The ninth book in the Silver Brumby series by Elyne Mitchell is titled Dancing Brumby. For a young girl who grew up reading the Silver Brumby over and over and over, it has taken me perhaps thirty years to finally read Dancing Brumby!

I was in the library earlier this month and saw that both Dancing Brumby and Dancing Brumby’s Rainbow were available on the shelves. The decision was easy!

And so recently I was able to read all about little Choopa – a blue roan brumby, born a lot smaller than he should have been. Dancing Brumby looks at the birth of this dwarf foal, his mother’s concern for his welfare – especially as he doesn’t grow the way he should. He also isn’t accepted into the wild horses’ herds as many other brumbies would be.

As Choopa ages, his mother Dandaloo notices an unusual trait in her short colt. He dances. As if he has music in his head, the young horse will twist and turn, walk on his hind legs and sway to music only he can hear. This unusual skill that he has, draws many of the bush animals to him – wombats, echidnas, wallabies. Choopa may not fit in with other brumbies, but he has definitely found a close circle of friends.

Choopa’s dancing not only draws the attention of the other Australian wildlife. Stories soon travel around the high country about a dwarf, dancing brumby. And a man who is used to dancing horses, has grown up with the dancing breed, is drawn to the idea of having this dancing brumby.

Dandaloo isn’t sure if the other brumbies will cause danger for her unique son, the impending winter and harsh snow falls will risk his life or one of the many humans who have appeared throughout the months since his birth, will come and take him away. How can she keep her dancing brumby safe?

Dancing Brumby is a unique story that although it focuses on brumby life, seems so very different to the other books in this series.

Author: Elyne Mitchell
Fiction
In my library? I would be more than happy to add it to my collection of this series, but at this point it has been borrowed from the local library.

“A silver brumby is special… but he will be hunted by man and horse alike, and must be stronger than both…” – Elyne Mitchell

Recently Tudor was offering a paperback to a reader on her email list. I was very quick to respond to the question she had posed – who wouldn’t want another horse book to add to their collection? I very much appreciate the ease of electronic books, but there is nothing quite like a paperback! It was so pleasing when Catch Rider turned up in the mail for me!

Catch Rider tells the story of teenager Laney. She is a very capable rider and full of passion and enthusiasm for riding, but she doesn’t have a horse of her own. And since her aunt’s passing, Laney doesn’t even have a place she can comfortably come to and ride at.

Thank goodness then for the one stable where Laney can exercise other peoples’ horses and get paid for it. For her, riding is like oxygen and although she is dedicated to her studies and looking after her dog and maintaining the family home whilst her parents are overseas pursuing their dreams, the whole focus is on getting out to the next ride.

Catch Rider by Tudor Robins

Laney works the problem horses, putting together their individual puzzle pieces to ensure she can solve the issue and get the best out of her mount. And she achieves this – regularly.

So when she is no longer able to ride at the only stable she can get out to, Laney is devastated. What is she doing to do if she cannot ride? Life goes on and she continues to do what she needs to, but it just doesn’t fill the void that riding does.

Catch Rider like Tudor’s other books, has a wonderful focus on horses. Her knowledge of equines and riding in general really shows through. The story moves at a fast pace and has a lovely collection of characters. I loved how Drew’s role was woven into the story and set things up for the Stonegate Series. As I tend to say with Tudor’s books, highly recommended reading!

Author: Tudor Robins
Fiction – young adult
In My Library? It is as an ebook.

Recently I had a chance to read another book by Katharina Marcus. You can check out my review of her novella, Boys Don’t Ride. In Eleanor McGraw, the reader is introduced to the not quite fourteen-year-old girl who finds putting down roots to be more disconcerting than her life of travelling the world with her musical mother.

Now in a small town on the South coast of England, Eleanor is surprised to stumble across a pony and with it, an incredible feeling of despair. Although desperate to get away from the negative vibes she gets where the pony is concerned, she is really, really keen to visit with the pony again.

Eleanor soon meets Pike, an older boy that insists she is all in with the pony or not at all. And so starts her first interactions with an animal that she is keen to learn so much about.

Eleanor McGraw, a Pony Named Mouse and a Boy Called Fire

Pike and Eleanor strike up an unusual routine and the young girl finds herself drawn to the older boy. Just what is his story? Why does he appear so negative about life in general? And why is he investing so much time in teaching her how to ride when she’s never been astride a horse before this beautiful pony named Mouse?

And more importantly, when is Eleanor going to have to confess to her mother that her visits with ‘Mouse’, aren’t to see a young girl at school, but are instead to learn to ride a pony and spend time with an older teenage boy?

Eleanor McGraw explored some relatively depressing scenes but was woven in such a beautiful way with a delightful sense of humour throughout the story. It also featured horses heavily and explored riding and the bond between a horse and it’s rider. I very much loved the ending, too! It does contain quite a bit of language and some very frank discussions on intimate relationships between a mother and her very young teenage daughter which I felt it could have done without, but otherwise a fantastic read.

Author – Katharina Marcus
https://www.katharinamarcus.com/
Fiction – young adult / adult
In my library? – as an eBook yes!
Want it? Get it now at Amazon.