Writing
Horses: An Interview with D.H. Anderson
by Gina
McKnight
No duplication without permission.
D. H. Anderson is an award‑winning author who writes from
the heart of a horse farm in Southwestern Pennsylvania, where the rhythms of
barn-life shape much of her creative world. Her love for horses began more than
30 years ago when her young daughter fell in love with riding. What started as
a parent’s support quickly grew into a deep personal passion as Anderson
immersed herself in the equestrian community, learning its traditions,
challenges, and joys from the inside out.
One of the most defining moments in her journey came with the birth of Lady Thistle—a foal she watched enter the world and grow into her own spirited personality. That intimate experience of witnessing life unfold in the barnyard became a touchstone for Anderson’s storytelling. It’s why her children’s books feel so genuine: they’re drawn directly from real moments on the farm, from muddy hooves and morning feedings to the quiet magic of watching a young horse take its first steps. Through her writing, she invites young readers into that world, offering them an authentic glimpse of equine life and the bonds that form between humans and horses.
Welcome, Donna!
GM: Your Lady Thistle series is based on true events at
Waterdam Farm. What inspired you to turn these real-life moments into
children’s stories, and when did you realize they could become a full series?
DA: I have
had a love for horses since I was a child, but did not grow up around horses,
not even near a farm. As I tell those
who visit me at book festivals and trade events, my daughter is an equine
surgeon which means I spent many years
with her riding, competing and learning to own a horse, boarding, and then
taking care of her horse while she was away at university, vet school, internship
– many years of education. When she arrived back to the western PA area, she
retired a racehorse off the track, named Polly.
From Polly, a baby was born in my
barn, and that was a life-changing
experience for me! I had never been around a baby and mom; Polly was a great mom and let us interact
with her little filly both in the barn and then outside in the field. Each day with them became a new and wonderful
experience! I soon felt that this was a
story to share with children. I have
been a writer for years, documenting my personal life, and was headed toward a
tell-all book. But, this experience
changed my direction (for now) and I began writing books about this new little
filly, Lady Thistle. My initial thought
was that children who were around horses would enjoy the stories, and then
realized there are many children who are not around horses and the delightful
stories would expose them to a different slice of life. As I began to write I realized that each
little stepping stone of this filly’s new life were perfect for a series of
books, each about a specific experience or two. She was growing so fast and
these experiences were happening at a rapid pace. For example,
the first book is about Polly (the mom) arriving, meeting the other farm
animals and the resulting birth. The
second book is about just the first few hours of her life, getting up and nursing which has to happen
immediately. I also decided early on
that each book would end with several “Did You Know” pages so that additional
facts could be enjoyed by readers.
GM: You’ve worked with horses for more than 30 years. How has that lifelong experience shaped the way you portray
equine behavior and relationships in your books?
DA: I
always say that my daughter and I learned everything the “hard way” when it
comes to horses. I did not grow up with
horses and at 8 years old, Apryle decided that she wanted to take riding
lessons. We BOTH had so much to learn.
She was afraid of the horse but for some reason had this desire to ride. Eventually it was time to buy her a horse
and, as often happens, her first horse was quite a challenge, a very young
horse for a new rider. After some
mishaps, she still wanted to ride and began to participate in local
competitions. Being a “show mom” was certainly a learning experience for
me. I think one of the biggest things I
learned which influenced my writing is that even what seems to be a small
thing, like wearing a fly mask or getting on a trailer, can be a big deal with
a horse. Each small step must be
approached with care, patience, and caution, and some knowledge when it comes
to a horse. You can never assume how the
horse is going to react to something. Each book in my series presents two (not
intentional) challenges for Thistle as
she is growing and the patient approach taken to help her overcome her fear.
GM: Many readers say your books feel both educational and heartfelt. What lessons about horses—or about life—do you hope young readers take away from the Lady Thistle stories?
DA: As it turned out,
each challenge that Thistle faced as she began her young life, had both
an educational component and a connection with a child’s growing up and facing
challenges. When Thistle first begins
going outside, she cannot have a halter and lead rope around her delicate
neck, it was expected that she would
stay close to her mom. At first, she was
afraid to leave the barn; but after a
few days realized how much she loved the
outdoors. Then, she sees a butterfly and
breaks away from her mom - free for a
time, then realizes it’s a little scary out there. Like the child who leaves go of a parent’s
hand and suddenly feels lost. An even greater challenge for Thistle is when she
cut her leg out in the field, ( seven weeks old, 34 stitches) and she had to
trust her Dr. and her family to help her get better. Kids learn that when they get into trouble,
they can trust those who love them to help.
When I read to groups of children, they love to talk about their
experience with stitches! Young readers
learn about taking small steps to help horses learn new things!
GM: You currently care for five horses on your property. How do your daily interactions with them influence your writing or spark new story ideas?
DA: Even
though Thistle is eight years old now and the other horses are even older, I often see new behaviors and still learn new
things, mostly from my daughter. But truthfully, I have so many titles waiting for writing
from past times, that the horses current activity will probably not become books.
The antics and behaviors they display currently enter more into my social media
posts and website blogs. Sometimes it is
as simple as a beautiful Sunday morning, green pasture, tails swishing, birds
chirping, compared to how wound up they get, tearing around the field, just because there is a snowflake!
GM: Your background includes organizational development work in a hospital setting. Has that professional experience influenced your approach to storytelling, discipline, or creative structure?
DA: This is
a challenging question, maybe because my work in OD was quite a few years
before I began my serious writing years. The most significant way that this
previous work life impacted my work as an author was recognizing the need to
assemble and work with a team of professionals – veterinarian, illustrator,
publisher, and other artisans in the development of some associated products to
share and generate interest in my stories.
I wanted to “leave something significant behind” and it was also
something I wanted to market. It takes so much more than putting words on a
page!
GM: The Lady Thistle books feature vivid illustrations and veterinary insights. What does your collaboration process look like with illustrator Steven Lester and the equine veterinarians who contribute?
DA: I will
have to pull my publisher into this answer. I began writing the stories when Thistle was
just a few weeks old. I realized I would
need illustrations and I am NOT good at art! A young girl made sketches at the
farm, but we did not know how to illustrate.
Paralleled with finding a publisher, I met Steven Lester through a
mutual friend, originally just to consider a painting but then learned that he
had illustrated several books. It seemed
we could work together but Marsha, my publisher, needed to get me working in
some type of order. I think I drove them
both crazy, getting illustrations underway before my writing had been edited,
which significantly changed the pages and therefore the illustrations. With each book, the process became smoother
as I learned so much about what it takes to transform a story into a book. I
now write the story, submit it for the editing process, decide on pagination
(generally), which ones will be single pages, which pages will be spreads, then
have Steven begin. He first sketches the
pages, we review them as he goes, then he paints! He uses sketches and photos from the farm
and my stories for inspiration. Even the cover painting, the book title, the
info and illustration on the back, so many details. Even the detail of an
“apple” to add interest to the page numbers. As for veterinary input, my daughter is very
significant in the details of the stories, what to include, accuracy, that
everything makes sense in the horse world, but still has the softness of a
delightful story. Masterfully, she then
provides sound information which is contained in the “Did You Know” pages at
the end of each story. These can be used as much or as little as the reader
prefers. I learned to use her input and
proofreading very early on in the writing process. Even though I spent so many years with her
and horses, I still learn new things such as why the foal needs to drink the
mother’s milk right away after birth – the timing is significant because the
little foal’s digestive tract changes very quickly after birth and they need
not miss some of the colostrum components.
GM: Children’s literature often requires balancing accuracy with accessibility. How do you decide which real-life equine details to include and which to simplify for young readers?
DA: A good
example to address this question is in my first book, “Polly and the Birth
Day”. I found it a challenge in telling
the story of a foal being born. I know that families vary as far as when and
what their children understand about birth.
But Thistle’s birth was the catalyst of a change I experienced in my
life which led to writing the series. Before Thistle, I was headed in a
different direction with my writing. But I realized this was a story to share
with children, those who live with farm animals and those who do not have this
experience such as city kids! My other
writing will be postponed! Then, what
details should be included and how do I present the birth story? NATURE was the answer, Dr. Apryle tells the
family just to let Polly do what she knows how to do, to let nature take over! Every once in a while, when I read to book to
kids, one of the audience will ask “how did the baby get born” and I am able to refer back to “Nature takes
over just like when kittens and puppies are born”. A second challenge is in the 4th book,
“Thistle Gets Hurt”. Thistle cuts her leg and needs stitches. This book is very
veterinary focused – the cut is bad, but I did not get into just how bad it
actually was - kids then have a good
time sharing their “stitches” stories! I
presented the story about solving a problem while lacing medical components through the pages, at a
child’s level.
GM: Waterdam Farm clearly shaped your connection to horses.
What are some of your strongest childhood memories from that environment, and
how do they appear in your writing today?
DA: Living
at Waterdam Farm was later in my life. I grew up in a suburban neighborhood and
still wonder why I loved horses so much from a very young age. I have a
collection of model horses that I bought when my family travelled and did trail
riding at any opportunity. I believe
that this helps me to understand the glow on a young child’s face who shares
this love of horses, some in city schools, some who have the opportunity to be
at horse camp! At age 8 or 9 Apryle (Dr.
Apryle in the books) wanted to take horse riding lessons. She was afraid of horses (and even dogs) but
not afraid to learn to ride - I still
wonder about this! It became a love that
we were able to share for many years, many types of horse experiences!
GM: Your books follow Lady Thistle from birth through early
development. How far ahead have you envisioned her story arc, and what future
adventures can readers look forward to?
DA: My 6th
Book, “Thistle Goes for a Ride” answers the question posed at her birth “Will
she be a racehorse like her mom or a show horse like her dad?” She is now off
to the trainer. The next several books will be based on Trainer Blaine first
breaking her, then the gradual steps he uses to train a horse to be sound under
saddle. Groundwork too! Thistle also learns to be without her Waterdam friends
for a time and adjust to a new barn and new friends. She then returns to Waterdam where Dr. Apryle
begins to ride her. Somewhere along the
way Thistle must learn many other life skills such as bathing, vaccinations and
other shots, etc. Then Thistle’s show life begins! There will also be some parallel short
stories about the rescued cats who lived at the farm, and the birds who have
visited, even our German Shepherd has an interesting story to be shared.
GM: What does horsemanship mean to you?
DA: The
meaning of the term “horsemanship” has changed for me through the years as my
situation has changed. During early
years with my daughter, the relationship with horses was a “steep curve” of
learning many lessons the hard way, including owning her first horse, fumbling
our way through shows, becoming part of a close-knit community of kids and
parents. Her years of college, vet
school, then residency, prompted a new type of experience as I had two horses
to watch over, exercise, and ride. It
was during this time that I moved to a farm property where the horses lived in
my barn! Things changed, once again,
they were more like my pets now – something was different and my relationship
with them significantly changed. Apryle, finished with her education, moved
back to the area, and retired a thoroughbred to the farm. The rest is the books! I believe that I have experienced only a
slice of the equestrian world and that there are many, many ways to consider
the word “Horsemanship” – each equestrian experience having its own
definition. I have a bucket list and one
of my goals is to go over a jump! For
as long as I have been riding, I have never done this! I am going to expand my understanding of
“horsemanship” even further!
Connect
with Donna…
www.ladythistle.com
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