Book picks similar to
Touch of Gold by Vivien Gorham


childrens
horses
ck-library
horses-and-ponies

Born in the Saddle (Born to Ride Series Book 1)


Samantha Walker - 2020
     At age fourteen, she's a know it all teen living alone with her mum in London - not a horse in sight. Can a few weeks staying with her grandparents back at the stables change all that, or has she really put horses out of her life for good? Meet the whole Michaelson clan, and their four-legged friends, at the Quicksilver Stud in Book 1 – Born in the Saddle. Teen fiction for horse lovers, especially eventing fans. Ideal for fans of Claire Svendson, Amanda Wills or Samantha Alexander.

In the Middle Are the Horsemen


Tik Maynard - 2018
    A university graduate and modern pentathlete, he suffered both a career–ending injury and a painful breakup, leaving him suddenly adrift. The son of prominent Canadian equestrians, Maynard decided to spend the next year as a “working student.” In the horse industry, working students aspire to become professional riders or trainers, and willingly trade labor for hands–on education. Here Maynard chronicles his experiences–good and bad–and we follow along as one year becomes three, what began as a casual adventure gradually transforms, and a life's purpose comes sharply into focus. Over time, Maynard evolved under the critical eyes of Olympians, medal winners, and world–renowned figures in the horse world, including Anne Kursinski, Johann Hinnemann, Ingrid Klimke, David and Karen O'Connor, Bruce Logan, and Ian Millar. He was ignored, degraded, encouraged, and praised. He was hired and fired, told he had the “wrong body type to ride” and that he had found his “destiny.” He got married and lost loved ones. Through it all he studied the horse, and human nature, and how the two can find balance. And in that journey, he may have found himself.

Dare to Dream


Kate Lattey - 2013
    Marley has grand ambitions to jump in Pony of the Year, but every good pony she’s ever had has been sold out from under her to pay the bills.Then a half-wild pinto pony comes into her life, and Marley finds that this most unlikely of champions could be the superstar she has always dreamed of. As Marley and Cruise rise quickly to the top of their sport, it seems as though her dreams of winning the Pony of the Year might come true after all.But her family is struggling to make ends meet, and as the countdown to Pony of the Year begins, Marley is forced to face the possibility of losing the pony she has come to love more than anything else in the world.Can Marley save the farm she loves, without sacrificing the pony she can’t live without?

Key to the Past (Celia's Journey, Book 2)


Melissa Gunther - 2011
    This time she has to complete her family tree, but she doesn't have much information to work with. Help comes from an unexpected source, but it's hidden by a series of clues, and Celia soon learns she's not the only one searching. Time is running out, and both her grade and her future hang in the balance - will she find it in time?

Sparkly the Unicorn


Mary K. Smith - 2015
    

Jill's Gymkhana


Ruby Ferguson - 1955
    But that's when her problems begin because ponies are expensive. Where will she find the money?

Black Horses for the King


Anne McCaffrey - 1996
    "After his father's death, young Galwyn Varianus is apprenticed to his uncle, who puts the boy to work on the high seas. But horses, not ships, are Galwyn's passion. Luckily, a passenger aboard, Lord Artos (later to rule as the legendary King Arthur), is bound for the great horse fair at Septimania. Risking his life, Galwyn abandons his uncle to serve the gallant leader. Galywn's calming way with horses quickly impresses Lord Artos and his men. But what no one expects is how crucial Galwyn will be to their upcoming battles--as he masters the secrets of the iron shoes that will protect the exotic horses' delicate hooves. . . .

Stable Relation


Anna Blake - 2015
    My life went to the dogs...and horses...and llamas... and did I mention happy hour with the goats? My urban world came apart, so I took a leap of faith and crash-landed on a dilapidated would-be horse farm on the flat, windy, treeless prairie of Colorado. It was a place where white horses turn pink at sunrise and I didn't have to worry about locking the back entry to the house, because the door was missing. The biggest social event of any week was greeting the trash man on Tuesday. And what should I do about the deceased llama in the laundry room? Any decent midlife crisis has a quality of time travel, in this case swinging back to my childhood farm and my disconnected, secretive family, then forward to the animals who became my family on the prairie. My dogs and horses were soon joined by some line-dancing llamas and a biker-gang of goat kids, defying gravity and every other rule. I rescued an abused donkey who told me he was Ernest, and Windy, an un-wanted chestnut mare who became our beloved herd matriarch. Even Fred, the duck lived by a code. It's the memoir of my bittersweet transition from a mid-life orphan to a modern pioneer woman, building an entirely different kind of family farm. Stable Relation appeals to all animal lovers, midlife survivors, and anyone whose parents had problems of their own. It's told in a strong, bittersweet voice, sharing life and death on a small farm and the healing power of animals: James Herriot meets Janette Walls.

Eat Your Dinner, Becky Sue


Kimberly Bennet
    With simple, rhyming text and fun, adorable illustrations; the first of the Little Sue Series begins.

Game of Edges


Kent Allen - 2015
    Amanda is about to play the most important match of her career which, if won, will confirm her status as one of the greatest competitors in the history of women's tennis. Little does she suspect that her opponent-Sophie Moffat, an unassuming farm girl from the middle of Nowhere, U.S.A.-will change Amanda's life forever.Do you know the difference between a tennis racquet and a baseball bat? If so, that's all that's required to enjoy Game Of Edges! In this delightful, engaging novel, author Kent Allen draws you into the fascinating world of women's professional tennis, and provides an intimate look at the intriguing life of a world-class athlete.

The First Horse I See


Sally M. Keehn - 1999
    Her grandfather warns her: don't fall in love with the first horse that you see. But Willo does--with Tess, a feisty ex-racehorse who has been mistreated by her former owners. Despite her father's doubts, Willo is convinces she can tame her. She has her trainer, Diana, and Diana's handsome and horse-smart son wants to help. But in the end, it comes down to Willo. . . . Can she handle the wild Tess alone? "Fast-moving and complex. Willo is a resilient and believable heroine with whom readers will empathize."--SLJ, starred review

Kate and Holly: The Beginning


Maggie Dana - 2014
    In exchange for her riding lessons, she works at Sandpiper Stables where the other girls look down their noses at her as she mucks stalls, cleans tack, and grooms their European warmbloods. For comfort, Kate turns to Black Magic, the barn’s best horse. His favorite treat is watermelon rinds, which he slobbers all over her. But Kate doesn't care. She loves Magic’s attention and pampers him. Together, they're already making a name for themselves at three-day events, and Kate’s riding instructor predicts they will go far . . . until a tragic accident changes everything. * * * Holly Chapman hides her sadness and loneliness behind a cheerful smile. She grooms as much of her horse, Magician, as she can reach from her wheelchair and watches another girl ride him—winning the blue ribbons that Holly used to win. Determined to keep up with the other kids, even if she can’t walk, Holly takes risks. She gets her wheelchair stuck in the mud, stranded on stairs, and wedged into corners. Sometimes she falls out of it. Her mother advertises for a summer companion, but Holly doesn’t want a watchdog. She wants a best friend.

Flambards


K.M. Peyton - 1967
    Christina discovers a passion for horses and riding but finds herself part of a strange household, divided by emotional undercurrents and cruelty.

The Boy Who Cried Over Everything


Betsy Childs - 2011
    An experience with a slingshot and a sparrow helps him realize that it's okay to cry when you are sad, but it's best not to cry when you're mad.

I Hate to Wait


Sigal Adler - 2018
    Young Harry Monster has waited all year And now Halloween is almost here He knows just what he wants to be A pirate – the terror of the high sea!