Favorite children's horse books

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by NeverTime:
Also, did Marguerite Henry write a book about “Exterminator” the race horse, or was that someone else. I loved that book about the skinny excercise horse that won the Kentucky Derby.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, I am not sure who wrote the book but it was titled “Old Bones”. That was the nickname given to Exterminator - the skinny ugly racehorse that won the Derby. Great book!

Gosh, I get all choked up just reading some of the titles - such memories!

I love all the CW Anderson books - all I need still is “Sketchbook” and I have 'em all. Of course, I’d like to find it without breaking the bank, ya know?!

King of the Wind, Lord Buff and the Silver Star, and Dinah and Virginia (all time fav.)How bout Horses Round the World, by Slaughter…Then we have 2 really old ones, Harlequin Hullabaloo and Charm of the Shadows. That will date you! Oops, completely forgot, Album of Horses, by Henry & Dennis…

[This message has been edited by wtywmn4 (edited 05-13-2000).]

In my family we have two seperate levels of “horse” books"…the ones I read and loved as a young girl and the ones my daughter and I together have read and fallen in love with. And in many cases these overlap. But one had a profund influence. We read so often when my daughter was little that my husband said it bordered on brainwashing…

FRITZ AND THE BEAUTIFUL HORSES by Jan Brett. It’s a wonderful little kids book about a fat shaggy pony who lives outside a city that values beautiful, elegant, high-strung horses. When all the children of the village and their parents are out riding one day, the bridge to their walled city breaks leaving the children stranded on one side of a steep ravine. Their fancy horses don’t want to get their feet wet, or get their manes tangled or are simply afraid to cross and the children are afraid of their horses bucking and shying, leaping and prancing. But then Fritz comes to the rescue and as the story goes…

“Fritz was not beautiful but he was gentle and kind. He was sure footed and always ready to work. The children were not afraid to ride him…”

Fritz safely carries all the children across the ravine and through the river to their parents where he is made a hero.

Today my daughter is an ardent and enthusiastic pony rider. She and I together raise and train ponies for other children to enjoy. Looks like the brainwashing took!

Thelwell! i loved those books… i really hope they’re still at my parents house and not lost forever. i tried to find them for a friend when i was in England, but the lady at the shop (a totally equnie bookstore!)said they’re long out of print, and they’re snatched up immediately if they ever come in used.

Did anyone read that book “Last Junior Year”? It’s about a girl whose parents are not really that supportive about her showing and so she goes and grooms in Florida to get to the shows with her junior hunter. She ends up doing some catch riding for a former Olympian and is asked to come ride at Gladstone.

The other one I just remembered was “Tic-Tac”.

I loved Silver Birch, Midnight Moon, and Golden Sovereign, which my mom had bought when she was younger. And when I moved out of the house, imagine my joy (and my sister’s annoyance) when she gave those books to me!

National Velvet and King of the Wind were favorites, too.

And the first horse book that I bought at school with my own money was Hold The Rein Free. Now, I can’t recall anything about it except that it had a yellow cover and I read it a zillion times.

Becca- I must have about 35 Saddle Club books and about 20 Throughbred ones. I do have to credit the Thoroughbred series with helping me get interested in racing (although way back in 7th grade my friend borrowed the Christmas special one and never gave it back. grrr). Do you remember the series’ Pony Tales and Riding Academy?

I loved Smoky the cow horse, Black Beauty, Brighty, King of the Wind… all those that tell the life story of a horse.

Does anybody remember this one book about a girl that can’t afford a horse but she gets to show one named Lucas for these really rich snobby people… the older daughter has it out for her, lands her in the hospital, then later the girl (whas her name- Cara?) ends up getting the horse??? I think it’s called A horse of her own or something equally cheesy.

[This message has been edited by lobito (edited 05-19-2000).]

How about Misty of Chincoteague…one of my all time favorites…

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Flash44:
Marguerite Henry and Walter Farley, Billy and Blaze. My all time favorite is King of the Wind.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Jessica missed a few on that bibliography list - the 5 or so Lavinia Davis come to mind immediately. Not to mention the at least dozen Paul Brown’s.

Glenn Balch was AHSA Alan’s parent from what I’ve been told (Californians correct me, please!)

Eleanor May’s BUCKLE HORSE is one of my favorites, right along with Paul Brown’s HI GUY - The Cinderella Horse. Both are real tearjerkers - but Hi Guy (probably because he looks JUST like my retiree) is beyond words.

George & His Horse Bill by Alsop is also wonderful - wild horse winds up winning Maryland Hunt Cup…

Of course, all the above are illustrated by Paul Brown (need I say more??)

“Fritz and the beautiful horses” still makes me cry just thinking about it! Its for young kids. I spent hours reading/rereading it to my daughter when she was little. We had a pony JUST like the one in the book! All the Billy and Blaze books are great - I remember loving Little Black (the pony) and Big Red (the horse) and the trio that started with My Friend Flicka…I wish I had kept those. I never see the rest of them at any equine booksellers at expos any more.

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Janet:
[B] Huh? Are you sure about that?

[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well duh, I must have my head on backwards, I meant Wesley Dennis. He had Misty at the farm while doing the illustrations. A friend of ours lives there now but won’t let me peek into the attics!

I have Old Bones the Wonder Horse. Not by Marguerite Henry, though, a different author. Wonderful story.

Books - my second fave topic!
(and in case anyone lasn’t checked it ut, there are several LONG book threads from Dec/Jan)

Pamela & the Blue Mare as well as its sequel, The Blue Mare in the Olympic Trials are the two absoute BEST horse books ever written. I learned more about basic riding, dressage, training, et al from those books when I was young than anywhere else. Most people think riders/trainers were unsophisticated in the 50’s & 60’s - and these books prove otherwise!

I have tried for years to find out who Alice L. O’Connell was - but to no avail. Even asked some of the Team members from that era, but, it may have been a pseudonym. She does credit and thank Jimmy Wofford’s father and Bert DeNemethy’s mentor - D’Endrody (author of Give Your Horse A Chance) in the second book!

I repeat, my absolute favorites - and what I wouldn’t give for a signed 1st in dustjacket…even unsigned…

Another great one is Nancy Caffery - wonderful stories and fine illustrations… Then there is CW Anderson…Well, as I have said before, I have 25,000 books in my barn, so I could go on and on.

There is an excellent bibliography of horse books by Terri Wear published about 12 years ago. Also worth finding.

A Filly for Joan – I think that was my favorite CW Anderson book. I wanted to be Joan sooo bad.

I forgot about “The Blind Connemara” by CW Anderson! That was the first one of his I read, after the Billy and Blaze series. I’ve always wanted a Connemara after that book.

A poll: What is your favorite Black Stallion book?

Oh, I LOVE the Thelwell books~ have quite a collection! But no one mentioned “The Rain Cloud Pony”~ about a girl down the road who rides her friend’s pony dressed as her friend while she sneaks to see her boyfriend. Geez, I can’t believe I remember that! I read the book in 3rd grade & always wanted a copy, but never found one. And of course, I still have my “Danny” book that I got from the Troll Book club back '82, that poor thing is just about worn out! SUZ

CWP - YES! YES! I LOVED THAT BOOK! I read that book about the same time i read The Crumb. It was a great book. It was one of those that i couldn’t remember the name of!

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Nancey Phillips Fisher:
Harlequin Hullaballoo!!! Yes, wtywoman, that didn’t even make it to the two (?) old books threads (worth reviewing for those who like this one)! You know, I still have my old copy of that one! Again, Farley and Henry, King of the Wind and Smoky (I read Smoky so many times my brother could open it at random and I could recite it by heart, wish I could do that now, you know?). BTW, what about a book called, “The Happy Year”? Came to mind when looking at the Margaret Cabell Self thread…anyone else remember that one?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Lobito- we have about a hundred Saddle Club books ANd I have up to about 20 and a bunch of the specials of TB series- still sitting in my closer I used to think of them like MY books, my own series- when i met soemoen ewlse who read thme i got mad, because i thought I should be the only one to really know them.
And thye got me into racing too I used to loathe it, and now I actually wouldn’t mind becoming involved in it.
My little sister had Pony Pals and riding academy, and I never really liked them, I think I had outgrown that age by the time they came out.

I used to LIVE through some of those characters.
And when Ashleigh “died” in the christmas special, I criedfor the first time ever in a book.

Yes fellow bibliophiles, it’s time to resurect this topic. I just can’t resist chiming in although it was originally posted before I knew you all existed!

“Sabre the Horse from the Sea” for years I thought the horse’s name was pronounced “say-bree” instead of ‘say-brr’ like the sword. What can I say? I also thought Jim Kjelgaards’ book about an Irish Setter was called ‘Seen’ instead of the correct ‘Shawn’

[This message has been edited by Kryswyn (edited 09-24-2000).]