Old pony books

[KelpianCasserole]

Just that really. I had hundreds and I wish I still had them. Pullein-Thompson sisters, Monica Dickens, Dorian Williams, Patricia Leitch, Ruby Murphy, Flicka, Sarah Herbert...and memories of some whose authors and titles I can't remember. Does anyone still have theirs? What was the one where a girl moved into a house with her parents to find they had agreed to buy the pony with the house? I loved that one!

Monica Edwards wrote the Punchbowl Farm series. I loved those, but Jill was my favourite. Is anyone else old enough to remember the WH Smith annual competition with a pony as first prize? You also got lessons and a year’s livery.

Yes, I entered the Win a Piny competition every year without fail. Good job I didn't win as I'm hideously allergic to horses to my eternal ire. I had a full course of de-sensitising injections (bloody painful) but nothing works. I think my Mum may have carefully lost my entry on the way to the postbox...

Was that the one that Jackie won in the, I'm, Jackie books? An annoying child but I kept reading....

I’ve lost most of mine too.

My friend flicka and the thunderhead books
Black stallion series
Silver brumby
Follyfoot.

I discovered Pat smythe’s autobiography in the library as a teen. Loved it. Also a book by a journalist who wanted a pony so convinced her editor to let her write a column on buying and breaking one.

These days pony mad teenagers seem a rare breed.

Did anyone read 'Fly-by-night' and 'The Team' they were so brilliant, I re-read them over and over.

I used to love Jill

I also used to love the series of sequels to Black Beauty - I think they might have been written by one or more of the Pullein-Thompsons? And there was a series about a riding club - the main character was a boy I think - and another of my favourites was about a boy who'd had polio and ended up being very well rehabilitated by riding a horse called Secret.

It got to a point where I had read every single horse book in the library...

Oh yes the silver brumby! I used to be obsessed. If anyone has a kindle there's a series by kate lattey for modern day horse mad teens. My nieces love them

another of my favourites was about a boy who'd had polio and ended up being very well rehabilitated by riding a horse called Secret

Showjumping Secret. There's nothing like pony books for a very literal title!

I loved The Silver Brumby! Having a book clear out all the pony books stayed and that one stayed as a on-the-shekles-not-in-boxes book.

A few pics from the beautifully illustrated one I mentioned earlier.

@DiseasesOfTheSheep I thought that was the title, but doubted myself as I couldn't believe it was quite that bad

I two stick in my mind- one was about a top class child showjumper who lived with her father and wasnt allowed to to anything but train for showjumping. She had a friend called Leonie and her top pony was called Lionheart.
Also one about a girl who went to stay with some cousins in Northumberland and who learned to ride there against her will and I think there may have been a film crew involved who were making a film about the civil war. Did I dream these?😊

Fly by night and The Team were my favourite too, the same writer wrote the flambards trilogy, also good.

IAm I think the illustrator you're looking for is Anne Bullen.

Have you ever read the true story about the filming of Flambards by the main actress? Very funny. It's called Why Didn't They Tell The Horses? She didn't ride at all when she got the part - she lied and learnt very quickly!

I can't remember the title but it was about a group of teens who were working in a yard. I think they were in training for becoming event riders. The bit that sticks out to me is that they mucked out using opened out feed sacks and had to carry the manure by holding the sack corners together. Does it ring any bells for anyone?

The Black Pony Inn series- I had Prince at Black Pony Inn on cassette tape and listened to it on repeat!

I loved Jill, the eventer trilogy, follyfoot, the pony club ones with Noel and Christopher, one about a showjumper called shelta and one about a horse called Luca where the girl that owns it chops its mane of before a show because she doesn't want the loaner to have him

And ones about Ashleigh and Wonder too

Oh I love Jill, and Black Boy and Rapide. I still have all mine and read them when I am off work sick!

concretesieve yes Anne Bullen! Thank you! Have just had a happy ten minutes on google looking at her lovely drawings.

ohh i have all these! i adored them all.

Oh yes ashleigh and wonder! Did any one read the one about a racehorse who got stolen and beaten up by a rival trainer so he had to wear blinkers and ear plugs while he was running as he couldn't bear crowd noise?

Plus the good old saddle club books.

I couldn't find the Jill fan fiction but in my search, I was reminded of Jane Badger's site, which I thought you'd all like (apols if it has been linked to and I forgot) www.janebadgerbooks.co.uk/ponybooks.html

I lived for pony books as a child. I really wish I hadn't thrown them all out in my early 20s now, although I doubt my DSs would enjoy them as much as I did. I kept the Jinny books as they were my absolute favourite. Loved Jill and the Silver Brumby and Black Stallion too! Also a series called Blackbirds I think? And one of the Pullen-Thompson sisters wrote a series about riding on the moors (maybe Exmoor?) which I adored.

My friend and I sometimes like pretend we are Jill and Ann when we ride our actual real horses now. We talk in that very correct 1950’s way and and give each other ‘withering looks’ and call people who drive too fast ‘drips’ and then gallop madly about the woods. (we are in our late thirties ☺️)