Pony Confidential Book Review

Before I discuss Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch (to be published by Penguin Random House November 5, 2024), you need this horse book review background. Over the years, I have reviewed many horse books on this blog. I stick with nonfiction, since that is what I prefer to read and the genre in which I write. When asked to review equestrian fiction, I typically say no. However, recently I made an exception for the book Pony Confidential. The marketing copy got me. What’s not to love about cozy mystery with a Black Beauty vibe? I grew up on Nancy Drew books, and although Black Beauty is way too sad, a crime-solving pony with a wise goat bestie intrigued me.

(Thank you to Coco, my niece’s dog, for modeling for this blog post image.)

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I began reading Pony Confidential with a bit of skepticism since I could not get into the Rita Mae Brown books with talking animals, and I was unfamiliar with Christina Lynch the author. I was concerned a flurry of inappropriately timed whinnies and lack of horse authenticity would greet me. (Spoiler alert: the author’s horse knowledge is spot on.)

The prologue hooked me, and I kept reading. In the opening scene, Penny, an elementary school teacher from California, is handcuffed and arrested for a murder that occurred 25 years earlier when she was a tween. She is whisked off to New York where the crime took place. That harrowing circumstance caught my attention (as a former teacher from California—lol).

We soon learn Penny had a childhood pony, and those days spent with the pony were the best days of her life. (I never had a pony, but can relate—thanks to my early days riding borrowed horses). In the midst of her confusion about her arrest, Penny’s thoughts center on her pony and those memories buoy her in the tumultuous days ahead.

Next we’re introduced to the Pony. Pony considers himself adorable and devious and his motivation in life is revenge. The shaggy gold pony has had it with the revolving door of owners and riders, and has a low view of humans. He is especially angry at Penny for abandoning him. They were a team, best friends and she promised they would be together forever. Then one day Pony was sold with no warning. At this phase of life as an equine senior, Pony has determined he is going to find Penny and make her pay for the wrong inflicted on him so many years ago. (I’m not sure what pony revenge looks like—a bite? A kick? Cantering through the flower garden?)

The story continues, chapters artfully alternating from Pony and Penny’s points of view.

Pony is hilarious and clever, and I chuckled throughout the book at his antics and observations. For example, pony believes his worth is in the five million dollar range because he’d met some of those off-the-track horses from Saratoga and he “didn’t think they were all that.” He is also dead set on his goal of finding Penny, and travels across the country with stops at a racetrack, a quirky woman’s home who wants to turn him into an indoor pony, and more (I can’t give it all away, you need to read for yourself). I’m impressed with his drive.

Like clever ponies? Read my Misty of Chincoteague and Marguerite Henry biography, Marguerite, Misty and Me.

Pony Confidential is a page turner, and I’m not going to summarize the whole thing because I don’t want to ruin it for you. You must read it for yourself. If you enjoy fast-paced adventure stories, trying to solve a whodunnit, or books with a snarky pony as the leading “man,” you’ll also be a fan of Pony Confidential.

Thanks to Instagram, I discovered Christina Lynch is indeed a horsewoman. A pony lives in her backyard. But before that social media discovery, I knew she knew horses from such instances as when Silla, the stern but horse-first riding instructor, tells her students to give “one half squeeze of the reins like a sponge you don’t want fully dry” and Penny’s childhood barn rat experience rolling polo wraps and cleaning tack. There was also a scene at a local horse show where you can feel the tension between Silla’s local show riders and the A-circuit crowd. Only an equestrian could nail descriptions like that.

One other thought I had while reading Pony Confidential was the timeliness of the message. At the beginning of the story, Silla, the instructor, makes Penny promise her one thing: to never hurt a horse. The “never hurt a horse” refrain pops up intermittently throughout the course of the book. Currently, in the realm of horse sports, there are top riders under rightful scrutiny for abusive “training methods.” It’s hard to think about how lust for fame or dominance in a discipline kills the innocent childhood love of a horse or pony—the moral and ethical lines trainers cross in their work with our equine partners. Shame. On. Them.

There are spots in the book where Lynch critiques horse culture and horse shows (but not in a heavy-handed way). There is the time Pony is at the track having a conversation with a rat. Pony remarks their friend Burnie perhaps should not be a race horse since he’s “only three years old. Still a baby … his bones aren’t even done growing yet.” The rat states Burnie lives for racing, to which Pony responds that he is on ulcer meds every day and has to live in a box. There’s even a parallel with Penny (locked up behind bars for the crime it is believed she committed) and horses that live most of their lives in stalls in order to keep them “safe.” There’s even a hint of a critique of our criminal justice system, society’s treatment of children with learning differences and/or mental health issues and ubiquitous cell phones that keep people too preoccupied.

Midway through Pony Confidential one scene reminded me of Jump the Moon, Kathy Simmers’ picture book about her adult daughter’s quest to find her childhood pony after she started having recurring dreams about the pony. It made me wonder how many people who grew up with ponies reunite with them after years apart. In the early days of this blog, I encountered a local newspaper article woman about a woman from Kentucky who found her childhood pony Knickers on Petfinder. After 28 years of separation, the woman brought the 38-year-old pony home.

Even when they’re not together, Pony and Penny give each other purpose in the midst of bleak circumstances. This quote by Penny regarding Pony resonated deep in my heart: “Every single day with him was hilarious and fun and thrilling and wonderful.” I underlined it. That is the essence of loving a horse (or pony). The hilarious and fun and thrilling and wonderful everyday adventures with my horse Knight bring light into my life. We have had ups and downs over our almost eleven years together, but knowing him and learning from him and with him is a highlight of my life. He is my heart horse, as Pony is Penny’s.

If you are looking for a fun, horse-centric read brimming with authenticity, humor and heart, Pony Confidential belongs on your “to read” list. CLICK HERE to pre-order your copy today.

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