Anna Sewell is the British author of the children’s classic Black Beauty. When she was 14 years old she slipped and both of her ankles were severely damaged. Anna would walk with a crutch until her death and frequently needed to use horse drawn carriages for transport. This reliance on horses meant that a bond with the animal was formed, a bond which lasted her lifetime.
Anna Sewell

History of the Hansom Cab
Inspiration for Black Beauty

Tools
Courtesy of Redwings Horse Sanctuary

Her Majesty The Queen
Visits Anna Sewell’s House

Moorland Mousie
Books Inspired by Black Beauty

Black Beauty
Film Adaptations

Christine Pullein-Thompson; Diana Pullein-Thompson; Josephine Pullein-Thompson
© Sam Barker

Front Plate of First Edition of Black Beauty, Inscribed by Anna Sewell
Courtesy of Redwings Horse Sanctuary

Anti-Bearing Rein Campaign
Influenced by Black Beauty

Anna Sewell Memorial Fountain
Ansonia, Connecticut

Featured book by Anna Sewell
Black Beauty
Black Beauty is a handsome, sweet-tempered but strong-spirited young horse, used to galloping free in the fresh green meadows with his beloved mother, Duchess, and their kind master. But when his owners are forced to sell him, Black Beauty goes from a life of comfort and kindness to one of hard labour and cruelty. He bravely works as hard as he can, enduring hardships and fostering loyal friendships along the way. Charming and timeless, Black Beauty is an uplifting story of strength, survival and empathy in the face of adversity. The original horse story that inspired a thousand pony books, Black Beauty sparked a new wave of animal cruelty awareness and remains a must-read for any animal lover!
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