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Hester bends down and picks up one of Star’s front hooves I’ve never seen the bottom of a horse’s foot before, and I’m almost sick when I see the blood and what looks like bone sticking through As a ives me shivers

"Yuck" I wrinkleover my shoulder

"Well, we aren’t sure Star had lameness last year, but I wasn’t called in Since ht, most of the farmers, even the well-to-do ones, don’t call me unless they think the situation’s critical After a week the liot into the cattle’s grain

"I guess that was it An overrich diet can cause the horse’s gut to release toxins that go into the bloodstrea in an abscess The sa can happen after a retained placenta, but this ani’s disease can cause it too, but that’s more chronic than acute" I’arden "The point is, the condition is severely painful and usually a death sentence, but I thought of you"

"Me?"

"Yeah If you and Bitsy have the tiood horse You need one, don’t you?"

I watch as theher eyes in pain I know nothing about horses, and I doubt that Bitsy does either

"What would we have to do?"

"Well, first off, I’d show you how to bandage her feet; then you’d have to change the dressings You’d also have to take her down to the creek three times a day to let her stand in cold water I’d have to keep trirew in You’d have to keep a very clean stall and give her feed that’s low in carbohydrates Hay would be okay and rain Your pasture would be okay It doesn’t look too rich"

I glance over at the ten acres of green, with yellow and white wildflowers that surround the barn Looks pretty rich to me, but I’m no farmer

"What’s the worst that could happen?" Hester questions "She could die Or, if she gets well, it will take around two ood mare Only fifteen She could still even foal"

I runfor She doesn’t look bad Her back doesn’t sway Really, I’ her life force Mr Hester adht be fatal Do I want to care for an aniet fond ofand then watch her die? I make a snap decision, throw caution to the wind

"Okay, we’ll do it Bitsy," I declare, "we have a horse It’s very sick, but Mr Hester thinks we can cure her What do you say?"

"Whatever you say, Miss Patience" Cut the subservience, Bitsy, I flash with my eyes Maybe I should have consulted with her first It’s as though I’ve broken a rule and she’s putting me back inwhere we live as equals, lets