When I was a teenager I used to work in a riding stables to earn free horse-riding lessons. Queenie was my horse of choice and I liked to think we had an understanding. She never threw me off a jump and I’d look after her like she was my own. Fast-forward 20 years and I still love horses but kids and lack of time means I no longer ride. I seem to have passed on my horsey love to my daughters though, who both enjoy riding when they can.
Freya is eight years old tomorrow and in the whole eight years of motherhood I’ve managed to dodge having a pet. If we were going to go down the pet route I’d want a dog, but the husband is allergic and isn’t keen on animals full stop, so that’s put paid to that. I see no point to goldfish really and I’m definitely not a cat person. Move me into a bigger house with a stables though and I’d buy a horse in an instant.
Unsurprisingly, my almost-eight year old agrees. Although her “horse” would have wings and a horn and be called Hexigon The Valiant, apparently.
Petplan recently asked Freya to draw her dream pet and the picture above is what she came up with. The team at Petplan then turned it into the most amazing cuddly toy Freya has ever owned, which cuddles up next to her in bed every night.
Of course if we had a real horse (or unicorn) we’d need horse insurance from Petplan, not to mention all the feed and tack and livery costs associated with owning a horse. So perhaps we’ll just stick to a cuddly imaginary unicorn for now.
Still, I can’t help but feel a touch of guilt that I’ve done eight years as a mum without investing in a pet. So maybe, one day, Hexigon The Valiant will be real living and breathing part of the family, minus the wings and horn.
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Thanks to Petplan for making Freya’s unicorn pet dreams come true. This is a commissioned post. If you’d like more information about how I work with brands check out my Work With Me page.
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