My love of horses started young.  My Dad would read Black Beauty to me at night and during the day we would play with a pretend herd of horses. We gave my ‘herd’ names and planned their care.

 

I was lucky enough to be taken for riding lessons at a young age, then later have a pony of my own. I’d cycle to and from the yard after school and then I got a job working on a livery and eventing yard. Here my eyes were really opened to how horses are often treated as commodities, I never wanted to be like that. I’d spend hours with the “difficult” horses, working with them, helping them to learn and understand better what was being asked of them.

 

As my life moved on and I changed towns and jobs, I took on a voluntary role completing market welfare checks, ensuring hoses are treated well and injuries cared for. Over the years at markets I have even helped get a few stolen horses back to their rightful owners. One of my first rescues was a Shetland foal from a market, she had been separated from her mother and was being hit by dealer at the market. Long story short, I walked out of the market with a foal under one arm and my young daughter under the other (we weren’t able to track down the foals mother, who had already been sold).

 

A few years later after moving to Malvern I bought Misty, the plan was for her to be a family pony but she had other ideas, we then got Pippin as her companion, a cheeky chap in every way. As my children grew they developed a love of horses and after seeing two Shetlands tied at the side of the road, with necks rubbed raw from their tethers, I had to help, they were followed by Satan, then Joker.

 

I was already known for doing small animal rescue, taking in cats, dogs, rabbits, ducks and even terrapins, so people started to asking me to help with their horses and others ponies in need. After years of taking in waifs, strays, neglected, abused and abandoned horses we decided to form a charity to better help the horses in our care and rehome more where we could.

 

Today, I am a Taxi Driver by trade as the flexible hours and working patterns mean I can be with the horses one minute and then earning a wage to fund their care the next.

 

 

I am never happier than when I am with the horses, watching them interact with each other, content and relaxed after having had such bad experiences.