Follyfoot facts for kids

Dora comes to stay with her Uncle, the Colonel, who owns Follyfoot farm. While out riding she sees some thugs terrorising the horses of a neighbouring farm. Steve, a young man working on the farm tries to stop them. Two of the horses are injured and must be shot. Despite Dora's testimony, Steve is under suspicion as being one of the thugs.

Steve is hiding out at Follyfoot. The neighbouring farm is on the lookout for a missing horse. Steve and Dora find the horse and try to rescue it as it is lame and know it will be shot. They are caught with the horse and Steve is blamed. He is fired from his job, but the Colonel steps in and takes him on at Follyfoot.

A gypsy who has just been released from prison comes to collect his horse. Two local farmers capture his horse and threaten to shoot him if he comes onto their land again. Steve steps in to help, but gets caught and locked up by the farmers. Posing as a gypsy he threatens to curse them and they let him and the horse go.

Dora agrees to take on a show-jumping horse that needs training. As she makes progress, co-worker Ron takes the horse to run in a local race. He aims to make a lot of money by betting on it, but the horse is not ready and refuses to jump, landing Ron in trouble with the bookmakers – and Dora.

Thug Hammond is riding a lame horse. In disguise, Dora manages to trick her way into his stables and rescues the horse. Meanwhile, an old miner tracks down Follyfoot to visit his 30-year-old horse, Charley.

A local rag-and-bone man has died. The son endeavours to keep the business going but the horse is killed in an accident. His plight is reported in the local newspaper and another horse is bought for the family. It turns out that the horse is unable for the job and they take it to Follyfoot. However as the youngest son, Gip is devastated at losing the horse, the family decide to keep it.

Gip continues to look after their horse but as Steve becomes involved, he is worried that the family don't know how to properly care for it. The older brother wants rid of the horse so Gip runs away with it. Steve finds them and persuades him to give up the horse to Follyfoot where it can be properly looked after.

Local girl Callie is upset at the treatment of one of the horses while at the Circus. Appealing to the Colonel, she tries to get help, but to no avail. Undeterred, she steals the horse and with the help of Steve, hides it away. As the Police investigate, the horse is discovered, but by then the Colonel has agreed to buy the horse from the Circus.

Ron takes a horse back to Follyfoot after its owner has fallen ill. Unknown to them, the boy Gip had agreed to look after it, but the horse runs away. In attempting to catch it, Dora falls off her horse and is injured. The horse returns to the man's house and Gip agrees to take care of it until its owner is well again.

A mysterious old man arrives at Follyfoot and sits silently with one of the horses. Ron taunts the old man into getting him to leave but the Colonel is angered by Ron's behaviour and sacks him. The old man has recently lost his wife and the horse used to be his. To make amends, Ron's father agrees to pay for a stable to be built at the man's house for the horse.

The Night riders are back to their old tricks and upset a horse ridden by a crippled girl. Steve warns them off, but they come back later and kill the horse. Dora trains one of her horses to accommodate the girl as a present. Her father, although angry at the situation, agrees to let her ride again.

Ron and Steve argue over who gets to host Dora's birthday. Unable to come to an agreement, they enter a jousting contest. When neither of them wins, Slugger tells them that he and the Colonel already have a party planned.

In search of his mother, Steve visits his grandmother. While there, he is told of a badly injured horse and he takes it back to Follyfoot. The horse is so ill it has to be shot. Steve leaves Follyfoot to continue searching for his mother, much to Dora's distress. She collapses against the lightning tree and is dragged away sobbing by Slugger.

Dora is missing Steve, but puts on a brave face as an abandoned horse is brought in. She agrees to look after it until she finds the owner. Meanwhile, Steve is in Liverpool looking for his mother, who is in trouble with the Police. She has gone into hiding, but eventually he manages to track her down and they are reunited for the first time in years.

Having found his mother, Steve is determined to keep her out of trouble and pay off her debts. He takes on two jobs and rents a flat for them both, eventually earning enough money to meet her debts. She squanders the money and as the Police catch up with her, she tells him to stay out of her life. Dejected, Steve returns to Follyfoot to an emotional Dora.

Cleo, a friend of Dora's has come to stay for a few days. Dora is concerned that this former horse lover now won't go anywhere near the stables due to a recent accident. Steve and Dora set up a plan to get her riding again, but in a mishap, Steve's leg gets caught in a poacher's trap. In desperation, Cleo mounts a horse and rides for help.

Steve has rescued a horse from a burning house and brings it to Follyfoot. A man claiming to be the owner takes it, but later, his daughter in law claims it is hers. Dora is determined to help and with an unwilling Steve, they attempt to take the horse back, but are caught. The man tells them that he is giving the horse to his daughter in law's son for his birthday.

Dora is concerned when she hears of a miners strike and that the horses are being left in the mine to starve. She and Steve go to the picket line and demand the horses be freed. She along with some other likeminded miners free the horses at night but are caught. The fate of the horses is put to a vote and the Colonel agrees to help the miners in their plight.

A young boy asks Dora if she can stable his horse, which he claims is a Grand National winner worth a hundred pounds. The boy's father runs the local amusement fair and says that he has to sell the horse, which is worthless. Dora and the others intervene, but as the boy runs away with the horse, his father desperately tries to find him. Once found, they tell the boy his horse is indeed very special.

The Colonel is selling one of the Follyfoot horses, to Dora's upset. However, they need the room for more deserving cases. One such case occurs when a local coalman is working his horse to death. Dora is distressed, but Steve tells her they can't take any more horses. Dora relents and the horse is sold, leaving room for them to take in the workhorse.

Follyfoot is hosting a cross-country race, which Dora goes on to win. She is more concerned however that Steve is growing increasingly interested in another girl, Wendy. They see a lot of each other and Dora finds it hard to conceal her jealousy. Wendy goes to see Dora and makes friends with her.

Follyfoot has been asked to take in a horse by an old woman who has lived with her sister for 20 years, but they have never spoken to each other. When one of them falls ill, the other breaks down and agrees to go and see her. Wendy and Steve break up and Dora reveals to Steve her feelings for him. Steve tells her that they can only ever be friends due to the closeness of their working relationship.

Lady Crane, a friend of the Colonel asks for one her fine horses to be kept at Follyfoot. Meanwhile, Ron is being chased by a bookmaker over non-payment of debt. It turns out that the bookmaker is also seeking payment from Lady Carne. She has kept her horse at Follyfoot because he was going to take it in lieu. She agrees to sell her manor house and keep her horse and pay the debt.

While visiting, Callie tells Dora that she's going to boarding school and must give up her horse. She and Dora find a stable, but there is already a horse in there and terribly ill. She confronts the owner who is purposely doing it to entice his estranged daughter back home. With the help of Steve and the Colonel, she takes the horse. Callie's horse is allowed to stay at Follyfoot as well.

Dora and Steve are invited to the Colonel's house for lunch to meet a young friend of his. But Dora takes an instant disliking to him due to his boasting. She challenges him to a show-jumping race, which he confirms he will win. While it's going on, the Colonel is taken ill and Dora abandons the race. She later realises that his ill health could mean the end of Follyfoot.

Dora is keeping a vigil for the Colonel, who is very ill. Her parents arrive with the view to taking her home and Steve is getting ready to leave, as it looks as though this will be the end of Follyfoot. Dora confides in her father that she doesn't want to go with them. The Colonel gets up from his sickbed to meet with his solicitor. He announces to them that he has now signed over ownership of Follyfoot to Dora.

Dora is now the owner of Follyfoot, but Steve is unsure whether she'll be able to handle the responsibility. Dora takes in a horse that is infected and is liable to spread to all the other horses. One of the horse owners insists his horses are taken away and complains to the Colonel. The horse improves however and the owner's faith is restored.

On seeing a horse being worked to death, Dora intervenes and offers the owner one of her horses to replace his. A conman, he agrees to swap only if she gives him £20. Dora requests money at Follyfoot, saying it's for a hat, and she gives him the money. He then however sells the horse to be sold on at auction. Dora and Ron go to the auction and convince the Colonel to buy the horse.

A man comes to Follyfoot to buy a horse for his daughter. Dora and Steve accompany the family to nearby Lockwoods, a crooked seller of horses. The horse they buy is drugged and when they get it home, it turns violent. Dora agrees to take the horse for training after they threaten to shoot it. Successfully taming it, the family arrive back and hire Dora to train their new horse.

A bad-tempered fruit and veg seller has a heart attack. His son tells him that he's taking over the horse and cart business, but his father forbids him to. The younger son contacts Dora to hide the horse. The Police investigate and bring it back.

Dora has a nightmare where horses are being terrorised and Steve is covered in blood. The next morning she hears that Lockwood's estate has been ravaged by bikers and four of their horses are dead. Lockwood blames it on a local builder who sues him for slander. Dora gets involved but she is threatened. Steve steps in and fights the man responsible. To Dora's horror, he emerges covered in blood.

Lockwood sets a challenge: £100 for anyone who can outrace his horse. Dora intends to enter on a customer's horse, but withdraws when she becomes friendly with Lockwood's son Chip. Due to his shady dealings Lockwood tells his son to distance himself from Dora. She goes to the race to be told by Chip that he will always be loyal to his father.

Dora, Steve and Ron are investigating into some illegal activities by Lockwood. Chip, is unable to help them, but he sends a letter to Dora explaining everything and his feelings for her. Lockwood dumps the illegal horses and Follyfoot take them in. With the evidence of the letter they agree not to go to the Police, but warn him that he must give up any further dealings with horses. Chip decides to move away.

While teaching some schoolkids to ride, Dora comes across a gypsy camp. Their daughter has been forced out of the school and have had to move to an unsuitable area. Dora and Steve help them as their horses are sick. Dora gives them some in return for letting them take the sick ones in. She speaks to the headmistress to deaf ears, but Dora insists on helping them.

The parents of two children Dora is teaching to ride are killed in a car accident. Dora, Steve and Ron find their uncle. They get to know him and Dora falls for him, much to Steve's jealousy, who makes an effort to get close to Tina, the Gypsy girl. The Uncle adopts the two children and tells Dora he is engaged. Steve laughs at Dora and due to his insensitivity, Tina walks away.

Dora is shocked when she discovers that the Colonel has enlisted the services of a manager to help Dora run Follyfoot. Steve thinks it's a good idea, as they need an extra pair of hands. The woman clashes with Dora over the worth of retired horses and sacks Ron who had caused a fire in one of the stables. Dora, and eventually Steve, tell her she is not right for Follyfoot and ask her to leave.

It is raining heavily and tensions are high. Steve tells Dora that they don't have enough room for their horses and has arranged for some to be farmed out to a local stable. Dora is furious and would prefer to keep the retired horses rather than the schooled ones that bring in money. Ron too gets caught up in the tensions and he and Steve fight. The Colonel arrives and agrees with Steve, but Dora is not happy.

An orphaned and troubled teenage girl, Hazel, is coming to stay at Follyfoot for a while. Dora has no time for her as she's looking after two sick horses, but Steve takes her under his wing. Hazel takes a dislike to Dora and rebels. After almost attacking a horse, she breaks down and Dora and Steve comfort her, but Dora is still unhappy with all the changes taking place.

To everyone's concern, Dora is considering leaving Follyfoot. She takes time out to think and eventually realises that the real problem doesn't lie with her. On confronting Steve, she asks him to leave. The following morning, she discusses things with the Colonel, who convinces her that everything will be all right. Steve and Dora forget their differences and a bittersweet Dora reflects on her time at Follyfoot.