Judy van der Veer

Hold the Rein Free

Golden Gate Junior Books, San Carols, Calif, 1966, illus Pers Crowell, 243  pp.

Scholastic Book Services, 1966, illus Pers Crowell

Mr Richie’s Thoroughbred filly Mia disgraces herself and mates with a scrub stallion.  He orders them both to be

shot, but Amy and Kiko decide to try and save them both.
 

Judy van der Veer (1912-1982) was born in Pennsylvania.  She began writing after she was confined to bed on her parents’ 240 acre ranchin California after she broke her leg.  Many of her books; her poetry and fiction, were about animals and life on the ranch.  Her works were well received during her lifetime; the New York Times called her The River Pasture “full of.... a deep sense of beauty and a keen vitality.”  She wrote at least two horse books (quite possibly more - if you know of more, please contact me).  I have included her non fiction The Gray Mare’s Colts her as it sounds such a charmer.

Finding the book:  Hold the Rein Free is very easy to find, and cheap.  The Gray Mare’s Colts is a little more expensive, but still very easy to find.  Neither book was published in the UK.

Sources and links:

Biographical information

Terri A. Wear:  Horse Stories, an Annotated Bibilography, Scarecrow Press, 1987

Bibliography - horse books only

The Gray Mare’s Colts

Golden Gate Junior Books, San Carlos, Calif, 1971, illus Bernard Garbutt, 131 pp.

Non fiction: reminiscences by the author about the horses she’s owned throughout her life, from a gray mare
and her colts to others she’s known.  “Her account of these creatures - from the little filly, Colleen, 'gay as a
stick of peppermint candy, ' to Buc, the trickster, whose life was devoted to outwitting his riders - comprises
a rare 'portrait gallery, ' presented with insight, humor, and the charm that is uniquely characteristic of all
Miss Van der Veer's writing.”