Charles Keeping (1924 - 1988)

British author and illustrator. Born in London in 1924. He grew up in a working class area where he became interested in the working horses he saw on the streets around his home. After leaving school, he had a variety of jobs before joining the Royal Navy. He left the Navy due to injury, and began to study art. He was soon to come to prominence as an illustrator of children's books, in particular the work of Rosemary Sutcliffe. He then went on to write and illustrate his own stories.

A few of his books feature horses, in particular working horses, inspired by his childhood memories. He  especially wanted to highlight the ill treatment many working horses were subject to.

A much more comprehensive biographical account of the author can be found on the Wikipedia entry for Charles Keeping - see link.

Horse and Pony Books:

BLACK DOLLY: THE  STORY OF A JUNK YARD PONY
aka MOLLY O'THE MOORS (USA edition)
(BROCKHAMPTON 1966)
ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR
Reprinted in hardback and paperback by Hodder & Stoughton.
Published in the USA by World in 1966, when title was changed.
SUMMARY: Picture book for younger readers. Follows the life story of the black mare Molly from her foalhood, through a working life pulling a cart, to her eventual retirement. Apparently the character of Molly was inspired by a real life mare Keeping knew as a child.

SHAUN AND THE CART HORSE
(OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1966)
ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR
Reprinted in hardback in 1979 by Oxford University Press.
SUMMARY: Picture book for younger readers. Shaun, a little boy in London, leads a campaign to buy back Queen, the popular cart-pony his uncle has been forced to sell to the cruel horse-dealer Nicky Knacker. Like Black Dolly, the equine heroine of the book was based on a real life pony.

RICHARD
(OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1973)
ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR
SUMMARY: Picture book for younger readers. Follows a day in the life of police horse Richard who lives and works in London.

Collectors Info:
Although not common titles, these can all be found without too much trouble in the UK and to a lesser extent elsewhere. Prices tend to vary a lot. Only Black Dolly  (under the alternate title of Molly O'the Moors) appears to have been published in the USA.