03/06/2026
š My Story š
Hi everyone š¤
Thank you for being here and reading my story.
My name is Zara. Iām autistic, ADHD, and have PTSD. I was also adopted and born 4 months premature, so life has always felt a little different for me.
Horses have been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
When I was 12, I volunteered at the local stables and had share horses for a few years. Those early experiences meant a lot to me ā they were simple, grounding, and gave me a sense of calm I didnāt always find elsewhere.
When I was 14, the school I was at took me to Mane Chance Sanctuary. What was meant to be 12 weeks of work experience turned into a year and a half of what became, in many ways, therapy.
That time changed everything for me.
At Mane Chance, I didnāt just learn about horses ā I started to understand myself. For the first time, I began to recognise who I was underneath everything I had been masking and struggling with at such a young age.
Through the horses, I experienced mindfulness and horse care in a very natural way. I learnt how to sit with emotions instead of pushing them away, and how connection doesnāt always need words.
It was also the first time I realised I wasnāt alone in how I felt. The horses had their own histories too, and there was something deeply healing about simply being with them. We all share feelings.
That experience is where I really started to find what I needed ā and in a way, who I was becoming.
Later in life, I got my first pony, Oly, from the Blue Cross. We grew up together in many ways, both learning trust and confidence step by step. I had him from 6 months old until he was around 4.
In 2020, my mum unexpectedly passed away, which changed everything again. Around the same time, I had to make the heartbreaking decision to return Oly to the Blue Cross after moving back home.
I was grieving deeply, and it felt like losing two of my most important anchors at once.
There were times when I didnāt know what direction life would take next, but something in me held onto what I had learned through horses ā that connection, patience, and understanding still matter, even in the hardest moments.
So I kept going.
And slowly, I found my way back into equine learning and continued building on what had started all those years ago.
Looking back, it all began with simple moments at local yards and led me to understanding myself in ways I never expected.
Horses have shaped so much of who I am today.
This is why I want to offer what I do ā not only to help people meet their real selves, but because I feel I owe it to certain horses who made a lasting impact on me and helped me change for the better.
ZM Horse Connection is my active account now
