What was your favourite pony book as a child?

[suestowford]

I have the Trigger In Europe book. I loved it. I have quite a few 'horse travel' books.

 

[Snowfilly]

I was a total bookworm as a kid/teen. I loved the Silver Brumby books. I also loved National Velvet, and Black Beauty, although I found it very sad.

When I was a little older, maybe 11 or 12, I read a book called "Trigger in Europe", written by a guy called William Holt, about how he set out from his home in Yorkshire determined to ride his horse Trigger down through Europe to The Med. I think he was 67 when he set off, and Trigger was no spring chicken either. I remember being utterly awe inspired by it. I re read it again a few years ago (it was out of print for years and is now called "Ride a White Horse" which is a shame.) Still an amazing journey, what a shame road conditions make trips like that pretty much impossible now. I think it was that book above all others that gave me a determination to have a horse of my own one day, (had to wait nearly 40 yrs) and I still haven't given up on the dream of long distance riding...

Have a look at the Long Riders Guild. Although a lot of them are in America, there’s still a lot of people doing long distance rides in Europe and even the U.K.

Tracy Elliot-Reep has ridden through a lot of Europe and written books about it as well.

 

[lozloz1]

Like many others here I loved The Silver Brumby, Sheltie and The Horses of Half-Moon Ranch when I was a kid. It's nice to see Perfect Ponies get mentioned

I still read a fair few even as an adult and I've also really liked Pony Club Secrets, Pony Club rivals and The One Dollar Horse series/The Glory. My overall favourite is Blind Beauty - what a book!!

 

[Landcruiser]

Have a look at the Long Riders Guild. Although a lot of them are in America, there’s still a lot of people doing long distance rides in Europe and even the U.K.

Don't worry, I have! "Trigger in Europe" was the first of a long line of long riding books I have collected and read over the years

 

[fetlock]

Re Dream of Fair Horses, the idea for the sad ending was probably very loosely based on truth.

Pollyanna was a very successful famous show pony (though chestnut not grey) who was champion riding pony of the year in the early 1960s, bred by Albert Deptford and subsequently sold to America where she continued to be successful as a hunter pony.

 

[malwhit]

Showjumping Secret by Josephine Pullein Thompson, some of the Jill books and the Flicka books.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Mine were the Pat Smythe books (yep shows how long in the tooth I am). There was one and - oh dear - just wish I could remember it, but it was about someone called Andreas I think it was....... he was from Austria or something and I think it was one of Pat Smythe's but am not sure. Can't even remember any of the titles of the books of hers! Oh dear.

Then there was another book written by someone who called themselves "Golden Gorse"; she was a huge fan of Exmoor ponies and this came across in her books. It was a very old book; my father used to work in a library and would quite often come home with books which had "Withdrawn" stamped all over them which were no longer in library usage, and anything to do with ponies bless him he would bring them home for me. Can't remember the title but there were some old photographs I seem to remember where everyone was wearing bowler hats & elephant-ear breeches!! It was a charming book and was soooh old it just must have fallen apart as I've never found it.

 

[Snowfilly]

Mine were the Pat Smythe books (yep shows how long in the tooth I am). There was one and - oh dear - just wish I could remember it, but it was about someone called Andreas I think it was....... he was from Austria or something and I think it was one of Pat Smythe's but am not sure. Can't even remember any of the titles of the books of hers! Oh dear.

Then there was another book written by someone who called themselves "Golden Gorse"; she was a huge fan of Exmoor ponies and this came across in her books. It was a very old book; my father used to work in a library and would quite often come home with books which had "Withdrawn" stamped all over them which were no longer in library usage, and anything to do with ponies bless him he would bring them home for me. Can't remember the title but there were some old photographs I seem to remember where everyone was wearing bowler hats & elephant-ear breeches!! It was a charming book and was soooh old it just must have fallen apart as I've never found it.

Can’t help on the Pat Smthye but Golden Gorse wrote Moorland Mousie and Older Mousie about an Exmoor and a non fiction one called The Young Rider’s Picture Book which might have been the one you had?

The Moorland Mousie Trust use the name of her books and are a charity for Exmoor ponies.

 

[fetlock]

Who was it who had the cousin who had Symphony the show pony, Serenade the SJ pony and Solo the games pony? Was it Jill?

 

[marmalade76]

Who was it who had the cousin who had Symphony the show pony, Serenade the SJ pony and Solo the games pony? Was it Jill?

Nope, Jill's cousin Cecilia rode in some of the books but wasn't really horsey didn't have her own ponies.

 

[fetlock]

Nope, Jill's cousin Cecilia rode in some of the books but wasn't really horsey didn't have her own ponies.

now I think of it the series I’m thinking of may have been about the girl with the ponies herself. May have had an Irish Wolfhound too.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

Who was it who had the cousin who had Symphony the show pony, Serenade the SJ pony and Solo the games pony? Was it Jill?

Three Ponies and Shannan

 

[stormox]

I loved Rosina Copper,.... all the Pullein Thompson books,... The Punchbowl Farm series.....and one called Stolen Holiday -

 

[fetlock]

Three Ponies and Shannan

thanks!

 

[ElleSkywalker]

thanks!

There were a few staring Christina and her friend Augusta. Augusta also has her own 'solo' introduction book called 'I wanted a pony' ?

 

[fetlock]

There were a few staring Christina and her friend Augusta. Augusta also has her own 'solo' introduction book called 'I wanted a pony' ?

i renamed Happytime (as in The Anna and Happytime model horse) to Serenade in honour of my favourite of the three ponies in that book.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

but it was about someone called Andreas I think it was....... he was from Austria or something

I think this was 'The Stables at Hampton' by Gillian Baxter.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I'm currently enjoying book 3, The Radney Riding Club, of J P-T's Noel and Henry series. It's my first time round for these books.

Henry, age 15/16, has invited Noel (a bit younger) and her pony to stay during the summer holidays, so that they can both improve their riding.

I was surprised when on the day she was due to arrive, he set off for the railway station to meet her riding his father's hunter. Who was going to carry her luggage as she walked back home with him?

Turns out that Noel arrived at the station complete with her pony, who travelled with her, and they rode home together while Henry's mother collected her luggage in the car!

Different times. Hardly any of the children have their own transport for their ponies, they all hack long distances to rallies and shows, and they tie their ponies up in the shade of trees when they get there.

Different times. Not sure of the date of first publication, but post war food rationing is still on.

 

[Fools Motto]

I enjoyed National Velvet... The Pie. Won the national with a girl.
Then went on to enjoy International Velvet.
Loved every book that was remotely horsey, Jill series, Jinny and her Arab, Flicka, Thunderhead, Rosina Copper, Saddle club books. I even loved 'Ned, The lonely Donkey'!

 

[indie1282]

Caroline Akrill - Eventers Dream, A Hoof in the Door and A Ticket to Ride.

 

[Crugeran Celt]

My Friend Flicka, broke my heart with the sad bits but read it over and over. Read so many others I was a complete book worm, my mother always said I was either with horses, reading about them or dreaming about them. She still thinks I am going to grow out of them but I am 56 so can't see that happening any time soon.