Books about horses and ponies

A lyrical picture book about always making time for adventures and the importance of friendship.

Bonny sees three magnificent horses in the Dales. Mesmerised by their beauty, she is delighted when she gets a Saturday job in the stables. This touching tale about an intergenerational friendship unfolds at a gentle pace, with exquisite drawings.

The first in a series of magical pony adventures, this tale features Bad Bess, a highway horse. With black-and-white illustrations throughout each chapter, this magical ghost story with mixed heritage characters will delight young, independent readers.

Max longs for adventure in his life – then one day, a flying pony called Kevin crashes into his flat, blown in by a magical storm. Mayhem, friendship and a brilliant cast of characters combine in this fabulously funny tale.

This hilarious and heart-warming chapter book combines an entertaining plot and a diverse range of characters with delightfully funny black-and-white illustrations. The cheeky antics of the mischievous pony are great fun.

Charlie’s convinced that Noble Warrior can win the Derby, even though the odds are against it. After all, the prize money could save her family’s farm from bankruptcy. An emotionally powerful, nail-bitingly tense story of courage and passion.

Thanks to a lottery win, Roo is suddenly able to buy a horse – but the horse she wants is stolen. Can she solve who is stealing prize horses? Beautifully written and utterly thrilling. 

Meg adores ponies and longs to have one of her own but knows that her parents can’t afford it. She is overjoyed to find a beautiful pony in her front garden on her tenth birthday and for one, incredible moment, she wonders if he is a birthday gift. However, when she realises that he has escaped from his field and must be returned to his rightful owner, she is heartbroken. This moving tale of hope and trust is accompanied throughout by gentle black-and-white illustrations. Aimed at dyslexic and reluctant readers, it features short chapters to help build confidence and stamina.

In the exhilarating but brutal world of chariot racing the rewards are huge but so is the death-toll. This is the background to Dido’s quest for victory and justice; she must win, her life depends on it.

In the middle of war-torn Europe, can Kizzy and Jakob save a group of lost children and abandoned horses? A dangerous journey awaits them. 

Steven Spielberg enjoyed this story so much, he turned into a film. Joey is a young farm horse, sold to the army at the beginning of the First World War. Through his eyes, the reader experiences the devastation of the Western Front, his capture by Germans and entrapment in No Man’s Land.

When her alcoholic mother is unable to take care of her, 11-year-old Addie moves in with a long-term foster family on a remote working farm. However, desperate to return to her mum, Addie is determined that she will not stay for long.

Casey Blue lives with her father in a tower block in Hackney, London , but despite her urban existence, she dreams of one day becoming an equestrian champion.

This unusual tale of a boy and his father, set in 1800s America, is both a brilliant adventure and a heartfelt story about love and loss. A book that feels like a classic after just a few pages.