When I was in early high school the Phar Lap movie was put up on the big screen at Caulfield Racecourse in the middle of the summer months and people could come along in the late of the evening to watch the movie about this wonder horse. I loved that mum took me along.

Since then I’ve seen the movie a few more times, always amongst ‘horsy’ crowds. The movie pays attribute mainly to Phar Lap’s strapper, Tommy Woodcock and although I don’t doubt the immense effect this young man had on Big Red, I think this book by Michael Wilkinson also gives the trainer Harry Telford credit where it’s due.

The movie attributes Woodcock to finding the key to get ‘Bobby’ to run and portrays Telford as an otherwise failed trainer. The book recognises a hard working trainer who’s methods worked well for the large chestnut gelding as well as many others in his later acquired stable of horses.

Although specifically about a horse that captured the hearts of so many, Wilkinson does a brilliant job of opening the reader’s eye to the struggles of all in the Depression of the late 1920’s and early 1930’s.  He also captures the hope that hangs on a ‘freak’ of a horse and ‘the’ football club.

The book has been thoroughly researched with Wilkinson having used interviews, official documents, records, newspaper and magazine articles as well as assistance from many who were part of this amazing horse’s career.

It is written in segments almost, making the book an easy read that interchanges between characters and the news of that day.

Author: Michael Wilkinson
Fiction – based on fact.
In my library? Definitely. Where would any horse library be without the story of a horse that captured the hearts of so many in the midst of an economic drought? A great horse and a great read.

“You never saw a good horse grow where a good man didn’t grow.”

Tag: horse story, equine book review, michael wilkinson, equine author, horse library, horse writing

In the latter years of primary school I discovered and became rather obsessed with the Jinny series by Patricia Leitch. For Love of a Horse, the first of the series details the move of Jinny and her family to the Scottish moors, isolated and lacking in entertainment.

Jinny is excited about the move and the idea of ‘horses, ponies and foals’ but soon struggles to take to the move until she witnesses an accident that results in a beautiful Arab mare being free over the moors that she now calls home.

She becomes completely enraptured with the horse and sets to work out a way to catch her without considering that even if she did, the horse technically belongs to someone else.

It’s Jinny’s skill of drawing horses that results in a surprise that leads to her potentially being able to have the rather high strung Arab mare, Shantih. For Love of a Horse details Jinny’s struggles to pursue her dream of owning and looking after her own horses and more specifically, a certain chestnut Arab mare.

Patricia Leitch describes the Scottish moors in such a way that as an eleven year old I could think of nothing better than galloping across a vast open area before reaching the edge of some gorgeous cliffs and a gorgeous desolate beach below.

Reading back over a few of the books in this series while in South Africa on five weeks of endless beach rides, it wasn’t hard to envisage the joy this young girl had while riding wild and free on her spirited Arab mare.

Patricia Leitch
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/patricia-leitch/
Fiction
In my library? Absolutely, one of the series that I actually own the whole set (12) although I’ve yet to finish them all! I’ve really enjoyed the first five and would imagine the Jinny series to be a hit for many preteens in the future.

“My treasures do not clink together or glitter. They gleam in the sun and neigh in the night.” – Arabian Proverb

Tag: horse story, equine book review, patricia leitch, equine author, horse library, horse writing

The first of the Lucky Foot Stable series, JoAnn Dawson writes of Mary and Jody – epic friends – who share a love of horses and spend their time with their ponies, always in each others company.

Writing of the typical adventures that young girls get up to, Dawson does a great job of describing the excitement of a first gymkhana and how not having the flashiest or most expensive pony doesn’t necessarily mean not getting a ribbon.

I loved reading about the girl’s ‘Secret Place’ and how their imagination is so rampant throughout the book. Their enthusiasm for each others ideas is great and I was pleasantly surprised by the focus of the end of the book when it came to Christmas time.

The lovely surprise the girls get at the end is a great lead in for the next book of the currently written four in the Lucky Foot Stable series.

I learnt a bit about horses in harness while reading this book and love that the main adult in this book is good at encouraging and guiding the girls, constantly teaching and helping them.

The glossary of horse terms at the end of the book is an absolute winner, too! What better way to teach your horse crazy children then have them read such a book and be able to refer to the back for definitions on particular words they may not be familiar with?

An awesome book for horse crazy pre teens that encourages adventure, believing in yourself and an active imagination; I really enjoyed reading Lady’s Big Surprise.

Author: JoAnn S. Dawson
http://www.luckyfootseries.com/
Fiction
In my library?  Indeed!  A great start to the series of which I have the first four books.  Another awesome addition for preteens to the likes of the Pony Pals series.

“Horses have as much individuality and character as people.” – C.W. Anderson

Tag: horse story, equine book review, joann dawson, equine author, horse library, horse writing

I’ve been swapping books with a friend at church once we discovered that we went to the same riding school and both had an addiction for equine related novels.

Having more than a few years on her, I thought I’d know most of the series available to the horse obsessed but it seems I’m not quite up to date on the current lot of books that horse crazy teens are reading. We did a switch and consequently I had in my possession the first couple of books of the Heartland series.

A nice light read, the books have rekindled my interest in the Monty Roberts ‘join-up’ method and the idea of using this as the foundation to building a relationship with any equine.

Heartland is a place where horses with physical or psychological problems are taken in and worked with, a foundation re-established and sent back to their owners all the better for it. Amy lives at Heartland with her mother and has a passion that will see her spending her life with horses.

She has learnt and uses the methods taught by her mother. These include the use of herbal remedies to alleviate problems such as stress, nerves and other negative states in a horse. The focus is also on herbal remedies that encourage the body to heal at a quicker rate.

The first book focuses on Amy’s desire to rescue a horse left in a shocking state only to result in devastating consequences for her family.

Although written for teens, these books have some foundations that can be applied by all – if something goes wrong, go back to the basics, establish your foundation and start again. Some wise advice from an author with a story that is also informative and entertaining.

Author: Lauren Brooke
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/lauren-brooke/
Fiction
In my library? Not the first of the series yet but I’ve got others from the Heartland series and definitely plan on acquiring all that have been written! Also check out Chestnut Hill by Lauren Brooke.

“Silence takes on a new quality when the only sound is that of regular and smooth hoof beats…” – Bertrand Leclair

Tag: horse story, equine book review, lauren brooke, equine author, horse library, horse writing

When it comes to a bookstore having a sale, I can’t seem to help myself and when it’s a John Francome book marked down from $25 to $8, I definitely can’t! I picked up Free Fall because it had been marked down and I had a couple of Francome books after reading one by Dick Francis with a foreword by Francome.

Free Fall focuses on two sisters who are involved with men in the racing industry. One is an apprentice jockey involved with a well practised jockey while the other a hairdresser, married to a yard foreman.

Both men are short on money, one eager to improve his bank balance to impress his unhappy wife, the other disillusioned about life as a jockey and looking for a quick financial fix. Together they hatch a plan to win money on the horses but find that the Murphy’s Law of life causes things to run in a rather haphazard way.

The novel starts out with a potential suicide leaving you questioning who the two characters are in this situation before the story moves suddenly elsewhere. It’s not until the near conclusion of the book that you’re brought back to this first scene and given answers.

A murder mystery, Free Fall contains enough horses to keep the enthusiast following and was aside from this the sort of book I didn’t want to put down until my many questions were answered.

The interrelationships between the characters kept the story moving along nicely and although there was only thirty or so pages left and I didn’t see how things could be wrapped up when they’d just seemed to reach a pivotal moment, the ending didn’t seem rushed and came together well.

Author: John Francome
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/f/john-francome/
Fiction – murder mystery
In my library? Sure. Don’t necessarily agree with the actions of some of the characters but didn’t find the writing in itself offensive. In fact very interesting and a catching read.

“… you rise and fall with the leg by the wall …”

Tag: horse story, equine book review, john francome, equine author, horse library, horse writing