After nineteen years of writing and trying to get a book published, I can finally say that I’m a published author, but would you believe me if I told you my goal was never to become an author? The writing began because I felt a need to deliver a specific message to children and it all unfolded from there. It’s true that I’ve always been a writer at heart. Professionally, I was a journalist, but I also had a deep love of horses and a burning desire to help children understand that horses needed to be treated with kindness, love, and respect.

There had to be a better way.

As a certified equine massage therapist – a side gig I enjoyed enormously— I was in and out of barns helping horses get through pain and discomfort from injury or increased levels of training. At those barns, I sometimes saw trainers, horse owners, and even children using harsh techniques I didn’t agree with, like slapping horses around and whipping them. I watched a woman whip a horse so badly that it had bleeding welts, and I saw a girl whip her horse in an effort to get him into a horse trailer. I don’t know about you, but I certainly wouldn’t go willingly into a confined area, like a horse trailer, where there is no means of escape, with someone who’s whipping me. The whole thing was so counterintuitive. But what boggled my mind was that sometimes it was young children using the whips. Who taught them it was okay to do that? Surely, there had to be a better way.  

The book became the mechanism.

I wanted to reach children at an early age, to help them understand that their relationship with a horse had to be a partnership built on trust – not a dictatorship. They needed to know that if they took good care of their horse, their horse would take good care of them. I believe from the center of my being, that you can make a horse comply with bullying, but that horse will eventually turn on you and you will get hurt. Using a firm voice, kind hands, and consistency would be better for the horses and at the same time, keep children safer. The book became the mechanism to deliver the message.

Thank goodness for novels that paved the way.

Nineteen years ago, I wrote the first version of the book, which was told solely from the horse’s perspective, to give children some insight into what their horses might think about people. Back then, publishers weren’t interested in books with talking horses, so the manuscript rested on a shelf. Thank goodness for novels like The Art of Racing in the Rain, which is told from the perspective of the family dog, and Lessons in Chemistry, where the thoughts of the family dog are revealed. Those books helped pave the way for my debut novel, Biz’s Journey Home, which is told from seven different perspectives—four people and three horses.

I am grateful beyond words.

My goal was never to be a published author, but to be honest, holding my newly published book in my hands felt amazing. Seeing it for sale on myriad book sites, including Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and Amazon, was surreal, but not nearly as surreal as having my own author pages on those sites and seeing how well my book was received. Thank you to all who purchased the book and were kind enough to leave reviews. I am grateful beyond words.

Until next time,

Jean AKA The Strategic Chicken - Making life’s journey one strategic step at a time