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Post by Claire on Sept 13, 2011 10:33:08 GMT 1
This could be quite interesting. What moments in pony books have shocked you - be it because they are awful, scary, sexist or just downright bizarre? Some of mine include: Jingle's death in Riding with the Lyntons, ditto the death in A Horse Called Cinnamon, the 'spanking' incident in Grey Arrow by Catherine Carey and most recently on a re-read of Janet Must Ride the hours groom Janet has to work with only 1 full day off a month! (More about this on upcoming review) Also, wasn't there some sort of perv who was sneaking into the girls rooms in the Wendy books, I remember being shocked when reading it but unfortunately can't remember exactly what happened as havent read them for ages. I'll be interested to know what has shocked other people - if anything! (Perhaps you are all more blase than me ) Not sure if there will be enough for a top 10 but it might make for a unusual discussion
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2011 12:38:55 GMT 1
There was a bit in one of the Swallow series by K.M. Peyton where the yard owner lets a foal die because it didn't look like he wanted it too (I think) I remember thinking that's not very nice. Sorry I can't remember which book it is.
And in Gladeye the War Horse it was a little bit graphical about a fox being torn up by hounds which I thought was a bit over the top for little kids to read but then in those days they were brought up with that so might not have been bothered!
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Post by darkhorse on Sept 13, 2011 19:52:42 GMT 1
When Jill decides to give up a horsey career and become a secretary!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2011 20:21:29 GMT 1
When Jill decides to give up a horsey career and become a secretary! I'm with you on that one darkhorse!
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Post by Claire on Sept 13, 2011 22:23:06 GMT 1
Yes thats a good one!!!
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vera
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Post by vera on Sept 14, 2011 3:29:02 GMT 1
Jingle's death is up there for me; also The Impossible Horse where hounds kill an old lady's pet dog; does Black beauty count as a pony book? because the saddest is when Ginger wants to die her life is so bad. On that line in The Pony from Tarella where the boy says he may as well die because nobody wants him. ALso Cobbler's Dream absolutely horrified me with the way some of the horses and ponies in it were treated before coming to the sanctuary. ALso the plane crash in The Difficult Summer. This was kind of relevant to me because we kept our horse near the airport and those jets would come screaming in and they always looked like they were going to crash into the fence. (They never did). Also on one memorable occasion the recue helicopter service was doing exercises on the beach near the horse farm and the pilot took great delight in buzzing the horses, until wwe rang up and complained. Then he was most apologetic but said they looked so pretty dancing. Dancing with children trying to ride! Sorry, but that's why I find the plane crash in Gillian Baxter's book so shocking; it is so POSSIBLE.
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Post by foxglove on Sept 14, 2011 15:41:01 GMT 1
There's an awful lot of spoilers in this thread!
You've all missed the most awful of all though; Ginger's death in Black Beauty. I think it must have been the first death I read about in a book.
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Post by garej on Sept 14, 2011 19:04:31 GMT 1
When the pony dies in Riding with The Lyntons (DPT). But I notice Claire has said that!
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Post by fizz on Sept 14, 2011 21:03:39 GMT 1
Jingle dying, the plane crash in The Difficult Summer, the horse box crash in Jump to the Stars. Old lady's corgi in The Impossible Horse (found that hard as a child as we had a corgi & I was scared it would happen). Seagull's tetanus in A Pony to School. Tarquin's death in Spirit of Punchbowl Farm as it is slotted in so unexpectedly.
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Post by Claire on Sept 14, 2011 23:11:07 GMT 1
Also on one memorable occasion the recue helicopter service was doing exercises on the beach near the horse farm and the pilot took great delight in buzzing the horses, until wwe rang up and complained. Then he was most apologetic but said they looked so pretty dancing. Dancing with children trying to ride! Unbelievable how moronic some people are! Whats even more shocking is that somebody so brain dead should be allowed to fly a helicopter! Lots here that I'd forgotten about, definitely Ginger in Black Beauty, tho even more shocking than this was when the horse gets sent for slaughter by the pigs in Animal Farm (OK its not a pony book but it happens to a horse!) One of the most shocking for me is the 'massacre' scene in Ponies in the Forest. Apologies I know I am always harping on it but I still think it is a dreadfully shocking and gratuitous scene, especially as the book is aimed at the younger reader.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2011 6:23:26 GMT 1
Another I've remembered is in Five Proud Riders by Anne Stafford one of the children beats a stallion with his crop to keep him away while they are riding through the New Forest and there is actually an illustration of him doing it. Someone said to me that this is the way to deal with it if you have a large amourous stallion trying to mount your mare whlle you are riding but it still made my toes curl!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2011 7:02:04 GMT 1
And I've just thought of another one....in Six ponies where John loses his temper and beats his pony up.
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Post by Claire on Sept 15, 2011 10:36:33 GMT 1
And I've just thought of another one....in Six ponies where John loses his temper and beats his pony up. How could I forget that one! Its so unexpected too as John seems quite OK til that point. I have completely forgotten about the incident in Five Proud Riders too. Another one, the father's treatment of Yolanda in Pony From Fire by Sheila Chapman, its pretty shocking.
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Post by fizz on Sept 15, 2011 21:00:22 GMT 1
Just remembered another, when the boy is killed in Rennie Goes Riding (don't want to say too much, but if you have read the book you will know what I am talking about.
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Post by cally on Sept 16, 2011 0:44:20 GMT 1
There are so many incidents that are stomach churning in the Follyfoot series I wouldn't know where to start, but they are realistic: working with people in the horse industry and hearing some of the things that go on can bring you to tears and make you feel like fainting. I can't fathom why people work with animals if they have no regard for them and treat them like objects- there are less strenuous ways to make money. Good on Monica Dickens for revealing the darker side of some 'Horse People'. Having said that, I prefer to read the Jill series and J P-T and dream...
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Post by rallycairn on Sept 16, 2011 4:14:53 GMT 1
The Crumb which we will be doing soon for the next group read has a pretty big shocker, but I won't specify lest anyone be "spoiled."
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2011 7:19:49 GMT 1
Totally agree with you there Cally.
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Post by fizz on Sept 16, 2011 9:16:54 GMT 1
I know what people mean about Follyfoot & Cobbler's Dream but they are not as shocking as a random death or disaster in a book designed for young readers, because their subject in the abuse of animals to start with.
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Post by tintin on Sept 16, 2011 10:03:11 GMT 1
"Someone said to me that this is the way to deal with it if you have a large amourous stallion trying to mount your mare whlle you are riding"
That actually happened to a senior officer in a Gurkha battalion. The stallion in "Five Proud Riders" got off lightly.The senior Gurkha NCO solved the problem by hitting the stallion in the most appropriate place with his cane as hard as he could.
"Bravest of the Brave, never has country known such friends as you"
More to the point one of the most shocking bits in a book for me is the neglect of the coal horses in one of the Pullein-T sisters Black Beauty books. It's not only the suffering,but having everyone you knew who was involved with working horses exercising the most meticulous care almost instinctively, it came as a bit of a shock that an organisation might wilfully let things get that bad.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2011 11:55:48 GMT 1
Ouch! I bet that dampened his ardour Just as well Ann Stafford didn't put that in her book.....
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Post by haffyfan on Sept 16, 2011 19:47:08 GMT 1
Not a pony book but I was pretty shocked when Jilly Cooper killed off Billy Lloyd Fox's character! The creepy bloke already mentioned in one of the Wendy books (can't remember which title now, she went to work for him or ride for him or something) shocked me as obviously written today it would be way more sinister but to be honest it pretty much read that way anyhow to me!
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Post by darkhorse on Sept 16, 2011 20:06:32 GMT 1
I really want to read the Wendy books now to find out what it's all about! ;D
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Post by garej on Sept 16, 2011 20:17:44 GMT 1
The rape scene in Against the Odds (Sue Millard) has to be pretty shocking too.
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Post by darkhorse on Sept 17, 2011 11:24:54 GMT 1
The rape scene in Against the Odds (Sue Millard) has to be pretty shocking too. I agree Garej. I was going to suggest this one too but I couldn't remember what the book was called or the author! I've thought of another one: the badger baiting scene in Ponies in the Park, although tbh it's a bit hypocritical of Christine considering she was always writing about hunting.
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Post by haffyfan on Sept 18, 2011 13:57:00 GMT 1
I'd forgotten about that but it was very subtly done to be fair.
Sarah has just reminded me about when Terry got involved in Live Export in Blue Rosette. Not the nicest of reads (the rest is fab if you flick past this chapter) but as PMM was an active campaigner even back then I can see why she did it and would applaud the brave move she made as I'm sure it was considered very controversial. I'm almost as shocked her publishers didn't remove or edit it actually, again this makes me think it was published with a more adult market in mind than some of her other books.
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Post by sarah on Sept 21, 2011 19:32:47 GMT 1
And also in The Blue Rosette there is a death quite early on that was a bit of a shock.
It definitely seemed more of an adult book than her others - also in terms of the main character and his relationship.
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Post by Claire on Sept 24, 2011 16:18:00 GMT 1
The most shocking thing I've read recently was in The Pony Plot by Sara Herbert and it was the fact that they bought a run down cottage and got the builders in and had it completely restored in ONE MONTH! Now I know you have to suspend your disbelief when reading children's books and I can just about accept the unlikely possibility of children solving crimes and catching criminals a la the famous five, but this is just beyond the realms of possibility! I have been on nearly a year just trying to get someone to mend my chimney!
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Post by fizz on Oct 10, 2011 11:06:26 GMT 1
Will we be having a poll for this? typing this as the cat moves around the key board giving me furry rubs with his head!
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Post by Claire on Oct 10, 2011 20:13:23 GMT 1
Fizz we will have a poll if there is enough suggestions. So if anyone else has anything to add please post.
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Post by Claire on Oct 11, 2011 21:05:08 GMT 1
Btw, after reading The Crumb for the readers circle I agree that the death in that is shocking. Also the suicide in Flying Changes by Caroline Akrill is a shock, especially as you see her as a light hearted amusing writer. One of the most shocking things I read in a horse story was the horse mutilation in the 3rd Sid Halley book (Come To Grief) by Dick Francis. Altho I like his books the horses in them seem to suffer However despite the shocking/nasty bits it an excellent read.
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