So recently I decided that I wanted to start writing a christian horse series for pre teens. Eager to get myself familiar with books in this age group, I started by reading Horse Crazy of the Saddle Club series by Bonnie Bryant. This was followed by book 1 of the High Hurdle series by Lauraine Snelling.
High Hurdles is a horse christian series for children in their early teens. Olympic Dreams is the first novel in this series.
DJ Randall works down the road at an Academy for riding. She finds herself struggling with envy daily as she views those lucky enough to have their own horse.
DJ’s biggest dream is to compete at the Olympics. She hasn’t been riding long, but is a natural when it comes to horses and riding. As her dream to become a top eventer is increased due to the start of jumping lessons, DJ dreams up ways to generate an income that will help her pay for a horse.
In spite of her ambitions, life seems to be getting in the way. DJ’s mum isn’t an effective communicator and isn’t around often. This ache is dulled by the love DJ receives from her grandmother. Her world is turned upside down however, when her grandmother announces that she is moving out.
Things continue to stack against DJ, making you really feel for the main character! I believe I would have behaved more childishly than she did in the story, and love the fact that she acted maturely eventually setting right the wrongs that had occurred.
It’s easy for people to focus on what happens to them, rather than what they’re doing to do about it. Olympic Dreams focuses on the joys of a gigantic ambition, as well as having the integrity of character to do what’s right. A great read about a girl’s passion with horses and her journey with God to be a respectable person.
Author: Lauraine Snelling
Fiction – early teenage years
In My Library? It is! A great introduction to a horsey christian series 
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.
“If I had a horse, I’d ride off in the sunset, where dreams, and shadows lie. To a life, where pain and sorrow don’t exist, and to where hopes, and dreams become reality.” – Lindsay Turcotte
tag: horse story, equine book review, lauraine snelling, equine author, horse library, horse writing
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[…] really came to feel for DJ in the first book in the series Olympic Dreams, thinking that this young girl was indeed getting the short end of the stick on many an occasion. […]