Sewell’s concern for the humane treatment of horses began early in life. Crippled at a young age, she had difficulty walking, but she could drive a horse-drawn carriage. Her father took the train to work, and she drove her father to and from the station. Later, after reading an essay on animals by Horace Bushnell, she stated that one of her goals in writing was “to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses.”