Glenda Spooner

British author, although born in India. A prominent figure in the world of showing. She was also involved with the ILPH (International League for the Protection of Horses) and has rescue centres named after her. She wrote some instructional horse non-fiction, (being probably best known for those on showing), a seminal work on pony trekking and collected together the diaries of Dorothea Brooke who founded the Brooke Hospital for Animals.  She also wrote a number of hard to find pony novels, as well as one adult non-horse novel that I know of.

Horse & Pony Books:

ROYAL CRUSADER: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A HORSE
(LATIMER HOUSE 1948)
ILLUSTRATED BY MICHAEL LYNE
Fairly rare.
SUMMARY: Pony point of view tale. Royal Crusader is loaned out during the war years but when his loaner dies the horse embarks on a downward spiral due to a number of ignorant and cruel owners. Will he ever be re-united with his  previous loving owner?
PONYMAD RATING: 2 HORSESHOES

THE EARTH SINGS
(LATIMER HOUSE 1950)
Very rare.

THE PERFECT PEST
(JONATHON CAPE 1951)
ILLUSTRATED BY CHARLOTTE HOUGH
Rare.
SUMMARY: Quirky story about a pony-mad little girl who always seems to get her own way.
PONYMAD VIEW: The child heroine may charm some readers but frankly is the kind of self-opinionated brat who gets right up my nose!
PONYMAD RATING: 2 HORSESHOES

MINORITY'S COLT
(CASSELL 1952)
Very rare.
SUMMARY: Adult/older teen racing story about a young man and his dreams for a colt. Tinks Martin returns from the war to re-enter the world of racing where he encounters shady dealings but also romance.
PONYMAD RATING: 3 HORSESHOES

THE SILK PURSE
(CASSELL 1953)
ILLUSTRATED BY ANNE BULLEN
Fairly rare.
SUMMARY: A girl must give up her beloved but scruffy pony to show a posher one, in order to please her pushy showing mother whose adage is you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear. But is that really true…?

Collectors Info:
Although her non-fictional works are fairly easy to find, the same cannot be said for her pony novels which can be extremely elusive and can be expensive.