Bubba and the Chocolate Farm 3- Heartfelt Horses- Where Love is Enoug

by Connie Foss

  “I ain’t got a clue how that’d make a feller feel, but I’ll give you

  heerd that Baby was out in the lot, when she went berserk and leaped over the fence, ran down the lane, leaped over the pasture fence and took off after a coyote.About that time is when I come along and seed that varmit goin’ lickety-split across the pasture and under the fence. I can only imagine how he must have felt, thinkin’ he was going to have a

  If I looked up from what I were doin’ and seen Baby bearin’ down on me, I’d a high-tailed it out a there, too.”

  “She did that…jumped over fences? That is wonderful! I’m so proud of her.That niece of mine is going to take up where I left off and make a name for herself on the jumping circuit.” I can’t help but be bursting with pride.

  “Well, you may be tickled with her, but Bill is furious. I heard him say, ‘How in the heck am I going to keep these horses safe, if a fence doesn’t stop ‘em?’”

  Chuckling as he grooms himself while sitting on the tailboard in my stall, Tom remembers there is something else I want to hear, he says, “Oh, yeah, you want to know about Brett. Well, that must have been the craziest thing that boy has done yet. Oh, I forgot, the missus sent me out for some food. I’ll be back.” Tom leaps down and is gone

  “But what about Brett?” I whinny into the dark.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:

  Trouble in the Pasture

  It’s not Tom that ends up telling me what happened to Brett. I hear it from Meg herself when she comes late in the evening to spend time with me.

  Unlatching my stall door and coming in, Meg puts her arms around my neck and we share a warmth like no other. I love that gal, and she must love me, too.All is well with both of us when we’re together.

  “How’ve you been, Bubba? Jack was up to talk things over this morning, and she said you are going to have another rider in her program, a guy named Ted. Do you know about that? I expect you do, for there’s not much you miss. There is something that I need to talk about, something that I doubt you have heard. But let’s go over to the crossties, and I’ll tell you while I give you a good brushing.”

  Meg has already said hi to Hap and not to worry when he hears us. Meg is mighty good with a brush, so I’m enjoying the attention as she tells me what happened.

  “Bubba, sometimes I think Brett is getting along better. Then something happens like it did yesterday morning, and I wonder if we’re doing anything right.While Brett was with the speech therapist, I went to the store to get whatever was on my list. When I picked Brett up yesterday after his session, he and I walked to the car, which I had

  “As we were walking, he wasn’t holding my hand, because he doesn’t like to be touched. I don’t feel good about that, especially when we have to cross a street to get to the car. Just as we stepped down from the curb, an ambulance swerved around the corner with its siren blaring. Brett can’t handle noise, and this was startling, even to me.You probably can guess what happened next. Brett took off running, ran right in front of the ambulance, which barely missed him, and ended up under our car, shaking and screaming.The ambulance crew leaped out, and one of the men crawled under the car pulled Brett out. That set Brett off even more, for he was not only being touched, he was being taken from the safety of his hiding place.”

  Meg stops, catches her breath, and leaning her forehead against my shoulder, she begins to cry with the total frustration she is feeling. “Did they turn the siren off? Not right away. So here is a screaming,

  happening. Finally, the siren quits, and I can get through to the emergency personnel that Brett is okay but can’t stand noise or touching.

  knowing that we are going to do this again and again. Bubba, I used to think I was a strong person and could handle anything, but this past year is proving me wrong. I am constantly living in fear and wake up in the middle of the night with my heart pounding.”

  Meg’s tears slow down, the brushing starts again, and soon we are out in the fading light of evening.The gentle breeze dries the last of the tears, and I pick my way along the path, cutting across toward the road.

  in the ditch. It’s easy footing, and the slow pace is comfortable. I don’t

  with me. I’m enjoying the cool peacefulness of the evening. The ditch runs along a bank that is just outside the mare pasture.

  We can hear the gentle nickering of the mothers calling their foals from

  their play, telling them that it’s time to lie down at mom’s feet. We are down the road when we hear the nickering change to

  frantic whinnying. Horses are running…not just running for the fun of it. “Bubba, what’s happening? We’d better go check. It doesn’t sound

  good,” and the reins tell me the same thing,“Go back! Hurry!” Up the bank, along the fence, and soon we see what is happening.A

  coyote is after the littlest of the foals, while the mother and her friends

  try to protect it.

  This will never do, and before I can think and certainly before

  Meg even asks me, I am over that fence and racing toward that coyote.

  Nothing is in my mind but protecting my harem.

  Meg doesn’t say a word, but I can tell by the tightness of her legs

  and the angle of her body, that she is totally in sync with me.We both have the same goal, with total focus on what has to be done. Coming close to the coyote I reach with my right front leg and bring that metal shoe that’s on my hoof down as fast and hard as I can.The coyote is no dummy and shifts just enough that I miss his body, but I catch his tail,

  The coyote, yelping all the way to the fence, will not be back again tonight…unless he comes to get his tail, which, I notice, he left behind, lying dead in the pasture.

  CHAPTER THIRTY:

  A Break Through

  “Here’s Brett, Jack, ready to ride his best friend, Bubba.”

  I am in my stall in the therapy barn, and it’s time for another lesson for Brett. He still hasn’t actually sat in the saddle, but maybe he will today.

  “Meg, I hear you and Bubba got the best of the coyote last night. Maybe you taught him a lesson that will sink in this time. Certainly, every time he tries to wag his tail, he will have a painful reminder,” says Jack, chuckling as she walks me over to the crossties. “Did you know

  “That coyote has caused enough trouble. It’s time he moved on, but, yes, Bubba and I had a fun time last night, didn’t we, Bubba?” Meg says, as she gives me a pat. “He did something he isn’t supposed to do, jump. But neither of us remembered that in the heat of the moment. It felt so good to jump again, and I know he felt it, too.”

  To me, she said,“It was just like old times, huh, Bubba? But we’d better not make it a habit.”

  “Hi, Georgia and Ruth.You all have a good time. Bruce is here, so I’m going to go talk to him and stay out of your hair,” Meg says as she goes out the door, heading to the construction site of the new trail.

  Jack gets my saddle and bridle on while the ladies put the steps for Brett in place. Now it’s time to see what Brett will do today.

  “Brett, how about coming over here, climbing the steps all the way to the top and giving Bubba some good-afternoon petting. He loves it when you do that.” Jack is making a big effort to not touch Brett, to let him do what he decides to do by himself.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see he is moving toward the bottom step, puts his left foot on it, then takes it off, then starts again and continues on up. He’s done this much before, plus the petting of my shoulder.Will he do the next thing, put his right leg over my back and the saddle?

  “Bubba is a good friend, isn’t he, Brett? Your mom likes him, too. I expect you’d like to ride Bubba like your mom does.” Jack is showing such patience for I know she would love to just boost him into the saddle.

  “Want to sit on Bubba and see what it feels like, Brett?”

  Georgia, Ruth, Jack and I are breathlessly waiting to see what this little boy, with a mind of his own, will do. In our mi
nds, we are seeing him swing that leg over and sit comfortably in the saddle. Nothing seems to be happening, except Brett is saying my name over and over again.That is new.

  I feel something, a small weight in the saddle, and I know this time Brett did it. He is sitting on my back. I can feel the jubilation of the ladies and see the big smiles on their faces, when Jack says,“Good, Brett.That makes all of us happy, including Bubba. How does it feel to sit on him? Pretty good, huh?”

  Turning my head just a mite, I see a little foot sticking straight out from my back. I really am too big for this little guy.

  “While you’re sitting up there, Brett, give Bubba lots of petting and talk to him. He needs to know how happy you are to get to ride him.” Jack is very patient with her students, and it surely pays off. “Would you like to hold Bubba’s reins, Brett? The reins help Bubba

  this next step. Lo and behold, he does!

  Then he says something unbelievable. He says,“Walk, Bubba.” That little monotone voice is music to my ears, and I walk.

  When Meg comes back near the end of the lesson, she stands amazed at the sight: her little boy, with his helmet on, riding me, as though he does this every day.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE:

  Oh, Oh,The Neighbors

  It’s dark enough in the stable that I can see stars twinkling in the sky as I look out and up. It’s a peaceful sight and soothing after a busy day. Tom joins me, and as he does his nightly grooming. I can hear his raspy tongue as it slides over his hair. He tells me what he overheard outdoors this afternoon.

  “Meg was standin’ with Bruce as they looked at what’s been going on with the outdoor trail. It’s beginin’ to look like somethin’, instead of a jumble of rocks. Meg says it looks like it’s coming along.Then she says,‘While we’re talking, Bruce, (and Tom’s imitation of Meg’s voice is… well…not very good) tell me about the school Mickey is going to. How is it working for him? You don’t mind my picking your brain, do you?’”

  “Then he said, ‘Of course not, Meg. (And Tom’s imitation of Bruce’s voice is no better...even worse.A cat doesn’t have a deep voice.) When you have a child with autism, you have to dig for any information and help you can get. It’s kind of like a fraternity, helping each other.’ I don’t know what in the heck a fraternity is but that’s what he said. Then he told Meg that they’re pleased with the school for they have a department whose only job is to provide what each autistic child needs. He said that means a lot of people, for each kid needs something differ’nt.

  “Then Meg asks him if Mickey likes to go to school. She was really puttin’ it to him, no holds barred,” says Tom. “I guess she found out what she needed to know,‘cause she left him and went back in the therapy barn. I expect we’ll see more of Meg startin’ in the fall when school starts. If Brett can go to that school and not freak out, Meg can get back to you horses.

  “Well, it’s time to do some huntin’. Besides my throat is sore from

  trying to do those voices. I’m gettin’ hungry and it sure sounds like the kids are too, from all the grumblin’ they’re doin’. See ya’.”

  It was nice to hear what all Tom said.With the progress Brett had with me today and the information about the school, Bill and Meg might be feeling encouraged tonight, as they look back over their day. It’s not been easy for them, but they’re hanging in there.

  One of the reasons nights are so peaceful is that there are no

  than they’ve ever been. I’ve noticed that there are some bug zappers hanging around…you know, those electric things that kill a bug if he gets close, but they seem to work best on the moths at night.Well, I’m going to take advantage of this and get some rest.

  “Good morning, all,” Bill says as he comes in the door. He seems especially chipper this morning, ready to take on the day. Good thing, too, for right behind him comes a bunch of serious looking men.

  Hearing them, Bill turns and says good morning. Our neighbor Earle is part of the group and introduces the other neighbors.Then he says, “Bill, I know you are a reasonable man and always try to do the right thing. So, since we all have a common concern, we want to talk to you about it and see what can be done.”

  “What’s the problem, Earle? Are you all on a campaign to get the city to do a better job on our road? I’m with you, if that’s the concern.”

  there something you could do to reduce their numbers?” Another of the men speaks up and says,“We can’t have outdoor

  chorus of agreement from the group.

  focused on the horses and didn’t give a thought to the people. I’ve even been putting the nets on the faces of the outdoor horses to protect

  I can to be a good neighbor.

  “I know it wasn’t easy for you to come today, but I thank you for

  having the courage to do it. I’ll let you know what measures I take to

  reduce the problem,” and Bill shakes their hands before the men leave. Immediately Bill is on the phone to the local feed store and I hear

  him say, “George, this is Bill from The Chocolate Farm. Do you carry

  the ‘feed-through-insect-growth regulators…the IGR? I’ve got a real

  something. Next thing to do is to talk to John and Ted.”

  In the afternoon, when Ted comes for a ride, Bill collars him and asks him if he would have time to talk after his lesson. Later after John takes me back to the other barn, I hear Bill talking to him and Ted.What

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO:

  Options

  “We’ve got a problem! I haven’t paid enough attention to the accumulation of horse manure, as is obvious when you notice the piles of it out in the back pasture.Well, that negligence on my part has come to bite us.We’re in trouble.A delegation of neighbors paid us a visit this

  lay their eggs in manure,The Chocolate Farm is now prime producer of

  “Were these people mad?” asked John.

  “No, they were really quite decent, just upset with the situation. I apologized and told them we would take immediate steps to eliminate the problem, for there are several things we can do, should have been doing. One is using an additive to the horse feed which will pass through into the manure and kill any larvae. I just tracked down some of that. But we still will need to do something with the manure itself. Here we have several options and that’s what I want to discuss with you. Let’s go sit down in the tack room.”

  After the sounds of chairs being moved around stops, thank goodness I can still hear Bill. “Horse manure is great fertilizer, and as such, it’s worth money. Using the front-end loader of the Bobcat, we could load a truck and haul the manure to farms. That would require

  “Another approach is to pile the manure in piles and compost it, turning it every week, so that it decomposes properly. In the summer that process takes about three months. I’m told in the winter you need to allow six months.After it has decomposed you bag it up and sell it to nurseries, garden centers in the big stores, and home gardeners. With the current attention given to organic foods, many people are steering away from the chemically based commercial fertilizers.”

  Ted and John have been listening carefully, but Ted seems to be getting restless with this long discourse. “Okay, Bill, it all makes sense, but where do you see us in all of this?”

  “Well, I’m thinking you two might be interested in starting a business.The Chocolate Farm will buy a dump truck for you to use in exchange for your taking care of our accumulating manure in the way

  “We also will pay you to use that truck to haul in sawdust for the stalls.We use sawdust some times and straw other times, but since straw is getting too expensive, we would like to stay with sawdust for bedding. The mills are charging to deliver it nowadays, so having our own truck will solve that problem.

  “I don’t expect an immediate answer from you, for your decision will need to be based on what your research comes up with. So, how about your letting me know next week if you are in or out on this? In the meantime, we’ll be using that �
�feed-through’ for the horses.”

  That is interesting stuff Bill is telling the men. I wonder if they are interested. It sounds as though it might be a lot of work. I don’t think either man is afraid of work, though, and they do seem to have plenty of time available. I think I’ll talk to Mr. O about this, see what he thinks

  out on his regular night travels, I give him a whinny.

  “Hiss-hoo, you called, Sir Hershey?” Mr. O says as he settles on

  my stall door.

  “You are so wise and know everything, Mr. O, so I would like your

  opinion on what John and Ted should do,” and I tell Mr. O what all Bill

  told the men today.

  “Hiss-hoo, that will take a bit of thought. In fact, I will need to do some

  sleuthing, though I am honored that you value my input. On my nightly

  rounds, there are several stables. I will become acquainted with whom

  ever is in charge and pick their brains, to put it a mite grossly.Tomorrow

  morning you should receive an answer to your question, but now I

  must get started.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE:

  A New Enterprise

  We don’t usually get to see Meg in the afternoon, but Annie and I are in the middle of a conversation about how well our therapy riders are doing, when I hear her voice. As she is coming in the stable door, I hear a man’s voice, too, and I recognize it. Milt’s here!

  Annie recognizes his voice, too, for her joyful greeting bounces off the stable walls. As Meg and Milt come into view, Milt has his usual big smile and the same twinkle in his eye. However, the rest of him doesn’t look the same. In fact, he looks old…skinny and walking funny with a cane.

  “Annie, how are you, girl? You look wonderful, and I hear you have another of Bubba’s babies in your tummy.” Milt is rubbing Annie’s nose as she pushes her head into his chest. “Annie, let’s get you out here in the aisle, so you and Milt can get reacquainted,” says Meg, as she unlatches Annie’s door.