Joy Cowley

New Zealand author. Born Cassia Joy Summers in 1936 in Levin, New Zealand. An extremely prolific writer who has penned a wide range of books from board books, to children's stories for all ages, to adult novels to books of spiritual reflection! She has been writing for many years and began when making up stories to help her son to read. These were eventually to become educational books which helped other children with reading difficulties. At the same time she was also beginning to publish novels and this busy time was the beginning of her writing career.

Her horse stories include a trilogy about Clydesdale horses. Although as far as I know she has no specific interest in horses, she was born on a farm and also married a farmer and lived on farms for many years, so possibly the heavy horse idea came from that lifestyle.

As well as writing Joy has been involved with reading and literature programmes and has run workshops and attended many conferences and schools on the subject of writing.

Joy has her own website where you can find lots more about her life and also about her non-pony books.

Shadrach Series:
Intelligent  well-written series about a family and their relationship with their Clydesdale horses.

1) BOW DOWN SHADRACH
(HODDER & STOUGHTON [NEW ZEALAND] 1991)
ILLUSTRATED BY ROBYN BELTON?
Reprinted in hardback by original publisher.
Reprinted in paperback by Penguin.
American edition published by Wright in 1997.
SUMMARY: Shadrach is a very old circus-trained Clydesdale horse and the favourite family pet. When Hannah discovers that Shadrach has been sold to a dog food factory, she decides to mount a heroic rescue and enlists the help of her two younger brothers to help her. But all does not go smoothly….
PONYMAD RATING: 5 HORSESHOES
Read Review

2) GLADLY HERE I COME
(VIKING? [NEW ZEALAND] 1994)
Not sure of the first edition publisher although the date seems to have been 1994.
Reprinted in paperback by Penguin.
American edition published by Wright in 1997.
SUMMARY: There are two new arrivals on the farm: Shadrach's young filly, Gladly and a boy named Eden. Gladly is welcomed with open arms but Eden's arrival, direct from a Social Welfare home, throws the family into turmoil. Hannah is carried away in a rush of optimistic generosity, and Mikey and Sky are deeply suspicious. Hannah is willing to share her family with Eden but is not prepared to share her precious horse. Sky and Mikey form a hostile alliance and Hannah copes by weaving wonderful new stories for Eden. But Hannah doesn't foresee that the invitation into her imaginary world will lead Eden and Gladly into great danger.

3) SHADRACH GIRL
PENGUIN [NEW ZEALAND] 2000)
SUMMARY: Hannah is now sixteen and looking forward to university. Sky and Mikey are growing up fast and Eden still has a close relationship with Gladly, Hannah's precious horse. But before Hannah farewells childhood forever the family security is shattered. Their mother seems gravely ill and no one knows what to do. But when Mikey, Sky and Eden are pitted against the wild will of nature, each member of the family must search deep within to find courage. Will the spirit of Shadrach be strong enough to help them?

Other editions:

THE SHADRACH TRILOGY
(PENGUIN (NEW ZEALAND) 2009)
Possibly published in the USA and UK at the same time.
SUMMARY: Omnibus edition containing all 3 books.

Collector's Info:
Presumably these are all easiest to find in New Zealand and Australia. Elsewhere the first in the series seems easiest to get hold of, having been reprinted a number of times. All the books can be found reasonably easily in the UK and the USA. I am yet to find out if they were actually ever published in the UK, but the first two at least were published in America.