Pullein-Thompson pony books and more

Review: CHRISTINE - Sundance Saves The Day

2011-12-10T19:18:00.000Z

Sundance Saves the Day is this week's book. It is one of Christine's latter books, as it was first published in 1997. It is not generally well known about, as it was sold only by Julip.

Julip is a model horse company, which has been going since 1945. (That is a year before the Pullein-Thompsons first published It Began with Pictoee). The first Julips were made out of leather, however in the 1950s, they changed their method to making horses out of latex. (Yes, Julips are always referred to as horses). In 1989, Julip started a new series called "Horse of The Year", which was made out of plastic, and these are the sorts of horses featured on the cover. In the 1990s, Julip must have asked Christine to write a book featuring the then current range, hence why Sundance Saves The Day exists. For those of you unfamiliar with the names of the horses: Sundance is the palomino on the cover, Jigsaw is the skewbald (brown and white) and Midnight is the black on the cover. There is a another horse which is not pictured which is featured, called Silver Cloud, which is a a grey horse (pictured below).

Julip have never sold their horses in major stores; though they had a store in London until 1996. They also must have sold horses in Hamleys and Harrods at one point: there are horses which come with special rugs emblazoning the company about. Until a couple of years ago, the only way to get Julip horses (and other stuff they used to sell, such as grooming kits for real horses, jodhpurs and even riding hats) was to order through a catalogue. So really, this accounts for it being quite a rareish book, because unless you happen to have a Julip catalogue, you wouldnt know about this. Here is an example of the advert.

Anyway, back to the book. The blurb reads:-

'Suddenly the others were all around Mandy and Midnight, throwing themselves off their mounts and saying things like "Oh no! How could it happen?" And, "Why didn't you see the hole?" And, "Is he going to be all right?" And, "What about you Mandy?" And Midnight was standing with his head down, a pathetic object who held up his poor, right foreleg as though it were broken.
"I think we need a vet," suggested Jack in a sombre voice.
"We're not having him shot, even if it is broken," cried Nicky, "Because breaks can be mended. We all know that."
Now they were all suddenly deadly calm, while their horses blew through their noses and warm steam rose from their backs.....'

Sundance, Jigsaw, Midnight and Silver Cloud arrive with their riders Sarah, Jack, Mandy and Nicky to take part on a 20 mile sponsored ride. They have all worked hard finding sponsors and they are raising money for needy children in faraway lands. Spirits are high. But after a few miles their adventures begin. Enthusiasm and excitement turn to panic and disappointment and a long gruelling day lies ahead.

The characters in this book are based on the Julip model ponies and their riders.

Firstly, whoever wrote this blurb is obviously not knowledgeable: Julips regardless of their size are never referred to as ponies.

The subject of sponsored pony rides has never been a popular one: I can only think of one other example which is Bobbie's Sponsored Ride by Justine Furminger. This book is aimed at a much younger audience than many of CPT's book, though it is meant for older readers than the Candy or Sophy series. I would suggest an 9-12 year old.

Though it is hardly one of CPT's best, all the blame must not be put on CPT however. The names are a bit clunky in places. However as CPT did not choose the names, but instead she based it on the (then) current Julip range. It is worth pointing out that all the characters (horses and people) with the exception of Mrs Spencer, Mrs Walker and Desmond were available to buy from Julip.

Like the Candy series, or rather specifically Candy Stops A Train, there are no anti heroes, no real enemies. However unlike the Candy series there is drama, though it is not a great deal of depth. However Sundance Saves The Day is hardly one of CPT's lengthier reads: it only totals 92 pages.

For me it didnt set the world on fire, it is a pleasant enough read, but the lack of depth meant that there was no real warmness to the characters. This story didnt make me warm to them, I didnt really care. Midnight has an accident during the story (the single most important bit of drama to the story, which is given away by the blurb), I didnt show great empathy for the characters. Because it is a younger children's story I just knew that everything would be alright. Because CPT doesnt do death (DPT did) and because of the age range I knew Midnight would survive. Death is always harrowing in pony books, and because of this, it is never tackled in this age range. Quite rightly it should be harrowing, but I feel that (aside from the fact that CPT doesnt do
death) CPT felt it was too much for the age range the book was aimed at to take it all in. Pony books at this age range are still supposed to encourage you with adventure, not the nitty gritty of life. But that is all very well the single pivotal episode of this story was tinged with "we know that everything is going to be alright and Midnight will be not shot".

Everything does flow along nicely though, and with the exception of the naming issue, is hardly jerky. In short, it is a inoffensive story, which is in the middle. Not one of CPT's worst books, but certainly not the best. Hats off it must be said to CPT, who has tackled, in what must be said a valiant effort a subject which is hardly written about much; that is the sponsored ride. It is also must be commended for having the spirit to tackle characters and ponies which she hasnt had to make up herself, in essence they were given on a plate, because she had to deal with characters and concepts which werent her own. I am not entirely sure whether or not that made CPT's life easier or harder. But commendation has to be said for Julip's owner for at the time, for getting a worthwhile and highly talented writer, rather than a writer who I feel would not be up to the job because they wouldnt have had the sheer scope and history that CPT has (the only other author I feel would be up to the job - with the exception of DPT and JPT - is K M Peyton). For that has to be a high recommendation, rather than the owner going for a more modern and less than capable author. Pony books were going strong, and the amount of pony book author still around at the time was more numerous than today.

It is illustrated by Mark Smallman. The illustrations are possibly the worst out of all the CPT books, they are rough outlines. Consquently there are not much style and substance to them at all. They are simply lines, in some ways glorified stickmen. They are IMO, slapdash and a little amateurish.Not the best illustration to grace a pony book.

Review: CHRISTINE - Candy Goes To The Gymkhana

2011-11-19T17:15:00.002Z

Candy Goes To the Gymkhana is part of the Candy series. It is not to be confused with Pony seekers series by Diana, which is sometimes called the Candy series.

It was first published in 1989 and are aimed at a much younger age group than the majority of Christine's books. Consequently, there are not many pages. There is no definitive start to the series, so it does not matter which one you read first: the other is Candy Stops A Train.

It is illustrated however, by Gavin Rowe.

The blurb reads:-

When they hard that there is going to be a local gymkhana, the Fraser children decide to enter their pony, Candy. They spend the next few weeks preparing for their events.

On the great day they set out with high hopes of winning. But they soon find out that winning isn't everything...

Like Candy Stops a Train, the biggest drawback is the lack of depth to the characters due to lack of pages. However there is slightly more emotion, and an enemy of sorts, so you get a more in depth perspective of the family's life. The situation is more believable than Candy Stops a Train, and for me, a more enjoyable read.

Though the main focus is the day out in the gymkhana, at least with this one you do a more satisfying story, as there is sufficient build up to the main day as well, and a better build up in general than a simple lack of depth story as I felt Candy Stops A Train was.

Again, it's not one of CPT's best, although it is perfectly acceptable for an average 8 year old. As an adult, though it is generally better and more believable than Candy Stops A Train, the sheer lack of depth to the story (due to lack of pages) means it is highly unlikely to appeal to the average person. Best left as a set completer (i.e. you want every single CPT pony story going) rather than an integral part of the collection.

As for the illustrations, despite it being published in the same year, Paperbird (the publishers) have decided to go with another illustrator: Gavin Rowe. The illustrations I feel are not as good as Terry Gabbey's, they seem more scruffy and rough edged somehow. Whereas there are none that could be called spectacularly bad, and they all fit nicely, when compared to Terry Gabbey's they all lack that final spit and polish. Perhaps it is to do with Gavin Rowe's style, which is slightly different to Terry Gabbey's. But that is all subjective.

Review: CHRISTINE - Candy Stops A Train

2011-11-12T19:50:00.001Z

Candy Stops A Train is part of the Candy series. It is not to be confused with Pony Seekers series by Diana, which is sometimes called the Candy series.

It was first published in 1989 and are aimed at a much younger age group than the majority of Christine's books. Consequently, there are not many pages. There is no definitive start to the series, so it does not matter which one you read first: the other is Candy Goes To The Gymkhana.

This book is illustrated by a Terry Gabbey.

The blurb reads:-

When Liz, Neil and Vicky Fraser discover that the family pony, Candy, is missing from her paddock, little do they know what a frantic race against time lies in store for them...

There is a reference in this book to Good Riding, a non fictional work which is conveniently written by Christine.

As for the book, well it doesn't set the world on fire. Christine wrote much later in her life stories for younger children (the pony book series Sophy; the non pony series Ben are two examples), and none were a huge hit. The lack of pages means that there is a lack of depth into the characters. There is no readily identifiable characters, no anti heroes, or people you want to throttle which are found in most of her other books. The characters here seem to have no faults other than Mrs Fraser, who lack of concern about her children's safety (considering the children are hardly old enough to be left alone), means that she leaves them alone. But that is often a cliché of pony books, that the children can have an adventure without needing the parents, who often disappear in the first few pages, or are absent entirely from the book. There is a brief appearance of a Mrs Simpkins, but to be honest the character is unimportant to the story, and so makes no difference to whether or not she was in it. The children seem to get on very nicely, with no outright displays of emotion, other than slight concern for their lost pony's whereabouts.

Still, it is a uncomplicated tale, which will appeal to most children. If you are looking for an ideal tale to read to your 8 year old, then you cant go far wrong with this offering. It's a more traditional tale, and not an expensive one either. It does make a change than modern fantasy based offerings. If you are an adult collector, then it's not too much of a hardship leaving this off your shelves, and going with Christine's other more older (both in terms of when she wrote and what age range) tales, which are more likely to enthral you.

The illustrations by Terry Gabbey are all very nicely painted, and clearly has a keen eye for horses. Yes they are not in the league of the greats, such as Lionel Edwards, Anne Bullen or Sheila Rose, but fit the story well, and on the whole, well executed.

Review: ALL THREE - Fair Girls and Grey Horses

2011-09-09T20:35:00.003+01:00

Fair Girls and Grey Horses: Memories of a country childhood is really their second collective work, as the first was It Began with Picotee. However, unlike It Began With Picotee, this is an non fictional work. It is actually an autobiography, with all 3 sisters contributing to every chapter. This is actually a different style to It Began With Picotee, which works much better I think. However, it does lead to some duplication.

It was first published in 1996, 50 years after the publication of It Began with Picotee. The scan is of an paperback edition, which has the same cover as the hardback edition. There is also a large type edition and an audio book version (sadly, not read out by the sisters).

This book is not aimed at children, more like adult collectors or people have who have read their books as a child and are now grown up. It is not illustrated.

The blurb reads:-

'Are your twins normal?' Mrs Pullein-Thompson was asked. 'Good God, I hope not,' she retorted.

The twins were Diana and Christine who, with their elder sister Josephine, have written 150 books, which have sold in millions around the world. Now, over 50 years after the publication of their first book, It Began with Picotee, the sisters have jointly written about their extraordinary childhood with lovable but often unreliable animals and unforgettable humans.

It also mentions quite frequently their brother Denis Cannan, and their father, Cappy, of which little is known about, at least in comparison to the sisters (and their mother). It begins with some family history.

Although not meant to be funny, there are some. One particular incident is when Josephine writes "He also had an embarrassing habit of knocking the hats off men who failed to remove them for the National Anthem" when talking about how Cappy was fiercely patriotic. Also they (the sisters) had euphemisms brought by their Victorian Nana, and the confusions/chaos it sometimes caused led to some amusing incidents.

There are a few adult references, but not as much as the non pony work, A Place With Two Faces (Josephine), but the general tone would make it boring for children. There are some incidents about animals (not necessarily about horses) which provide some amusement. Some events which happened in their life did actually appear in their (or their mother's) books, though the names had been changed.

Three are also some sample of poems which have yet to appear in any other book, which gives a fascinating insight into their fruitful literary career, especially as most of them were written before the publication of It Began With Picotee. There are also some photos of their childhood.

In some ways, it shows (despite their lack of formal education) the forward-thinking of their Mamma (Joanna Cannan). Although she did send them to school at some point, she insisted that they only attended half a day, because she "believed children should enjoy their childhood", a fact that is sadly lacking these days.

All in all, a humorous book, and completely utterly enjoyable. However for me, the greatest disappointment was the fact that there was not a complete bibliography of their works included. Admittedly, Christine did write several books after this was first published. You notice to the right there is the link to the Wikipedia article which has all the books listed, but that was done by me, following many hours of research. If that was included, it would have made my life much easier. Completely and utterly fascinating, though sadly there is not much about the riding school that they owned.

Review: CHRISTINE - Riding

2009-12-05T23:30:00.006Z

Riding is a rather strange book. Not only because it is not very well known: but it is one of two books that Christine wrote under the pseudonym of Christine Keir. There seems to be no logical reason for that (unlike The Impossible Horse). It is part of the Granada Guides series, which according to the blurb "...are an invaluable series of compact reference books, perfect for the bookshelf or pocket. Each handy volume contains the latest expert information on its subject, together with explanatory diagrams, brilliant colour illustrations, and a comprehensive index."

This book was first published in 1983. However, what I don't get is that if (according to Granada Publishing) it contains "the latest expert information" is why they didn't credit Christine under her proper name. After all, if you got this in the 1980s, you would be wondering who the hell Christine Keir was. Christine wrote 4 books on Riding under her proper name, so it is not like she had not got any experience on the subject (this is, of course, excluding any non fictional information in her anthologies or any others published prior to this one).

Anyway, I will leave that for now and concentrate on the actual book.This book is perhaps better suited to someone who wants an light read or is somewhat of a novice. A lot of novice books are aimed at children which makes them in turn somewhat babyish. This one is not, which does make it accessible to both adults, and fairly older children (8+).

Still it manages to pack a few things in it.

The first chapter (though they aren't clearly named as chapter) details Riding Through the Ages (an mini historical guide), Knights In Shining Armour, The Great Riding Schools (mainly about the Spanish Riding School of Vienna), Horses In War and Peace (mainly about army horses) and finally Horses In The Modern World (basically about what horses are used for today).

The second chapter details Learning To Ride (basically what to wear, how to make friends with a pony and making sure that you learn to ride at a riding school), Mounting and Dismounting (obvious!), The Seat and The Hands (basically how to sit correctly and how the reins correctly), The Aids (how they are used and what they are), The Paces (how the horse moves, and what they are called), Controlling a Difficult Horses (basically what to do, and what is considered difficult).

The third, albeit short, is called Showjumping. Basically it details what is showjumping (competitive wise), Some Common Faults (refusing, and what causes it) and finally Courses and Fences (what they are, and different types).

The fourth is details Hacking Out (hand signals etc), Care Of The Countryside (things like opening and shutting gates, don't ride on farmer's crops) and finally Trekking (group trekking, specifically at a trekking centre).

The fifth details Riding and Pony Clubs (basically a overview of them).

The sixth details Competitions and Sport. Specific sections cover details of what are Dressage, Show Jumping, Cross Country, Showing, Gymkhanas, Long Distance and Trail Riding, Polo, Hunting and finally Racing.

The seventh (and final chapter) is a short one on Famous Horses and Riders.

The book isn't too bad: like I previously said it's basic (only 64 pages in total) so there is not a great deal of detail but covers quite a lot of ground. Although published over 20 years ago, most of the information is still pretty accurate. The (now what are considered to be) inaccuracies are that it states that an elastic under the chin strap will keep an riding helmet in place (all modern ones and even ones bought brand new in the 1990s have a fixed 3 point headpiece which is definitely more secure than an elastic strap). Also I suspect that the number of branches and members of the Pony Club has changed since the quotes that are given in this book.
Also, on a sports kind of view, the hunting is definitely out of date (since the ban a couple of years ago in the UK, it has radically changed) and in eventing, the road and tracks section is no longer performed to the same extent (if at all, most major events have now abandoned this).

The pictures are a bit old fashioned, basically they still convey the point they are illustrating, but with some dodgy clothing, and in the case of the ridden shots, the hat either have no chinstrap or just an elastic one. But if you can ignore this, it still remains a perfectly sound, worthwhile book. Unlike most books of the time, the Famous Riders sections is about great ones like Napoleon, and not "current" riders (for the time) who these days would be totally lost on a modern pony audience.

A book which basically mainly still does what it says on the tin.

Dear Spammer

2009-12-05T23:03:00.003Z

and anyone else who is interested in posting silly comments.

This blog comments are moderated! No amount of advertising for medication for problems with the "downstairs department", cheap boots (which are probably bootleg), cheap dvds (again bootleg), comments in a foreign language will ever be posted. And no, posting 3 times (or more) will not make me change my mind! So scoot, & find some easier target!

Apologies, for my genuine readers, but the amount of "spam" comments has been getting a little out of hand lately. I welcome genuine comments, even if a) your English is not brilliant and b) it is only short.

Review: CHRISTINE - Pony Parade

2009-09-26T20:06:00.001+01:00

Pony Parade is another one that strictly does not fit the blog: it is an anthology. It contains a combination of non fiction and fiction stories/extracts. However, as it is one of the few anthologies I do have, I will include it.

One of these extracts is from their mother's book: A Pony For Jean. Considered by many to be one that defined the pony book genre, it is the archetypical pony story.

The second is an extract (and slightly humorous) about a show ring. Personally I found it ok, but if you aren't interested in that it can be boring.

The third is an short piece about choosing a (pony) name.

The fourth is about caring for a pony - not very interesting if you don't want a pony. Generally not out of date except for the odd mention of ton (as in weight) which most people use kilos these days and oats (which are seldom used these days).

The fifth and best part of this is a short Pony Patrol story. Because of this it has a Pony Patrol tag. That is, provided you like the Pony Patrol series. It is entitled Pony Patrol Ends A Racket.

The rest of the extracts are:- an poem about a rocking horse; about horse colours; strange pony actions; about horses in the First World War (by Diana, taken from Black Princess); about how a team trained for the Prince Phillip Cup; how to sit properly (by Josephine); pair driving; a poem about a pretend horse; about possibly curing rearers; a horse themed dictionary/definition; British ponies; how to draw horses; an article which features exploits of a sister trying to care for her sister's ponies - in letter form (by Christine); two poems about olden days horses; an article about a Przewalskii horse working down a coal mine; making a dressage arena (by Josephine); an "Did You Know" article; an article about horse doping in the show ring and finally an poem about an abandoned stable.

As far as anthologies go it isn't a bad one. The star turn is the brand new Pony Patrol story. However as far as anthologies go, they generally have a shortcoming: they never have the full story. As for this one, generally the only bit that lets it down is the bits about schooling/pony care, the pony mining article (there are no coal mines these days that use ponies) and the doping article. Mainly because security is so tight than compared to 1978 (which this was first published) and people today don't know who Harvey Smith is.

Still, it's not an expensive buy, and worth getting for the Pony Patrol story alone.

Review: CHRISTINE - Follyfoot Pony Quiz Book

2009-09-19T16:20:00.002+01:00

I am going to break with tradition there: my blog is mainly for reviewing (and providing further information) about the P-T's (pony) fictional works.

However as I love Follyfoot, I bought this. I agonised over where or not to put this in the Christine section on the bookshelf or the Follyfoot section. I eventually decided on the Christine section and here's why :-

Firstly, and this is the main reason: there is very little Follyfoot in it. Granted Christine may not have had the time or the inclination to watch Follyfoot, but at least a brief outline of the main characters should have been sent to her. The only bits which are Follyfoot is the title, and the two pictures of Dora (the main character in the series) on the cover.

Granted, there are a couple of exceptions to that though. They are:-

Page 50. In each sentence there is an odd one out.

Number one is this: Monica Dickens, Mary O'Hara, Enid Bagnold, Esther Rantzen (Esther Rantzen is the odd one out btw, because the rest are pony authors).
Number 3 is this: Wish for A Pony, Alice In Wonderland, Follyfoot, I Wanted A Pony (Alice in Wonderland is the odd one out: the rest are pony books)
Number 12: Dora, Paul, Callie, Christine (Christine is technically the odd one out - but only just. Paul is a character mentioned in Cobbler's Dream and the first edition of Follyfoot, but the character is named Steve in the TV series. Both Dora and Callie are characters in the books and TV series)

Page 51. This is a true or false game; and the sole mention is number 5.

Monica Edwards wrote Follyfoot (False: it was Monica Dickens)

Page 52. Match up the name so "famous" people. One answer is Monica Dickens.

That is about it out of 81 puzzle and 5 crosswords. I feel much more could have been done to incorporate Follyfoot, for example there are tales of things going wrong, and the quiz part is to say what went wrong. I feel that in those situations it would have been best to incorporate the main Follyfoot characters. Also, the "true or false" quiz, it would have been nice to make it solely Follyfoot only.

However, when in 1974 (when this was first published) this was quite a decent book, if you forget the lack of Follyfoot element.

These days it is not. In some ways it is dated, because these days people who dont know who Pat Smythe, Marion Mould etc are. There are a lot of Follyfoot fans on the internet, and those who aren't interested in horse/pony care are liable to be bored.

So, if you are an Follyfoot fan, don't feel guilty about leaving this off your shelf. It's best (either from a P-T or a Follyfoot of view) as an set completer.

This also rather interestingly contains drawings by her daughter (Charlotte Popescu).

Review: CHRISTINE - Little Black Pony

2009-09-05T16:43:00.008+01:00

Little Black Pony is a book meant for younger readers, the same age group as the Sophy series. It is illustrated: by an Lynette Hemmant.

It is also hard to find, as is The Lost Cow (a non pony work) which has a similar cover and is in the same series & has the same publisher. However, I suspect this is due to the fact that it was purely meant for children's primary schools (as opposed to being available in all good book shops) because all copies that turn up are either ex-school or ex-library. The one pictured came from a school. I also remember at primary school reading a Hamish Hamilton Gazelle book (but not this one).

Because of the fact it is meant for younger children (Hamish Hamilton, the publishers say on the back it is a "complete story for the very young". It also does not contain a blurb, however, I have written one of my own.

It is a story about a family of 3 children. They hear a noise in the garden, which turns out to be a pony. They want to keep him, but what happens when they find the real owner?

It is an odd one to place. This book was originally published in 1967, and these says the formal tone and language used sounds rather stuffy and old fashioned. Consequently, because of it's short nature and it's hard to find availability, it is not popular with collectors. This makes it not very valuable, if you can get hold of it.

If you can get past the formal/stuffy nature of the book, it is not a bad short story. It still retains the quality of her other books, however it is a lot better in nature than the Sophy books (and far more realistic). The children and the pony are believable, though the ending is not, and it is nice to see a kind owner of an "lost" horse rather than a cruel one, which happens in some of Christine's later stories (A Pony In Distress for example.).

Spoiler: complete story.

The children are playing in the nursery when they hear a noise. They wonder what it is and look out: it is a pony. They rush down and tell their mother. She and their father get hold of the pony, and put it in the stable, which they conveniently have. The children want to keep it because they have no pets, and they always wanted one. The parents are not too sure: they buy some hay and straw, and call out the vet because it is sick. Fortunately it is not too sick. The next day, they trace the owner, who explains that it keeps on coming there because she used to live there. She says that they can keep it, because she has outgrown the pony. She has a new one and nobody rides it any more. She refuses the money the children's parents offer her.

It's an easy short story, that is perhaps not a delight, but a good read. It's just a shame that it is hard to place. It's hard to give a complete review, without giving away the full story, but I have included a short synopsis for those who want to know what it is about (highlight white space).

Review: JOSEPHINE - How Horses Are Trained

2008-12-06T18:14:00.000Z

How Horses are Trained is this week's book. It was first published in 1961 and is a non fictional work.

The blurb reads:-

Josephine Pullein-Thompson, famous for her books on riding, explains the basic training of all riding horses and then deals with the specialists - from show jumper to pit pony. There is a chapter on how horses were trained in the past and one of advice to would-be-trainers.

Written in comprehensive language it will be of interest to all who wish to know what lies behind the accomplished performances of race horse, circus pony or show jumper.

This book is part of the "How" series and this series includes such titles as "How We Weigh and Measure" and "How A Book Is Made".

Curiously, this book has a list of acknowledgements, of which one is a Mr. Dennis Far, who is her sister Diana's late husband.

The first chapter is entitled "The Trainer", which deals with the history of training horses from early Stone Age to the (at the time) present.

The second chapter is called "The Kindergarten", which deals with the training and handling of youngsters from a foal to early riding years (generally 4-5 years). It also deals with, albeit briefly, abandoned methods, such as the use of dumb jockeys.

The third chapter is called "The General Certificate of Education" which details with basic schooling (regardless of the discipline or job the horse is used). This includes some basic dressage such as a turn on the forehand, the rein back, and the half pass. It also deals with some basic faults.

The fourth chapter is entitled "Jumping Lessons". It deals with jumping, right from the extreme basics of teaching a horse to jump, to basic jumping.

The fifth chapter is called "The Stars". This deals with the various roles of the horse. The first part is called The Showjumper, and this deals with what sort of horse is best for jumping (competitively), and also how at the time, show jumping has changed.
The second part details The Competitive and High School Horse (basically the Dressage Horse). This details the various competitions that are (or were; there are more out now) available and what sort of horse is both conformationally and temperamentally suited to dressage. It also says about various movements requited (which have not been previously been discussed) at each level.
The third part details The Event Horse, and the sort of things you need for such a horse. This is slightly out of date as it says that a horse needs to do the road and tracks and steeplechase sections of a three day event. Very few events (and certainly not the major ones) have this section these days, as in the past few years it has been phased out. It also details with a minimum weight a horse must carry (11 stone 11 pounds for men, and 11 stone for women). which was phased out in the 1990s.

The sixth chapter is entitled "More Stars", which is basically a follow on to the previous chapter.
The first part is called Race Horse, which details with early training methods (1600-1700) and the type of horses that were around then. It then details with more up to date training methods too, from early training to a two year old. I'm not too sure how accurate it is, as like Eventing, the training of racehorses has changed over the years.
The next part deals with Polo Ponies, from a short basic history, to the training and the sort of pony that is useful.
The next part deals with Show Horses-Hacks, from the brief history of them (mainly to do with Rotten Row) to what is needed for a Show Hack as opposed to a "working" Hack.
The next part details with the Show Hunters, and what details it, and what is required of it (basically a well behaved type that the judge finds easy to ride).
The next part details Show Ponies. Basically set out as above, but the pony must be suitable for a child to ride. Instead of the judge riding it, they give shows, so must be well behaved.
The next part deals with Gymkhana Ponies. Basically it details what sort of pony temperamentally and in terms of speed is needed, rather than actual games.
The next part details the Circus Horse. This is out of date as there are few circuses that use animals (and consequently very few Circus Horses) but it is interesting from a historical point of view.

The seventh chapter is entitled "The Workers". The first part is called Riding School Horses. This details (albeit briefly) about what sort of pony that is needs, and basically what a good riding school should do.
The next part deals with Pit Ponies. Basically, like Circus Horses, this is out of date, as there are no Pit Ponies in the UK. Again, this is interesting from an historical point of view.
The next part deals with the Police Horse. I suspect that has hardly changed, as the ideal police horse has to be unphased by smoke, cars backfiring etc. It details with the extra things that are generally not taught to horses, and what sort of horse is suitable.

The eighth (and penultimate) chapter is called "How Horses Were Trained". This details with the history from the early Greeks (aroundd 400-350 years B.C.) to (at the time) present day. It also details (albeit briefly) on how the Romans, Saxonse etc had an influence on the (British) way horses/ponies were handled and ridden. It is interestign to deals. It also details, again, briefly, about the former roles of the hores as (save for show purposes) horse are not used for pulling mail coaches and for ploughing.

The nineth (and final) chapter is called "Advice to Would-Be Trainers". This details with what people should have (in terms of experience) before breaking a horse or pony. It also details do's and dont's.

There are also a couple of photos/drawings included in this book, one of Josephine riding a horse called Rosebay.

This book on the whole is still basically sound, though a little bit dated in places. A lot of it is due to changing attitudes and methods over the years, for example join up. For me, it was disappointing that it did not cover Western Riding. It is perhaps best used as an informal guide, with more up-to-date information out there. Of course this is terribly subjective, even horse care books written in the 1980s are how out of date. This fortunately on the whole has not dated as much when compared to other books that were around in the 1960s. The easy readability of this, though meant to be an instructional book, is not dull or boring, but is largely down to Josephine herself. This is because generally (her fictional) book are full of knowledge and are a wealth of information, but you get so absorbed in her story, that you hardly notice that you are getting a lesson too. Though the language in some places is a little old fashioned the book is still readable. Had it been written by a less able writer, then this book would have been better off on the history shelves.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Proud Riders

2008-11-08T18:04:00.000Z

Proud Riders is this week's book. It was first published in 1973, and really is an anthology, the extracts are chosen by Josephine, rather than written by.

The blurb reads:-

A superb book for everyone interested in horses, a collection of stories and verses, fact and fiction, about horses and ponies and their riders at work; in the wild and at play, all over the world. Josephine Pullein-Thompson, famous for her own stories about horse, has brought together writing from all sorts of authors, who include Shakespeare and Tolstoy, Mark Twain and John Betjeman, Siegfried Sassoon and W H Hudson, Gordon Richards and Conan Doyle.

The book is illustrated by two sections of photographs which add another dimension to the whole theme of horses and their riders and their place in life.

The first extract is from More Ponies for Jean by Joanna Cannan, the second is from Roughing It by Mark Twain, the third is from Bengal Lancer by F. Yeats-Brown, the fourth is Memoirs of a fox-hunting man by Siegfried Sassoon, the fifth is a poem by John Betjeman, the sixth is from Sir Nigel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the seventh is from The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo, the eighth is from Animal Stories by Ruth Manning-Sanders, the ninth is from True Stories About Horses by Lilian Gask, the tenth is a poem called Equestrian Courtship by Thomas Hood, the eleventh is from A Galloway Childhood by Ian Niall, the twelfth is from The Horse by Seigfried Stander, the next one is a song called A Cowboy's Life by Anon., the fourteenth is from Far Away and Long Ago by W.H. Hudson, the fifteenth is a rather long poem from The Collected Verse of A.B.Paterson, the sixteenth is from Sporting Print by G. March-Phillips, the seventeenth is from My Story by Gordon Richards, the eighteenth is a rather long poem called The Worn-Out Pony by Anon., the nineteenth is from The Unvarnished West by J.M. Pollock, the twentieth is from Strider by Leo Tolstoy and the final bit is a poem from Venus and Adonis by Shakespeare.

It also begins with an introduction by Josephine Pullein-Thompson.

The quality varies. Some are quite enjoyable, others are not. I really enjoyed the extract from More Ponies For Jean by Joanna Cannan and also Memoirs of a fox-hunting man by Siegfried Sassoon. Some of the extracts include different styles of riding (such as Western) which some people. Also, An African Foal (from The Horse by Siegfried Stander) deals with another country (and continent) entirely, which again is not for everyone.

Of course this is all subjective, of course people will enjoy bits that others won't. But at least this (apart from the cover) does not date, the trouble is that with some anthologies (particularly by Christine) is that they include references to famous horse riders of the day, or horse care which is now out of date. But anthologies are a subject of love or hate themselves, some people hate them, some people love them. Personally I am in the hate category. But on the other hand, if you hate a book at least you are stuck with only one chapter rather than wasting a whole chapter.

Still, at least the quality of the extracts Josephine has chosen are of high quality and this is one of the better anthologies out there. Some anthologies do contain poor quality extracts, and this one does not. The best thing is if you find a cheap copy is to try it yourself.

Non pony works and more

2008-09-13T17:43:00.004+01:00

I finally found Josephine's They Died In The Spring, so that means that I should be able to do it. I badly behind. My original plan was to do all of Josephine's at the end of the year, but it looks unlikely. This blog is very time consuming - the main problem is that I have to read the books.

A couple of weeks ago I lost my cat, and that messed things up. Mainly to do with concentration.

I have also decided (at some point, I need to do the pony books) to do the non pony books. Josephine I have already covered: she only wrote one, which is A Place With Two Faces. Christine was (not surprisingly) the most prolific: she wrote 30 non pony books. There is a possibility of her writing another: amazon list one, which is not listed on the British Library's catalogue. Certainly none have shown up to date. Diana wrote 9 books (three under her married name of Diana Farr), though I had only 7 on my want list. This is because two of them are political related (one of those is an autobiography) and frankly it bores me to tears. Even worse than The Pennyfields, I think.

I have 17 of Christine's books on my want list (excluding the one that may not exist) and 6 of Diana's. The majority of Christine's seem to be written in the 1960s and the same goes for Diana.

One of (Christine's) I got was this week: No-One At Home. It was written in the 1960s, though I got an 1976 reprint. Nothing wrong with that: except it clearly states that it was made from recycled paper. I thought that recycled paper books began in the 1990s: clearly not. Obviously Hamish Hamilton started to be environmentally aware, which was quite remarkable for the time, as all their (the PT's I mean) other pony works did not come from recycled paper which date from around the same time. I have seen on pony books "war economy standard" on books dating from WW2, but I thought that meant it was from lesser quality paper, and lower print runs.

Anyway, that turned out rather interesting. Generally, CPT's non pony work tend to be for an younger age, I have 3 in front of me. No-One At Home states it is for "about six to about nine years of age" and Giles And The Greyhound states it is "ideal for the 7- to 10-year-old". The Boys From the Cafe has no age range stated, though I suspect (though not having read it) it is for the 7 to 10 years range. I have no idea about Diana's works, though I suspect Choosing (published under her married name) is for adults.

Review: JOSEPHINE - A Place With Two Faces

2008-08-09T18:52:00.007+01:00

OK I am cheating here. First of all I have misplaced They Died In the Spring, hence the lack of updates because I cant continue with the (Chief) Inspector Flecker series until I find it. Because of the rarity of the series I cant borrow/buy another one easily. If I don't find it soon, I will find another Josephine book.

Secondly, recently I have decided to purchase all of Christine's and Diana's non (fictional) pony works, and therefore I will be reviewing them at a later date. I want to get review the pony books first. Also, because of the rarity (in comparison) of their non-pony works, I need the complete series.

Because I touched on A Place With Two Faces before in a previous post, I have now decided to give it a proper review. All 3 sisters decided to publish under a different name (Diana published 3 books under her married name - Farr and Christine published 2 books under the (possible) pseudonym of Christine Keir). This book fades into some relative obscurity, mainly because it is hard to find, and not many people are aware that she wrote it. I was pointed out last year to a book called Who's Who, which lists many notable people, and in it, it has a complete bibliography of her works. (Diana is not listed, however her brother Denis Cannan is.) If you are interested in reading it, it is to be found in your reference section of your local library, however many libraries subscribe to Know UK. In Know UK, you can search Who's Who. Go to your local council's website and they will tell if you if you can access KnowUK. You do need to be a member of your local library, as Know UK does require you to enter your library card number.

A Place With Two Faces is quite a departure from her usual style. I am not sure why she wrote it under a pseudonym, maybe because she was so well known for her pony books during the 1970s (this one was published in 1972) that she did not decide to confuse parents as this is definitely not for children. Or alternatively, if she did not want to write any more of this style or it flopped (perhaps it wasnt a best seller due to it's rarity) then nobody would know who Josephine Mann was (or rather is). Or maybe, because it is such a wild departure that she wanted to distant herself, and her way was writing it under a pseudonym. You decide.

I say it is not for children, as it is described as gothic terror novel; certainly it is not "cosy" reading and it is definitely not instructive. It has drug and sex references for a start: though it does not go into great detail, they arent subjects for horsey loving kids. The religion Wicca is quite a predominent feature in the book, although it is not shoved down your neck. The blurb (of the first image) reads:-

'Darksome Night and shining Moon,
East then, South then West then North,
Hearken to the witches' run,
Hear I come to call thee forth -
Earth and Water Air and Fire...'

Fleeing from a broken romance, Jenny Maxwell came to Kilruthan in search of work and an escape from here past.

The large double-house set on the edge of the moors offered her a fresh start, and Mrs. Shaw, an eccentric author, seemed a hospitable employer. But from the moment she entered the house she was struck by the ominous echoes of fear that haunted every room. Strange accidents began to occur and she realised, with horror, that someone or something was out to kill her.

Caught in Kilruthan's web of evil, Jenny found herself witness to a witches' ritual and a black dance of death - a devil's dance which was to end in a sacred offering. And well she knew, with terror in her heart, that she was to be the sacrifice.

and the other blurb (second image) reads:-

Darksome Night and shining Moon,
East then, South then West then North,
Hearken to the witches' run,
Hear I come to call thee forth -
Earth and Water Air and Fire...'

A broken romance had brought Jenny Maxwell to Kilruthan on the edge of the moor. Here she would forget the hurt she suffered.

But from the moment she entered the house she was struck with fear. Strange accidents began to occur and she realized, with mounting horror, the something or someone wanted her dead.

Caught in an ominous web of evil, Jenny found herself witness to a witches ritual and a black dance of death - a devil's dance that could only end with Jenny herself as the sacred offering!

Both editions are not illustrated.

Firstly, I know nothing about the religion Wicca, so I dont know how true or not true it portrays the religion. But looking from the Wikipedia article, it appears some aspects are true.

In addition to the sex and drug references there is a death at the end of the book of one of the characters, which is highly unusual, as Diana was the one that used to do death in her books, Josephine as far as I am aware of (bear in mind I havent read all her books) doesnt do "death". There is also a romance in it too.

I found this book strangely enjoyable. I certainly forgot it was Josephine who wrote it about a quarter of the way through: however you could tell it was written by a decent author. Maybe if you are used to books by other gothic authors such as Anne Rice (this book also pre-dates any of Anne's works) then you may find not quite up to her standard, but if you want a cosy and loving read, then this is not for you. I found it quite chilling in places.

Still it is worth noting that there is more to the P-Ts than pony books. I have yet to experience either Diana's or Christine's non pony books, but they do come from good writing stock: Joanna (their mother) wrote more novels (including detective) than pony books. I have yet to read them either: but from what I know, they dont feature horses/ponies at all.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Gin and Murder

2008-06-28T18:10:00.003+01:00

Gin and Murder is the first one of a series of books. They are less well known than many of her works: though they are horse related, the horses are less of an key element to the books. They are aimed at adults: in fact they are murder mystery books. Josephine is following in the steps of her mother, who was alive when this was published. This book is dedicated to her.

It was first published in 1959, though the image shown is a 1990 reprint. All 3 books are quite hard to find, though not as hard as Mystery On the Moor. The "Linford Mystery Library" editions are easier to find than the first, however they are in large print, making them quite bulky. However they are complete and unabridged, so you do not miss out on any story.

I have added it into 2 series: the series should really be called "(Chief) Inspector Flecker", as he is the character that appears throughout the whole series, and quite a key. However, because of the relative obscurity of the books, it may not be obvious to people, and therefore I am also adding a "Adult Murder Mystery" tag, which makes more sense.

The blurb reads:-

When Guy Vickers died after Commander Chadwick's cocktail party, murder was the last thing suspected by East Wintshire. Murder was something one read about in the Sunday newspapers; it just didn't happen to people like them.

But murder it was. And when Inspector Hollis of the County Police began his rather ham-handed investigations, he found plenty of motives concealed behind those conventional façades.

It took a second murder to stampede the Chief Constable into sending for help from Scotland Yard, and when help came in the person of Chief Inspector James Flecker, he began to wonder whether it had been a wise move...

The horse element is somewhat lesser than her horse books. It is mainly confined to the fact that the book is set against a hunting background. Part of the book dwells on the party of the hunting franiterny, and the politics of the hunt. Apart from a couple of visits to the kennels by James Flecker, and a somewhat minimally detailed hunting day, there isn't much horse related. The majority of the story is taken up by Inspector Hollis' and later Chief Inspector James Flecker's investigations.

Although it is meant for adults, it could be read by older teenagers too. There is a small amount of swearing here and there, so it would definitely not be suitable for children. Also, one of the characters in the book drinks a lot, and therefore it makes it also unsuitable for young teenagers.
If you do not like hunting or want more horses, then perhaps this is not the book for you: then you are better off with Josephine's other (fictional) works.

The books is not too graphic: to be honest, Josephine's other adult book: A Place With Two Faces (written under the pseudonym of Josephine Mann) is more so. But then again, that is a different genre: that is a gothic terror novel. If you dont like hearing (in graphic detail) about how the person died, worry not, apart from the cause of death, there is very little detail about the two people die.

I do not know if this is a good or bad murder mystery book: to be honest, I have yet to read any other murder mystery book. Although her mother (Joanna Cannan) was famous for writing detective novels (Rue Morgue Press compare to her to other famous authors at the time, including a friend, Georgette Heyer), it is probably a decent one. Joanna Cannan herself wrote one book which is along the lines of this (having a horsey background I mean) which is Murder Included, which I will review at a later date.

The characters are well thought out, and the situation is believable. It is neither a heavy read or a light one, it falls in the middle. The action flows along nicely, though the plot is not over complicated. For me personally, I was put off in detective/murder novels because I was worried about the plot and the book being very complicated, and therefore hard to follow, worry not. This is not the case.

Still it has a decent enough ending, and everything is nicely sown up, though the ending has a slight twist in it. Enough to keep most people amused, and perhaps not for everyone, but if you can get past the lack of horses. It is enough to keep people who are perhaps interested in murder mysteries but not horses happy. Quite a good book in all, and a decent enough departure from Josephine's usual style.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Plenty Of Ponies

2008-06-07T20:22:00.008+01:00

This week's book is Plenty Of Ponies. It was first published in 1949, making it one of Josephine's earlier books (in fact it was her third book that she published).

The blurb reads (first picture):-

'Quite frankly, I don't think much of you Esmonds' said the colonel. 'You've got some of the nicest ponies in this Pony Club, but you don't seem to take any trouble.'

The Christmas holidays promise wonderful adventures for the five Esmonds - but somehow they always end up in disgrace. They let The Turk gallop through hounds, October has run riot in Mr. Simpson's garden - and now they've brought chaos to the Pony Club rally.

However, there's still the Children's Meet, and the Esmonds are determined to redeem themselves - and give the colonel the shock of his life....

The second scan is of a Collins Pony Library edition, which does not contain a blurb. However both editions contains illustrations. The Collins Pony Library edition are credited to Anne Bullen, which are presumably the same ones as the first edition. The other one (a White Lion edition) does not credit the illustrator, but they are the same ones as in the Collins Pony Library edition (and presumably, by Anne Bullen). The cover has been done by someone else, however.

The book starts out with Professor Esmond pointing out their bad points, of which they decide to "improve their characters". However things do not go to plan, even when hunting on Boxing Day the Master gets cross and a Colonel Howard tells them off.

This book is somewhat slightly stuffy, these days people do not think of "improving their characters". However there is a great deal of (mis)adventures to be read in this book, and this makes up for it. Granted, there aren't so many horse filled incidents until near the end, but the relationship of the children is enough to keep you occupied. Perhaps this is not the ideal book to start off with if you have not read Josephine's books before, as this is not her best work. However, it must be remembered that it is an early work of hers, and that is the reason why.

In some ways that old fashionedness sticks out, there is talk of brandy when someone is ill/has an accident, which is not used today in quite the same way (and certainly not given to children) and also of liver pills (which are not used these days either). Also there are frequent mentions of servants and gardeners, which (unless you are very rich) people don't have these days. Also when there is talk of hanging, it also dates it, as we don't have hanging anymore.

It is a book I am not particularly fond of, but if you can get past the old fashionedness of it, it is not too bad. Like All Change/The Hidden Horse, the ponies are a secondary element to this book.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Save The Ponies!

2008-06-01T10:21:00.004+01:00

Save The Ponies is this week's book. It was first published in 1984, making this one of Josephine's later books.

The blurb reads:-

It all began when Mandy, Kate, Jeremy and Fergus met Nico and Sophia on the Greek Island where they were spending their holidays. Together they discover that a horse dealer from Athens is illegally buying up the island ponies to use them in a circus. Even Nico's beloved pony, Vrondi, is in danger.

In desperation, the children embark on a dramatic rescue attempt. They set off on a daring bare-back ride through the mountains determined on one thing - at all costs they must save the ponies!

A couple of notes: this is probably one of two pony books set in Greece; the other is Penny and Pegasus by Primrose Cumming and both authors were British. Secondly, there is an exact titled book by Gillian Baxter, however the Gillian Baxter one pre-dates this, as it was first published in 1971. If you do not own this book, please double check that you are getting the right one. Thirdly this reminds me of a book by her sister Christine called Stolen Ponies, which was published in 1957.

This book starts by Kate and Jeremy being bored, having being made to go with two people (Mandy and Fergus) who they aren't really friends with. They all decide to go for a beach walk (they are already at the island) where they meet Sophia and Nico. They tell them about a pony race happening tomorrow.

They all attend the race, which is rather crude by British standards. But the excitement makes up for it. They find some ponies to hire and it is during these rides that they find out that the ponies are being sold to a circus. But the ponies are involved in a sinister plot and that is where a plan of action comes along.

I felt that this was an ok effort. This is one of Josephine's adventure effort, it is not to bad as far as her stories goes. It is a pleasant, light red, however the unusual location gives it an added in-depth which is missing from other book. However if it is was not there it would not be as strong. The greatest strength really in this book is the detail of the difference of cultures and the way in life, as far as ponies are treated and people's attitude. But as this is supposed to be a pony book, it is a great shame.

Review: JOSEPHINE - All Change/The Hidden Horse

2008-05-10T15:55:00.010+01:00

The Hidden Horse is this week's book. It was originally published as All Change, but was later retitled as The Hidden Horse. It was first published in 1961.

The blurb reads (taken from the first image, which is the first edition:-

THERE WAS NOT DOUBT at all, the Conway family decided, that that new owner of the Charnworth estate was going to be a thorough nuisance. Their father had been agent to Lord Charnworth for eight years and he had regarded them as part of the family, letting them ride over the whole place as if it had been their own. But with Mr. Smithson, the new owner, things were not going to be the same. The estate was going to be run on strictly business lines and there was not going to be any question of children getting in the way or breaking down fences or gates.

However the five Conways - plus their new friend Nick - manage to have an extremely adventurous beginning to the Christmas holidays. Their father had told Douglas on his first meeting back from school: 'A lot may depend on your behaviour these holidays'. As things turned out, a lot did depend on it!

and the blurb from The Hidden Horse (second image) reads:-

With their parents' tenanted farm under threat from a heartless new landowner, Douglas and this younger brothers and sisters secretly pool their savings to buy back a favourite Jersey cow from a local auction. But on the same day there just happens to be a horse sale, where, unknown to the others, Penny bids for a thin, fifteen hand thoroughbred mare...

The edition shown is a J A Allen edition, hence why the blurb is so short. As per usual with these editions, the majority of the back is taken up with information on the author (and in this case, her two sisters, brother and mother whose surname is mispelt Cannon).

This won an Ernest Benn award: this appears to be given by Ernest Benn (the original publishers) to the best book they published in a particular year. In this case it won the first prize in their Children's Book Competition.

Just a note: all editions except the first one have been revised. This is due to the fact that Josephine included the words "Jew boy", and "bloody" and depending on the publisher it varies what has been taken out. The J A Allen edition (second image) does include the words "bloody" but not Jew boy.

As for illustrations, the first edition contains illustrated by Sheila Rose. The J A Allen (second image) does not contain small illustrations, but they are not credited. These are completely different ones to the first edition.

The book begins with the sad, harsh reality of a death of the land's former owner, and how things are going to change. I can see why Josephine chose to use the (original) title of All Change, but I guess subsequent (re)publishers of this book wasn't pony enough, hence it's retitling.

Because of the sad, harsh reality they have to look at everything financially: the new landowner cares more about money. This leads to unpleasant comments, and the selling of their prizewinning cow (who belongs to the owner of the farm - not the Conways - who are the family in this story). Knowing that she will go for meat because of her age, the children make a plan to attend the auction & buy her back, and that is when they get the horse.

Like last week's offering, The No-Good Pony, this explores family relationships, but unlike The No-Good Pony, the family are not divorced. It does explore change: the lack of willingness of the farmer to change to factory farming, and the local villagers (especially the elderly) to more houses in the village, and the inclusion of central heating.

The only bit that I didn't get was why J A Allen didn't omit about Nick smoking, as smoking is very un-PC these days. As this edition was published in 1989, it seems a rather strange thing to include, especially as it is an children's book. Granted it is an older one (J A Allen suggest age 9-1 3 on the back), but still. It's not really a key element to this story.

I really liked this book. The sudden change of the way of life, not only to the main characters, but other farmers & the village is well thought out. There is an great episode where at the sale, a bull belonging to another farmer breaks out and causes great chaos in the local town!

This is perhaps the least horsey book out of Josephine's I feel, as although ponies are there, it is more of a farming story than a horsey one. Perhaps that is why it was retitled. But don't let that put you off: the standard of writing is extremely excellent (this is one of Josephine's better tales) and it is easy to see why this has won an Award.

A good book which shouldn't be missed.

2008-05-05T14:20:00.003+01:00

Once again, I have left the blog without updates.

This is mainly because of time. My computer and I do not live at the same address: I have no landline (and I dont consider it worth it to install a brand new one) and therefore no internet access until weekends. Because of the fact I am involved with other (book and non-book) related forums, and of course, ebay, I dont have time, plus the other things to do.

June and July were always going to be a problem for me: June I am going to be at a wedding, which is nearly 180 miles away, and therefore ties up one weekend. July means that one weekend I am at Wimbledon (not to play though but to spectate - I cant even catch a ball, let alone hit one) and my parents are going to be on holiday. Which means that because I have to rely on them to a certain extent to get me to the internet (the transport to their house is terrible, and I cant drive due to medical reasons), so that leaves 2 weeks without the internet. Or at least sporadic, it means that I have 2 hours max, and therefore I cant guarantee that I can update.

But blogspot/blogger have come up with a radical solution: you can set it to post an update without you being there. Like sniping on ebay, but thoughts/emotions instead of bids. Which makes it ideal and also handy because it saves me the trouble of lugging around a couple of books back and forth......

Because right now, I have The Doping Affair (aka The Pony Dopers) by Christine in my hands. It's currently scheduled to be written about next year, I can now write the review and not worry about it any more. Nor about finding the book: last week I finally realised my copy of Horse In The House by William Corbin was missing, which doesnt matter so much because it's not required for the blog, but it would be annoying if it were a P-T book, though. I finally did find Horse In The House, it was just hiding behind Eleanor Helme's White Winter.

Of course, there is always the downside of time, but at least I can get it all done at weekends when I have more time. That is, provided I have read the book in the first place: some books I have not (take All Change/The Hidden Horse for example) and some I need to re-read (like Christine's A Day To Go Hunting).

I have also added a new tag: Re-named books. Because with some books that have been re-named it is quite easy to miss the fact that both names have been mentioned in the review: and could lead to people thinking I have not reviewed them. Also, if you are looking on ebay/abebooks/other book selling sites and wondering what "xxxx" is about, then you may not realise it has been covered. Of course this only primarily applies to Diana at the moment, Josephine's other re-named fictional book All Change has not been covered, and Christine's only re-named book The Doping Affair is yet to be published.

Of course, a lot of things will be easier once I have done all the P-T's books (or just have Joanna's to do) for people, and I may tweak in the future. I plan to do an index when I am coming near the end, but of course, it wont make sense as I have no exact dates to hand.

So in short, I may not be online, but my blog will be updated thanks to blogspot's handy features.

Review: JOSEPHINE - The No-Good Pony

2008-05-05T12:35:00.002+01:00

The No-Good Pony is this week's book. It was first published in 1981.

The blurb reads:-

It was never going to work. The Brodie children disliked the Dalton children at first sight. The Daltons were smooth and elegant, their ponies well schooled and their tack immaculate. The Brodies always looked a mess, their tack was falling apart and they did not even have a pony each.

But now that Mr Dalton had married Mrs Brodie, the children were all going to live together. The holidays would be ruined, and even riding would not be fun any longer with the Daltons about...

Unlike most of Josephine other books, this isnt quite so heavily on the instructional front, I guess this was a sign of changing times, as the main books she wrote during the 1980s where the Moors series, which were more adventure style than instructional. The only exception seems to be her Woodbury Pony Club stories which revert back to that.

It is also a reflection of modern times that this story is a culmination of 2 different families: most pony stories follow a set pattern of mum, dad (even if he is rarely seen or mentioned) and anything from 2-6 children. There is also an au pair in this story: something which has changed, as pony stories until the 1970s, had either helps, servants or maids (depending on the story and whether the edition had been revised or not), but never au pairs (Diana's Only A Pony, also published during the 1980s, had an au pair though, but that has a weird time frame - see the post concerned for further information).

The No-Good pony, referred to in the title is actually referred to a pony called Treacle, a pony which appears to be no good at anything because her jumping is no good, and her dressage isnt much better. But at the end of the story, she isnt no good, she has other talents which make her just as useful (and valuable - not money terms anyway) as the Dalton's immaculate ponies.

It is an easy enough tale, which is quite readable, and unlike the other pony stories things dont go right. Josephine has tackled the subject of what happens when two families come together, a subject also briefly mentioned in the Woodbury Pony Club series, but dealt with in more detail. Whereas with the Woodbury Pony Club series the focus is on the ponies, here it is equally about the children and the ponies.

There is an interesting twist in the end, which makes it more sound Diana's Pony Seeker's series (also published in the 1980s) though.

I like this book, though it's title is pretty uninspiring, and perhaps not the one that grabs you in a list of Josephine's books. Although it may not appeal to every single child out there because of it's people element, it is nevertheless a good book, which is often overlooked.

Review: JOSEPHINE - The Trick Jumpers

2008-04-20T19:36:00.001+01:00

The Trick Jumpers is this week's book. It was first published in 1958.

The edition shown is the Collins Pony Library edition, which does not contain a blurb. However Jane Badger has kindly supplied one, taken from the first edition. It is not illustrated.

A pony story which has an amusing and original theme. The Trelawnys, an unconventional and artistic family, come to live at Cudleigh, where local pony matters are dominated by the inartistic and ultra-horsey Hendersons. It is not long before the two families cross swords: Benedict, Jasper and Nicolette Trelawny know their riding is far from perfect, but they do not enjoy being told so by Peter and Erica Henderson! Things come to a head when the Trelawnys plan a trick-jumping act for the Cudleigh Horticultural Show, and the enmity between the two families continues until the very day of the Show itself..... The author's outstanding talent for characterisation makes this a pony story with a difference.

This is the book that is unique. If there was a category for banned pony books, this would fall in it. You either love or hate it. It is highly doubtful that today this book would get published, nor even republished. If you are a stickler for safety then this is not for you.

The book starts with the local people criticising the new people and their house: it seems a bit Enid Blytonish to me and certainly prejudiced. Because of this, and their criticism of lack of riding ability, they are soon forced to take part in a musical ride. This is unsuccessful, because of the (lack of) riding standard and they decide to do a "stunt team". The rest of the book is taken up with practising for the stunt team, and (mis)fortunes.

Like I said before, it is either one you love or hate. The idea of a stunt team is not that bad, just that you cant see it happening today. The bit I hate is that is in the beginning and the characters. Yes, we all have people we hate or dislike, but to me there is some downright nasty bits. This to me spoils it in some parts an otherwise good book, I am torn.

I am torn because there are some good parts to this book, but the downright nasty (and sometimes petty) squabbles spoil it. Diana was the one for writing more people and relationships, I can only assume that Josephine put the tension there to prove that just horses are about, doesnt mean that people get on. Maybe it is due to people that is not Josephine's forte, it's something Diana would be better at.

So really, the best judge is you. It's hard to define this book really. There are good and bad parts to all books, this one is certainly different. Fortunately it is not a hard to find book, and the best thing is really to see it for yourself. Provided you arent a stickler for health and safety that is.

Review: JOSEPHINE - The Prize Pony

2008-04-12T20:14:00.000+01:00

The Prize Pony is this week's book. It was first published in 1982.

The blurb reads:-

Debbie read her letter again, to make sure she'd made no mistake. 'Mum', she said at last. 'Mum, read this. I think it says I've won first prize. I think I've won a pony!

Winning the story competition seemed like a dream come true for Debbie. At last she would have the thing she had always wanted; a pony of her very own.

But once she got her new pony home, Debbie realised that she had more than she had bargained for. An inexperienced rider, she was no match for the excitable and spirited five-year-old. Before long Debbie is convinced that the pony is nothing but a disaster. Instead of all the lovely rides she imagined, she seems to spend all of her either falling off Easter, or chasing him up and down muddy lanes. Debbie is just at her wit's end when her mother has an idea...

In some ways this reminds me of J M Berrisford's Jackie Won a Pony, of which Jackie got her pony through a competition. But unlike Jackie who got on with Misty, from the blurb it is not.

In some ways it is rather unusual, for people not to get with their ponies. For not everything to go smoothly, and things that go like a dream.

I am torn. In some ways it is a good story, but others it is not. For a start it is a slight deviant from the instructive tales that Josephine is known for, but it is not an adventure story (per the Moors series). It appeals to everyone, I mean who wouldnt like to win a pony?

But the slant which is more of a moral tale, which what happens when things go wrong? This book deals with it and the choices you have make.

It is not a bad book in general. It's certainly not the strongest, but it does appeal to a lot of people. It is certainly an enjoyable read, and is medium I feel. Not the best, but certainly not the worst of Josephine's books.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Suspicion Stalks The Moor

2008-04-06T15:19:00.001+01:00

Suspicion Stalks The Moor is the final book in the Moors series.

Like Mystery On the Moor, it is quite hard to find, though thankfully not as hard as the last book. It was first published in 1986, making it one of the last books that Josephine wrote, and also the last book she wrote in the 1980s.

It is illustrated by Glenn Steward.

The blurb reads:-

A horse is unloaded from a ship at dead of night. Sukey and her friends find the event suspicious in itself, but they also know that a famous stallion has been kidnapped and they decide to investigate further. Is it the missing stallion that the mysterious Mr Spalding is keeping at his farm? The impatient and impetuous Jess is quite convinced that this is so, but a sudden dramatic turn of events gives the children the chance to discover the truth at last.

Unlike the previous book, the Burnetts are not mentioned, in fact they seemed to be consigned to the dust bin, which leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Such as the fact that what happened to them, and what do the inhabitants do for a doctor?

Like Fear Treks the Moor, it begins with Mick (Mr Jackson), the pony-trekking centre's owner, having an accident. (Seems to be very prone to accidents.) Like Fear Treks the Moor, it also has the main characters helping. This is when they discover the hidden horse, which forms the basis of the story.

Again, like Mystery, if you get around the fact that the Burnetts are no longer around, it isnt that bad. The plot and general story is written better than Mystery, to me it flows better and makes more sense. There is a lot of little subplots and mini adventures in this book; I dont know if that is a good or bad thing. On one hand it is good because it does not make it boring, on the other hand it can get a little confusing. But aside from that, it is a decent enough story and it a good one.

Personally I do not think that this one and the previous book do not flow so well, the Burnetts being missing and the sudden change is a major bug bear for me. Maybe this is why it is so rare?

As a conclusion to a series, it leaves things hanging and it doesnt form a natural conclusion to the series. There is a decent enough end to the book, yes, but series no. I get the feeling that Josephine wanted to carry on, but sales didnt warrant her writing another.

Also, my apologies for the delay - time just slipped away!!

Review: JOSEPHINE - Mystery On The Moor

2008-03-16T12:09:00.001Z

Mystery On The Moor is the 6th book in the series, and is the hardest to find in the series, even out of all of Josephine's books. It was first published in 1984. It is illustrated by Chris Rothero.

The blurb reads:-

The fear of rabies haunts the moor when the vets' children, Chris and Sukey, meet their friends for the holidays, for several cases of the killer disease have been reported. The holidays are also overshadowed by disagreeable Mr Bates, who clearly wants no one near his establishment high on the moor. What is it he's hiding? And what is in the big boxes he carries to the deserted quarry?

As you may have guessed, the Burnetts which were a central part of the series (and probably due to it's success) are no longer here. The main focus is instead on Chris and Sukey, two characters we met in the previous book. However, the Hamiltons and the Jacksons are still there, which gives some sort of familiarity. The Burnetts are now confined to a short bit which reads:-

We turned right and passed Rosebank where the Burnetts live.

'Why did they all go away suddenly?' I asked, jogging alongside Huw.

'My mother said Dr Burnett was ill. Run down, she said, through constant overwork. He kept catching his patients' illnesses. He's a very obliging doctor, always rushing out in the middle of the night. Anyway, he's got to have a month's holiday so the whole family have gone to Italy.'

Incidentally, the sudden change of characters is not Josephine's fault, instead the publishers Hodder & Stoughton practically forced her to change them, as they felt the Burnetts were getting too old. This is not the first time that the publishers have interfered with the books: All Change/The Hidden Horse has had words omitted (depending on the publisher it varies) and Josephine was forbidden to publish any more Noel and Henry books after Pony Club Camp.

It is curious that Josephine chose to use rabies as a premise for this book, as in the UK we have had not had rabies since 1922 (however, the last human death was 1902), which was 2 years prior to her being born. I do think that foot and mouth disease may have been a better choice, as in 2007 we had it in the UK. The previous outbreak was in 2001 and prior to that 1967. Although Foot and Mouth disease does not affect horses, however they would have been told to keep off the moor to prevent spread of the disease.

Anyway, for me it is disappointing. The quality of the writing is equally high when compared to rest of the series; however the sudden change of characters kinda of disrupts the flow. I feel that had Josephine slowly worked the Burnett characters out during the book then maybe the book would have been better. I am sure that I am not the only person to feel that way, the extreme elusiveness of this book and the almost equally hard to find next book Suspicion Stalks the Moor proves something.

If you replaced the Chris and Sukey (why the foreign sounding girl's name I wonder? Maybe if the boy had been named something equally exotic then it wouldnt be so bad. They are brother and sister after all. It would have been better sounding if it was named Sarah or something like that. I am not xenophobic, just it kind of disrupts the flow, when all the other characters in the series have English sounding names).

haffyfan has another review of this book on here blog, which is here . (Word of warning: it does give the ending away) A bit I strongly disagree with is this bit:-

"Burnetts absence was due to their mother being ill and needing to recover in a warmer climate"

As per above statement it was their father, and anyway I got the impression it was a holiday to recover. If he had been at home he would have been strongly tempted to go and help people. Due to it being a remote community, then people would also be knocking on their door. Meaning that he had got no rest.

Next week: the final in the series, Suspicion Stalks The Moor.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Treasure On The Moor

2008-03-08T19:10:00.001Z

Treasure On The Moor is the 5th book in the Moors series. It is also the first book in the series not to have a dustjacket; instead the publishers decided on pictorial hardcovers. It was first published in 1982.

It is illustrated by Jon Davis.

The blurb reads:-

What has happened to the Kenny treasure? Is it hidden in the sunken wreck in Redbridge Estuary, or is it hidden somewhere on the Moor? Frances, Louise and the Hamilton boys soon get caught up in the excitement of a full-scale treasure hunt, accompanied by three new companions. What is finally discovered, however, surprises the whole group and brings much-needed help to some hard-pressed friends.

Felix, unlike the previous book, does appear and although not quite the same importance as before, it is nice to have him back, and in some ways he is quite important to the story.

There are some new characters: the children of a new vet, who have trouble with their new pony. It gives an new perspective to the story, and the naughtiness of the ponies certainly provides a rare humour.

Treasure on the Moor is not the best I feel out of the series. Although it is still high in quality, you get the feeling that it is all a bit "samey". Josephine is not as well known for her adventure type stories, and this is part of the reason why. It lacks the sparkle that made the early books so great.

Apologies

2008-03-02T21:13:00.000Z

No entry this week due to the fact it has been mother's day and my brother's birthday. So I have had less time to spend online than usual.

But rest assured that next weekend I will be doing Treasure On The Moor by Josephine.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Ghost Horse On the Moor

2008-02-24T12:02:00.001Z

Ghost Horse On the Moor is the 4th book in the "Moors" series. It was first published in 1980. It is illustrated by Eric Rowe.

The blurb (of the hb edition) reads:-

A distraught grey horse gallops across the Moor, fully bridled and with its saddle hanging loose. Who can it belong to? And why is it so terrified? Frances and her friends are determined to catch the runaway horse and solve the mystery, but Frances realises she can no longer rely on her close friend, Felix, to help her. For Felix has found a richer and more glamorous friend!

As stated, Felix is not as predominent as he was in the last couple of books. A new, rich character called Natasha turns up, and Felix spends most of his time with her.

The book is taken up with the search for this "ghost" horse and it turns out that it is real.

But the real fun is when they find out who the horse belongs to, and particularly who the owner is.

Like most of the series it has a twist. I find this the most enjoyable out of all the moor series of books, the fun starts with the pony. The pony adds dimension and reality to the series, and is a good plot for the book. The reason why she is so frightened is both sad and poignant. The reality of the owner, and how he is a threat.

The horse goes missing, and the bond shared between her and some people really grabs you, it is easy to see why it is one of the best in the series.

Jane is missing, but the series is so strong that you forget she existed, as the Burnetts are still about.

Again, the importance of the Burnetts father is emphasised in the story, and also the dangers of the moor if you don't know it.

A good strong book, possibly the strongest one in the series. The end isn't quite so cliché and is not disappointing.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Ride To The Rescue

2008-02-16T19:15:00.002Z

Ride To The Rescue is the 3rd title in the Moors series. It is also the only book in the series not to feature "Moor" in the title. It was first published in 1979.

It is illustrated by Elisabeth Grant.

The blurb reads:-

Old Mrs Hathaway, who lives in a lonely house on the Moor, is frightened. She is convinced that intruders break into her house during the night, yet her nephew scoffs at the idea and says she is senile. Frances and her friends, however, are not so sure, and are determined to solve the mystery. It seems at first as if Frances' new and high-spirited horse, Orlando, will be more of a hindrance than an asset, but Orlando's skittish behaviour in the end proves to a blessing in disguise!

As stated, Frances has a new mount; her previous mount Redwing, has gone to her younger sister Louisa. This is not the only change: Jane, a character in the previous two books, is no longer in it, as she has given up riding.

To me, this book is pleasant enough; but to me it reminds me a lot of a Pony Patrol book, which I cant place.

It also tells of life on the moors, how the Burnett's doctor has been a lifeblood to the community, how the ponies and riders are important to the moor.

But if you can ignore the Pony Patrol similarities, it is a lovely story, with a great mystery thrown in. For me, it is not as exciting or as mind grabbing as Fear Treks the Moor, but it still an excellent continuation of the series. Although Jane is missing, it doesn't impact on the series much, and you feel that you dont miss her that much.

There is a twist in the end, you dont expect it and in some ways, the ending is a bit funny. Not so much as cliché, but it is kinda expected. A good book nevertheless.

Finally!

2008-02-09T21:23:00.001Z

This week I received not so many pony books. But the ones I received were important.

The first one I recieved was the extremely rare, and set completer: Ponies To The Rescue by Gillian Baxter. It is part of the Magic and Moonshine series. There is not even a copy on abebooks at the moment. For some reason I keep on thinking I have read it before, but I never had any Magic and Moonshine books as a kid (I know I read Pantomime Ponies from the school library).

The second was even more important: Ponies In the Park by Christine. I know I havent read it, but since I had the other 2 in the series (Ponies In the Forest and Ponies In the Blizzard) it was important that I got it. So that means (with the exception of their anthologies) I have every single pony fictional work that all 3 sisters wrote. Which is quite an achievement. Ponies In the Park is signed by Christine: so that means I have signed works by all 3 sisters.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Fear Treks The Moor

2008-02-09T16:59:00.000Z

Fear Treks The Moor is the second book in the Moors series, having been first published in 1978. Like Star Riders, it continues the story of the characters we met in the previous book.

The blurb reads:-

A sequel to STAR-RIDERS OF THE MOOR.

Moorland farmer Mr Jackson has a tractor incident, so his family - Heather, Mick and Tracy - have to keep the pony-trekking business going somehow. Their friends all pitch in and help, and manage to keep the oddly assorted guests reasonably happy and safe - even though some of them can scarcely ride. But then they realise that the uppish and peculiar schoolboy 'N. Hutchinson', is genuinely in hiding from some sinister foreigners who call themselves his uncle. There are some really exciting moment, including a chase through a moorland bog and a nerve-racking night under the stars, and a final climax on the rocks.

A marvellous pony-riding story with a difference!

Well it is certainly different from Josephine's point of view. To me, this really reminds of (plot wise)Josephine's sister Christine's book, Ride by Night. In Ride By Night there is a trekking element and there is escaping from foreigners (these prove to be Rumanians in that case).

The book I feel has a slightly slow start, although the main part seem to be preparing for the new trekkers and meeting them. Nadeem aka N makes an appearance, and there are a couple more ponies at the pony trekking centre. The main characters haven't changed that much, save for a little older.

The story doesnt get going until they meet Nadeem's uncles and then the story really heats up. First of all they try to disguise him, and when it doesnt work more and more desperate measures.

I like this book, I am undecided whether or not it is my favourite out of the "Moors" series (Either this one or Ghost Horse On The Moor). Once it starts going, it really holds you, at times you are holding your breath. In some ways the plot is a bit watery thin, especially at the beginning, but the last half of the book more than makes up for it. If you can ignore the similarities between this one and Ride by Night that is.

In some ways, it is also weaker than the predecessor (Star Riders), but if you like the adventure type stories you wont be disappointed. The ending is pretty dramatic and makes an interesting conclusion.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Star-Riders Of the Moor/Star Riders

2008-02-02T16:28:00.002Z

Star-Riders of the Moor is this week's book. It is the start of Josephine's longest running series, which is most commonly referred to as the "Moors" series. This is due to the fact that all the books in the series (with the exception of one) have "Moors" in the title. It was first published in 1976.

It was republished in 1990 by J A Allen, who decided to rename it Star Riders. I have no idea why they chose to do that (they decided to do the same with Diana's Cassidy in Danger/This Pony Is Dangerous), perhaps it was due to the fact that they only decided to republish one out of the series.

The "Moors" series comprises of the following books: Star-Riders of the Moor, Fear Treks the Moor, Ride to the Rescue, Ghost Horse on the Moor, Treasure on the Moor, Mystery on the Moor and finally Suspicion Stalks the Moor.

I will be using the first edition, which is the one pictured above. The J A Allen edition of the book was revised a little; the differences are minor, so it doesnt matter so much which one you read. (There is also a paperback edition) The first edition is illustrated by Elisabeth Grant, these are missing from the re-named edition.

The blurb reads:

The Burnetts, the Mitchells and the Jacksons wanted to show the 'new' people all their favourite places for riding on the moor. They were annoyed to find strangers at Menacoell, an old shepherd's cottage, and full of plans for turning them out. The strangers turned out to be film-makers, however, who needed their help with pack ponies for a smuggling film. But was the film-making quite what it was made out to be?

Firstly, this is a complete departure from Josephine's usual style, as there is no instructional element to this story (or even this series). Her sister Christine was more famed for writing such books; nearly all her books follow the "adventure" element. I do like the "Moors" series the best though, with the exception of Mystery on the Moor and Suspicion Stalks the Moor (reason why covered a couple of weeks later).

The series focuses on the Burnetts mainly. There isnt a location listed: although there are many place names mentioned, but they are entirely fictional. To me the locations sound Cornish, and therefore the book is set in Cornwall. Josephine herself based the location on the time she ran a pony club in Bodmin Moor, so it makes sense it is in Cornwall.

The book begins with the Burnetts talking about the new neighbours and meeting up with them. It also introduces the Jacksons; people who in the end turn out to be a central role: their dad runs a trekking centre (to me it always seems on a shoe string: the fact the ponies are frequently sent out with bath mats under the saddle and rusty bits is a good example) which provides interesting pony characters, both in this book and later on in the series. The Jacksons also sell the ponies, which proves useful for Jane, as initially she is mountless.

As per the blurb, the adventure begins when Jane, the Burnetts, the Hamiltons and the Jacksons begin riding together, and discover Menacoell is being used. As it says in the blurb, the excitement begins when they discover the "film makers". Intially, they think it is great, but at the end, they discover something sinister going on. I wont spoil it for anyone.

It's one of those books you either love or hate: if you are the kind who loves Christine's adventure type books and have been put off by Josephine's "instructive" side of things, then you will love this.

However, if you like Josephine's instructive style, then this may not be for you. Either way it is a well written book and an excellent start to the series: it is easy to see why this was Josephine's most long running series.

It is interesting to see that Josephine is not merely confined to a specific type of horse book: there are more to her then writing instructional stuff.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Show Jumping Secret

2008-01-26T18:00:00.000Z

Show Jumping Secret is this week's book. It was first published in 1955.

When I first got this book, I thought "I know the story, the girl in the book, has a crashing fall and is forbidden to jump. She then learns to jump in secret, and in the end of the book, her parents find out and she wins some big competition. They (the parents) allow her to jump again".

But I was wrong. The blurb reads:-

THIS is a book for all those who long to have ponies of their own, as well as for those who have their own ponies and want to know how to make them jump.

Secret is a young, grey pony owned by a boy called Charles. Charles's great ambition is to win show jumping competitions. He schools himself and Secret, jumps at many different show, and gradually learns the finer points of horsemanship so that he is fit to compete with the best riders in the country.

Before the end of the season he comes triumphantly with one of the coveted Foxhunter Trophies.

Those who read his story may will learn enough about show jumping from it to enable them to ride as brilliantly as Charles, and to win rosettes as he did.

Firstly, whoever wrote the blurb did not pay attention to the entire book, as (and this is a bit of a spoiler) the question of whether or Charles did win a Foxhunter trophy is never resolved. The nearest he got was qualifying for Harringay, which presumably was a horse show, held at the former stadium (along the lines of White City stadium, which also held show jumping events). To me, looking at the picture on Wikipedia, the cover shows a image more in line with the White City stadium, which was operating at the same time as Harringay. (Also, they both did greyhound racing)

But anyway, the clue is there: this was not about a girl, but interestingly, the main character is about a boy. What the blurb fails to mention is that Charles is disabled in the leg due to a condition called polio. The idea of a "disabled" person in the horse world is later revisited in the Woodbury Pony Club series; this time David (a character in the Woodbury Pony Club series) is disabled due to a crashing horse fall. The change is to reflect the times, in the UK in 1988, fewer people contracted polio, due to vaccination. I myself, have never met anyone who has suffered from polio, and Europe has been polio free since 2002.

But in Charles' case his leg seems to be affected, something which can be a disadvantage in horse riding. He actually acquires Secret, in the middle of the book, when we first meet him, he is without a pony. Like Sara and Patrick in Prince Among Ponies, initially he has to rely on relatives ponies, and until he meets Claire at the local riding school, that is. Like the Merrimans in Patrick's Pony, they (his cousins) are taught badly, and because they initially teach him, he has an awful seat. Claire teaches him, and he gets better and so does his leg.

What else, is unusual about this book is that it is almost exclusively set in London; very few pony books are.

Besides which, it is a lovely story, though unusual. The sheer courage of David to overcome his disability is an added and (for the time) unusual bonus to the book, this book is one of my favourites. The instructional element which Josephine is famous for, is not forgotten in this book; it remains still there.

What makes it slightly unrealistic is that he experiences very little stigma; any disabled person can tell you that they experience some in their lives. He does experience problems with Secret due to a result of listening to his cousins: unlike Sara and Patrick in Prince Among Ponies who have relatively few.

Still a lovely book, although it may not appeal to everyone as it is male centred or those without any experience of polio.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Prince Among Ponies

2008-01-19T17:34:00.000Z

Prince Among Ponies is this week's book. It was first published in 1952.

The blurb reads:-

Adonis seemed to Sara and Patrick the most beautiful pony in the world, and they could scarcely believe it when the Merrimans told them he was vicious and not safe to ride. After watching the Merrimans other ponies, Patrick became convinced that Adonis' bad behaviour was only due to mishandling; and that when he and Sara heard that the pony might be shot they decided that it was up to them to prove their theory. Their main difficulty was that schooling must be carried out in secret, and arranging this was no easy matter. How they contrived to carry out their plan and with what astonishing results makes an exciting and immensely readable story, there is much valuable information to be gained from their experiences.

As per usual Josephine style, this pony book is rather instructive and has an unusual beginning.

Sara and Patrick live in London; their mother does not approve of riding and she tries desperately to cure them of the "horsey bug". She gives them "two dozen" riding lessons at a riding school run by someone called "Captain Stefinski" (referred to by Jane, one of the Merrimans as "Captain Stinky"). When this fails she tries (in no particular order) tennis lessons, squash lessons, dancing lessons and ice skating lessons. When this fails, and Patrick announces that he is going to spend his Christmas money on riding lessons. This does not work, and they are as Sara puts it "taken to nearly every Museum in London, and they all made my legs ache. When we weren't at museums we were at pantomimes, which we used to like when we were little, but which increasing old age made us hate."

They also are made to do cricket and eurhythmics.

This soon changes when their father announces that he has to go to Denmark, instead of their usual holiday destination, they go to their mother's old school friend and their house. As they live near somewhere that has lots of museums, their mother thinks that they will happy, instead upon discovering the whole summer that the Merrimans have lots of ponies, they go riding instead. It soon becomes quite obvious that Jane and Patrick/Sara have been taught differently, Jane sits badly according to them and kicks. When the ponies dont do what they do (having being used to the Merrimans' rough riding), they refuse. Jane calls them feeble, and frustrated they decide to ride with Gregory (another Merriman).

They ask about Adonis, one of the ponies, and is told that he is dangerous. Jane rode him, because the rest just hunt, and that she couldnt get him to jump. He also bucked. They think that it is because of Jane's riding and in secret, start to ride him.

The whole theme of this is that it does make a lot of difference where you are taught, even if you go to a riding school. There are bad BHS/ABRS approved riding schools and bad non approved schools, but there are good ones out there. I once went to a BHS and ABRS riding school once. I wont name it in case I am done for libel, but it was in Norfolk. Half the ponies were tied outside a building, no shelter from the rain and with chains. This was in summer; there was only 10 stables for 30 horses. I found it appalling that they had no shelter at all alongside that building as the majority were used for nearly every ride and that in my view, chains are not suitable things for tying ponies up (no string I may add). At least at all the non approved stables that I have been to had stables/stalls for the horses to rest in, and did not tie horses up with chains. In some ways the "approval" system is flawed, I had a look at their website and they are still BHS/ABRS approved. But anyway, that is all I am going to say on the subject, as this is not about how some standards of riding schools are crap.

Like I previously said, as per Josephine's style, this is wonderfully instructive. Perhaps not so emotionally charged and some books, but very appealing to most people. A good solid story, with lots of adventure to keep people entertained. At the end, it is quite a twist, and their mother relents in the middle, and buys them horse riding gear. Their father is not mentioned, so who knows what happened next??

Review: JOSEPHINE - Patrick's Pony

2008-01-12T19:43:00.001Z

Patrick's Pony is one of Josephine's hardest to find books. Although reprinted in paperback, this is very rarely seen, and the hard back edition is pretty rare too.

It was first published in 1956 and the picture to the left is of the hardback edition, which is illustrated by Geoffrey Whittam. He is most famous for (at least pony book wise) for the Jackie series, as he did the majority of that series' illustrations.

The blurb reads:-

Patrick was an orphan, and Taffy, his pony, was his dearest possession.

How to prove to his new parents that Taffy only needed food and kindness to make him a good little pony was a problem Patrick and Carol solved very happily.

An exciting warm-hearted pony story.

As a rule, I dont generally agree with things like "warm-hearted" and when I read the blurb for Diana's The Pennyfields which stated that the book was "a happy story, full of fun" I certainly didnt agree with that, this time it is an warm-hearted story. I dont know if exciting is the right word for it, but warm-hearted it is.

Anyway, Patrick having being brought up by an elderly grandfather who is lying ill in the hospital is carted off to a children's home, with his pony Taffy. Taffy lives next door in some rough paddock, due to poor fencing he has to be tied up and Patrick's enemy Brian threw stones at him. So he looks rough in general.

However, Patrick does the best for him, and one day he hears of a family who want to foster him. He agrees to come with them; they live on a farm, so he thinks Taffy will come along.

This book is more of a role reversal. Rather than usually the existing child (or children) being the problem, and the parents trying to get the child to settle down and making things easier, it is the other way around. Carol (the child) welcomes him with open arms, and the father is the one who does not want Taffy.

He (the father) does not want Taffy around, so Taffy is left in the children's home, and instead tries to get Patrick to bond with another pony called Rufus. At one point he is heard to be saying that the pony would be better off dead. In some way, he is very cruel, as Patrick's grandfather did not teach him to use a telephone (his grandfather couldnt "abide them"), Patrick makes a mess of phoning the vet. Instead of teaching him, he laughs at him.

But Carol and Patrick are determined that wont happen, and things happen. Like most pony books, the end is a bit cliché, you know that the pony isnt going to be dead after all.

But this book make you happy and in some ways, warm inside. Unlike Josephine's books, this deals very little with the schooling side of things, but more like Diana's, it is about human relationships.

It gives you a warm pleasant feeling inside this book. Even if you arent a kiddie who is interested in emotions and relationships, then it gives enough excitement to keep you reading. It is a shame that this is one of Josephine's hard to find books, as it deserves to be on more people's shelves.

Funnily enough it is dedicated to a "Phillip". As Christine had a son called Phillip, I wonder if it was written for him?

Review: JOSEPHINE - Pony Club Trek

2008-01-05T18:58:00.001Z

Pony Club Trek is the last book in the Woodbury Pony Club series.

It was first published in 1985, but the picture to the right shows the Dean compilation which was first published in 1994.

The blurb reads:-

The members of the Woodbury Pony club are busy preparing for a three-day trek over the beautiful, rolling Downs. Before they have gone too far disaster strikes, for Oliver falls off at the gallop, and Tiger escapes over the hill, reins and stirrups flying. But this is only the first of a series of incidents that lead to a dramatic struggle to save a pony's life.

As for illustrations, there is a quick map on the first page. This map is not credited and there are no more further illustrations.

A couple of things; not the entire pony club are going trekking over the Downs. Some minor characters are mentioned in the beginning, this focuses on the main characters.

Like Pony Club Challenge, there are changes afoot. Tina's and Sebastian's parents have now married, meaning that for once Tina's mother is not a single parent. Tina is now fully mounted; through a series of events that are mentioned in Pony Club Challenge, Sarah did not get on with Bowie and has a new pony called Sparkler.

The story begins with a lot of the members turning up for a rally, and practising for possible inclusion at the Horse of the Year Show held in (at the time) Wembley. As for various reasons (ponies too big is one, as James rides a 15.1hh gelding, his horse's height alone would automatically disqualify him, never mind the fact that smaller ponies are better for mounted games) some members prove unsuitable, David suggests that the others do a trek. So that leaves the main characters.

A lot of it is dealt with the practicalities of the trek; Harry's stepfather gets extremely involved as he sets clues for them to follow (a sort of treasure hunt) throughout the trek. Mrs Rooke is still favouring Sarah; as she is in the mounted games team, she joins them with her new pony Sparkler.

Aside from the treasure hunt side of things, there are plenty of thrills and spills galore. You do have to wonder why (apart from the evening) there was no adults in the actual trek; Diana's Ponies on The Trail deals with a similar theme (the only difference is that people are paying to go trekking) and there was an adult present. Ponies on the Trail was only written 7 years before.

It's nice to see the members outside the actual pony club setting, this feels like it is continuing on the teamwork theme of last week's book. The fact that they are spilt into 2 teams makes it interesting, and although the actual mounted games team is more competitive, it does actual make competitive spirit a sub plot to this book.

Although it stands out as a good book, and a good addition to the series, I dont feel that it makes a satisfactory ending. I feel that there was a lot more could have been done with the continuation of the series. Did Tina's mum and Seb's dad marriage last? Did Tina and Seb get on after a while? Did the Woodbury mounted games team reach Wembley? Did they have anything more to do with Cranford Vale? What happened after the trek? So many, many questions that have yet to be answered. (If anyone else has any theories, please let me know)

Personally, I am very disappointed with the ending. It's too abrupt and leaves a taste in your mouth. Not a nasty one, but you feel something is missing. Like a chocolate cake without any chocolate. That kinda thing.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Pony Club Challenge

2007-12-30T10:12:00.002Z

Pony Club Challenge is the next book in the Woodbury Pony club series.

It was first published in 1984, but the picture to the right shows the Dean compilation which was first published in 1994.

The blurb for this book reads:-

"We've been given a challenge," instructor David Lumley announced to the Woodbury Pony Club. "To take on the Cranford Vale in a tetrathlon - swimming, shooting, running and cross-country riding. Who wants to start training?" James, Alice, Harry and the other members can't wait to compete against the brilliant Cranford Vale team. But will they be able to get themselves and their ponies into shape in only three weeks?

As for illustrations, there is a quick map on the first page. This map is not credited and there are no more further illustrations.

The book differs a little from the previous book: Jennifer Blacker on Sea King has now left the Pony Club, and there is a new boy called Sebastion Fuller (referred to as Seb) with a pony called Jigsaw (a name all 3 sisters chose to use). Sarah, has an additional new pony; Bowie and as she already had a pony called Chess, that means Tina is mounted for the majority of this book.

Anyway, this is a good follow up to the previous book. Again, like Pony Club Cup, there is full of useful information and titbits about schooling weaved into the story. But as they are competing in the Tetrathlon, it also gives (to a certain extent) information about how much rider fitness is equally as important as horse fitness.

The book is full of thrills and spills, not just horse wise, but when there is a nasty incident with the guns used for the tetrathlon, which annoys the local stud owner immensely. But when the members help him, he soon changes his mind. A lot of it is dealt with fund raising: the only bit that dates it slightly is when it says "Everyone felt much more cheerful at the sight of pound notes", as in the UK, we don't use pound notes any more (they were withdrawn from circulation in 1988).

But to some extent this is more adventurous than the previous one and the one thing that shines through is teamwork. Teamwork in order to make themselves a decent team for the Tetrathlon, teamwork for the actual fund raising and teamwork for helping the local stud owner. Seb makes an good and interesting character, and is more predominant and all round good character than Jennifer Blacker.

Review: JOSEPHINE - Pony Club Cup

2007-12-22T18:56:00.001Z

Pony Club Cup is this week's book, and the first Josephine book on this blog.

It was first published in 1983, but the picture to the right shows the Dean compliation which was first published in 1994. The bad news is that for the next few weeks you will be seeing the same image, but fortunately each have their own blurb, which reads:-

The Woodbury Pony Club is not very successful. In fact it's the worst in the district. The neighbouring Cranford Vale team regard them as a joke. To make matters worse Woodbury are told they're getting a smashed up jockey as a new instructor. But they're in for a surprise. For under David Lumley's expert guidance the Woodbury members begin to work wonders with their atrocious ponies.

As for illustrations, there is a quick map on the first page. This map is not credited and there are no more further illustrations.

Just a quick note, which gets many people confused, this is a different Pony Club to the "Noel and Henry" one (also known as the West Barsetshire), and does not form part of the same series. The characters are completely different, though. (FYI, the "Noel and Henry" books are; Six Ponies, The Radney Riding Club, Pony Club Team, One Day Event and Pony Club Camp.)

I suspect this was a updated version of the Noel and Henry series, in a way this is a sign of a more modern times, and when injured (disabled) riders were more accepted outside the RDA. Although not as instructional as the Noel and Henry series (particularly Six Ponies), there is some useful riding tips in the books. I identify with them more than the Noel and Henry series, because this was exactly how I was taught, when I used to go riding in the riding school. Also, the introduction of Hanif (Harry) and his Asian mother is another sign; in the "Noel and Henry" series, the characters were white. The character of Tina, being a ponyless member, and frequently arrives dismounted, is another sign of the times; although Noel in Six Ponies did not have a pony of her own, she is introduced as being on a borrowed pony called Topsy, and is rarely (if ever seen) dismounted at a rally. Also, Tina's mother is single; this was never seen in the Noel and Henry series, as the main characters had both parents in a presumably, happy marriage to each other.

But dont let that fool you. It is a wonderfully good tale, with some fantastic incidents. I get the feeling that it is aimed at a slightly more younger age group than the Noel and Henry series, as the romance isnt quite so strong. It may not have the love and fan base as the Noel and Henry series, but something I feel isnt worth passing by. The combination of good turned bad, and how "disabled" people can change lives, given the right circumstances, and this makes a good, strong series. I like the fact that there are short character biographies, and the maps in the first page.

There is one slight bug bear though: Mrs Rooke. The comments are one thing that annoys me, and the way that she favours Sarah (her brilliant prizewinning daughter) is another. Sure Lesley (her other daughter) did not win as many rosettes, but she did turn out to have many other qualities otherwise. The comments are downright malicious; but I suppose Josephine put her there to give some perspective. Josephine herself was the Vis Commissioner and District Commissioner of a Pony Club, so I suspect Mrs Rooke was based on a real life person she knew.

All in all, like I said, a good solid firm start to a good series, although sadly not well thought of, as the Noel and Henry series.

Slightly OT: Primrose Cumming

2007-12-15T19:55:00.000Z

This week I received 2 new pony books, and for once they weren't actually P-T books. They were actually 2 Primrose Cumming books, they were the first edition of Foal of the Fjords and the Fidra Books edition of Silver Snaffles. This makes 3 Primrose Cumming books I now possess, the other one I have is her No Place For Ponies, a book I bought rather cheaply on ebay.

I must admit that I have not read her books before, No Place For Ponies is something that I have had on my bookshelf, but due to the nature of this blog, the P-T sisters must come first (after all how are you supposed to write a review of a book that I have never read?), but Primrose Cumming's books are something that I would love to collect. Alas, I dont think that I will ever get all of her books; Rivals to Silver Eagle and The Deep Sea Horse are so hard to find, and therefore cost a pretty penny (if I could find them).

Silver Snaffles is one that I took advantage of when Fidra were doing their "buy three books and receive a £5 discount". As I wanted to read this book, so much I bought it anyway, the price was (I suspect it has changed since this reprint came on the market) at least £50 on abebooks, which I did not want to pay. At a more modest price, at least if I did not like this, it wouldn't be too bad as having paid a higher sum.

Anyway, I picked this up last night (only just had it yesterday) to look at the book, and flick through the forward, which Jane Badger wrote. But I did not stop there. I read it in one whole sitting, a book which I have not done before (unless you count Christine P-T's Candy or Sophy series, but to be honest, they could be read in 5 minutes). Jane brilliantly observes that "Silver Snaffles still weaves its spell today", which is completely true. I fell in love with it, and it has been a long while since I thoroughly enjoyed a book.

Regarding Primrose herself, I am always utterly amused by this comment, every time I read it:-

Primrose herself was highly amused, one day in her later life, when her neighbour at a dinner party remarked, “I used to have a story called Silver Snaffles as a child, but I’m afraid I can’t remember who wrote it.” “Well, actually, I did,” confessed Primrose, whereupon her neighbour, she told me, almost fell off her chair.

I am not surprised the dinner guest was shocked, I would be too, if I found out that I was related to or sitting with a great pony author. The nearest I felt shock was when I received a letter from both Josephine and Diana earlier on this year, but it was a good one. I darent think what would happen if I found out I was related to them, but I fear I have more chance of winning the lottery than that happening.

But if you can, I do urge you to get Silver Snaffles. The price isn't that bad for the Fidra books reprint, and they are slowly being delivered out. Or, if you get some money for Christmas, then do that. To miss this book, I feel would be an injustice. I feel it is better written than Black Beauty.

Review: DIANA - The Long Ride Home

2007-12-15T18:20:00.003Z

The Long Ride Home is this week's book, and also the final Diana book we will be seeing for quite a considerable amount of time. I am aware that I have left out Black Princess, Black Romany and Black Piper, but I do plan to do all the "Black" books at the same time, by all 3 authors. It was first published in 1996, making it Diana's last book (both pony and non pony). It is not illustrated.

The blurb reads:-

"Call granny if something really awful happens and you need help" says Carey's mother. before leaving. "You can share Sandpiper with me," Carey tells Hannah. But Hannah hates riding and soon the cottage fills with her mysterious friends. Before long the medical problem, which has dogged Cary ever since an attack of meningitis, is being exploited by Hannah and her boyfriend Steve. Then her mobile phone, Carey's lifeline, disappears. Frightened, she leaves the Scottish island with Sandpiper and her collie, Tina, and sets out to ride to her Grandmother's cottage in Yorkshire.

This is the story of Carey's long and often terrifying ride with her two beloved and sometimes awkward animals, a story of treachery and pursuit with an surprising twist at the end.

To a certain extent, this is based on Diana's own long ride (for those of you who are unaware, she rode from Land's End to John O'Groats), however she does make an comment that this book is entirely fictitious, save for the warm hospitality that she received from the Scots. Whether that bit is true or not, I have never been to Scotland or have any Scottish relatives.

In some ways this is a more modern book than Diana's previous creations, the advent of the mobile phone is an obvious example, and the mentioning of the illness is another. Pony books dont generally mention the rider's illnesses, the nearest they get is an attack of the "needle" (whatever that may be; I suspect it is another way of saying nerves). Again Neighbours is a mention of another thing (the TV programme, not the people who live nearby), TV is rarely mentioned in pony books. Presumably, people in pony books are too busy having adventures to bother about things such as TV, or in the case of the early books, very few people had TV, because they were so darned expensive. I have heard countless tales of people in the 1950s having only one television in the street, and I suppose having 101 neighbours around (the real people this time) to watch your tv was guess tough luck if you wanted peace and quiet. Or if you didn't like your neighbours, I guess you had to be uber nice to them if you wanted to watch their TV.

Anyway, back to the book. The main part is given away in the blurb, and there is a lovely detail in the way she ends up. Her parents are away, so feeling downtrodden, she goes to her granny's on horseback. The people she meets on the way, and the threat is so real that she faces. It's like you are almost there. With some pony books you feel that it is unreal, that it could never happen, but this one, it definitely not like that.

The twist is suprising at the end and totally unexpected. I really like this book, and is of the same high quality standard that we expect of Diana. It should appeal to the masses, but it is not lost either. It's surprising that many people dont talk about this book, I feel it deserves better recognition than what it does.

Next week: a Josephine book.

Review: DIANA - Riding With The Lyntons

2007-12-08T16:59:00.000Z

Riding With The Lyntons is this week's book. It was first published in 1956, making it one of Diana's earlier books.

The blurb reads:-

Suddenly we heard blaring car horns and the screech of brakes. Then the two ponies came clattering towards us down the wrong side of the road. The oncoming car didn't have a chance. Tyres skidded on the wet surface, there was a shrill whinny and then a dreadful, sickening silence...

Lesley can hardly believe her luck when she moves to the country and makes friends with the horse-mad Lyntons. But then she's blamed for the accident that ruins it all...

In some ways this book reminds me of last week's book Horses At Home & Friends Must Part, which is not surprising, as that book was Diana's last publication prior to this one. I guess that theme must have been fresh in her mind.

Like most of Diana's books, this one does have a morbid side to it, and it is certainly the most morbid of hers. It's not a cosy read. But don't let that put you off reading it, it is certainly worth taking a look at. The Armada edition is the easier copy to find, but it's not the easiest of books. A quick note: any edition published after 1982 has been revised. That particular Armada edition shown above does have quite a few illustrations: illustrator is uncredited. However I strongly suspect that they are the original which makes them by Sheila Rose.

The main element to this book is stated by the blurb and unlike the other books, it is not worth me going over it, as the best bits are above. However, it is wonderfully descriptive, the whole book is told by Lesley's point of view on everything. However, unlike The Pennyfields it is not boring. I feel it is slow to start, but worth it.

There is one tiny point that annoys me greatly; in the beginning (before Lesley discovers the Lyntons) when Lesley complains that she is bored (naturally being in a new area she doesnt know anyone), her dad calls her "a wretched little socialite". I think that it is highly unfair, as she didnt ask for her to move, and secondly it is not her fault she doesnt knows anyone. Thirdly, I feel it is down right nasty for her parents to call her that, and could be bordering on emotional abuse (perhaps in the 1950s it was acceptable for parents to call you names) and fourthly, living in the country is not everyone's idea of brilliance. Some people hate living in the country.

Like the Boy and the Donkey I feel it is better appreciated from an adult's point of view rather than a child's, and certainly not every single child is not comfortable with the death. Even for me, it threw me a little. It is more of an examinations of friendships and relationships with people, but done in a lovely, if somewhat morbid way. Not the most appealing of books in the whole; but again, I feel it is one of Diana's best.

Next week is the final Diana review for quite a while: it is The Long Ride Home. Two weeks time should see the start of Josephine.

Review: DIANA - Horses At Home & Friends Must Part

2007-12-01T20:17:00.001Z

Horses At Home/Friends Must Part is this weeks book.

It is actually 2 short stories combined into one volume, I have never seen them printed separately. It was first published in 1954.

The first picture on the right is the first edition and the second picture to the right is an Collins Pony Library edition, but there is not a blurb on those. I like the Collins Pony Library editions, they seem to have nice illustrations on the cover. The first edition is illustrated by Sheila Rose, but the Collins Pony Library edition is not illustrated.

The blurb reads:-

When Nicholas's and Clare's aunt was suddenly rushed into hospitial, everyone wanted to know what was to happen to her two famous show jumpers.

Nicholas had a suggestion.

"But it would be so easy, and Aunt couldn't afford to pay all that money to have them kept in a livery stable. Please let us have them. Please. We'll be dreadfully careful."

Their mother wavered. "Alright then. I give up. We'll have them for a day or two and see how you get on." And the children set about making the HORSES AT HOME...........

Horses At Home is the first story: it tells the story of Nicholas and Clare's famous showjumping Aunt (called Gay), who due to an illness, means that they are left to care for them. They quite often find themselves out of control (overhorsed springs to mind here), which leads to some incidents. Fortunately nothing deadly serious happens, and they get their reward when Aunt Gay is much better. To me, this has elements of Pat Smythe's (the showjumper) real life, and to a certain extent her books, but it is still a lovely story.

Friends Must Part is the second: it tells about Andy and her relationship with her pony and the people who live across the road. She has a pony called Peppermint, but is later replaced with a pony called Gingersnap. Unfortunately when she goes to buy Gingersnap her sister, Brandysnap is for sale. The people across the road chose Brandysnap, when in reality Andy wanted her first. There is a feud over this, which isnt helped with the 2 ponies wanting to be with each other. Fortunately, this is solved towards the end of the book.

I personally think that Horses At Home is the better story: perhaps why this is first. But they are both great stories and one of the easiest to get into. It is a pleasant light book which should appeal to everyone: however being 2 short stories there are some bits missing, and could be better if it was 2 normal length books. Still this is one of my favourite Diana books.

Review: DIANA - Ponies In Peril

2007-11-24T17:23:00.000Z

Ponies in Peril is this week's book. It is also the final installment in the Sandy and Fergus series. It was first published in 1979.

The blurb reads:-

The six ponies stood under the trees, watching us warily.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" said Jake. "Terrible to think that they'll end up on someone's dinner table."

When Sandy and Fergie learn that the ponies are destined for slaughter, they are determined to save them. If only they can raise the money to buy them, they can break them in and sell them to good homes. But how will they find six hundred pounds in two weeks? It seems hopeless - the ponies are surely doomed...

Like the first one in the series, the horses are more of a subplot, this is about raising money and community spirit. However, unlike Ponies in the Valley the horses are more predominent, as obviously, the money is for the ponies. But that is one thing that only takes up a quarter of the book, as in all pony books, it is pretty obvious that in the end they get the ponies.

The trials and tribulations of the ponies, being broken in, takes up a good part of the book, and is an enjoyable read. Unlike most pony books, they dont keep them.

It is also quite unique is that all the sisters chose to use the same name for a pony. One of the ponies here is called Jigsaw. The name Jigsaw also appears in the following books by Josephine: Pony Club Challenge and Pony Club Trek. In Christine, the entire Black Pony Inn series features a Jigsaw, and also in the book Sundance Saves the Day. However, as Sundance Saves the Day is based on Julip horses, and the names were Julip's choosing and not Christine's.

As it is a final part of the series, I feel that it doesnt do it justice at the end. Although there is a satisfactory outcome to the end of the book, unlike the Pony Seekers series, there isnt a natural conclusion. I feel that Diana could have taken the series further, perhaps she got fed up of them or this one didnt sell as well?

A couple of changes afoot

2007-11-18T09:31:00.001Z

Regular viewers may notice that I have been tweaking around with the blog. A couple more pony blog related links have appeared and a couple of new sections.

I decided to put the labels side on it, as obviously, due to the fact the sheer number of books they wrote, that it will be very time consuming in 2 years time to go through the number of posts to find a review about The Boy and The Donkey (aka The Donkey Race) for example. This is particularly true for Christine, who as well as being the most prolific of the sisters, has written tons of books, and it is her that I am leaving last (as well as the fact that my want list is longer for Christine that Josephine).

Also, if like me, when you were first starting to collect the P-T books (or any pony books), you think from childhood you have finished the series and read them all, only to find that there are tons more. This is particularly true for me about the Jackie books, my mother very kindly bought me the Knight/Hodder editions of the early 1990s, and for some strange reason they only published 6 books. Not the first 6, but (apart from Jackie Won A Pony) a random 6. I was most annoyed to find out that there are indeed 16!! Fortunately, except for the elusive Jackie's Steeplechase Adventure I have them all, albeit different editions. So I have rectified this problem, as every single book that belongs to a "series", I have labelled with an appropriate tag. Sometimes, I have found, that it is not obvious a book is part of a series: a book title with the words Phantom Horse would be obvious, but until it is pointed out or you read it for yourself, you wouldnt know that Riders On The March and They Rode To Victory were the same series. So quickly someone can click on the series title and find out which book belong to the series.

Speaking of Christine, Jane Badger has finally finished her Christine section on her website, she has very kindly acknowledged me, both in the article and in her blog. She has kindly done a section on the Black Beauty's Family series of books, which is very useful, it does pose a headache trying to work out what story is in what book. If only Knight published them all separately, then it would make life easier. But, now, with the exception of Black Raven and the Witch, Black Piper and Black Pioneer, it's a case of finding the edition you like the best, if you dont have them already in your collection.

I had a very fruitful pony book week. I received in the post the following books:-

Little Black Pony by Christine Pullein-Thompson
The Horse Sale by Christine Pullein-Thompson
The Best Pony for Me! by Christine Pullein-Thompson
Black Beauty's Family 1 by Diana and Christine Pullein-Thompson
Six Ponies (Fidra books edition) by Josephine Pullein-Thompson
Fly By Night (Fidra books edition) by K M Peyton
The Ten Pound Pony by Veronica Westlake

The Horse Sale is the lovely Sheila Rose edition, which you can see on the right. As previously said I prefer illustrated over photographic covers, though as far as I am aware of, there are only 2 editions of this book (for some strange reason I keep on thinking there are 3), both with illustrated covers. But this one stood out for it's sheer simplicity. Some of the pony books out there with illustrated covers have such busy backgrounds that it takes it's beauty away. That is why I was particularly impressed with the cover for Veronica Westlake's The Ten Pound Pony (I dont have a scan of that), as it is done quite simply too. There are times when illustrators go over the top. Sadly, with the exception of Anne Bullen, the P-T books dont have the same illustrators consistently, and some of them range from the superb (Anne Bullen) to the lesser quality (Peter Clover, he did The Best Pony for Me). Sadly, Anne Bullen died in 1963, so it is understandable that she couldnt do them (considering the sisters last published a pony book less than 10 years ago) all.

I have also planned out roughly when I am doing each book, of course, this is subject to change, as (shock horror!) I dont have all the P-T pony books. If, for some reason, I dont have that particular book, then of course, I will have to move onto another P-T book. But never fear, they will get done eventually. Plus, I dont have a crystal ball, if some misfortune occurs and I cant get online, then of course, I cant update the blog. I am undecided (this is when it comes to Christine), to do some of the books together: such as the Candy series (Candy Goes to the Gymkhana and Candy Stops A Train) or the Sophy series (I Want That Pony!, The Best Pony For Me!, The Pony Test and The Pony Picnic) as they are meant for the younger age group than what the majority of Christine's books were for, and they only take about 5 mins to read, as obviously, they have less pages and bigger (typeface wise) words than compared to say, Phantom Horse. There's not much you can say without giving the story away on those. But I will do them, never fear!

I'll probably tweak it again in the future, I am undecided at the moment whether the Blog Archive should come before or after the profile.

If anyone else knows of a pony blog or a suitable pony book related link, please send it to me, and I will consider it.

Review: DIANA - Ponies On The Trail

2007-11-17T18:11:00.000Z

Ponies on the Trail is this week's book and is the continuation of the Sandy and Fergie series. It was first published in 1978 and like many books of the time, the first edition was a paperback. However, Severn House decided to republish it in hard back, and the photo (right) is the hardback edition.

The blurb reads:-

"An adventure holiday", said Jake. "That's what I've planned. And you two will help me run it. We'll take a dozen riders for six days, and provide them with a pony, food, equipment - the lot. And we'll sleep in old shepherds' huts up in the hills."

"Brilliant!" cried Fergie. "Mimosa and Silverstar will love it."

But the riders turn out to be a very odd bunch indeed - and Sandy and Fergie find themselves heading for a week full of mystery and excitement...

Unlike that week's (and the previous one in the series) book, this book has more of a horsey plot. As stated, the book is about them going off and doing an (give or take) week long trek. The overview is that they turn out to be beginners (with 2 exceptions), and of course beginners give any pony book author a fair more deal to write about than experienced people. In fact, this quote tells you a lot about the sort of people they were:-

The photograph showed a blonde girl with a slightly tip-tilted nose sitting on a beach in a bikini. Her skin was golden as honey and her eyes grape hyacinth blue. It was the sort of picture you might expect to find on the cover of the magazine.

"Crumbs!" cried Fergie. "She looks like Miss World."

Trust men to think of that. The mix of ages, also make it interesting, and a lot of the book is taken up with the dynamics of the group, which also an unusual angle for a pony book. But dont let that put you off.

It's full of thrills and spills. The descriptive style of Diana never makes it dull, where this could be. There's almost an adventure on every page. It doesn't have a big event, just the backdrop of the trek and lots of small ones. But they fit together beautifully.

Interestingly, very much like the book Cassidy In Danger/This Pony is Dangerous, there is a reference to a relative of theirs; May Wedderburn Cannan. May (Wedderburn) Cannan was their mother's sister, and curiously, Wedderburn is one of Josephine's middle names. May died some 5 years prior to this book being published.

A good continuation of the series, and although it isn't as solid is the Ponies in the Valley it is a worthy sequel. A book that doesn't come up as often as Diana's other books, but not a very expensive one.

Review: DIANA - Ponies In the Valley

2007-11-10T17:26:00.000Z

Ponies In the Valley is this week's book. It was first published in 1976, and is also part of a series. It is also the final series I have left to do, the other books I have left, which are 5 excluding this one, the vast majority are not part of a series.

Before you all moan, yes, I have discounted the "Black's". This is because when I got hold of my copy of Black Beauty's Family with the elusive Black Raven in, I also discovered there is another Black Beauty's relative story by Diana, which is entitled Black Piper. So because there were so many editions of Black Beauty's Family/Clan, and they were published under different names, I am making sure that there are no other "Black" stories hidden in the woodwork. But fear not, I am planning to do the "Black" stories at one point, it will all be together, at the same couple of weeks, that I will tackle the following books: It Began with Picotee, Fair Girls and Grey Horses and Pullein-Thompson Treasury Of Horse And Pony Stories. Before you all moan (again!) I know that Fair Girls and Grey Horses is a non fictional book, and this blog is about their (pony) fictional books. But, like their mother's books, I feel this has a valid place. It gives a fascinating insight into their childhood. I could prattle on about their autobiography, but before you know it, I might as well change the title, as I would have done a review. But back to this week's book.

The blurb reads:-

Do you know what's it like to long for a pony...?

Sandy had dreamed for years of her own grey mare. Then her parents decide to pack up their city lift and live on a farm - with stables! And when Fergus finds Mimosa at the horse sale, it seems as if all Sandy's dreams are coming true...

But Mimosa is uncontrollable - and if Sandy and Fergus cannot manage her, they will have to sell her. Why does she behave so badly? The answer comes as a complete shock...

And so does the dreadful discovery, one night, that the gates are open, and the field empty...

The "Sandy and Fergus" series of books is one that I enjoy, even more so than the Pony Seekers series. It tells of Sandy's desire to have one, their upheaval to the Welsh Marches (it doesnt given an exact area, but it does mention that is in the Wales border, and Shropshire isnt close by. As I am not that far from Shropshire myself, the area I live in is generally known as the Welsh Marches, though I suspect that they were based further south than I am), and their life.

It tells of how they adjusted from life in the city to life in the country. Not just them, but life as a whole. In some ways it is more realistic, though it doesnt have any tragedies. Anyone moving from the town to the country (and vice versa) can relate to that. How they struggle to fit in and finally be accepted by almost everyone.

There is a horsey element, like the blurb says. Mimosa (and the borrowed pony: Bourneville) are good solid equine characters, and unlike Diana's other books, there isnt really a horsey accident. In many ways, the getting of Mimosa, and the influence on their life is more of a subplot than anything else.

There are two interesting twists: horse wise and non horse wise, but there is enough to make everyone happy. A good solid book with an excellent start to the series. In fact I would say it is good enough to stand on it's own.

Review: DIANA - Cassidy In Danger/This Pony Is Dangerous

2007-11-03T18:04:00.001Z

Cassidy In Danger is this week's book. It was first published in 1979, but in the 1990s, J A Allen republished it as This Pony Is Dangerous.

The blurb reads:-

'Cassidy's vicious - he's a killer', they all said. 'He'll have to be destroyed.'

But left to her own devices for the holidays, Katie determines to save the beautiful bay pony. Can she succeed? And if she does, will she ever be able to make him safe to ride?

If anyone is unfamilar with the J A Allen editions of the P-T books, approximately 3/4ers of the back is taken with information about the author. Hence why it is so short. But it can be useful though, it wasnt until I got hold of a J A Allen edition that I found out that the P-T sisters had a brother, who is of course Denis Cannan. There is no mention of him on this edition though.

Dangerous ponies seem to be a thing that Diana likes: it is not the first time she had written about a supposedly dangerous pony. After all that is what A Pony To School is about.

The book starts with Katie, the main character of the story, being sent to her godmother's house and her joys of getting there. Interestingly, there is an reference to Georgette Heyer, a friend of her mother's.

Katie, after discovering that the local riding school charges £4 an hour for riding lessons (she was only left with £10) feels rather alone and that is when she discovers Cassidy. She also discovers later from her godmother why Cassidy is deemed dangerous, but like most books, it makes it sound like the previous rider's fault. Left to her own devices a lot, she makes friends with Cassidy, and ensures that he will be saved. Consequently, she spends her spare time with Cassidy, and meets a neighbour called Matthew (another reused name, it was in The Hermit's Horse there was a boy called Matthew). They become good friends, and makes a good additional character. She rides Cassidy, and tries to retrain him.

There is a time when Cassidy almost loses his life, but like all good books he gets saved. In some ways it has elements of Christine's Phantom Horse In Danger, but this book was published a year before Phantom Horse in Danger, so I guess it must be a twin thing. They say that twins are psychically linked after all.

Whether Cassidy continues to be dangerous or is really dangerous isnt really answered by the book, unlike A Pony To School the answer is never really given. It's up to the reader whether or not they want to believe it. But the main thing that Cassidy isnt put to his death, and presumably, he lives until an old age. Pony books never really deal with that.

It's a little bit dated that they refer to 1980s bands/artists. As J A Allen decided to revise this book, I feel that they should have re jigged a little bit by saying "the latest bands", or something along those lines. I feel that it isn't as strong as compared to A Pony To School on the dangerous front, but it's more appealing to today's people who are more used to being fed a diet of Heartland or similar junk. In some ways, this is better than A Pony To School. But it's more appealing to most people, and less old fashioned. But it is a good book, and not one that is hard to find.

Some P-T/blog related thoughts

2007-10-27T19:30:00.000+01:00

I have had some fruitful pony book parcels this week. I managed to acquire (many thanks to bevi who put me on the right track) the edition of the Black Beauty's Family which has that elusive Black Raven in.

Which got me thinking. As I was sitting on my bed last night, after helping Jane (of Jane Badger books) with her soon to be published Christine section, that how long it would take to get through every single P-T books I have (including those I have left on my wish list). So I started to write it all out. 104 books. Which means, that taking into account, that I am only doing one book a week, that it will take 2 years (since there are 52 weeks in a year). That is a long time, and I bet by the time it is finished, things will move on in my life. Of course, most of Christine's later books are for a younger age groups than most of hers, so that wont take as long to do, but it's one commitment. I just hope that I manage to find all the ones that are on my want list. I suspect that The Horse Sale will be the hardest, since I am after that lovely edition that Sheila Rose did the cover for (blue background), which is harder to find, than other edition of the same book. I must admit that I do prefer illustrated covers over photographic covers of books, illustrations seem timeless and have a certain charm. I had a look at my local county library's website, and they do have 20 P-T books, and fortunately one of them is on my want list, so hopefully I can request it if I am desperate (since it is not located at my local or the main library). Though sadly, with the exception of Fair Girls and Grey Horses, they do not have any of the author's adult titles.

I also managed to get hold of my last wanted Joanna Cannan book: They Bought Her A Pony. Which means now that I have all the Joanna Cannan pony books. I have not read any of her other non pony related titles, as again, like her daughter's adult works, my local library does not stock any (and there are none in the county, the nearest I got was May Cannan).

But it got me thinking: once about 2 years down the line: should I do Joanna? As it says on my first post, this is mainly about the P-T's. Sometimes, kind of like today, I will go off track and stray away from the P-T's but this will always be pony book related (and yes, shock horror!! I do have other pony books which arent by the sisters). But I think Joanna does have a rightful place here: if she was not born, then we would not have the P-T's. Also if it wasnt for Joanna encouraging them and the sisters seeing her writing throughout their childhood (had their mother been a housewife, then maybe we wouldnt have the lovely books we have today), then they would not have been tempted to start what is obviously a very successful and fruitful career, both for themselves and pony book sellers alike. I doubt that one pony book seller has not had at least 1 P-T book pass through their hands. I am sure Jane has plenty in her stock room!! Also, Vanessa at Fidra has definitely reprinted 2 of Joanna's works and Josephine's Six Ponies, if there wasnt a demand for P-T/Joanna Cannan books, then she wouldnt go down that route.

It als0 got me thinking: what is the most expensive pony fictional book (not just P-T books)? Previously, I would have said that Primrose Cumming's Silver Snaffles was the most expensive, being such a hard to find book in the first place, and definitely commanding a high price. However with the soon to be released Fidra books edition coming out, and for the maximum price of £15, I bet a lot of people will be going for that. Great if you are a buyer (myself included: I have ordered a copy), I suppose it is horrible if you are a bookseller. What was a nice little earner is probably sitting longer unsold than it did before, though there are some purists who want the original edition (and have the money for it!). I dont know the answer: the most I spent on a single book was £45 on an Caroline Akrill hb edition of I'd Rather Not Gallop (and it is signed to boot).

Anyway, here is my want list, if anyone is interested. I have not included titles which I have already and want to replace with certain editions, I'll leave that until later, as it is not something I am desperate for. If you have any of these, please let me know. Just one thing: I am not interested in hardback editions of books which are missing their dustjacket: I cant stand that. Though of course, if it is something with a pictorial cover (such as the Collins Pony Library series), I'll make an exception. Like I previously said, I prefer illustrated over photographic covers.

Josephine Pullein-Thompson

# Proud Riders
# Save The Ponies!

To make matters worse, there is an book also called Save The Ponies by Gillian Baxter as well as Josephine. They arent the same book: Gillian's was published in 1971, whereas Josephine's was published in 1983. You would think that the publishers would check there hasnt been a book with the same title, considering Gillian's was only published 12 years before. Anyway, I am definitely not after the Gillian Baxter edition.

Christine Pullein-Thompson

# A Pony In Distress
# Incredible Pony Tales
# Little Black Pony
# Magical Pony Tales
# Ponies In The Blizzard
# Ponies In The Forest
# Ponies In The Park
# The Best Pony For Me! (am now waiting for this one, but I dont count it being off the want list until it is physically in my hands)

Review: DIANA - A Pony Found

2007-10-27T16:55:00.002+01:00

A Pony Found is the last in the "Pony Seekers" series and was first published in 1983. It is not illustrated.

The blurb reads:-

Lynne, David and Briony Fletcher loved horses, and everything to do with them, more than anything else in the world. That was why they founded the Pony Seekers in the first place. But sometimes the best intentions in the world can't make things go right. In the first twelve months, when Briony was cheated by experienced dealers and Lynne's beloved pony, Candy, fell ill, it seemed that everything was going wrong. And then, a miracle - the Pony Seekers were offered a yard of stables by a wealthy local man, and it seemed that their problems would be solved.

But Lynne, David and Briony soon discovered that even miracles have snags.

First of all I totally disagree with that blurb and I dont think it is well written. Ironically, it comes from the same publisher as my copy (Sparrow) of The Pony Seekers and they clearly say on the back Lynne and David Fletcher saw a terrible summer looming ahead. There would be no riding because their parents could no longer afford to keep ponies for them. Hence why the Pony Seekers were founded, and partially because Briony wanted to have a horse career, but could not face training horses after a tragic accident. But I apologise if you havent read the other 2 stories, because now some of the best bits in the first book has now been revealed.

Anyway, like it said things dont go right. Mirabelle, the daughter of the owner of the stables is a complete and utter pain, basically, she expects them to do everything as they arent paying for the cost of the stables. Her ambition is to go to Wembley, and she sacrifices her ponies for that, expecting Briony to get her the best. Again, like the other two books they seem to leap from one disaster to the next, but things turn out. Interestingly, Fred's character is revealed, and although tactless, is not the blot he is made out to be.

But, things do work out in the end, although there is a little bit of sadness that the Pony Seekers are no more.

But still it is a fitting end to what is a good series. It should satisfy most readers, and it comes to the end of my review of the series. Next week, a new Diana book.

Review: DIANA - A Foal For Candy

2007-10-20T17:46:00.001+01:00

A Foal For Candy is the next instalment of the Pony Seekers series, first being published again like the previous book in 1981. It is not illustrated.

The blurb reads:-

'I reckon that cream mare is in foal.'

Fred's words rang in my ears as I walked down the lane. I dreamt of the beautiful foal that my favourite pony Candy would produce. Then a terrible thoughs crossed my mind. Perhaps we could not afford to keep a pony and foal through the winter months. It was more important than ever that my brother David and I should help to make the Pony Seekers agency a success...

As the title suggests, the storyline is obvious. (Candy is, btw, a pony, and not a person) But there is more going on than just the foal, and this follows the ups and downs of the pony selling business. They are still recovering from the illness that struck in the previous book The Pony Seekers and of course, Fred is seen as an unwelcome tactless blot in the storyline.

There is a good moral tale to this (seems to be a reoccurring theme in this series): always be aware when reading descriptions. As Candy is pregnant, they decide to buy a Dartmoor mare believed to be in foal to a famous stallion. Later that proves to be untrue, and that is when it is pointed out.

Unlike the previous book, there is a good fortune at the end, so it looks like things are going right for once.

I like this book, unlike some books, the sequel can be poor. But this one isnt, and again, appeals to most people. It has the usual flair and style we know of Diana, and if you like the first one in the series, then you will definitely like this one.

Review: DIANA - The Pony Seekers

2007-10-13T19:08:00.001+01:00

The Pony Seekers is one of Diana's last pony books, and is the last series she did. It was first published in 1981. It is not illustrated.

The blurb reads:-

The Pony Seekers Care. We will find you the ideal pony for your needs and also a new home for your old pony. Personal attention and expert advice. Contact: Briony Fletcher, Blackwood Farm, Dickensfield, Knitts End, Glos.

Lynne and David Fletcher saw a terrible summer looming ahead. There would be no riding because their parents could no longer afford to keep ponies for them. But the situation is saved when their elder sister Briony, a famous show jumper, decided to enlist their help to set up The Pony Seekers - an agency that guarantees to supply clients with ponies suited to their needs. All goes well with the first few ponies but then disaster strikes and Lynne and David realise that they must do something desperate if Briony's enterprise is not to be ruined...

This story (and series) is basically about pony dealing. Only Briony doesnt call herself a dealer because she is "rather more superior than that, more caring". It tells of fate and fortune, problems that dealers do to cover things up, and the hard way of things that go wrong.

It is a good book and a good series, but some degree of morality to the tale, that you should always get it vet checked. An illness sweeps the yard causes by one of the ponies harbouring it, and if a vet check did occur then may be it wouldn't have happened. It is a tale of family enterprise and one that is full of adventure. Not thrilling adventure, but still. There is a blot on the landscape with a neighbour called Fred, some of his remarks are so cutting you feel like hitting him.

I like this series of books, and it should appeal to most people. The Pony Seekers is a good start to it, and has the usual style that we are accustomed to of Diana.

Review: DIANA - The Hermit's Horse

2007-10-06T19:37:00.000+01:00

The Hermit's Horse is one of Diana's harder to find books, not being really republished, except for 10 years later. Again, it is another one which the first edition is a paperback. It was first published in 1974.

The blurb reads:-

Matthew and Sophie are forbidden to go near the neglected, ivy-clad old house. The hermit that lives there is said to be mad or dangerous. But the unexpected arrival of a big bay horse begins a strange friendship between the children and the man with the mysterious past.

New hopes and happiness grows, especially with their plans for the Frinkley Horse Show. Then suddenly violence and fear strike! Can the hermit ever find peace now? And what is he afraid of? Will Matthew and his horse ever be able to prove themselves...?

Unlike most pony books, the emphasis is mainly on Matthew, which obviously is a boy.

This book is big on misconceptions, it is turns out the hermit is anything but mad, he just wants to be left alone. I suppose to an outside world, the friendship seems weird, considering the age gap, and if this was a modern world, he would be labelled a paedophile or something, definitely regarded with suspicion. But it proves that the unlikeliest of friendship can grow, and the added adventure of there being a horse is the most common factor.

It is also a tale of horse rescue and rehabilitation, since the horse was a rescue one. In a way, it is a story about rehabilitation of people too, as the hermit doesnt deal with the outside world, and what happens when he does. It is a quiet story, and often overlooked, but one of the best, as the hermit's character is really defined. The cover I feel lets it down, but I think this is one of Diana's gems, which has less publicity and generally less well known than her other books. If you can, I think you should read it.

Oh and some news about my want list. I have only got 2, possibly 3, Josephine books left on it to get. I say 3, because there is some doubt about whether Black Raven does exist. Certainly there is no sign of it on abebooks. Copac and the British Library dont have it in their records, however they are sometimes inaccurate as I know of a Christine P-T book which does not appear on there. It's never shown up on ebay either. Whatever, it is mighty strange. So if anyone does have it, please post. My Christine want list is down to 9 books now. Though I have yet to read all my P-T books. So once Diana is done (which should be by the end of the year, unless something goes wrong), Josephine is next one of the P-T's to be tackled.

Review: DIANA - The Pennyfields

2007-09-29T13:47:00.000+01:00

The Pennyfields is a slightly bizarre book. First of all, like The Boy and The Donkey/The Donkey Race this should be an slightly OT topic, as unlike Diana's pony books, they do not a pony. However the Pennyfields (Pennyfield being the surname of the family) do have a donkey, so this could be classified as a pony book, rather than something like The Battle Of Clapham Common which is obviously not a pony book.

The blurb reads:-

"Gosh! The pig!" cries Marie, leaping to her feet.

In a moment they were on the pavement in time to see the fat white sow dash down a side street. They ran after her. The onlookers roared with laughter, and school boys whistled derisively.

Marie, a fast runner, soon gained on the pig. Jennet was laughting so much she could hardly run at all. She told Soloman to head it, and Soloman, mistaking her order, nipped the pig's heels, causing her to run the faster....

The Pennyfields is a happy story, full of good fun.

I am not sure I agree with the last comment. Of all the words, I dont think happy is the right thing for a book. As for full of good fun.....

The basis of the story is that the Pennyfields want a pony, a canoe and rather bizarrely, a shotgun (if they cant afford a horse). This story is basically an account of them trying to get hold of the money, as they are fed up of being poor.

Well to be honest, I found this book rather boring. It takes place during the Second World War (it was after the third time of reading about the Black Market I finally cottoned on), which accounts for them being poor. This is Diana's third book, being first published in 1949. Albeit rationing did carry on until the 1950s in the UK though. It is the first time that I struggled to finish a P-T book, and to date, the only one. The blurb doesnt help much either, and is to be honest, is one for the true fan of the P-T books. Thankfully it is not an expensive book on ebay.

The Pennyfields carry out all sorts of bizarre tasks to get their money, including cleaning windows, but in perspective, I suppose during WW2, the men who would normally do these kind of things would be in the trenches, or in P.O.W. camps. The only men around would be too old, or too injured to do these things. Though, why would you want to clean windows, when they were blacked out at night and you couldnt see much through them anyway, with all the safety tape on them should they be in an area where a bomb would have landed. In most cases the things that they would be doing, most children I suspect would do them without pay, as part of the "war effort".

Although there are a few incidents, there is nothing spectacular about this book, it is not one that grabs you and unlike the pony books, isnt very interesting for any child. This is the first time I am struggling to say anything about this book. In the end, they do get the pony, though it is unclear (thankfully) whether or not they get the shotgun. Like I said, this is one for the true P-T fan.

Review: DIANA - Only A Pony

2007-09-29T12:47:00.001+01:00

Only A Pony is the final book in the Augusta/Christina series. Interestingly, this is published much later than the earlier series, and like most of the P-T's later books, the first edition is a paperback. I Wanted a Pony was first published in 1946, Three Ponies and Shannan was published in 1947 and A Pony To School was first published in 1950. It is rather strange to think that Only A Pony was first published in 1980, some 30 years after the last offering. Perhaps Armada put pressure on Diana to come up with an new pony book (as apart from the Pony Seekers series, and The Long Ride Home) this was one of the last books she wrote. Or maybe Diana had some fondness for Christina and Augusta, and wanted to, albeit briefly, revive them? Maybe more was planned but as the gap had been so long between the rest of the series that people didnt share the same fondness for them and this was not the same success commercially as the previous books?

Maybe also it is a P-T trait (or even a twin trait), there is a gap of 15 years between Christine's Phantom Horse and the subsequent book in the series Phantom Horse Comes Home? Josephine did not suffer from that trait, although in her series there are a couple of gaps, nothing as long as those two.

This book is not illustrated.

The blurb reads:-

"Who's there?" cried Christina.

Moonlight shone through the stable window, Lucifer gave a low growl and, trembling, I raised the poker. Then our hearts missed a beat. Staring at us with an expression of interest was a small roan pony.

Also hidden in the stable is Nico, a young boy who has run away from home to save his pony from a cruel horse dealer. Augusta and Christina agree to help him, but soon find themselves on the wrong side of the law, and heading for danger...

The book begins with Christina and Augusta being left alone, with the exception of Mignon, a sort of French help. However Mignon leaves them, which means that they are totally left alone. But that does not bother them, as they can cook on their own (Christina being the kind of person she was in Three Ponies and Shannan meant that she never had too cook). Why some people should not be able to cook their own stuff, in the 1980s I do not know, as unlike the late 1940s/1950s, servants are less commonplace. Also, the illogical time gap means that Lucifier, Christina, Augusta, Daybreak and Serenade havent aged, and certainly the animals would be dead by then (or the ponies extremely old!). Maybe this was supposed to take place in the early 1950s, but there is no setting (time wise) given in this book. But we'll ignore that. It is during their time alone that they discover Nico and his pony, who is called Rainbow.

It turns out that like the pony in the previous book, Rainbow needs reschooling and is being threatened with being sold by Nico's father, so to avoid this fate (Christina and Augusta boast of being able to reschool problem ponies), they agree to hide this pony. However he is later found, and there is a nasty incident involving a tower, and Nico behaves like a wild animal, frightened to get caught, because of what would happen to Rainbow.

But things, like most pony books do work out. There is a brief revisit to Augusta by her cousins and her aunt, who we first met in I Wanted a Pony. Although her cousins treat her with some disgust, there is a much better atmosphere and slightly friendlier attitude than the last time we met them.

All in all it is a enjoyable book. To me, it does not have the same charm as the earlier books in the series but still, that could be due to the gap between them. It is probably the easiest to get into, and one of the better ones. This should appeal to most people, though with the addition of Nico, there is an element of it being "of the times", when books in the 1980s were watered down, and with the exception of the P-T's, being poor quality. But it should appeal to most people anyway.

Review: DIANA - A Pony To School

2007-09-22T18:12:00.003+01:00

A Pony To School is the continuation of the Augusta/Christina series, and is the third. I am not sure what colour Clown (the pony referred to the title), is as in my copy (an 1978 Armada edition) he is clearly pictured and described as being skewbald, but in earlier editions he is a grey. Whether the previous editions are wrong, or Armada (in some fit of insanity) changed the original colour of the pony, I do not know. Having only had this edition in my fair hands, I cannot confirm or deny this. But now, just having seen another edition (published by Severn House), which shows a brown pony on the cover, I strongly suspect that somewhere down the line the colour has been changed.

The blurb reads (taken from the Armada edition on the right):-

As we rode home, I thought of how Clown had cowered in fear when Ted Dunn had finally managed to catch him. I wondered if Christina and I would ever turn him into a well-schooled pony. Then suddenly I was determined to succeed at all costs, not because he was beautiful, but because I never wanted him to look so miserable and frightened again.

Then Augusta and Christina discover that the skewbald pony is a rearer - and if they cant cure him of his dreadful habit he will have to be destroyed...

The original book (illustrated cover) is illustrated by Anne Bullen. However the later edition (the one with the photographic cover) is not illustrated.

Admittedly this book is balanced a bit more in favour towards Augusta than the previous series (and last week's) title Three Ponies and Shannan since this book is told by either Christina or Augusta, every other chapter is by one of the two. Interestingly, this is a similar style that is used in Diana's joint work Fair Girls and Grey Horses, but still, you cant help feeling that the emphasis is put more on Christina.

Christina is a more nicer and rounded character than the spoilt person she was in Three Ponies and Shannan, but this book does have a lot of an element of fantasy about it. With most of Diana's books, you can imagine that the events which do happen in them could have happened in the 40s, 50s etc (or whenever the book was set), but to give 2 young people, an rearer is not at all wise. As the sisters admitted in Fair Girls and Grey Horses, they learnt to automatically reject and definitely steer clear of rearers. Secondly, most rearers cannot be cured, unless you are fortunate enough to have one that was caused by a simple case of a badly fitting saddle (and are wise enough to sort out a proper fitting saddle). I am not talking about horses that have reared once because of genuine fright or ones that have been trained to do so on command. Clown is also a 5 year old, which is even more deadly. Even more, when Ted Duanne (Clown's owner) got them to take on the pony, he "neglected" to mention that he was a rearer.

Still there is a nice reference to a book called Equitation, which presumably is a reference to Henry Wynmalen’s Equitation, a book which heavily influenced all three sisters.

It is a good book, which seems to urging on the moral high ground that if something goes wrong with a young pony, it is best to start reschooling straight away. Which is what they do. The story is basically an account of what happens when they start reschooling, and the incidents which happen when Clown is ridden. However, they do start to discover the cause of Clown's rearing, which again, makes a good moral for this story, that a good rider/owner should always check if there is a cause for a pony's misbehaviour, too many riders say "the pony is a bad one", when a vet/saddler check or a course of lessons could stop it. Thankfully this book has a happy ending, and obviously the pony does not rear. There is a tragedy in the story though.

Incidentally, the subject of dangerous ponies is not a subject not forgotten about - the book Cassidy in Danger/This Pony is Dangerous is about a potentially dangerous pony too. I wonder if in Diana's pony schooling life, she always took on the "dangerous" ones?

I feel that this book is the second best (or even the best) out of the series, as it is a lighter and better tone (not to mention better written) than the others. If you can sit through Three Ponies and Shannan without giving up, then I can guarantee you will enjoy this one more. I also feel that this is one of the better Diana books too. The final one in the series is Only A Pony, which I will be covering next week. I will also be doing an extra review next week too, the book to be decided.

Review: DIANA - Three Ponies and Shannan

2007-09-16T10:26:00.001+01:00

Three Ponies and Shannan is the sequel to last week's book: I Wanted A Pony. Unlike I Wanted A Pony, this focuses on Christina, who through a Pony Club camp, meets Augusta, the star of the previous book. Unfortunately, for some reason, that is the tone of the rest of the series (A Pony To School and Only A Pony). I have no idea why Diana chose to take that route, as now Augusta is resigned to be a secondary character (if somewhat minor) now. You could easily be forgiven for thinking that it is not in the same series as I Wanted A Pony.

This edition is not illustrated.

The blurb reads:-

LIFE SAVER...

The barn looked romantic in the moonlight and the ponies seemed to be pleased to see me...but my knees knocked, my hands shook. Filled with despair, I crept forward. Did a drowned boy await me? As I gazed into the dark depths of the well, I could see no red hair, no grasping hand, nothing but the bubbles on the water...

Then suddenly there was a splash, and Terence appeared, desperately trying to keep himself afloat. His face was not deadly pale like those of drowning people described in books, but he appeared frantic and struck out widely with his arms, crying: "Help me. Quick, help me!"

Discounting the lack of Augusta, this makes an interesting story. Christina is obviously a rich girl, and in some ways, rather like Augusta's cousins. Her life is involved with nothing but shows, but to me, she seems richer than Augusta's cousins, having a butler (apart from a groom, Augusta's cousins have only a maid) as well as groom. There is talk of Lobster , which even in these days, are not cheap. Through a series of events, she managed to get a dog (that is where the Shannan bit comes from), though she has the three ponies already.

The book goes along quite nicely and nothing extraordinary happens (unless you count the incidents with Shannan, which make pleasant reading), until the camp. Apart from the aforementioned meeting of Augusta, she is forced, through Shannan's adventures to change herself (even falling into a pond at one point, and later, saving Terence), as previously she had been incredibly spoilt, not daring to look after the ponies herself (which is what the other characters of the story do). Her parents do spoil her, so much so, that she hadnt got to think for herself - even to the point it was a sin to get muddy. The gymkhana at the end makes a good end to the story.

It is a easy book to get into, and not too heavy going, unlike some of Diana's, but still for me, the shift of focus in the rest of the series onto Christina rather than Augusta, is somewhat of an annoyance. If this had been a focus on Christina, and the rest of the series had been equally on both of them (since Augusta turns out to be pretty important), then it could be forgiven.

Review: DIANA - I Wanted A Pony

2007-09-09T09:00:00.003+01:00

I Wanted a Pony is the book I have chosen for this week.

It has a special place in my heart. Not only because this is Diana's first ever book on her own (it was published in 1946 - the same year as her joint work It Began with Picotee), but it was also my first Diana book. This edition dates from the 1970s, but it was bought second hand in the early-mid 1990s ( where I bought it from closed down in 1997). The original price is 20p, but I paid 40p (the price tag is still written inside). Also, this is the first book she wrote which is part of a series (the others being Three Ponies and Shannan, A Pony To School and Only A Pony). I will cover the rest of the series over the next few weeks.

Besides, at one point, we all can relate to the title, I am sure that 99% (if not all) of my readers are pony mad (is it possible to love pony books and not like ponies?) and of course, we wanted a pony at one point. Some of us are still waiting, whereas for some of it did come true.

This edition is illustrated, but the illustrator is not credited. However they do look like they are the same illustrations as in the first edition, which are by Anne Bullen.

The blurb on the back reads:-

"Dear Augusta - I shall be very greatful if you will accept this small present in return for so gallantly saving my farm from being destroyed....."

Fifteen pounds all for herself. Augusta cant believe her luck. Now she would be able to have her dearest wish - a pony of her own. Her three cousins, who think they are such marvellous riders, laugh at Augusta and her little grey pony. But she works hard at schooling him in preparation for the Stokely Show; and even though her cousins are very discouraging she has a surprise in store for them, for Augusta and Daybreak start winning prizes of their own.

If you can get past the fact that you can no longer buy a pony for £15, then this makes an interesting book and one I enjoy. I like the fact that it is told from Augusta's point of view, and the sheer bad manners (I get the feeling they never wanted her to live at their house) that her cousins show makes a good background for the story. They live in a place called Fledgewood, which is in Flintshire, which bears a bit of truth. As all of the PT's books are based in the UK (most of them England, though there are a couple of them in Scotland), there is a case of there being a real life Flintshire, whereas all the places they mention are completely fictional. I wonder if Diana knew that (and Christine, as one of her books also mentions a Flintshire too)? (I live in the county bordering the real life Flintshire by the way, and used to live 2 miles from the border.) Only in the real life Flintshire, there certainly isnt a Fledgewood (as mentioned in my first post, I am in North East Wales, and 99% of the places have Welsh names). Anyway, her cousins life revolves around shows, and one of them, Jill, even gets a showjumper in the book. The consequences of what happens when Jill tries out a potential purchase, Topper is a great addition to the book.

Anyway, her cousin, though not nasty, leave Augusta on her own, as there is no suitable pony for her (the last time they saw her riding was not successful, so they do not trust her with any of their ponies. However, as Augusta admits, she did improve after that, so she would have probably ok on their ponies), so at one point, she does a walk after her own, and this in turn, causes her to discover the fire, which leads to the fifteen pounds. As obviously the fifteen pounds let her buy the pony (though she did have to make a few personal sacrifices herself) that is how she got Daybreak (without her aunt's or cousin's knowledge). Although Augusta does have a few problems with Daybreak, these are soon sorted out, and you can tell she had fun.

It is good that she could prove to her cousins that she can ride and win rosettes, though how she got one of them would probably be banned today, in this modern health and safety mad world. Her cousins attitudes changes too at the end, though we will never know how much, as unfortunately her cousins do not feature in subsequent books in this series. All in all, a good book.

Review: DIANA - Janet Must Ride

2007-09-01T22:18:00.002+01:00

Thankfully this is the last of the complaints about the people who have installed the central heating. They came on Tuesday, and finished on Wednesday. Everything is now put away, except for the books. A lot of the walls they had touched had rather dirty and my nice wall where the bookshelves were, was instead of being a nice "country cream", was a rather dirty colour. So consequently that wall had to be repainted, along with a few odd patches in other rooms. I am just waiting for the second coat to dry before I put the books back. Although for some reasons, they did steal a lightbulb from the hall (why I ask? A lightbulb isnt expensive. I mean, you can buy a couple from the poundshop and that particular one wasnt an expensive energy efficient one - though I do have those in my flat - it cost me 98p for a pack of two from Tescos). So once again, a random choosing.

Janet Must Ride is one of Diana's earliest ones, published in 1953. The blurb reads (taken from the picture with the photographic cover):-

A girl groom has a wonderful job.........

But Janet sometimes wondered whether she would be anything more than a dreary, horsy person, remaining a groom all her life, and never achieving her ambition to become a champion rider.

Then the accident happens, just before the Big Event. Miriam is injured - and Corrymeela riderless. The cry goes up "Janet must ride!"

"For a moment I sat quite still picturing myself in the dressage arena. Would I ride well enough to satisfy Major Fuller? Worst of all, would I let down the family, or their beautiful mare, Corrymeela...?"

Ironically, Corrymeela (albeit with a slight difference in the number of r's used) is a reused name, the same name is used in her collaboration with her sisters, in her first book, It Began with Picotee. I wonder if the sisters chose a name each, or left the name picking to Diana?

The photographic edition is not illustrated, however the first edition (the one with an illustrated cover) is illustrated by Mary Gernat.

But putting that aside, again, I feel that this is an ok effort. I have no particular dislike or like for the book, it is a tale of Janet doing hard work. I feel that Janet is being unrealistic, very few grooms these days actually dream of becoming riders in their own right, but many do want to work for the top class of their field, whether it be the showjumping, eventing, dressage, or showing sphere of the equestrienne field. Even if grooms do dream, there is certainly the wrong way to do it. But this book could be a product of it's time, maybe things were different then? I dont know. I'll leave that up to the reader.

But this tale makes an interesting read, and apart from a few odd details, it is still got the same charm as it did when it was first published. It's fairly easy to get into, unlike some of Diana's other pony books (particularly the early years). The plot is good, and the blurb gives it away what happens, but it leaves a surprising twist at the end. An interesting and good read all the same, particularly if you like the kind of books that involve people that work for a living with horses, instead of it being handed to them on a silver platter.

Review: DIANA - A Pony For Sale

2007-08-25T17:38:00.006+01:00

I must admit that there was no logic to choosing this book. This week I have been contending with some stupid, no rather incompetent, people who have been installing a new central heating system. Despite being told that it would take 3 days (Thursday was the day it was due to be finished), I am still sitting here with unfinished work. Thankfully I did not pay for the work (nor the system) otherwise I would be asking for some of my money back. Not to mention the toilet seat being broken in the process and my indoors only cat being let out numerous times. Anyway the consequence of all this work meant that I had to put all the books away (during which a hard back book fell on my head from the top shelf. It hurt - I blame the horses in the book!) and so I grabbed any Diana book so I could write a review.

The blurb reads (taken from the one with the photographic cover):-

"Steady, steady," I whispered, but Martini book into a canter. And then a terrible thing happened; a dog ran out of some bushes, sending Martini into a frenzy of fear. She plunged forward, snatching wildly at the reins and throwing me onto her neck. I grabbed the mane as she broke into a gallop. "Please stop. Please, Martini. Whoa, whoa, steady," I pleaded.

But it was no use. I was being run away with, and there was absolutely nothing I could do....

The photographic edition is not illustrated. However the first edition (illustrated cover) is illustrated by Sheila Rose.

A Pony for Sale is one that I quite enjoy. It is an interesting tale about a pony and the 4 riders she endures (written from the rider's point of view). Interestingly for the PT's her first rider is a male, something that is not common in many pony books. Like most ponies in life, the riders are good and bad, but it shows you the importance of never selling a pony to someone you have doubts about. There isnt any incidences of starvation, but one owner is rather succumbed to rapping her.

All in all it is an very good book, the issues raised in this one are still relevant today as it was in 1951 (when this book was originally published), and it hasnt lost it's charm. Although thankfully rapping is not as commonplace, but it does raise awareness about how the nicest and best schooled of ponies can fall into the wrong hands.

Also, thanks to everyone who has emailed me about comments re:my blog.

Review: DIANA - The Boy and The Donkey/The Donkey Race

2007-08-18T18:51:00.003+01:00

So it comes to my first review. I thought I would choose Diana first as I have all of Diana's whereas I still (discounting the ones I want to replace with certain editions etc) have both Josephine's and Christine's books on my want list.

The Donkey Race (originally published as "The Boy and The Donkey") is the one I have chosen. My own personal copy and the bit on the back (is there a technical term for it?) is taken from the Armada retitled edition and as follows:-

"Duggie's adventures begin on the day when he meets Old Jock, the rag-and-bone man, and Tammy, his small grey donkey. When Jock becomes ill, Duggie finds himself looking after Tammy and driving him through the streets of London.

Then Duggie hears about the Donkey Derby, a race that is held every summer, and his one ambition is to enter the Derby with Tammy - and win"

Both editions are illustrated by Shirley Hughes

As obvious from the title, it isnt an pony book and this should be an slightly OT post, as it is about a donkey. But we'll ignore that for now. Personally speaking, this is one of my favourites, though I suspect that it didnt sell well as Diana's pony books. Perhaps why in 1970 when Armada took it on (this is when my copy dates from) they decided to "jazz" it up a little by rearranging the title. The book dates from 1958, and I feel it is a near true portrait of life in those times. There isnt a specific area given in the book, but I feel it must have been a poor one, bordering on the affluent areas (Kensington High Street is named quite early on, and the Rotten Row in Hyde Park gets a mention later on). Duggie's mum doesn't seem to have much money, let alone time for her children, as Duggie is forever being made to get to the shops, and his dad is always on the railways. It is a hard book to get hold into if you are 11 years old, I suppose, and rather boring, if you cant get around to that mind set long before there was danger lurking around the corner, worries about children being left alone (though there are complaints when Duggie and Pete - Pete being his friend - take on the round when Old Jock becomes ill) and people werent bothered about paedophiles and it was safe to leave your door unlocked. The only real danger to Duggie is the Smithfield gang (a sort of young Kray Brothers), who at one point, stone the donkey and later steal money off him (the money belonged to Old Jock).

But the intensity and emotion felt for Tammy the donkey, and the relationship with Old Jock is a steady and good key plot through out the whole of the book. There is a lot of sadness, especially at the end, but unlike her other books there is no "thrill a minute". If you can get past that, it makes an outstanding book. The actual Donkey Derby is a secondary feature to that book, the only thing that comes near to an "adventure", which other pony (and donkey I suppose) books have. I think although this is better appreciated from an adult's point of view than a child's as in some places it is too adult for today's modern pony book tastes, and it is quite dark even for the PT's. But still the quality for me, makes it my favourite book.

Introduction

2007-08-10T21:17:00.000+01:00

The whole point of this blog is to discuss every single pony fictional book that the Pullein-Thompsons wrote. Eventually I hope to have a website.

If you are unsure who the Pullein-Thompsons are: check out the Wikipedia article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullein-Thompson_sisters

I am a greatest fan of the sisters, in fact I own all of Diana's pony fictional books, and as of now, missing 8 from Josephine and 12 (one of those I am waiting for) of Christine's. My actual want list is slightly bit longer, but that is because I want to replace some of mine with certain editions, so that they fit nicer with the shelf.

Occasionally I will write about other authors that are on my bookshelf, but it will be always about pony books.

Now for about me. I am 26 year old female, living in North East Wales (that is in the UK). I collect pony books, the only non horse/pony related books are about Rhyl, and the Harry Potter series. Oh and I have the Kim and Aggie's Book on Household Management, but that was given to me last Christmas. I started reading all my pony books last December, and so far I havent finished them!! I have a fair way to go, the books take up 4 shelves, and I have only done one!! I havent finished all the PT's (Pullein-Thompson's), but I have 4 to go (excluding any new ones I get). Though I have taken a break to finish the last HP book.

I dont work for a publishing company (or any book related company), so any opinions are purely my own. I welcome comments, as I know that there is a lot of pony book collectors like myself.

I also collect other pony related items, I will leave that for another post.