Healed by Horses: A Memoir

by Carole Fletcher, Lawrence Scanlan (Primary Contributor)

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 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.

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2005

Reviews

[Mary Young/Harris]

Loved this book, sorry to see the last page, it could have gone on and on. Wonderful story.

[Jan Hecht]

Wonderful story of a young woman who overcame her disability of being severely burned by daily contact with horses. She is truly an inspiration.