Poppy and the Perfect Pony

Poppy is so very excited for her week at Sunshine Stables – she’s finally going to get to ride Silver Shadow, the horse she visits every afternoon, she’s sure of it! However, when camp begins and everyone is paired with their pony, Poppy is devastated to find out that her lovely Silver Shadow – whose real name is Misty – has been paired with a more experienced, snobby girl named Izzy. Poppy, meanwhile, will be riding Henry, the stable's dear old reliable pony. Poppy hates that someone else is riding Misty, but she tries to make the best of the situation and, despite herself, starts to bond with Henry. 

The next day, the campers play some gymkhana games and Poppy realises that Henry, while not always the most responsive pony, is excellent at games. Lainey, the boss of Sunshine Stables, is very impressed with Poppy’s riding and offers her a weekend job to pay for lessons. Ecstatic, Poppy agrees, quietly planning to get good enough to be able to ride Misty at her next camp. Later, at the much-anticipated beach ride, Poppy can’t get Henry to ride as fast as the rest of the group and falls behind. However, she soon sees Misty spook and gallop away, taking Izzy along with him! Poppy and Henry race after them, and with Henry’s calm demeanour they manage to calm Misty before he or Izzy are injured too badly. A shaken Izzy thanks Poppy for her help and apologises for being so mean and rude to her and Henry.’

Back at camp, Lainey praises Poppy for her good riding and quick thinking with Misty and asks if she would like to ride Misty for the rest of camp, now that Izzy has gone home injured. Poppy decides that she’d rather ride Henry – they have formed a wonderful bond. Lainey agrees, and Poppy and Henry settle in to enjoy the rest of camp.

The first book in the Sunshine Stables series, this is a sweet story about not judging people (or horses!) by their cover, and being open to experiences even if they differ from what one expects. Poppy’s development as she comes to appreciate Henry, despite not being what she first hoped, is a wonderful message for young readers.

horses, friendship, pony club, expectations vs reality, don’t judge a book by its cover, gymkhana games

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