country woman Deborah Deveney By Linda Mellor
The love of the countryside, nature and wildlife is in Deborah Deveney’s blood and can be traced back a few generations to her grandparents who had a farm near Dunfermline and tended livestock. “When I was a child I recall going on country walks with my grandfather. They stir up fond memories for me and the connection I have with the rural landscape.” In her twenties, she loved taking her dog out and walking for hours in the Fife countryside. “Even though there were public parks nearby I always opted to go for a countryside walk as it was much more peaceful and enjoyable.” Years later, Deborah became ill and ended up in a wheelchair. Over the next three years, as part of her recovery, she had regular physiotherapy to help improve her mobility and build up her strength. As her health started to improve, she was able to go out 92
and start walking again. The more she walked in the countryside, the more benefit she gained. Deborah said, “There is something wonderful about the lack of stress, the peace and quiet you experience on a walk. When I am outdoors, I am relaxed and become more aware of my surroundings, and I see so much wildlife. I have never needed binoculars as everything is so close. I credit the countryside for helping me as it played a major part in me regaining my health.” Deborah was determined to stay focussed on her health and keeping herself mobile, she needed an incentive to keep her outdoors and active. “I asked a local farmer if he needed help with his Shetland ponies. It meant I could be outdoors and able to continue making an improvement to my health. It was also a new experience for me as it was my first close contact with horses. I would help out three or four times a week, pottering
around and tidying up. The ponies got used to me coming in and I got to learn about being around them.” The outdoor work was a positive step for the continuing improvement to Deborah’s health. It gave her a sense of purpose and a feeling of satisfaction. “I enjoyed getting outdoors, working hard and being able to stand back and see everything clean and tidy. Even though it was very tiring, I loved it, and that made a huge difference to me.” At the stables one day, Deborah met a new horse, a tall dark bay. Many people were unsure of him, but she found him ‘very smoochy’, and he would ‘nuzzle up’ to her. “There was something about Guinness,” said Deborah. “He was slightly unusual looking as he had a white eye and high withers but we clicked.” She started reading as many horse books as she could to further her knowledge and
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eventually bought Guinness, a 16 2hh eighteen-year-old gelding. “I bought him on the understanding I could get help if I needed it. I am independent, and I did not want anyone doing things for me but if I needed advice I knew I could ask someone.” Deborah enjoyed the challenge and responsibility of owning her first horse; slowly they got used to one another, tending to him each day and taking the big step of ‘being brave enough to ride him’. Despite all the challenges, he gave her a reason to be outdoors and to keep her on the go. Five years ago, Deborah had the opportunity of a field just a short distance from her home, so she moved Guinness. She bought a van conversion horsebox to transport him around and joined the local riding club. “He was the perfect gentleman; he had a very docile nature and never put a hoof wrong. If he feels safe, he will do