Chosen by a Horse: a memoir

By Susan Richards

“Proof that love for another animal can alone make one human and humane: wit and crushing sadness chasing each other all across the page; intelligence and bravery and perfect literary pitch... Damn great.”—Melissa Holbrook Pierson, author of Dark Horses and Black Beauties: Animals; Women, a Passion

“A bold and sensitive memoir of what it means to open one’s heart to love... A magnificent read.”—Adele von Rust McCormick, Ph.D and Marlena Deborah McCormick, PhD, authors of Horses and the Mystical Path; Horse Sense and the Human Heart

“A triumph for all spirits.”—Laura Shaine Cunningham, author of A Place in the Country

“Should rank with the great animal stories.”—Ann Arensberg, author of Incubus

"Two kindred spirits find each other in this beautifully written memoir about the human-animal bond."—Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation

When she agrees to take on the care of one of the abused horses just rescued by the local SPCA, a new chapter opens in Susan Richards’s difficult life. She lost her mother at the age of five and was raised by uncaring relatives; married unhappily and divorced; and suffered from alcoholism. While Susan is trying to capture the horse assigned to her, Lay Me Down, a skeletal mare, walks into Susan’s horse trailer of her own volition. Susan already owns one mare and two geldings—the diva-like Georgia, boyish Tempo and hopelessly romantic Hotshot—but it is with Lay Me Down that she forges a special, healing relationship that alters her life.

Poignant and evocative, this is a book for anyone who has ever loved a horse, and for everyone who has ever lost a loved one.


From the Hardcover edition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jun 1, 2006
• ISBN: 9781569474860

Reviews for Chosen by a Horse

[michelynn2016 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

so touching...cried like a baby

[liscarey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Susan Richards has survived an abusive childhood and a bad marriage, and now, in her forties, is living on a small farm with her three horses, working as a social worker, and determinedly protecting her independence. Having given up alcohol, casual sex, and in fact men altogether, she may be lonely, but at least she’s safe.

Then she gets a call from the local SPCA, which has taken in more than forty horses from an abuse case. Their barn was already full; they need foster homes immediately. Against her better judgment, Richards agrees to take one of the horses.

She gets a Standardbred named Lay Me Down, a 16-year-old broodmare who is terribly thin and who has pneumonia. With Susan’s care, Lay Me Down gets back to a healthy weight, recovers from her pneumonia, and gets successfully integrated into her existing herd of one Morgan mare and two quarter horse geldings.

And then she discovers that Lay Me Down has an eye tumor. In the position it’s in, it can’t even be biopsied safely, but it’s almost certainly cancerous.

Susan Richards, whose heart broke at age five when her mother died a lingering death from cancer, and who has steadfastly avoided any emotional commitments that would lead to loss, finds herself committed to a beautiful, sweet-natured horse who has had a life as hard as her own, and who is going to die. Susan struggles with Lay Me Down’s illness, her own conflicted feelings, and her first stumbling efforts to rejoin the human race. This truly is a deeply moving story about a horse, a broken heart, and the beginnings of healing.

Highly recommended.

I borrowed this book from a friend.

[lsmith862 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Meh. This book felt disjointed and lacked a strong narrative core. At first I was willing to overlook the questionable writing, until I read the blurb about the author on the back. She teaches English and writing at a college level. In that case, the writing was sub-par at best. I had a variety of issues with it:1) She assumes that any reader who picks this up and doesn't know anything about horses needs to be told in parentheses that a horse's hocks are their elbows (not strictly true, either).n And yet, she doesn't feel the need to explain what an "Arabian face" is in her Morgan? Extremely inconsistent. The horse details that she felt the need to expound on were rudimentary to people familiar with horses, and unnecessary to comprehension for those who aren't.2) The "main" horse of the book actually has a pretty boring story. And the author doesn't make it clear that this "particular" horse heavily influenced the great changes in her life - instead, it is a series of horses. The story narrative would have been stronger if this was a memoir about the *horses* who healed her broken heart. That might have been a story worth reading.

[narilka · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Chosen by a Horse is a memoir by Susan Richards of the time she rescued a former racehorse, Lay Me Down. It is a sad and sweet tale. Both Lay Me Down and Susan come from similar backgrounds of abuse. Through caring for Lay Me Down, Susan re-learns that life can be full of joy and love and is worth the risk of being hurt. It begs the question of who rescues who when we take an animal into our lives. While I am a general animal lover, I don't know much about horse care or horse personalities so really enjoyed those parts. Susan also writes about her own efforts as a 40-something woman attempting to date again with rather mixed results. Keep a box of tissues handy, this one is a tear jerker.

[clamato_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Touching and poignant.

[gingermama-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A beautiful, sweet and occasionally laugh-out-loud story of a former racehorse and the woman who loved her.

[diananagy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a wonderful heart-felt touching and inspiring book to read. I really enjoyed it and I am not a fan of horse novels. This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who needs a little bit of love and encouragement in their life. It helped my heart and I didn't even know it needed it. Sometimes we all need a little inspiration to get going in life!

[bookish59 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Susan Richards adopts Lay Me Down, an abused, sick horse from an SPCA rescue mission. Susan and Lay Me Down bond from the start. Susan nurses Lay Me Down back to health even after Lay Me Down is diagnosed with a tumor. Beautiful story that illustrates what most animal lovers know: animals have personalities, preferences and moods just like us. Lay Me Down was a very special horse; she had a sweet disposition despite her history. She was able to help Susan process her unresolved grief and learn patience and forgiveness. Excellent read!

[lyn369 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a wonderful heart warming story. If you have ever loved a pet this is a story to read.

[hitchcockbe44 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really loved this book! I can so relate to the rescue of a horse as well as healing from caring for and interacting with a horse. I laughed and cried right along with Susan on her journey. A really great read!

[carolynschroeder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a surprisingly wonderful, honest memoir about how one reluctant rescuer was chosen a horse who saved her life - not the other way around, like it was supposed to be. That said, Richards DID foster, and then adopt, "Lay me Down" after the horse's life of misery at the hands of a breeder/hoarder (then acquisition by the SPCA); and she spoiled that horse with the love and care she never had. The wonder of this book is what the author learns from this gentle soul of a horse and how she grows, so I do not want to say much and "spoil" the beauty of that unfolding. While a sad book, it is also a hopeful one. I believe anyone (but particularly women) who has had a rough past/childhood/marriage/relationship and loves animals will get a lot out of this parallel lives story. It's also a quiet one about the wisdom of choosing sobriety and facing the problems of life, through love and hope, and not escape, despite how hard that might be. Highly recommended.

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simply stated: This book took my breath away. Written with humor, poignancy, candor, and clear, crisp poetic style, the author takes us on a wonderful journey regarding the redemptive power of love.There are times in life when we spontaneously, unexpectedly break out of character, when previous behaviors are uncautiously thrown to the wind and afterward we ask ourselves -- What just happened?It was fate that brought Susan Richards and an abused horse together. When the local SPCA posted a SOS plea asking the public to assist with 40 recently confiscated malnourished, poor- in- health horses, uncharacteristically, Susan jumped in her car and drove to the SPCA.When a severely emaciated mare named Lay Me Down walked into her horse trailer, tiny foal behind, Susan knew it was not she who chose which horse to adopt, but indeed she was chosen.Susan knew pain and abandonment. Her mother died when she was five; her father then left for a life of booze and denial. Susan was shifted to homes of relatives who clearly thought her a burden. Abused and unwanted, knowing love hurt too much, Susan learned to build a wall where pain could not touch.Then, at 43, after a broken marriage and recovery from alcoholism, a broken horse helped a broken hearted woman, the rescuer was rescued and the wounded horse helped a wounded owner to find the strength to risk and dare to love.When the horse developed a tumor, the author knew that Lay Me Down had created a space wherein the horse and her childhood merged forcing her to learn that risking love, in all the beauty and potential sorrow, takes strength and courage and creates a gift that keeps right on giving.Highly recommended. I believe you will laugh, you will cry and this is a story that will hold your heart for a while.

[ksr611 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best books i have ever read. I could read it 20 times if I need 2

[teddy380 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best books i have ever read. I have read it multiple times, wich I never do. Especially considering I don't own it. Woch I'm going to change that......

[acook_713547 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is primarily about the author’s relationship with her horses, particularly her most recently rescued one, but also includes some biographical sections, detailing her abusive childhood and alcoholic young adulthood. It is at times touching, amusing and informational about horses. I enjoyed it at all those levels. In our family, it has to be given the dreaded “HD” rating (Horse Dies). Beware if that bothers you. But you sort of know it’s coming, and it’s handled very tenderly. But get your hanky ready.

[ladycato · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an approachable and fast memoir that most any animal lover would enjoy. Susan Richards had a lot of baggage, but by the time she entered her 40s she regarded herself as an independent woman in control of her life. She had conquered the alcohol addiction that dominated her for decades. She shed an abusive husband and family. But when she agreed to take care of an abused mare and foal, she got more than she bargained for. The mare, Lay Me Down, had every right to hate humans, but she didn't. She looked on Susan with trust and faith, and Susan felt her old protective barriers begin to fall. But barriers exist with a reason, and soon Susan would need to face the truth: with love comes vulnerability, but it is still worthwhile.I was surprised at how gently this book flowed. It felt like stream-of-consciousness, progressing from memory to memory without me even fully realizing how far the story strayed. Susan had a very difficult life, and she is very honest about what she endured and also what she brought on herself. Her relationship with Lay Me Down and other horses, even the impetuous Morgan Georgia, reveal a lot about her and her maturity. This is really a book about love, life, death, and how a person is never to old to learn and grow wise.

[timbazzett · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I bought this book for my wife for Christmas, but I read it first. (She still hasn't.) It's a very well-told story about a woman who lost her mother as a child, then suffered abandonment, abuse, neglect and an all-around lack of love throughout her youth. As an adult she lost herself in happy hours, alcoholism and promiscuity, followed by a bad marriage that ended in divorce. Finally, through AA, a few good friends, and an innate love of animals, particularly horses, she gets herself straightened out and begins to learn how to love herself again. In other words everything you need for a good potboiler of a book. But instead Susan Richards chooses to examine her life carefully. The catalyst for doing this is an abused horse she rescues, a special horse who seems to return Richards' unconditional love in kind. The horse, Lay Me Down, is a Black Beauty for the 21st century, that rare animal who endures man's cruelties and gives back love in return. And helps a damaged lonely woman to finally come to understand that she is capable of loving and of being loved. Geeze, this sounds almost too corny, but it's what just came out when I started writing this, so ...? I also found it interesting that Richards ended up a Social Worker, since it seems so many abused and mistreated women finally end up in this profession. Is it because they feel they've been through it all and so can do some good for others who have suffered the same kind of stuff? I don't know. Now I've gone and broken the spell of that fine review I started. What the hell. This is a damn good book, and one of the best "horse books" I've read since Molly Gloss's lovely novel, Hearts of Horses. Read 'em both.

[pandababy_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Author Susan Richards deeply touched my heart with her memoir, originally published in 2006. Subtitled "How a broken horse fixed a broken heart", she tells the story of Lay Me Down, an abused race horse that she adopted, and how, in the process of healing the horse, the horse healed her.I liked the matter-of-fact way Susan gradually reveals the emotional and physical abuse she suffered as a child, and the lack of self-pity in her narrative. She dwells not on her past but on the healing process and her life with her horses.Richards makes no excuses for her alcoholic and promiscuous youth, nor for her divorce or her decade of anti-social isolation. She acknowledges the damage and focuses on her gradual recovery, driven by her love for her horses and in particular, the mare she rescued.I avoid most memoirs of an abusive childhood or marriage. I dislike reading the details of someone else's pain, and too frequently, such books are riddled with excuses and blame. I marvel that Susan Richards manages to escape those traps, and consider it clear proof that her broken horse truly did fix her broken heart. Her story is upbeat but relentlessly honest, a combination irresistible to me.Richards integrates her painful childhood, chaotic youth and angry adult years to reveal a charming, mature woman capable of deep friendship and compassion, love and generosity of spirit, but not a soft person, rather, a woman of strength and courage of the most rare kind - with the courage to face herself and her history, her feelings and hopes, with unflinching honesty and acceptance.Books are my friends, have been my friends all my life. Chosen by a Horse is very good friend indeed, the kind that wears well and demonstrates qualities I want to imitate in my own life, the kind of friend that makes me a better person than I would be without them.

[sally8658 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a great story about how animals can teach us a lesson about being caring.

[gypsyhomebody · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I got this book to read on the plane during an up-coming trip. I couldn't wait to read it, so I read it before the trip. I am so glad I did. I bawled like a newborn baby. It is so real. I am a horse-lover, however, I don't feel like this only appeals to horse people. This book is about a woman who goes through some of the toughest times of her life and the horse who is with her during it all. What she learns from the horse, is inspiring.

[traceydanine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was beautifully written an was much more than a "horse story". It was the story of a women in her 40's finally learning to face fears and enjoy life.

[fionacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The beautiful but sad story of how the author rediscovered her capacity to love while taking care of a terminally ill mare rescued from an abusive owner. Lay Me Down is one of the sweetest horses you will ever meet between the pages of a book.

[cequillo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For anyone who has a love for horses, has felt the bonds and exhilaration such a love can bring, this book should not be missed. Richardson has given horse lover's something to treasure in the words in this book. Highly recommended.

[lorielibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lovely read for horselovers...how we learn from our horses, even about death. Keep the Kleenex handy

[ezza85-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was an easy, nice book to read. I wouldn't rave about it, however the ending was quite emotional and I did cry for the first time reading a book.