Stuffing everything into my front pocket, I head to the quarantine paddock by the tree line, where Sparrow and his husband, Luke, are waiting for me. It’s a temperate blue-sky day, and the trees provide the perfect amount of shade over the enclosed area.
I open the big gate, and Luke backs up the trailer so we can unload the horse directly into the paddock. It’s connected to a small stable with two stalls, where we keep our rescues until they’re given a clean bill of health.
Luke hops out of the truck and races to the passenger side, letting Sparrow out. That’s not usually how they do things, so I take note. Sparrow grabs Luke’s hand and gingerly exits the truck while holding his hip, his usually calm demeanor dark.
“Are you okay? Do we need to take you to the hospital?”
He shakes his head. “Saw the kick coming, was able to shift away from it at the last minute.”
The clench of Luke’s jaw tells me he disagrees with his husband, but we both know trying to convince Sparrow to do something he doesn’t want to won’t work. Just as I’m about to lean into Luke and quietly suggest we send a message to Sparrow’s mother, a loud bang comes from the trailer, rocking it from side to side.
My brows rise, and Sparrow is already rubbing his forehead. “He’s got a pretty vicious kick. We got him out of that fucking auction house, but I’ve got that huge order for Charlie,” Sparrow explains. “There are two horses to a stall and no space to quarantine him. Luke here is the horse whisperer, and even he couldn’t get this guy to pay him any attention, let alone settle down. I’ve called Lynn to meet us here, just in case.”
Lynn is the local large animal vet, and a horse that cannot be tamed has to be put down because it can kill people. While my specialty is people, my minor is in equine psychology, and there are a few things we can check out before having to make any decisions about this horse’s future.
“I had this paddock put up so we could help with rescues. We’ve got you covered,” Charlie says, walking up with Ant…and Javier.
My face heats when his eyes meet mine, but I ignore him and nod in agreement with Charlie. Sparrow, far too observant for his own good, tilts his head to the side, looking between Javier and me. Turning his back on Charlie, Sparrow faces me with crossed arms and an amused brow. I scowl at him, and he bites back a laugh.
Meanwhile, Luke smacks the side of the trailer. “Charlie, you mind getting behind the wheel? Once Levy gets the stall ready, I’ll let him out, you’ll pull forward, and I’ll grab the gate.”
“Sure thing.”
Grateful for the distraction, I run over to the first stall and ensure there’s fresh water, hay, and feed, sprinkling a few sugar cubes on top of the feed.
Charlie instructs Javier and Ant to walk toward me and away from the gate. Once everyone’s in place, I shout, “Let him loose, Rodeo King!”
Luke, a retired world-class bronco rider, rolls his eyes and opens the trailer, jumping out of the way as a gorgeous, if neglected, blue roan Appaloosa comes barreling out. Charlie pulls the truck forward, and as soon as he’s clear of the gate, Luke jogs over and closes it.
The Appaloosa has a stunning color pattern—black points which bleed out to gray with a white body dotted with black spots.
His nostrils are flaring and his eyes seek to eviscerate anyone in his way. I don’t often see angry horses in my line of work, but when I do, it sets my teeth on edge. Appaloosas are known to be gentle and well-mannered…unless they’ve been abused.
This one’s doing hot laps around the paddock, kicking out dirt, neighing, upset as all get out. Ant and I have worked through his nerves around horses, so I shoot him a quick look to see how he’s doing. Instead of fear, however, I see curiosity.
I gesture him over to me. “Whaddya think?”
He shrugs, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Seems pretty mad to me. Probably has a damn good reason for it too.”
“I agree.” Pulling out the pocket on my overalls, I show him my stash of treats. “Time to go make friends.”
“Think he’s a hopeless case?” Charlie asks, coming up to stand next to Ant and Javier.
I shake my head. “Absolutely not. He’s already losing steam, which is a good sign.”
“You comfortable going in there with him? Or should we give him a little space?”
Running my fingers through my beard, I shake my head. “Something tells me we shouldn’t wait.”
Charlie nods along. “Sounds good. Just be careful, yeah?”
“You got it, boss.” Turning back to Sparrow, I ask, “Before I go in—is there any reason to think he’s in pain?”
Sparrow grips the gate, his jaw set. “I don’t know. He’s not favoring anything, but it’s impossible to get in close.”
Luke rubs a calming hand up and down his husband’s back, but nothing short of getting right with this horse will make Sparrow feel better.
I know for a fact this horse would rather be peaceful than angry. All we’ve got to do is figure out a way to move him closer toward the calmer end of the scale. Hell, just giving him some space has already adjusted his mood a little.
