“You sure are cute when you get fired up, you know that?” I ask before I bend to pick up a front hoof.
“Speaking of fires, you know you shouldn’t pour gasoline on them, right?”
“Yeah, but I like to live on the wild side.” I smirk up at her before I get to work, pulling my hoof knife through the frog of the foot.
Several hours and a couple of very angry broodmares later, we’re finally on the last one. Suddenly, the sound of rustling in a stall and hooves hitting boards catches my attention.
“Sounds like a horse is trying to roll in their stall. Do you want to go check and make sure they aren’t cast?”
I’ve seen a few horses get cast. They’ll lay there, stuck on their side or back, thrashing around, until they finally kick themselves away from the wall they rolled too close to so they can stand. Or until someone finds them and pulls them away from the wall.
“Yeah, I probably should. Last thing I need is a hurt horse.” Kacey hands me the lead to the mare and walks down the alley. “It’s just Hooch trying to roll.” She smooches at him and he must get up because she comes back and takes the lead again.
I finish the foot, and as I set it back on the concrete, we hear Hooch trying to roll again.
Kacey leads the mare to an empty stall. “Can you go look at him?”
I walk down to his stall, put his halter on, and lead him down the alley to her. He’s a little gaunt and the droop in his ears is noticeable. “Think he’s colicky?”
“He kind of acts like it. I agree that he isn’t feeling good; I better treat him. I don’t want him to twist a gut from rolling too much. I’ll go get some Banamine if you want to walk him around until I get back?”
“Yeah, no problem.” I walk him out to the round pen, and he tries to lie down as soon as we step into the sand. I pulled on his lead. “Come on, bud, you have to keep moving.”
Kacey returns, and we give him the medicine. She tries to convince me I don’t need to stay, but there is no way I’m leaving her here with a colicky horse by herself all night. We take turns walking him around, stopping every ten minutes to see if he wants water.
I hear the gate to the round pen open.
Kacey suggests, “We can probably put him on the walker now. We’ll just keep an eye on him.”
I walk him out to the walker and clip his halter to a lead coming off one of the arms.
Kacey flips the switch, and the machine turns on, leading Hooch around and around.
We both climb a nearby panel and sit on the top rung right as headlights shine around the barn, landing on us.
Cody pulls up and holds out two paper bags. “Figured you two might want some burgers. How’s Hooch?”
“He drank a little water. We’re just waiting now.”
“Good. Well, if you need me, let me know.” He drives off and we both inhale our burgers.
It’s late, and after trimming those mares I’ve been starving.
We wait another hour before putting Hooch back in his stall. It’s late now, but I grab a hay bale and place it across from him so we can keep an eye on him. Thankfully, the barn is warm. We both drop onto the bale with heavy sighs. I can tell Kacey is exhausted. I know she worked all day before we trimmed the mares, and she did chores earlier while I walked Hooch.
She leans her head back onto the stall behind us. “You didn’t have to stay all night, but thanks.”
“I don’t mind. I enjoy spending time with you. Helping you isn’t a chore, Kace. It’s something I want to do.”
“You mean that, don’t you?” Her voice is quiet as she turns to face me.
“Every word,” I reassure her.
We slip into silence, and a few minutes later, I hear her breathing slow. She’s fallen asleep. When her head softly leans into my shoulder, I slip my arm behind her, gently holding her. Even though her hair is messy and her clothes are dirty, she’s beautiful. Her blonde lashes rest on her cheeks; her lips sit slightly parted.
She catches me off guard when her arm crosses over and she slips her hand into mine.
I don’t move, I don’t even breathe for several seconds, but she doesn’t stir. She’s sound asleep. I don’t think she’s even aware she did it. I could sit here like this until the sun comes up. The more time I spend with her, the more I want—her attention, her thoughts, her body.
