Susan Richards (1)

This is a story of “divine” love, which, I believe, God sends to each of us when our heart needs help healing. For Susan it was a horse named Lay Me Down. Both had been deserted in life. Susan’s mother died when she was young and her father, a drunk, turned his back on her. She ended up bouncing from one family home to another because no one really wanted her. Lay Me Down, no longer needed or wanted after her racing days were over, was rescued along with about 40 other race horses, and fostered out through SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). Susan had chosen a horse to foster just by the cute name of one horse over the phone. But when she arrived, it was raining, cold and chaotic and they couldn’t single her horse out from the others, who were becoming frightened and rambunctious. She shouted out that any horse would do. So, she ended up with Lay Me Down Lay, who taught Susan, then in her 40's, how to trust and love again.

Susan describes each of her four horses’ personalities very well. You will feel like you really get to know and love Lay Me Down, but because of a brain tumor that was growing behind one of her eyes, she had to be put to sleep. On her last day, Lay Me Down was found lying alone on the ground, taking in the last of the early morning spring sun instead of eating with the others as usual. Susan knew the day had come. Even the other horses knew there was something wrong; they had gathered together and were feeding away from her off in the distance. Susan grabbed her camera to capture a lasting memory of Lay Me Down, then walks you through the excruciating pain of putting her beloved horse down. Tissues are mandatory! I love that she included this photo of Lay Me Down at the end of each chapter.… (mer)

I had just finished "Chosen By a Horse" and I don't usually rush out to read the next book but my daughter had this one so I jumped right into it. This tells what happened to Susan Richards after the publication of "Chosen By a Horse". Many good things happen but she also must face up to the anxiety of book readings and meeting strangers and possibly facing another love interest. She stills talks about Lay Me Down, the mare that started it all and helped change her life. I wish she would also see that the Lord has a hand in orchestrating everything that has happened to her.… (mer)