A Pony in Trouble

Pony Pals #3

by Jeanne Betancourt, Paul Bachem (Illustrator)

Pam's father is a veterinarian, so she is used to being around sick animals. But when her own pony gets sick, Pam needs her Pony Pals more than ever.Her Pony Pals, Anna and Lulu, try to figure out what is making the pony sick. Can the Pony Pals solve the mystery? Will Lightning the pretty pony, be a pony in trouble for long?

Genres: Horses, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Juvenile, Chapter Books, Middle Grade

96 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1995

About the author

When I was growing up I never thought of being an author. I was a terrible speller and didn't want to write any more than I had to. I wanted to be a tap dancer when I grew up. After a few years of teaching junior high and high school, I wrote my first novel. It was a surprise to discover that I liked making up stories and writing them down. I liked it so much that eventually I stopped teaching and became a fulltime writer.

Besides novels for children and young adults, I've also told stories by writing scripts for television and the movies.

I live on the top floor of a sixteen-story building near the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. From my apartment I have a view of Manhattan that includes the Empire State Building and the Plaza Hotel. In my free time I draw, paint, and read. I still love to dance.

Some people think that a writer's life is lonely. But when I'm writing a story I don't feel lonely because I am actively involved with lots of interesting people – the characters in my books. I love knowing that some day readers will get to know these characters, too. If you are one of my readers I hope you have as much enjoyment in reading my stories as I have writing them.

Reviews

[Maggie Haberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sweet book. The only flaw is there’s one point where Pam is reflecting on how she wished she lived in olden times but Pam is Black and I reckon she might not want to have lived in olden times. That being said, it’s otherwise extremely sweet with a compelling and child appropriate plot.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, can I say how nice it is that the protagonist is a black girl? Because there are POC weird horse girls too. I read a lot of animal books in my youth and a lot of them were very, very white, so on my reread of this, I was surprised by the diversity. I love that Pam’s dad is a vet and she’s the most knowledgeable about animals. I love that Anna is dyslexic, but clever in her own way.

This book was a great palate cleanser from YA. In lieu of the romance, this focuses intensely on friendship. It reminded me of how all-encompassing friendship is when you’re in elementary school, how monumental. How you did everything with your best friends, what a big deal it was when your interests and desires diverged.

There were two primary sources of conflict and I wonder if they could be better thematically linked because as is, they’re loosely tied at the plot level. On the reread as an adult, I’d love to know more about Diane. What’s a young, elite athlete doing in that town? I like that the antagonist was well meaning and the conflict was resolved with a lesson - don’t sneak horses food! I like that the girls solved the mystery with teamwork and sleepovers and crafting. (Bless Lulu Sanders for coming up with the idea to stand by the side of the road at 6am and wave a handmade “You won a prize!” sign at a teenager like an old timey pop up ad.)

Just a feel good read for the tiny animal lover in your life.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pam's pony keeps getting sick and it's up to the Pony Pals to figure out why.

Actually there's a pretty solid lesson here in the feeding of strange horses (answer is - don't!) but other than that I was a bit disappointed because what could have been a really solid book with a lot going on fell a little flat. I wanted more of the horse show and liked the new character of the girl who's training for bike races. It just...wasn't enough.

Still a solid enough book. Horse lovers would enjoy it.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

this one is okay, but I don't really like any of them.

[Jill Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lightening is Pam's horse, and she's not well. It's a mystery, Pam and her 'Pony Pal' friends Anna, and Lulu decided to find out why she's getting sick. The food quantities are right, she's been in good health, the paddock doesn't have any poison plants in it, so what can it be?

They camp out in the barn and watch Lightening overnight to see what is happening. During the night, the girls take shifts to watch to see if anything is happening. Early in the morning, Pam is watching when her horse bolts towards the fence. She follows and sees a girl with a bag offering Lightening food. She's being overfed, that's what's making her sick.

The girl with the bag of apples is frightened off. She races off on her bike so fast, they can't catch her. They have clues, the racing bike and the road she travels on. So they work out how to stop her so they can tell her.

When they meet the girl Diane, they explain that horses get sick if they're overfed. Diane takes some convincing, but when she knows how sick Lightening has been, she is very sorry.

Pam has decided she wouldn't be riding in the show with her friends. When they discover why, Anne and Lulu convince Pam that she should try. One bad experience with a horse show shouldn't stop her from having fun with her friends.

Diane meets them at the show and encourages them to do their best. The Pony Pals are glad to have shown the cycle rider that she's good at her sport too.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

My reviews for this series are probably going to get shorter and shorter, as there's really not a ton to say about them.

I do like how this series addresses issues, as the characters really feel like their age, and they approach problems and their feelings like older kids would. Pam's dislike of shows and the reveal as to why was handled well.

Overall, it was another good addition to the series.

[Melissa Namba · Rating 2 out of 5]

admittedly, I know nothing about ponies, but a pony dying from eating 3-5 extra apples three days in a row? seems kind of extreme. I like that the girls reached out to cindy rather than alienating her, which they have a tendency to do in the few books that I have read in this series. I also like the theme of hard work and persistence.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

#3 in Pony Pal series. Pam’s pony Lightning has colic. What has she eaten to get sick and how can the Pony Pals prevent it from happening again. Pam doesn’t like horse shows and doesn’t want to ride in the Wiggins Horse Show with Anna and Acorn, and Lulu and Snow White until she learns why she didn’t like her first show.

[Ellen]

A third nostalgic read for today! I’m not certain if I read this exact Pony Pals book as a kid but I definitely read many of them and this was the only one I could find at a secondhand shop. This is very simple and sweet, and I very fondly remember the details about horses and how to look after them. My inner 8-year-old horse girl is very glad I reread this today.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Pony Pals are great friends be this is a strength of this series! In this book Lulu and Anna help Pam figure out why her pony has colic and then they encourage Pam to give horse shows another try.

One thing I thought was odd was that Pam decided the day before to enter the horse show. She hadn’t been practicing or preparing and yet she wins a red ribbon. Hmmm - a bit of fiction?

[Stephanie Cheek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another sweet book I read with my horse loving daughters. Addresses some important facts about horse health and anxiety around horse shows. Friendship and more teamwork among the Pony Pals brings a positive message throughout the story.

[Kylie Abecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very important lessons in this book. I remember feeding horses apples and carrots when I was little. I certainly hope I didn’t make any of them sick.

[Emma Lehmkuhl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for girls who love 💕 ponies.

[Ruth Marchand · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty good.

[Valentína Kuceljová · Rating 3 out of 5]

Čítala som slovenský preklad, fajn kniha, ale unikajú súvislosti bez predošlých dielov

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

One inaccuracy about this book. Says horses can’t usually throw up. It’s not “usually.” They absolutely can’t

[JoReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Childhood favourite series (haven't read in a long time) giving all four stars unless it was a favourite as a child.

[Hannah Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Pony in Trouble is the third book in the Pony Pals series and focuses on Pam. In this book, Pam's pony Lightning is sick so Pam and her friends care for the pony and work to find out how the pony got sick. It turns out a well meaning but ignorant stranger who didn't know horses have specific dietary needs was feeding the pony without permission and giving her way too many apples. This book is a great lesson on why to not over treat a horse and to not feed horses you don't know unless you have permission.

[Kim Burean · Rating 2 out of 5]

This Pony Pals book was okay, but not great. The audience would be 2nd-3rd grade girls who like horses. The story was quite simplistic, so any older than a thrid grader would think it was babyish.

The big drama was that Pam's horse was getting sick and her vet dad thought it was from over-eating. Pam and her friends stay up all night with the horse to see what it might be eating, and find out that a girl has been coming by and feeding the horse apples every morning. The "Pony Pals", track the girl down and confront her about not feeding the horse. There was another storyline about Pam not liking horse shows because she had a bad experience with one when she was younger. The book was kind of preachy and the character develpoment was thin. I think there are probably better horse books for the early elementary crowd that would be better.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a chapter book and book 3 of the "Pony Pals" series. My now grown daughter LOVED these books as a child (she begin to read them when she was about 8) and read all of the ones in the series. I found her copy of many of them and decided to try and read them to see what they were like.

It's a nice storybook of a beginning of friendship for three girls (all 5th graders) and the bond they form with each other and each of their horses. In this story one of the girls pony is getting colic and they can't figure out 'why'. So the three girls whom call themselves "Pony Pals" do some detective work and decide to watch the pony around the clock to see what he possibly could be eating or doing... and with the three girls working together figured out what it was causing him to be sick; and in the end they decide to enter their ponies in a competition. Having fun in the end.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

teaches a god lesson about over feeding ponies. too much food can really cause colic. which is a stomach ailment when a horse get s a stomach ache. horses can not throw up like us to the get their stomachs twisted. the vet usually has to come give them a pain shot and the owner must walk around with the horse till the horse makes 'gut sounds'. most times the horse is ok sadly sometimes surgery is needed and the horse may or may not make it. sadly i have dealt with a surgery that didn't make it, and we had to put the horse down.
This book taught a good lesson on horse ailments for a horse and overcoming your fear. prolly one of the most serious PP books i've read

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

AR Reading Level 3.9, AR Points 2.0.

Very good book. These little books teach good values, kindness,encouragement and understanding.

I am including reading level and Accelerated reading points or AR points for those of you who need that information for grade school. I used to include quiz number also. But will not be doing that unless I have requests for it. Enjoy!

[Alisha Brook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pony Pals was one of my favourite "horsey" series growing up. Jeanne Betancourt has a writing skill that makes the books easy to read and interesting. I read many of the series and I was enthralled with each new story.

[Erotic Horizon]

A Pony In Trouble (Pony Pals #3) by Jeanne Betancourt (1995)

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

read them all

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

lightning was sick but by making a girl stop overfeeding her she wasnt anymore.

[Alexandra Lindner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the series!!

[Kate Matson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was younger, I loved horses! I read lots of these books and really enjoyed them. Of course, it's been a long time since I've read these, but I can assure you they are worth reading.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good "own"

[Jetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that Diane can come over sometimes and spend sometime with Lightning in the morning or afternoon when Pam comes and feeds Lightning. So Diane can help Pam with the horse food.