Toys for kids who love horses.

Le Toy Van Jilly the Horse Rider - Buy Now

Christmas is coming (less than 90 days left) and what do you buy for the little girl who loves horses. Do you need some gift ideas for your pony mad little girl? There are a multitude of horse toys on the market from the old classics like the rocking horse and the hobby horse to the toys of my youth like My Little Pony and Barbie's horse to the more modern brands.  Horses toys can be traditional wooden toys or brightly coloured plastic toys.  There is something for everyone. Prices start from a pound or two for a pack of plastic animals including a few horses to a couple of hundred pounds or quite possibly a good deal more for a hand made hand painted rocking horse which wouldn't have looked out of place in a large Victorian nursery.   You can even buy all the accessories for your toy horses like a stable, carriage etc. And not to forgot the soft toys; why get a teddy bear when you can get a cuddly horse instead. If they are growing out of toys, what about a book about horses. Anyway to make life easier, heres a few suggestions for you.

Playmobile Carriage £19.00 Buy Now

Barbie Tawny Horse and Doll £29.99 Buy Now

Pony In my Pocket - Pony Stable Buy Now £10

Breyer Black Beauty with Book £27.53 Buy Now

Autograph Wooden Rocking Horse £75.00 Buy Now 

Jellycat Small piper Horse £12.77 Buy now

          

My Top Ten Books about Horses

A list of some of my favourite fiction about horses, although to be honest the first five or so came easy but the last few were a struggle.  Would appreciate any recommendations from anyone on good novels to read with a horsey theme to them, but these are my thoughts.

1/ Black Beauty by Anna Sewell - 
The ultimate classic novel about a horse, told from the horses perspective.  One we all remember from our childhood.

2/ Riders by Jilly Cooper  

This was a fascinating insight into the world of show jumping from local shows to the Olympics.  It also had a definite chick lit slant and some steamy sex scenes and bad language.  I loved it!

3/ The Horse Whisperer by Nicolas Evans 

 A moving story of a 13 year old girl and her horse who are traumatised emotionally and physically by a terrible accident.  Worried about the girls state of mind if her horse has to be put down her mother tracks down a horse whisperer to try and help the horse.  Beautiful story.

4/ The Valley of the Horses by Jean M Auel
Set in prehistoric times, the second book in the Earths Children series follows Ayla's battle for survival alone after being rejected by the Neanderthal clan.  She finds herself in the Valley of Horses and as a result of her loneliness she tames a foal and learns to ride him and as a result he becomes one of her closest friends.

5/ National Velvet by Enid Bagnold  
Another classic novel  from my childhood. 

6/ My Friend Flicker by Mary O'Hara
Set on the American Plains,in Wyoming, the tale of a boy desperate for his own colt of his own. 

7/ The Silver Brumby by Elyne Mitchell

The story of feral horses in Australia; a silver stallion Thowra  and his battle to become king of the Brumbies.  Along the way he and his half brother face many dangers in the form of rival stallions and stock men who want to hunt him for his beautiful coat.

8/ Polo by Jilly Cooper   

Another bonkbuster by the author of Riders set in the world of horse riding, this time the polo field.  Nevertheless an excellent read!

8/ The Horse and his Boy 

The third of the Chronicles of Narnia, a fantasy story about a boy Shasta and his talking horse Bree

9/ The HorseDancer by JoJo Moyes 

A modern novel about the relationship between a teenager, her grandfather and her horse.  He teaches everything he knows about fine horsemanship from his experiences fifty years ago at an exclusive french riding school.  

10/ Pony Club Secrets by Stacy Gregg
A series of stories about life in the pony club for little girls to read.  Very cute!