A Horse's Best Friend

by Dandi Daley Mackall

  I already feel better. I always do when I’m with Chief. Maybe that’s part of friendship. I take out the rest of the carrots. “So, forgive me?”

  Chief steps closer. And before he reaches the carrots, I blow into his nostrils. He stops, like he’s thinking. Then he blows back and snatches up those carrots.

  Stuck Like Glue

  Dad drives us to school again. He’s already on to a new invention. “Why didn’t I think of it before? Why didn’t somebody think of it before? I’ll call it the Spy Shoe, unless I come up with a better name. So easy to make. I’ll glue Velcro to the soles of one pair of shoes. Then I’ll cut the soles off another pair of shoes and glue the other half of the Velcro on the backs of the soles. The second pair of soles can then be attached to the first pair of shoes so they can be double soled But the trick is—ready for it?”

  “Yes!” Lizzy says. “What’s the trick?”

  “The trick is that the second sole can be affixed backward!”

  “Why?” I ask, although I’m only half listening and I don’t really want an answer.

  “So when you’re walking forward, your footprints will look like they’re going the other way!” Dad exclaims. “Get it? If someone tries to follow your footprints, they’ll just end up farther and farther away from you.”

  “Genius, Dad! You’ll make a fortune,” says Lizzy the Encourager. “There’s our turn, Dad.”

  Dad swerves just in time.

  Only I wish he’d missed the turn just this once. I’ve been talking to God inside my head the entire drive to school. But because of all the invention talk, I could use a few more minutes.

  I try to finish up fast. I know you forgive me, Lord. You and Chief always do. And I know there wouldn’t even be forgiveness without Jesus. I don’t know how to thank you for that. So I’ll just say, “Thank you!” every time I tune in today. And please make me a better friend to Simon.

  “You can stop here, Dad,” Lizzy says when we’re near the loading zone. “Thanks for the ride!”

  I pop my seat belt. “Yeah. Thanks, Dad. And I’ll look forward to a pair of those Spy Shoes.”

  Dad’s smile takes up his whole face. “They’ll come in all sizes, Winnie.”

  Before we even get out of the car, I hear Tamson shouting, “There he is! The Insect Boy of Prairie Elementary. Go away, Simon! I’ll bet you have bugs in your hair!”

  Lizzy and I run up and stand beside Simon.

  “What’s the matter with you, Tamson?” I demand.

  Lizzy and Simon stare at me like I’m the one with bugs in my hair.

  Tamson looks even more surprised. But then she laughs. “What’s the matter with you, Winnie?” She pulls an envelope from her pocket. “Okay. Capri got sick and can’t come to my party. Landri said you might as well come in her place.” She hands me the envelope. “Here. This should put you in a good mood.”

  I stare down at the invitation to Tamson’s sleepover party. I’ve wanted this so much. I’ve even dreamed about it. God, help me do the right thing.

  “Well?” Tamson says. “Aren’t you going to open it?”

  I look at Simon. He runs his fingers through his hair, as if Tamson’s right and there really are bugs in it. There aren’t, of course. So why would she say that?

  “Winnie?” Tamson pokes at the invitation I’m holding. “Didn’t you hear me? I said, ‘Aren’t you going to open it?’”

  “Nope.” I hand it back. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

  “What?” Tamson looks like she’s going to faint. “Wh-why not?”

  “I already have plans . . . to hang out with friends.”

  I turn to Simon. “Simon, do you want to come over and ride Chief after school?”

  Simon’s eyes are as big as Chief’s. “Me? Why do you want me to ride with you?”

  I finish his rhyme: “Because I have a Friend who sticks like glue.”

  Here, There, and Everywhere

  Simon, Lizzy, and I take the bus together after school. From our seat in the back, we can hear Tamson and the sleepover party girls laughing. But we’re laughing too. And I think our laughter is better because it’s 100 percent friendly.

  It’s not until we’re off the bus and walking down the lane to our ranch that I think to ask Simon, “You’ve ridden horses before, right?”

  Simon takes a minute to answer. “Austin is the twin with horse. He won’t let me ride, of course.”

  “You’re kidding!” Lizzy says. “That’s so unfair. I know you like horses. Won’t your dad get you a horse too?”

  Simon shrugs.

  I get the feeling there’s more to this story.

  Lizzy shakes her head. “You’re not afraid like me, are you?”

  “Not afraid to ride a horse.” He grins at me. “If I have your help, of course.”

  Lizzy watches at the gate while Chief sidles up to the fence to let us mount.

  “Uh, aren’t you forgetting something, Winnie?” Simon asks.

  I’m starting to realize that sometimes Simon doesn’t rhyme when he’s feeling nervous, or sad, or scared. I’m not sure what he’s feeling right now. But I send off a quick prayer that God will help him enjoy this ride. “Simon, we don’t need a saddle. Chief is so gentle and so soft. You’ll think you’re sitting on a pillow.”

  “Austin never rides bareback,” he says. “Royal Princess might attack.”

  Not a great rhyme. But it was still a rhyme. Simon must be feeling better already. He’s on the top rung of the fence with me.

  I scratch Chief’s jaw to thank him for standing so still. Then I climb on and scoot up to his withers. “Your turn, Simon. Slip on behind me. You can hold onto my waist as tight as you want.”

  “You can do it, Simon!” Lizzy sounds like a cheerleader.

  Simon lowers himself onto Chief and grabs me around the waist.

  “See?” I say. “Isn’t Chief comfortable?”

  He’s scooched so close to me I can feel his head nodding.

  “Have fun!” Lizzy says. She waves at us.

  I move Chief into a slow walk, and Simon’s grip tightens so that it’s hard to breathe. “We’ll just walk as long as you want to, Simon.” I guide Chief to the lane. We plod along in silence for a couple of minutes, and I feel Simon’s grip relax a little.

  “Can you smell horse? And pines? And maybe the promise of rain in the air?” I stroke Chief’s neck with one hand.

  “And the breeze,” Simon says. “Winnie, please?”

  I’m afraid he’s going to ask me to go back. Maybe he didn’t really want to ride, and I’ve made him do it. “Please what, Simon?”

  “Go faster?” he answers.

  Yes! I urge Chief into a gentle lope, his smoothest gait. When I’m sure Simon is all in, I give Chief the signal to gallop. “Hang on, cowboy!”

  Simon laughs. “This is amazing! I never knew. Chief is a great friend. And Winnie is too.”

  The wind dries my happy tears before they reach my cheeks. We are four friends on a ride I won’t ever forget: Simon, Chief, me, and Jesus. I know Jesus is here with us. Not just because I feel him in the sound of hooves beating, or the sight of the sun peeking through the clouds, or the jiggling of a friend’s laughter. He’s here because he’s a Friend who goes everywhere with me.

  Good ol’ Sugar was my first best friend. Dad led me on Sugar when I was two, and I rode by myself at three, thanks to Sugar’s sensitive nature. She might try to run with an older rider, but not with me. Sugar listened to my dreams of becoming a horse trainer (like Winnie). She didn’t mind if I griped about a bad day. She always made me feel like she’d been waiting for me. Now that’s friendship.

  Top Five Lessons I Learned from Sugar

  Sometimes the best thing a friend can do is listen.

  It’s a great gift to let people believe you’re really glad to see them . . . even if you don’t feel that way at first.

  Love can be sacrificial—like carrying someone to a place she’d like to go instead of going where y
ou want.

  Take the time to really get to know a friend.

  When you fall off, get right back on.

  Bonus lesson: God created an amazing animal in the horse. Imagine coming up with a design for such a beautiful creature—one that’s soft, but strong; giving and kind; with a nicker and neigh, two of the best sounds on earth; and the best smell in the entire world! It will be awesome to see Sugar again in heaven.

  Fun Horse Facts

  In a gallop, there’s a moment when all four of a horse’s legs are off the ground at the same time.

  Horses don’t need much sleep. They might get 3 to 4 hours a day, but even that sleep doesn’t happen all at once. They generally catnap, dozing 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Horses can sleep standing up because of the way their joints lock in place, keeping them from falling down. But some horses will also sleep lying down if they feel secure. Horses in a herd will never all lie down at the same time—at least one horse will stay on its feet as a lookout.

  Horses can’t vomit because their stomachs aren’t designed to do that. That can be a big problem, because if a horse eats something bad, like poison, the poison stays in its stomach. Colic is intense stomach pain and the leading cause of death in horses. If you see a horse acting strangely, kicking its belly, twisting on the ground, or refusing to eat or drink, it’s time to call the vet.

  You can tell if a horse is cold by feeling behind its ears. If those spots feel cold, you can bet that your horse is chilly.

  A mule is a cross between a male donkey (called a jack) and a female horse (a mare). Male mules are called johns, and females are mollies.

  A cross between a male horse (a stallion) and a female donkey (a jenny) is called a hinny.

  A zebroid is a cross between a zebra and a horse. A zonkey is a cross between a horse and a donkey.

  Horses have big hearts! The average horse’s heart weighs about 9 or 10 pounds. The average human heart doesn’t even weigh 1 pound. A man’s heart weighs about 10 ounces, and a woman’s heart between 8 and 9 ounces.

  Horses have better senses of smell and hearing than humans. With 16 muscles in each ear, a horse can turn its ears in different directions—up to halfway around—to help capture sounds or to check out what’s going on in front and behind them.

  If a full-grown horse is under 14.2 (14 hands 2 inches or 4 feet 10 inches), it’s considered a pony. Ponies have thicker manes and tails than horses. Some common pony breeds are Connemara, Chincoteague, Icelandic, Shetland, and Welsh Cob.

  Horse Terms

  Foal—A newborn or very young horse, male or female.

  Filly—A young female horse up to four years old.

  Horse Colt (or colt)—A young male horse up to four years old. The word colt is sometimes used casually to refer to any young horse, male or female.

  Yearling—A year-old filly or colt.

  Mare—A mature female horse, usually age five or older.

  Broodmare—A mare used only for breeding (having foals).

  Stallion—A male horse that hasn’t had the gelding’s surgery. Can be a foal’s dad.

  Gelding—A male horse that has been gelded (fixed) so he can’t mate or be a dad.

  Dam—The female parent of a foal (the mom).

  Sire—The male parent of a foal (the dad).

  Draft Horse Breeds

  In this book, Chief is a draft horse, also called a farm horse or a heavy horse. Draft horses are strong and powerful. They can pull plows, cart heavy loads, or take you for long rides. A draft horse is usually between 17 and 18 hands (around 6 feet) high at the withers (shoulder). That’s big! But draft horses are born gentle and remain calm, even when things get crazy.

  Here are some of the most common breeds of draft horse:

  Belgian—These are huge, muscular horses with kind eyes and good natures. Some farmers still use Belgian draft horses to pull plows and work in the fields. A Belgian horse can weigh up to a ton (2,000 pounds), which makes it about as heavy as a black rhinoceros!

  Clydesdale—These are big, beautiful, brown horses with white feathered legs (long, fluffy fetlocks that can go up to the knee). Clydesdales have wide nostrils, big ears, and lovely, kind eyes. Although they started out as farm workers, now most people use these trustworthy horses for riding or showing.

  Haflinger—This smaller version of a work horse is only 14 hands high (under 5 feet), but Haflingers are so strong and sure-footed that they were perfect for carrying large packs in the mountains. Some Austrian farmers still use them to carry hay, but most people today use Haflingers for riding or in harness. These hardworking, calm horses can live to be 40 years old!

  Percheron—Unlike the brown and reddish Clydesdale and Belgian horses, Percherons are black or gray. In the Middle Ages, they were used as war horses. Today, still strong, intelligent, and good natured, Percherons may show up as draft horses to pull plows and haul loads. But most people love riding and showing this gentle but lively horse.

  Shire—Shires are the biggest of the draft horses, weighing over a ton and standing up to 18 hands tall. Picture a knight in full armor riding a beautiful black horse into battle—that’s a Shire. Because of their high-stepping gait and their graceful, aristocratic beauty, Shires no longer work in fields or pull heavy loads. Their owners prefer to ride and show their gentle and kind friends.

  Parts of the Horse

  About the Author

  Dandi Daley Mackall is the award-winning author of about 500 books for children and adults. She visits countless schools, conducts writing assemblies and workshops across the United States, and presents keynote addresses at conferences and events for young authors. She is also a frequent guest on radio talk shows and has made dozens of appearances on TV. She has won several awards for her writing, including the Helen Keating Ott Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Literature and the Edgar Award, and is a two-time winner of the Christian Book Award and the Mom’s Choice Award.

  Dandi writes from rural Ohio, where she lives with her husband, surrounded by their three children, four granddaughters, and a host of animals. Visit her at www.DandiBooks.com and www.facebook.com/dandi.mackall.