Save the Ponies! is an interesting children’s story by Gillian Baxter.  Young Angela and Ian Kendall live with their uncle Arthur and his wife Grace.  An interesting addition to the household is the two palomino pantomime ponies, Magic and Moonshine.  They live in a stable behind the shop where Arthur lives and works.

The ponies have provided fond memories for many locals, but this doesn’t stop the new landlord insisting that they need to be relocated from the premises.  Arthur is unsure what to do and Angela is dismayed at the thought of losing the ponies.  But in the built up area where they live, it seems there is nowhere else to keep the two small equines.

The local brewery that houses some incredible Shire horses used to make deliveries to local pubs becomes a short term solution.  The men who are used to working with 18 hand high horses find the ‘toy-sized’ ponies a delightful distraction.  Ian is afraid they don’t take them seriously and Angela is dismayed when Ian starts to pay more attention to the giant horses than their uncle’s ponies.

Save the Ponies!

In time the ponies prove themselves as more than entertainment – they are hard working equines eager to do a good job.  When Magic and Moonshine help to rescue one of the Shire horses, the end result is better than Angela or Ian could have anticipated.  Save the Ponies! is an interesting look into the world of a pantomime pony whilst also exploring the work of the large Shire horses working in a brewery.  It’s an entertaining and educational read for young horse fans with some lovely illustrations by Elisabeth Grant.

Author: Gillian Baxter; illustrator: Elisabeth Grant
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/501946.Gillian_Baxter
Fiction – children
In My Library? As an eBook!
Want it? Get it now at Amazon.

In the Thirteenth Horse, readers are introduced to 12 year old Kristy Moore.  Kristy loves horses.  Until recently she has been able to enjoy regular riding lessons at the prestigious Coldblow Equestrian Centre.  A change in her father’s working situation has resulted in the family having to move house; to downsize.  On top of this, Kristy is at a new school struggling to make friends and she also no longer has riding lessons to look forward to.

The only thing the young girl can think of to fix her problems is to secure a job.  There’s just one issue: her young age.  By a stroke of luck, Kristy finds herself work a short while after she sets out to get a job.  When she speaks with the woman who is looking to hire someone she concludes she must have heard wrong.  The job that requires a hard worker who loves animals couldn’t possibly be a stable, could it?

Eager to make a good impression for her potential future employer, Kristy gets stuck into the tasks set before her.  Emma, the older woman is amazed and pleasantly surprised by the 12 year olds initiative.  She says as much and offers Kristy a job on the spot.

Kristy suddenly finds herself able to earn money so that she can afford horse riding lessons.  Better still, the job involves horses.  Even if she can’t afford to ride in the near future, the young girl is convinced that her daily interactions caring for the twelve horses on the property will solve the problem.  The mysterious thirteenth horse that she isn’t introduced to draws her attention and she questions just what the story is with the stocky gelding.

In time Kristy finds herself given the opportunity to ride – and to be a part of a team.  In the most unlikely of places and with unexpected people Kristy finds herself belonging and with friends.  However, her labourious job soon cuts into her schoolwork, leaving her parents with little choice but to make an ultimatum: school work has to come first or the horses have to go.

Having fallen in love with a Percheron gelding at the Mill Farm Stables that Emma runs, Kristy is devastated at the idea of not working there.  With her friends, they hatch a plan to help her keep her job and to stay on top of her schoolwork.  This proves to be very difficult around preparations for a quadrille performance in the New Year.  The Thirteenth Horse shows how a group of friends with grit and determination can overcome obstacles and enjoy themselves in spite of it all.  This book is a great introduction to the Mill Farm Stables Stories.

Author: Amanda Wills
http://www.amandawills.co.uk/
Fiction – preteen/early teens
In My Library? As an eBook!
Want it? Get it now at Amazon.