Sundancer. Shelley Peterson
acknowledging the astonished look on Lavinia’s face, Hannah turned her horse toward the open field. Bird grinned broadly. Good for you, Hannah, she thought. It’s about time you grew a backbone.
Peter on Zachary followed close behind Hannah, then Melanie on Radar, Jo on Gem, Bird on Jeremy, with Kimberly at the rear on Pastor.
They trotted across the field and slowed to a walk down the rocky path at the edge of the woods. Ducking branches, the horses waded across the shallow, muddy Saddle Creek. They picked up a controlled canter once they were on firmer ground. One by one, following Hannah, they jumped the old fallen log, then a wooden coop, and found themselves skirting a growth of fir trees beside a meadow. Down a grassy slope at a brisk trot they went, then cantered along the path into another woods. Bird loved this area. It was full of jumps where trees and limbs had fallen across the path. Singles, in-and-outs, triples, all under two feet high, but difficult because there were so many.
You’re a good horse, Jeremy. Bird gave her mount a firm pat on the neck. I like riding you.
Thanks. I try my best.
What do you think of the new horse?
He’s nothing but trouble. He thinks he’s too good for us. Put me in a field with him and I’ll kick the tar out of him.
He’s had some bad experiences.
So have we all. Be careful, Bird.
Interesting, thought Bird. Straight from the horse’s mouth. There was truth in what Jeremy said. Lots of horses were ill treated, but not all posed a danger to humans. Lots of horses had bad experiences, but most learned to trust when treated well. So what was different about this horse? Bird vowed to find out. After their ride, as soon as she put Jeremy away, she’d get on Sundancer’s back again.
Just then, Pastor reached forward and took a bite out of Jeremy’s rump. Jeremy kicked out in retaliation, and Kimberly let out a scream.
“Your horse kicked at me!” Kimberly yelled. “Keep him under control.”
Bird looked back at Pastor. Why did you bite Jeremy?
Because I felt like it.
Is it out of your system, Pastor? Feel better now?
Actually, I do.
Good. Don’t do it again.
Jeremy piped in; No big deal. He bit, I kicked; we’re even.
“You should hit him!” continued Kimberly. “He’s got to learn not to kick!”
Too late, now, thought Bird. No wonder horses get messed up. By the time people get around to hitting them, the horses have forgotten the whole thing.
Once out of the woods the six horses walked single file down the gravel road until they reached another path. This one led into the riding club where a good cross-country course was kept in safe condition.
“Can we do some jumps?” called Melanie.
“I want to practise the drop,” chimed Jo.
“And I want to get Zachary over the barrels,” added Peter.
“Not today,” answered Hannah. The kids all groaned. “The horses were at a show yesterday, and we’ve done enough jumping today already. Let’s head back now.”
“Hannah?” Kimberly had to yell to be heard. “My mom could wait, right? She said she would.”
Bird could hear the anxiety in Kimberly’s tone, and wondered if Lavinia had left. Moms did that sometimes; that much Bird knew for sure. Fortunately, she needn’t have been concerned. Lavinia’s Suburban was parked at the barn in full sight when they came around the corner.
The kids dismounted and amused each other with horse horror stories. The time a loose horse had jumped into a field of cows and led the herd back to his barn, surprising the horse owner no end. Another time a horse spooked on the road and landed on the front bumper of a car. The stories kept coming as they untacked their horses and sponged them off amid gales of laughter.
Bird thought of the stories she could tell about Sundancer. How he thought he was better than all the other horses, and smarter than all the humans. How sometimes he got so scared he couldn’t think. How … She stopped herself. They’d think she was crazy if she said those things out loud. Maybe she was.
Dr. Paul Daniels arrived and walked up to Hannah as she untacked Charlie. Finished with her own grooming, Bird quietly walked over and sat on a bale of hay near where her aunt and Dr. Daniels stood. She chewed silently on a piece of hay and listened.
“Have a good ride?” asked the vet. “Wonderful. It’s a beautiful day.”
“Less humid, for sure. I came to check up on the new gelding.” Hannah turned to face her vet, saddle over one arm, bridle in the other. She looked him in the eye. “He’s an outlaw. I tried to gentle him this morning. He didn’t respond normally. At all.”
Paul took the saddle from her and they walked to the tack room. Bird thought about following but decided against it. She was in the perfect position. She could hear them talking but they couldn’t see her. She’d wait until she had all the information she needed, and then she’d slip away. She had some business with Sundancer.
“I need to know who owns Sundancer, Paul. Liability, and all that.”
“I hear you. It’s not clear. Owens’ stable manager called to have me put him down, but when I saw how good he looked, I asked if I could take him. They were happy to get rid of him, no questions asked.”
“And you never asked for proof of ownership? You didn’t buy him for a dollar?”
“That would’ve been too clever. No. I didn’t think of it. We can’t all be perfect, Hannah.”
“If you’re trying to make me mad, it’s working,” said Hannah. “I need to know who’s paying his bills, who he belongs to, what I can and cannot do with him. If he’s yours, you have the right to instruct me on how you want him fed and maintained, and you’ll pay me the first of each month. Same as any owner.” Hannah took a breath and continued. “If he’s mine, then I’ll buy him for a dollar, and I’ll need a receipt, signed by his former owner.”
“He’s dead. Samuel Owens passed away.”
“Who inherited his horses?”
“That’s not clear. It’s probably a company.”
“So who had the right to give him to you?”
Paul paused. “I assumed the manager, but I didn’t ask any questions. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Hannah sighed. “You know how the saying goes? When you assume you make an ass of u and me.”
Paul was thinking about how to respond when both of them saw the same thing. In the paddock, visible through the tack room window, Bird was sitting on Sundancer’s back; no halter, no bridle, no saddle, no nothing. Just a girl and a horse.
They stopped talking and watched.
Bird stroked his neck gently, from his ears to his withers. Again and yet again. It seemed as if the horse was hypnotized. He stood quietly with his ears drooped and his lower lip hanging. His eyes were half-closed.
That feels good. Keep doing that.
Talk to me, Sundancer. Tell me why you went crazy in the barn this morning. What scared you so much that I couldn’t get through to you?
Don’t stop patting me. I feel better now.
Bird felt light and relaxed on his back. Her legs hung loosely, her back slightly hunched. Her eyes were closed.
I