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Pony Scouts
Back in the Saddle
Annie can hardly wait until Surprise, Jill's one-month-old foal, is big enough to ride. But when Annie falls off Splash during a riding lesson, the rattled Pony Scout has to decide whether or not to get back in the saddle. The Pony Scouts series is full of all the rich details young horse lovers devour, from pony-centric plots to a "Pony Pointers" vocabulary page at the end of each book. Go camping with the Pony Scouts! Author Catherine Hapka is a lifelong horse lover. She rides several times per week and keeps three horses on her small farm in Pennsylvania. If you're looking for horse books for girls 4-8, don't miss the Pony Scouts books. Pony Back in the Saddle is a Level Two I Can Read book, geared for kids who read on their own but still need a little help. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the engaging stories, longer sentences, and language play of Level Two books are proven to help kids take their next steps toward reading success.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Catherine Hapka
453 books205 followersCatherine (Cathy) Hapka has written more than one hundred books for children and adults, as a ghostwriter for series as well as original titles, including the Romantic Comedies Something Borrowed, The Twelve Date of Christmas, and Love on Cue. She lives in Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 18, 2026
This, the fourth book in the Pony Scouts series, is the best one so far. It deals with something every rider has to face sooner or later -- falling off. Here, beginning rider Annie falls off at the trot and lands on her butt. The suddenness of the fall and impact, even at the trot, can be quite jarring. It's no surprise that may people quit riding after their first fall, no matter what their age.
There's an old saying that you're a real rider after you've fallen off three times. The book isn't that long, but we get a good look at how Annie makes up her mind after her fall.
Doing windmills on school horses in the ring brought back memories. It is a good exercise, but you need really obedient horses or ponies. When I was a kid, we often did these while the horses were standing still, or on a lunge line, since the horses often needed at least one hand on the reins to keep them going.
Unlike the previous two books, you should read book two, Really Riding! to get some backstory.
Like the previous books, there is a little dog and barn cats in the illustrations that aren't mentioned in the text. Interesting to see that the gets some attention this time around. He or she is held while the girls ride in the ring. A sensible precaution. The girls also wear hard hats when they ride, which is another sensible precaution.
After the story, there's a short illustrated glossary of four horse terms that young kids or beginning readers of English may not be familiar with.
Although this series was mainly meant to encourage new readers, it was nice to see a realistic story thrown in.
There's an old saying that you're a real rider after you've fallen off three times. The book isn't that long, but we get a good look at how Annie makes up her mind after her fall.
Doing windmills on school horses in the ring brought back memories. It is a good exercise, but you need really obedient horses or ponies. When I was a kid, we often did these while the horses were standing still, or on a lunge line, since the horses often needed at least one hand on the reins to keep them going.
Unlike the previous two books, you should read book two, Really Riding! to get some backstory.
Like the previous books, there is a little dog and barn cats in the illustrations that aren't mentioned in the text. Interesting to see that the gets some attention this time around. He or she is held while the girls ride in the ring. A sensible precaution. The girls also wear hard hats when they ride, which is another sensible precaution.
After the story, there's a short illustrated glossary of four horse terms that young kids or beginning readers of English may not be familiar with.
Although this series was mainly meant to encourage new readers, it was nice to see a realistic story thrown in.
November 27, 2023
If you're a Pony Scout, life doesn't get better than this. Come and meet Jill's one-month-old foal.
So far I've found the Pony Scout Series of easy reader books to be just delicious. As delicious as offering a fresh juicy carrot to a pony!
In this addition to the collection, Jill's pony is named "Surprise."
Be careful what you name your horse, for you will surely get it. (To paraphrase a saying that may be familiar to you.)
SURPRISE... For the First Time, Apparently
Rider Jill falls off her horse. It's easy to say a glib cliche about how important it is to get back on that horse again, but choosing whether to get back on and ride again? Ouchee, what will Jill do?
FIVE STARS for another wholesome, horsey tale by Catherine Hapka, will lovely-and-friendly illustrations by Anne Kennedy.
So far I've found the Pony Scout Series of easy reader books to be just delicious. As delicious as offering a fresh juicy carrot to a pony!
In this addition to the collection, Jill's pony is named "Surprise."
Be careful what you name your horse, for you will surely get it. (To paraphrase a saying that may be familiar to you.)
SURPRISE... For the First Time, Apparently
Rider Jill falls off her horse. It's easy to say a glib cliche about how important it is to get back on that horse again, but choosing whether to get back on and ride again? Ouchee, what will Jill do?
FIVE STARS for another wholesome, horsey tale by Catherine Hapka, will lovely-and-friendly illustrations by Anne Kennedy.
October 30, 2019
Good story about a girl who falls from a horse and, although afraid, decides to fight her fear and get back at it right away. We read it before bed. It was useful to remind my daughter that often things don't go the way we want, a lesson she's struggling with in her ringette season.
June 28, 2018
6/27/18 Read with Julia.
October 23, 2021
Good little book about perseverance.
December 31, 2016
Ponies and riding are topics of definite interest to this age group, so the subject matter alone makes them a sure hit. I also really like the way vocabulary is incorporated into each story. Words that might be new or unfamiliar are defined on the last page in a short glossary. The illustrations are warm and inviting, but they also really supplement some of the new information introduced by the text. The girls are shown wearing helmets, mounting ponies, and windmilling their arms in what I assume is the correct way to do such things in real life. The books also provide lessons on friendship, perseverance, and animal care, and throws in occasional snacks and sleepovers to supplement all the pony stuff. I am not a pony person, but these books are new favorites for me.
April 26, 2014
My horse-crazy daughter loves this series if books. We check them out from the library over and over and over! She can't read yet, and these are rated as level 2 reading, but she loves me to read them. All of these pony scout books have 'pony pointers' at the end of the story to help with horse-related words or phrases that are used (and explained) within the stories, so it is a neat/easy/natural way to read fun horse story, feed the horse-craze in your little one (if yours is like mine), all the while creating a desire to read and learn more.
October 19, 2011
Jill, Annie and Meg are the Pony Scouts! Their latest adventure is at Jill's farm. Annie demonstrates perseverance when she finds out what it means to get "back in the saddle" after a fall.
Inviting characters and new vocabulary, defined at the end of the story, make this easy reader book by Catherine Hapka enticing and accessible for young readers.
Inviting characters and new vocabulary, defined at the end of the story, make this easy reader book by Catherine Hapka enticing and accessible for young readers.
November 2, 2013
My 6 year-old read this and asked me to give it 4-stars.
This is an easy read for a first grade student (Level 2 Book).
This is an easy read for a first grade student (Level 2 Book).
July 19, 2016
This is a cute series of books. Horses, a short story, and a gentle moral.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews