Juliana Hutchings wrote her first novel A Horse to Remember at the young age of 14. Years later in December of 2013, she released the follow on to this book in A Horse to Treasure. Juliana contacted me about reading and reviewing her book – I was delighted to accept!

A Horse to Treasure invites the reader to explore the world of teenager Hilary Thompson and her best friend Amanda. Both are horse addicts who love to ride, despite each having experienced loss in their horse worlds.

Hilary’s was more recent and as the reader progresses through the story, it becomes obvious how important the young horse she is bringing along – Satan’s Promise – is to her because of his father.

The reason why Hilary no longer shows in spite of having a promisingly talented young equine is also explored as the teen starts to question if she should be promoting her horse’s talent rather than hiding it on private trail rides.

Eager to see her friend perform on the show circuit like she knows she is able to, Hilary often supports Amanda at nearby shows as her groom. As she does so, she comes to realise that Amanda may not be the short time rider she thought and that her natural talent has come from years of hard work.

As Hilary delves deeper, she is forced to question if she knows her best friend at all. This alongside the possible betrayal of a close friend Jeremy and an accident that leaves her unable to horse ride for awhile, leaves Hilary questioning how things will turn out for her and her horse.

As it seems that her life is making a turn for the better, her newfound friendship with Amanda grows whilst Amanda competes Promise for her. When circumstances make this no longer possible, Hilary is proud to find she has a champion on her hands but is forced to make a difficult choice about where his future lies.

A Horse to Treasure is an interesting read that wraps in obvious horse knowledge by the author. It interweaves horse and human relationships well and would be enjoyable to anyone in their teens who loves horses. I found it really enjoyable.

Author: Juliana Hutchings
http://julihutchings.wix.com/juliana-hutchings-author-site
Fiction – young adult
In my library? I have an ecopy!  A great story that I may have to get in paperback for my library collection.
Want it? Get it now at Amazon.

“A pony is a childhood dream, a horse is an adulthood treasure.” – Rebecca Carroll

In line with catching up on some old favourites, I decided to read over one of the Elyne Mitchell Silver Brumby stories that I hadn’t actually read before.

Moon Filly tells the tale of a young foal that is orphaned shortly after being brought to a new herd with her dying mother. Wurring, a rising yearling colt with chestnut coat and silver through his mane and tail, recognises something different about the mare and foal – an alluring quality.

As the young filly mourns the loss of her mother, Wurring takes her under his wing and brings her to be with his dam Yarran. Yarran nurses the filly foal, having still been feeding Wurring.

It is as the young filly is coming towards the end of her first year that a steel grey stallion seeks out the herd, desperately searching for her mother. When he doesn’t find what he wants, he instead takes this young filly that Wurring has named Ilinga.

Young Ilinga is driven far from her new home and east to country that she finds so familiar, despite having joined Wurring’s herd at a young age. As Ilinga is desperately considering how she can escape the mean spirited grey, Wurring is seeking the young filly.

Moon Filly follows the lives of two young horses that are strangely brought together – one that represents the moon and the other the sun. As often seems to be the way with wild horses in this series, it is difficult to expect such young horses to be able to defeat older mature animals. Wurring is greatly injured in a battle with the steel grey stallion and finds himself hostage in the stallion’s herd. It is Ilinga who finds him, but the pair cannot escape with Wurring so lame.

Moon Filly follows an interesting story line, with the two young horses constantly struggling to survive and be together. It’s a great read for young and old alike and has a well rounded ending.

Author: Elyne Mitchell
Genre: Fiction
In my library? You bet! I found this one to be a really enjoyable read, in spite of being separate from the Silver Brumby family members.
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

“A silver brumby is special but he will be hunted by horse and man alike.” – Elyne Mitchell

In a follow on from Silver Brumbies of the South, young Baringa is now a rising 3 year old stallion, with his uncle Lightning being close to his prime at rising 4. The two silver stallions closely related to the great silver brumby Thowra, are each struggling to survive with their herds down south.

With a large amount of snow after an incredibly hot and fire filled summer, they are desperate for food. Add to that unusually warm days and rain and a flood very quickly threatens their lives.

It is in the move to safety for himself and his two white mares that Baringa loses the loyal Dawn as she slides down a steep bank and is swept up into the floodwaters of a great river. Eager to help her, Baringa plunges into the water himself, but returns hours later to his other mare, without Dawn.

Aware that he needs to keep his small herd safe whilst he seeks out Dawn, Baringa makes the courageous trip through the ongoing rain to his hidden canyon where he leaves his mare Moon and Koora, a mare that belongs to Thowra. This achieved, he continues on his search for the heavily pregnant Dawn.

In Baringa’s desperate search for his favourite mare, he is attacked by a vicious young stallion. This fight is witnessed by a young filly keen to join Baringa’s herd. She is convinced the two young stallions are dead and relays this information to Lightning.

Still keen to secure Dawn for himself, Lightning starts a search for his nephew’s hiding place where there may be two beautiful white fillies.

Silver Brumby Kingdom depicts an incredible struggle that a young brumby stallion must overcome to be realised as the Silver Stallion of the South.

Author: Elyne Mitchell
http://www.blaze.net.au/~sasami/brumby/
Genre: Fiction
In my library? You betcha! A great way to finish off the story of Baringa and his move to the south.
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

“A silver brumby is special but he will be hunted by horse and man alike.” – Elyne Mitchell

Tag: horse story, equine book review, elyne mitchell, equine author, horse library, horse writing

I’ve enjoyed rereading some of my childhood favourites over the Christmas break, starting with Silver Brumbies of the South.

A follow on from Elyne Mitchell’s Silver Brumby, men have come to the silver brumby’s mountains and they are making roads across the mountains. Aware that his kingdom is becoming unsafe, the great silver stallion Thowra makes a trip with his 2 year old son Lightning and his grandson, Baringa to the south where he hopes to find a safe haven for them.

Although Lightning and Baringa are both young when they leave the safety of Thowra’s secret valley, they soon find themselves settling into a new area where many herds of brumbies run. Lightning at the age of 2 is eager to show off his glorious looks and start a herd of his own. The acquisition of a beautiful red roan filly only fuels his desire to gain more fillies.

Baringa finds a delightful white yearling filly to play with, but it soon becomes evident that his uncle is keen to add her to his herd. Shy and aware of his young age, the yearling colt soon realises that if he is to keep Dawn for himself, he will have to find somewhere to safely hide in this new area his grandsire wishes him to make home.

Although Lightning is Thowra’s son, Baringa – who is the son of a black thoroughbred stallion – is able to move more swiftly than Lightning; is aware of how to travel without leaving a trace and is much more like this grandsire. This is noted by many of the horses of the south and it is this quality that young Lightning comes to be jealous of.

And so builds an interesting struggle between two young silver stallions who are desperate to thrive in a new environment and find that horses are more of a threat to their lives, than men will ever be.

Baringa as a brumby holds a special place in my reading memory, close to that of the Silver Brumby himself. This is perhaps my second favourite of the whole series.

Author: Elyne Mitchell
http://www.blaze.net.au/~sasami/brumby/
Genre: Fiction
In my library? Absolutely. A great addition to the Silver Brumby series, one of my favourites and an interesting and child friendly read.
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

“A silver brumby is special but he will be hunted by horse and man alike.” – Elyne Mitchell

Natalie Baxter is a woman in her late thirties who knows and loves horses. It is her gift with them that has allowed her to live a nomadic lifestyle – travelling here and there, always able to pick up work.

Landing a job at a stable where the previous and only horseperson who managed it has died, she struggles to work out what her role is exactly, in spite of being employed by a gentleman who lives on the premises and insists she is doing well.

Not eager to stay, Natalie finds herself unusually drawn to a poorly conformed black horse that needs to be started under saddle. Twister becomes the anchor that keeps her in the area in spite of a keen desire to up and run as she has done so many times before.

As Natalie comes to know the people in the area and learns of the story behind the previous manager’s death, she is forced to examine her own childhood and the reason why she now leads a nomadic existence. In the Presence of Horses explores the decisions that have resulted from a childhood of much pain, selfishness and loss.

After a haunting discovery in the Pennsylvanian town where Natalie is working, the young horsewoman escapes to her hometown a few hours drive away. Finding herself not able to leave again, she discovers much has changed in the twenty years that she has been absent.

Eventually determined to put things right from where she left in such a rush, Natalie feels dread when a call to the home of her boss sparks no response on many an occasion. Touching base with the local vet of the Pennsylvanian town, she is strongly encouraged to return. Doing so, she finds disaster has struck the horses that she’d been employed to look after.

In the Presence of Horses ends with the main character’s resolve to face her past and be mindful of her future, rather than wandering aimlessly. The book in itself is an interesting read that I would recommend for the older reader, due to its depressing and angst filled story line. As with many horse novels, it follows more the relationships of the characters than the life of being a horse person, but features many horse related scenes and discussions.

Author: Barbara Dimmick
http://www.barbaradimmick.com/
Fiction – Adult
In my library? Indeed – a great second hand copy that I picked up from a wonderful bookstore in Euroa, Victoria.
Want it? Get it now at Amazon.

“Each leg in it’s gallop seems to stream with a rush of speed as though from a bucket of water poured o’er the field.” – Arabian Poet