I had a TBI (not horsey-related) 15 months ago. When I was able to read again, the neurologist said to concentrate on simple books that I had read many times. To the horse bookshelf I returned for “The Secret Horse,” “The Monday Horses,” “The Crumb,”and so many more. Thank goodness I had never discarded them. It was like seeing very old friends for the first time in decades.
What’s on your shelf from so long ago?
Black Beauty.
All of the Walter Farley books, this 6 book series called Horse Crazy that is about a riding camp, a couple of stray Thoroughbred and Saddle Club books (only ever owned a few of those). I still have all of my childhood books, but some of them are at my parents’ house.
Vicki and the Brown Mare by Sam Savitt. I gave it to a horse crazy young girl and she loved it just as I did.
Complete first edition Black Stallion series, and the Young Black Stallion series.
Summer Pony & Winter Pony.
Monday Horses.
Scarlet Royal.
Marguerite Henry books.
Black Beauty.
National Velvet.
Until a few years ago, I also had the Billy & Blaze series & the Saddle Club series. Lost those somewhere in moving.
I also have quite a few that I’ve added as an adult.
And now I want to go grab one of them & curl up on the sofa for a reread.
I’ve still got my copies of the Silver Brumby series from when I was a little girl 
This is my horses fiction bookcase in the library. I still pull them out regularly when I want to read something easy.
ETA: In case anybody wonders trying to read titles, the organization on this bookcase is unique. All of my bookcases are organized, mostly alphabetical, but this one is the oddest due to necessity.
Starting from bottom left, oversized books, which I wanted on the bottom for balance. That was mostly Marguerite Henry, so I just did all Marguerite Henry there together. Then a few very long series (Black Stallion, Saddle Club, Thoroughbred). Then horse story anthologies (middle of the second from bottom shelf). Then, toward the end of the second from bottom shelf, it starts to run alphabetical by all other authors, working its way up, so the end of the alphabet is top right. Except for the one book laying flat, which hasn’t been screened yet. I found it at a secondhand sale, and I need to read it to decide if I want to keep it or redonate, so it hasn’t advanced to “permanent position.” I do pick up horse stories I find secondhand, but I do not keep everything. As with anything, some are better than others.
A few years back I found that one and Vicki and the Black horse on Amazon and bought them since I LOVED those two books as a child. And Sam Savitt’s illustrations are sooooo lovely.
I also bought a few from a series about a racehorse called Bonnie.
I am so sad that I gave away/threw out/misplaced so many of my childhood books.
This is stupid, but there was a series called Unicorns of Balinor where the horses talked and were bonded to one human etc etc. As a kid, I was OBSESSED.
I have The Crumb also. Plus all the Black Stallion ones, Marguerite Henry books, and anything else that had a horse on the cover. 
The OG copies of JSD’s books are actually increasingly rare, so thank goodness you didn’t get rid of them, OP!
I too loved The Monday Horses, The Crumb, Summer and Winter Pony, Dark Horse, Can I Get There By Candlelight.
Other favorite horse books as a kid included The Horsemasters, The Pony Problem, the Windy Foot series, all the Henry books, and A Pony for Jean. Plus many random old books I took out of the school library.
If anyone is interested in reading old British pony books (I read many of these as an adult), Jane Badger is republishing them. https://janebadgerbooks.co.uk/
I loved two by KM Peyton, Fly-by-night and The Team, british pony club eventing theme, and also the Silver Brumby series, which I still have.
I have several of the Black Stallion books, two anthologies of “horse girl” short stories, and am very jealous of you guys who still have The Monday Horses. I’d love to find a copy of that. I never had it, just got it from the library all the time.
Not horse related, but I still LOVE to read the Hardy Boys and Big Red.
@JBCool, I picked up some of the Nany Drew books as I was in the early stages of reading again. The neurologist said the idea was to get my eyes to cooperate and not to challenge my thought processes too much. I was instructed not to choose any stories with violence or tragedy, so as not to trigger PTSD.
Nancy got into some tight spots (trapped in a closet by Mr. Bad Person in one) and I was surprised when I had serious anxiety as a result. But I reasoned my way through those scenes and once I calmed down, the Nancy Drew stories, like the horse books, again were like a reunion.
Hadn’t thought of that. But I can understand it. Frank & Joe are in a jam (or a closet) at the end of every chapter!
Without so much as a hairpin to help them get out!
Callie & Iola (?) probably had one tho!
Remember the Trixie Belden books? I wanted to be poor, rich Honey Wheeler in the worst way.
I don’t know those, but I’ll go look them up now.
I love this thread. I bought a bookshelf at a garage sale with glass doors just to keep my old kid horse books dust-free. I have quite a few books that I read and loved as a kid and rebought from library sales or eBay or aLibris. I once spent way too much $$ on eBay for a Patsy Gray book, Challenger. Also love and have other Patsy Gray books, Scarlet Royal, The Horsemasters, JSD books, loved Cammie’s Challenge (Jane McIlvaine?sp?), The Thoroughbred race horse/eventing series, an autographed Marguerite Henry. I love rereading them whenever the mood strikes–and good for de-stressing or easing back to sleep–and marvel at how they were so instructive as well as enjoyable reading. I grew up to write some horse books myself because I’d loved them so much as a kid and really wanted to “give back”/ contribute something because they were so meaningful to me. I couldn’t rest till I’d gotten my first one published.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
