Independent, wry, and unstoppable, Jill and her ponies have been loved for generations.

Jill Crewe and her mother have moved to Chatton. Jill has nothing to do, as school hasn't started, but there is a pony down the road, and Jill makes friends with him. She longs to buy him, but money is tight. And then ... Jill is able to to buy Black Boy. It's a dream come true, but Jill very soon finds out there's a lot more to owning a pony than she realised. And she doesn't know how to do any of it.

Even when Jill does learn to ride, her problems aren't over, as she still needs to earn enough money to keep Black Boy in the winter. And then there's the very superior Susan Pyke, and her very superior ponies. Susan makes it very clear just how little she thinks of Jill, and Jill's chances in the local gymkhana...