I read this series as a child and loved them. I am reading them again in my 40s and still love these books. The story is wholesome, full of values and lessons.
I read this when I was an adult. This story is better than most stuff published for adults. This is not a fluffy-bunny type story with kids and animals. There is real drama, injustice and death. I had 4 or 5 of this series when I lived in Lancaster, PA (where or near where the series is set, incidentally) but this was the stand out one of the bunch, probably because it was so sad (yet not maudlin.)
I either sold or gave away my original copies of the series. I've missed the series, though. Just this week, I bought two of the books -- but this is not one of them. And it probably won't be one of them. I have enough trauma and drama in my life, thank you.
Have you noticed that rich kids in young adult series tend to be pond scum? There's a rich bitch in The Saddle Club series, another rich bitch in the Phantom Stallion series and a rich bitchy guy in the first of the Thoroughbred books. I'm not sure if this is a stereotype or based on actual observations of rich bitches of all sexes. I'm not complaining about the rich = bitch treatment, just wondered if you HAVE to have a rich bitch in any young adult series featuring horses.