Horse Books

If you live in a city or in the country I am sure your little ones love seeing horses. Little Bit will be taking horse lessons soon from a family friend and this list is a great start for her as she learns about horses. Whether you are studying horses with your kids, taking care of a horse or just want to learn more we hope this list gets you off to a great start. A great book list to read alongside these books is our Cowboys and Cowgirls booklist.

Books About Horses

More Resources for Little Book Lovers

The best way to encourage a love of reading is to provide kids with many opportunities to engage with a wide variety of books that are of interest to them. That’s why we share so many books lists on Fantastic Fun and Learning. We want to make it easy for you to find great books your kids will love. Over the years we’ve also discovered some helpful tools for connecting kids and books.

Digital libraries are one very handy way to do this. Epic! is one of our favorite online libraries. It’s full of over 25,000 books, learning videos, quizzes and more for kids 12 and under…and it’s free for educators. Click here to learn more and sign up.

Book Boxes are another fun way to get kids excited about reading. What kid doesn’t love to get a special delivery in the mail?! The crew over at Bookroo finds the best little known books that you won’t already have in your library, and they send them to you each month. Take a peak inside a Bookroo Box here.

Book-Based Activities are also a lot of fun for kids. Jodie over at Growing Book by Book has saved us all a ton of time and created a full year of Book-Based Activity Calendars so that you can extend the fun with a special book each week.

Stories about Horses

Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash – Are You a Horse is a silly and funny story about Roy and his search to find a horse. Along the way Roy discovers all the things a horse should be and the things a horse is not. Little Bit thought this was a funny story and we loved the surprise mix-up at the end.

Blackie: the Horse that Stood Still by Christopher Cerf – Blackie is the true story of a horse that loved to stand still. The story of his life is told through paintings and a rhyming storyline. The story does end with Blackie dying from old age but there is a sweet tribute created for him.

Ponyella by Laura Numeroff – Ponyella is a Cinderella tale with a pony twist. Ponyella (pony Cinderella) lives at a stable with Plumpkin and Bun Bun (mean step-sisters) and has to do all the horrible farm work. When the three ponies find out that Princess Penelope (the prince) is picking the winner of the Grand Royal Pony Championship, Ponyella would love to attend. This is a sweet story that includes horses and horse jumping.

Hush, Little Horsie by Jane Yolen – Hush, Little Horsie is a sweet poem that shows all the ways a mother horse will be there for her pony. The poem is repeated every few pages with a new type of horse found in a different place, and a few words are changed in each poem. I love this book from the poem to the beautiful illustrations.

Call the Horse Lucky by Juanita Havill – Call the Horse Lucky is about a horse that is not cared for and neglected. Grandma and Mell see him on a bike ride and decide to call the Humane Society. This story does have a happy ending with Lucky being rescued and later working at a therapy ranch. The beginning of the story might be sad for little ones but this is a great story for kids that are old enough. It teaches them that we should take care of animals and how animals can help others.

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble – The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses is a classic story of a Native American girl that becomes lost when the tribe’s horses run away. She discovers a life living among wild horses. The illustrations are unique and include colorful details. This book also won the Caldecott Medal and other awards.

Race the Wild Wind: A Story of the Sable Island Horses by Sandra Markle – Race the Wild Wind is a story that is based loosely on horses that were left on Sable Island. The book follows a lead horse as he lives through different seasons on the island. This is a great story to read with little ones and do your own research into wild horses or Sable Island Horses.

Informational Horse Books

Horses: Trotting! Prancing! Racing! By Patricia Hubbell – Horses is a great book for introducing little ones to different types of horses and the many different things they can do. The illustrations are childlike and include simple information about horses.

National Geographic Kids: Ponies by Laura Marsh – Ponies is a great book to read with kids that are just beginning to learn about ponies. The information is presented in a colorful and interesting way that will encourage young ones to not only read but also look at the many different photos of ponies you can find throughout the book.

Horses: the Ultimate Treasury by John Woodward – Horses is a collection of all things horses, from horses in history to how to keep a horse and everything in between. The book is filled with photos, statues, drawings, paintings and even cave drawings of horses. It is broken into parts that give detailed information about early horses, native horses, working horses, horses in shows and sports and how to take care of the horse. This is a great book to read for kids that want to take their horse knowledge to the next level.

Horse & Pony Breeds by Sandy Ransford – The book Horse & Pony Breeds is a wonderful resource for kids that have a basic knowledge of horses but would like to know more about the different breeds. Each breed includes photos, diagrams, and details about different topics relating to the breed. Sandy Ransford also wrote: Horse and Pony Encyclopedia, Horse and Pony Care, Horses and Ponies, and First Riding Lessons.

A Friend for Einstein, the Smallest Stallion by Charlie Cantrell – In A Friend for Einstein, we meet Einstein, a mini miniature horse. Einstein looks for a friend that is his size who loves to run and play. Will anyone on the farm play with him?