Pony books - which ones did you read?

dressedkez said:
I think that one person mentioned the Caroline Akrill books (late 1980's?) - with the Fanes - yes they were fantastic - and she did another about a dressage rider that was brillaint as well - was it based on a Carl Hester type figure?
Click to expand...

I bought the Eventer's Trilogy quite recently as I have lost all my Jill and Jinny books through various house moves, and wanted to have at least one of my old pony books. And it's still as fab as ever, especially 'A hoof in the door'.

The other book you mentioned is called Flying Changes, which I didn't read as a child but bought a few years ago. It's about a beautiful, talented dressage rider who everybody obsesses over, which makes him ruthless, narcissistic and spoilt - and it's rather dark (I should probably add that it was written in 1985 when the lovely Mr Hester was in his teens!)

Caroline Akrill is brilliant, I read on JaneBadger's site that she's stopped writing but I really wish she'd do a full length adult's book - she writes beautifully.
 
....... another book I remember reading was about a girl who's pony dies in an accident and she buys another who is a milk cart pony and goes on to ride it at the Horse of the Year Show. It must have been from 40's/50's as the pony had a docked tail. Great book but can't remember who it's by or what the name is!
 
janebadger said:
That might be June Groves' Milkman's Cob. The horse was called Happy. There's a pic and some author info here (the author's niece got in touch with me, which was lovely):

http://www.janebadgerbooks.co.uk/misc/groves.html

I agree with you, VictoriaSpicer, about Caroline Akrill. I love her books.
Click to expand...

That is exactly it, I recognise the cover! It was one of my mum's books from when she was a child and a really lovely story. Great to read about the author too :) I shall have to see if I can find my copy!
 
Janebadger - just looked at your website - I'm in heaven. "Three to Ride" was a book I was trying desperately to remember. I remember the green dragon on the front of the paperbacks - an age guide if I remember. I started a thread on this topic on the old forum never got this many replies - but hey any excuse to wallow in nostalgia.
And I could remember the name of the "Three Jays" - looking at the covers brings it all back again.
 
Have been through the thread hoping someone else will have remembered this book that I can't for the life of me think of the title of, and would love to read it again.

It was quite a thick novel, not a classic children's story. It was about a girl who lived in Wales or Scotland I think and one night this wild/magical horse comes to her window and she goes out galloping on it. It's a massive white horse called Zeb I think? And she takes it racing but it breaks its leg. And then all of his wild relatives turn up and she had hundreds of horses at her house. But there's a bad wild stallion or something and it turns into a massacre where almost all of the horses die. I remember sobbing for ages after reading it!

Anyone have any ideas, or did I perhaps just dream this?
 
Oh good, Missfitz50 - I'm glad that was it! Nothing like a good wallow Double_choc_lab.

Bri that is a new one on me I'm afraid. The only thing I can think of is The White Horse of Zennor by Michael Morpurgo, but that's a short story. Monica Dicken's World End books have John the horse appearing at Carrie's window in her dreams, but he's not white! Or wild either, for that matter.
 
janebadger said:
Oh good, Missfitz50 - I'm glad that was it! Nothing like a good wallow Double_choc_lab.

Bri that is a new one on me I'm afraid. The only thing I can think of is The White Horse of Zennor by Michael Morpurgo, but that's a short story. Monica Dicken's World End books have John the horse appearing at Carrie's window in her dreams, but he's not white! Or wild either, for that matter.
Click to expand...

Ooh, I loved the World's End books, have just found one on my shelf!

I seem to remember some books with Quicksilver and Juno - ring any bells? To be honest they may be from separate books!

Has anyone mentioned Jilly Cooper? Now I appreciate they are not children's books but they are generally about horses. In my teens and 20s I read them many times! Now in my 30s and don't feel the need as much! But still very good reads
 
Double_choc_lab said:
Janebadger - just looked at your website - I'm in heaven. "Three to Ride" was a book I was trying desperately to remember. I remember the green dragon on the front of the paperbacks - an age guide if I remember. I started a thread on this topic on the old forum never got this many replies - but hey any excuse to wallow in nostalgia.
And I could remember the name of the "Three Jays" - looking at the covers brings it all back again.
Click to expand...

I have/had that book somewhere.
 
kirstyl said:
Ooh, I loved the World's End books, have just found one on my shelf!

I seem to remember some books with Quicksilver and Juno - ring any bells? To be honest they may be from separate books!

Has anyone mentioned Jilly Cooper? Now I appreciate they are not children's books but they are generally about horses. In my teens and 20s I read them many times! Now in my 30s and don't feel the need as much! But still very good reads
Click to expand...

Yes loved Riders - a pony book for adults, well adults X rated! But her tales of Sinbad, Revenged, McCauly et al were great.....amazing that after Riders, Rupes (Rupert Campbell-Black) turned out to be a hero - having been soooo horrible to his nags, and Ms Cooper, loving her animals so much!
But then I loved Mark (Flambards) more then Dick, and always hoped that Christina would end up him (and he was a ******* to his nags too, Mark, not Dick....) So what that says about us all I don't really know!!
 
dressedkez said:
Yes loved Riders - a pony book for adults, well adults X rated! But her tales of Sinbad, Revenged, McCauly et al were great.....amazing that after Riders, Rupes (Rupert Campbell-Black) turned out to be a hero - having been soooo horrible to his nags, and Ms Cooper, loving her animals so much!
But then I loved Mark (Flambards) more then Dick, and always hoped that Christina would end up him (and he was a ******* to his nags too, Mark, not Dick....) So what that says about us all I don't really know!!
Click to expand...

But you always knew Dick was the better rider! Just the same as in Riders, Jake is the sympathetic horseman but we still love Rupert. No, don't know what that says about us - pathetic!!
 
dressedkez said:
Yes loved Riders - a pony book for adults, well adults X rated! But her tales of Sinbad, Revenged, McCauly et al were great.....amazing that after Riders, Rupes (Rupert Campbell-Black) turned out to be a hero - having been soooo horrible to his nags, and Ms Cooper, loving her animals so much!
But then I loved Mark (Flambards) more then Dick, and always hoped that Christina would end up him (and he was a ******* to his nags too, Mark, not Dick....) So what that says about us all I don't really know!!
Click to expand...

Noooooooo - Jilly Cooper's drivel has no place in this thread where our days of childhood innocence are being relived...
 
Just been on janebadgers website. Found out about Heather who wrote Riding with Reka at last after all these years, still love the book. Have a good American book called The Silver Horn not really childrens book but interesting to read, why has no-one mentioned "The Irish RM" stories.?
 
brighteyes said:
Noooooooo - Jilly Cooper's drivel has no place in this thread where our days of childhood innocence are being relived...
Click to expand...

I read Dick Francis before I was 11..... I'd read my way through the children's section and was allowed to borrow from the adult section as long as the librarian approved! Dick Francis was fortunately considered OK.
 
Haven't read all the posts here - but returning to 'childhood innocence' - Loved all the Jill books, Pat Smythe's Three Jays series, BlackBeauty, My Friend Flicka ....... wanders off down memory lane, veering off into second childhood....
 
janebadger said:
I read Dick Francis before I was 11..... I'd read my way through the children's section and was allowed to borrow from the adult section as long as the librarian approved! Dick Francis was fortunately considered OK.
Click to expand...

So did I......I had one of the really early gruesome ones, Dead Cert or something similar that I used to hide behind my exercise book and read in Maths or Science circa mid 1970's....Aged about 11, I caught a train to Bridgwater, from Taunton (about 20 mins) and became so engrossed in reading 'In the Frame' or some similar title, that I ended up in Reading! My favourite Dick Francis was (can't remember the title) but was about breeding and had a horse called Sandcastle in it - was it 'Hot Money'......??
 
kirstyl said:
But you always knew Dick was the better rider! Just the same as in Riders, Jake is the sympathetic horseman but we still love Rupert. No, don't know what that says about us - pathetic!!
Click to expand...

Just normal really, everyone loves a Villian - and how horrible was Dick to Christina and Jake to Tory??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top