Kathy Helidoniotis was born in Sydney.  Her two favourite things in childhood were reading and riding:  by the time she was ten she had a horse of her own, called Clarrie.  Writing was something she came to early, though one of her best remembered childhood stories was actually about a hen, Patch.  Kathy Helidoniotis trained as a teacher, and still teaches.  She has written numerous books for children, as well as the Horse Mad series.  This series is about Ashleigh Miller, and takes her from having no horse to winning a scholarship to a well known riding school.  The series has all the usual pony book elements:  lovely horses, villains and plenty of competitions.  The books are good, straightforward reads.

Finding the books:  all the books are still in print, and are easy to find.

Sources and Links:
Kathy Helidoniotis’ website
Whitecap Books’ section on the Horse Mad series (Kathy Helidoniotis’ Canadian publishers)
Harper Collins on Kathy Helidoniotis

Kathy Helidoniotis

Horse Mad

Totally Horse Mad
Horse Mad Summer
Horse Mad Adademy
Horse Mad Heroes
Horse Mad Western
Horse Mad Heights
Horse Mad Whispers

Totally Horse Mad
Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 2006. Cover art: Belinda Taylor (photographer)
Walrus Books, Canada, 2008

Ashleigh loves horses, but she can’t afford one, and there is no where to keep one even if she could, as she
and her parents live in the city.  Then they say she can have a horse, but only because they’re moving away
from all Ashleigh knows, and her friends, to rural Australia.

Horse Mad Summer
Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 2006. Cover art: Belinda Taylor (photographer)
Walrus Books, Canada, 2008

Ashleigh loves loving in the country, and has made a new friend - Becky.  She is delighted when her friend
from the city, Jenna, comes to stay, but Becky and Jenna do not get on, and Ashleigh is stuck in the middle.

Horse Mad Academy
Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 2006. Cover art: Belinda Taylor (photographer)
Walrus Books, Canada, 2009

Ashleigh is going to be spending the summer at camp at the Waratah Grove Riding Academy.  It seems
like a dream, but she soon finds the people she meets there are not all she seems, and then her horse
Honey has a dangerous mental block about dressage.  It looks as if Ashleigh won’t manage to graduate
unless she can work out what is wrong with Honey.

Horse Mad Heroes
Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 2007. Cover art: Belinda Taylor (photographer)
Walrus Books, Canada, 2009

Ashleigh has a job at the new riding school which has opened in Shady Creek:  the Shady Trails Riding
Ranch, but there is a rivalry between her Riding Club and the new school, and there is the promise of
disruption at home when the new baby is born.

Horse Mad Western
Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 2008. Cover art: Belinda Taylor (photographer)
Walrus Books, Canada, 2009

Ashleigh is busy, busy, busy.  She has her job at the Riding Ranch, Riding Club, her horses, her friends,
her enemies, her parents’ B&B and a visit from her friend Jenna, as well as learning a new style of riding:  
Western, so she can ride in the Western Riding Show.

Horse Mad Heights
Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 2009. Cover art: Belinda Taylor (photographer)
Walrus Books, Canada, 2010

Ashleigh has won a scholarship to Linley Heights boarding school, which has horses as well as everything
else.  Ashleigh finds it isn’t easy being the new one at school, and she misses her friends.

Horse Mad Whispers
Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 2010. Cover art: Belinda Taylor (photographer)
 

Ashleigh is recovering from her accident.  As she does so, she discovers horse whispering, which she
hopes will help her with Lightening, the horse who injured her.  

Bibliography - horse books only