Pony Books in the 1970's

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alymac

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I was hoping to track down the pony books I used to read as a child. For the life of me i cannot remember what they were called, but the story began with a girl moving to a new village and find a pony in a field down the lane from where she was living. She was lucky enough to be given the pony and so her horsey life begins. Would love to get copies of these books for a friends daughter if anyone cann tell me what they were called. Thanks in advance.
 
DD said:
do you know the year it was published (roughly?) 1930's 1970's ????
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i read them in the early 70's but if felt like they were set in the 60's or maybe 50's so maybe that was when they were published - they were what made me enter "win a pony" every year unsuccesfully until I was able to buy my own horse :)
 
DD said:
do any of these authors ring a bell---Pullein-Thimpason, Ruby ferguson, Monica Edwards. K M Peyton, Joannna Caannan ?
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I am familiar with Thompson but none of the others...the main part I remember was the very beginning on how she found her pony, of course the pony was perfect and won everything at the shows that she went too.
 
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Another vote for Jill’s Gymkhana

This tells the story of how Jill Crewe and her mother move to Chatton in straitened circumstances despite which they are able to buy a cottage with a paddock attached how Jill falls in love with a black pony in a nearby farmer's field, and how, through a series of chance encounters and lucky coincidences, she is able to buy him, keep him, learn to ride him and, by the end of the book, become the star of the Chatton Show. Along the way we meet the cast of characters that will become familiar throughout the later books: Jill's best friend Ann, her dreadful cousin Cecilia, her riding mentor, the wheelchair-bound Martin Lowe (it's interesting how matter-of-factly and sympathetically the author deals with Martin; somehow it seems a far more modern attitude than it probably really is). Written in 1949, the book shows its age in the usual way of vintage children's books: the sheer amount of freedom that the children are routinely allowed and, contrastingly, how terrifyingly strict Jill's mother is in some respects. Notably, in spite of their poverty and her insistence that Jill must pay for Black Boy's upkeep herself, she refuses to allow Jill to take money for walking some smaller children to school, and is all set to refuse a gift from Martin who is pretty strict himself because it's too generous. As recently as 1949, the Crewes' cottage has no electricity and gas only downstairs (it does at least have a bathroom though), and Jill receives exactly one Christmas present from her mother a fountain pen. What would they have made of today's children with their sacks full of MP3 players and Wiis? It's also a terrifying reminder of how badly the currency has become devalued: Jill's mother receives fifty guineas for the serial rights of one of her books, out of which Jill is able to buy Black Boy for (less)

ETA And reading this synopsis makes me want to read it again :).
 
Tiddlypom said:
Another vote for Jill’s Gymkhana

This tells the story of how Jill Crewe and her mother move to Chatton in straitened circumstances despite which they are able to buy a cottage with a paddock attached how Jill falls in love with a black pony in a nearby farmer's field, and how, through a series of chance encounters and lucky coincidences, she is able to buy him, keep him, learn to ride him and, by the end of the book, become the star of the Chatton Show. Along the way we meet the cast of characters that will become familiar throughout the later books: Jill's best friend Ann, her dreadful cousin Cecilia, her riding mentor, the wheelchair-bound Martin Lowe (it's interesting how matter-of-factly and sympathetically the author deals with Martin; somehow it seems a far more modern attitude than it probably really is). Written in 1949, the book shows its age in the usual way of vintage children's books: the sheer amount of freedom that the children are routinely allowed and, contrastingly, how terrifyingly strict Jill's mother is in some respects. Notably, in spite of their poverty and her insistence that Jill must pay for Black Boy's upkeep herself, she refuses to allow Jill to take money for walking some smaller children to school, and is all set to refuse a gift from Martin who is pretty strict himself because it's too generous. As recently as 1949, the Crewes' cottage has no electricity and gas only downstairs (it does at least have a bathroom though), and Jill receives exactly one Christmas present from her mother a fountain pen. What would they have made of today's children with their sacks full of MP3 players and Wiis? It's also a terrifying reminder of how badly the currency has become devalued: Jill's mother receives fifty guineas for the serial rights of one of her books, out of which Jill is able to buy Black Boy for (less)

ETA And reading this synopsis makes me want to read it again :).
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mine are upstairs in a chest, somewhere. Can’t remember the last time I saw them. Might have to go on a treasure hunt tomorrow...
 
Loved that book! I read it in the 90s and thought it was brilliant. Would have given anything to have had my pony in the garden!

Can anyone remember the book about a girl who gets given a pony that is skin and bone from some posh family? I think he was described as a hat rack, or a toast rack. Bay pony I think. The girl couldn't ride to start with and went onto to do the local pony club rallies with him. Pretty sure that was kept in the stable in the garden too. Or am I thinking of the same book?
 
wispagold said:
Loved that book! I read it in the 90s and thought it was brilliant. Would have given anything to have had my pony in the garden!

Can anyone remember the book about a girl who gets given a pony that is skin and bone from some posh family? I think he was described as a hat rack, or a toast rack. Bay pony I think. The girl couldn't ride to start with and went onto to do the local pony club rallies with him. Pretty sure that was kept in the stable in the garden too. Or am I thinking of the same book?
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That sounds like A Pony for Jean by Joanna Cannan (mother of the Pullein-Thompsons), my favourite pony book ever
She called the pony Cavalier and beats her snobby, expensively mounted cousins at the local hunter trials
 
I love pony books! Don't know if the OP confirmed but if definitely sounds like the first Jill book to me. My favourites were the Jinny at Finery stories, but I really like JPT too and the Mory and Midnight Dancer stories, though less people seem to have read them. They had the most beautiful illustrations.
 
alymac said:
I was hoping to track down the pony books I used to read as a child. For the life of me i cannot remember what they were called, but the story began with a girl moving to a new village and find a pony in a field down the lane from where she was living. She was lucky enough to be given the pony and so her horsey life begins. Would love to get copies of these books for a friends daughter if anyone cann tell me what they were called. Thanks in advance.
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Could it be Nobody’s horse by Joanna Webster? I think the horse was called Nobby? Not sure if I’m conflating more than one book.
 
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I remember one called "A horse Called September," where the posh girl ditched her horse as it did a tendon or something, the poor girl rescued it and dyed its coat to disguise it and nursed it back to health.

The posh girl then got a posh horse with a glossy coat, and it all came to a head at the end of summer in a jumping competition.

Of course, the posh girl was all the gear, no idea, and a bit cruel with it. We were supposed to identify with the underdog, who was sensitive and kind.

ETA Yes, I got the title right...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Horse-Called-September-Anne-Digby/dp/0583302777


Also, another book, by Monica Dickens I think, where it was short stories and excerpts. One of the chapters was simply about a set of friends going for a hack. I don't think anything astounding happened on the hack, but it was written so you went on that hack with them. I seem to think they came back as the sun set, or similar. I didn't have a horse at the time and it was a group of friends out hacking, rather than a regimented riding school ride that I could ride on.

ETA - just looked this one up...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Talking-ho...Monica+dickens&qid=1581453775&s=books&sr=1-21


I never understood the horse Rapide in the Jill books. I now realise it was probably rapide, as in rapid, as in quick, but a softer French type pronunciation. At the time I thought it was Rapide as in Rap-eye-d, which sounded like a silly and awful name.

I remember reading the books, the 2 horses, the gymkhana. Was there not a posh girl with musical named horses? Sonnet, Sonata and Serenade or something? An army major or someone as an instructor? But, I don't recollect a man in a wheelchair?

Loved the Jinny at Finmory books too. Personally I would have liked to ride Bramble the Highland pony. I recollect a disabled girl from the city, who sounded common with checked shopper bag, made friends with the arab horse and went for a gallop.
 
Red-1 said:
I remember reading the books, the 2 horses, the gymkhana. Was there not a posh girl with musical named horses? Sonnet, Sonata and Serenade or something? An army major or someone as an instructor? But, I don't recollect a man in a wheelchair?

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I think there are a few writers here.

In the Jill series there was Susan Pyke who got bought expensive horses she couldn't ride but i think the posh girl with 3 horses is Christina from 3 ponies and Shannan and A pony to School by Diana Pullein Thompson. Solo Symphony and Serenade.

Then there's Major Holbrook in the Josephine Pullein Thomas Noel and Henry series. Noel's pony is called Sonnet.
 
Ooh, there was another. A brother and sister had riding lessons, living in a city. I think their trainer was Captain Podhasky or something. They were to stay in the country with some relatives, having had the grand total of 10 lessons.

The relatives had loads of horses and ponies, all of them rode. But, they were a bit rough and ready. They laughed at the heroes and their 10 lessons. Of course, in the field was a beautiful grey gelding, who looked perfect but was considered dangerous.

A midnight conversation made the pair think that if the family rode Captain Podhasky's horses, then they would also be dangerous, as they had been trained to be quiet and sensitive riders. So. they got up I the middle of the night and started to ride the 'dangerous' pony.

I think at the end of summer they came out of the closet about the pony and, of course, won everything at the show. I think they were given the pony to take back to the city or something.

I think it was this one..https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prince-among-ponies-Armada-pony/dp/0006914381/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KHLAZZ2SL12O&keywords=prince+among+ponies&qid=1581454397&sprefix=Prince+Amon,aps,145&sr=8-1

Music to my ears, as a girl who could only ride at a riding school.
 
Red-1 said:
Ooh, there was another. A brother and sister had riding lessons, living in a city. I think their trainer was Captain Podhasky or something. They were to stay in the country with some relatives, having had the grand total of 10 lessons.

The relatives had loads of horses and ponies, all of them rode. But, they were a bit rough and ready. They laughed at the heroes and their 10 lessons. Of course, in the field was a beautiful grey gelding, who looked perfect but was considered dangerous.

A midnight conversation made the pair think that if the family rode Captain Podhasky's horses, then they would also be dangerous, as they had been trained to be quiet and sensitive riders. So. they got up I the middle of the night and started to ride the 'dangerous' pony.

I think at the end of summer they came out of the closet about the pony and, of course, won everything at the show. I think they were given the pony to take back to the city or something.

I think it was this one..https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prince-among-ponies-Armada-pony/dp/0006914381/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KHLAZZ2SL12O&keywords=prince+among+ponies&qid=1581454397&sprefix=Prince+Amon,aps,145&sr=8-1
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Yes it was Prince among Ponies JPT again.

I read and read them as a child and could tell you the plots of most still.

A lot of the books are about the conflict between older hunting riding tradition and style and the new ideas coming in with dressage training. It's a recurrent theme in most of JPT's books. The forward seat for jumping was a new and radical idea.
 
There was another where the girl could ride a ride and drive pony. I think it was her father's pony who pulled the milk float. Of course there was posh girl who had clipped and blanketed horses, and I had to look up what a passage was, as apparently the posh horses could do this whilst out hacking, but the milk float pony could not. I thin the milk float pony went and won a show too.

Seems now like they were all awfully to a formula, although when I was young it did not seem that way!
 
Red-1 said:
There was another where the girl could ride a ride and drive pony. I think it was her father's pony who pulled the milk float. Of course there was posh girl who had clipped and blanketed horses, and I had to look up what a passage was, as apparently the posh horses could do this whilst out hacking, but the milk float pony could not. I thin the milk float pony went and won a show too.

Seems now like they were all awfully to a formula, although when I was young it did not seem that way!
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Don't know that one.
 
Red-1 said:
I
Also, another book, by Monica Dickens I think, where it was short stories and excerpts. One of the chapters was simply about a set of friends going for a hack. I don't think anything astounding happened on the hack, but it was written so you went on that hack with them. I seem to think they came back as the sun set, or similar. I didn't have a horse at the time and it was a group of friends out hacking, rather than a regimented riding school ride that I could ride on.

ETA - just looked this one up...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Talking-ho...Monica+dickens&qid=1581453775&s=books&sr=1-21

.
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I was just about to say 'Talking of Horses'. It's autobiographical just about the various horses she's had with some advice and instruction thrown in. There's a couple of hacks in the book, one where they ride alongside a train track, i think on the Icknield Way and another where there is an ex racehorse that sometimes does a sudden right angle depositing his rider.
 
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