On To Bigger and Brighter Things: Like A New Book About Morgan Horses

It’s pretty hard to be sad when you have horses who like to play on the beach.

Kerry 7th Gen has made his debut on Drummond Island and he is finding out exactly why his older pasture mates have become migratory beasts.

Over two decades of summers on Drummond has led to some pretty spectacular experiences for horses: and a new book!

Working title: Twelve Days On An Island: A Family Of Horses

The story is about a five-year-old Morgan and his first summer in the great tradition of his relatives. He inherits the experience, much as I have, from my ancestors before me.

When Jr., as we call him, arrives on the island, I suddenly realize that he has one behavioral idiosyncrasy that is going to make life very difficult for both of us:

He refuses to stand tied.

A horse that won’t be tied up is a big problem.

When his halter is attached to anything, he dances around. He digs holes with his feet. Worst of all, he has developed a habit of leaning back into the halter and breaking free.

Jr. cherishes his freedom, but the real problem is that for some reason, the experience of being tied up just terrifies him.

His story is intertwined with that of my sister, Amanda, and how the struggle continues to liberate her from the shackles of an emotionally abusive situation. Amanda is my co-author to our award-winning book, The North Side Of Down. Unfortunately it has turned into only the first part in the story of her quest for social freedom, and a human rights battle that is not uncommon for people with disabilities.

Twelve Days includes the usual cast of characters, with Clifford the Library Horse, and Trudy, and a bevy of dogs.

I’m in the process of polishing the manuscript, which is in journal form, much as the original story, Clifford of Drummond Island, began.

I am scouting around for publishers, but if it doesn’t work out, I will self publish and hope to have the story available by the Christmas season.

BTW, in my search online for expert advice on solving the tying issue, I didn’t find any method similar to how I fixed the problem. It just goes to show there is more than one way to skin a cat…. Or secure a horse.