Crown Prince

by Linda Snow McLoon

  Sarah turned her horse and began walking him to the barn’s side door, with the three men following behind. When they reached Prince’s stall, Dr. Reynolds went into the stall with Sarah and her horse while Jack and Mr. DeWitt stood outside watching through the bars. Sarah was relieved that Prince didn’t appear to question Dr. Reynolds’s presence. The horse didn’t resist when the veterinarian inserted a thermometer, and Prince continued to stand quietly when the vet leaned over to listen to his heart and lungs with his stethoscope. After righting himself, the vet removed the thermometer and read it.

  “Nothing out of the ordinary so far,” Dr. Reynolds commented, as he lifted Prince’s upper lip to check for the tattoo found there on all racing Thoroughbreds. “He must have been a long way from a race when they gave up on him,” the vet said, “or he’d be tattooed. The question is why.” He reached into his bag for a bright flashlight and spent several minutes looking closely into Prince’s eyes, shining the flashlight into each one.

  Stepping back, Dr. Reynolds paused for a few moments, looking intently at Crown Prince. He turned to Jack and Mr. DeWitt. “His eyes look normal. Now we have to consider the possibility he could have developed a wind problem. Have you heard him making any breathing noises when he’s been exercised or turned out?”

  “We’ve not had an opportunity to observe anything like that,” Jack said. “Except for hand-walking in the indoor, he’s been in his stall since he came to the farm on Saturday.”

  “That being the case, I’m going to check his throat first,” Dr. Reynolds said. “I’d like to avoid sedation if possible, since we still have to see if there are lameness issues. But if I detect any sign of unusual tissue, I will sedate him and take a look at his larynx. He left to return to his truck for a speculum, a metal device designed to hold a horse’s mouth open.

  Sarah couldn’t stop the feeling of doom that was settling over her. Would they find something in Prince’s throat that would take him away from her?

  When Dr. Reynolds returned and entered the stall with the speculum, Prince was immediately apprehensive. Sarah tightened her hold on the lead shank when he began tossing his head and attempted to move away.

  Dr. Reynolds beckoned to Jack. “We’ll need some help keeping him steady,” he said. Jack entered the stall and placed a strong hand on Prince’s halter. Under a tight hold from both Jack and Sarah, Prince’s jaws were forced open and the speculum inserted. Sarah watched, almost holding her breath, as the vet played a flashlight in Prince’s mouth at different angles and peered inside.

  “Holy smoke!” Dr. Reynolds suddenly exclaimed, as he pushed the flashlight closer to get a better look. After a few moments he stepped back and turned to them. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. This horse has a large and grossly misshapen wolf tooth. It extends forward over the bars on the right side of his mouth.”

  Jack and Chandler DeWitt looked at each other incredulously. Both had enough experience to immediately comprehend what this discovery could signify. It could very well explain why the horse had been unruly when he was under saddle. The bit would have been constantly banging against that wolf tooth, possibly causing Prince extreme pain.

  The veterinarian beckoned to them as he held out the flashlight. “Here, Jack, I want you to take a look. You, too, Chandler.”

  Crown Prince had come to accept the speculum in his mouth, and he stood fairly quietly while the two men took turns shining the flashlight into the horse’s mouth. “‘Tis amazing how big that tooth is compared to his molars,” Jack said. “Sarah, I want you to see this.”

  Sarah had never looked inside a horse’s mouth before, but even to her, the guilty tooth looked grotesque.

  “Did the people at the track say he ever had a problem accepting the bit when he was bridled?” Dr. Reynolds asked. “A wolf tooth of that size would almost certainly cause a lot of discomfort to a horse when a bit was in his mouth.” Again Jack and Mr. DeWitt looked at each other.

  “I guess you’ve quite possibly solved the mystery, Wes,” DeWitt said, shaking his head in disbelief. “This is a well-bred Thoroughbred that had the potential to become a top racehorse, except he became so fractious in training they finally gave up on him. Having him gelded didn’t help. He was offered to me along with three other geldings being culled from the string for various reasons.”

  “I can certainly believe he would react violently when ridden,” Dr. Reynolds said. “The minute a rider put any pressure on the reins, he likely experienced jarring pain in his jaw. I would expect him to be unruly, and I’m really surprised his mouth was never checked. But then, most racetrack vets focus on horses’ legs, where the problems usually lie.”

  Mr. DeWitt thought on this a moment. “Both Hank Bolton and his trainer are knowledgeable horsemen, so I admit it does seem surprising. It appears they left it up to a veterinarian to check the horse without specific direction from them—and that vet made a huge omission when he or she didn’t look at Crown Prince’s mouth.”

  “Because they interfere with the bit, in Ireland wolf teeth are routinely pulled before horses are broken to saddle,” Jack said.

  Dr. Reynolds nodded. “I would say about half of all horses develop wolf teeth. Some lie undeveloped below the gum. But I’ve never seen one this size.” He took back the flashlight.

  Sarah stood next to her horse, spellbound by what she had heard. She didn’t understand all the details, but she knew this could very well explain her horse’s rowdy behavior. Her mind raced. No wonder he’d acted so badly on the racetrack! This was the reason he would behave well in his stall and on the shed row, but turn into a maniac out on the track with a rider on his back. The whole thing made perfect sense. He didn’t have a mean streak after all, and once the tooth was removed, he’d be the horse of her dreams. She’d be able to keep him!

  “Well, Sarah,” Mr. DeWitt said, “it looks like you and your horse got a lucky break. I suspect the tooth’s removal will be a fairly simple procedure. With that gone, Crown Prince just might ride as quietly as a hobby-horse.” He raised his hand. “But we mustn’t get carried away,” he said. “We still need to check him for lameness. Shall we move our operation to the indoor? It shouldn’t be busy on a Monday morning.”

  Prince shook his head and worked his jaws rapidly when the speculum was removed from his mouth. “I’ll exchange the speculum for my hoof testers in my truck and meet you there,” Dr. Reynolds said.

  Once the veterinarian had joined them in the indoor arena, he proceeded to pick up each of the horse’s feet and squeeze the testers to put pressure on all the parts of the hoof. When Prince did not react, the vet put the testers down. “Well, he’s not footsore,” he said.

  Next Dr. Reynolds went over each of Prince’s legs, his experienced hands carefully feeling for heat or swelling. He stood up and looked at the horse again. “It isn’t often you find a horse coming from the track as clean-legged as this one is,” he said. “There isn’t a pimple on him. Let’s do some flexion tests to see if there are any soundness issues with his joints.”

  He addressed Sarah. “I’m going to hold up his leg for a short time, and when I say okay, I want you to immediately move him off at a brisk trot.” As the vet hoisted Prince’s near hind leg into a cramped position, Sarah gripped the lead shank tighter and prepared to run forward, hoping Prince would follow. When the vet released the leg and said, “Go,” she sprinted off, Prince trotting fast by her side.

  “He didn’t show any lameness there,” Dr. Reynolds said. “Let’s try it on the others.”

  The exercise was repeated on the other three legs, and on each attempt Prince trotted off soundly. “Your horse appears to be sound,” Dr. Reynolds said, as he picked up the hoof tester. “The next step is to remove that oversized wolf tooth. I recommend you make an appointment to bring him to our clinic where we can radiograph the site to see what the root of that sucker looks like. Then we can sedate him and remove it.”

  Sarah was about to explode with relief
and happiness. Noticing her huge smile, Dr. Reynolds said, “It looks like you’ve got yourself a spectacular horse, young lady. But now I need to find my next client,” he said, heading back to the barn.

  Jack and Mr. DeWitt were also pleased with the results of the vet exam. Having the wolf tooth removed might be a simple way to turn the horse’s unruly behavior around.

  “Would you like me to call Rudy Dominic and tell him the good news?” Jack asked.

  Chandler DeWitt didn’t reply right away. His face was suddenly serious. Finally he turned to Jack. “I think we need to be careful here.”

  Sarah was stroking her horse, basking in the discovery of the tooth and what it could mean. It was the best of news! But when she heard Mr. DeWitt’s comment and saw his expression, Sarah froze, her excitement quickly changing to alarm. She knew immediately what Mr. DeWitt was implying. Prince’s former owner would also realize why the horse had been so difficult, and when he found out, of course he’d want Prince back. A small knot of fear began to grow in the pit of her stomach.

  CHAPTER 11

  The Sales Receipt

  SARAH FELT PANIC RISING as she looked back and forth between Jack’s and Chandler DeWitt’s faces, searching for their reactions to this latest news. Did finding the probable cause of Crown Prince’s bad behavior mean Mr. Bolton would want to take him back? Was there reason to fear he could reclaim Crown Prince? Was there reason to hope he couldn’t? The men knew what she was thinking.

  Without a word to her, Jack followed Mr. DeWitt to his office where they could talk privately. They sat down in the leather chairs, both mulling this latest development. “What do you think, Jack?” Mr. DeWitt asked the younger man.

  Jack didn’t hesitate. “Up until now, we worried that Crown Prince would be too much horse for Sarah. Now those fears may be groundless. After the wolf tooth is removed, the horse may be perfectly quiet and well-mannered under saddle, without all those shenanigans. But I fear his racetrack connections will reach the same conclusion.”

  “Exactly,” said Mr. DeWitt. “Hank Bolton and Rudy Dominic may want to give him another try. Hank will be upset that the wolf tooth was never found. He’ll be kicking himself and bemoaning the loss of a potentially outstanding racehorse.” Jack nodded in agreement.

  It was apparent Mr.DeWitt was torn. He surely didn’t welcome the prospect of having to return the horse Sarah had chosen and clearly bonded with. Yet he must also have a sense of loyalty to his longtime friend and desire fairness to prevail. While he could stretch the truth by omission, saying only that Crown Prince had passed the vet exam, in the long run he probably wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that. He wasn’t the type of man to be less than honest with his old friend.

  Jack understood his employer’s dilemma. “Where do we go from here?”

  Mr. DeWitt leaned back in his chair, strumming the desk with his fingers as he considered the alternatives. Finally he spoke. “It’s best to keep Rudy Dominic out of this. Of course he’ll want to have a talented runner in his barn. But I’m going to e-mail Hank and let him know what the vet found. I want to be open and I want a paper trail. Let’s hope he’s moved on and already set his sights on another horse, so things won’t get messy.” He met Jack’s solemn gaze before turning to his computer.

  Jack rose from his chair and left the office. When he got back to Crown Prince’s stall, he found Sarah standing close to her horse, her face troubled. “They won’t make us bring him back, will they?” she asked him.

  “I wish I knew what to tell you,” Jack replied quietly. “We have to leave this in Mr. DeWitt’s hands. But I can tell you one thing—he’ll do everything in his power to keep the horse with you.” Sarah took a deep breath. It was good to hear that Mr. DeWitt was on her side. After all, the DeWitts had made it possible for her to get Crown Prince in the first place. Why would they take him away?

  Jack thought it best to move on to a different subject. “Since we don’t have to be concerned with soundness now, Prince can be turned out in one of the paddocks. Not a large one, though, where he might get up a head of steam. He hasn’t been turned out for several months, it’s likely, and he’s probably going to run.”

  Sarah felt a surge of excitement that helped eclipse her anxiety. She looked forward to seeing Prince in action when he was turned out. “Why would it be bad for him to gallop?” she asked.

  “We don’t want him running so fast he goes through a fence or hurts himself. The small paddock near the hunt course will probably be best, if it’s not occupied.”

  Sarah’s face brightened. “That’s where Quarry usually goes, and I don’t think Paige has finished riding.” She quickly put on Prince’s halter and attached the lead shank. Leading him from the stall, she followed Jack to the white-fenced paddocks near the barn. Gus kept these turnout areas well maintained, alternating their use so they didn’t become dust bowls from over-grazing. This particular morning some of the school horses that had been used for a number of lessons over the weekend were enjoying some time together in the largest paddock. Tim’s horse, Rhodes Scholar, was grazing along the fence line in the turnout next to the small paddock.

  “I probably don’t have to tell you that we always turn boarders’ horses out by themselves,” Jack reminded her. “Lots of injuries can be avoided that way, mainly from kicks and sometimes from bites. Horses play rough at times.”

  Sarah pointed to the school horses grazing in the largest paddock. “How about them?” she asked.

  “‘Tis too bad we don’t have enough individual turnouts for the schoolies, but so far we’ve been lucky. Some of them, like Gray Fox, need to be separated. The two ponies get along, and they have their own paddock.”

  As Prince walked eagerly beside Sarah, he raised his head to look at the horses enjoying their time outside. He seemed to know what was going to happen, and tossed his head impatiently, sending his mane flying. After leading him inside the small paddock, she circled to face the gate and pulled it nearly shut. Quickly she unsnapped the lead shank and slipped outside. It took Prince a few moments to realize he was free. At first he put his head down to crop from a patch of grass near the gate, but suddenly his head shot up. He hesitated only briefly before he wheeled, and with a snort bolted off at a full gallop. It reminded Sarah of how Gray Fox had taken off with her.

  The horse was beautiful to watch, his motion effortless and graceful. He was almost at the end of the paddock in half a dozen strides, and Sarah’s heart was in her mouth, afraid he would crash into the fence or try to jump it. Instead of slamming on the brakes, he adroitly swung sharply to the left and circled the paddock, although his mad dash was now a more controlled canter. As he passed the gate the first time, he swerved to the inside, stopped in the center, and reared so high his body was almost perpendicular to the ground. In an instant he had whirled and with lightning speed was galloping in the other direction.

  In the next paddock Rhodes stopped grazing and also began to run. He had more room to stretch out, so he could gallop faster. His rapid pace spurred Crown Prince to take off again, circling his paddock as fast as he could manage. Farther away the horses in other paddocks became excited by the two galloping horses, and they began to run as well. Even the school horses decided to join the gallop and began running in their paddock.

  All the commotion didn’t go unnoticed by Gus, who came storming out of the barn. When he saw Crown Prince running in the small paddock, he strode toward them, his face reddened and a stubby finger stabbing the air. He hollered at Sarah. “Look what your horse is doing to the rest of them! They’ll get all lathered up! Stop him!” Sarah flinched at the harsh words, wishing she could sink into the ground.

  “Just a minute, Gus,” Jack said, walking toward the man. “This won’t last long, and none of them will have to be brought in. Just relax.” Gus watched with them, scowling, and true to Jack’s prediction, after another round of the paddocks, first the school horses and then the others slowed, came to walk, and finally went back to
gazing. Prince was the last to stop running, but finally he, too, settled down and lowered his head to graze.

  “You’d better have that horse out of there when Quarry is ready for it!” Gus snapped at Sarah as he turned and marched back into the barn.

  Sarah held tears back as she watched him go. Jack saw how Gus’s performance had affected her. “His bark is worse than his bite, you know.”

  Sarah took a deep breath, trying to shake off the effect of Gus’s tirade. “I guess I have to learn to deal with him. I have no choice, if I want to keep Prince.” She looked back at her horse and saw he was still grazing contentedly.

  “Gus’s temper tantrums are short-lived,” Jack explained. “He’s probably forgotten all about it by now. I hope you can, too.”

  “I’ll try, but sometimes he scares me. He’s such a grouch!” Sarah admitted.

  “That he is,” Jack replied. “I may have to have a word with him.”

  “Oh, please, don’t!” Sarah pleaded. “If you do that, he’ll really have it out for me!”

  Just then Paige came around the barn riding Quarry, a dressage whip in her hand. She had been schooling in the outdoor dressage ring, but Quarry’s concentration had ended when he heard the horses running. He pranced toward them, looking around for the horses he had heard galloping and no doubt would like to join.

  “What’s all the hubbub about?” Paige asked, pulling him up. “It sounded like a cavalry charge! Quarry heard the thundering hooves, and that’s all he could think about.”

  “The horses were showing their frisky sides, that’s all,” Jack said. “How did your school go?”

  “Okay, I guess, until we had to quit just now. I’m working on Test 2, the one Tim and I’ll ride in the event. It’s only two weeks away. We’re kind of shaky in places, especially on transitions.”