by Connie Foss
thinks, I don’t know if this is such a good idea. Gosh, what’ll I do if a car comes? I’ve never been on a road before…except in a trailer. It must be
off the road onto a driveway, she feels a lot better.
As they stop at the stable door, a tall slender boy comes out Silver, Julie feels pretty small. He’s not as big as Bubba, but he’s a lot bigger than she is. I don’t care, she says to herself. I’m gentle, calm, and dependable. Size doesn’t make a bit of difference.
is a perfect Arabian,” Jeff says as he sees Julie.
“Thanks, Jeff, she’s as good as she looks, too. Hop on, let’s get
going. I want to go down to the creek to see if Julie likes wading.” What a fun thing to do, and Julie enjoys it as much as anyone.
The cool, clear water and the sandy bottom of the creek are refreshing
lets Julie lower her head and sip.
The morning goes quickly, and Julie is back in her stall before noon, ready for a good nap.
feels so funny, she says to herself as she paces around her stall. Gosh, it’s not getting better. In fact, it’s worse.
Trying to ease the pain, Julie lies down in her stall and begins to roll. It seems to help some, but the last roll is too much. She rolls too close to the wall and can’t get up. She scrambles against the wall
the house, he hears the racket from the stable and begins to bark.The
“Go do something about that horse of yours. Stop that racket at once!”
put on a robe…just slips into her moccasins.
“Oh, dear! Julie, what have you done? Don’t worry, Pet, you’ll
be okay. Just calm down.” Dropping to her knees by Julie’s head, she
strokes her and tries to ease the panic that both of them are feeling. “Julie, I’m going to roll you over, away from the wall, so let me
by that time Julie is tired from all of the frantic kicking she’s been doing.
“Oh dear! Julie, I’m just not strong enough! I’m going to call the vet to help get you away from the wall. Stay there, Sweety. I’ll be right back.” be. She has always wanted to be a boy, and now, if she were, she would be strong enough to help Julie!
Chapter 15
Better?
He’s quick to wake up, apparently used to middle-of-the-night calls.
see any lights coming up the drive. They come sooner than she could possibly have hoped, and Doc hops out of his truck, leaving the door open, and hurries into the barn.
There’s no need for an explanation.The problem is obvious so Doc gets to work immediately. Knowledge and muscle do the trick, and soon Julie is on her feet.
“Good! There you go, girl. Feel better? That was pretty scary, wasn’t it?” Doc talks to Julie as she stands quivering.
her cheeks, which she smudges as she wipes them away with her sleeve.
have been just scratching her back, but it’s more likely she’s hurting
is so busy loving Julie she really doesn’t pay much attention to what Doc just said.
After Doc carefully listens to Julie’s heart and her gut, he knows the problem.There was a reason she was rolling. “Julie is experiencing some colic… a tummy ache,” said Doc thoughtfully.“There are all kinds of colic and many causes. We’ll worry about that …the cause…after
Once we get her circulation going, her gut might start moving again.”
to his truck for supplies.When he comes back, he watches Julie, noticing how she’s moving.
“She seems to be moving a bit better, but let’s do something
as a laxative. Can’t hurt, and it might be just what she needs.” When Doc has the tubes and everything ready, he starts pouring
nose right into her stomach.
hurt,” she complains to Doc.
“I’m sure it doesn’t feel good, but Julie seems to understand
we’re helping her.”
training coming along?”
“Oh, she’s doing so well! I’m really proud of her. There’s an
Arabian show coming up in a couple of weeks, and I’ve already entered
her in the Amateur Western Pleasure class. She’s such an easy horse to
be around.We go trail riding most every day.”
“Where’s your mom? Isn’t she home?”
“Yes, she’s home, but she’s not interested in the daily stuff of
having a horse. She only likes the shows.After she got me up, she went
back to bed.”
“Oh,” is all Doc can say.
It isn’t long before Doc pulls the tube out of Julie’s nose, saying,
“There…that’s enough. We’ll quit this, and you two can go strolling
again.”
around, she thinks about how grateful she is for such a kind man, coming out in the middle of the night, seemingly happy to help Julie and reassure
The night does pass, and dawn does come with Julie again
back to bed, so she stays in the barn. She cleans some tack and generally busies herself, just happy to be near Julie.
enough to go in for breakfast. Her mother, already eating her oatmeal, glances up from the newspaper. “Where’ve you been? And what in the world was that horse doing? She absolutely ruined my night!”
“I’m sorry your sleep was interrupted, Mother. How thoughtless of Julie to colic, cast herself in her stall, and make the vet come out in the middle of the night. But worst of all, to bother you! I’ll tell her not
herself when Julie could have died!
“You don’t need to be a smart aleck. Fix yourself some breakfast.
We have shopping to do.”
that much luckier to have Julie. She’s not only fun to groom and ride, but
Chapter 16
Lessons Learned
“It was so scary, Jeff! I was afraid she was going to die!”
then stops all together.
“Hey, Buddy, what’s the problem?” Jeff asks, as he swings down
from the saddle. “Did you hurt yourself?” Picking up Silver’s left front
foot, Jeff sees a stone wedged in the frog of Silver’s hoof. “No wonder
you’re limping.That must really hurt!”
Silver is so well trained that Jeff just drops the reins, knowing
Silver will consider himself “ground-tied” and not wander off. Searching
under the trees, Jeff looks for what he needs to dig out the stone.
that’s rather pointed where it broke from the tree. Using that, he’s able to pry the stone out of Silver’s hoof.
an on-going problem with that hoof.”
The next day, as Jeff grooms Silver, he notices the horse is favoring that front foot. Picking it up and pressing his thumb in various places on the hoof and frog, it’s obvious to Jeff that Silver has a stone bruise. “I’m so sorry about your foot, Silver. I know stone bruises can
sure it doesn’t abscess.That would really be bad!” what she and Julie will do in the show. However, it’s too nice a day to spend inside, and there are some trails in the woods they’ve never ridden.
“It’s a good day to do some exploring, Julie.That sounds like fun, doesn’t it?”
and a jiggle of the reins, they’re off for a day in the woods.At breakfast,
is in the woods, she can escape that torture.
The day ahead looks absolutely perfect. As she rides along, she realizes she is living the dream she’s always had: She’s on her own beautiful horse with a whole summer day ahead.What could be more perfect!
This really is as prefect as my dream, maybe even better, she thinks, for the woods are sparkling with the morning dew, the sun, slanting through the leaves, giving the world a fairy-like look.
We are being greeted by all who live in our kingdom as we tread the royal carpet.”
Of course, those who are watching are really the squirrels and rabbits, foxes and birds that live in the woods.The royal carpet is pine needles and leaves. Couldn’t be better.
fore
head, knocking her out of the saddle. Though the pine needles soften her fall and her body is limp as she falls, she doesn’t get up. In
things aren’t right, Julie has a choice to make: Should she go back to the
teeth.That doesn’t do any good.Then she begins to worry. “She’s probably over at Jeff’s, and they’re still out on their
horses,” she fumes to any creatures that happen to be listening.“I’ll call
and give his mother a piece of my mind.”
Though she didn’t have that satisfaction, she did alert Jeff to the
out.
when in the saddle and not to ride by herself in the woods. An even bigger lesson learned, or at least one that had an immediate effect, was
Chapter 17
Bubba
I wonder what Julie’s doing. I sure miss that gal. She’s still my best friend, though I do like Pete. It’s a good thing, since we pull a carriage together. After Rob taught us all we needed to know to be carriage horses, it wasn’t long before Pete and I are taking our every-other-day shift along with the other horses in the barn.
I look forward to the days we pull, for the days we don’t are totally boring. I never get to be out running in the pasture, jumping over logs.And, of course, Meg isn’t schooling me over the show jumps. Golly, I miss that. Most every night I dream I’m jumping. I wonder if I’ll ever get to jump again.
Our driver’s name is Clarence. On our workdays, Rob will harness us, so when Clarence comes wandering in we’re already hitched to the carriage. Clarence never even says hi to Rob. Nor does he pat or speak to us. He just crawls up on the seat, takes the reins, and we’re off.
slouches around, frowning under his black top hat. However, once we’re out on the streets meeting people who want to go for a ride, he’s like a
helps the people step up into the carriage.The ladies just sparkle when he greets them.After the tour of old town, as Clarence hands the ladies down the steps, they slip something into his hand. Aha! Clarence puts on a show so the customers will give him a big tip.
No one gives us a tip even though Pete and I are very careful to keep the carriage going at a steady pace, no sudden starts or stops.We get our reward when Clarence hands the reins to Rob back at the barn. Then Rob talks to us, telling us how beautiful and strong we are, as he removes the harness. He dries our sweaty backs, takes us walking and giving us a good rub down and brushing before putting us in our stalls with a heaping ration of oats.
The weeks pass and we settle into the routine.The only change from one day to the next happens when it rains. The customers don’t want a tour on a rainy day. Some times on rainy days, we don’t even get out of the barn.
One day as we walk along the lake front, hearing the talk from the passengers, occasionally stopping the carriage so Clarence can point out a particular sight worth seeing, I hear a voice from the street that catches my attention. There are a number of shoppers crossing the street in front of us.They’re mostly women and girls, some carrying packages, some just laughing and talking as they walk along. One is not just laughing or talking. She is jumping up and down and hollering, “Bubba! Bubba!”
ages! She’s with her mother, and her mother is trying to quiet her. No
the joy I can pack into it. Maybe she can take me to Julie!
Clarence is not happy with me. I am not supposed to whinny or show any excitement when I’m pulling a carriage.As soon as he can stop his lecture about the history of the lake, he gives me a jerk on the bit and a severe scolding. I could care less. All I care about is hoping
It is not to be, for Clarence shakes the reins and clucks to get us going as quickly as he can. He doesn’t want to hear any more of my whinnying.
As we continue on the tour, I am excited inside.You know how your tummy jumps up and down when you’re excited? Well, mine is doing cartwheels! I can hardly wait until we’re back in our stalls so I can
come get me!
Chapter 18
Julie
the streets, and we crunch them as we walk on our guided tours.We’re no longer as hot and sweaty when we get back to Rob and the barn, for the days are pleasant with gentle breezes coming off the lake.
It’s Saturday so there are lots of boats on the sparkling lake. Since the kids aren’t in school, there are bikes and roller skates to watch out for. Some adults are lining up to take a carriage ride, when
a big kiss before she starts rattling on about Julie, and I am soaking up every word and touch.
understand, asks him for his business card.Then with another kiss and pat, she’s gone. It was all so quick that afterwards I wonder if I’ve been dreaming again.
me a good towel rub after a day of work, he says, “Bubba, I have some news for you. For me it’s not happy news, but I think it’ll make you happy.There’s a girl coming in a little while to take you home with her. So I need to do a really good job of getting you cleaned up.”
coming, or am I just dreaming…again?
Sure enough,when I’m practically glistening from Rob’s grooming,
waiting beside a truck and trailer.With a big smile on her face, she gives me a kiss, takes the lead from Rob, and up the ramp into the trailer we go. “I’m taking you home to Julie, Bubba.” In my whole life, I’ve never heard sweeter words!
I am so excited I can’t stand still. It’s as though I’m marching in a parade, moving all the time in the trailer. It seems like forever, but it’s
and down a neatly raked gravel path toward an outdoor paddock. Guess who’s in the paddock? My long lost sister, Julie! I whisper her name to myself.Then I whinny it to the world!
It’s a pretty noisy farm for a few minutes as we serenade each
big smile on her face, and when her mother comes to join her she’s smiling, too.
well with her in the show ring, but she is not that kind of a horse. I still picture you on a much more stylish horse, maybe even a jumper.When
him strutting along the street pulling that carriage, he was absolutely stunning! How I could have missed seeing that last year, I don’t know.”
I think a lot about Rob and Pete. I hope they know how much I enjoyed their friendship. I wonder who will take my place pulling the carriage with Pete.Will Pete miss me? I hope he will, but I also hope he
but one thing’s for sure: I will not miss the dirty, smelly stalls!
Chapter 19
Life Begins Again
It’s morning. Opening my eyes and looking around the stable, I’m
good, and in the stall next to mine is my sister, Julie. Could life be more perfect?
Bright and early, I hear a cheery whistle, and skipping through
her hands. Reaching through the bars of our stalls, she gives each of us an apple.This just has to be Heaven, as we crunch away on our apples, the juice dripping from our lips.
After dumping our grain ration in our feed tubs and giving us
have a talk.“Want to hear what we’re going to do, Bubba? We’re going to ride over to Gretchen Gotchalk’s stable this morning and get you back over those jumps! I’m so excited! She’s going to teach me how to ride you over the jumps!”
She turns to Julie. “Julie, you and I will still do our trail riding and our Western Pleasure classes, and Bubba, you and I will enter the hunter and jumper competitions. Does that sound exciting or what?”
I can feel my ears prick forward when I hear the word jump. Could that really happen? Will I get to jump again?
hops out of the saddle, Gretchen hollers a greeting, telling us to come on in.
Because I’m excited, remembering the fun time I had with Gretchen, I’m a little bouncy. Gretchen chuckles, “Hey, Bubba, you are one lucky fellow, aren’t you? No more pulling carriages for you. Back to what’s fun!”
hasn’t done any jumping for quite a while. He needs to get his balance
we’ll start you on one of my schooling horses.”
easy, but when I’m trotting over them, I need to pay a bit more atten
tion. I don’t want to trip and look like a klutz, or I might be back pulling a carriage! What an awful thought!
Gretchen just has me do it again. First we come from one direction and
jump! ‘Course, it’s just a little jump, a hop really, but it’s fun! My schooling is just for half an hour. Gretchen says much more than that could be hard on my legs. I‘m not ready to quit, but soon I’m
Chapter 20
Lilly and I Focus on Learning
Gretchen wouldn’t let me jump yet,‘cause I have to learn the Forward Seat Position and so much more. I bet this will help me be a better rider on Julie, too. I’ve never known anything about balance and staying out of a horse’s mouth. Gretchen said you still have a soft mouth, and we want to keep it that way. It makes sense that a bit in your mouth could really hurt. I’m sorry, Bubba, if I’ve hurt you or Julie. I just didn’t know any better. Now I do!”
Our training continues through the winter and spring, and one
mother talking. She has come to watch us work, and she and Gretchen are standing by the rail.
to her family, no matter what she does.
“I’m very pleased with their progress. In fact, I’m glad you came
today, for we need to talk. I think they’re ready to show in the Arabian
Spring Show. I know they’ll do well in Hack class.That’s the one where
manners. I would also like to have them in the Hunter class. In that class they’ll jump fences.The fences will be low, just as we’ve been practicing here. Sound okay?”
the conversation and like what we heard. get you some Hunt Seat clothes.”
Wow! She really looks nice in her Hunter Green jacket, white jodhpurs, black boots and riding helmet. “And, Julie, Mom bought me a new western shirt for our Western Pleasure classes. It ‘s dark green and will be smashing with the white hat and white chaps. Guess what! Mom bought you a new green saddle pad, Julie. We are going to be sensational!”
And we were.The show went well, with close to 200 horses in
the hunter/jumper type. Plus there was a Native Costume class. When
class, she was bubbly, telling me that the next time we went to a show, we would be in that class, too.Whatever it is, I’m game.
