The Valley of the Ponies

by Jean Slaughter Doty

Jennifer's wonderful summer with a pony of her own is marred by a tense encounter with horse thieves.

Genres: Horses, Childrens, Animals

Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Jean Slaughter Doty was born in New York. She was married to the cartoonist Roy Doty, and lived in Connecticut with her husband, children and numerous horses, dogs and Siamese cats. Her equine experience was wide: she hunted in England and Ireland, and was well known for breeding Welsh ponies at Rockrimmon farm, as well as Keeshond dogs. She was a show judge at numerous shows, including the National Horse Show at Madison Square Gardens. Almost all of her books are stories about horses for middle readers or young adults.

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, sweet book that felt very peaceful to read. The illustrations were lovely. I love Jean Slaughter Doty's writing and am working on tracking down and reading all of her books. 🐴

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first it seemed like it was a carbon-copy of Doty's previous book, Summer Pony. It has some of the flavor of C. W. Anderson's Billy and Blaze series, where a kid and pony become really good friends and have misadventures in the days before the Internet, GPS systems or mobile phones -- and in the early days of significant urban sprawl.



About two thirds of the way through, the books picks up as a whole herd of show ponies comes under danger of being sold to the slaughterhouse. Sadly, the black market for horsemeat is just as strong as it was when this was first published in 1982. The official closing of slaughterhouses for horses in the United States hasn't slowed anything down.

It was nice to see that the equine hero is a mixed-breed or grade pony. They really are the salt of the earth and are often not considered valuable just because they do not have a pedigree. I'm guessing that the ponies in danger were Welsh, like this guy:



All in all it was a nice book for horse-lovers of any age but nothing outstanding. It was nice to see an optimistic book from Jean Slaughter Doty for a change.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well! If THIS isn't just the most idyllic little snapshot of summer-with-a-pony + An Adventure I've ever seen... and I especially loved that the impetus for spending the summer away was distress about the apple orchard across the street being ripped out and replaced with an ugly condo development (OK, technically it was about getting away from the noise and dust, but there was also distress for both mother and daughter). That's so me!

[Bri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was one of my most favorite books growing up. I think I checked it out from the library about every other week. I wonder how I'd feel about it if I read it now...

ETA: Never re-read a childhood favorite. They're rarely as good when you've got a couple decades on ya.

[Melinda Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennifer's dad was working in Texas for the summer, so she and her mom spent their time in Connecticut living in a friend's home. As she was taking riding lessons, her teacher said that he had purchased a wonderful pony that she could care for during the summer. They loaded a horse trailer and off they went! Luckily, there was a stable and a pasture waiting. Jennifer and Melissa, the pony, enjoyed their time together riding, jumping fences, and exploring. They even got acquainted with the ponies next door. During her stay, something quite alarming occurred, that could have been very costly and disastrous for all concerned.

This is a thrilling book for a young person, and I enjoyed it as well. It was told in first person, which made it all the more exciting.

[Renata Shura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written for the younger reader, this book aligns more with the level of Summer and Winter Pony. This story sets the standard for idyllic, unencumbered summer days spent getting to know your borrowed pony. And while the adult in me cringes at most of the things the protagonist does, the kid in me is totally there! Great for dreaming when you need to get away.

[Julie Havener · Rating 4 out of 5]

A darling book for girls who like horses! What fun.

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this one up cheap at the library sale (20 books...$2.00 total). I was very fond of Doty's books Summer Pony and Winter Pony that I read earlier this year (2009) in honor of Children's Book Week, but this one wasn't that great. Okay but fairly unforgettable.

[Partridge Public]

Doty, Jean S.