How to write a totally gripping horsey story

Do you love reading gripping stories about awesome ponies? Well, why not create an exciting story of your own? Your imagination’s the limit – whether you tell the legend of a magical unicorn, create a pony mystery or even a historical tale about a pony of the past, you can create anything you want! We’ve got some fab tips on what to include in your story to make it totally horseome. Be sure to take a peek at our story prompts, too, which you can use as a fab starting point!

1. Set the scene

The best way to begin your epic horsey story is by thinking up a totally awesome place to set it. Will your story be based at a riding school, livery yard or horsey holiday destination? Or maybe you’ll go totally fantastical and create a world completely of your own! Whether it’s the home of unicorns up in the clouds or a prestigious horsey boarding school, if you pick an intriguing world where the events will unfold, it’s sure to get your creative juices flowing.

2. Create awesome characters

Now you need to bring your story to life by adding some characters! Work out who your main pony and person will be. What’s their relationship like? How will they meet? What are their goals and dreams? It can be helpful to list down all the different personality traits you want your lead characters to have, and you can even write a separate back story for them, so they feel realistic and unique. Don’t forget – to make your character’s more well-rounded they shouldn’t be too perfect! Everyone has their flaws and that goes for made-up characters, too. You want your readers to be able to see parts of themselves in the characters so they can relate to and root for them!

3. Have an intriguing anti-hero

A good horsey story needs to have some grit, so having a baddie is an essential part of the story! You need someone who’ll rival your main character and challenge them in different ways. Even if they turn out good in the end, readers love having lots of different types of character – good and bad. Whether it’s a group of mean kids at school, an arrogant pro rider or even a horse rustler, try to think up a compelling bad guy who’ll grab your readers attention.

4. Plan a beginning, middle and end

Now you have the main components of your story ready, it’s time to plan the plot. You don’t need to have all the details in place at this stage, but being able to plan a rough guide of what you want to happen and when will help keep you on track. A good way to plan your plot is by writing how and where your story will begin, an unfortunate or exciting event that the characters need to overcome, and the steps they’ll take to reach a happy ending.

5. Weave in an air of mystery

It’s always fun to have a mystery for your readers to solve. Maybe a group of liveries find a secret rusty key in the tack room and don’t know where it leads? Or perhaps there’s a ghostly horse who keeps appearing in your main character’s dreams? Whatever you decide your mystery will be, try to plan it before you write so the clues you leave along the way will lead the reader to the right place in the end. Maybe the magic key unlocks a secret door that allows your main character to step through it and travel anywhere they want? Or the ghostly horse is sending them a message about something that’s about to go wrong at the stables. It’s up to you which direction you want your story to go in!

6. Add a touch of magic

Everyone loves a little bit of magic, right? Especially if ponies are involved! Your story could be totally make-believe and feature unicorns, pegasi, centaurs and sea horses on every page, or there could be an unexplainable bond between horse and rider where they can talk to each other in a secret language. Real or imagined, you can’t write about ponies without being open to a little bit of magic! 

7. Have a feel-good ending

Finally, leave your readers on a high by bringing it all together in the end. The pony and rider win the comp, get a place on the Pony Club team or discover a magical treasure trove that’ll save the kingdom. Whatever you decide your ending will be, make sure it ties up every loose end, so the reader feels satisfied. However, leaving a cliff hanger ending might encourage your reader to want the next instalment!

Story prompts

Want to write a horsey story but short on ideas? Well, we’ve got some awesome prompts that might inspire you!

1. Tell the tale of a rider who loses their confidence then finds a special pony to help them get it back.
2. Take your readers on a magical adventure where a unicorn saves the day.
3. Create a story set in a foreign country, exploring the life story of a native pony who lives there.
4. Write a diary in the voice of a super-cute pony.
5. Think up a fantasy land and set an epic adventure story there.
6. Write a pony’s life story from foal to adulthood.
7. Share a story about a pony who lives in the past and travels to the future.
8. Write about a group of friends on a livery yard who uncover an intriguing mystery.
9. Tell a story about a pro rider who reaches the top on an unusual pony.
10. Write about a troubled pony who forms a special bond with a rider.