A thoroughly up-to-date modern horse novel, exploring the clash of a very traditional sporting world with modern concerns about animal welfare, compounded by the knife-edge of living your life in the spotlight of social media.

I really enjoyed this and I think our Y4-Y6 children will appreciate it too. It packs quite a punch into a fairly short book. You don’t have to be deeply involved with horses (although it does help to know at least some of the terms) because the main character Hannah is really relatable. She’s young enough not to care much about the social media world her influencer older sister is swept up in – all she really wants is a pony of her own to build that special relationship with, and she cares so much that the reader can’t help but also care about the horses she works with.

The personalities of the different horses shine off the page as much as Hannah does. However, Hannah’s at that age where she’s starting to find out that adults are not always truthful or honest, even her own family – a coming-of-age which is painful to say the least. Hannah takes some real risks to unpick the mystery she’s uncovered, to stand her ground against adults, and there’s a great deal to admire about her. She’s extremely persistent in her concern for horse welfare and willing to sacrifice a competition – maybe her future showjumping career – to save a horse and put a stop to cruelty. I enjoyed the way Hannah’s relationship with her older sister Millie grows and develops throughout the book, too.