The Magic Pony

Jinny #7

by Patricia Leitch

Jinny's dreams of a holiday spent riding over the moors are shattered when Shantih is lamed in an accident. Still keen to ride, Jinny visits a local riding school, where she is horrified at the conditions the ponies live under. Spurred into action, Jinny vows to help the stricken animals.

Genres: Horses, Childrens

127 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 25, 1982

About the author

Patricia Leitch (July 13, 1933 - July 28, 2015) was a Scottish writer, best known for her series of children's books about a girl named Jinny Manders and her wild, traumatized Arabian horse Shantih, set in the Scottish Highlands.
The 12 books in the Jinny series were published between 1976 - 1988 by Armada. They are currently in reprint by Catnip Publishers.
Two more of her novels, Dream of Fair Horses (1975) and The Horse from Black Loch (1963) have been republished by Jane Badger Books.
Leitch has also written under the pseudonym Jane Eliot.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic story in the Jinny and Shantih series. In this one, Shantih becomes inexplicably lame, Jinny is called upon to help the tinker Tam get Keziah out of hospital so that she can die on the moors in peace, and the Red Horse mural is repainted. As is usual, the gorgeous language is what elevates this to something more than just a children's book about horses. I also like that Jinny continues to develop as a character. Here she is exposed to death for the first time, and her perception of it is gracefully handled. If you have pony mad youngsters, you really must push these books on them.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Back to fantasy land in this one with a lame Shantih, a dying tinker woman and Jinny's fight to save Easter, an elderly ex-show pony who is mysteriously linked to Jinny's red hair and also knows Bramble (dear Bramble!) Not one of my faves but a nice read, especially as Easter is a welcome change in some ways from constantly reading about Shantih's light, wisdom and fire.