Crown Prince (23 page)

“We always have beet pulp on hand at the farm, and we use a complete feed pelleted grain,” Jack said. “Between our barn manager, Gus, and Sarah, Crown Prince will get the care he needs.”

“Can he go out in his paddock?” Sarah asked, looking very serious. “And what about the carrots I usually feed him?”

Dr. Jenson smiled. “For a few days, let's swap the carrots for apple slices, which are softer to chew. It won't hurt him to be turned out in his paddock for as long as he usually is, since grass isn't stemmy like hay. Let's hold off on other exercise—in a few days he will hopefully give the green light to go back to his regular diet and schedule.”

Dr. Jenson looked back at Prince and saw he remained subdued and resting quietly. “Would you folks like to take a look around at some of our other patients while you wait?” she asked. “I have a little time.” The girls nodded enthusiastically.

“Well, let's start over here,” Dr. Jensen said, pointing to a handsome chestnut horse with a narrow blaze in the stall next to Prince. “This horse was brought to us with extreme colic in the middle of the night over the weekend. He's a valuable show hunter. His colic required surgery, and we were afraid he wasn't going to make it,” the veterinarian said. “But he's doing well now. We expect him to go home tomorrow.” The chestnut looked up from his hay as they passed.

“Next to him is a mare that had a difficult foaling,” Dr. Jenson went on. They stopped to look in on a leopard Appaloosa who ignored the visitors. Her eyes were dull, and she stood with her head hung low, shifting her weight from one leg to another. A flake of hay in the corner was untouched. “Her foal had the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck, and we couldn't save it,” the vet continued. “We almost lost the mare, too. She's not eating well, and is obviously despondent and depressed.”

“She looks so sad,” Kayla said softly.

“If she's had a foal in the past, she's probably missing the new babe,” Jack said. “Horses know when they lose a friend or foal, just like humans grieve when they lose someone they care about.”

They walked on through the facility, with Dr. Jenson telling them interesting things about the horses they passed. They saw a light bay with a heavily bandaged right foreleg. “His owner was riding him through a stream and the horse cut his leg severely on a broken bottle someone had carelessly tossed in. He lost a lot of blood and required many stitches.”

Just then a young woman hurried up to Dr. Jenson. “The SPCA van is here with the horse they rescued this morning. Shall I have them bring him in now?”

“Yes,” the veterinarian said. “He'll go in stall number three.” She opened the sliding side door, and they watched as a young man slowly led in an extremely thin gray horse. For June, when other horses had shed their winter coats, this horse's coat was still long, rough, and disgustingly dirty. He was bony and emaciated, and his hips and spine stood out conspicuously. Sarah's eyes ran down his legs to his grossly overgrown hooves. Sarah and Kayla were sickened by what they saw.

“He looks awful!” Kayla said. “You can count all his ribs, even through his thick winter coat.”

“He hasn't gotten enough to eat,” Dr. Jenson said. “When a horse isn't fed a diet sufficient in calories, he'll hang onto his winter coat long past the time other horses have shed out. Sometimes older horses do that even on a quality diet.” She turned to the young man as he came out of the stall. “What's the story with this one, Jim?” she asked.

“He was found in a small enclosed area by an old barn where someone had apparently abandoned him. Luckily he had access to a brook, so he could get water. That's probably why he's still with us. He's also got a bad scrape just below his left hock. We need you to check him out, treat the hock, and make an evaluation.”

“I'll call you when we have the scoop,” Dr. Jenson said. Jim thanked her and hung the horse's halter on the stall door before exiting the clinic.

“What will happen to this poor horse?” Sarah asked. She found it hard to believe that people actually
abandoned
horses, when she had always wanted one so badly.

“Hopefully we'll bring him back to good health. The SPCA shelter will try to get the weight back on him, and when he's in better shape, they'll look for a good home for him, one where he'll get proper care,” Dr. Jenson said. She entered the stall and approached the horse, who was too dull and starved to move. She opened his mouth to look at his teeth. “This horse doesn't appear to be that old. Someone must have been pretty callous to just walk away and leave him.”

Jack shook his head. “There's no excuse in the world for doing this to any animal. I hope they catch up with whoever left this horse to starve and throw him in jail!”

“The authorities are looking into it,” Dr. Jenson said, patting the gray before leaving him to join them again in the aisle.

They turned down a corridor leading to the hospital's operating room, and once inside, Dr. Jenson showed them the operating table with its hydraulic lift. “Horses that need to be on their sides during surgery are strapped to this table when it's in a vertical position, and once they're anesthetized, the table is turned. That way a horse can be easily placed back in a standing position once the surgery is complete. We used this table for the colic surgery on Saturday. Larger hospitals often have special swimming pools, which provide a safer place for horses with leg surgeries to come out of anesthesia. Using the pool, a horse won't injure himself further if he thrashes around as the anesthesia is wearing off.”

Sarah found the tour interesting and Dr. Jenson very kind, but she couldn't help worrying how Crown Prince was doing. She excused herself and went to check on him. He was walking around the stall when she arrived, more alert and appearing glad to see her.

In a few minutes the others returned, and Dr. Jenson joined her in the stall. “The sedative I gave him wears off quickly, Sarah,” she said. “Would you please put Prince's halter with his shank back on him? I'll be right back.”

Dr. Jenson left the stall, returning a few minutes later with a bottle of what appeared to be water in a jar and a plastic syringe. “It's pretty easy to rinse a horse's mouth with this salt-and-water mixture,” she said. Sarah and Kayla watched as she filled the syringe from the liquid in the jar, held the horse's head up, and squirted the water into his mouth from the side near where the wolf tooth had been extracted. “Do you think you can handle this?” she asked.

Sarah grinned. “Not a problem.”

“As I mentioned, just mix a couple tablespoons of regular table salt to a quart of water to make the solution,” Dr. Jenson said. She looked at her watch. “I think that by the time you get Prince's boots back on, he'll be ready to travel.”

“I'll get them,” Kayla volunteered, and headed to the truck.

“Don't forget to take down the hay net,” Sarah called after her.

“Good,” Dr. Jenson said. “You remembered about not feeding him hay. It looks like he's in good hands.”

With Crown Prince once again on the trailer, Sarah, Kayla, and Jack headed back to Brookmeade Farm. In the back seat Sarah was deep in thought.
Getting rid of that tooth will be a whole new beginning for Prince, a turning point,
she thought.
It's got to be.

Kayla looked back at her. “Just think, now that the wolf tooth is out, you'll be riding Prince pretty soon.” Sarah smiled. She liked the sound of that. “I sure hope so.”

But Jack was quick to add a word of caution. “Best not to get ahead of ourselves here,” he said. “You girls are optimistic, to be sure. But we don't know how he'll react until he's actually bridled with a saddle and a rider on his back. Old habits don't always fade quickly, and 'tis possible he'll connect being ridden with the pain he once had, even if 'tis all in his head. We need to be sure his jaw has fully healed before we put a bit in his mouth. Dr. Reynolds has predicted he'll be fine in only a short time, but he'll know more when he sees him on Saturday. I promised your father I'd oversee this thing, and we'll not be in a big hurry to put you on his back.”

Sarah's heart sank. She'd allowed herself to believe the tooth's removal would immediately make all the difference. She sat quietly, looking back at her horse, and thought about Jack's warning. She and Prince weren't out of the woods yet.

IN LESS THAN THIRTY MINUTES
they were back in Yardley and turning into the Brookmeade Farm road. As soon as the truck rolled to a stop near the barn, Sarah and Kayla went to check on Crown Prince. Unlike his first arrival at the farm, when he was extremely nervous, today he seemed quiet and laid-back. Sarah put her hand on his neck. “He's dry. I guess he's getting used to traveling in a two-horse trailer.”

Gus was cleaning a stall near the barn's doorway. When he saw the truck pull up, he put down his manure fork and came out of the barn. Jack was getting out of the truck as Gus approached.

“The horse's new stall is ready,” Gus said unemotionally. “He can go in it now.” With that he turned and went back into the barn, passing Spin and Taco as they came trotting by. Mrs. DeWitt was right behind them, and she hurried over.

“Tell me how the surgery went,” she said. “I've been thinking about it all morning.”

“Super,” Sarah said, reaching down to pet Spin. She straightened, smiling. “The roots were normal, and the tooth pretty much popped right out.” She picked up a small stick and threw it for the dogs to chase.

Mrs. DeWitt glanced at Jack, who gave a thumbs-up sign. “So far so good,” he said. “There were no complications.”

“And the best part is that Dr. Reynolds thinks it will heal fast,” Sarah added.

Mrs. DeWitt threw her head back and clapped her hands. “I couldn't be more pleased! And I speak for Chandler as well.”

“We got to see the other horses at the clinic,” Kayla said, her face becoming serious. “Dr. Reynolds' new vet, Dr. Jenson, gave us a tour.” She went on to tell Mrs. DeWitt about the horse rescued by the SPCA. “You wouldn't believe how thin he was. He was starved.”

“The vets there see many sad cases,” Mrs. DeWitt said. “They try to help every horse, and do a wonderful job in so many ways.”

“Yes,” Jack said, “‘tis too bad some folks get a horse or a pony with no idea what's involved in its care. A man in the next town over bought a pony for his three children, thinking that tethering the pony on their front lawn would provide all the food he needed. They gave him a drink of water once a day. I suspect it was really a lawn mower or a babysitter he was wanting. The kids rode the pony hard, and nobody noticed he was getting thin as a blade. He could hardly stand when a neighbor finally called the authorities.”

“It's a good thing there are organizations like the Pony Club and 4-H,” Mrs. DeWitt said. “They teach youngsters the right way to care for their animals.”

Sarah saw that Crown Prince was standing quietly in the trailer, not seeming anxious to be unloaded. She turned to Mrs. DeWitt. “Did you know the new stalls are ready? I suppose Medina will be coming back to the barn soon.”

“We're one step ahead of you.” Mrs. DeWitt smiled. “While you were gone, Gus stripped the stall and put in new bedding, making it ready for Medina. I walked her over here just a short time ago. She was content in the carriage shed, but she seems pretty happy to be back in her old stall with her favorite neighbors. Actually, I think she'd have no complaints wherever she was, as long as her hay and grain kept coming in a timely manner.”

“There's a window in Prince's new stall,” Sarah said, frowning. “I hope he won't break the glass and cut himself.”

“Not to worry,” Mrs. DeWitt said. “Gus covered the inside of the window with a screen this morning. Prince will probably like watching the horses in the turnout paddocks. Gus did a wonderful job getting the new stall ready. He scrubbed his water bucket and filled it with fresh water. Then he put lots of bedding on top of the thick mats. But there's no hay in sight. Gus thought the vet wouldn't want him to have any until his mouth has healed.”

“He was right about that,” Kayla said. “And once Prince's mouth has healed….” She grinned at Sarah, who knew what she was thinking. Riding him would be next.

“Thanks for reminding me, Kayla.” Jack said. His gaze turned to Sarah. “It's time for you to go back to Atlantic Saddlery to be fitted to an all-purpose saddle. Of course you'll also have to get the things that go with it. Stirrup irons and leathers, a saddle pad, and a girth are purchased separately. Be sure to get a big enough girth for a large horse.” For a bridle, I recommend one with a flash noseband—and pick out a five-inch, fat snaffle bit. He paused a moment, looking thoughtful. “We'll soon be finding out how he'll react to it.”

“Well, this is a coincidence!” Mrs. DeWitt said, delighted with the news. “I'm planning to make a run to the tack shop right after lunch, and I'd love to have both of you girls come with me.”

“Awesome!” Sarah said, feeling excited that the moment was getting closer when she would actually ride her horse.

Kayla frowned. “I have a lesson with Fanny this afternoon, so I've got to get home. In fact, I'd better call my mom right now to see when she's picking me up.” She pulled out her phone and walked away to make the call.

Sarah thought a moment before speaking to Mrs. DeWitt. “We'll be going by my house on the way. Would you mind stopping so I can get the gift card?”

“Of course not,” Mrs. DeWitt said. “I'll be at the barn at one o'clock to pick you up,” she said over her shoulder as she turned to walk back to the farmhouse. She whistled for her Jack Russells, and the three of them disappeared around the side of the barn just as Kayla returned.