Fly-by-Night

Ruth Hollis, an 11-year-old girl, purchases a barely-trained pony named Fly for £40. She renames him Fly-by-Night and sets out to train him herself, despite having limited experience with horses. After joining a pony club to improve her horsemanship, Ruth encounters both challenges and opportunities. Her path crosses with Pearl, a rival rider with an Arabian mare, and Peter, a runaway boy who knows horses well. The story centers on Ruth's determination to succeed with Fly-by-Night against mounting odds, culminating in their participation in the hunter trials competition. This classic children's novel explores themes of persistence, growth, and the special bond between young riders and their horses.

Readers describe this as a realistic portrayal of a young girl's relationship with a dangerous horse. The book focuses heavily on the technical aspects of riding and horse care. Readers appreciated: - Authentic depictions of horse behavior and training - Complex family dynamics - Ruth's determination and growth - Details about stable management Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in the middle sections - Some found Ruth's initial choices reckless - Less exciting than other K.M. Peyton novels Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (189 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (21 ratings) Several reviews mention the book helped them understand horse psychology. One reader noted: "Shows the reality of working with difficult horses - no magic solutions." Another wrote: "Not as romantic as Black Beauty, but more truthful about the challenges of horse ownership." Most negative reviews focused on the technical horse content being too detailed for non-equestrian readers.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell A horse's first-person narrative chronicles life experiences with different owners in Victorian England, depicting the bond between horses and humans.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo The story follows a horse named Joey through World War I as he serves on both sides of the conflict while his young owner searches for him.

The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis A young boy and a talking horse escape from a life of servitude and journey through foreign lands to reach freedom in Narnia.

National Velvet by Enid Bagnold A 14-year-old girl trains a difficult horse and disguises herself as a male jockey to compete in the Grand National steeplechase.

My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara A rancher's son forms a deep connection with a wild filly while learning responsibility and perseverance on a Wyoming horse ranch.

🐎 K.M. Peyton wrote her first horse story at age 9 and had her first novel published when she was just 15 years old. 🏆 The book won the Carnegie Medal in 1969, one of the most prestigious awards for children's literature in the United Kingdom. 🌟 Many of the challenges Ruth faces in the book were inspired by Peyton's own experiences as a young rider learning horsemanship in post-war Britain. 📚 "Fly-by-Night" spawned several sequels following Ruth's adventures, including "The Team" and "Fly-by-Day." 🐴 The £40 Ruth pays for Fly-by-Night in the story would be equivalent to approximately £700 ($890) in 2024, still remarkably cheap for a pony even by today's standards.