Autistic rider’s horse saved by whip-round
AN autistic rider who found her soulmate in an “unmanageable and unhappy” horse has saved the mare from being sold thanks to the generosity of strangers.
Lily Campbell’s life was transformed with the help of Meg who she had been riding for a year on a loan arrangement.
But Lily was given a month’s notice to come up with £2,000 or the horse would be sold to a dealer.
Browsing
She turned to the internet for help where friends, family and strangers rallied round to help keep the pair together – raising the cash in less than a month.
Lily, who was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at the age of five, was inspired to turn to horse therapy after a doctor recommended it.
She began browsing the internet for her own horse and it was love at first sight when she met Meg, after months of searching.
Describing the 15-yearold mare as her “heart horse” Lily said the bond they formed had transformed her life in the space of a year – and was devastated at the prospect of it coming to an end.
Lily said: “When you look into a horse’s eyes, you can tell if they look unhappy. Meg did not look happy.
“I met lots of lovely horses but Meg was friendly although she didn’t pay attention. She was in her own world.”
She was struck by how the animal’s emotional state seemed to mirror her own. Meg was liable to bolt and could be unmanageable.
She decided to take on the horse and agreed to a loan arrangement, paying for vet’s bills and livery but without having to find the cash to buy Meg.
Due to her autism Lily, 25, had struggled with social situations and leaving her home in Chippenham, Wilts.
She added: “Meg has made me a completely different person. She’s helped me in so many ways. She’s made me more confident.”