Book Review: A Perfect Pony

It's the most exciting day of Niki's life! She's saved up enough money to buy her very own pony and today is the day of the pony auction. She could take home a magnificent pinto or a proud Thoroughbred, but she sets her heart on a beautiful white mare instead. When a little black horse with big sad eyes distracts Niki from the mare of her dreams, will she miss the chance to own the perfect pony?' 

Spoiler alert: I think we all know that Niki ends up with a perfect pony anyway.

So I've had this book ever since I was a kid - it was published in 2005, so I would've been nine or ten when I first read it. I remember that I really loved the cover and the fact that it came with a pony charm necklace. Mine was lost years and years ago, and I cannot for the life of me find a picture of it anywhere on the internet, so you'll just have to take my word for it. The books in this series all came with a pony charm, and that was part of the appeal! 

Anyway, our story opens with our plucky heroine, nine-year-old Niki Crawford, arriving at the local livestock auction. She's so excited she practically leaps out of her dad's truck before he parks it, and he's all, 'Woah, kid, please don't jump out of a moving vehicle!' We find out that it's been Niki and her dad for as long as she can remember, because her mother passed away when she was young. Niki's super excited because it turns out today's the day she's going to get her own pony. She's worked hard, and she's finally saved up enough money to buy her own pony - that's the rule her dad had set. With so many other books I read during this era featuring girls acquiring their horses as birthday presents/rescuing a wild horse/raising a lost foal, I'm giving points for realism here. I appreciate that Niki didn't get any shortcuts.

Niki browses the available horses, but none of them are just right for her. She's looking for her dream pony, but none of them are quite what she's looking for - until Niki comes across a beautiful white mare. She's immediately taken with her, and has her heart set on buying her, but it turns out local bully Billy Baily (try saying that ten times in a row) is also demanding that his mother buys him the mare, too. Niki and Billy trade insults: he calls her 'Icky' and she calls him immature, which are obviously devastating burns when you're nine. 

Niki sees a crowd drawing around another horse, and decides to go take a look. It turns out the crowd is taking a look at a poor, neglected-looking pony. He's visibly underweight, legs shaking from the weight of holding himself up, head hanging low, letting out a heavy sigh ... I think someone is playing a violin in the background, too? Someone in the crowd mutters that the pony's going to certainly be sold for dog food, and Niki is outraged. She is still telling herself that she should buy the white pony, but when the sad one goes to auction, everyone sighs all pityingly, and Brandon Bartell, the 'meat man' (seriously, how many nine-year-olds know who the local knackery owner is?) is going to win. Niki realises she can't let that happen, and places a bid. Everyone around her responds with truly disproportionate level of shock:

'Niki stood up and shouted. "Fifty dollars!" 

As if in slow motion, the popcorn tumbled between her legs, spraying down the row of empty seats in front of her, and at the same time every head in the auction barn turned to stare.' 

Oh, the drama of it all! Thirty seconds of silence follows. THIRTY. SECONDS. I'm really not sure why everyone would be so stunned at someone placing a bid an an auction, but I do remember eating this up as a kid. Niki goes to visit her new pony in his pen, and then Billy struts over showing off his new pony: obviously, he ended up with the lovely white mare. Niki's feeling disheartened about taking on her underweight, neglected pony, but her dad tells her that she's done a good thing and that she can turn the pony's life around, which is quite sweet. 

At home, Niki's new pony gets his ~makeover montage~ as Niki grooms him and realises that he's actually quite handsome underneath all the dirt. She tries to come up with a name for him, and eventually settles on Blackberry, because he's a black pony. It takes her quite a few goes to come up with this. Hopefully Niki is not planning on pursuing a career in creative writing. When she goes to pick up his hooves, she discovers that he has thrush. After all, it wouldn't be a horse girl book without an equine health crisis. Niki fears the worst, but a visit from the vet reveals that it's completely treatable, and Blackberry will be fine. 

On the school bus, Billy is bragging to all the students about his new mare, who he's named Warrior. Niki thinks this is a terrible name choice, and I agree with her. Warrior's a truly shit name for a horse. Billy insults Niki's new pony in front of all the kids, and calls him a bag of bones. Niki complains about Billy's behaviour to her friend, Laura, who explains that she's heard that Billy's dad is mean to him. At home, Niki visits Blackberry, who has gained weight and has a shiny coat now. Now, the points for realism I mentioned earlier are now deducted, because it's at this point in the story Niki decides to try tacking up Blackberry and riding him with NO ADULT PRESENT. (Earlier, she and her dad discuss how he's probably not been properly broken in.) It all goes completely fine because Niki's the main character, but Blackberry keeps staring at a hedge. Niki goes over to investigate, and finds Billy sitting in it. He's all dirty and he's been crying, so something's obviously gone wrong. 

Niki accuses Billy of spying on her, but he explains he was searching for Warrior, who bucked him off after he hit her with a crop to make her run. Niki is furious, but Billy explains that's what his father taught him. Niki wonders if Billy's dad hits him, too, which is pretty dark for a children's novel. Niki feels sorry for Billy, and explains that she treats Blackberry with love and respect. She helps Billy catch Warrior, but when he gets back on her he kicks her too hard, and Warrior dumps him again. Billy flies into a raging temper, then starts crying. Niki tells him that he needs to be more gentle with Warrior, but Billy insists that she will dump him again. He asks Niki to ride Warrior instead, which she excitedly accepts. Warrior responds well to Niki, and Billy begins to realise that Niki is right about treating animals kindly. He asks her if she wants to go on a ride with him tomorrow and Niki, to her own surprise, accepts. 

The next morning at breakfast, Niki asks her father if Billy's father hits him. Her dad responds that he doesn't think so, and that he thinks it's mostly yelling and intimidation. Niki doesn't understand what that means, and her dad explains that it's when you use fear to get what you want from someone. Niki rides out to visit Billy, and when she gets to his house, he's having trouble bridling Warrior. Billy's been rough and impatient with her again, so Niki steps him and shows him how to gently bridle her. She gives this impassioned speech about the importance of treating animals with kindness and care. She tells him that intimidation doesn't work, and he should try love instead. Billy suddenly pales, and Niki turns around to see that his dad is standing close by and has overheard the whole thing. 

Niki worries that Mr. Bailey is going to be angry about what she said, but it turns out he's so wowed by Niki's speech that he resolves to treat Billy kindly from now on. Billy is thrilled. I remember completely accepting this when I first read the book, but, as an adult, I do hope Mr. Bailey didn't just rely on a new attitude to heal the cycle of intimidation and emotional abuse and also, you know, went to therapy or anger management or something. 

Niki heads home, grooms Blackberry, and turns him out in the paddock. He canters around the field, looking all healthy and happy, and Niki realises that she truly did get her perfect pony after all. 

Overall, this book was pretty fun to revisit. I was an absolute sucker for the 'nursing a sick horse back to health' trope as a kid, and you know what? I still enjoy it now. I really liked the dynamic between Niki and her dad. I feel like a lot of horse girl books portrayed the parents as disapproving of their children's aspirations, but it was quite sweet how Niki's dad was her biggest supporter. The book definitely presents a pretty over-simplified solution to 'fixing' emotional abuse, but I think it does deserve props for explaining intimidation to young readers in a way they can understand. A solid 3/5.