A Horse to Love Page 10

  Mrs. Chambers studied her watch. “It’s been four hours.”

  “He has a severe concussion and head trauma,” Pastor Newman said. “It takes a while for them to go in and relieve the pressure. Don’t worry, Eileen. He’s strong. He’l come out of this just fine.” Beyond tired, Skye focused on the three people around her, noticing each one’s anxiety blanketed in an aura of peace. She studied each face intently through her tears, wondering what made them so strong.

  Their faith? Skye asked herself. Maybe it isn’t a bunch of baloney after all. Maybe God is real.

  Pastor Newman pul ed out a smal Bible from his shirt pocket. “This is the perfect time to look to God for help,” he said as he turned the pages. “There are wonderful promises in God’s Word to help us through times of crisis. Listen to this from the book of Isaiah, chapter twenty-six: ‘You wil keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.’ ”

  Skye’s eyes shifted to the floor, her face reflecting questions and doubt. But if you’re so great, God, how could you let this happen?

  “I love that verse,” Mrs. Chambers said. “I don’t know where we’d be without the Lord’s strength.

  He’s in control and he’l bring good out of this.” She reached over and gently squeezed Skye’s hand.

  Mrs. Chambers’ warm, supportive hand wrapped securely around Skye’s seemed to draw their hearts together. Skye looked at her foster mother’s face, which somehow stil bore a smile that lit up the room.

  Skye smiled back through her tears.

  Pastor Newman put the Bible down and extended his hands. “Let’s pray for Tom again. I know God has heard us, but let’s thank him for what he’s doing in that operating room.”

  Morgan and Mrs. Chambers joined hands with Pastor Newman. Mrs. Chambers grasped Skye’s hand tightly at the same time Morgan reached for the other.

  Skye glanced up just as the others bowed their heads, and she too bowed hers.

  “Dear Heavenly Father . . .” Pastor Newman began.

  For the first time in her life , Skye needed —

  wanted — to pray, but she didn’t know how. Pastor Newman was so good at it. Would the Lord hear her?

  God, Skye prayed silently, if you’re really there, I hope you’re listening. Please, please help Mr. C. It was all my fault. Don’t let him die or be paralyzed or anything. Please! Warm tears ran down her face and dropped on her lap.

  “We commit Tom into your hands. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen,” Pastor Newman concluded.

  “Mrs. Chambers?” a doctor said as he entered the room.

  Everyone turned toward the man in light green scrubs. His face bore tired relief.

  “Yes?” Mrs. Chambers said as she stood.

  “Your husband is going to be fine!”

  “Thank God,” she said. “Can I see him?” The doctor slowly pul ed off his scrub cap. “Not until he’s out of recovery. The best thing for al of you is to get some rest. He’s stable now. If there’s any change in his condition, we’l cal you right away. I’l look in on him early tomorrow morning.” He turned to leave.

  “Thank you, doctor,” Mrs. Chambers said. She smiled at the group. “God does answer prayer.”

  “I deserve to be in that bed, not Mr. Chambers,” Skye cried as she buried her face in her hands and wept. “It’s al my fault, and I don’t blame you if you send me away. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.” Her words were muffled through her hands.

  “Skye, honey, I’ve already forgiven you,” Mrs.

  Chambers said. She pul ed Skye into a warm embrace. “You don’t have to keep asking. I love you, and it’s settled.”

  “And she’s not going anywhere. Is she, Mrs.

  C?”Morgan added, smiling through her tears.

  “Not now. Not ever,” Mrs. Chambers replied. She held Skye at arm’s length and gently brushed the tears from her face. “She can stay with us as long as she wants.”

  Through a flood of tears, Skye looked into Mrs.

  Chambers’ own tear-fil ed eyes, eyes that would be special to Skye from that day forward.

  Skye’s search for the love she so desperately sought was over. Now she looked into the eyes of a mother who cared, a mother who loved her beyond her faults and al of her sil y mistakes.

  “Skye,” Pastor Newman said as he stood, “that’s the way God’s love is too. He loves us unconditional y and forgives us no matter what we’ve done. Al we need to do is ask for his forgiveness with a humble and sincere heart.”

  At last Skye understood. She understood the unconditional love of a mother who real y cared, and she was beginning to understand the unconditional love of a God who cares as wel . She knew she would never be the same.

  “Let’s go home,” Morgan said.

  “Yes, let’s go home,” Mrs. Chambers agreed. She slipped her arm around Skye’s shoulders and turned toward the door.

  “Home?” Skye asked as a smile covered her tearstained face. “Home.”

  A Letter to my

  Keystone Stables Fans

  Dear Reader,

  Are you crazy about horses like I am? Are you fortunate enough to have a horse now, or are you dreaming about the day when you wil have one of your very own?

  I’ve been crazy about horses ever since I can remember. When I was a child I lived where I couldn’t have a horse. Even if I had lived in the country, my folks didn’t have the money to buy me one. So, as I grew up in a smal coal town in central Pennsylvania, I dreamed about horses and col ected horse pictures and horse models. I drew horse pictures and wrote horse stories, and I read every horse book I could get my hands on.

  For Christmas when I was ten, I received a leather-fringed western jacket and a cowgirl hat.

  Weather permitting, I wore them when I walked to and from school.On the way, I imagined that I was riding a gleaming white steed into a world of mountain trails and forest paths.

  Occasional y, during the summer, my mother took me to a riding academy where I rode a horse for one hour at a time. I always rubbed my hands (and hard!) on my mount before we left the ranch. For the rest of the day I tried not to wash my hands so I could smel the horse and remember the great time I had. Of course, I never could sit at the dinner table without Mother first sending me to the faucet to get rid of that

  “awful stench.”

  To get my own horse, I had to wait until I grew up, married, and bought a home in the country with enough land for a barn and a pasture. Moon Doggie, my very first horse, was a handsome brown and white pinto Welsh Mountain Pony. Many other equines came to live at our place where, in later years, my husband and I also opened our hearts to foster kids who needed a caring home. Most of the kids loved the horses as much as I did.

  Although owning horses and rearing foster kids are now in my past, I fondly remember my favorite steed, who has long since passed from the scene.

  Rex, part Quarter Horse and part Tennessee Walker, was a 14 ½ hands-high bay. Rex was the kind of horse every kid dreams about.With a smooth walking gait, he gave me a thril ing ride every time I climbed into the saddle. Yet he was so gentle a young child could sit confidently on his back. Rex loved sugar cubes and nuzzled my pockets to find them. When cleaning his hooves, al I had to do was touch the target leg, and he lifted his hoof into my waiting hands. Rex was my special horse, and although he died at the ripe old age of twenty-five many years ago, I stil miss him.

  Rex

  If you have a horse now or just dream about the day when you wil , I beg you to do al you can to learn how to treat with tender love and respect one of God’s most beautiful creatures. Horses make wonderful pets, but they require much more attention than a dog or a cat. For their loyal devotion to you, they only ask that you love them in return with the proper food, a clean barn, and the best of care.

  Although Skye and Champ’s story that you just read is fiction, the fol owing pages contain “horse facts” that any hor
se lover wil enjoy. It is my desire that these pages wil help you to either care for your own horse better now or they’l help prepare you for that moment when you’l be able to throw your arms around that one special horse of your dreams that you can cal your very own.

  Happy riding!

  Marsha Hubler

  Are You Ready to Own

  Your First Horse?

  The most exciting moment in any horse lover’s life is to look into the eyes of a horse she can cal her very own. No matter how old you are when you buy your first horse, it’s hard to match the thril of climbing onto his back and taking that first ride on a woodsy trail or dusty road that winds through open fields. A wel -trained mount wil give you a special friendship and years of pleasure as you learn to work with him and become a confident, fun-loving equestrian team.

  But owning a horse involves much more than hopping on his back, racing him into a lather of sweat, and putting him back in his stal until you’re ready to ride him again.

  If you have your own horse now, you’ve already realized that caring for a horse takes a great amount of time and money. Besides feeding him twice a day, you must also groom him, clean his stal , “pick” his hooves, and have a farrier (a horseshoe maker and applier) and veterinarian make regular visits.

  If you don’t own a horse and you are begging your parents to buy one, please realize that you can’t keep the horse in your garage and just feed him grass cuttings left over from a mowed lawn. It is a sad fact that too many neglected horses have ended up in rescue shelters after wel -meaning families did not know how to properly care for their steeds.

  If you feel that you are ready to have your own

  horse, please take time to answer the fol owing short questions. If you say yes to al of them, then you are wel on your way to being the proud owner of your very own mount:

  1. Do you have the money to purchase: the horse? (A good grade horse can start at $800. Registered breeds can run into the thousands.)

  a saddle, pad, and bridle, and a winter blanket or raincoat? ($300+ brand new)

  a hardhat (helmet) and riding boots? ($150+) essentials such as coat and hoof conditioner, bug repel ent, electric clipper and grooming kit, saddle soap, First Aid kit, and vitamins?

  ($150+)

  2. Does your family own at least a one-stal shed or barn and at least two acres of grass (enough pasture for one horse) to provide adequate grazing for your horse during warm months? If not, do you have the money to regularly

  purchase

  quality

  oats

  and

  alfalfa/timothy hay, and do you have a place to store the hay? Oh, and let’s not forget the constant supply of sawdust or straw you need for stal bedding!

  3. Are you ready to get up early enough every day to give your horse a bucket of fresh water, feed him a coffee can of oats and one or two sections of clean dry hay (if you have no pasture), and “muck out” the manure from the barn?

  4. Every evening, are you again ready to water and feed your horse, clean the barn, and groom him and pick his hooves?

  5. Wil you ride him at least twice a week, weather permitting?

  6. If the answer to any of the above questions is no, then does your family have the money to purchase a horse and board him at a nearby stable? (Boarding fees can run as high as a car payment. Ask your parents how much that is.)

  So, there you have the bare facts about owning and caring for a horse. If you don’t have your own horse yet, perhaps you’l do as I did when I was young. I read al the books I could about horses. I analyzed al the facts about the money and care needed to make the horse happy. Sad as it made me feel, I final y realized that I would have to wait until I was much older to assume such a great responsibility. And now years later, I can look back and say, “For the horse’s sake, I’m very glad I did wait.”

  I hope you’ve made the decision to give your horse the best possible TLC that you can. That might mean improving his care now or waiting until you’re older to get a horse of your own. Whatever you and your parents decide, please remember that the result of your efforts should be a happy horse. If that’s the case, you wil be happy too.

  Let’s Go Horse Shopping!

  If you are like I was when I was younger, I dreamed of owning the most beautiful horse in the world. My dream horse, with his long-flowing mane and wavy tail dragging on the ground, would arch his neck and prance with only a touch of my hand on his withers or a gentle rub of my boot heel on his barrel. My dream horse was often different colors. Sometimes he was silvery white; other times he was jet black. He was often a pinto blend of the deepest chocolate browns, blacks, and whites. No matter what color he was, he always took me on a perfect ride, responding to my slightest commands.

  When I was old enough to be responsible to care for my own steed, I already knew that the horse of my dreams was just that, the horse of my dreams. To own a prancing pure white stal ion or a high-stepping coal-black mare, I would have to buy a Lipizzaner, American Saddle Horse, or an Andalusian. But those kinds of horses were either not for sale to a beginner with a tiny barn or they cost so much, I couldn’t afford one. I was amazed to discover that there are about 350 different breeds of horses, and I had to look for a horse that was just right for me, possibly even a good grade horse (that means not registered) that was a safe mount. Color real y didn’t matter as long as the horse was healthy and gave a safe, comfortable ride. (But I’m not sure what my friends might have said if I had a purple horse. That certainly would have been a “horse of a different color!”) Then I had to decide if I wanted to ride western or English style. Wel , living in central Pennsylvania farm country with oodles of trails and dirt roads, the choice for me was simple: western.

  I’m sure if you don’t have your own horse yet, you’ve dreamed and thought a lot about what your first horse wil be. Perhaps you’ve already had a horse, but now you’re thinking of buying another one.

  What kind should you get?

  Let’s look at some of the breeds that are the most popular for both western and English riders today.

  We’l briefly trace a few breeds’ roots and characteristics while you decide if that kind of horse might be the one for you. Please keep in mind that this information speaks to generalities of the breeds.

  If given the proper care and training, most any breed of horse makes an excel ent mount.

  Some Popular Breeds (Based on Body Confirmation)

  The Arabian

  Sometimes cal ed “The China Dol of the Horse Kingdom,” the Arabian is known as the most beautiful of horse breeds because of its delicate features. Although research indicates Arabians are the world’s oldest and purest breed, it is not known whether they originated in Arabia. However, many Bible scholars believe that the first horse that God created in the garden of Eden must have embodied the strength and beauty that we see in the Arabian horse of today. It is also believed that al other breeds descended from this gorgeous breed that has stamina as wel as courage and intel igence.

  A purebred Arabian has a height of only 14 or 15

  hands, a graceful arch in his neck, and a high carriage in his tail. It is easy to identify one of these horses by examining his head. If you see a smal , delicate “dish”face with a broad forehead and tiny muzzle, two ears that point inward and large eyes that are often ringed in black, you are probably looking at an Arabian. The breed comes in al colors, (including dappled and some paint), but if you run your finger against the grain of any pureblood Arabian’s coat, you wil see an underlying bed of black skin. Perhaps that’s why whites are often cal ed “grays.”

  General y, Arabians are labeled spirited and skittish, even though they might have been wel trained. If you have your heart set on buying an Arabian, make sure you first have the experience to handle a horse that, although he might be loyal, wil also want to run with the wind.

  The Morgan

  The Morgan horse, like a Quarter Horse (see below), can explode into a gal op for a short di
stance. The Morgan, with its short legs, muscles, and fox ears, also looks very much like the Quarter Horse. How can we tel the two breeds apart?

  A Morgan is chunkier than a Quarter Horse, especial y in his stout neck. His long, wavy tail often flows to the ground. His trot is quick and short, and with such great stamina, he can trot al day long.

  So where are the Morgan’s roots?

  The horse breed was named after Justin Morgan, a frail music teacher, who lived in Vermont at the turn of the 18th century. Instead of receiving cash for a debt owed, Mr. Morgan was given two colts. The smal est one, which he cal ed Figure, was an undersized dark bay with a black mane and tail. Mr.

  Morgan sold the other colt, but he kept Figure, which he thought was a cross between a Thoroughbred and an Arabian. Over the years, he found the horse to be strong enough to pul logs and fast enough to beat Thoroughbreds in one afternoon and eager to do it al over again the same day!

  When Mr. Morgan died, his short but powerful horse was cal ed “Justin Morgan” in honor of his owner. After that, al of Justin Morgan’s foals were cal ed Morgans. The first volume of the Morgan Horse Register was published in 1894. Since then, hundreds of thousands of Morgans have been registered.

  If you go Morgan hunting, you wil find the breed in any combination of blacks, browns, and whites.

  Don’t look for a tal horse because al Morgans are between 14 and 15 hands tal , just right for beginners. If you’re fortunate enough to find a wel -

  trained Morgan, he’l give you years of pleasure whether you ask him to gal op down a country trail, pul a wagon, or learn to jump obstacles.

  The Mustang

  If you want a taste of America’s Wild West from days gone by, then you should treat yourself to the

  “Wild Horse of America,” the Mustang.

  This 14 – 15 hands, stout horse has its roots from Cortez and the Spanish conquistadors from the 16th century. Although the Mustang’s name comes from the Spanish word, mesteno , which means “a stray or wild grazer,” he is most wel known as the horse of the Native Americans.Numerous tribes al over the western plains captured horses that had escaped from their Spanish owners and ran wild.The Native Americans immediately claimed the Mustang as a gift from their gods and showed the world that the horse was, and is, easy to train once domesticated.