History Main / PonyTale

* The ''Bella Sara'' tie-in novels are set in a medieval fantasy world and follow the 'supernaturally empowered horse finds young girl and sweeps her away into a life of adventure' template.

%%* Terri Farley's ''Phantom Stallion'' series.

* Jean Slaughter Doty's books, most obviously ''Summer Pony'' and the sequel ''Winter Pony'', are classic examples of the Pony Tale. In ''Summer Pony'' the heroine learns about horse care when her non-horsey parents rent a pony for the summer, with help from the neighboring's stables head groom and the neighbor girl with the inevitable return of the pony at the end of summer as the antagonist. In ''Winter Pony'', the challenge becomes teaching the pony a new skill (sleigh-pulling) and figuring out just why the pony [[SurprisePregnancy is getting so fat]].

* The page image is from ''Pony Pals'', a young readers' series of chapter books which is about three friends who [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin own ponies]] in a small town (and is something of a minor FollowTheLeader to ''The Saddle Club''). The three main characters are all given subplots which cover some aspect of the typical tropes (one is new to having her own horse who she comes into caring for after discovering it injured, one almost has her horse taken away because her grades are falling as a result of undiagnosed dyslexia blamed on spending too much time at the barn, etc.)
%% * The series ''My Secret Unicorn'', as implied by the title.
%%* Kathleen Duey's ''Hoofbeats'' series.
%%* Deborah Kent's ''Saddle, Stars and Stripes'' series.

* C. W. Anderson wrote a number of these, such as ''A Filly for Joan'', ''Afraid to Ride'' and ''The Blind Connemara''.

* Ann M. Martin's ''Me And Katie (The Pest)'' has elements of this; a disgruntled and untalented heroine trying to find her special niche in the world, befriending and becoming enamored of a certain horse who eventually needs to be taken away from the stables after a leg injury.
* ''North Oak'' is an adult series following the different-but-related archetype of "troubled girl finds redemption and family by working with racehorses".

* The first book in the Ken [=McLaughlin=] series ''Literature/MyFriendFlicka'' is a borderline case; Ken is a sweet natured daydreamer who is smitten with a troublesome filly. While he initially gains her trust through love and devotion, the other books in the trilogy, ''Literature/{{Thunderhead}}'' and ''Literature/GreenGrassOfWyoming,'' shift the focus to horse racing and achieving "masculinity". Ken becomes more likely to use determination and brute strength to overcome obstacles rather than his originally sweet nature. Although in the more recent movie, they pulled a GenderFlip so that it could be a conventional "A girl on a horse? How scandalous!" story

* A series of fairly diverse horse stories were released in the late eighties/early nineties, and was aimed at teenage readers. Some were more grown up Pony Tales, such as ''TheHiddenHorse'', but others were a totally different genre altogether with some horses wandering around in the plot. ''TheSilverBridle'' features a genuinely dangerous horse, but is largely about acting. Several other books in the series were cunningly disguised romance novels (look out for a mysterious, dark eyed horse trainer, or a strangely charming stable manager if you want to be sure where the plot's going), one involving a disturbing rape in a stable. As for Caroline Akrill's ''FlyingChanges''... well, it started out as a dressage story, but by the time a homosexual groom had hung himself out of unrequited love for the arrogant dressage superstar and heroine Francesca was put through the emotional wringer, it was pretty obvious that this was no idealistic pony story. Even the horses must have been wondering what the hell was going on at the end of it.

* ''A Horse for XYZ''. A girl at summer camp encounters a nefarious plot and in the course of an adventure story spends several days alone on horseback.

* The ''Literature/CanterwoodCrest'' series, by Jessica Burkhart
* The first book in the ''Literature/AmericanGirlsCollection'' Felicity series has the titular heroine befriend an abused horse and learn to ride her in secret, but in the end she's forced to let the horse run free to save her from her violent owner.

* Creator/KAApplegate wrote a Pony Tale, back in TheNineties. It was called the Silver Creek Riders trilogy, and it was under the pseudonym Beth Kincaid.

* The series ''My Secret Unicorn'', as implied by the title.

* The ''Literature/{{Heartland}}'' series and the [=TV=] show based on it.

* Apart from the usual magic-politics plotline, ''Literature/ThePinhoeEgg'' by Creator/DianaWynneJones was this for Eric (Cat) Chant and his horse. There's a bit of recursion in here, in that the horse initially came into the family when Eric's foster sisters began reading horse stories and begged Literature/{{Chrestomanci}} for a pony. When he acquired one for them, the girls discovered that they were terrified of horses/didn't actually like riding after all, respectively, and the horse came to Eric as the only one who was able to bond with it. They quickly became fast friends, and the horse ends up being Eric's ticket into the fairy world that this book's plot revolves around.

* Heroine: [[AlwaysLawfulGood Always Good]] - AntiHero protagonists are virtually unheard of. Combine elements from {{Tomboy}}, PluckyGirl, {{Determinator}} (especially when it's a horse-in-danger plot)
** She may also be SociallyAwkwardHero who is only comfortable when in her horsey element or one who develops confidence through riding.

** Abusive horse owners
** Otherwise, the "bad guy" in the story will most likely be the circumstances.
* Parents are always obstructive: either they [[FantasyForbiddingFather don't appreciate their daughter's interest in horses]] pro the AcceptableFeminineGoalsAndTraits of school, boys, and looks, OR they are understanding and sympathetic, but cannot afford to a) buy a horse b) pay for riding lessons c) live in the city where all the riding action is anymore.

Around the 1930s and 1940s, however, something changed. The "horsey girl" was created, and the Pony Tale was born. Mainly seen as a British genre -- and more often than not featuring Eastern-style riding -- the story is only nominally about the pony. The real plot is driven by the CharacterDevelopment of the protagonist (almost AlwaysFemale) via equestrianism.

The basic Pony Tale begins with a very specific type of heroine. Usually a misfit, or socially displaced in some way, she happens across a horse, or a riding school, or some experienced riders out for a gallop. Enchanted, she resolves to become a rider herself. After circumstances ([[ContrivedCoincidence however contrived]]) grant her a horse, the story follows her progress as an equestrian, with lovingly detailed descriptions of horse care, competitions and the technical aspects of riding along the way.

* Played very straight with the "Stormy Arc" of ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'' animated series. Except the girl who loves horses is Ariel, and the horse in question is a Hippocampus.

Back in the day, horses were for men. Gentry [[UpperClassEquestrian cavorted about the countryside]] on [[TheGrandHunt hunters, often in pursuit of some hapless fox]]; farmers in the pre-tractor days worked the soil with teams of draft horses; and TheWildWest hero would be only half a man without his trusty hoss. While women did ride (and drive), this was taken to be a mark of how gentle and tame the horses were: only a Man could control a genuinely spirited and powerful animal.

Around the 1930s and 1940s, however, something changed. The "horsy girl" was created, and the Pony Tale was born. Mainly seen as a British genre -- and more often than not, featuring an English setting -- the story is only nominally about the pony. The real plot is about the CharacterDevelopment of the protagonist (almost AlwaysFemale) via equestrianism.

However, this genre is extremely prone to GrowingUpSucks. Ironically, while male heroes may be few and far between, it's the men who are more likely to pursue their equestrian career past adolescence. All too often, the formerly tomboyish, independent female lead will discover boys, decide that her love of horses was just a sublimated desire to get married and have babies (bear in mind how many ponies have much in common with the TroubledButCute boyfriend) and quit riding altogether. Some authors avert this by ending the series/novel while the heroine is still young. It's very rare to see a highly talented female rider actually make it to the Olympics or the World Equestrian Games, or even keep her love of horses as she grows up and gets a job. A larger issue that the genre often avoids is the reality that competing a horse at the top levels of the sport is spectacularly expensive, involving animals worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, thousands a year in training fees, and very little chance or earning back an income comparable to expenses. Few riders of either gender (though increasingly the top teams are evenly divided and the US has fielded show-jumping Olympic teams that were entirely female) can manage to make horses a viable full-time profession, at least in the dramatic ways expected in a Pony Tale.

* ''Literature/TheMessengerSeries'' is series of novels about a supernatural horse that chooses a 13-year-old to become its rider ("the messenger") to help it fight the forces of evil. The story follows an ordinary girl called Rose as she comes to term with being chosen by the stallion and then grows into the role of a hero who travels through time to investigate the origins of evil that is happening in the present day. Instead of being a Pony Tale, it is a supernatural mystery tale that skirts the edges of the horror genre.

* ''Literature/TheMessengerSeries'' is series of novels about a supernatural horse that chooses a 13-year-old to become its rider ("the messenger") to help it fight the forces of evil. The story follows an ordinary girl called Rose as she comes to term with being chosen by the stallion and then grows into the role of a hero who travels through time to investigate the origins of evil that is happening in the present day. Although it superficially looks like a Pony Tale, it is in reality a supernatural mystery tale that skirts the edges of the horror genre.