If you enjoy a story that focuses on horses, has adventure, romance, royalty and a touch of fantasy then you’ll love Horse Charmer.  Princess Cassia is a teenager who spends much of her time avoiding her royal duties and hiding with her beloved horses.  She feels a lot more comfortable with them anyway.  She has a gift when it comes to working with them and finds herself drawn to the stables.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt that horse wrangler Luki has a charm of his own, too.

Cassia finds her world suddenly changes at sixteen years of age with some unexpected news.  Finding herself expected to fulfil royal duty and engage in politics at such a young age has her mentally rebelling what is expected of her from society.  And yet, as much as she protests the idea of what she knows she must do, Cassia finds herself whisked toward a journey that is far from appealing.

As Cassia struggles to talk herself into fulfilling royal obligations, doubts assail her.  A dream from her deceased father convinces her that action needs to be taken – but what?  In a desperate act Cassia finds herself on an adventure she could never have foreseen.

With her trusty new mare Kali, Cassia works to solve the mystery of her father’s death whilst also determining the best course of action for her kingdom – and herself.  As she grows into a young woman, Cassia struggles to understand her feelings toward Luki.  This is especially difficult as the young man charged to be her servant seems to reciprocate her interest.

Horse Charmer is a delightful mixture of horse information, fantasy, adventure and romance.  The story moves along at a good pace.  Even though it ends well, it will leave you wanting to know more of Cassia and Luki’s story.

Author: Angelia Almos
Fiction – teen
In my library? Indeed!  I downloaded it as a Kindle and am glad that I did!
Want it? Get it now at Amazon.

In the fourth book in the Happy Hollow Stables series, Cart Before the Horse, Holly is eager to add to her schooling horses.  She has found a beautiful mare for a good price and is keen to check her out.  With her assistant Mackenzie’s encouragement, the two young women decide to make the trip with the float attached – just in case.

A rundown truck quickly impedes their plans and Holly is frustrated.  Further still, the advice she is given about her old vehicle doesn’t help.  Suddenly Holly is without a vehicle and therefore no way to check out this potential new horse.

As she goes through the process of finding a new truck, Holly finds herself unsure of the two men who maintain and sell second hand vehicles.  Mack seems to be consistently busy and she’s not sure if he’s given the best advice about her broken down truck.  Jeff on the other hand seems to want to push her towards a purchase.  Holly isn’t sure she trusts either man.  And yet, when she finds a vehicle that fits her needs and budget – she is keen to buy.

Jeff’s lack of follow up about the vehicle leaves her surprised – and annoyed.  As Holly tries to resolve the problem of getting a new vehicle, she is dismayed to find Jeff’s body.  Who killed him?

With her new boyfriend – the trusty veterinarian Dustin – Holly tries to problem solve the situation.  Who had the most means and motive to kill Jeff?

In the end Holly finds the answer in the most unsuspected of places.  The end result is that the young woman is able to solve the murder mystery.  She also gets a new vehicle and can go pick up the mare that she is keen to buy.  Thankful that Dustin was able to look the mare over and determine that she wasn’t drugged, Holly is ready to commit to buying.  A fault as they prepare to load her allows Holly the chance to determine if she really wants to invest in another problem animal.  Sometimes it’s better to wait for the real deal than to go for second best.

Author – Eve Craig
Fiction – adult
In my library – as an eBook it is.
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

Wendy is a 12 year old who thinks the world of her sorrel gelding.  In fact, she feels he’s the best in Colorado and will win at the local rodeo in the barrel racing.  There’s one small obstacle in the way of Wendy’s desire – her mother’s insistence that she can’t enter.  In the Best Horse, Wendy battles to train her gelding, raise the funds to enter the event and most importantly, to convince her mother.

When the young girl finds out an interesting secret about her mother’s past, she questions how she can possibly say no to Wendy competing.  Wendy finds her mother’s resolve weakening and is ecstatic.  But another problem looms – her gelding’s lack of desire to barrel race.

Wendy just knows that she can win if she can convince her horse that she’s in control.  It’s only as the local hand and long time friend to the family point’s out that Wendy’s lack of desire to change to suit what her mother wants is the same as her desire to force her horse to do something that he has no desire to do.

The Best Horse

The Best Horse is a great look at a 12 year old’s desperate desire to do something incredible with her horse.  The relationship of Wendy and her mother is explored, as well as the issue of obedience and consequences for disobedience.  For readers who don’t know about barrel racing, they learn what is involved in the event and the end of the story is a great outcome.

Author – Elizabeth Van Steenwyk
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/65918.Elizabeth_Van_Steenwyk
Fiction – children
In my library? – indeed it is, as a paperback.
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

“It’s hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse.” ― Adlai E. Stevenson II

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.