Skip to Main Content (Press Enter)

Hoofbeats Series

Kathleen Duey
Featuring thoughtful and engaging main characters, the Hoofbeats series is perfect for young lovers of historical fiction and horse stories. Protagonists Katie, Lara, and Margaret, all with their own separate story lines, face insurmountable odds with courage, strength, and their beloved horses.
Hoofbeats: Katie and the Mustang #1 by Kathleen Duey
Hoofbeats: Lara and the Moon-Colored Filly #2 by Kathleen Duey
Hoofbeats: Lara & the Silent Place Book 4 by Kathleen Duey

Hoofbeats Series : Titles in Order

Book 10
The year is 1875, and twelve-year-old orphan Margret and her sister, Libby, are living with the kind Mrs. Fredriksen in her sod house in rural Littleton, Colorado. Margret would be happy to stay forever, but she knows that Libby, with her basic distrust of anyone other than Margret, will have them moving soon enough. Then a tornado sweeps through, bringing with it an injured horse. Immediately Margret lays claim to the horse, naming him Flynn, nursing him back to health, and teaching herself to ride. Now more than ever, Margret yearns for some stability in her life. Somehow, she’s got to find a way to convince Libby to stay so she can make Flynn hers. Powerfully written and historically accurate, this is a great addition to the series that’s tailor-made for girls who love horses and historical fiction.
Book 8
Nine-year-old Lara is the daughter of the leader of her cattle-raising clan. While she spends her days tending to the cattle, her heart lies with her beloved gray mare. When Lara goes to the highlands to set the cattle out to graze, she finds the mare in the process of a difficult birth. Lara vows to take care of the foal as a dying promise to the gray mare, and with the help of a childless milk-cow, she cares for the spindly-legged filly. But just when she is confident that the foal can survive, a rival clan captures them both, and throws Lara’s life into turmoil. When the filly is eventually given to a titled baron in the castle town of Athenry, Lara, determined to stay with the horse no matter what, goes along. Together, she and her beloved horse face seemingly insurmountable challenges, but all along Lara keeps two things in mind. One day, she will manage to flee, and will set off in search of the family that she was taken from. And she will not leave without her silver mare.
Book 7
Nine-year-old Lara is the daughter of the r?-the leader of her cattle-raising clan. While she spends her days tending to the cattle, her heart lies with her beloved gray mare. When Lara goes to the highlands to set the cattle out to graze, she finds the mare in the process of a difficult birth. Lara vows to take care of the foal as a dying promise to the gray mare, and with the help of a childless milk-cow, she cares for the spindly-legged filly. But just when she is confident that the foal can survive, a rival clan captures them both, and throws Lara’s life into turmoil. When the filly is eventually given to a titled baron in the castle town of Athenry, Lara, determined to stay with the horse no matter what, goes along. Together, she and her beloved horse face seemingly insurmountable challenges, but all along Lara keeps two things in mind. One day, she will manage to flee, and will set off in search of the family that she was taken from. And she will not leave without her silver mare.
Book 6
The second book in the Hoofbeats series focusing on Lara!

Nine-year-old Lara is the daughter of the the leader of her cattle-raising clan. While she spends her days tending to the cattle, her heart lies with her beloved gray mare. When Lara goes to the highlands to set the cattle out to graze, she finds the mare in the process of a difficult birth. Lara vows to take care of the foal as a dying promise to the gray mare, and with the help of a childless milk-cow, she cares for the spindly-legged filly. But just when she is confident that the foal can survive, a rival clan captures them both, and throws Lara’s life into turmoil. When the filly is eventually given to a titled baron in the castle town of Athenry, Lara, determined to stay with the horse no matter what, goes along. Together, she and her beloved horse face seemingly insurmountable challenges, but all along Lara keeps two things in mind. One day, she will manage to flee, and will set off in search of the family that she was taken from. And she will not leave without her silver mare.
Book 5
Nine-year-old Lara is the daughter of the leader of her cattle-raising clan. While she spends her days tending to the cattle, her heart lies with her beloved gray mare. When Lara goes to the highlands to set the cattle out to graze, she finds the mare in the process of a difficult birth. Lara vows to take care of the foal as a dying promise to the gray mare, and with the help of a childless milk-cow, she cares for the spindly-legged filly. But just when she is confident that the foal can survive, a rival clan captures them both, and throws Lara’s life into turmoil. When the filly is eventually given to a titled baron in the castle town of Athenry, Lara, determined to stay with the horse no matter what, goes along. Together, she and her beloved horse face seemingly insurmountable challenges, but all along Lara keeps two things in mind. One day, she will manage to flee, and will set off in search of the family that she was taken from. And she will not leave without her silver mare.
Book 4
The fourth book in the Hoofbeats series focusing on Katie!

With trepidation, Katie continues Westward with the Kylers. The mountainous terrain makes for difficult traveling, and they arrive in Oregon shortly before the winter snows hit. While the Kylers and the others begin the search for land, Katie’s worst fears are confirmed. Her uncle is not there. Then she realizes that she has brought the Mustang home, and she cannot keep him with her anymore. Left with no family and without the Mustang to rely on, Katie must find her own way…
Book 3
The third book in the Hoofbeats series focusing on Katie!

Katie knows she has come too far to give up. Taken under the Kylers’ wing, she stays close to the Mustang and clings to her dream of finding her uncle. Then a particularly bad river crossing leaves their guide crippled and their group diminished. Knowing that there is strength in numbers, they join forces with a traveling circus troupe, and somehow make it to Fort Laramie.
Book 2
Joined by Hiram the farmhand, Katie begins the journey west. At first, she is unsure if the Mustang will follow, but much to her relief, he seems to trust her. Soon, Katie and Hiram meet up with a large family who invite them to join their caravan. For the first time, it seems as though they might really make it to Oregon. But then tragedy strikes, and Katie finds herself having to choose between parting ways with Hiram, or abandoning her dreams of going west&150and giving up on the chance to return the Mustang to his homeland.
Book 1
Orphaned at age six and taken in by a heartless couple, nine-year-old Katie Rose spends her days doing chores and dreaming of going west to find her Uncle Jack. Then Mr. Stevens brings home an unbroken Mustang, and Katie’s world changes. Katie is drawn to the horse’s wildness, and he seems to sense her need for companionship. So when Katie learns that the Stevenses plan to join the expansion West&150without her or the Mustang&150she makes a desperate decision to go on her own. And she will not leave the Mustang behind.