Books with author Diana Pullein-Thompson

Diana Pullein-Thompson’s classic 1940s pony story looks at the poor-but-noble heroine and the rich-girl-villain, and turns the stereotypes on their heads.Christina has everything – beautiful ponies, a lovely house, and a groom to look after her beautiful ponies. But Christina has just moved into the lovely house, and the family that lived there before didn’t want to leave. Christina has no friends, and her attempts to make some go disastrously wrong. Together with her Irish wolfhound, Shannan, Christina then goes to a local riding camp, and life changes.

The classic 1940s story of a girl who wants a pony.Augusta goes to stay with her three superior cousins. Jill, Barbara and Stephen don't think much of Augusta, and they let her know it. They think she's peculiar. And not only that, she is a terrible rider. The cousins have three ponies, but Augusta is never allowed to ride them. Augusta, it is fair to say, dislikes her cousins just as much as they dislike her. Odd she may be, but Augusta is brave and resourceful and that means that one day she is standing at a local horse sale, ready to bid for a pony of her own.First published in 1946, I Wanted a Pony was Diana Pullein-Thompson's first solo novel.

A Pony For Sale tells the story of a beautiful, elegant pony mare, Martini. It is written by four narrators. The first is Guy Beaumont who bred her from his New Forest pony mare who was sent to a Thoroughbred stallion. When Martini is four years old Guy, with the help of friend who is an expert at dressage, break her in using modern horse-training principles. She is then sold to a rather timid, young girl, Pip Cox, who takes her hunting with rather dramatic results. The third section of the novel is written by Lydia Pike, a formidable horse-dealer and hard-nosed show jumper, and after this Martini goes to Lettie Lonsdale, who is the real heroine of the story. This novel is a best-selling classic by Diana, one of the three legendary Pullein-Thompson sisters. It is one of the original pony books beloved by so many generations of horse-lovers. It is full of interesting information about how to train and ride horses all wrapped in a clever story that twists and turns through a world when horse-riding was a way of life in rural England.

"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, a family with five children, of all shapes and sizes, six ponies and two dogs. They live just up the lane and Lesley is invited to ride one of their ponies. But then she's blamed for the accident that ruins it all . ..

Janet leaves school and is determined to work with horses. She does not want to sit in an office typing boring letters. After a stint as a working pupil in a riding school she gets a job as a groom for the Claudes at Stoneyminster Court Farm. She takes her terrier, Gangster and goes to Oxfordshire having sole charge of four horses; Hop-Scotch the old cob, Pierrot a very fat and mischievous pony, Lucky Star the showjumping pony, and Corrymeela a beautiful grey mare who is going to be entered in eventing competitions. Janet is a likeable character, unassuming, modest but very ambitious and her new job sets her challenges that test her skill and courage.