I recently downloaded a copy of the Horses of Winter for free on Kindle.  I have read and enjoyed Defining Gravity by Genevieve Mckay so was keen to check out another of her novels.  This novella is a delightful read with a small amount of fantasy, horse information thrown in and a lot on family dynamics.

Sarah and her eight year old sister Amy are working their way through the foster system.  They are finally in a place where Sarah is keen to stay.  But she’s on eggshells trying to not upset the unusual routine or habits of their artistic carer, Cecily.  This is hard to do with an energetic, imaginative younger sister.  Sarah finds things quickly spiral out of control when Amy is insistent that her older sister check out the unicorn in the greenhouse of their carer.

Sarah finally relents, finding she can’t focus on a poem her father wrote before he and her mother passed away.  She doesn’t find the unicorn Amy spoke of but is intrigued by hoof prints in the snow and a trail of blood.  Soon Amy and Sarah are racing daylight to find the injured horse.  They finally find him and Sarah is amused in amongst their need to act fast that Amy is convinced the horse named Sam is a unicorn.

The day gets colder and the trek in the snow seems to take forever.  Sarah is convinced she has hypothermia and it is this that is making it seem like the horse can talk in her mind.  Saving the gelding from death out in the snow has made Sarah a hero with their neighbours.  They are thankful she was able to find Sam and bandage his wound before bringing him back to Cecily’s.  Saving the neighbours’ horse opens an opportunity for Sarah and Amy to develop friends in the eight children that live next door. A Christmas surprise by the Plekowski family means Sarah and Amy get to ride.  Sarah’s riding knowledge is shown as she picks up walking, trotting and cantering again after years out of the saddle.

As the teen struggles to work out how to keep herself with her younger sister in the foster system, she feels sick as she recognises Cecily’s frustration with Amy’s exuberant nature.  In a place where she’s starting to develop friends and even getting to be around horses, Sarah questions if it’s too good to be true.  The Horses of Winter is an enjoyable story with a great ending.  It’s bound to entertain horse fans.

Author – Genevieve Mckay
Fiction – young adult
In my library – as an eBook it is!

In the series created by Joanna Campbell, the reader gets to learn about Ashleigh Griffen’s life before her parents lost their farm and started working at Townsend Acres. In book six in this series titled A Dangerous Ride, Ashleigh is suddenly introduced to the world of showing and jumping.

Alongside her best friend Mona, Ashleigh tries her hand at jumping on her mare, Stardust.  Although it’s fun and she knows she is improving, Ashleigh would still rather be galloping.  In time though, she starts competing and the thrill of winning a ribbon is contagious.  Ashleigh gets caught up in the joy of competing alongside Mona.

Whilst this is going on, one of her favourite horses – racing stallion Aladdin – is being prepared for a big race.  In an incredible twist of luck, he ends up at Edgardale, Ashleigh’s parents’ property as there is a mix up regarding stabling at the racetrack.  Ashleigh is thrilled to have him at her parents’ home.  She imagines spending lots of time with the horse – maybe even astride.  And of course it’s appealing to catch up with his thirteen year old owner and exercise rider, Peter.

But Ashleigh’s older sister seems to be monopolising Peter’s time.  And whenever Ashleigh plans to do something relating to Aladdin there are other commitments, other rides to take part in.  Competition life demands a lot of her time and it seems that it may even rob her of the chance to see Aladdin in his biggest race yet.  In a world that is full of horses, Ashleigh finds she has to make a choice about which road she wants to take while she’s too young to pursue her desire of being a jockey.  Competing or race going?  The question seems harder than it should be and Ashleigh battles to find time for both.  A Dangerous Ride is an interesting read and gives a great insight into the dynamics of Ashleigh’s family life and horse commitments.

Author – Mary Newhall Anderson, series created by Joanna Campbell
Fiction – pre-teen
In my library – that it is!

Young Arden Quinn loves spending time with her grandparents. They run an animal rescue farm that is always made up of lots of species. Monkeys, elephants, lizards and birds, the list goes on! Arden is especially a fan of horses. She is pleased when it seems that her grandfather has picked up a neglected horse to nurse back to health. But in the Stolen Horse, the rising ten year old is saddened by the state of the black filly that has been brought home.

After being encouraged by her grandmother that she needs to take on a project to occupy her time, Arden decides that the black filly is her special project. She is mortified when her family nicknames the untrusting animal Bad News. Instead, she gives her the name of Glory and spends any time that she can talking to the filly, grooming her and feeding her sugar cubes.

Her time invested is rewarded and Arden finds that Glory is quiet around her although skittish around others. Her grandfather sees the filly’s nervous nature and forbids Arden to ride her because of it. But Arden is convinced he’s wrong and just needs to prove it.

A secret ride goes well and Arden plans to show her grandparents how reliable Glory is. Unfortunately, she didn’t count on her meddling neighbour Tiffany to ruin things. Although Tiffany first had nothing nice to say about Glory, once she sees Arden astride she is jealous and wants the horse for her own. Throw in the mystery of where the filly first came from and the Stolen Horse is a great read for young horse enthusiasts. There’s horse information, a horse mad rider and a mystery relating to a beautiful thoroughbred filly.

Author – Sharon M. Hart
Fiction – pre-teen
In my library – that it is!