Diane Redmond

British author. Born in Lancashire, and lived in Italy for a time before returning to the UK. Worked as a teacher before becoming a radio and TV presenter, playwright, scriptwriter and of course author! Prolific children's writer, especially of animal stories. Also wrote the Watership Down books to tie in with the TV series based on Richard Adam's classic and the young children's Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder series.

I do not know what her interest in horses is, as there is little biographical information about her. She has written a good traditional pony series and an excellent stand-alone pony novel, plus a horse-themed story for younger readers. She now lives in Cambridge.

Pony Club/Pony Days Series:
Traditional series set in a riding school.

1) THE NEWCOMER
FIRST EDITION HODDER & STOUGHTON 1995
ILLUSTRATED BY LINDA BODDY
Paperback original
SUMMARY: Pony-mad Polly's dreams come true when the family move opposite a riding school!

2) TOUGH GOING
FIRST EDITION HODDER & STOUGHTON 1995
ILLUSTRATED BY LINDA BODDY
Paperback original
SUMMARY: Tragedy strikes when Polly's beautiful grey Moon Dancer becomes very ill. Can the vets save her?

3) PONY ON LOAN
FIRST EDITION HODDER & STOUGHTON 1996
ILLUSTRATED BY LINDA BODDY
Paperback original
SUMMARY: Moly the palomino pony Polly rides is getting too small for her so she begins riding Maia, a gorgeous grey Arab who is on loan to the stables. But what will happen when Maia's owner wants her back?

3) A RIDERS YEAR
FIRST EDITION HODDER & STOUGHTON 1995
ILLUSTRATED BY LINDA BODDY
Paperback original
SUMMARY: The chestnut gelding Jack the Lad who has been rescued from a cruel owner is a handful of trouble. Will Polly be allowed to keep him, or will he prove too dangerous to be ridden and have to be sold?

Collectors Info:
Easy to find in the UK and to a slightly lesser extent in the USA.

Other Horse & Pony Books:

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HORSE IN THE WORLD
aka CARA'S DREAM (UK edition)
FIRST EDITION HARPER COLLINS [USA] 1994
FIRST UK EDITION KNIGHT 1994
Paperback original
Reprinted in hardback by Stabenfeldt in 2007
Published in the UK in paperback by Knight as part of the Rosettes Series when it was renamed Cara's Dream
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st US edition, Stabenfeldt hardback edition, UK Rosettes edition
SUMMARY: Cara is hired to ride Lucas when his owner is at college. Cara falls in love with the horse and together they start winning prizes. But then Lucas is sold to unpleasant new owners including a troubled and spiteful teenage girl who will do anything she can to stop Cara riding him. What can Cara do? If she keeps seeing Lucas she may put him in danger, but if she doesn't her heart may break…
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

SAUSAGE MOLE AND LITTLE FOAL
FIRST EDITION VIKING 1991
ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN EASTWOOD
Reprinted in paperback by Puffin in 1993.
SUMMARY: For very young readers. Includes two stories, one about a foal.

Collectors Info:
Both books are quite easy to find in the UK and USA and are usually low cost.