‘Hello, Merlin,’ I say, ignoring the frantic pounding of my heart as I reach out to stroke his hairy chin. This is officially the first pony that I have touched since Anna’s accident.

Beside me, Tui makes a kissing sound, and Merlin promptly curls up his top lip, showing off a neat collection of yellow teeth.

‘Did you teach him that?’ I ask her, and Tui nods through her giggles.

‘No,’ she says.

‘Is he your favourite?’ I ask, as Merlin, realising that neither of us have brought him any food, turns on his nimble little hooves and continues to chomp away at his hay.

‘I don’t think so, no,’ Tui says, thinking for a moment. ‘I’m not sure.’

There’s a smear of something green across her Pokémon T-shirt and her leggings have the beginnings of holes on both knees. Her thick, dark hair, which looks as if it hasn’t been brushed in weeks, is sticking up at the back as if birds have been squabbling in it, and there are felt-tip stains on her hands.

Going to the next door along, Tui makes a clicking sound with her tongue, and the chestnut pony she was riding earlier appears, gently butting her with his head.

‘What’s this handsome boy called?’ I ask, peering into the box and admiring the pony’s stocky legs and neat quarters.

‘Keith.’

‘Keith?’ I splutter in disbelief. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Mm-hm.’ Tui shakes her head from side to side.

‘Keith is a funny name for a pony,’ I say, and Tui bursts out laughing.

I was lucky that Suki came with her perfectly acceptable name already well established, because it’s supposed to be bad luck to change them. It was how we ended up with a Trevor and a Mildred back at Mill House Stables. Now, I don’t have anything against the name Keith, per se, but it’s a decidedly lacklustre choice for such a striking animal.

Tui continues the tour with her trademark buoyancy, and with every horse or pony I encounter, I’m aware of my anxiety beginning to lessen. I always did know how to behave around animals, and I’m relieved to discover that my instincts haven’t abandoned me. I thought that touching another horse would feel like a betrayal – or worse, that it would send me into some sort of catatonic state – but the opposite is true. I am starting to relax.

All the horses are beautiful, but there is one in particular that stands out. Her name is Ekara, and with her glossy walnut coat and tempestuously flared nostrils, she reminds me acutely of Suki. Tui seems more wary of the highly strung mare than any of the other ponies, and tells me solemnly that Ekara once bit her on the bottom when she went into her stable.