid in the 1970s, so it was at least that old, and probably no older than the mid 1960s, based on the clothes, etc.

[BAC]

BAC: That is so neat! I remember reading that book in the library in elem., school and WISHING so hard that was me! What a great story that was. Hanover Shoe Farm was recently in the news:
[I]Hanover Shoe Farms will be honored with the American Association of Equine Practitioners' (AAEP) 2008 award for outstanding service in equine welfare, the Lavin Cup. The Lavin Cup, named for former AAEP President A. Gary Lavin, VMD, will be presented to a representative of Hanover Shoe Farms Dec. 9 at the AAEP's 54th Annual Convention in San Diego. www.thehorse.com (http://www.thehorse.com) has the rest of the story...

Does Hanover Shoe Farms have any connectin to this story? Hanover had been connected to trotting horses in the past but Karen Ann wanted to add it to Wishing Star's name since it was the Hanover Bank that was giving her the horse.

If you want I will email you copies of the photos she sent me.

[heelgirl4381]

How about The Red Pony by Steinbeck. My mom was a librarian so she got me this classic to read. Great book, but very sad too. I was paranoid that my pony was going to get strangles!!

[ElizabethL]

What was the beautiful hardcover book with each breed in it? The pics were I think copies of paintings. I remember the lipizzan pic of one with a Spanish guy on it doing airs above the ground. Was that The Album of the Horse? Gorgeous book. Wish I still had it.

I still have mine! And I even have the companion piece that has full-color prints of the pictures from the book that are suitable for mounting.

How about Little Vic? That was one of my favorites. And my favorite CW Anderson was Afraid to Ride.

[poltroon]

How about The Red Pony by Steinbeck. My mom was a librarian so she got me this classic to read. Great book, but very sad too. I was paranoid that my pony was going to get strangles!!

My teacher suggested it to me when I was in 4th grade. It was a classic, you see. And about horses. What could go wrong?

I swore never to read Steinbeck again, I was so upset.

Took me 25 years to get over it and try another novel of his.

[MintHillFarm]

I think they had a connection to the story, I least all these years I thought they did! Please correct me if I am wrong...I would love to see the photos you have...
djd1321@yahoo.com thank you!

[BAC]

I think they had a connection to the story, I least all these years I thought they did! Please correct me if I am wrong...I would love to see the photos you have...
djd1321@yahoo.com thank you!

I don't think so, Hanover Bank bought the horse for Karen Ann, his name was Gadfly and they changed it to Hanover's Wishing Star at Karen Ann's request. He was at Ted Wahl's Round Hill Stable in Greenwich, CT and she was boarding him there, the book ends with them planning a barn at home for him. That name was not mentioned in the book.

The Hanover name has a connection to harness racing though.

[SarahandSam]

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Jame's Herriot's Bonnie's Big Day[/I]


Aww, I forgot about both of those! I had a signed copy of "The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses"--beautiful artwork in that.

[MintHillFarm]

"Champion Dog Prince Tom", a true story of a Cocker Spaniel...it was that book that prompted me to have spaniels all these years...anyone else read this one?

[MintHillFarm]

I don't think so, Hanover Bank bought the horse for Karen Ann, his name was Gadfly and they changed it to Hanover's Wishing Star at Karen Ann's request. He was at Ted Wahl's Round Hill Stable in Greenwich, CT and she was boarding him there, the book ends with them planning a barn at home for him. That name was not mentioned in the book.

The Hanover name has a connection to harness racing though.

Thank you for that bit of info. I don't recall where I got the notion that it was related to the Standardbred Farm...

[BAC]

Thank you for that bit of info. I don't recall where I got the notion that it was related to the Standardbred Farm...

The farm was never mentioned in the book but that doesn't mean there wasn't a connection to Hanover Bank. I will email you the photos next week, I don't have a way to scan them at home.

[J. Turner]

My teacher suggested it to me when I was in 4th grade. It was a classic, you see. And about horses. What could go wrong?

I swore never to read Steinbeck again, I was so upset.

Took me 25 years to get over it and try another novel of his.


Steinbeck never got me after that story either. I hated when the vulture pecked the pony's eye.

[RugBug]

My teacher suggested it to me when I was in 4th grade. It was a classic, you see. And about horses. What could go wrong?

I swore never to read Steinbeck again, I was so upset.

Took me 25 years to get over it and try another novel of his.


I felt the same way, except I never got over it. From the time I read "The Red Pony" until now, I've only read Steinbeck if forced to.

[J. Turner]

I felt the same way, except I never got over it. From the time I read "The Red Pony" until now, I've only read Steinbeck if forced to.

I was supposed to read the Grapes of Wrath in junior year of high school, but never finished it. Somehow, I've gotten through undergrad as an English major and grad school as an English teaching major AND 8 years of teaching never reading Steinbeck again (except exerpts from his King Arthur rewrite).

[Iride]

Not fiction, but did anyone else have Happy Horsemanship as a kid? Mine is dog-eared and I read it a million times as if it were the bible when I was a horseless young rider.

[Tackpud]

Not fiction, but did anyone else have Happy Horsemanship as a kid? Mine is dog-eared and I read it a million times as if it were the bible when I was a horseless young rider.

You mean it's not the Bible???!!!???!!!:lol::winkgrin::lol::winkgrin:

[SarahandSam]

I just like how every book thread on COTH turns into a "I hate John Steinbeck now!" "Me too!" conversation as soon as "Red Pony" comes up. d;

[MintHillFarm]

Steinbeck was very depressing!

[Lucassb]

Oh my gosh, this thread certainly brings back memories. I have read most of the titles mentioned here (many over and over again) with favorites being Fly By Night and The Monday Horses, I think. And *anything* illustrated by Paul Brown. *sigh*

My parents used to give me horsey books for every birthday & Christmas; since they weren't horsey, the titles could be fairly varied. I have quite a lot of stuff on eventing, although the closest I ever got to that discipline was pony club, LOL. And I have books on racehorses, driving horses, etc. as well as a lot of fiction from my much-loved public library.

The one book that haunts me a bit though is about a young man who inherits a farm where there used to be racehorses trained. When he arrives it is in shambles and most of the assets have been seized for back taxes or something, but the old caretaker/trainer has hidden away a few colts from the last crop - which of course this guy and his best friend (Dave?) raise and then race, to much success. I have tried for YEARS to find this book again, but since I cannot remember the title or the author... no luck. Anyone know the book I'm referencing?

Meanwhile, as usual, this thread has cost me a fortune.

[rideforthelaurels16]

Love love LOVE the older books - circa 50s and 60s - such as the Cammie books, "Dream Pony" etc etc. Nothing better! I still go to the library and take them out, and I'm 17 so that looks kind of funny ;) Also adore the Thoroughbred, Saddle Club, Black Stallion series and have read pretty much every horse book I could find. (Love Jilly Cooper's Riders!!)

[poltroon]

I just like how every book thread on COTH turns into a "I hate John Steinbeck now!" "Me too!" conversation as soon as "Red Pony" comes up. d;

If you read the reviews on Amazon, I think it's amazing to see how many people don't get why we were upset about the book. We're apparently a bunch of whiners who don't appreciate Fine Literature. :D

[poltroon]

Love love LOVE the older books - circa 50s and 60s - such as the Cammie books, "Dream Pony" etc etc. Nothing better! I still go to the library and take them out, and I'm 17 so that looks kind of funny ;) Also adore the Thoroughbred, Saddle Club, Black Stallion series and have read pretty much every horse book I could find. (Love Jilly Cooper's Riders!!)

Don't feel self-conscious. I've been pulling books out of the children's section for my entire life. No one cares. If they think anything of it, they'll think you're picking out books for your sister. ;)

[copper1]

Do libraries still have the older books?

[riverbell93]

Some libraries. It often depends on how well-off the library is. A large and/or prosperous community library usually will have replaced all it's older books, while a smaller or poorer community will often have aged books hanging around. And it depends on the community makeup, too. My impression is that areas that have become heavily suburban or urban in the last fifty years have tended to cull horse-related book more aggressively as they don't 'represent' the presumed lifestyle and/or interests of the children using the library.

I think this thread brought me luck - I just found "The Blue Mare At The Olympic Trials" at a library booksale this weekend. I've heard of the series, but never seen any of them before.

[poltroon]

Do libraries still have the older books?

The catalog is your friend. My library system has its catalog online, so you can browse the catalog and place requests from home. The library may not have them on the shelves in your branch, but you might find it somewhere.

Most library systems will have all the Marguerite Henry books, for example. In my library system I've checked out a lot of books from the 40's and 50's that I didn't even know about, including some old Margaret Cabell Self fiction. I've got Java Jive by Dorothy Lyons out now. I found the Kate Seredy books, too.

Librarians prune books when they are falling apart or when they are not being checked out. If you want to encourage librarians to stock and keep horse fiction, make sure they circulate! Librarians are very aware of what books are popular at their branch, and when they pull a book to weed it, the first thing they look at is when it was last checked out. I think the amount of money a system has is actually not closely related to how they prune, because money not only can be budget for books, but also budget for shelf space, buildings, and storage.

Even if your library, and even if your library system doesn't have a book you want, your librarian may be able to request it from another library system.

Riverbell, I can't believe you found a Pamela and the Blue Mare book at a library sale! Score! Our library system uses its Friends of the Library to do those sales, and they are very careful to go through the titles and look for books that are more valuable. They charge more for those, or sometimes put them on eBay.

[BAC]

I think this thread brought me luck - I just found "The Blue Mare At The Olympic Trials" at a library booksale this weekend. I've heard of the series, but never seen any of them before.

You were lucky, I spent a small fortune on my copy, although I love the book so much I think it is money well spent. There are only 2 in the "series", that is the second and final one, the first is Pamela and the Blue Mare.

[poltroon]

The one book that haunts me a bit though is about a young man who inherits a farm where there used to be racehorses trained. When he arrives it is in shambles and most of the assets have been seized for back taxes or something, but the old caretaker/trainer has hidden away a few colts from the last crop - which of course this guy and his best friend (Dave?) raise and then race, to much success. I have tried for YEARS to find this book again, but since I cannot remember the title or the author... no luck. Anyone know the book I'm referencing?

This isn't familiar so far, but:

- Set in America?
- What time period (roughly)?
- can you remember any of the names of the horses?
- About how long is it? Novel? Was it illustrated?

[Jellybean83]

Jill’s Gymkhana, 1947
A Stable for Jill, 1951
Jill Has Two Ponies, 1952
Jill Enjoys Her Ponies, 1954
Jill’s Riding Club, 1956
Rosettes for Jill, 1957
Jill and the Perfect Pony, 1959
Pony Jobs for Jill, 1960
Jill’s Pony Trek, 1962

I had NO IDEA these books were written so long ago!! I read a lot of them and I was born in '83

[BAC]

MintHillFarm, I didn't forget you, I am emailing you a photo today.

[danceronice]

Marguerite Henry (EVERYTHING and I have the lovely letter and photo she sent me when I wrote her a fan letter framed and hanging in my bedroom at home), Walter Farley (even when he started getting REALLY WEIRD towards the end), CW Anderson, from whose work I also learned to draw horses, the Saddle Club (even when I knew it was hokey and highly unrealistic--hey, Baby-Sitter's Club taught me a very high BS tolerance, though the Saddle Club TV show's a bit much), and anything older I got my hands on at the used bookstore or swiped from classrooms.

[columbus]

I have been searching for one of my favorites childhood books, describing it, and never gotten a hit from anyone but this time I have lucked out. "The Grand Rogue" by Frances Priddy. I did a search and found one copy and ordered it!!!! Thanks to all PatO

[gypsymare]

Not fiction, but did anyone else have Happy Horsemanship as a kid? Mine is dog-eared and I read it a million times as if it were the bible when I was a horseless young rider.

Oh yes! It was one of the first books I ever read. I remember my grandfather reading it to me when I was 4. I had the hardest time pronouncing "whoa" and I was so confused since I was taught to say "ho". The illustrations were adorable.

I read every horse book in my local and school libraries, many of them two or three times over. My favorites were definitely the Black Stallion series and there was a picture book I adore called The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses.

I got into the Mercedes Lackey Companion series. Not about horses per se but the "horses" did figure largely in the books. I'm a sucker for the fantasy genre.

[Princess Lauren]

Oh I loved the Thoroughbred series... I remember reading one "special edition" book where the main character Ashleigh "died" in the beginning of the book. I cried and cried!! I was going to write the author and tell them how horrible they were... but I finished the book and realized that it was all just a dream... whew!!!!

I also used to read all of the Saddle Club books. I loooove the Monday Horses. I have a pretty decent collection of horsie books from the 70's and 80's. I'm going to my dad's place this weekend, I'll bring them home with me to recap :-)

[concerto]

Does anyone recall a series called Blue Ribbon series?

I remember that they go to a riding camp (in vermont maybe?) and the one horse is named Night Owl?

I've read through this thread and really enjoyed it!

Anybody read Sky Rocket, story of little bay horse?

[poltroon]

Anybody read Sky Rocket, story of little bay horse?

Sky Rocket is one of the classics, a true favorite of mine. In one of these threads, there was someone who knew him from Self's New Canaan Mounted Troop.

[buddys girl]

I had a series about a young girl who owned a racehorse. I don't recall the name of the author but I think that the horse was named Sun Bonnet.

I had a story about a police horse named Trusty.

Ofc ourse I read Farley's "Man O' War" and everything by Margurite Henry and CW Anderson.
They were a series of five books by Barbara Van Tuyl, Sweet Running Filly and four others. T obe re published in early 2010

[MintHillFarm]

AbeBooks.com has Pamela and the Blue Mare for $195. Guess we should have held on to those books!!


In a moment of insanity a few years ago, I purchased a first "Show Gypsies" on Amazon for $150.00...great book, has anyone else read it?

[SarahandSam]

In a moment of insanity a few years ago, I purchased a first "Show Gypsies" on Amazon for $150.00...great book, has anyone else read it?

I got it out of the library and when I moved, forgot to return it. Legitimately. Since I've now paid about $140 in late fees, I think it's mine. d;

[RolyPolyPony]

I loved The Monday Horses and The Crumb by Jean Slaughter Doty. I also enjoyed Summer Pony, Winter Pony and Can I Get There By Candlelight. I've actually found them on Alibris and my nine year old has read the last three and seemed to like them. I even wrote a letter to Jean and she wrote back. :) Sam Savitt illustated a few of her books. His books were very enjoyable too and accurate in their stories.

I checked out A Very Young Rider from the library over and over too.

Ponydom.com has a very comprehensive list of equine stories.

YES! All of these! I recently bought the Doty ones for myself on alibris too :)

And KM Peyton - Fly By Night and The Team, especially.

[SOTB]

Good Luck Pony by Elizabeth Koda-Callan. It came with a charm necklace - loved it!

[SarahandSam]

YES! All of these! I recently bought the Doty ones for myself on alibris too :)

And KM Peyton - Fly By Night and The Team, especially.

I didn't realize Peyton wrote a sequel to Fly-by-Night! I just ordered it. Thanks! (:

[RolyPolyPony]

I didn't realize Peyton wrote a sequel to Fly-by-Night! I just ordered it. Thanks! (:

Hehe, my pleasure

[Katie81]

Does anyone remember the name of the series about a group of girls at a sleepaway summer horse camp? It was similar to Saddle Club, although I liked this series better. They were young adult chapter books with nice illustrations, I seem to remember reading them when I was in sixth and seventh grade. I remember the one character rode a palomino horse named Joker.....

[poltroon]

I didn't realize Peyton wrote a sequel to Fly-by-Night! I just ordered it. Thanks! (:

Peyton has written quite a few books about the kids in Fly-by-Night. The rest aren't true sequels, and the last ones are not horsey, but still wonderful. And frankly, everything she writes is worth a read. She's getting up there in age, but still writing. She's done about one a year since she was 16.

Free Rein (http://www.ponydom.com/books/book.html?id=190) - Peter McNair has had a falling out with his father, and he Jonathan train a steeplechaser while living in an abandoned house. (They put the horse up in the dining room.)

http://www.ponydom.com/books/results.html?author=peyton&submit=Search

[PONY751]

I absolutely loved this series! She was so brave and solved all those mysteries on her Palomino mare. I must have read them two dozen times, and I never got tired of them. Out of print now but worth finding! There are 11 books total.

[SarahandSam]

Peyton has written quite a few books about the kids in Fly-by-Night. The rest aren't true sequels, and the last ones are not horsey, but still wonderful. And frankly, everything she writes is worth a read. She's getting up there in age, but still writing. She's done about one a year since she was 16.

Free Rein (http://www.ponydom.com/books/book.html?id=190) - Peter McNair has had a falling out with his father, and he Jonathan train a steeplechaser while living in an abandoned house. (They put the horse up in the dining room.)

http://www.ponydom.com/books/results.html?author=peyton&submit=Search

Nooooooo! Now I have to order more books!

[WIExpat]

Does anyone remember a book (maybe for 5th or 6th graders) about a girl who isn't very popular in school...meets up with a new neighbor who's mother is very bohemian and they ride hunters....I think the horse she ends up with is named Richard???

Also LOVED A Very Young Rider.

[WIExpat]

Oh! And who else loved the Barbara Morgenroth books? I read 'Last Junior Year,' a million times.

There was also a series of three books about Black Beauty- and Ginger and Merrylegs.

[gooselover]

All the Walter Farley Books - Black Stallion, Flame...all of them. Back in my day - on Saturday mornings - my favorite programs were Flicka and Fury!

When I was about 12 years old and starting to take lessons, I read a book by the name of "A Horse of Your Own". I remember reading it and the wanting of a horse of my own was so powerful I ached. About 3.5 years later, I finally got one.

[rottngirl]

OMG, this thread brought back a LOT of memories :)

Thank you RugBug for finally helping me remember Pounding Hoovies!!! That book changed my life- I was feeling so sorry for myself that my folks wouldn't buy me a horse and I knew girls that had racehorses. :(

But I finally did something about it: I went and got myself a job mucking stalls at the local barn in exchange for riding :D

These were:

Gypsy From Nowhere
Gypsy and the Moonstone Stallion
Gypsy and Nimblefoot.

My three came in a little box together.

Other books I haven't seen mentioned yet:

Pounding Hooves
Hold the Rein Free
Danza
The Green-Eyed Stallion
Wild Horse Running
My Friend Krow

[OkLurchers]

My favorites as a kid were the Black Stallion series, 2 books by Selma Hedgewick (sp?) called A Horse of Her Own and Irish Hurdles about a teen named Rosemary O'Connor. Does anyone remember those?

When I was a little older I read A Portion for Foxes, The Show Gypsies and Riders...

[wilbur77]

Katie-Idont remember the name of the series you are talking about but I think I have them somewhere. I think they were by Virginia Vail,if that helps. The other book someone was asking about is Everyday Friends. Love that one!

[WIExpat]

I also loved Jean Slaughter Doty- 'The Crumb' was a consistent read when I was in grade school.

[buddys girl]

I know these were many people's favorites and I saw that the next three in the series are back in print on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com

[vacation1]

Also, someone mentioned Pidgy's Surprise by Jeanne Mellin on the first page, and that's being reprinted by Willow Bend.

http://www.willowbendpublishing.com/pidgy.htm

[SmokeyCB]

Let's see...all the Black Stallion books, Born to Trot, A Very Young Rider (which I still have, ca. 1978 or 1979). Gosh all the horse care books. All the Misty of Chincoteague books.

I just loved "A Very Young Rider" though because she was my age, went to shows and jumped.

[doublesstable]

I also loved Jean Slaughter Doty- 'The Crumb' was a consistent read when I was in grade school.

Me too!!!! I think that was the only book as a kid I ever finished and then read again.....

[Hunter Mom]

, and Tic Tac.

THIS was my favorite - absolutely. I have a copy somewhere...

[BadEventer]

Winter of the Owl by June Hanson.

I must have read this book 50 times, and I still have the tattered - much loved paperback on my book shelf. I've often toyed with reading it again (as an adult) but I've been afraid that I'll be disappointed. At the time (3rd Grade) it was the best book ever written!

[poltroon]

I know these were many people's favorites and I saw that the next three in the series are back in print on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com

Oh, that's great news!

Visit the ponydom horse book database (http://www.ponydom.com/books/index.html)

[War Admiral]

My very favorite was called "Challenger" I don't know who wrote it but I reread it till the pages fell out! Anyone know the author?

Why, yes, I do. Patsey Gray. I loffed that book too and have never been able to find another copy at anything approaching a sane price.

Have we had the Suzanne Wilding books yet? Big Jump for Robin, Dream Pony for Robin and Harlequin Horse?

I still have a lot of the books mentioned on this thread!

[two sticks]

I read a series as a young teen that was my absolute favorite- I can't for the life of me remember the author or titles.

It was not Saddle Club, Pine Hollow, or Thoroughbred.

I *think* it was about a group of girls at summer camp. (Maybe high school though). My memory is very fuzzy, but in one book one of the girls gets in an accident with her horse (hit by a car?) and is traumatized. Later in the book (or maybe a following book?) the other girls sneak in somewhere to make her watch a tape of her winning a big competition with her horse before the accident.

Did anyone else read these? I'm dying to figure it out! Thanks!

[Wonders12]

Only got through the first couple pages, but my username is from the Thoroughbred series! (Wonders, then 12 is my lucky number.)

What can I say, I made it up way back in like middle school and it's stuck around. :-)

[SarahandSam]

Winter of the Owl by June Hanson.

I must have read this book 50 times, and I still have the tattered - much loved paperback on my book shelf. I've often toyed with reading it again (as an adult) but I've been afraid that I'll be disappointed. At the time (3rd Grade) it was the best book ever written!

Oh, wow, that just triggered a memory of that book... now I want to read it again!

[rockfordbuckeye]

Wow, I actually have a few no one mentioned:

Me and Katie the Pest (Ann Martin) http://www.amazon.com/Me-Katie-Pest-Ann-Martin/dp/059043618X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284840644&sr=1-1. Cute 80s book about two sisters competing against each other riding.

Breezy (Leda Blumberg) about a girl that adopts a mustang from BLM and turns her into a show horse (h/j)

The Bonnie Series (I have them all) - Barbara Van Tuyl
The Sweet Running Filly
Sunbonnet Filly of the Year
A Horse Called Bonnie and
The Betrayal of Bonnie
Bonnie and the Haunted Farm

So now I need help finding my mystery book. It's about a girl who doesn't have her own horse and she starts caring for a horse named "Bones" that lives with an old man on a farm near her house. He's underfed etc. when she finds him but she starts buying him grain...cleans him up and then learns to ride/shows him. (hint: It's not Old Bones the Wonder Horse - this horse is a h/j, not a race horse)

[SarahandSam]

Wow, I actually have a few no one mentioned:

Me and Katie the Pest (Ann Martin) http://www.amazon.com/Me-Katie-Pest-Ann-Martin/dp/059043618X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284840644&sr=1-1. Cute 80s book about two sisters competing against each other riding.

So now I need help finding my mystery book. It's about a girl who doesn't have her own horse and she starts caring for a horse named "Bones" that lives with an old man on a farm near her house. He's underfed etc. when she finds him but she starts buying him grain...cleans him up and then learns to ride/shows him. (hint: It's not Old Bones the Wonder Horse - this horse is a h/j, not a race horse)

Aww, I forgot about that Katie the Pest book until you mentioned it! I remember that...

I read the Bones book but I can't think of what it might be. Now I'm curious too. I think I remember him being described as a plain bay, but that doesn't help much...

[vacation1]

There is a UK website which sells "pony books" and has a forum where you can pose the ever-pressing question about the identity of various equine books where you remember vague things like "there was a horse, and a kid, and maybe a racehorse who had a pet rooster? I think it was from like the 1960's?" I've had good luck with getting American books ID'd there, so anyone with a mystery might want to give it a look.

http://janebadgerbooks.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=queries

[HenryisBlaisin']

This thread and the "which fictional horse would you want to own" thread on Off Course are costing me a FORTUNE in used book orders...thanks so much for that :lol:

And ponydom.com might be the death of my bank account :eek:

[War Admiral]

So now I need help finding my mystery book. It's about a girl who doesn't have her own horse and she starts caring for a horse named "Bones" that lives with an old man on a farm near her house. He's underfed etc. when she finds him but she starts buying him grain...cleans him up and then learns to ride/shows him. (hint: It's not Old Bones the Wonder Horse - this horse is a h/j, not a race horse)

Oh nooo, this is gonna drive me nuts - I remember that book but I can't think of the name of it either. She had a McClellan saddle - that's the right book, yes?

[HenryisBlaisin']

So now I need help finding my mystery book. It's about a girl who doesn't have her own horse and she starts caring for a horse named "Bones" that lives with an old man on a farm near her house. He's underfed etc. when she finds him but she starts buying him grain...cleans him up and then learns to ride/shows him. (hint: It's not Old Bones the Wonder Horse - this horse is a h/j, not a race horse)

I KNOW I own this book. I cannot for the life of me think of the name of it, and most of my horse books are packed away at the moment. I REALLY want to say it's "A Horse Of Her Own" but not 100% sure. It's blueish (lavender), has a picture of girl and dark bay horse on the front...

[War Admiral]

I KNOW I own this book. I cannot for the life of me think of the name of it, and most of my horse books are packed away at the moment. I REALLY want to say it's "A Horse Of Her Own" but not 100% sure. It's blueish (lavender), has a picture of girl and dark bay horse on the front...

Nope, you've got your titles confused. A Horse of Her Own is by Selma Hudnut, it's about Rosemary and Irish, the Oirish TB in California at the fox-hunting barn.

I don't THINK I have the Bones one anymore but hang on and I'll go check! I agree w/ Rockfordbuckeye that it's not called Bones, it's called something else...


ETA: FOUND IT. I do still have it! It's called Last Hurdle and it's by MK Brown.

And I bet the reason HenryIsBlaisin' mixed the titles up is b/c the sequel to A Horse Of Her Own is Irish Hurdles (and it's a much better book if you're lucky enough to find a copy!)

[HenryisBlaisin']

Nope, you've got your titles confused. A Horse of Her Own is by Selma Hudnut, it's about Rosemary and Irish, the Oirish TB in California at the fox-hunting barn.

I don't THINK I have the Bones one anymore but hang on and I'll go check! I agree w/ Rockfordbuckeye that it's not called Bones, it's called something else...


ETA: FOUND IT. I do still have it! It's called Last Hurdle and it's by MK Brown.

And I bet the reason HenryIsBlaisin' mixed the titles up is b/c the sequel to A Horse Of Her Own is Irish Hurdles (and it's a much better book if you're lucky enough to find a copy!)

No, that's definitely not it...this one wasn't written in 1953!

Girl wants horse but can't afford lessons...Get neighbor to let her take care of Bones, she learns to ride at the same time she breaks him, friend gets her to show him b/c he's an awesome jumper, horse gets hurt but is able to jump, friend tries to talk her into going in Advanced as there's an open space, but she says no because he was hurt, and the old man gives him to her.

Found it; i was right about the title-it's by Joanna Campbell: A Horse of Her Own (http://www.amazon.com/Horse-Her-Own-Joanna-Campbell/dp/0553155644)

[two sticks]

Anyone? Anyone? This is driving me crazy!!!

I read a series as a young teen that was my absolute favorite- I can't for the life of me remember the author or titles.

It was not Saddle Club, Pine Hollow, or Thoroughbred.

I *think* it was about a group of girls at summer camp. (Maybe high school though). My memory is very fuzzy, but in one book one of the girls gets in an accident with her horse (hit by a car?) and is traumatized. Later in the book (or maybe a following book?) the other girls sneak in somewhere to make her watch a tape of her winning a big competition with her horse before the accident.

Did anyone else read these? I'm dying to figure it out! Thanks!

[rockfordbuckeye]

Found it; i was right about the title-it's by Joanna Campbell: A Horse of Her Own (http://www.amazon.com/Horse-Her-Own-Joanna-Campbell/dp/0553155644)

Ah that's it! I recognize the cover! And the horse was a "boring bay." Loved this book :) I used to always dream my neighbor would buy a horse and then ignore it so I could rescue it and have my own horse. Lol.

[wilbur77]

The summer camp books I think are the. Silver creek riders series by beth kincaid. Hope that's what you're looking for!

[Lucassb]

This is one of my favorite threads ever, so glad to see it revived!

I am still searching for this book:

Originally Posted by Lucassb
The one book that haunts me a bit though is about a young man who inherits a farm where there used to be racehorses trained. When he arrives it is in shambles and most of the assets have been seized for back taxes or something, but the old caretaker/trainer has hidden away a few colts from the last crop - which of course this guy and his best friend (Dave?) raise and then race, to much success. I have tried for YEARS to find this book again, but since I cannot remember the title or the author... no luck. Anyone know the book I'm referencing?

This isn't familiar so far, but:

- Set in America?
- What time period (roughly)?
- can you remember any of the names of the horses?
- About how long is it? Novel? Was it illustrated?

Poltroon, in the better late than never category:

Yes, I am pretty sure it was set in America, I *think* somewhere in the south.
Not terribly sure of the time period... I was in my teens when I read it, so mid 70's, if that helps at all.

I don't remember the names of the horses, but it was a novel. If there were illustrations they weren't major - at least not that I recall.

The story starts out with the main character, a young man, coming "home" to a property he has inherited. For some reason I think his name might have been Jim but I'm not 100% sure on that. It is clear he hasn't been there in many years, if ever before. The property is completely overgrown and in total disarray.

There is a caretaker, an older man, who hid away a few of the best colts from the last foal crop - keeping alive the breeding that was done by the young man's father? uncle? something like that. I seem to recall the others were all taken to settle taxes or something, and the caretaker put himself at some risk to hide the couple of horses that were kept.

The guy is not a horseman, knows nothing about racing. Caretaker teaches him how to care for and ride a racehorse. (One line I remember to this day is, "You don't use a hard brush on a hot blood's leg, son," which has been in my head ever since!!

At some point, the guy's best friend shows up - IIRC his name was Dave. Dave takes one colt, main character takes the other. Caretaker puts them both in training, and of course they are both fine racehorses because the bloodlines he so carefully preserved were valuable, etc. He has kept the best of the best.

They race the horses with some success, and are very competitive. Final big race arrives and caretaker instructs one of the guys to go out fast, set a blazing pace that will burn up the competition, so the other colt can win. Lots of drama.

I have looked and looked and looked for that book for years with no success. Does it ring a bell with anyone? I would pay a lot to have another copy!!

[genevieveg17]

Little Black, A Pony. Loved that book when I was a kid. There was a series of adventures.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0760721920/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

[keepthelegend]

Does anyone recall a series called Blue Ribbon series?

I remember that they go to a riding camp (in vermont maybe?) and the one horse is named Night Owl?

I've read through this thread and really enjoyed it!

Anybody read Sky Rocket, story of little bay horse?



I think I remember this book....was there another horse called Northern Spy?

[two sticks]

The summer camp books I think are the. Silver creek riders series by beth kincaid. Hope that's what you're looking for!

YES!!!!!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!!

[jtcarleton]

I'm with you there Yikes! I think I read it at about 14 too.:D

Haha! Me too! I was a pretty sheltered kid so I was like. . . OMG! Does anyone know if it was based on real events? In the horse show world nothing would surprise me now. . .

[jtcarleton]

I just like how every book thread on COTH turns into a "I hate John Steinbeck now!" "Me too!" conversation as soon as "Red Pony" comes up. d;

TOTALLY!!! I had to read that book in the 7th grade and my horse GOT SHINGLES AT THE SAME TIME!!! It killed me!

[jtcarleton]

Lots! Of course, I'm still 15, so I'm still reading them all.

-Billy & Blaze
-Anything by M. O'Henry, Jean Slaughter Doty and Dorothy Lyons
-The Black Stallion Books
-National & International Velvet
-Pony Pals
-Saddle Club
-Thouroughbred series
-The Judge & the Junior Exhibitor by Eric Hatch
-The Horse Show by Pat Johnson
-A Very Young Rider
-The Perfect Distance
-Show Rider by Lynn Haney
-El Blanco-The Legend of the White Stallion
-The Wild Arabian
-The Ghost Pony/The Mystery of Pony Hollow (2 diff. titles)
-The Horse Lovers Handbook
-Casey the Utterly Impossible Horse
-Take Care of Dexter (or "Dexter")
-Lost Pony or "Somebody's Pony"
-Basil & Maggie!!! I love this book!!!
-The Horse that Brings the Milk Around
-Bonnie Bess the Weathervane Horse

Sorry, but I love to read so I went looking for my favorites! There are many more, I'm sure. I love old horse books!! Just curious, Show Rider was about a junior rider in the 1980's, kind of like A Very Young Rider, who showed in Junior Hunters and was starting to show in the Big Eq. She had a chestnut named Cinema 1 and by the end of the book she moved to Joy Farms to ride with ride w/ Rita Tempanaro(sp?). I looked back through the book because I was wondering if anyone knew how she ended up doing in the rest of her junior career. Wow that was looooong! Sorry;)

Sorry, I have no idea how she ended up but thank you for mentioning that book! My trainer gave it to me and I still have it!