felt like staying in his stall today,â he said vaguely.
âOn a nice sunny morning?â Jessie asked in surprise. âBut you said that horses love to be out in the field!â
Danny ducked his head, working on Oliverâs leg. âI didnât meanââ he began, and then he stopped. âIt could be that heâs sick. Or something.â
âShouldnât someone check on him?â Violet asked.
âI think Dad will,â Danny told her.
âBut you canât even see him,â Violet said. âThe stall is closed and padlocked.â
âIâm sure heâs okay,â Danny said. âI think we should get back to work now.â He looked very uncomfortable, and the girls knew that he wanted to change the subject.
âOkay,â Violet said. âWhat should we do next?â
âOliverâs feet, but Iâll give you a tip first. Never just grab a horseâs hoof and try to pick it up.â He slid his hand slowly down Oliverâs shoulder to his fetlock. âRun your hand over him first, like this. This gives him a little warning, and heâll know what to expect.â
Violet noticed that Oliver seemed to get the message because he shifted his weight to his other three legs. Danny picked up Oliverâs hoof and motioned to Violet. âUse the hoof pick, but be really gentle.â
âIâll do my best,â Violet said. Oliver didnât seem to mind at all, and she cleaned away clumps of mud and several large pebbles that were lodged in his hoof.
When they had finished, Jessie turned to Daisy. âHe wonât look really pretty until you comb his mane,â she said.
Daisy hesitated. âHow will I reach it?â
âYou could sit on his back,â Danny offered.
âNo!â Daisy backed away.
âWait, I have a better idea.â Jessie reached out her hand. âIâll sit on Oliver and hold you in my lap. Youâll be the one who combs him. Okay?â
Danny squatted down. âJust step on my shoulder, Jessie, and swing yourself up on his back. Then Iâll hand Daisy up to you.â
A moment later, Jessie found herself high above the ground on Oliverâs back. Oliver stood very still, and Jessie patted him on the neck. When Danny handed Daisy to her, she found that the little girl was trembling.
âDonât be scared, Daisy. Danny has Oliver tied good and tight. Heâs not going anywhere.â
Daisy relaxed then and began combing Oliverâs thick, dark mane. She giggled and looked down at Violet. âYou know something? This is fun!â
At lunchtime, Violet told Henry about the horse in the padlocked stall.
âIt just doesnât make sense.â They were eating chicken-salad sandwiches under the shade of an oak tree near the main house. âI asked Danny about it, but he didnât have much to say.â She raised her eyebrows questioningly. âWhat do you think?â
âItâs true, the horse might be sick,â Henry suggested. âOr maybe heâs very difficult to handle.â
Violet forgot about the horse when Benny and Jessie plopped down on the grass next to them, talking excitedly.
âI rode on the tractor this morning,â Benny said proudly. âThree times.â He held up three fingers. âFirst we mowed the hay, just like it was a lawn. Then we raked it, and then we . . . â He stopped and frowned. âI forgot what came next.â
Sarah hunkered down next to them. âWe baled it, Benny. Remember? Now the hay is in nice square bundles.â
âOh, yeah,â he said happily. âThere must be enough hay for a million horses.â
âNot the way our horses eat,â Sarah said. âOliver eats twelve pounds a day.â
âTwelve pounds?â Benny sputtered.
âSometimes even more. Donât forget, he weighs almost a thousand pounds. Thatâs half a