Greener Pastures - Alyssa Brugman [11]
Lydia waved her arms and legs. She kicked the pony. Shelby could hear the thump, thump of her boots against his ribs. The little pony dug his heels in. He set his jaw against the bit. Every muscle along his neck was tense.
Lee moved up behind the pony waving his arms. 'Yar! Yar!' He slapped the pony on the rump. Chance snorted, but he didn't move.
'Try turning his head,' Shelby suggested. 'Sometimes a horse will go if you point him in a different direction.'
Lydia pulled on the rein and kicked again. Chance turned his head willingly enough. He twisted around until his nose rested on the stirrup iron, but still he would not budge.
'Was he like this when you got him? Erin asked.
'He wasn't any sort of racehorse,' Lee acknowledged. 'But he did move when you asked him to.'
Shelby took hold of the bit and clicked with her tongue. 'Come on, little fella,' she encouraged him. He stretched his head forward, but his feet didn't move.
'Hop off for a tick.'
Lydia slid out of the saddle.
Shelby picked up the short crop that was lying on the ground near the gate, slipped her foot into the stirrup and swung her leg over his back. 'Sometimes they just need to know you mean business.' She smacked him smartly on the rump with the crop and squeezed with her legs. 'Get up!' she called out in a gruff voice.
Chance lifted one front hoof and put it down again.
'I said move it, you great lump!' Shelby called out, smacking him again.
Chance grunted, but he did not move.
'Why don't I bring our guys around the back? Maybe he will walk over to meet them?' Erin suggested. They had left their horses on the front lawn.
'That's a great idea,' said Shelby, slipping off again.
Soon Erin was back leading Bandit and Blue. As they came around the corner Chance pricked up his ears and let out an excited, high-pitched whinny. He lifted up his hoof again. He put it down gingerly, and then lifted his back hoof. Shelby gave him another encouraging tap with the crop and the pony started to move slowly in a peculiar, faltering crab-walk.
Bandit stretched out his neck over the fence and the two horses sniffed each other's muzzles.
'He looks really ouchy, Shel,' Erin said, frowning.
'Which foot do you reckon?' Shelby asked.
Erin shook her head, perplexed. 'All of them!'
'It can't be all of them. Can you make him walk? I want to see.' The two girls swapped reins. Erin took the crop and led the pony along the fence line.
Chance stepped forward, lifting each foot high in the air and then wavering it tentatively before he put it down. He grunted and wheezed.
Erin was right. He looked sore all over. The last time Shelby had seen something similar was when Miranda, the vet, had vaccinated one of the horses and the gelding had had a bad reaction to it.
'Have you given him a strangles or tetanus shot?' she asked.
Lee shook his head.
Lydia held Bandit and Blue while Shelby ran her hands up and down Chance's legs, feeling for heat or swelling, but she couldn't find anything.
'Hmm,' said Shelby. 'What's he like when he's in his paddock by himself?'
'It's like I told you,' Lydia sighed. 'He stands there with his head drooped. It's as though he's depressed or something.'
Alarm bells were ringing in Shelby's head. 'Did you think about calling a vet?'
'Dad won't let me,' Lydia muttered. 'He says they're too expensive.'
'He doesn't have any cuts or bruises or swelling anywhere, and he eats well enough.' Lee set his jaw defensively. 'I don't want a vet to come out here and charge me five hundred bucks to tell me we got ourselves a lazy horse.'
'Well, I don't think he's lazy,' Shelby said. 'I think he's sore, and you should probably rule that out first. Miranda, the vet we use up at the stables, is an equine –'
'We have a vet,' Lee interrupted. 'Dr Ross.'
'That's no good! He's a small animal vet,' Erin blurted.
Lee looked at his watch. 'You girls better be heading home now anyway – if you want to get there before dark.'
'You should at least get his hooves trimmed. We have a great farrier, and he's not that