Anna Sewell was born to a Quaker family of East England. She received most of her education at home. At the age of fourteen, she sustained an injury and, for the rest of her life, she was unable to walk or stand for any significant period of time. Instead, she had to walk with the assistance of a crutch, and could barely stand for extended periods of time. In this condition, she took a great loving to horses, driving them or riding them whenever she could. Horse-riding enabled her to remain active and travel despite her injury. Due to her strong love of horses and the long amounts of time she spent riding, Sewell became quite sensitive to horse behavior and nature.
Never married, Sewell...