'It's summer holiday time and urged on by her friend Francesca ("Frankie") Smith, our heroine Julie Gordon finds herself at the Western Hills Pony Ranch. From the first it's obvious this is going to be anything but a dull holiday. Frankie makes an immediate enemy of the overbearing Roger Brampton. One of their room mates, Lisa MacMillan, hates the camp and tries to run away, while the other, Barbara Johnson, sneers at beginners like Julie. And then there's learning to ride and jump! Somehow Julie tackles it all, and when the climax comes and three of them are faced with a grim decision, they find they've learnt a lot more about horses and people.' (Frontispiece)