Horses and Ponies Booklist

Merrylegs is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book about a riding school pony who yearns to have a more exciting life. He doesn’t realise that all the children love him as he is, despite his friend Feathers telling him so, and wishes he could be like the tall beautiful racehorses that he sees from his paddock. Day in and day out he gives rides to children, plodding and clomping around the riding school, and even though he makes so many children very happy, he is not happy at all as his life isn’t as exciting as the racehorses.

Then a fair comes to town and in the middle is a beautiful carousel with the most beautiful painted horses. Feathers and Merrylegs visit the fair and all Merrylegs wants to do is be a carousel horse, and be surrounded by laughing and smiling children. That night as he falls asleep he dreams that one of the carousel horses comes to take him away on a magical adventure, flying through the night and dancing among the stars. The next day he is the happiest he has ever been because now he has hope, and with that hope he has learned to love himself as he is, changing Merrylegs’ view of himself forever, his stumble clop turning into a clippetty trip.

This is an uplifting, satisfying story of friendship and self-belief, told through Pam Smy’s illustrations and gentle text, with the aim of showing that you can achieve your dreams. The illustration style is clear and accurate with many details to spot. The nostalgic palette colours almost everything apart from the appearance of the carousel horses, which enhances their magical properties. The rhythm of Merrylegs’ strides, repeated often in the text, will encourage young children to read along.

A Horse Called Now is a delightful book perfect for primary school classrooms. This heartwarming story beautifully illustrates the importance of living in the present moment and the power of friendship in overcoming worries. The gorgeous illustrations engage young readers, making the story come alive as they follow Now on a journey to help his friends.

This book provides an excellent opportunity for teachers to discuss themes of friendship, anxiety and empathy with their students. It also encourages children to appreciate the beauty of each moment and to support one another through challenges. A Horse Called Now is sure to captivate young children while imparting meaningful life lessons.

This is a captivating story of a fairground merry-go-round horse that longs for adventure, secretly dreaming of something more than going round and round.

When the people all leave, he gazes at the moon, wishing he could fly to the moon. Suddenly a fairy princess appears and helps him break free of the carousel. They soar above the Earth and look down at it from the moon, before embarking on a grand journey to explore all the wonders of the world.

However, despite the exciting adventure, the horse still feels the need to have a sense of purpose- so he returns to the carousel, to carry on providing all the visitors fun and exhilaration, knowing that at full moon he can be reunited with the princess and go on another magical journey.

Told in lyrical rhyme by Tony Mitton, this is a tale of wish fulfilment and finding where you truly belong. Children will love to find out that the painted scenes around the carousel and the animals below that provide the rides: rabbit, dolphin, squirrel, swan, frog, are all encountered in the dream time journeys so wonderfully illustrated in Penny Neville-Lee’s scenes.

A delight to read aloud with younger readers- totally enchanting.

This classroom classic by award-winning Michael Morpurgo is an animal story set in World War 1. We love this new abridged edition of Morpurgo’s classic text, with colour illustrations by Tom Clohosy Cole.

This moving story explores the themes of military animals, conflict, peace and friendship. Some readers may be surprised to discover how horses were used in the war, and the mirrored experiences of the human and the animal reflect the consequences of conflict for both humanity and the wider natural world.

Older readers might like to use this as a companion to the original, longer text, or to explore it as a standalone. The combination of words and pictures is brilliantly brought together, with the use of light and dark in the illustrations bringing the story to life in an almost cinematic way.

Spellbound Ponies: Rainbows and Ribbons is a delightful story, perfect for bedtime or independent reading for children aged 7 and above.

This charming tale of friendship and magic follows Olivia and her best friend Eliza as they encounter a new Spellbound Pony at Pemberley Stables. The story quickly pulls readers into a world where magic is real, and friendship is the key to solving mysteries. Their relatable and endearing characters make it easy for young readers to connect with them and understand the importance of teamwork and empathy. The ending is particularly satisfying, leaving readers eager for more adventures with Olivia, Eliza, and the Spellbound Ponies.

Poppy is desperate to ride the beautiful grey pony she visits every day after school, and she’s certain she’ll get the chance at Pony Camp during the school holidays, even though she doesn’t have much riding experience. Gorgeous Misty is assigned to the snooty, dressed-to-the-nines Izzy, and Poppy gets lumpen, hairy Henry. As often happens in reality as well as in pony books, though, the prettiest pony also turns out to be the most highly strung, and the friendly, steady, Henry is a far better riding teacher – and friend. With a dramatic rescue and a happy ending for Poppy and Henry, this is a sweet little novel which will please plenty of readers, not just the ones happiest in the stable!

The reading age sits around Year 3-4 (ages 7-9) and could be enjoyed as a parent-read chapter book for a younger child too. Poppy and the Perfect Pony is a great story and I’ll be looking to add a few more of this series to our collection as we have some thoroughly horse-mad children! I am assured (by my own horse-loving reader) that the technical details stand up well, which is very important when you’re writing about someone’s passion – you don’t want your readers to pop out of the story in outrage at a misplaced bit of equipment!

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.

The personalities of the different horses shine off the page as much as main character 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.

Introducing Summer… a horse-mad girl whose best friend is a horse, she sees in a field on her way to school.

Summer leads a lonely life, having moved home and school, she is struggling to find friends. Until she meets Jessie, who just happens to ride at the riding stables where her favourite horse is. Together Summer and Jessie set about the jobs at the stable but something strange is bubbling under the surface of stable life and it’s the Starlight Stables Gang who are determined to solve the mystery of the missing horse…

The perfect book for a horse-mad child who prefers books with a more mature theme.

Ruby Thorn, Roo to all who know her well, thought her world had collapsed when her Mum died two years ago. Roo’s Dad hadn’t taken it well, losing his job and sleeping through the day on the sofa, Roo tried her best to run the house and evade the scrutiny of school and her social worker, always trying to catch her out as her school attendance was patchy at best.

Then one night, with a hammering of the police at the door of their flat, her world, or what remained of it, collapsed entirely. Orphaned and thrust upon her Aunt Joni, a stranger by all accounts, Roo has never felt more alone or unlucky, but even then bad things kept on happening. Suddenly homeless, the unlikely pair make a midnight flit in Joni’s battered camper, only to escape just in time as the camper explodes in a ball of flames, leaving them stranded in the middle of the countryside as the worse snowstorm in recent history sets in. What has the future left in store for them, if there even is one…?

Lauren St John has an impressive back catalogue of children’s fiction and her knowledge of the horses is unquestionable. St John has an impressive ability to weave a mystery adventure, dropping in clues and plot twists along the way, while building a love for Roo and Joni. Her passion for horses is clear, her description of what it feels like to lose yourself in riding is captivating. A real page turner and one that I am already enjoying reading for a second time (this time with my daughter) recognising just how many little clues are cleverly interwoven along the way. Sure to prove a popular class read.

A moving and heartfelt story about the relationship between an orphan and a pit pony in 1950s Yorkshire.

Reminiscent of classics like Black Beauty and Goodnight Mr Tom, Birdie is both a heart-warming animal story and a powerful exploration of belonging and bravery. A must-read for young readers, teachers and anyone who cherishes stories about finding hope in the face of adversity. Timeless, heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting, Birdie is destined to become a classic.

This highly recommendable book would be a very worthwhile addition to the school library alongside Olivia Wakeford’s first novel, My Dog.  It could be used as a class read, too, in Year 5 or 6, if not considered too long.  There are links to history and mining, for schools where the curriculum covers these topics, and the links to Wales will make it particularly popular in Welsh schools.

The lives of quite a disparate group of characters intertwine with imagination and skill, focused around main character Evan, his family, school friends and dog. Evan’s Grandad has dementia (the word isn’t used, but ‘sundowning’ is and it’s clear he lives with this condition) and he does not like to talk about his memory of being a miner along with pit ponies who were put to work in the mines.

We begin to inhabit their world; the world of school museum visits and classroom bullies; of Welsh mining history, auras and ghostly apparitions; of grown-ups struggling to balance work and family; of arguments and reconciliations. There lives are sometimes disturbing, sometimes mundane, sometimes difficult and sometimes puzzling. This is fiction at its best; storytelling which deals sensitively with pertinent issues while still being enjoyable. The inclusion of a ghost pony introduces a magical element.

This is an engrossing read: eye-opening, heart-warming and memorable.

Calling all horse lovers! Have you ever wondered why horses can’t burp? Why horses wear shoes? Whether horses and humans can be friends? Well look no further! This child-friendly, non-fiction text is an informative and fun way to learn everything you need to know about our lovable horsey friends.

Each double-page spread starts with an intriguing question about horses. From diet, exercise, breeds and winning Olympic medals, there is a breadth of information to interest any young equestrian-lover. The illustrations are bright and playful and are surrounded by short bursts of text, making it easy to read and enjoy.

I would highly recommend this information book for anyone who wants to become an equine expert, or any person, young or old, with a thirst for animal knowledge.

Horses Wild and Tame by Iris Volant is a truly captivating resource for KS2 children. The book offers such a lot of information on the topic, starting from an introduction into animal and continuing to investigate how humans have built a relationship with these magnificent beasts over thousands of years. From the wild horses of Asia and Europe to legendary horses in fiction, there is so much to inspire further research and discussion. Did you know that, during the Battle of Haldghati, Mughal soldiers fitted fake trunks to their war horses? This was done to confuse the rival soldiers who came into battle riding enormous elephants.

The illustration style gives the book a timeless feel and engages children who may not usually have an interest in these fascinating animals as well as appealing to horse lovers. The double-page spread on ‘Seabiscuit’ is particularly beautiful and would be an amazing hook for some creative writing or PSHE sessions on hope and perseverance.

As a non-fiction text, the style of writing is easy to access and offers a really clear model for scaffolding further independent classroom writing. With links to horses in art, science, sport and mythology, the book truly is a high-quality cross-curricular resource.