I bought this book used, after being intrigued by it in the bookstore. In it, the author tells the story of her time as the caretaker of a badly abused, ill Standardbred broodmare and her own on-going struggle to overcome her own demons of childhood emotional abuse and insecurity.
This is a book about hurt. In it, we see the contrast of the author, who is battered and broken by the events of her life--the loss of her mother, abandonment by her father, abuse by the family members she was shuffled around among--and this mare who is gentle and loving and willing, despite being starved, overbred, overused and neglected. The author lives in fear, the mare is content. And they form a bond and a trust. Then a grim diagnosis threatens Lay Me Down's life, the author focuses on giving her the best quality of life she can, as long as she can.
A lot of the negative comments focus on Richards' decision to not euthanize her horse when she was first diagnosed, but she had very clear reasons to do it, and she did have the same fears and regrets all pet owners have when we have to make that decision. I started crying, because I recognized a lot of me in the way she handled the decision. Her passion for her horses is clearly evident; the descriptions of her time with them are vivid, where the human characters are vaguely outlined. They are her life, and the loss of one, especially one she cares about so deeply, is understandably horrific.
I would rate this as a good book. Not a great book. The writing is fantastic in the beginning, fantastic at the end. In the middle, it lags. But it did speak to me as someone who also loved a terminally-ill rescue pet and had to learn to enjoy the moments til it was time to let her go. I appreciate her efforts to give her pet a happy life and a dignified ending. It wasn't one James Herriott's lovely books, but I'm glad I read it.Get more detail about Chosen by a Horse.
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