The Snow Pony — Alison Lester

Three years of drought have reduced the Rileys' farm to a dirt patch and strained the family to the breaking point. Between their increasingly desperate finances, her father's short temper, and her best friend's move to boarding school in the city, Dusty's whole life seems to be unraveling. Her only consolation is her wild and beautiful horse, the Snow Pony.
Dusty first sees the wild brumby up on the Plains, and from that first glimpse, she can think of little else. Months later, her father catches the horse and tries to break it in, but the Snow Pony will only accept one rider -- Dusty. Together they seem unstoppable. But when sudden violence erupts during a trip up to the mountains, Dusty and her horse find themselves tested as never before.
In her second novel, set in rural Australia's rugged terrain, author Alison Lester weaves together a colorful and compassionate story of family, courage, adventure, and a young girl's passion for her horse.