Michelle Bates & Susannah Leigh
The Sandy Lane Stables Series
1 A Horse for the Summer
2 The Runaway Pony
3 Strangers at the Stables
4 The Midnight Horse
5 Dream Pony
6 Ride by Moonlight
7 Horse in Danger
8 The Perfect Pony
9 Riding Holiday
The Sandy Lane Stables series has managed to survive several reprints, and has not been out of print since it came out in the mid 1990s. It is a classic pony book series, centred round a Riding Stables, and the adventures of the group of children who ride there. It’s free of the fantasy elements which infest so many pony books in the 21st century, and despite its latest set of covers, features neither pink nor sparkles. The series is unusual in being openly written by two different authors.
Michelle Bates was in her twenties when she started writing the series, having had a passion for horses as a child. She has since worked as an editor. Susannah Leigh, besides four titles of the Sandy Lane Stables series, has also written many other children’s books, most notablythe Puzzle series for Usborne (adored by my children). She is listed as Editor of some of the Sandy Lane series. Who wrote which book isn’t always clear: Strangers at the Stables and The Midnight Horse have Michelle Bates listed as author in earlier editions, and Susannah Leigh in the latest printings.
Many thanks to Hannah Fleetwood for all her help with this section.
Finding the books: the series is still in print. Second hand copies are very easy to find, and very cheap.
Sources:
A little snippet on Michelle Bates
A Horse for the Summer (Michelle Bates)
Usborne, 1996, 109 pp.
EDC Publishing, 1996 (USA)
In Welsh: Miri Madog, Gomer, 1997
Usborne, 2009
“When Tom is lent a prize-
is wild and unpredictable and Tom is forced to start
training him in secret. But the days of summer are numbered and
Chancy isn’t Tom’s
to keep forever. At some point, he will have to give him back.”
The Runaway Pony (Susannah Leigh)
Usborne, 1996
Usborne Books , 2003, USA
“When tthe riderless palomino pony clatters into the yard, no one is more surprised
than Jess. Hot on the pony’s
hooves comes a man waving a head collar. Jess helps
him catch the pony and sends them on their way. Little
is she to know what far-
Strangers at the Stables (Michelle Bates/Susannah Leigh)
Usborne, London, 1996, 113 pp.
EDC Publishing, 1996, USA
Usborne, 2009
My review of Strangers at the Stables
“When the owners of Sandy Lane are called away, everyone still expects the stables
to run
smoothly in their absence. No one is quite prepared for all the things that
happen over the next few
weeks. There isn’t time to get help -
save their stables...”
The Midnight Horse (Michelle Bates/Susannah Leigh)
Usborne, London, 1996, 112 pp.
EDC Publishing, 1998, USA
Usborne, 2009
“Riding at the Hawthorn Horse Trials is all that Kate has dreamed of and this year
she’s in with
a real chance of winning. As she works hard to prepare for the day,
it seems nothing will distract
her from her goal. But then the mysterious midnight
horse rides into Kate’s life, and suddenly
everything changes....”
Dream Pony (Susannah Leigh)
Usborne 1996, London, hb, 112 pp.
EDC Publishing, 1998, USA
Usborne, 2009
“Jess Adams loves riding, and she especially loves riding the ponies at Sandy Lane.
When the
smart Rychester Riding Stables opens its doors down the road, she doesn’t
imagine for a
moment it will make any difference to her. But then something happens
to change all that...
Something that tests Jess’s loyalty to the limit....”
Ride by Moonlight (Michelle Bates)
Usborne, London, 1997, 108pp. Not illus. 2 pgs of maps
EDC Publishing, 1998, USA
Usborne,
2009
“When Charlie loses his nerve in a riding accident, no one thiks for a moment it’ll
be long before
he’s back in the saddle. But as the weeks go by, his friends begin
to realise it’s going to take
something quite exceptional to get him riding again...”
Horse in Danger (Michelle Bates)
Usborne, 1998
EDC Publishing, 2003, USA
Usborne, 2009
“Rosie and Jess have always been the best of friends, but they have found themselves
drifting
apart. During a treasure hunt ride, Rosie sets out to make amends. But what
she discovers that
day takes her down a path of deception and danger, putting her
friendship with Jess to the ultimate
test. Stumbling across a plot to fix a race,
Rosie is torn between saving a horse and losing her
best friend. What will she do?
in the perfect pony tales, adored by horse-
The Perfect Pony (Michelle Bates)
Usborne, 1998, 2009, 112 pp.
Scholastic, New York, 2004
“Alex's sister Kate cannot believe what he's done. Alex thought he was solving lots
of problems
buying a pony at local auction. So he's in for a shock when he realizes
he is now the owner of
Puzzle, a filthy, thin and abused pony. But worse is to come,
for Puzzle is in such a state, she
may have to be put down..”
Riding Holiday (Michelle Bates)
Usborne , 1998, 2003, 2009
As Riding Vacation, Scholastic, 2003, USA
“Kte and Izzy have left Sandy Lane Stables for a three-
they're not doing much riding, the owner is mysteriously missing
and everyone seems to be keeping a secret.
Then a horse's life is threatened...”
Sandy Lane Stables Omnibus
Usborne 1997
(A Horse for the Summer, The Runaway Pony, Strangers at the Stables)
Bibliography -
