Horses

In Kate Beaton’s The Princess and the Pony (Arthur A. Levine, 2015), Princess Pinecone want a warrior horse for her birthday. What she gets is…a pony. For ages 4-8.

In Patricia Polacco’s autobiographical picture book Mrs. Mack (Puffin, 2001), the flannel-shirted Mrs. Mack is teaching ten-year-old Patricia to ride. Patricia is anxious to ride Penny, a beautiful chestnut mare, but she’s simply not ready yet. The book is a helpful lesson for hopeful young riders, emphasizing that it takes work, patience, and dedication to attain a goal. For ages 4-8.

Vivian French’s Hello, Horse (Candlewick, 2018) is a lovely picture-book introduction to horses. (Want to know how to feed a horse a carrot?) For beginning riders ages 5-8.

By Robyn Smith, Horse Life: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Riding Horses for Kids (Rockridge Press, 2020) is an excellent guide to horses and equine care for beginners. All the basics, including safety practices and hints for picking your own perfect horse. For ages 8-12.

Cherry Hill’s Horse Care for Kids (Storey Publishing, 2002) is a terrific illustrated guide for beginners, variously covering “Finding the Right Horse,” “Horse Safety,” “Feeding and Nutrition,” “Grooming and Bathing,” “Shelter and Pasture,” and “Health Care.” Readers, for example, discover the difference between “dapple gray” and “strawberry roan;” find out how to measure a horse in hands and weigh a horse using a measuring tape; get precise instructions for cleaning a stall, tying a hay net, and braiding a horse’s tail; and much more. Also included are a list of horse clubs and organizations, seasonal horse care calendars, and a reading list. For ages 8-14.

From the American Quarter Horse Association, the Junior Master Horseman program has learning guides at three levels: Level 1 for grades 3-5, Level 2 for grades 5-8, and Level 3 for grades 9-12.

From the 4-H, Horse has downloadable hands-on curricula for grades 3-12: Giddy Up & Go (grades 3-4), Head, Heart, & Hooves (grades 5-6), Stable Relationships (grades 7-9), Riding the Range and Jumping to New Heights (both for grades 10-12).

See above for Misty, The Black Stallion, Black Beauty, National Velvet, and War Horse.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) is the animated story of a captured wild stallion determined to win his freedom and return to his herd. Rated G.

Set in Australia, The Man from Snowy River (1982) is the story of young Jim Craig, working on a cattle ranch to try to save his family farm. Adventure, romance, and horses. Rated PG.

In Secretariat (2010), Penny Chenery – who knows nothing about horse racing – takes over the family stables and ends up fostering one of the most famous race horses of all time. Rated PG.

In Electric Horseman (1979), starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, an ex-rodeo star steals his company’s horse and heads into the desert to release him back to the wild, pursued by a determined reporter.Rated PG.

Phar Lap (1983) is the story of the fabulous Australian racehorse who became a champion with the help of a stableboy – and then became famous for his mysterious death. The story begins at the end, then is told as a flashback. Rated PG.

Set during the Depression, Seabiscuit (2003) is the true story of the horse who, against all odds, becomes a winner. Rated PG-13.

In The Horse Whisperer (1998), teenaged Grace and her horse have been hit by a truck.  To help them heal, Grace’s mother takes them to Montana, to the ranch of the legendary horse whisperer – a gifted trainer said to have healing powers. Rated PG-13.