by Connie Foss
at the university, equitation got quite a lot of attention.Though I don’t understand such things, I once heard an experienced sage in the horse business say that offering riding lessons can help keep a horse business
That leaves Prince and me. Much to Meg’s disappointment, the
Meg’s supervision. Since Prince is just learning how to jump, he needs more instruction.To save time, I get to do something new.Well, I guess it’s not really new. Just as I used to jump the old log by myself…I didn’t need a rider to help with that…now I can jump the course without a rider.
helping me understand what she wants.After a few days of that, we can just go out to the course and I can run the jumps as she directs. I don’t know what she thinks about this, but I think it’s pure fun!
The winter weather cooperates by not interfering in our routines.We each get a daily workout, yet there is ample time for play in the pasture and rest in the stalls. Nights are peaceful, with Tom prowling
One night Tom hops up on my feed tub, sits there cleaning his face with his paw, and says,“Bubba, we’ve been hanging out together for
friends. Would you agree? Friends usually talk about stuff and kind of share what’s goin’ on in their lives, right? Well, dag nab it, I got a problem, and I ain’t been good about sharing somethin.’ Ya see, I got a family over at the dairy barn across the way.”
“You what? A family?”
“Now shet yer trap, Bubba, and let me get this off’n my chest.
to feed ever day. No problemo, right? A dairy barn with lots of milk, n’mice runnin’ aroun’ everwhere, right? But they done sell all the cows ‘n killed all the mice, n’ now there’s darn near nothin’ to eat.And there’s all these little mewlin’ guys a needin’ somethin’ in their tummies.What would you think if Miss Kitty and I moved the whole passel over here to live with usns?”
“Wow! A family.You sure haven’t been telling me everything!” I need a bit of time to think.Where would a family of kittens be safe with all of our big hooves moving in and out of the stable?
“There’s another thing I could do, though, I could move over
probably get along until they sell the place or whatever.” Tom is being pretty cool about this, kind of looking out of the corner of his eye to see what my reaction might be.And it’s just what he expects.
“Now see here,Tom. No way are you going to move over there. The Chocolate Farm is where you belong, where your work is, and where your friends are.Why don’t you just run right over to your family now, this minute, and you and Miss Kitty bring those little guys over here. Meg and Bill won’t mind if you make a little nest in the feed room behind the bales of hay.That’s where you catch a lot of mice, anyway.”
beautiful black and white cat carrying a little furball in her mouth.That crafty old Tom had already made his plans and was just making me feel important.
That night we’re entertained by a caravan of cats and kittens moving into the feed room,adding new sounds and fun to The Chocolate Farm. We all settle down when everyone is snug, knowing there is a
Chapter 42
Bill and Meg’s Dreams for The Chocolate Farm Come True
As winter days melt into spring, I can feel the excitement of the season. Julie and I, as we shed our winter coats, are putting on renewed enthusiasm. It seems as though the whole farm is springing into new life. Meg will bring a little boy into the world any day now. My dear sister Julie and Geoffrey are making plans to start a family. And this morning,
are coming in for training, and the stable is busier than we could ever have imagined. But best of all, Annie is coming to live with us. Yes, my sweet Annie is coming to stay. Milt is retiring her from the show circuit because of her tendinitis, and he wants her to stay with us and for Annie and me to have lots of little chocolate babies.
The End
Glossary
Canter
Called the lope in Western riding.
Conformation - The overall structure of the horse.What is acceptable conformation depends on what you plan to do with the horse.
Cribbing - When a horse chews on wood on a regular basis (i.e wood stall or fence). This can result in a dangerous health condition.
Crupper - 1. a leather strap fastened to the saddle of a harness and looping under the tail of a horse to prevent the harness from slipping forward. 2. the rump or buttocks of a horse. 3. armor for the rump of a horse.
Dark Bay - Bay is a hair coat color of horses, characterized by a reddish brown body color with a black mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs.
Equitation - The art of horse riding.
Euthanize - put (a living being, especially a dog, cat or horse) to death humanely. Fetlock - The joint and outside area where the pastern and cannon bone meet, just above the hoof.
Farrier - This is a blacksmith who does horse shoeing.
Fine Harness Competition – A competition for horses pulling four-wheeled buggies.
Halter - A piece of tack buckled on the horses’ head so he can be lead, tied and basically controlled while on the ground.When riding, you will move to a bridle instead.
Hunter - A type of horse well suited for hunting through the woods and jumping natural obstacles in the process.This is not a breed of horse, rather it is a style of horse.
Lope - Slow Western canter.
Mare’s Milk Replacer - This powder, when mixed with water, provides orphaned foals with a nutritionally balanced milk protein-based replacement for mare’s milk. All foals require the nutrition provided by mare’s milk. Foals that have been orphaned can be given proper nutrition with Mare’s Milk Replacer.
Poll - The highest point on the top of the horse’s head.
Sulky
harness racing.
Tailhead - The tailhead or dock is the beginning of the tail, where the tail joins the rump.
Under saddle work - Training of a young horse with a saddle.
Withers - Point at the bottom of the horse’s neck from which the horse’s height is measured.
Read on for a look at Book Two in the Bubba series, coming soon!
Bubba and the Chocolate Farm
Book Two: Where There’s A Horse,There’s Hope
By Connie Raun Foss
Bubba and the Chocolate Farm, Book Two:Where There’s A Horse,There’s Hope | 131
Chapter One: A Tough Break
“Oh, no! No!” Meg is hollering as she runs toward us.“Bill, call 911! We need
Meg’s shout is what I hear, but what I feel is even louder…my leg is shouting
leg doesn’t agree. But by the time Bill and Meg get to us, I’m standing, rather wobbly
“Hey, gal, you all right?” Bill asks, as he kneels beside her.“You look like heck!” Bill says teasingly. She does, for she is smeared with mud.
guess I didn’t do so well.What happened?”
-
ing, and Bubba slipped in the mud as he was taking off for the jump. Neither of you did
anything wrong…except deciding to jump with the footing so soft.” Though Meg happened to see what happened, Bill was working with another
horse in the indoor arena. “Are you sure you’re alright…no broken bones or anything? “ Bill asks.
no need of help.As for me, I don’t know what I need, but I need something. My leg is not doing well.When Doc comes running up and the others move aside, I don’t want him to even touch it.
insisting that I walk. I really don’t have much choice, so I hobble along and… yikes… does it ever hurt!
using his portable x-ray to take a picture of my sore leg…the left front one.
stall, showing her love as only a sister can.We’re all waiting for Doc to tell us what he thinks is wrong with my leg. As I look down, it looks okay, so how come it hurts so much?
“Well, it’s not good news, but it isn’t as bad as it might have been. He did break a bone in his front leg…the cannon bone, but it doesn’t seem misaligned. I think
I take more x-rays, I�
�ll know just how extensive the surgery will be and can give you a cost estimate. Is that okay?”
“We can’t do without Bubba, Doc. We just can’t! The Chocolate Farm depends on him.Whatever he needs, do it. But isn’t there something you can give him to stop the pain? He’s hurting!” Meg is stiff lipped as she says that, and I hurt even more, knowing that she is hurting.
“You bet and I will.And to make you feel better, if all goes well, Bubba will be back in the show ring.The only unknown is when.”
Chapter Two: The Situation
“Here you go, big guy.This’ll help you feel better,” says Doc, as he sticks me with a needle. I sure …hope…it…
What am I doing lying here? I’ve got to get up and get out of here. I get part way up and fall back…time and time again.What is going on? Where am I? The walls
again, but can’t. It’s just crazy! What’s happening?
There’s a window high up in one wall, and it looks like Meg and Bill are looking in at me. At least I’m not alone, but where are we? Is this all a dream? Did I fall when jumping, or was that a dream, too? I must have hurt my leg for it feels funny.
I can hear Doc and Bill talking, but I really don’t care what they’re saying. I just want to go home where Julie is, and where the ground is solid and things don’t move in waves.
“The break was just as we thought, a fracture at the lower end of the cannon bone.” That’s Doc. He must be talking about me, but I don’t know what he means.All I know is that my leg looks funny.There are two metal sticks fastened to my leg, one on the outside and one on the inside. I’d like to rub those off, but… I think I’ll wait until later.
“See those two metal rods on his leg? They have screws going into the bone at the top and at the bottom.The rods are fastened to a metal plate that’s glued to Bubba’s hoof. This way he can use that leg some. Keep an eye on it and watch for infection. Bubba will baby the leg for a bit because it’s sore, but he’s a pretty sensible horse, so he’ll probably just accept it as normal. But don’t you! Though the metal will let him put some weight on it, it’s not as strong as a real leg. So keep him calm with stall rest.“
“How long will it take to heal, Doc, and is he hurting now? He is such a big teddy bear, so loving. I just can’t stand the thought of him hurting.” Meg and Bill are talking to Doc, as they stand near me. Meg is so small that she has to look up when talking to both Doc and Bill. She may be short, but she’s mighty. I’d say she is more in charge of us than Bill is, but they make a good pair, and our stable is pretty neat. I miss its smell, a comforting, homey, warm smell.The smell here is all disinfectant and stuff that burns my nose.
“It’ll probably be eight or ten weeks before we can remove the metal, and
- fore anyone gets on his back,” Doc cautions.“Just because it’s possible to heal doesn’t mean it will. You have to keep him quiet enough to let that happen.As for the pain, I’ll give you some medication for that.”
LOOK FOR THIS NEW BOOK IN THE SERIES, COMING MAY 2015!