Challenges and tragedies

This year I’ve set myself the task of writing a couple of children’s books, for 8 -12 year olds. The intention is to write a chapter a month of both books so I’m not putting myself in too much pressure and can get my other projects finished too. I’ve a book, After, halfway written and three books with an editor waiting for re-writes. I’m aiming to get all of these books finished this year ready for publication early next year.

I was thrilled this week to have an article published in the Irish Times.

While work is going so well, things weren’t so great on a personal level. Last weekend I lost my darling mare, Pearl. My old lady, a beautiful pure white Connemara mare, had been retired for years after being a wonderful part of my horse team. She was an incredible jumper, very quiet and kind, but with a character that let you know if she liked you or not.

During the summer she had a problem with a hind leg swelling up hugely, from her hoof right up into her quarters. I’d never seen anything like it. She was in such pain and discomfort she couldn’t stand and I found her in the field. We managed to get her up and treated her with painkillers and anti-inflamatiories. Eventually she came right, but last weeked the same happened again. She’d been stabled so it wasn’t anything she’d twisted or pulled, she was very miserable and clearly in a lot of pain.

I had been away for the previous night and as soon as the call came from my daughter, I knew something was seriously wrong. I got home as soon as I could and got the vet. We made the sad decision to put her to sleep to save her suffering any further. My vet did wonder if she had some form  of cancer which had blocked her lympahtic system.  

It was horrible to lose her, but I really feel it was the right thing to do to save her suffering.

Feels very weird now to just have one horse, the end of an era when my stables were full of ponies for my daughter to jump.