Books about horses and ponies
There has always been a special bond between humans and horses. This selection of books ranges from thrilling historical adventures to the contemporary reality of mucking out, with much emotional bonding throughout. Perfect for horse-mad children, nay (neigh?!) any child.
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The Horse That Jumped
Author: Thomas Docherty
Interest level: 0-5
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The Horse That Jumped
Author: Thomas Docherty
Interest level: 0-5
Reading age:
A lyrical picture book about always making time for adventures and the importance of friendship.
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Poppy the Police Horse
Author: Gavin Puckett Illustrator: Tor Freeman
Interest level: 5-9
Reading age: 6+
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Poppy the Police Horse
Author: Gavin Puckett Illustrator: Tor Freeman
Interest level: 5-9
Reading age: 6+
Told in hilarious rhyming couplets and with Tor Freeman’s brilliantly comic illustrations, this little book is about a police hors…
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Colin the Cart Horse
Author: Gavin Puckett Illustrator: Tor Freeman
Interest level: 4+
Reading age: 8+
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Colin the Cart Horse
Author: Gavin Puckett Illustrator: Tor Freeman
Interest level: 4+
Reading age: 8+
Colin the carthorse has lived a happy, if predictable, life on the same farm for many years. He works hard, eats plenty of tasty h…
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The Legend of Kevin
Author: Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre
Interest level: 7-10
Reading age: 7+
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The Legend of Kevin
Author: Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre
Interest level: 7-10
Reading age: 7+
Max longs for adventure in his life – then one day, a flying pony called Kevin crashes into his flat, blown in by a magi…
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Spellbound Ponies: Magic and Mischief
Author: Stacy Gregg
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 7+
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Spellbound Ponies: Magic and Mischief
Author: Stacy Gregg
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 7+
The first in a series of magical pony adventures, this tale features Bad Bess, a highway horse. With black-and-white illustra…
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Pony on the Twelfth Floor
Author: Polly Faber Illustrator: Sarah Jennings
Interest level: 7-11
Reading age: 7+
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Pony on the Twelfth Floor
Author: Polly Faber Illustrator: Sarah Jennings
Interest level: 7-11
Reading age: 7+
This hilarious and heart-warming chapter book combines an entertaining plot and a diverse range of characters with delightfully fu…
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Muck and Magic
Author: Michael Morpurgo Illustrator: Olivia Lomenech Gill
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Muck and Magic
Author: Michael Morpurgo Illustrator: Olivia Lomenech Gill
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
Bonny sees three magnificent horses in the Dales. Mesmerised by their beauty, she is delighted when she gets a Saturday job in the…
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The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop
Author: Clare Balding Illustrator: Tony Ross
Interest level: 8+
Reading age: 9+
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The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop
Author: Clare Balding Illustrator: Tony Ross
Interest level: 8+
Reading age: 9+
Charlie's convinced that Noble Warrior can win the Derby, even though the odds are against it. After all, the prize money could sa…
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Meg and Merlin: Making Friends
Author: Tanya Landman Illustrator: Sònia Albert
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 7-9
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Meg and Merlin: Making Friends
Author: Tanya Landman Illustrator: Sònia Albert
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 7-9
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 beautifu…
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Pippa’s Pony Tales: Magic Spirit the Dream Horse
Author: Pippa Funnell Illustrator: Jennifer Miles
Interest level: 6-10
Reading age: 8+
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Pippa’s Pony Tales: Magic Spirit the Dream Horse
Author: Pippa Funnell Illustrator: Jennifer Miles
Interest level: 6-10
Reading age: 8+
Can Tilly help the scared horse she feels such a bond with? The perfect wish fulfilment story for a pony-mad reader, written …
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War Horse
Author: Michael Morpurgo Illustrator: Francois Place
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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War Horse
Author: Michael Morpurgo Illustrator: Francois Place
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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 …
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Circus Maximus: Race to the Death
Author: Annelise Gray
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 6-8
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Circus Maximus: Race to the Death
Author: Annelise Gray
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 6-8
In the exhilarating but brutal world of chariot racing the rewards are huge but so is the death-toll. This is the background to Di…
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The Princess and the Foal
Author: Stacy Gregg
Interest level: 9-12
Reading age: 9+
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The Princess and the Foal
Author: Stacy Gregg
Interest level: 9-12
Reading age: 9+
Based on the early life of Princess Haya of Jordan this is the story of how a sad little girl found purpose in her life and achiev…
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The One Dollar Horse
Author: Lauren St John
Interest level: 11+
Reading age: 10+
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The One Dollar Horse
Author: Lauren St John
Interest level: 11+
Reading age: 10+
Casey Blue lives with her father in a tower block in Hackney, London , but despite her urban existence, she dreams of one day beco…
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Finding Wonder
Author: Lauren St John Illustrator: Levi Pinfold and Marie-Alice Harel
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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Finding Wonder
Author: Lauren St John Illustrator: Levi Pinfold and Marie-Alice Harel
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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 pr…
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One Silver Summer
Author: Rachel Hickman
Interest level: 11-15
Reading age: 11+
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One Silver Summer
Author: Rachel Hickman
Interest level: 11-15
Reading age: 11+
Set in the dramatic landscape of wild Cornwall, this 21st-century take on first love stars a prince, a grief-stricken girl, beauti…
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