The Recommended Reading Order
To fully experience the emotional journey of Josie Grace and her mares, the series should be read in chronological publication order. This sequence follows the closing of the riding school, the initial placement of the horses, and Josie's ongoing relationships with them and their new owners.
- Keeping Faith (1999) – Josie faces the heartbreaking task of rehoming Faith, an elderly chestnut mare who was her very first ride. Faith is eventually placed with Jill Atterbury, a girl recovering from a serious injury who needs a gentle horse to rebuild her confidence.
- Last Hope (1999) – Josie seeks a home for Hope, a plain-looking grey mare known for her reliable nature. She decides that Hope is the perfect fit for Friendship House, a facility for children with physical and special needs.
- Sweet Charity (1999) – The focus turns to Charity, Hope's foal and the youngest mare. While Josie dreads losing her, she discovers a way to keep Charity as her own horse.
- In Good Faith (2003) – Josie moves to a new home and visits Jill Atterbury to see how Faith is adjusting. As Jill prepares for an upcoming horse show, Josie must help her overcome her fears.
- Where There's Hope (2003) – Josie visits Friendship House to check on Hope, only to find the mare has fallen dangerously ill while the veterinarian is away. Josie and her family step in to save her.
- Charity at Home (2003) – Also published as Charity Begins at Home. Josie struggles to fit in at her new school. To reconnect with her passion, she works with Charity at a local stable to participate in riding events.
- Leap of Faith (2004) – During a summer visit, Jill's cousin Katrina takes a dangerous fall trying to show off her jumping skills on Faith, prompting Josie to learn that true horsemanship is about care, not showing off.
- Full of Hope (2004) – Josie returns to Friendship House, witnessing the profound impact that Hope continues to have on the children who visit the facility.
- Charity's Gift (2004) – While running errands, Josie learns of an orphaned foal at a nearby farm and volunteers to help nurse it back to health.
The Structure of the Three Trilogies
The Horseshoe Trilogies is divided into three distinct thematic cycles, each containing three books:
- Trilogy 1: The Rehoming (Books 1–3) – Focused on the closure of Grace's Riding School and Josie's struggle to find appropriate, loving homes for Faith, Hope, and Charity.
- Trilogy 2: Adjustment and Healing (Books 4–6) – Follows Josie's family as they relocate to a new cottage. Josie visits the rehomed horses, helps their new owners, and finds a way to keep Charity in her life.
- Trilogy 3: New Horizons (Books 7–9) – Josie takes on greater responsibilities, handles school and friendship struggles, and uses her equestrian skills to help other animals in need.
The Perfect Ponies Connection: UK vs. US Editions
Readers searching for these books should be aware of regional differences in publication. In the United Kingdom, the series was published by Hodder Children's Books under the title Perfect Ponies. However, only the first three books (the initial trilogy) were released under this brand. In the United States, Scholastic published the series as the Horseshoe Trilogies, releasing all nine books. The individual trilogies were occasionally packaged in box sets or omnibus formats.
Behind the Pen Name: Who Wrote the Books?
Like the famous Animal Ark and Dolphin Diaries series, Lucy Daniels is a collective pseudonym created by the British book-packaging firm Working Partners Ltd. The series was developed under the creative guidance of Ben M. Baglio, but the actual text was ghostwritten. Notably, popular children's author Linda Chapman (known for My Secret Unicorn) has confirmed that she wrote five of the books in the Horseshoe Trilogies, including the original three books that were published in the UK.
Practical Reading Guidance
The series is targeted at young readers aged 7 to 10. While each book contains a self-contained plot with a happy resolution, they should not be read as standalone stories. The overall narrative of Josie's family relocating and the horses adjusting to their new environments relies heavily on continuity. Parents looking for gentle, emotionally resonant animal fiction will find the series excellent for teaching children about empathy, responsibility, and the reality of change.