Glenn Balch


	Glenn Balch Popular American author of children's horse and dog stories. He was born in Texas in 1902. As a child he loved both books and animals. He also loved the outdoor life and had ambitions to become a cowboy, but although he did work on a number of ranches whilst on holiday from college, and also spent a summer as a forest ranger, he eventually became a reporter. At the same time he began writing short articles for outdoor magazines and he soon realised that he wanted to become a full-time writer. After a slightly shaky start, Balch's writing career began to flourish. His most popular books featured his enduring love for animals and the outdoors. Dogs and horses appeared in most of his works, the horse stories mainly geared to boys and of the ranching/adventure/wild horse type, although unlike most writers of these genres, he also writes about the Indians as well as the cowboys. One of his horse stories - Indian Paint - was made into a film. He has also written two non-fiction equine books. Please visit the link on the right for more biographical information on the author.


	Tack Ranch Series: Ranching/wild horse type series about Ben and Dixie and the horses in their life, including the wild black stallion King. 1) WILD HORSE aka THE STALLION KING (Shorter version) FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1947 FIRST UK HUTCHINSON 1954 ILLUSTRATED BY PERS CROWELL STALLION KING ILLUSTRATED BY GRACE PAULL The book was shortened and reprinted under the new title of Stallion King by Crowell in 1960 with new illustrations by Grace Paull EDTIONS PICTURED: First edition, Crowell edition with new title SUMMARY: Ben and Dixie attempt to save the wild horse King from capture by the unscrupulous Tom Sample, with the help of Gaucho, a new wrangler. 2) CHRISTMAS HORSE FIRST EDITION SCHOLASTIC [USA] 1949) ILLUSTRATED BY PERS CROWELL Reprinted in paperback by Tab and Scholastic. EDTIONS PICTURED: First edition, paperback edition SUMMARY: Ben is given the black colt Inky for a Christmas present, the son of the wild horse King. But can he prove to his father that the colt can be a good cow pony, despite his sire? 3) LOST HORSE FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1950 ILLUSTRATED BY PERS CROWELL Reprinted by Grosset & Dunlap as part of their Famous Horse Stories series. EDTIONS PICTURED: First edition, Famous Horse Stories edition SUMMARY: Is King the black colt that Andy Blair lost 8 years ago? Ben and Dixie hope not as they want the stallion to stay free. 4) WINTER HORSE FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1951) EDTIONS PICTURED: First edition? SUMMARY: Ben, Dixie and Gaucho set off to save the wild horses from a harsh winter. 5) THE MIDNIGHT COLT FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1952 ILLUSTRATED BY PERS CROWELL Reprinted in paperback by Harper Collins. Reprinted in paperback by Avon Books in 2004 - this edition still in print EDTIONS PICTURED: Paperback edition SUMMARY: Ben borrows some money to buy a racehorse named Peck O'Trouble, whom he hopes to re-train and sell on. However the horse certainly lives up to his name, and it is not going to be easy, especially as Ben has only one summer to do it in! 6) WILD HORSE TAMER FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1955 FIRST UK EDITION HUTCHINSON 1957 ILLUSTRATED BY E. B. QUIGLEY PAPERBACK ILLUSTRATED BY SAM SAVITT Reprinted in paperback by Tab/Scholastic with new illustrations by Sam Savitt EDTIONS PICTURED: 1960 and 1966 paperback editions SUMMARY: King has gone missing. Could he be the black horse Ben and Dixie see in newsreel of a rodeo? The pair set off to find him. 7) HORSE IN DANGER FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1960 ILLUSTRATED BY LEE AMES EDTIONS PICTURED: First edition SUMMARY: Is King responsible for stealing the missing mares, or is there another explanation? 8) STALLION'S FOE FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1963 ILLUSTRATED BY LORENCE BJORKLUND EDTIONS PICTURED: First edition SUMMARY: King has disappeared again. Ben and Dixie realise he has been defeated by a rival stallion! Collector's Info: As to be expected these are generally easiest to find in the USA. They do vary in rarity, with some very easy to find and other such as Lost Horse and Winter Horse, much harder. The Midnight Colt is still in print in America and can be bought new. Two of the books, Wild Horse and Wild Horse Tamer, were published in the UK and these two are usually the only ones of the series which can be found easily here.


	Mots-Kay & Pan-Sook Series: Short historical series about a pair of Native American Indian boys. 1) SPOTTED HORSE FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1961 ILLUSTRATED BY LORENCE BJORKLUND EDITION PICTURED: First edition. SUMMARY: The two Indian boys Mots-Kay and Pan-Sook are captured by a rival tribe and sold to the Spanish as slaves. 2) HORSE OF TWO COLORS FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1969 ILLUSTRATED BY LORENCE BJORKLUND Also a Book Club edition. EDTIONS PICTURED: Book Club edition SUMMARY: The boys escape their captives with the help of two horses. Collector's Info: Rarely seen outside the USA. Horse of Two Colours is the easiest to find of the two, though neither are particularly rare in America.


	Other Horse & Pony Books: TIGER ROAN FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1938) FIRST UK EDITION HUTCHINSON 1945 ILLUSTRATED BY LEE TOWNSEND POCKET BOOKS EDITION ILLUSTRATED BY SAM SAVITT Reprinted by Pocket Books in 1950 Published in the UK in hardback by Hutchinson in 1945 EDITION PICTURED: Pocket Book edition. SUMMARY: Apparently this was the author's favourite book of all those he has written! Hugh rehabilitates an escaped rodeo horse who has been turned into a man-hater by cruel riders. INDIAN PAINT FIRST EDITION GROSSET & DUNLAP [USA] 1942 FIRST UK EDITION HUTCHINSON 1944 ILLUSTRATED BY NILS HOGNER Reprinted in hardback by Grosset as part of the Famous Horse Stories series. Reprinted in paperback by Comet and Tab/Scholastic Published in the UK in hardback by Hutchinson in 1944. EDITIONS PICTURED: First edition, Famous Horse Stories edition, Scholastic paperback. SUMMARY: Indian boy Little Falcon loves his paint pony Shadow, whom he has trained himself from the wild. But after an encounter with a mountain lion, Shadow runs off to join the wild herd once more. Can Little Falcon find his beloved horse once more? OTHER INFO: Made into a film in 1965 INDIAN SADDLE-UP FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1953 FIRST UK EDITION HUTCHINSON 1955 ILLUSTRATED BY ROBERT FRANKENBURG Reprinted in paperback by Crowell (Apollo edition) in 1970. Published in the UK in hardback by Hutchinson in 1955. EDITION SPICTURED: Crowell paperback, UK edition. SUMMARY: In the days before horses became synonymous with cowboys and indians, two Native American Indians set out to search for that mythical beast - the horse - which has been brought to their lands by the Spanish. LITTLE HAWK AND THE FREE HORSE FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1957 ILLUSTRATED BY EZRA JACK KEATS EDITION PICTURED: None as yet. SUMMARY: Little Hawk sets out to capture some horses so he can use them to help rescue his captive father. THE BRAVE RIDERS FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1959 ILLUSTRATED BY EZRA JACK KEATS EDITION PICTURED: First edition. SUMMARY: Little Elk is reluctant to join the dangerous rite-of-passage ride with the other young men of the Pawnee tribe. THE RUNAWAYS FIRST EDITION DOUBLEDAY [USA] 1963 EDITION PICTURED: First edition SUMMARY: Set around the time of the second world war. Jan, a young Latvian refugee from a concentration camp, and his family have taken refuge on a ranch in Idaho, helping the rancher by doing farm work. When Jan accidentally breaks the law, memories of being incarcerated in the war terrify him and he runs away from justice to hide in the hills. But instead of escaping he becomes friendly with a herd of wild horses, feeling an affinity for their hunted status. He decides to stay and protect the foals from a wild cougar that is killing them. PONYMAD RATING 3 HORSESHOES. Read Review KEEPING HORSE FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1966 ILLUSTRATED BY JOSEPH CELLINI EDITION PICTURED: First edition. SUMMARY: Brad's cousin comes to stay and causes trouble when she wants to ride a difficult horse. THE FLAXY MARE aka THE WILD MARE (Paperback edition) FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1967 ILLUSTRATED BY LORENCE BJORKLUND Reprinted in paperback by Avon Books in 2004 and re-titled The Wild Mare. EDTIONS PICTURED: First edition, Paperback edition. SUMMARY: Flax the wild mare is separated from her herd, but helped by the kind young cowboy Jim Thorne. But after he leaves she spends her time trying to avoid capture. Will she ever know peace again? BUCK WILD FIRST EDITION CROWELL [USA] 1976 ILLUSTRATED BY RUTH SANDERSON EDITION PICTURED: First edition. SUMMARY: The story of a wild buckskin horse hunted by humans who are increasingly resourceful in their efforts to trap their prey. Collector's Info: Some of these - Tiger Roan, Indian Paint and Indian Saddle-up - were published as UK editions and these are the easiest to find here. All of them are generally fairly easy to find in the USA.