As a seasoned horse owner, Helen Cherry has had her share of mishaps and adventures, but none quite like her quest to help a newly adopted horse named Nancy.
Cherry, who lives in the Cotswolds of England, adopts the five-year-old thoroughbred, even though she has the option of choosing a “solid” 12-year-old Irish mare that would be a much easier addition. But when Nancy looks at her with “those beautiful gentle eyes,” Cherry feels she’s looked “right into my soul.”
When readers meet Nancy, she has just launched Cherry into the air, leaving her rider battered, bruised and torn. The move is out of character for the mare, who looks distressed at what it has done. The incident confirms Cherry’s suspicions that something is emotionally or physically wrong with Nancy, even though veterinarians have found nothing.
Desperate to figure out what’s going on, Cherry begins to educate herself in naturopathic techniques. She’s astounded by the horse’s reaction to early attempts at reiki, which she’s convinced allow her to connect so deeply that she hears Nancy thank her. She also delves into kinesiology and, despite initial resistance, the American Masterson Method, a treatment developed by Jim Masterson, author of Beyond Horse Massage.
She also uses her new knowledge to help her cope with past trauma, as well as her ongoing divorce, and comes to believe that through her work with Nancy, “… I changed my life and found my true self…”
This is an interesting story written with substantial knowledge and love of horses. While it’s largely about Nancy and Cherry’s beloved pony Jacko, Cherry also shares some of her history with other horses, including her work jillarooing (an Australian term for being a female farmhand) on a sheep and cattle station in the Australian outback.
Cherry’s personal history, knowledge and heartfelt efforts to care for her animals through good times and bad make this an engaging read that should appeal to anyone who loves horses.
Also available as an ebook.
