Favourite books/characters?

[Hells Bells]

Following on from a previous thread... I was thinking about all the books i used to read as a kid, (and even now!) and all the characters and ponies i fell so in love with.

My clear favourite was the Jill's Gymnkhana set- i adored these books, and still have all nine to this day. Black boy was my hero pony, and Rapide (though never as much, my heart was with BB!) Apparently, they have called Black Boy, Danny boy instead now, to be more politcally correct!

I also loved the National Velvet books, and a little book ive recently got for my eldest called 'A horse called Wonder'.

And then of course there's all the Pullein-Thompson books- timeless!

What were your favourites? See if you can recall all the old classics ive forgotten!

 

[Emilieu]

Ooh great idea for a thread, I loved the jinny books and the phantom horse ones, also recently re-read a jpt one called six ponies - it is still marvellous hoping this thread will give me some ideas for Christmas holiday reading!

 

[team barney]

Black Beauty, Ginger was my favourite

 

[polo_han]

Haha! Black Boy and Rapide brings back memories! I loved those books, and the Ginny ones with that arab...I can't remember its name though...

But on a different theme I do love Jilly Cooper books! Rupert Campbell Black, Perdita & Luke etc!

 

[SusannaF]

Jinny and Shantih!

 

[Hells Bells]

oh my god, cant believe i forgot Black Beauty!!!

Black Boy was my dream pony, i always wished i could find a pony in a field just like him!

And the Jinny books- how did i forget them??

 

[polo_han]

Jinny and Shantih!

Haha yes that's it!!

 

[JFTDWS]

Jinny and Shantih!

Who didn't love the Jinny books.

And you've just reminded me of a book by Patricia Leitch called Highland Pony Trek - I meant to buy the 1st edition they had at YHL and I forgot

 

[Jesstickle]

I too loved Black Boy and also Noel and the new forest pony that was won as a prize after it was ruined by one of the spoilt children. Now what was that book?! There was a farmer's son with a pony called Dick Turpin and they were all taught by a colonel?

O and also Perdita from Dream of Fair Horses. I loved that book so much!

 

[polo_han]

...and did anyone read that western series? Each book named after a different horse - I can't remember the name though! I liked those as well..!

 

[debsg]

I loved the Jill books, too
My favourite was Jill and the Perfect Pony, where Jill had to pretend to be an awful brat called Amanda, in order to ride this super pony in a team competition.
And I remember a book called Riding with the Lyntons, I think by one of the P-T sisters?
There is a website dedicated to pony books but I can't remember the name, sorry!

 

[SusannaF]

I too loved Black Boy and also Noel and the new forest pony that was won as a prize after it was ruined by one of the spoilt children. Now what was that book?! There was a farmer's son with a pony called Dick Turpin and they were all taught by a colonel?

Six Ponies, by Josephine Pullein-Thompson It was the first of a series:

http://janebadgerbooks.co.uk/pt/jpthome.html

http://www.fidrabooks.com/publishing/chapters/SixPonies.shtml

 

[Goldenstar]

I have never recovered from reading Black Beauty aged 13
The scene when BB meets Ginger in the cab line means I can lead mine out to be PTS at home .

 

[Blitzen]

Yes! The Jill books are lovely! Also loved Phantom Horse.

And yes Polo_han, 100% agreed on Jilly Cooper, but RCB didn't do it for me, my heart lies with Billy Lloyd-Foxe! x

 

[Jesstickle]

Six Ponies, by Josephine Pullein-Thompson It was the first of a series:

http://janebadgerbooks.co.uk/pt/jpthome.html

http://www.fidrabooks.com/publishing/chapters/SixPonies.shtml

Knew you'd know. I think I had more than one book. I am probably muddling the plot of several. Once they went hunter trialling and all stayed at the Colonel's brother's house or something. Another time they ran their own gymkhana and whilst practising cut up a field of new grass which the farmer's son tried to roll with a borrowed tractor to make amends but then took out half of a wall.

Also there was one where they all went on dressage camp and they couldn't understand why they had to do dressage as jumping was more fun but then they all liked it in the end.

I had all these books up until my stepfather died a few years back and his sister threw them all on the skip whilst clearing the house ( I wasn't there to supervise her sadly). Would love to have them again as they were passed down to me from my mother who had them as a child herself

 

[polo_han]

Oh yes Laura-C Billy was lovely, he should never have married Janie though! I wish Jilly Cooper would write another horsey themed book, Jump! didn't measure up to Polo and Riders...

 

[JFTDWS]

Speaking of Fidra books, did anybody else read the Oxus series? I loved them

 

[Shantara]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BoibcuO3L._SL500_AA300_.jpg The Enchanted Horse!! I was always so jealous Bella the horse is amazing ^^

 

[CarolineJ]

I have to confess, Jump! was the first book to ever make me cry at the death of a fictional character, simply because it was one I'd been so fond of for so many years.

Anyone remember The Messenger series by Monica Dickens - Rose and The Great Grey Horse? Four books, The Messenger, Ballad of Favour, The Haunting of Bellamy Four and Cry of a Seagull.

 

[Hells Bells]

Knew you'd know. I think I had more than one book. I am probably muddling the plot of several. Once they went hunter trialling and all stayed at the Colonel's brother's house or something. Another time they ran their own gymkhana and whilst practising cut up a field of new grass which the farmer's son tried to roll with a borrowed tractor to make amends but then took out half of a wall.

Also there was one where they all went on dressage camp and they couldn't understand why they had to do dressage as jumping was more fun but then they all liked it in the end.

I had all these books up until my stepfather died a few years back and his sister threw them all on the skip whilst clearing the house ( I wasn't there to supervise her sadly). Would love to have them again as they were passed down to me from my mother who had them as a child herself

You've changed your name!!! I love it! Time to get excited for xmas!!

I think i remember the phantom horses...

 

[JollyTall]

Flambards!

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BoibcuO3L._SL500_AA300_.jpg The Enchanted Horse!! I was always so jealous Bella the horse is amazing ^^

Yes!! The Enchanted Horse! I love that story, I had it on audio first then mum got me the book, the audio had added music which added something extra to the story.

Also love Michael Morpurgo, The White Horse of Zenor not read War Horse but really must. There was another story called Emma and Freckles, I even dressed up as Emma for Book Character day at school, years and years ago..

Oh and Pony in the Porch and the endless Saddle Club books

 

[Oberon]

The Jill books (that my parents first picked up from boot fairs) had a profound effect on me while growing up.

Ruby Ferguson shaped how I see things - not just with horses!

Jinny and Shantih books are also favourites.

A Pony at Blackbird Cottage and the series too.

One of my favourite books was Prince Among Ponies by Josephine Pullein-Thompson

My all time favourite book (not totally horsey, but they play a large part) is The Silver Sun by Nancy Springer.

These books were all so important to me as a kid - they are almost holy to me now.

 

[Hells Bells]

Pony in the porch!!! i've read that god knows how many times ive read that book to my daughters! Part of the animal ark series i believe.

The old school Jills series and the PT sisters were such quality stories. they dont make them how they used to!

 

[team barney]

Horse Pie... how could I forget, I loved that little donkey!

 

[welsh horse rider]

I have to confess, Jump! was the first book to ever make me cry at the death of a fictional character, simply because it was one I'd been so fond of for so many years.

Anyone remember The Messenger series by Monica Dickens - Rose and The Great Grey Horse? Four books, The Messenger, Ballad of Favour, The Haunting of Bellamy Four and Cry of a Seagull.

Same goes for me too Caroline I was blubbering like a baby when the character died..... he was a very likeable character when he appears in all the books.

I loved reading the Silver Brumby books and also the Saddle club when i was a lot younger.....

Also read Secetariat too and loved that cried reading that too not through a character's death or anything like that but for some reason i was crying

 

[Kat]

Jinny and Shantih for me!

Also loved Nobody's Horse with Lolly and Knocker, and the phantom horse books.

They key being that they all managed to acquire their horses without their parents buying them....... I dreamed about "finding" a horse like Shantih or Phantom, but if that didn't work out being given the old git pony I loved at the riding school would have done fine

 

[forestfantasy]

Another vote for Jinny and Shantih here!

Also the heartland series.

And of course Black beauty & the horse whisperer.

 

[Hippona]

Jinny and Shantih!

Love the Jinny books- just re-read them and bought them again for my 9 year old daughter.

What about Gill and Perdita...another Patricia Leitch book...'Dream of Fair Horses'?

I blame Ms Leitch for my love of greys and arabs.

 

[Hovis_and_SidsMum]

I'm gutted no ones said Hovis LOL [JOKE!!!]

I loved Black Beauty and the Horse Whisperer.
I am a total Jilly Cooper fan - who can not love Lysander, Ricky, The Carlise twins, RCB, Jake, Billy and Luke?! Rumpy pumpy and horses? Fab combo!!