In need of some good horsie books

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newboult51

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What it says really, any recommendations of good horse-related books, be they autobiographies, fact or fiction to curl up with during the dark nights.
 
All the Jilly Cooper books
Fiona Walker's eventing trilogy (starts with French Relations I think)
Country Set - Fiona Walker
The Dressage Chronicles - Karen McGoldrick (four part ebook series, very good, written by an american dressage trainer)
Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester's autobiographies
Stable Lass - autobiography of a racing groom, very well written and funny
Caroline Akrill's Eventing trilogy
Free Rein - Gillian Rolton's autobiography


Some of these are very trashy, but all very enjoyable with large doses of horsey stuff!
 
Seabiscuit - Laura Hillenbrand
Horse Heaven - Jane Smiley

Both about horse racing and both really well written.
 
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pixie27 said:
All the Jilly Cooper books
Fiona Walker's eventing trilogy (starts with French Relations I think)
Country Set - Fiona Walker
The Dressage Chronicles - Karen McGoldrick (four part ebook series, very good, written by an american dressage trainer)
Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester's autobiographies
Stable Lass - autobiography of a racing groom, very well written and funny
Caroline Akrill's Eventing trilogy
Free Rein - Gillian Rolton's autobiography


Some of these are very trashy, but all very enjoyable with large doses of horsey stuff!
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Which of these are fiction?
Have read Charlotte & Carl's books and enjoyed
 
I can echo the recommendations for in the pink and Seabiscuit.
I thinks nags to numbnuts might have to go on my Christmas list!
The Jenny Pitman novels were rather good - it was a series but it felt like the final book should have had at least one more, it was a bit of an open ended ending but there never seemed to be one after that.
Jojo Moyes did a slightly sappy horsey novel which was an alright read too.
I'm really sad my mum got rid of her Pony Library collection of books from the 70s - all by the Pullein Thompson sisters and others, maybe they'd be a bit childish if I read them now but as a horse mad teenager I loved them. Eta - it was these ones if anyone remembers them http://www.janebadgerbooks.co.uk/articles/collins.html
 
A lovely book for flipping through on cosy winter evenings is 'The Annotated Black Beauty'. It's stuffed full of historical info and gorgeous illustrations as it follows the story.
I think it is out of print now, but you may find a second-hand copy.
 
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Vagabond by Jeremy James - the true story of his trek across Eastern Europe on horseback. Great read.

I re read Flambards as an adult. I loved it as a teenager and still pretty much loved it as an adult.
 
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Archangel said:
Vagabond by Jeremy James - the true story of his trek across Eastern Europe on horseback. Great read.

I re read Flambards as an adult. I loved it as a teenager and still pretty much loved it as an adult.
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I picked up a copy of Flambards recently on the charity shelf at the supermarket. Forgotten how good it was and I am going to get the next parts of the trilogy.

I have also re read Jilly Cooper's Riders. Still a good read.
 
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The Wild Other by Clover Stroud is a really interesting memoir about the role horses have played in her life so far.
 
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Archangel said:
Vagabond by Jeremy James - the true story of his trek across Eastern Europe on horseback. Great read.

I re read Flambards as an adult. I loved it as a teenager and still pretty much loved it as an adult.
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Has anyone read the new Flambards book by Linda Newberry?

I haven't read it for a while, but I remember enjoying the Pullein-Thompsons' autobiography - Fair Girls and Grey Horses.
 
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The Mercedes Lackey Heralds of Valderma Books are good fun. Fantasy/magic but with mind talking white horses. Just nice easy entertaining reads. Good place to start is with the Arrows of the Queen trilogy.
 
Aimed at teens but I'm an adult who reads them so don't care but anything by Kate Lattey, especially her pony jumpers series, only problem is she's often really slow bringing out the next book am impatiently waiting for book 11.

Not sure of author but I like the Loxwood series, I think I like a lot of Natalie Keller Reinherts (spelling?) Books as well. There are also books about a gay man called Simon, the first one is called fortunes fool, I liked those as they aren't the typical girl with horse ones.

Rafferty Lincoln Loves I read following good feedback from people on here and enjoyed it, bit far fetched but still very good.

Adult books I enjoyed William Fox Pitts and Pippa Funnells autobiographies, also the Danny Rawlings mysteries, again a little far fetched but based on racing so a little different. The Alex and Alexander books are good as well, again based on racing they also appear in later books in one of the other series I read, if you find the author for them Google her other books which I've also enjoyed something in my head says they are about an event rider who's barn in the first book is affected by a hurricane and her husband also events, I find her a good character to read about as she's not a people person like me!!

I do read adult crime books etc but will always love a horse story!!
 
paddy555 said:
I picked up a copy of Flambards recently on the charity shelf at the supermarket. Forgotten how good it was and I am going to get the next parts of the trilogy.

I have also re read Jilly Cooper's Riders. Still a good read.
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Did you realise that K M Peyton eventually wrote a fourth book in the Flambards series, "Flambards Divided"? Ties up all the agonising loose ends.

My other favourite horse book is "The Wild Heart" by Helen Griffiths, about an ugly, fast mare and Gauchos.
 
millikins said:
Did you realise that K M Peyton eventually wrote a fourth book in the Flambards series, "Flambards Divided"? Ties up all the agonising loose ends.

My other favourite horse book is "The Wild Heart" by Helen Griffiths, about an ugly, fast mare and Gauchos.
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no I didn't. Thanks for that.
 
no one has mentioned "The tale of two horses"
This is the story of Mancha and Gato who rode with A Tschiffely from Buenos Aires to N York in 1925. It is told from the horses POV and tells of their history from babies through breaking etc to the ride. There is also Tschiffely's ride of course told from his POV.
 
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