Healed by Horses

Book excerpt: Carole Fletcher's story opens on a November morning in 1975. She began this day as a striking young teacher in a happy relationship; a horse lover and car enthusiast -- ultimately, a young woman eager for what lay ahead. But a gasoline explosion changed all that, leaving her with second- and third-degree burns over sixty-five percent of her body. At day's end, surgeons warned she had a one-in-ten chance of surviving the night and that even if she did, it would be more than likely she would never walk again -- let alone ride a horse. Carole surprised everyone: her family, her doctors, even herself. After seven months in the hospital and twenty-eight skin graft surgeries, she began to ride her beloved horse, Bailey. Thanks to the therapeutic nature of riding, she slowly regained almost full use of her legs. And though more surgery and almost four years of rehabilitation would follow, Carole eventually plunged into the world of performance with a clever trick horse named Dial. Carole Fletcher tells an inspiring and eloquent story of recovery and rebirth. Healed by Horses offers a compelling account of one woman's uncommon courage and perseverance, and illustrates the extraordinary connection possible between humans and horses, and how that bond can restore, motivate, and heal.