Crown Prince (16 page)

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.

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.”

“We'll work on parts of the test in your lesson this week,” Jack said.

“Do you want to turn Quarry out now?” Sarah asked Paige.

“Oh, not for awhile. I'm going to pull his mane before Tim gets here. He's working this morning, but we're going for a short hack later.”

“Is Tim working at the hardware store again this summer?” Sarah asked.

Paige nodded. “It helps pay for his car and his horse. I'll be working at Dad's restaurant again for the same reason. Well, it's mane-pull time for Quarry,” she said, as she rode off.

After Sarah put Prince back in his stall, she checked her cell phone. There was a text message from Kayla,
call me,
and she immediately dialed her friend's number. “What's up, Kayla?”

“How did the vet exam go?”

“You'll never guess what Dr. Reynolds found! Do you know that horses have wolf teeth?”

“Yeah,” Kayla said. “I think they're usually pulled, but I'm not sure why. Does Prince have one?”

“He has a huge one! The vet had never seen anything like it. Here's the best part. He probably was in a lot of pain when he had a bit in his mouth. Once the tooth is pulled, he should be fine when he's ridden!”

“That's totally awesome!” Kayla squealed. “If he's not lame, that means you can keep him. Did the vet find anything else?”

“No. Dr. Reynolds said he doesn't often find a horse off the track as clean-legged as he is.”

“Great news, kid.” Kayla paused. “Here's something else: Next Sunday is the Riverbend Quarter Horse Show. I'm taking Fanny. Can you come? We had a blast last year.”

Sarah thought a minute. She loved going to horse shows with Kayla. She was Kayla's groom and cheerleader at the same show last summer when Kayla and Fanny had impressed the hunter judge and been awarded a third-place ribbon in the large hunt seat equitation class.

Sarah suddenly realized how limited her free time would be this summer, especially now that she was working at Brookmeade. She'd have to say no to things she liked a lot, and this was one of them. Gus would probably have a hissy fit if she asked to have Sunday off by working extra time on Saturday. And besides, there was too much going on with Prince right now.

“Kayla, I can't. I have to work on Sundays now, and I can't ask for time off so soon. You know I'd love to groom for you like I did last year. I loved being your cheering section.”