Raise your hand if you were a Mr. Ed fan. Remember him? The talking palomino who lived in architect Wilbur’s little barn? (Go ahead, I’ll wait while you sing the theme song…) For a city kid who dreamed of one day owning a horse, that show was like candy.
I have always loved the majestic beauty of horses. No one else in my immediate family rides, but from the time I could walk, I was horse crazy. I pretended to be a horse. I learned to make sounds like a horse. I tried my best to draw horses. Instead of Barbie dolls, I played with Breyer horses. I still have a collection of over 200 of them around my office. I may be practical enough to know I can’t own a horse, but I still love them.
I was also one of those geeky kids who read a lot. Naturally, I sought out horse stories. An early one was Little Black, A Pony. Little Black is saddened when the boy who rides him chooses to ride Big Red instead, but when the boy gets into danger, it’s Little Black who rescues him.
I had a number of Marguerite Henry’s classics. The stunning illustrations by Wesley Dennis in Album of Horses made me sigh with longing for a horse (and sent me for paper and pencil, but I was just never able to capture the beauty myself). Henry’s stories Misty of Chincoteague and King of the Wind were two of my favorites.
By the age of ten I had moved onto The Black Stallion by Walter Farley. And when I discovered there was a whole series of books featuring The Black and Alex? There was no stopping my visits to the local library. I think every book report I gave through fifth grade was about a horse story.
Hollywood has given us wonderful horse stories, too. National Velvet features a vibrant pre-teen Elizabeth Taylor as a girl who wins a horse in a town raffle and trains him for Britain’s greatest horse race, The Grand National. Pop up the popcorn and grab a box of Kleenex. This is great stuff. (Movie Trailer here, but the video quality is a bit rough.)
The Black Stallion came to the big screen in 1979 in a stunning film, but I still love the books better. And since then, we’ve enjoyed Hidalgo, Spirit—Stallion of the Cimarron, The Horse Whisperer (never saw the film, but the book was amazing), Seabiscuit and most recently, Secretariat. By the way, Secretariat clippings adorned my bedroom walls in 1973. You can watch his races on YouTube—brilliant runner!
And one of my guilty pleasure favorites, Arwen’s determined ride to save Frodoe in Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.
Enjoy! And if I left off your favorite horse story–in book or movie–please let me know!
sending...
I’m love talking YA horse stories!
And it’s funny you’re writing about this now, Amy, b/c I recently spent wa-a-a-y too much time recalling old horse titles then tracking down the books.
Let’s see . . .in adidtion to the ones you mentioned above, some of my recent re-finds . . .
Come on, Seabiscuit (Ralph Moody, not the recent Seabiscuit, which seems more about the world of racing that the horse. I adored this book.)
Man O’ War (Farley, and I won’t mention any of his others. )
Vicki and the Black Horse; Wild Horse Running (Sam, Savitt)
Summer Pony; Winter Pony; The Monday Horses (Jean Slaughter Doty)
Tall and Proud (Vian Smith)
The Secret Horse (Marion Holland)
Kris, you’re a goddess! (But then you knew that, right?) I couldn’t for the life of me remember the title or author of Tall and Proud, but as soon as I saw it, I remembered reading that book again and again. The Sam Savitt books were also wonderful. I’m also a huge Dick Francis fan, although he uses the horses more as setting than characters.
Oh, and can you dredge up the title or author of the YA about a girl/young woman who had a palomino horse named Golden Sovereign? Oy, and HOW could I forget My Friend, Flicka and Thunderhead!! Good heavens, my mother would kick me.
What, no Black Beauty? (That was also the set of Breyer horses I had, for whom I sewed little horse blankets and halters out of scraps from my mom’s rag bag.) I liked the Black Stallion series but was frustrated that it was always a boy riding, and was outraged that National Velvet inherited a whole stable full of horses, but seemed to care for only The Pie. (I was a rather…inflexible child.)
And from Hollywood, I’m a sucker for International Velvet (Tatum O’Neal as Velvet’s niece who becomes an Olympic eventer) and Phar Lap (about the Aussie racehorse–watch with Kleenex!).
Er, yeah, I might still be a little horse crazy
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Black Beauty (smacks head). Needless to say, I’ve sent all my children’s book to my sister, as well as my hunt cap. I’ll admit, I never actually read my way through National Velvet. I was a sucker for the film, and the book was so much more dense to my 10-year-old brain. I should probably look at it again as an adult.
And Abby, thanks for making me feel so much better about my horses. I also sewed horse blankets, and made halters out of braided yarn. I had a whole index card system on them, with names, pedigrees, etc. LOL I went to Breyerfest in Kentucky a few years ago and had a blast. Spent far too much money on buying more models I don’t need. But I still love them–they feed my inner child.
Oh, Black Beauty just breaks my heart. I used to get so angry as I read it I’d stand up on my bed, book in hand, practically shaking. And My Friend Flicka??? Just shoot me now.
I loved National Velvet, although always felt a little icked out at the scenes with the little brother. But I would push through. I loved how her family ‘got’ her. I know what you’re saying about only loving The Pie, Abby. Seriously?? *Only* him?
Farley did write one with a girl jockey, didn’t he. . . ? Oh, right: The Black Stallion and The Girl. LOL
I got a little tired of The Black Stallion series. I’d just re-read the ones I already knew and loved. Oh, and I loved King of the Wind!
Hollywood never hit it for me with the horse movies, at least not that I can recall. The Black Stallion was beautiful, but didn’t grab me. I do recall a Saturday morning TV show about a black horse–not *the* Black Stallion, tho. I think he was a wild horse. It was on right after/before a show about Isis… LOL. So funny, how these are so powerful, to stay in our memories.
Amy, I vaguely recall the one about a palomino named Golden Sovereign! I’ll see what I can come up with.
Yes, Kris, The Black Stallion and the Girl. Apparently, Farley (not sure if it was Walter or his son, who added some books to the franchise) felt the need to *spoiler!!* kill her off in a follow up book. Ah yes, like Bond, Alec Ramsey should not have any long-term romance in his life.
Another film I just remembered: Home in Indiana (I’m pretty sure that’s what it was called). Harness racing. Fun, but a little teary near the end.
Thunder! That TV show was Thunder. Kinda like Lassie for horses.
Oh, and Amy… could that book of yours possibly be called…Golden Sovereign? LOL
http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Sovereign-Dorothy-Lyons/dp/B000OO2QCW/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top (cover is here)
At Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3250297.Golden_Sovereign
Wesley Dennis was the illustrator. I loved his drawings.
You know, the Palio in Siena, Italy is the oldest horse race. Goes back to medieval times. I’m just sayin…
I read Black Beauty so many times the binding fell off the hardcover book. I loved that story. I am not a horse person. They scare me. I’m more a pony person, little, safe. Love watching horse races though. Ohhh, I read a book one time, Wild Swan. The woman raised race horses in pre-Civil War Maryland. I loved that book. It was like a romance/family saga book.