Prancer stood uneasily on three legs, her right foreleg lifted awkwardly from the floor of the stall. Carole reached into her pocket and pulled out a sugar lump, which she gave to the horse. It was comforting to hear the familiar crunch of the horse’s teeth as she nibbled at the irresistible sweet. Carole didn’t usually give horses treats, but Prancer seemed to be so deserving and, after all, what difference did it make if she got a little spoiled now?
Carole gave her a big hug. Prancer nuzzled her back affectionately. Lisa patted the filly’s neck. Stevie picked up a grooming brush and began tending to her. Each girl knew that these things might not matter at all, but it seemed that the only thing they could do for the horse was to treat her normally. In spite of the considerable pain in her foot, Prancer nodded her head approvingly. Just like any other horse, this precious racer was vain and loved attention. If that was what she loved, The Saddle Club was determined to give it to her.
“Too bad,” the track veterinarian said.
In spite of herself, Carole listened.
“Not really,” Mr. McLeod said. “The insurance money would be nice, and I know I’ll never recover my investment, but look at that horse. Would anybody want to destroy her?”
At his words everybody standing around the stall looked at Prancer, preening proudly under the affectionate attention of three adoring girls.
Judy looked in surprise and then burst into laughter. Carole and her friends realized how foolish they must have looked, tending to the grooming of a horse whose life was on the line. Carole released her hug. Stevie took the grooming brush in her other hand.
“What’s the story?” Stevie asked Judy. Carole was glad she’d asked. No matter how badly she wanted to know, she knew she couldn’t have done it herself.
“Prancer has a broken bone in her foot,” Judy began. She held up the X ray to show, but it was hard to see. “It’s her pedal bone, and the fracture extends to the coffin joint. She’s never going to race again.”
“Oh, no,” Carole said involuntarily. “What does…”
“It means she can’t race. It doesn’t mean she can’t live. The bone will heal with proper care, but she’ll always tend to favor it, and if she races again and favors her right foot, she’ll run a great risk of breaking something more serious.”
“Will she become a brood mare?” Carole asked. She could see Prancer spending the rest of her days becoming the mother of championship racing horses.
“Mr. McLeod?” Judy asked, turning the question to him.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “The fact is that Prancer’s father also broke his pedal bone, and now that she’s had an accident in the same bone, I suspect it’s a hereditary fault. That’s not a good characteristic to pass on to a foal, and certainly not one who is meant for a racehorse.”
“Then, what?” Carole asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” he said. “I’ll just have to see what I can do. In a way it would be easier to take the insurance money, but Prancer’s a gem of a horse, with the sweetest disposition I’ve ever had in my stable. She should be with people, I think. For now, though, she’s going back to Maskee Farms.” He paused and looked around. His groom was standing nearby. Mr. McLeod told him to load up Hold Fast and the mare he’d bought after the first race. Then he turned to Carole. “You’ll be the right one to load Prancer onto the van. Will you do it?”
“I’d be proud to,” Carole said.
Once the other two horses were in their compartments, Carole clipped a lead rope onto Prancer’s halter and began urging the horse toward the van. Lisa and Stevie were with her every step of the way, patting and talking to Prancer.
“Come on, girl,” Carole said. “Just a little walk and then a nice ride. Nobody’s going to let anything bad happen to you.” There was a catch in Carole’s throat as she said the words. She thought about the spectacular race that Prancer had been running, and it made her very sad to know that the horse would never cross the finish line again. Still, she was going to live, and for now that was enough.
Slowly Prancer made her way to the van, hobbling awkwardly in pain. She never complained, though, because she was comforted by the presence of Carole and her friends. Carole didn’t know if Prancer would be able to make it up the steep incline of the ramp that led into the van. She asked one of the grooms to bring another ramp, longer and more level. It would be easier for Prancer. The filly seemed grateful as she looked at the gentle incline ahead into the van. Carole didn’t pause. She knew if she hesitated, Prancer would sense her concern. Carole tugged softly on the lead rope, and Prancer began the climb on her three good legs as if she’d been doing it that way all of her life. Once the filly was in the van, Carole secured the lead rope and then turned around to look at Prancer. Then she put her arms around the filly’s neck and gave her a big hug.
“You okay in there?” Judy asked.
“I’m fine,” Carole assured her. “Can I ride back to the stable with the horses?”
“Not in the van,” Judy said. “Even the most wonderful horse can get fussy on a ride when she’s injured. The groom will be with Prancer. It’s just not safe for you. Come on out of there. Besides, Stevie and Lisa have come up with an interesting idea, and I think I need your help.”
What did that mean? Carole wondered. She slipped out under the lead rope and hopped down out of the van. Lisa and Stevie were standing next to Judy. Stevie had a grin on her face that told Carole something was definitely up.
“Have you had one of your wild and crazy ideas?” Carole asked.
“Not me,” Stevie said. “It’s all Lisa’s idea. See, we two are switching roles these days. I’m the one who’s helping her with her homework, and she’s the one coming up with schemes.”
“Is the world turning upside down?” Carole asked.
“I hope so,” Lisa said, grinning mischievously.
“Now that that’s settled, will somebody tell me where the nearest phone is?” Judy asked.
“Right over there,” Lisa and Stevie said at once, pointing. Obviously they’d done some homework on the scheme, too.
Judy headed for the phone.
“What’s going on?” Carole asked.
“Just you wait and see,” Lisa said.
“Yeah, just wait.”
Carole didn’t seem to have a choice.
CAROLE HAD BEEN so busy with Judy and the racehorses for two weeks that she’d almost forgotten about the big event at Pine Hollow the day after the race—Dorothy DeSoto’s demonstration. The “almost” was because of Lisa and Stevie, who had talked about it a lot.
Dorothy was a very special friend to the three girls. They had been staying at her house in New York City when she’d had her accident at the American Horse Show—the accident that had cost her a career as a competitive rider. Since that day she’d spent most of her time at her stable on Long Island breeding and training horses. Her visit to Pine Hollow for a demonstration ride was a very special treat, and true to his word, Max had gotten a big crowd to watch it.
“Hey, look, here she comes!” Stevie said excitedly. The three girls had gotten to Pine Hollow early to tend to Starlight, whose leg was now really improving, and to get front-row seats. Since the demonstration was scheduled to begin at one o’clock, Lisa said she thought it was a bit excessive that they’d gotten there at eight in the morning. Stevie and Carole didn’t agree. There was no way they weren’t going to have the best seats in the house!
The girls waved cheerfully at Dorothy, who waved back. Then, leaving their programs across their seats to reserve them, they ran over to greet her.
“I groomed Topside especially well for you,” Stevie said.
“He looks wonderful!” Dorothy said. “I can see you’re taking good care of him all the time, not just for my visit. Thank you.”
“Thank me? Thank you for selling him to Max. He’s just the greatest! I told him you were coming, too.”
Dorothy smiled at Stevie. “I thought so. He didn’t seem the least
bit surprised to see me,” she teased.
Max cleared his throat. “This helloing and joking is all very fine and good,” he said. “But according to my watch, there are only fifteen minutes until Dorothy’s demonstration is scheduled to begin, and I know she’s going to want to do some more warm-ups with Topside. Why don’t you all return to your front-row seats? Oh, and Stevie …”
“Yes, Max?”
“Are you all ready with—”
“Yes, Max,” she said, cutting him off. “I’m all ready.”
Max and Dorothy walked together to the stable.
“What’s that about?” Carole asked, aware that something was up.
Stevie got a look on her face. It was a look that Carole and Lisa knew well. It meant she had a secret that she was just dying to share but had to keep to herself for now.
“Think we can talk her out of it?” Lisa asked Carole.
“No way,” Stevie said. “Just wait, though. Just wait.”
Carole shrugged. There seemed to be quite a few secrets in the air these days. At the racetrack yesterday, Judy had reappeared from the telephone booth with a mysterious look on her face and wouldn’t say a word about whom she had called or why. Now, today, there was Stevie with her mouth shut tighter than a clam. The positive side of it all was that nobody was looking glum. That made Carole hopeful that none of the secrets were bad ones.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” Max began his announcement fifteen minutes later. He was standing in the middle of the ring, and there, waiting to enter, were Topside and Dorothy. Topside’s coat was gleaming and perfectly groomed. Stevie had spent a good deal of the morning braiding his mane and tail. He looked just like the championship show horse he was. And in the saddle was a perfectly dressed and balanced Dorothy DeSoto. This was going to be really good.
Dressage was a very difficult type of horseback riding, calling for a near-perfect coordination between the rider and the horse. Stevie knew she was good at it but didn’t think she would ever be as expert as Dorothy, though she was willing to try. She planned to watch the demonstration with an eagle eye.
Dorothy DeSoto was quite amazing. Topside, a fine horse every day, was a brilliant horse with Dorothy in the saddle. He responded instantly to every signal Dorothy gave him, and to a lot of signals nobody in the audience could see. Dorothy had chosen to do her demonstration to music, and the audience would have sworn the two of them had been dancing together for years.
At each turn the entire horse’s body seemed to curve and then straighten out, one vertebra at a time. At each change of gait, the response was instant and flawless. Every time Topside changed direction and lead, there was no hint of awkwardness. He simply did what was asked of him, and he did it right.
Stevie gripped the fence in front of her, she was so thrilled by what she was watching. Then Dorothy began some of the showy motions of dressage riding. She made Topside appear to be doing a sort of hesitation step and then a skipping step. She also made him walk diagonally to the right and then the left. Stevie and her friends could barely contain themselves. They clapped for both horse and rider as the demonstration continued.
Finally, Dorothy had Topside perform a set of very intricate turns on the forehand, and then he described a series of intertwining circles that filled the entire ring. In the end she had him canter through several figure eights, doing flying lead changes. The audience stood up, clapping by the time she brought Topside to a perfectly balanced halt in the center of the ring. Nobody was clapping louder than The Saddle Club.
“Oh, isn’t she wonderful!” Carole uttered.
“She sure is,” Lisa agreed.
“She really gives me something to work for,” Stevie said.
“You’ll do it,” Carole said. “I just know you will.”
“Well, it helps to have Topside right here, doesn’t it?” Stevie asked. “Then I know for sure he knows how to do all that stuff, so if I forget, he can remember for me!”
“It doesn’t work that way,” Carole said.
“I know,” Stevie said. “I was just hoping.…”
Dorothy took her final bow and rode out of the ring. Even at a walk she was a wonderful rider. The girls couldn’t keep their eyes off her and almost didn’t notice when Max reappeared in the ring.
People were beginning to stand up to go, but Max signaled them to sit down.
“We’re not quite done yet this afternoon,” he began. “We have another treat in store for you, and it’s something that will mean a great deal to a lot of the people here and really everybody who has ever ridden at Pine Hollow.” He turned to Stevie. “Ready?” he asked. Stevie nodded and left her seat, leaving Lisa and Carole to wonder what on earth was going on.
“About twenty years ago my father bought a new horse for this stable,” Max said. “He was an unpromising gray that had had five previous owners. Nobody thought he was much of a horse because he was so gentle. He’d failed as a competition horse, he’d failed as a hunter, he’d failed as a farm horse, and he’d failed as a pony for a little girl who lived on a farm nearby. Dad went to visit this horse, and as he usually could, he saw something special there. This horse wasn’t sleek enough or strong enough to compete successfully. This horse didn’t like the loud distractions of a fox hunt. He wasn’t anywhere near strong enough to pull a plow, and, frankly, one little girl just wasn’t enough for him. Dad bought the horse whose name had been Clyde and renamed him …”
“Pepper,” Carole whispered, finishing the sentence for Max. She was beginning to get an idea of what was about to happen, and she liked it a lot.
“Dad’s instincts turned out to be one hundred percent correct,” Max continued. “Pepper has been one of the most loved horses at Pine Hollow. He has always been gentle enough for the newest rider, and he’s always been spirited enough for the most experienced rider. He’s been just about perfect for us. But time has passed and Pepper has aged. He’s no longer the strong young gelding Dad bought. He’s not even the eager mature horse so many of us have loved. He’s old. Actually, in horse years he’s even older than I am—he’s approaching ninety. At ninety even horses begin having dreams of retirement. We talked about a condominium in Florida for him. We also thought about a nice cruise around the world. When we asked Pepper about these things, all he did was look at the pasture out behind the stable at Pine Hollow. So, in thanks to him for all he’s done for us—that is, me and you—we’re giving Pepper that pasture. But before we do that, we’re going to give him a little send-off, master-minded by one of our own young riders, Ms. Stevie Lake. Stevie?”
All eyes turned to the door to the stable. There was Stevie, mounted on Pepper bareback.
“What’s that in her hand?” Lisa asked.
Carole squinted. “Unless my eyes deceive me, it’s an oversized cardboard, uh, gold watch!”
Lisa began laughing. So did all the other people in the audience when they saw what Stevie had for Pepper.
“No retirement party is complete without a gold watch,” Max remarked.
“And no retirement party is complete without a sentimental farewell,” Stevie added.
“Ah, yes,” Max said. “Most of the people here in the audience today have ridden at Pine Hollow at one time or another, right?” Heads nodded agreement. “How many of you have ever ridden Pepper?”
A few people hesitated, but soon hands started going up throughout the audience. It was completely amazing, but it seemed that more than two-thirds of the people there had been on Pepper at least once. And it wasn’t just the children—it was their parents as well.
“Look, there’s Ms. Ingleby,” Lisa said, waving to her English teacher. Ms. Ingleby didn’t notice Lisa’s hand waving in the crowd, but Lisa didn’t care. She was just pleased that so many people knew and loved Pepper.
“Okay, then, let’s give him a real send-off,” Max said. “Stevie, you do the honors.”
Stevie was a real organizer. She got everybody who had ever ridden Pepper to line
up, by age, with the youngest first, to hug the horse good-bye.
The first twenty or so riders were so little that Max had to lift them up so they could hug Pepper. Pepper didn’t mind at all. He also didn’t mind it when the older kids hugged him. And it didn’t seem to bother him when dozens of cameras came out of pockets and purses to record the farewell hugs.
Lisa stood behind Carole, waiting her turn. She felt a little silly because it was a slightly silly thing to be doing, but she also felt that it was the perfect way to say goodbye to Pepper. What she found, listening to the young—and not so young—riders around her, was that Pepper’s retirement was a loss she shared with a lot of people. Pepper wasn’t Max’s horse, or her horse, but in a more real sense, he had been everybody’s horse. There was a long line of his riders standing in front of and behind Lisa to prove that. Pepper was a special horse whose life had touched many people’s lives, perhaps in ways as special as the way it touched hers.
Then, looking around her, Lisa understood what had been missing from her essay about Pepper. She had only viewed the facts of Pepper’s old age and her own sadness at his advancing years. She hadn’t understood that life—in this case, Pepper’s life—was more than the sum of its parts.
She wanted to go back home right then, fish the essay off of her desk, and finish it. She knew just what she would say.
Pepper’s life began in a barn in Willow Creek, Virginia. It will end in a pasture not far from that barn. That seems like a small accomplishment to some people, but Pepper’s contribution to many who have known and loved him cannot be measured by the yards he traveled from birth to death. They have to be measured by the lives he touched.
So now it’s time for Pepper to take the final few steps of his journey and head for the pasture behind Pine Hollow. While I feel sad about the end of his days at the stable, I also feel a certain happiness. Pepper has earned the right to his rest because he hasn’t just taught me and others about riding, or about aging, or about death. He’s also taught us what’s important about life. It doesn’t matter how far you go. It matters what you do for others along the way.
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