Patricia Leitch

A favourite of author of many readers, Patricia Leitch was born on July 13th 1933 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. She obtained a teaching diploma in 1967, although did not work as a teacher for very long.

Her love of horses began when a friend persuaded her to go on a trekking holiday, and she soon began writing about them too. She has had many different jobs including library assistant, working at a riding school, a bookshop assistant, a primary school teacher and a typist. but it seems clear that writing is her metier!

She has interests in psychology, Eastern cultures and vegetarianism, and has admitted that she has a "vivid imagination."  These interests are reflected in some of her novels and characters. Unusually for pony stories, many of her books contain mystical themes, with elements of Celtic and other folklore being seen in books such as the Jinny series, The Black Loch and the non-pony fantasy Treasure To The East.

Her Scottish roots can also be seen in her writing, as many of her books are set in Scotland.

Most popular series by far is the Jinny series set in the Highlands of Scotland, although the author wrote many other pony books from the 1960s onwards, as well as two non-pony novels.

Ms Leitch's early books were  for some reason also published under the name of Jane Eliot (see list below).

(Sources: Contemporary Authors.)

Jinny Series:
One of the best-loved pony series of all time. Follows Jinny as she rescues the beautiful Arab mare Shantih, and struggles to learn to ride her. Set in the Scottish highlands, with elements of mystery and magic adding to the appeal.

PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING FOR SERIES:
5 HORSESHOES & GOLD CUP FOR AN OUTSTANDING READ

However this view is not shared by all. The series seems,  like black midget gems, to be one you either love or hate!
To read a discussion on the series please click here
and click here to vote whether or not you like it.

1) FOR LOVE OF A HORSE
(ARMADA PB 1976)
Reprinted in hardback by Severn House in 1979 and paperback.
Recently reprinted in paperback in 2010 by Catnip and still in print.
SUMMARY: Jinny's family move from the dreary city of Stopton  to Finmory in the beautiful Scottish highlands and their life changes forever. Their father gives up his job as a probation officer to become a potter, and the children are promised ponies to ride to school! At a local circus Jinny sees an Arab mare being cruelly treated and falls in love with her. Later the mare escapes onto the hills. Can Jinny ever catch her and tame her and will her father let her have the spirited mare instead of the staid Highland pony he suggested?

2) A DEVIL TO RIDE
(ARMADA PB 1976)
Reprinted in hardback by Severn House and in paperback.
Recently reprinted in paperback in 2010 by Catnip and still in print.
SUMMARY: Jinny now owns beautiful Arab mare Shantih. But the horse is a 'devil to ride' - will she ever learn to control her?

3) THE SUMMER RIDERS
(ARMADA PB 1977)
Reprinted in paperback.
SUMMARY: Jinny is angry when the brash city girl Marlene is foisted upon her, even more so when she wants to ride on Shantih!

4) NIGHT OF THE RED HORSE
(ARMADA 1978)
Reprinted in paperback.
SUMMARY: What is the secret of the old painting of the red horse on Jinny's wall? Does it have a strange supernatural power…?

5) GALLOP TO THE HILLS
(ARMADA PB 1979)
Reprinted in paperback.
SUMMARY: Jinny is looking after her friend Ken's dog Kelly whilst he is away. But when some local sheep are killed, Kelly is blamed. It is up to Jinny and Shantih to save him from the farmers who want to shoot him.

6) HORSE IN A MILLION
(ARMADA PB 1976)
Reprinted in paperback.
SUMMARY: Shantih goes missing. Will Jinny ever see her beloved horse again?

7) THE MAGIC PONY
(ARMADA PB 1982)
Reprinted in paperback.
SUMMARY: Jinny is determined to save a beautiful but ill-treated pony.

8) RIDE LIKE THE WIND
(ARMADA PB 1983)
Reprinted in paperback.
SUMMARY: Jinny is devastated when it seems that the family will have to sell up and move back to the town. Can she think of a way to save her beloved home?

9) CHESTNUT GOLD
(ARMADA PB)
Reprinted in hardback by Severn House in 1987 and in paperback.
SUMMARY: Who is the sinister figure who haunts the moor and why is he following Jinny and Shantih?

10) JUMP FOR THE MOON
(ARMADA PB 1985)
Reprinted in paperback.
SUMMARY: Jinny is determined that Shantih will do well in the jumping at the upcoming show. But soon more serious matters take precedence - Shantih has been identified as a horse that went missing some time ago and her old owner is coming to take her away...

11) HORSE OF FIRE
(ARMADA PB 1986)
Reprinted in paperback.
SUMMARY: The sighting of a white stag on the hills causes trouble.

12) RUNNING WILD
(ARMADA PB 1988)
Reprinted in paperback.
Last in series and hardest to find.
SUMMARY: Jinny is devastated when she finds out that a local museum is to be demolished - for it has close connections to the mysterious red horse which is linked to her and Shantih.

Collectors Info:
There are three sets of paperback editions, some hardbacks and numerous omnibus editions.

PAPERBACKS:
The books are all paperback originals (ie. The first editions are paperbacks). There are 3 main sets of paperbacks which can be collected:

SIGNATURE SET: First edition paperbacks with a Jinny name 'signature' across the cover. Shantih is portrayed by a chestnut with a large blaze. I think these only went up to number 7 in the series.

WHITE HORSESHOE SET: Reprints of the first books in the series. First editions of later ones, from I think number 8 onwards. A small white horseshoe logo denotes the number of the book. Shantih is portrayed by a chestnut Arab (male!) with a star and stripe in most of the books. Number 11 in the series is for some reason not photographic, but pictorial, the only one in the series.

GOLD HORSESHOE SET: All reprints. Large golden coloured horseshoe encompasses title. Most of these are not as pleasing to the eye as the earlier books. Shantih is portrayed by a darker chestnut horse with a star.

CATNIP: A new paperback edition published 2010 onwards. At the time of writing only the first two books have been published, although the others are scheduled to follow in 2011 and 2012. Features a coloured banner at the top with a horseshoe and Shantih is portrayed by Arab mare Zeitia.

Because there were more reprints of them, the early paperback books in the series are fairly easy to find. The hardest two to get hold of are books 11 and 12. Books 6 to 10 are slightly less common than the earlier ones, but still not too hard to find. Occasionally you can find a full set of the books on ebay, but they will usually be quite expensive. The first two books in the series are in print at the moment.

HARDBACKS:
Some of the books were reprinted by Severn House. These are very hard to find. I am not sure which titles were reprinted as such - am still researching this.

OMNIBUS EDITIONS:
There are various paperback omnibus editions (both 2in1 and 3in1 editions) which are fairly easy to find, and were published by various publishers. Also one large hardback omnibus edition with a dustjacket which is much rarer than the paperback omnibuses and contains books 9, 10 and 11.

Kestrels Series (USA - Horseshoe series)
Series aimed at a slightly younger audience than the Jinny series. Although not as outstanding as that series they are excellent stories with a slight mystical element running through.

PONYMAD SERIES RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

ALL ILLUSTRATED BY ESME LENNOX

1) THE SPECIAL PONY
(COLLINS LIONS PB 1992)
(USA Ed -THE PERFECT HORSE)
SUMMARY: Sally and the rest of the Lorimer family are overjoyed when they move to Kestrels, the house of their dreams. Sally meets Thalia, who is to become her best friend and has a pony called Tarquin. Sally longs for a pony too and when she sees a grey mare in a horsebox she falls in love with her. But can she save the mare from an awful fate?

2) A PONY TO JUMP
(COLLINS LIONS PB 1992)
(USA Ed - JUMPING LESSONS)
SUMMARY: Sally loves her pony Willow and wants to jump her. But Sally is hopeless and lacks confidence. Will she ever be able to jump?

3) CROSS COUNTRY GALLOP
(COLLINS LIONS PB 1992)
SUMMARY: Sally has entered the cross country pairs competition with Thalia and Tarquin. But her old nervousness has returned. Will she let her partner down?

4) PONY CLUB RIDER
(COLLINS LIONS PB 1993)
SUMMARY: Sally's nervousness of jumping my hinder her chances of being in the Pony Club one-day-event team. This and the worry of an abandoned dog, are both on her mind.

5) THE STOLEN PONY
(COLLINS LIONS PB 1995)
(USA Ed -  SHOWJUMPER WANTED)
SUMMARY: Sally's estranged father turns up out of the blue and causes all sorts of trouble. Thalia is devastated when he sells her beloved Tarquin. But while she is in hospital after a fall, it is up to Sally to find her best friend's pony before it is too late.

6) PONY PUZZLE
(COLLINS LIONS PB 1995)
(USA Ed -THE MYSTERY HORSE)
SUMMARY: The girls discover a mysterious abandoned pony and determine to rescue her.

Collectors Info:
Although not seen very often on auction sites these books are reasonably easy to find on internet bookshops. Paperback omnibus editions are also available. First editions were paperbacks. I haven't seen any hardback editions. You will notice that four of the series have been re-named for the American market so watch out you don't buy duplicates of the same book!

Other Pony Books:

A PONY OF OUR OWN
BLACKIE  1960)
ILLUSTRATED BY CONSTANCE MARSHALL
Reprinted in hardback by Blackie. Reprinted by Knight paperbacks twice, once with an illustrated cover, later with a photo cover.
SUMMARY: Jean and Stuart, a horse-mad brother and sister work hard to save up to buy a pony of their own. Their dream pony turns out to be Kirsty, a lovely black Highland mare. A gentle pony story set in Scotland.
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 3 HORSESHOES

TO SAVE A PONY
(HUTCHINSON 1960)
ILLUSTRATED BY SHEILA ROSE
As far as I know not reprinted at all.
SUMMARY: Hard to find book about a girl who must overcome her fear of jumping in order to save a pony. Excellent story!
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

JANET YOUNG RIDER
aka A HORSE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
aka LAST SUMMER TO RIDE
(CONSTABLE 1963)
Republished in the USA as LAST SUMMER TO RIDE
Reprinted in paperback by Armada which is when the title was changed to A Horse For the Holidays. I don't always agree with title changes but must say this was a change for the better!
SUMMARY: A girl working in a stables has her chance to ride her boss's fantastic horse when he has an accident.
One of the author's best!
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 5 HORSESHOES

THE BLACK LOCH
aka THE HORSE FROM THE BLACK LOCH
(COLLINS 1963)
ILLUSTRATED BY JANET DUSCHESNE
Republished as THE HORSE FROM THE BLACK LOCH
Reprinted in hardback by the children's book club, which in my opinion has far the best cover of all the editions: a really stunning picture. Reprinted in paperback by Armada in the 1970s which was when the title was changed.
SUMMARY: A superb supernatural story set in Scotland about a very special horse.
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 5 HORSESHOES

A ROSETTE FOR ROYAL
(BLACKIE 1963)
ILLUSTRATED BY ANNE LINTON
Not reprinted as far as I am aware. The rarest of all the author's pony books, although not her best story.
SUMMARY: To make up for her having to stay at her Uncle's for a year while he is away, Cassandra's father buys her Royal Flame, a beautiful pony. But when Royal is frightened and bolts one day her Uncle Richard sends the horse back, thinking she is dangerous. Cassandra and Joddy set out to find Royal and prove to Uncle Richard that she is not the bad horse he thinks her.
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 2 HORSESHOES

RIDING COURSE SUMMER
(COLLINS 1963)
Reprinted by the Children's Press in a hardback edition with pictorial boards. This is the edition commonly seen, the first is very hard to find. As far as I am aware no paperback editions.
SUMMARY: Ann and Angy are in despair over their hopeless riding. Along with some other local children, they set up a group whose aims are to improve their riding over the summer. But all does not go smoothly...
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

HIGHLAND PONY TREK
(COLLINS 1964)
Reprinted by Collins in hardback as part of the Collins Seagull Library, the edition most commonly seen. No paperback eds.
SUMMARY: Set in the highlands of Scotland. A family try to make ends meet by setting up a trekking centre.

CROSS COUNTRY PONY
(BLACKIE 1965)
Reprinted in paperback by Knight in the 1970s
SUMMARY: A family set up an animal boarding centre, hoping to get ponies to ride! They get more than they bargained for in all respects!
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

PONY CLUB CAMP
(COLLINS SPITFIRE PB 1967)
Published under name of Jane Eliot only as far as I know, and not reprinted at all. First edition was a small paperback. Very hard to find.
SUMMARY: A group of children are disappointed in their hopeless local Pony Club and envious of  nearby Bishopcotte Pony Club who are always having exciting competitions and rallies. How can their riding improve with only useless old Miss Smithers to teach them? Sympathetic to their moans, a local horsy doctor arranges for a Pony Club camp to be held on his land with a new young instructor. The children are soon having all sorts of adventures, and those amongst them who are less than perfect are given the chance to redeem themselves in various ways. Will they take that chance and prove themselves and can they possibly beat the Bishopcotte team in the end of camp gymkhana?
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 3 HORSESHOES

FIRST PONY
(COLLINS SPITFIRE PB 1967)
First published under the name Jane Eliot.
First edition was a small paperback. Reprinted in hardback as part of the Collins pony Library series (number 14 )
SUMMARY: When Sandy moves to the country she is overjoyed when her father promises to buy her a pony. She has the choice of two lovely well-bred animals but somehow she feels neither one is For her. Then she meets Karen who takes her to see Tarka, a half-starved and neglected pony with a cruel owner. Although in a bad state, Tarka somehow appeals to Sandy and she persuades her father to buy her. But will she ever recover from her ordeal and show the snooty Russell-Verne family that she is not a useless bag of bones?
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 3 HORSESHOES
Read Review

AFRAID TO RIDE
(COLLINS SPITFIRE PB 1967)
First published under the name Jane Eliot
First edition was a small paperback. Reprinted in hardback in the 1970s as part of the Collins Pony Library (number 20)
Hard to find book.
SUMMARY: A story about a girl losing her nerve after a bad fall. Can she regain her love of riding?
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

JACKY JUMPS TO THE TOP
aka JUMP TO THE TOP
(COLLINS SPITFIRE PB 1967)
Re-published as JUMP TO THE TOP in paperback.
First published under the Jane Eliot name.
First edition was a small paperback. Reprinted in hardback in the 1970s as part of the Collins Pony Library series (number 15) Re-titled and reprinted in paperback by Armada, which is the most commonly seen edition.
SUMMARY: A classic pony story about a  girl trying to train her cantankerous pony into becoming a top show jumper.
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 4 HORSESHOES
*Read a discussion of the book by our reading circle*

REBEL PONY
(COLLINS 1973)
Published as part of the Collins Pony Library (number 19) As far as I know was not reprinted. Quite hard to find.
SUMMARY: Kandy spends her time schooling horses for her dealer father, but never has one of her own. When the pair are at a horse sale she spots a beautiful but uncontrollable part Arab and falls in love with him, but her father won't let her have him. Then she finds out that a new boy to the area, Jack, bought the pony to save him from slaughter. He hasn't got a clue how to handle him and begs Kandy to help. Can the pair re-train Falcon, the rebel pony - and will Kandy ever have her own dream pony?

DREAM OF FAIR HORSES
aka THE FIELDS OF PRAISE
(COLLINS 1975)
American edition entitled THE FIELDS OF PRAISE
Reprinted in paperback by Armada. First edition is quite rare but not that valuable due I think to its hideous dust jacket!
SUMMARY: Fantastic pony story about the bond between a girl and a horse. One of the best pony stories ever written!
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 5 HORSESHOES & GOLD CUP FOR AN OUTSTANDING READ!
Read Review

PONY SURPRISE
(COLLINS 1975)
Published as part of the Collins Pony Library (number 30) As far as I know not reprinted. Hard to find.
SUMMARY: Humourous novel about a cantankerous pony named Augustus whom Penny and Ewan are allowed to ride. But is he really as useless as he seems?
PONYMAD BOOKLOVERS RATING: 3 HORSESHOES

Collectors Info:
The majority of these are reasonably easy to get hold of, although there are a few exceptions. A Rosette For Royal and Pony Club Camp are the two rarest ones, with Pony Surprise, Rebel Pony and To Save a Pony possibly being the next hardest ones to find. Her most popular two books - Jump to the Top and A Dream of Fair Horses are the easiest to find as there are many paperback copies around.

Short stories in other books & collections:

MIDNIGHT STALLION
in PONY TALES (Edited by Julia Goodwin)
(PONY MAGAZINE/D. J. MURPHY PB 2004)
ILLUSTRATED BY CLAIRE COLVIN
SUMMARY OF STORY: Kate longs for a life working with horses but fears she may be stuck forever on her parent's remote farm. Then she finds out her father has a shady past in the world of racing. When this past catches up with him again it brings something wonderful into Kate's life.
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

Collectors Info:
Paperback original. Although not common can be picked up fairly easily and cheaply on internet book shops.