By Britney Grover
Author Linda Drattell has found inspiration in and made the most of life experiences others might dismiss or look down upon—including literally shoveling manure. Her poetry, which has earned awards and recognition from associations such as Reader Views, Writer’s Digest, C&R Press and Atlanta Review, draws inspiration from her years owning horses—and four goats.
In addition to the ups and downs of living with horses, Linda has used her difficult experiences with losing her hearing as an adult to fuel her creative works. In 2023 she co-authored a children’s book called “Who Wants to be Friends With a Dragon?” exploring the feelings that accompany being different, and in 2024 Linda presented at the International Stichting Plotz & Laat Doven Congres—or Federation of the Sudden and Late Deafened—in The Netherlands about taking control of her hearing-loss journey through writing.
The muse for much of Linda’s poetry was Vegas, an Appendix Quarter Horse she owned for 29 years before he passed away at the age of 34. The two rode for fun and competed in competitive trail rides, but now Linda is happy to write rather than ride—continuing to draw upon her equestrian experiences—as she splits her time between Pleasanton, California, and Barcelona, Spain.
What was your life like growing up?
I grew up in Seaford, New York, in a middle-class family. I attended public school and joined the horse club, where we had lessons once a week. I loved anything to do with horses and found ways to volunteer with them as I grew older. I also loved running and was on the track team at school.
How did you become part of the horse world?
My mother introduced me to my first riding lesson at age 8 and I was hooked. I fell in love with everything about horseback riding. I was lucky that my middle school offered a horseback riding club, as my family couldn’t afford to own a horse ourselves. While I was in high school, I used my allowance to rent horses for an hour at a local riding stable once a week, and that was the highlight of my life. At one point, my uncle bought a Quarter Horse, which gave me the opportunity to ride and learn barrel racing when I visited him, though I never competed in the sport. I also discovered trotters as a teenager and learned to train them. As an adult, I found a horse rescue farm and volunteered there until I ended up buying a Thoroughbred that arrived off the track with a bulging tendon and nursed her back to health. Unfortunately, she proved “too much horse” for me and I ended up trading her for an easier horse. Then I sold that horse for Vegas, and we became true soulmates.
What inspired you to write?
I’ve always loved writing and found that it’s a wonderful way to process your feelings and live in the moment. Playing with words to express how you feel, how you work the lines on a page—it’s such a wonderful way of coping with life’s struggles. Even stressful situations become wonderful moments to explore. My first book, “Who Wants to be Friends With a Dragon?”, which I co-authored with Eve Little, explores what it’s like to feel different from the dragon’s point of view. It shares how I’ve felt as a person who lost her hearing and wanted to self-isolate rather than deal with the possible rejection of others. My co-author, Eve, is half Mexican and has felt the same way, as if she doesn’t exactly fit in anywhere. People feel different for many reasons—they are of a different religion, have disabilities, are of a different race, the list goes on. Many people have thanked me for that book, especially people I know who are late-deafened, because it has been a way for them to share their feelings in a fun way with children and grandchildren.
Tell us about your recent book, “The Lighter Side of Horse Manure”—what inspired you to write it?
My horse, Vegas, was aging, and I found it difficult to find a barn manager to take his nutrition needs seriously. One barn manager suggested that I put him down, that he wasn’t worth the effort, and became infuriated with me when I refused. Vegas had been there for me and my family, shown us love and affection for 29 years, and I wasn’t about to put him down because someone else thought it was the easy thing to do. So, I began writing poems about Vegas. I started with serious poems that reflected his self-worth and shared scenes from his life that showed that aging horses aren’t any different from aging humans. Those poems are included in my poetry collection, “Remember This Day.” Then, as I fed him and mucked his stall and hung out with him in the field, I noticed all the funny quirks of his and his field buddies’ personalities and started writing humorous poems, and included those in my newest poetry book, “The Lighter Side of Horse Manure.”
How has being deaf impacted your equestrian life?
I didn’t need to hear to ride Vegas, and he certainly didn’t mind whether I could hear or not. We shared other levels of communication that were more important than that: body language, eye contact, weight in the saddle, leg pressure, grooming moments. The only thing I wish I could have enjoyed more was riding lessons later in life, as I didn’t find a teacher I felt could explain well enough what to do in the saddle. Gestures are great, but I remember the wonderful nuances that good teaching provided me in my earlier years when I could hear, and I missed that.
What are your goals for the future?
I hope to publish a full-length adult novel I’m finishing up. I also hope to find translation into other languages and better circulation of “Who Wants to be Friends With a Dragon?”.
What’s the best thing about your life?
I love being at this stage of life: I have time to write and live in two places where I find many things to write about. I have a wonderful, supportive writing community in Northern California, and Barcelona is such a beautiful, welcoming city.
For more information, visit LindaDrattell.com
