The Horse Who Danced

We all have dreams and sometimes these dreams come at a cost. . . The Horse who Danced is a beautifully written story by Olivia Tuffin about a young girls dream to be a dressage star. 

Iona lives on the Kestrel Estate and helps her mom to run the trekking centre, but when the owner of Kestrel Estate dies, Iona and her family are put under pressure to sell their cottage and stables to the new owners.  The stables have been in Iona's family care for decades and Iona's mom does not want to sell.

Iona and her pony - Jinks - have a natural, heartwarming connection and when they are in the area performing, they produce magic.  Iona has always dreamt of stardom, but has never had the money to enter into the big competitions.  So, when the famous dressage star - Jessica Jefferies - asks to home her horse at Iona's livery whilst he recovers from an injury, their worlds collide.

Iona is in awe of everything Jessica has and without realising it, she starts to resent what she has always known and is swept of her feet by the dazzle of a different world and lifestyle. But this success comes at a cost and back home at her family's stables, pressure mounts on her mom to sell the stables.

This book has a poignant, dark storyline that comes from power and money, but it will also teach the reader about perception and how we interpret what we hear and see based upon how we want it to be.

Children who love horse will find this a perfect read, but it will also appeal to those children who want to read a story that has a gripping theme about fame, glory and betrayal. I was emotionally attached to the words on these pages when reading this book and I think that children will be drawn in by the characters and creativity of the story itself.

224 pages / Reviewed by Hayley Summerfield, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+

13-year-old Iona Patterson lives with her mum and stepdad on the Kestrel estate. Mum runs a pony trekking centre from the stables, and they have a happy life there, although money is tight.  Iona loves horses, especially Jinks, her dressage horse, and when a local dressage star, Jessica, offers to train Iona it seems that everything is perfect.  However, when the owner of Kestrel House dies, and new owners take over, Iona's security is threatened as several strange and distressing incidents take place. Someone wants them out of their beloved stables, and Iona and her best friend Oscar have to work hard to solve the mystery of who is behind all of the troubles. Along the way, Iona learns what is really important to her.

The Horse Who Danced is a well-written novel which will appeal to any pony-mad reader.  Iona is a lovely character, loyal to her family, but her head is turned when her association with celebrity rider Jessica, and she finds herself torn between her family and her potential career.  She has a rivalry with another rider, April, whose family are wealthy and who seems to have a charmed life.

As the story unfolds, Iona learns that appearances can be deceiving, and that a loving family is worth far more than money. The author is clearly an experienced rider and horse owner and writes beautifully about horses and ponies. Dressage is a complicated discipline, and Ms Tuffin includes just enough detail to intrigue, but not overwhelm, the reader.

The novel comes to an exciting conclusion, filled with hope for the future. The Horse Who Danced is an entertaining novel, a real page-turner, and I can see it being a popular addition to a school library.

224 pages / Reviewed by Beverley Somerset, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 9+