Local Author Writes Volume Three—

‘For The Love Of The Horse’

By Andy Hutchison

Horse lovers are taken into the barn as well as out into the riding country by local author Anne Jamieson in her book series For The Love Of The Horse. Jamieson, who resides in Kent, recently wrote Volume III of the series and shares more local and national equestrian stories as her way of honoring horses and recognizing what they do for humans.

Jamieson, a United States Equestrian Federation judge licensed in hunters, jumpers, and hunt seat equestrian, shows her own horse, Fred Astaire. She finds inspiring stories through her own hands-on experiences and in researching true stories about horses and shares them with readers in her nearly 250-page softcover book of short stories and illustrations.

“The more I work with horses, the more I am amazed by the things they do for us,” said Jamieson, adding that horseback riding and horse care for equestrians serves as a much-needed diversion.

“It’s their way to escape from the world and have some time to themselves,” she said.

In one of the stories, Jamieson writes about Jamaica, a horse that was in a slaughterhouse but was fortunate enough to be spared because of a form of skin disease surfacing. Fearing that the infection would spread throughout the rest of his livestock, the butcher sold Jamaica for next to nothing, Jamieson writes in her book. Jamaica’s story has a happy ending, with the horse later becoming the United States Equestrian Federation’s Horse Of The Year.

“The Horse,” another of the short stories, is about an exhibit organized by the American Museum of Natural History. Jamieson also writes about a the life of a horse, Pasha, who had a stint in the circus and, after sustaining a back injury and being treated by a holistic veterinarian, went on to learn dressage and experience an entirely different lifestyle.

“It’s so much fun. I just love hearing people’s stories about their horses,” Jamieson said.

Jamieson will be doing a book signing at Shagbark Feed in East Haddam this Saturday, December 12, and at Canfield Corner Pharmacy the following Saturday (December 19, from 11 am to 3 pm).

Bit Of Tack in Newtown and the Southbury Borders bookstore, along with Canfield Corner Pharmacy in Woodbury and local tack shops, carry the book. For more information, visit www.loveofthehorsebook.com.