18/12/2024
As the year draws to a close, I've been reflecting on the 2024 we've had. How horrific and traumatic it began. From losing one of my most loved horses, and days later being placed in a cell for 2 days - not only accused, but charged with “murdering" him and our other rescues.
Although the case became quite public, many of you are unaware of what happened. The long story short is that I (obviously) was found not guilty and the charges were dropped.
I would like to thank everyone who was in my corner. Thank you to the 40+ people who came to court to support me, my friends who were there every step of the way, James, and my mother in law Sarah-Jane who dropped their entire lives to be there for me and help me. Ellen who took time off work from the UK to care for the horses that wouldn't have been taken care of while I was in jail. (Because it makes sense to accuse someone of neglecting their animals, whilst forcing them to neglect their animals because they're stuck in jail!) My family and my friends who were with me every moment they could. Irina for your help with absolutely everything. Nia for coming to the police station that night to be there for me. Everyone who defended me publicly to people who have no clue what they're talking about. Thank you to all of our volunteers who came to help this year, you guys were amazing!
Thank you to everyone who helped us with medical bills & feeding the horses! Thank you for the wishlist gifts for the ponies!
Thank you everyone for never doubting me, and for believing in the work I've done, and continue to do with the horses we have. Thank you for the help to pay off the legal costs. Thank you Rosie for setting up the gofundme. Thank you to everyone for understanding my abscences, my lack of responses. I promise to be better next year.
Your support has been invaluable, and I am incredibly grateful and humbled. Thank you for caring so much. I used to think that no one cared as much as us, and I am so glad to be proven wrong.
But I cannot lie... It has been difficult to navigate this year. I definitely learned who is a real friend and who isn’t. In turn I re-established how much I can rely on myself too. I am proud of myself during that time for keeping strong and believing that justice would prevail. That it would be okay.
I stayed as strong as I could. Our bodies are an incredible thing, and I am so grateful to mine for helping me survive February.
But eventually, what is bottled up will spill out. Mid-summer, the effects of the trauma really showed up. I couldn't sleep and when I did, it was nightmares of being taken away. I barely visited the horses. What was once my safe haven became a place I came to dread. Sitting with the horses filled me with an anxiety that gripped my chest in a vice. I could no longer hear the birds sing, didn't notice the loud buzzing of the cicadas like I should have. The land felt like it was tainted by a dark negativity. It became somewhere I could be taken away from, placed in a cell and locked away from my animals and freedom. I began to resent it.
At one point I only left the house to go to work. I couldn't face doing much else some days.
And so I would like to thank a wonderful friend who helped me through this dark time by offering her words of wisdom and knowledge. Who reminded me of the work I'd done, as they had witnessed it all, and been a part of the journey. A qualified friend who gave me an incredible gift of EMDR therapy, and literally rewired my brain in relation to some of my traumas. It has really helped me to close this year with some peace. I hear the birds more and more. I can sit in the yard just that bit longer. And I feel excited to fix the place up again, bit by bit. And thank you, friend, for all the mornings you gave me to help at the yard, and the help with the hay.
I begin the new year a little wiser, ever hopeful. Optimistic but humble.
If my rescue horses have taught me anything, it's that we cannot stop a situation from happening, but we can choose how we react to it. Not succumbing to the hardships, but instead coming out the other side softer, gentler, unhardened by the vindictiveness of others.
My wish for 2025 would be to complete the work I have done for our horses, and find them a forever home. If you have any room in your heart and field for a loving, grateful horse, please get in touch.
I wish you all a merry Christmas, and I hope your 2025 is filled with happiness, health, and peace.
Thank you for the continued support.
P.S. We will be at the Volume 2 Gallery Tattoo Studio in Moraitika on the 28th December at 12pm! There will be craft tables, and we will be there with our horseshoe art and 2025 horseshoe charms 🙂 They are also doing a raffle with lots of great prizes! More details to follow. See you there!
