Boxed sets were a phenomenon mostly of the 1970s. Armada did several different versions of their Pony Box, but they weren’t the only publisher to do so. Methuen did Thelwell boxed sets; Knight did them for Jill, and Dragon for the Silver Brumby books.
What was in each set varied; it’s tempting to be cynical and think that many of them included a couple of proven sellers, plus whatever the publisher had large stocks of at the time. Thus, contents vary dramatically. If you can find two boxes with the same cover design nowadays (and they tend to be rare survivals) the contents may well be radically different. Boxed sets are still being produced; ten of Pippa Funnell’s Tilly’s Pony Tails series appeared thus in 2011.
The sets below are listed in order of publisher.
Finding the books
Boxed sets can be an expensive way of buying books, often much more expensive than buying the contents separately. If the box still has its original contents, the box has often preserved them very well.
Many thanks to Hannah Fleetwood, who sent me the original photographs for this in 2010, and who must have wondered if they would ever see the light of day. Thanks to Tricia Murphy for the Silver Brumby box.
The Sets
ARMADA
Armada Pony Books
Date: probably early 1970s
Contents
Jackie Won a Pony
Ponies in Clover
The Donkey Boy
Three Jays Go to Town
Prince Among Ponies
Phantom Horse Comes Home
ARMADA
The Pony Box
Date: unknown
Contents
Christine Pullein Thompson: A Day to Go Hunting
Patricia Leitch: For Love of a Horse
Judith M Berrisford: Jackie and the Pony Boys
Judith M Berrisford: Jackie’s Pony Club Camp
Josephine Pullein-Thompson: Pony Club Camp
Diana Pullein-Thompson: Ponies in the Valley
ARMADA
The Pony Box –
Date: unknown
Contents
Mary Gervaise: Pony from the Farm
Mary Gervaise: Vanishing Pony
Josephine Pullein-Thompson – Pony Club Team
Judith M Berrisford – Jackie and the Pony Boys (title misprinted)
Christine Pullein-Thompson – A Day to Go Hunting
Diana Pullein-Thompson – I Wanted a Pony
Contents
This box was presumably a generic one whose contents could be varied.
ARMADA
The Marguerite Henry Pack
Date:1975
Contents
King of the Wind
Misty of Chincoteague
Stormy, Misty’s Foal
Seastar, Orphan of Chinocteague
ARMADA
The Jackie Box
Date:unknown
Contents
Jackie Won a Pony
Jackie and the Pony Trekkers
Ten ponies and Jackie
Jackie’s Pony Camp Summer
Jackie and the Pony Boys
Jackie’s Show Jumping Surprise
ARMADA
Jinny box
Date: unknown
Contents
For Love of a Horse
A Devil to Ride
Night of the Red Horse
Ride Like the Wind
Chestnut Gold
DRAGON
The Pony Box
Date: 1970s
Contents
Varied – this one contains
Elyne Mitchell – Silver Brumby Kingdom
Elyne Mitchell – Silver Brumbies of the South
Elyne Mitchell – The Colt at Taparoo
Christine Pullein-Thompson – The Pony Dopers
Christine Pullein-Thompson – The Empty Field
Ursula Moray Williams – No Ponies for Miss Pobjoy
DRAGON
Silver Brumby box
Date: probably 1980s
Contents
Moon Filly
Silver Brumby
Silver Brumby’s Daughter
Silver Brumbies of the South
The Silver Brumby
DRAGON/GRANADA
Caroline Akrill Eventer’s Trilogy box
Date: unknown
Contents
Eventer’s Dream
A Hoof in the Door
Ticket to Ride
KNIGHT
Jill Horse Box
Date: unknown, but probably 1980s
Contents
Jill’s Gymkhana
A Stable for Jill
Jill Has Two Ponies
Jill and the Runaway
METHUEN
Thelwell’s Horse Box
Date: early 1970s
Contents
Angels on Horseback
Thelwell Country
A Leg at Each Corner
Riding Academy
METHUEN
Thelwell’s Horse Box
Date: 1978
Contents
Angels on Horseback
Thelwell Country
A Leg at Each Corner
Riding Academy
METHUEN
Thelwell’s Horse Box
Date: 1986
Contents
Angels on Horseback
Thelwell’s Gymkhana
A Leg at Each Corner
Riding Academy
ORION
Ten Perfect Pony Tales
Date: 2011
Contents
Magic Spirit Pride and Joy
Red Admiral Neptune
Rosie Parkview Pickle
Samson Nimrod
Lucky Chance Solo
PUFFIN
Horses and Ponies
Date: I suspect 1970s; certainly no earlier.
Contents
Anna Sewell: Black Beauty
Mary Elwyn Patchett: The Brumby
Eliis Dillon: The Island of Horses
The Puffin Book of Horses
Lucy Rees: Wild Pony
PUFFIN
The Sheltie Collection
Date: 1997
Contents
Sheltie Finds a Friend
Sheltie to the Rescue
Sheltie in Danger
Sheltie Rides to Win
Sheltie and the Saddle Mystery
Sheltie Leads the Way
Sheltie the Hero
Sheltie in Trouble
Sheltie and the Stray
Sheltie and the Snow
