A Year of Horse Books: The Pony Whisperer by Esme Higgs - reviewed by Katherine Roberts

February 2026 sees the start of the Chinese Year of the Horse, bringing energy and bold moves after last year's snakeskin shedding. And this is a Fire Horse year, which means even more energy and even bolder moves!

To get into the mood, I drew this picture at an author retreat earlier this month. It's based on an ex-racehorse I used to ride. He must have had a lot of energy because he once won a race, though if you saw him lying down in his field snoozing on a sunny day you'd never guess he'd seen a racecourse. That's the secret to winning races, plenty of downtime in-between, which for us humans means time to read books (not screens with their constant distractions). Since this is a National Year of Reading and also a Year of the Horse, I'm aiming to review a horse-themed book each month, bringing you a mix of fiction and non-fiction for all ages.

We kick off with a title for young readers aged 8-11: "The Pony Whisperer" by Esme Higgs and Jo Cotterill.

The Pony Whisperer

This is the fourth book in a series involving the Starlight Stables Gang, four friends who bond over their shared love of ponies. I haven't read the previous three titles, but this doesn't really matter as each book is told by one of the four young characters, and there is enough background to fill in any gaps. In this book we meet Daniel, the only boy in the gang and eldest of a large family whose father is in prison. The stables and his favourite pony Onyx are a welcome escape from his responsibilities at home, but when he sees a strange pony at another farm being mistreated he can't turn a blind eye, and soon his friends in the Starlight Stables Gang are on the case. The rescued pony is so nervous, only Daniel with his pony-whispering talent can get near her, but with Christmas coming and his mother falling ill where will he find the time to help everyone?

The seasonal cover gives this book a festive feel that was perfect for cheering up a wet and miserable January, and there are full page black-and-white illustrations inside too. Its author Jo Cotterill worked with equine influencer Esme Higgs to create the story under a ghost-writing agreement, which sometimes happens when a celebrity name is on the cover, so it was interesting to hear her experience of the process, and the story is richer for the collaboration since it mixes the equine world with family drama. The good news is that two more books in the series are planned, so if you enjoy this one there are more Starlight adventures to come!

*

Katherine Roberts writes fantasy and historical fiction, often involving horses or their magical cousins such as unicorns.

Her Pendragon Legacy series for young readers includes fairy horses that can mist around obstacles. This free short story introduces King Arthur's daughter, Rhianna Pendragon, and her fairy horse Alba who carries her on a quest to save Camelot from the dark knight Mordred.

Horse of Mist
(ages 8-11, free for Kindle)

You can find all four books in this series on Katherine's Pendragon Legacy page.