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Sons of Skewbald, or Castor and Pollux

Seaby, Allen
Author

Seaby, Allen
Publisher

A & C Black

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Sons of Skewbald, or Castor and Pollux

Seaby, Allen

Before he died, Skewbald fathered several foals.

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Publishing history
A & C Black, 1937

Before he died, Skewbald fathered several foals. One mare had twins, Castor and Pollux. Their lives reflect the changes coming upon the Forest: the changes in value of the ponies now they are no longer used for the mines; the increasing danger of traffic. Sally, their owner, sells them at the Pony Sale to E F Ranger, a circus man, who wants her to keep them for him for a couple of years until he is ready for them.

Sequel to
Skewbald the New Forest Pony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allen Seaby

Seaby, Allen

Allen W. Seaby (1867–1953) was one of the last exponents of the pony stories in which the pony was the hero. He concentrated on British native breeds, meaning that his books still have a popularity today, with the resurgence of natives. The stories reflect the changing times in which they were written: the coming of the car and its dominance; war, and the cheapening in value of ponies. Perhaps they also reflect a changing in sentiment: the original dustjacket of Skewbald (reproduced below) was objected to because it showed a picture of two ponies fighting. This was seen as a bad example to children, so Allen Seaby had to 'draw another illustration less inciting to evil.' [Source: Dinah the Dartmoor].

Finding the books
Skewbald and Exmoor Lass, having been reprinted many times, are both easy to find, and cheap. British Ponies and Our Ponies are reasonably easy to find, but can be expensive. Dinah and Sons of Skewbald are reasonably easy to find, though not with their dustjackets. Mona and Sheltie are the hardest titles to find, and because of the native pony connection, tend to be sought after and expensive.

Links and sources
Dinah the Dartmoor, 1935, foreword
Wikipedia on Allen Seaby, retrieved 19th March 2014
Many thanks to Dawn Harrison for her help with the photographs.