Star Gazer

by Chris Platt

  eleven

  Jordan held Star Gazer’s lead rope while Jacob prepared to pack her feet with the poultice. “Easy, big girl,” he said, running his hand gently along Star’s thick neck. “I’m just here to help you.” He lifted the mare’s leg, took off the boot, and motioned for Nicole to hand him the jar.

  As soon as Jacob opened it, Jordan and Nicole wrinkled their noses and took a step back.

  “Aw, come on, girls. It’s not that bad.” Jacob said as he scooped a handful of the clay concoction. “First you pack it into the hoof, then press it down along the frog—this part in the middle—and smooth it over the sole.” He unfolded a piece of the special paper he’d brought and used it to cover the entire mess. “Okay. Now hand me the boot.”

  Jacob slipped the boot onto the hoof and moved to the other side of the horse. He repeated the procedure, then stood back to let the horse get used to the poultice.

  Star Gazer shifted uneasily in the boots and bent her head to sniff the strange smell. She blew through her nostrils and lifted her upper lip to show the underside in a big horse laugh.

  Jordan and Nicole giggled. “See,” Jordan said. “Star thinks it’s stinky, too.”

  Star Gazer tugged at her lead rope, wanting to go to her manger to grab a bite of hay. When Jordan didn’t comply, the big mare moved anyway, dragging Jordan along with her.

  “Hey, wait!” Jordan cried, stumbling along after her horse. “Whoa!”

  But Star didn’t stop until her head was deep into the feeder and she had pulled out a mouthful of hay.

  “Don’t let her do that,” Jacob said. “If Star gets the idea she can do whatever she wants, she’ll be dragging you all over the place.”

  Jordan held onto the lead rope but her hands were shaking. She’d never had any of the horses at her lessons do that. It felt like her rope had been hooked to the bumper of a moving car and she was being dragged along behind it. She was reminded once again of the raw power of a draft horse.

  Nicole looked puzzled. “But how can someone Jordan’s size control a horse that big?”

  “The same way you control your horse,” Jacob said. “You just have to be patient, kind yet firm, and show them who’s boss. And you better hope it’s not the horse,” he teased.

  Jacob cleaned the clay off his hands, then took the lead rope from Jordan. He tugged on it, asking Star to raise her head, but the mare ignored him. He shouted Star’s name in a firm voice and gave a quick tug on the halter, causing the nose band to tighten briefly across the bridge of her nose. He now had her full attention. Star immediately raised her head and followed Jacob back to the center of the stall.

  “There.” He handed the mare back to Jordan. “Make her mind, or you’re going to have a real problem on your hands.”

  Jordan stared at the big mare, feeling very unsure of herself. “But if I’m mean to her, she won’t like me,” Jordan said, her voice trembling.

  Jacob sighed. “Jordan, you’re not some city girl taking a dog down the sidewalk of L.A. That’s a two-thousand-pound animal you’ve got hold of. Making a horse behave is not being mean. If you can’t be firm and make her obey, you might as well get rid of her right now. A horse this big that thinks she’s the boss? She’ll eat your lunch.” Jacob shook his head as if he was having doubts about working with her.

  “I’ll do it,” Jordan said, tightening her grip on the lead rope and praying that Star wouldn’t drag her to the manger again. “I’ll learn, Jacob. You’ll see.”

  He studied her for a moment. “Okay, everything’s fine. I just want you to understand how serious this is. Star Gazer is not a toy. She’s going to take some real work and you need to be up to the challenge.”

  “I am,” Jordan assured him.

  “All right, then. That was lesson number one. Make sure you learn it, or there’s no sense going any further.”

  Jordan swallowed hard. She hoped she was up to it.

  Jacob handed the jar and the papers to Nicole since Jordan had her hands full. “Leave that clay on there for a couple of days,” he advised, “and we’ll see if it pulls some of the sting out of those feet. In the meantime, I’m going to see if my friend Daniel Miller will let me use his old mare so we can get you started on lessons. If we can get Star’s feet fixed, we’ll need to make sure you’re at a level to be able to help her in her training.”

  Jordan took a deep breath and let it out. Jacob was willing to give her another chance. She took off Star’s halter before the mare could drag her again and left the stall. “Why can’t we use King?” she asked.

  Jacob packed his bag and grabbed King’s bridle off the hook. “He’s a good horse, but he’s not the right one for your first lesson. Dan Miller has a really good team of older mares that are perfect for beginners to work with.” He tipped his head toward Star Gazer’s stall. “You saw what just happened there…Imagine trying to work with a team of fully harnessed horses and a cart when you don’t have any control.”

  Jordan got his meaning, along with the not-so-subtle message that she didn’t yet know what she was doing. It hurt her feelings, but it made her determined to try harder. She wanted to prove to Jacob and to Star Gazer that she could handle draft horses.

  When Jacob led King out of the barn, Star whinnied at King’s departure. Jordan laid a steadying hand on her neck to calm her, then went outside, where she found Jacob mounting up from a fence rail.

  “Thanks a bunch for your help,” Jordan said. “I’ll let you know if Star’s feet improve.” She waved good-bye, then turned to Nicole. “My mom is taking me to the feed store later. Do you want to go?”

  “Sure. I’ll put Dakota in the pen behind the barn.”

  “Okay. I’ll meet you up at the house.”

  While Nicole put her horse away, Jordan slipped back into Star’s stall. The mare nickered softly and lipped Jordan’s pocket, looking for a treat. She gave her the last carrot tidbit. “I shouldn’t be spoiling you like this,” she said with a heavy sigh. “You made me look really bad today in front of Jacob.”

  Star lowered her head and Jordan touched her forehead to hers. “We’ve got to work together as a team, girl. You remember how to do that, don’t you? I’m taking lessons so we’ll be able to do fun things together. But you’ve got to help me out, too.” She placed a kiss on the end of Star’s nose, then let herself out of the stall.

  Nicole caught up with her on the back porch. They did a quick washup in the kitchen sink, then followed Jordan’s mom out to the car.

  The feed store was a short drive away. They pulled into the parking lot and Jordan immediately recognized the local veterinarian’s black truck among the other cars. She hadn’t seen Dr. Smith since he helped them with old Ned after the accident. Another truck on the far side of the lot had a big sign painted on its door: Sutton Percherons, Champion Pulling Team Four Years in a Row.

  Mrs. McKenzie turned off the motor and lifted her sunglasses to get a better look. “Isn’t that the farm Star Gazer came from?”

  “Yes,” Jordan said as she got out of the car. She frowned at the vehicle. She felt the urge to kick the tires and toss rocks at the shiny red paint job for the way the man had treated Star Gazer.

  Seeming to sense her thoughts, Nicole grabbed Jordan by the arm and pulled her along to the door of the feed store.

  As they went in, Dr. Smith smiled and waved to them. “Hey, I hear you’re the proud new owners of a draft horse.” At their surprised look, he replied, “Leroy Yoder told me you picked up one of Gilbert’s mares at the auction this past weekend.”

  Gilbert Sutton laid his purchases down on the counter and turned to see who Dr. Smith was talking to. “You shouldn’t have wasted your money,” he said to them. “That mare is useless. I once thought she’d be prime breeding stock and a dynamite pulling mare, but she proved me wrong.”

  Useless? Jordan felt the heat of anger creeping up her cheeks. She wanted nothing more than to scream at Mr. Sutton at the top of her lungs, but she knew she’d be in bi
g trouble if she did. How could the man be so heartless? She wished her father were here to put Sutton in his place. Her dad would have stood up to him. Or maybe not…Her dad was pretty good at running away.

  Mrs. McKenzie had no problem confronting the arrogant man. “Star Gazer is a lovely horse,” she said. “All except for her feet. The poor thing can hardly walk. Tell me, Mr. Sutton, what happened to those feet?”

  Jordan’s mouth dropped open. Her mother was defending Star Gazer?

  Mr. Sutton glared at Jordan’s mom. “I didn’t do anything to her feet,” he said. “The mare wasn’t pulling, so she wasn’t worth keeping shoes on. Maybe she’s stone bruised or something. I didn’t do anything to her.”

  “Well, I certainly hope not,” Mrs. McKenzie continued. “There are laws against animal cruelty, aren’t there?”

  Jordan wanted to jump up and cheer for her mom.

  A stocky boy sauntered up to the front of the feed store, and Jordan sucked in her breath. It was Tommy Sutton, one of the boys who had caused the accident. She had hoped that he was in juvenile hall someplace, but here he stood, all cocky and self-assured. He locked eyes with Jordan and let out an undignified snort. “That mare’s not worth your efforts,” he said. “You should have just let the packers have her. If my dad and me couldn’t do anything with her, you certainly won’t be able to. You’re wasting your time and money on that cull.”

  Dr. Smith interrupted the conversation before it got out of hand. “Would you like me to come take a look at that mare for you?”

  Jordan’s mom smiled her thanks to the vet while giving Gilbert Sutton the hairy eyeball. “Well, thank you, we’d really appreciate that, Dr. Smith. Jordan would like to get some X-rays of Star’s hooves, but I told her we’d have to wait until my next paycheck.”

  “I understand,” the vet said. “But I hear Jordan is really good at cutting grass and weeding gardens. Why don’t we set up an appointment time now? I’d be happy to take the fee for those X-rays out in trade.”

  “That would be great!” Jordan breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks a bunch, Doc. We’ll be ready whenever you are.”

  Gilbert Sutton paid for his feed. “What do you plan on doing with that old mare, anyway?”

  Jordan lifted her chin and stared the man right in the eye. “I plan to enter the log-pulling contest at the fair this year. And I’m going to do my best to win it.”

  Jordan heard snickers around them and Tommy outright guffawed. Mr. Sutton, red-faced, didn’t even bother replying to her. He just stuffed his receipt in his pocket and left.

  Probably for the better, Jordan thought. I just issued a challenge I can’t possibly live up to.

  Nicole put her arm around Jordan’s shoulders. “Don’t let Mr. Sutton bother you. He’s a mean, nasty man.”

  “He’s mean and rude!” Mrs. McKenzie said. “What grown man would taunt a kid like that and make fun of an injured horse? And that boy…,” she sputtered. “If he were my child, he’d have so many chores heaped on him, he’d never see the light of day!”

  The veterinarian set his purchases on the counter. “Just ignore him. Sutton’s pretty full of himself, and his son seems to be following in the same footsteps. If you’re going to move in the world of draft horses around this area, you better get used to it, because Sutton Farm is draft horses. It’s not worth getting yourself worked up about.”

  Nicole looked at Jordan. “Did you really just tell the four-time log-pulling champion of the county fair that you’re going to whup him at this year’s event?”

  “I believe she did,” the cashier said, and everyone chuckled.

  Jordan knew they were laughing with her, not at her. She managed a smile, but she was sure it came out looking rather sickly. She had challenged the man. And she’d meant it. She remembered the advice her mother had given her several years ago when she’d made a rash promise: “Don’t write checks you can’t cash, honey.”

  With no horse-driving experience, limited riding skills, and a lame mare that was still at risk of being put down, Jordan had written a very large check. And at the moment, she couldn’t possibly cash it.

  Jordan heaved a sigh and walked to the vitamin section to find the product she’d come for. She should have kept her mouth shut. When her boastful pronouncement got out around town—and in this place it definitely would—she was going to be the laughingstock of North Adams. She could see the headlines of the local paper now: Stupid City Girl with Lame Horse Challenges Champ.

  She hoped Jacob would still speak to her after he heard what an idiot she’d been.

  twelve

  The next morning, Jordan went down to the barn to feed and groom Star Gazer. The chickens came out to greet her, their hopeful clucks reminding her that they needed feeding, too. The moment she pulled open the heavy barn door, Star nickered and bobbed her head. “I’m coming, girl,” she said. “Give me a minute to take care of the chickens and fix your grain.”

  She scattered some hen scratch in front of the barn and watched the chickens pick the small bits of feed from the grass. Later, she’d gather the eggs they’d laid.

  Star whinnied, urging her to hurry with her breakfast. Jordan mixed the vitamins in with the biotin supplement that was supposed to help Star’s feet and added a dash of corn oil to make her coat shiny.

  “When you get better and you’re exercised regularly, I’ll up your ration,” she told the big black mare. “But until then, you’re on a restricted diet.”

  She opened the stall door and stepped inside. Star Gazer stretched her lips toward the grain can, and Jordan had to dodge her attempts at sneaking a bite out of the can before it was poured into her feed bucket. She knew Jacob would probably scold her for this, but it had become a fun game they played each morning at feeding time. Jordan chuckled and planted a big kiss on the mare’s soft, whiskered muzzle.

  Jordan couldn’t help wondering if Karina Sutton had done the same thing with Star. Did the mare feel better now that there was someone to pay special attention to her again? She sure hoped so. Star Gazer deserved that extra attention no matter what Sutton and his no-good son said.

  She wrapped her arms around the mare’s thick, muscled neck and breathed in the warm horse scent. Star stretched toward the feed can and tried to get her nose inside.

  “Okay, I see where your heart lies.” Jordan teased. “Let’s get you fed.” Star followed her to the feeder and Jordan thought it looked like she was walking a little better. “Want to eat outside today?” she asked, taking the grain can and coaxing the draft mare through the door.

  Jordan smiled when she realized it wasn’t her imagination. Star Gazer actually took a little bigger stride and seemed to put more weight onto her front hooves. “Yes!” she muttered to herself, and Star’s ears flicked back and forth to catch the sound.

  Jordan dumped the grain in an outside feeder and went to get the brush bucket and the small stepladder she’d borrowed from the house so she could reach the mare’s tall back. She climbed onto the top step of the ladder and rested her hand on Star’s withers while she moved the rubber curry in a circular motion over the draft’s broad back. She daydreamed about throwing her leg over Star’s back and riding her around the pen. It would be so easy.

  Star Gazer had been trained to pull loads, but Jordan wasn’t sure if she had been broken to ride. Maybe Jacob or his dad could find out for her. She sure didn’t plan on asking Mr. Sutton or Tommy.

  Jordan leaned some of her weight on Star. The mare lifted her head from the feeder and turned to look at her, then went back to eating. That was a good sign. At least she didn’t jet out from under her. She leaned over Star Gazer’s back again and was thinking about throwing her leg over when her mother called from the doorway.

  “Jordan? Are you in here?” Mrs. McKenzie stepped into the barn and spotted her daughter in the corral portion of Star’s living quarters. “Silly question. Of course, you’re here. There’s a horse in the barn.” She walked over to the corral.

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sp; “Hi, Mom, what’s up?” Jordan climbed down from the step stool and gathered the brushes.

  “How’s she doing today? Any change in her feet?”

  “I think so,” Jordan said, “but I don’t want to jinx it.”

  “The vet called. He said he’s going to stop by tomorrow morning to do the X-rays,” her mother said.

  “Excellent!” Jordan smiled, but a piece of her was afraid to find out the results. What if the news was bad? Really bad? She put on a brave face for her mother. “It will be good to know for sure what the problem is.”

  Her mother entered the pen, still looking a little apprehensive, but she came to stand next to Jordan and Star. She pulled an apple from her pocket and offered it to the big mare.

  Star Gazer stretched her neck and took the apple in one big bite, rolling the juicy fruit around in her mouth so she could get it between her teeth and crunch it.

  “That wasn’t very ladylike.” Jordan’s mom admonished the big mare. “I should have cut it into pieces.” She reached out her hand and gave Star Gazer a nervous pat.

  Star swallowed the apple, then dropped her head to the grain bucket.

  “You had another phone call a few minutes ago…” Jordan’s mom gave her a conspiratorial smile. “It was Jacob. He asked me for permission to give you horse-driving lessons. He said Daniel Miller has agreed to let you use his team at their farm, and I’m supposed to drive you over there at noon if you’re interested. He even offered to teach me, too, but I think for now, I’ll just watch. Are you going to take him up on the offer?”

  Jordan bobbed her head enthusiastically. “It’s going to be so much fun. I can’t wait! Are you sure you don’t want to learn, too, Mom?” She crossed the corral and let herself out of the stall, then tossed Star a flake of hay. “Someday we might be able to drive Star in a cart. I think you’d like that.”

  Her mother looked at her with a sad smile. “Jordan, you know we can’t keep this horse,” she said. “I’m really glad you’re enjoying this experience, but we can’t keep Star.” She reached out and brushed a lock of Jordan’s hair behind her ears. “Look at the bright side, though. You’ve made some nice friends in Nicole and Jacob, and probably this Daniel, too. They’ve all got horses and I’m sure they’ll let you come ride them anytime you want.”