More Than a Horse

by C. S. Adler

  "No, of course not," Mr. Holden assured him.

  "I'm willing to lead a horse around for a couple of hours a week," Hanna put in. "It sounds like a worthwhile use of free time to me."

  "Actually," Enid Childs assured them, "half an hour on the horse is about all these kids have the energy for. Say they come for an hour. Half that time will be spent getting the child used to the horse and grooming it. They might also help with the saddling up where that's possible."

  "The thing is," Mr. Holden said, "it sounds dangerous to me. I mean, take a child in a wheelchair and put him on a horse when he doesn't have any muscle control?"

  "The parents are all willing to sign releases so that anything that happens won't be your responsibility," Mrs. Childs said. "And if it makes you more comfortable, we can start with kids who can walk, like Joey. How about if we start with just three kids this week and see how it goes?"

  "Three kids—that's nine people," Hanna said. "Who's your nine?"

  "Well, you and Mr. Holden, the three parents, and four of the seventh graders."

  "What about the horses?" Amos asked.

  "Right, Amos," Mrs. Childs said. "That's where I desperately need your help. Would you be willing to pick horses out for us that are gentle and steady? Intelligent animals that respond well to people?"

  Amos snorted. "Right, and then what do I tell the paying guests? Sorry, your favorite's being used by some kid that's got no business on a horse in the first place?"

  Enid Childs's eyes turned sharp as drill bits. "How do you determine who deserves to get the best horse, Amos?" she asked.

  He fumed and avoided answering by turning to Mr. Holden. "It's time I turned in. I got to get up at five A.M. like usual."

  "Right, Amos," Mr. Holden said. "You go on. Thanks for coming in to hear Mrs. Childs's presentation. And don't worry. I'm not about to pile additional work on you."

  Amos harumphed and huffed his way out of the room.

  "But if it's only one hour a week," Leeann said to Mr. Holden, "couldn't it be a time when the guests are eating lunch or something? Or a Saturday? I mean, the volunteers could saddle the horses and show the kids how to groom them and stuff like that."

  "I hear you, Leeann," Mr. Holden said. He sighed. "All right. What we'll do is start this program without Amos. I suspect he may cooperate once he sees it working. That's if it does work."

  "It will work," Mrs. Childs said with authority.

  "Well, we'll see, won't we?" Mr. Holden said.

  "And if it doesn't go smoothly right at first, you'll give us a fair chance?" she asked.

  "We'll give you a couple of tries to get it rolling," he said. "How about Thursdays at four? That's the day the guests take all-day trips. They get back by mid-afternoon, and we don't offer late afternoon rides that day."

  "And you'll pick three easy horses for us?" Mrs. Childs asked him.

  "I'll pick them and help with what tack to use, and Hanna can supervise the volunteers."

  "I'm sure I can find a few parents who know horses well enough to lead them around the ring," Mrs. Childs said. "Thanks, Holdy, you're a brick."

  "Holdy!" He laughed. "Your husband tell you I used to be called that?"

  "My father-in-law did before he died," she said.

  Mr. Holden chuckled and nodded to himself. "Well, I suppose it's worth a try, anyhow."

  Before she left, Mrs. Childs arranged with Leeann to convene a meeting of the volunteer seventh graders at lunch the next day. "I'll come in and talk to them about their responsibilities," Mrs. Childs said.

  Leeann immediately called Kristen. "If your grandma won't give you permission, maybe Mrs. Childs can talk her into it," Leeann said. She'd begun to think Joy's mother was capable of talking people into anything.

  "I'll tell Grandma it's helping the less fortunate like she always says is our duty," Kristen said. "That should get her." She sounded excited.

  CHAPTER 14

  Leeann wasn't sure Kristen would succeed until she came into homeroom on Wednesday with her dimples showing in a big smile.

  "Grandma says okay, and my mother says she'll help out, too, if they need her."

  "Maybe she could drive Zach and Alan home from the ranch on Thursdays," Leeann suggested.

  "Oh, she'd be willing to do that for sure," Kristen said with another flash of dimples.

  One last detail bothered Leeann. How could she be sure Sassy was available on Thursdays when Joey needed him? On the chance that he might be willing to give her the benefit of his experience without biting her head off, Leeann waylaid Amos on the way to the barn after school Wednesday and asked him what she could do.

  "Only way is stow the horse in the barn after he gets fed in the morning. Or hobble him all day," Amos said.

  "Sassy wouldn't like being hobbled," Leeann said. "I guess I better stow him in the barn. Thanks, Amos."

  Thursday morning before she left for school, Leeann put Sassy in the barn in an empty stall. When she got home from school, though, Sassy had been taken out on an all-day trail ride with the rest of the favored horses. Leeann fretted until she saw Amos returning.

  "He'll be in the barn when you want him," he said before she could ask him about Sassy.

  Mrs. Childs hadn't yet arrived when Leeann saw a van marked Bow Lane School parking beside the barn. Apprehension overcame her. She didn't know anything about special-needs kids. She'd never been near any except for Joey, and just because he liked her didn't mean another child would. What if she couldn't handle this? Fear made a lump in her chest.

  Joey was the first child off the van. He came running out waving his arms in the air excitedly. "Hi, hi, hi," he cried when he saw Leeann. He ran up to her and hugged her. "Where my horse?" he asked.

  "We'll bring them out in a minute, Joey. How are you? How was the ride over here?"

  "Fine, fine, fine," he said. A smile stretched his mouth wide enough to balance his high domed forehead.

  A slim young woman in jeans with her long hair tied back was coaxing a slight figure out of the van. "Come on, Brent. This is going to be such fun. Come on out now. Don't be scared." She lifted a kindergarten-sized boy off the steps of the van and set him down. He stood on tiptoe, his hands pressed over his ears as if he feared what he might hear. Then he crept under the van.

  "Brent," the woman said. "Don't be like that. Don't you want to see the horses?"

  Now an older, heavy set woman in a colorful blouse came down the steps of the van leading a girl who was only a few years younger than Leeann. The girl was dark-haired and pretty, until her face contorted when she tried to say something to the woman.

  "A little horse? Yes, I'm sure they can find you a little horse, Barbara," the woman said.

  Barbara's foot turned in and down when she walked so that with each step she pulled to one side and seemed about to fall.

  Leeann's apprehension about these children increased at the sight of them. How could she be involved in a therapeutic riding program when she didn't understand what these kids' limitations were? It would be difficult enough getting normal children to be comfortable on horseback. These three didn't even have control over their own movements. It was crazy to think they could manage a horse. Where was Mrs. Childs anyway? Leeann was so panicked at the immensity of the task she'd undertaken that she wanted to cut and run. Just then Kristen's mother's car pulled up to the barn next to the van and Kristen, Zach, and Alan got out.

  "Here we are, Leeann. What do you want us to do?" Zach asked with a big grin.

  She took a deep breath, pretending to be calm. "Hi, guys," she said. "Hanna's in the barn. We're going to lead the horses over to the ring and get the kids acquainted with them, and maybe do some grooming first."

  Alan groaned. "Just what I want to do, groom some more horses." He looked doubtfully at the three children who were walking, lurching, or meandering toward the ring with the adults in charge of them. Joey suddenly took off with his arms flapping in the air to meet his mother, who was getting out of he
r car.

  Leeann let out her breath in relief at the sight of Mrs. Childs; she hadn't realized she'd been holding it. Meanwhile, Kristen and Zach were walking toward the barn to get the horses. There was so much to attend to that Leeann barely listened to Mrs. Childs's explanation for being late—something about a board meeting.

  "I'm just glad you got here," Leeann said. Then she ran to the barn and led Sassy out first.

  "This is it," she told the bright-eyed animal, who kept nudging her arm as he walked on the lead to the ring. "These kids need a lot of help. You better show what a wonderful horse you really are. Okay?" Her chatter was meant more to calm herself than Sassy, who was perfectly at ease since he didn't yet know what was expected of him.

  "Why ... does ... it do ... that?" the girl named Barbara anxiously asked the stout woman about the way Sassy kept nudging Leeann.

  "This horse is saying, 'Hi, how are you today, good to see you,'" Leeann answered before the woman could say anything. "Sassy's a very friendly horse." Barbara lurched backward, unconvinced, and the woman just managed to catch her before she fell.

  Great, Leeann thought to herself. Disaster before we start.

  Then Joey, who was holding his mother's hand, noticed Sassy.

  "My horse, my horse, my horse!" Joey yelled. He pumped himself up and down as if he were jumping, although his feet never left the ground.

  "You want to pet him, Joey? Sassy'd like that. But you have to do it slow and quiet so you don't scare him," Leeann said.

  Feeling more confident because of Joey's enthusiasm, she led Sassy through the gate and stopped him next to the mounting block. As soon as Mrs. Childs had guided Joey up onto the block, he launched himself at Sassy's neck and hugged him.

  The horse stood calmly.

  "I guess Joey's not scared of his horse," Leeann said. The mothers laughed politely, and Barbara made a strangled sound.

  There were three mounting blocks. Zach approached one, leading a small, light gray horse with a delicate head. "Who'd like to meet Miss Grey?" he asked.

  Nobody answered. Joey was brushing Sassy in short chopping motions. "Like this, Joey, like this," Leeann said, trying to guide him into a smoother motion while she kept hold of him so that he wouldn't heave himself off the block in his enthusiasm.

  "Where's Joy?" she asked Mrs. Childs.

  "Piano lesson," Mrs. Childs said. "She'll come next week. I'm getting her hours changed."

  Next time Leeann had a chance to look up, Barbara was on the mounting block next to Miss Grey, being coaxed by both Alan and Zach to touch the animal. "Will ... she ... bite me?" Barbara asked timidly.

  Brent had to be lifted onto the mounting block by his mother. Kristen was the sidewalker there, and Hanna was holding the lead on fat old Pickles, who had a funny way of wrinkling his lips as if he'd just tasted something sour. Brent wouldn't take the brush, but when Kristen asked him if he wanted to ride the horse, he nodded.

  "He's autistic," Mrs. Childs whispered to Leeann. "Doesn't talk, and he's hard to reach although he does understand a lot. Also he's supersensitive to sounds. I don't envy his mother. Joey's much easier to deal with."

  "I wish I knew more about these kids," Leeann said. "I mean, if Kristen and Zach and Alan and I knew more, we'd do a better job."

  Mrs. Childs raised an eyebrow. "Good point. We should make educating the trainers about special-needs children a priority. I'll give it some thought." She smiled at Leeann approvingly.

  The hour passed swiftly. By the end of it, Joey had ridden Sassy around the ring twice with the help of his sidewalkers and with Hanna leading him. He'd grinned the whole time, so Leeann felt successful with him at least. Still, she was tired by the time the van with their young charges left. To her surprise, she wasn't the only one.

  "Whew," Kristen said, "that was a workout. But I think Brent's going to be a good rider. Did you see him smile?"

  "Barbara was scared," Alan said. "I couldn't believe how scared that kid was even to go near the horse. But you know what she whispered to me when she left?"

  "What?" Zach asked.

  "She said, 'Can I have the same horse next time?'"

  They all laughed.

  "You kids did a great job," Hanna said. "Considering how well things went, Mr. Holden's going to have to give us a next time. Aid you know who was hanging around the barn watching us?"

  "Who?" Leeann asked.

  "Amos. I wouldn't be surprised if he joins us one of these days. He's not as hard-hearted as he makes out. More like pig-headed." She laughed.

  Leeann gave Sassy a proper grooming and picked his hooves clean before sending him into the corral with the other horses. "Hanna, could we give the horses special treats for being so good with those kids?" she asked.

  "Sure. Next time I'll bring a bag of carrots along," Hanna said.

  "Don't forget about Saturday," Zach said to Leeann when Kristen's mother arrived to take the volunteers home.

  "I won't," Leeann said. "And this time I'll ride Sassy, and I bet Mr. Holden will let you borrow a horse, too, Zach."

  "What, you mean you don't want me to ride Paul?" Zach asked in mock dismay.

  "Only if you want to," Leeann said.

  "No. No, I want to be able to keep up with you. I'll explain it to Paul somehow so as not to hurt his feelings."

  "Tell him Sassy sends his regards," Leeann said.

  That evening Leeann gave her mother a blow-by-blow account of the first therapeutic riding session, with some input from Hanna, who seemed as exhilarated about it as if she had a stake in the program, too. When the kitchen was cleaned up and Leeann and her mother were crossing the moonlit yard to their cabin, Leeann stopped at the sound of a horse whinnying.

  "That sounds like Sassy," she said.

  Her mother laughed. "You mean to tell me one horse sounds different from another?"

  "Sassy sounds different," Leeann said confidently. She gave a high-pitched whistle in return in case it really had been Sassy.

  "I take it now that you can ride, you're happy here?" Rose asked.

  "Sure I am. Aren't you, Mama?"

  "Well, I'm just wondering what to do about an offer I got." Rose eyed Leeann uneasily.

  "An offer?"

  "You remember the antique store in Charlotte where I did a lot of business?"

  "That old lady with the fluffy purple hair?"

  "Lydia. Yes. She wrote me. Said she'd like to make me a partner in her business, no investment necessary, just my charm and hard labor. She's feeling her age and needs help."

  "Charlotte," Leeann said thoughtfully. The familiar city she'd grown up in seemed very far away. "What are you going to tell her, Mama?"

  "Well, Hanna's not going to need me much longer, you know. I think she can do more right now with the injured hand than she's letting on. And I doubt I want to make a career out of cooking."

  "So we're going back?" Unaccountably, Leeann's heart sank.

  "I thought maybe you might want to go back," Rose said cautiously. "You left a lot of friends in Charlotte."

  "Not really close friends," Leeann said.

  "You like the kids here very much, don't you?" Rose said.

  "Yes," Leeann admitted. Besides, Zach was here, and Sassy, and the Therapeutic Riding Program.

  "Well, we'll think about it," Rose said. "But it is a good offer, Leeann. And I may not get another."

  We're going to leave, Leeann thought. Oh, no, we're going to leave!

  CHAPTER 15

  When Zach came in late to homeroom the next morning looking glum, Leeann sent him a note asking what was wrong. He passed the note back to her with a scrawl at the bottom that she finally deciphered as, "Can't make it Saturday. Got to help my father do an all-day picnic ride with Peter and Paul. Sorry."

  Whenever she glanced at Zach in class, his face was clouded over. Once she even imagined he was about to cry. Surely he couldn't be that disappointed about missing their date. She hoped his mother hadn't gotten worse again.

 
; At lunchtime she stood behind him in the line for pizza and asked, "What's the problem, Zach? Putting off seeing the petroglyphs another week's no big deal, is it?"

  He shook his head. "I can't talk about it."

  She didn't press him further. Anyway, she had her own inner turmoil. That offer Lydia had made to Rose. Having to leave Lost River Ranch just when life was coming together for her here would be rotten luck. Now she not only had friends, she had Sassy to ride. Even when she'd dreamed of owning her own horse, Leeann had never imagined one with as much personality as Sassy. He seemed almost human, a companion to share experiences with. And how could she betray the warm welcome of her new friends by telling them that she was leaving them when she had barely arrived?

  After school, Leeann rode Sassy over to Joy's house. While she was tying him to the rail, Joey came running down to the ring. "Up, up, up," he yelled, flapping his arms

  "Hold it a second. Ho, Joey," she said and let him hug her.

  Joy came out of her house, followed by her mother. "Can you help me get Joey up on Sassy?" Leeann asked them.

  "Oh, you don't have to do that," Mrs. Childs said.

  "But I want to," Leeann said.

  "I'll saddle Dancer so I can ride with you," Joy said. She ran off to the barn.

  While Joey was climbing the mounting block, holding his mother's hand, Leeann shortened the stirrups as far as they would go. Then she patiently taught Joey all over again how to grip some of the horse's mane and put his foot into the stirrup. Even so, it took both her and Enid Childs to heave him into the saddle.

  "There you go," Leeann said. "Now can you sit very still by yourself, and I'll lead Sassy around the ring?"

  Joey wriggled in excitement. "Look at me, Joy-ee," he squealed at his sister, who was settling the saddle onto Dancer. Joy nodded at him, busy with her own mount. Joey let go of the horn to wave his hands about.

  "Joey," his mother protested, "you have to hold on or you'll fall off. I'll be his sidewalker," she said to Leeann. "Do you think it's safe with just the two of us?"