the rescue Lemon
the rescue Lemon
First published in Great Britain by DJ Murphy Publishers Ltd in 2024
DJ Murphy (Publishers) Ltd
Olive Studio
Grange Road
Farnham
Surrey
GU10 2DQ
www.djmurphy.co.uk
Text copyright © DJ Murphy Publishers Ltd 2024
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written authority from DJ Murphy (Publishers) Ltd.
Lemon the Rescue Pony is a fictional story based on the life of Lemon. The characters in this book are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
978-1-913787-31-8
Written by Janet Rising
Edited by Zoe Cannon
Designed by Sarah Garland
Photography by Seth Zworestine for LeMieux
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, Elcograf S.p.A.
Dedicated to all the wonderful rehomers who provide a safe and loving home to the horses, ponies and donkeys who come into World Horse Welfare’s care.
Ponies in trouble
The little lemon-and-white coloured pony huddled as close to the hedge as she could so that her tiny colt foal could stand in the shade. It was yet another day when the blue sky was without clouds, and as the sun’s rays beat down, dark patches of sweat showed on the mare’s shoulders.
The chestnut-coloured colt pushed at his mother’s flank trying to drink her milk, but the mare had none for him. She was thirsty, too. For weeks, wet and windy weather had meant that rain had kept the
trough in the field filled with water, but now the weather was hot and sunny, and the other horses in the field had drunk all the water. Nobody came to the field to fill the trough; nobody had bothered to put out hay or checked they were all right. The horses had just been left to fend for themselves in a field with little grass, and now there wasn’t anything left to drink.
For the little lemon-and-white coloured pony, this had meant she had had to foal all alone, without help, something she had managed to do in a corner of the field away from the other horses. Bravely, she had done the best she could for her foal, licking him dry, encouraging him to stand and walk as soon as he was able, and
making sure he stayed by her side so she could keep him safe even when the other, bigger horses, crowded round her with interest. But she could do nothing to help him now.
As the sun beat down the little mare stood with her head over her son’s back, hoping to give him some comfort, trying to ignore the pain she was feeling. What would happen to them now? How could she possibly take care of her foal?
As she looked around at the other horses, the little pony knew that they were all in deep trouble. Without water they wouldn’t last long. The future looked about as bleak as it could possibly get. Looking up at the sky she hoped she might see storm clouds
but there were none, just the searing heat of the sun beating down upon the baked ground. Sensing that her foal was growing weaker the little pony wondered just how long he – and she – could survive. She would do all she could to comfort him, but she didn’t know how long they could last.
the rescue Lemon
When a little Shetland pony and her tiny foal are abandoned in a field during a heat wave, their future looks bleak. But luck is on their side! Officers from an equine charity rescue them just in time. The mare and foal find themselves at a World Horse Welfare rescue centre, where they are named Lemon and Lime.
But Lemon and Lime need special care. They face uncertain futures. Who will offer these tiny ponies a home? And when Lemon finds a new home among horses with impressive careers, will she ever be able to hold her head up high and show her friends what she is capable of?
minimum of 10% of the retail price of each book sold will be donated to World Horse Welfare
* Recommended price
DJMur