Neigh-bours are re-united by horse

Sir, My beautiful big horse Riley broke into my feed shed and ate some chicken food. He became desperately ill with colic and then laminitis. Just before New Year, after three days and three vet visits, he became life-threateningly ill.

Very late at night the vet was called. I didn’t hold out much hope but the young vet appeared and quickly set to work. He toiled diligently into the night and came back at first light the next day to see my poorly but more stable horse.

It’s still early days for Riley’s recovery, but all signs are good and he’s back to his quirky self.

But the strange thing is that I and the young vet started to talk about the weather and he said he lived outside Forfar and there had only been a light sprinkling of snow. To which I said: ‘Oh, my mum lives in Fort William and she has four inches.’

He stopped in his tracks and said: ‘I don’t believe it. I’m from Inverroy by Roy Bridge.’

So, the lovely young vet who came to our rescue that night, now living hundreds of miles from home, was treating the horse of a woman, also hundreds of miles from home, and they only lived about 10 miles apart when they were growing up. So, just to say a massive thank you to vet, Robert Strachan. Susan Duncan and Riley, Arbroath.