Friendly Foal (18 page)

I felt someone behind me. “Lizzy?” I turned around.

But it wasn't Lizzy. Sal stepped out of the barn. She was wearing the pink ski jacket, with a red miniskirt and red high heels.

An hour ago I might have yelled at her and told her off. But without my even knowing when it happened, the yelling had gone out of me. “What are you doing here, Sal?”

She sat next to me on the bale and emptied snow out of her shoes. “What do you mean? I
said
I was coming, didn't I?”

“Right.”

Amigo trotted by us. I thought of how far that horse had come.

“Grant told me that you probably
did
want to go to the party, that you just canceled so I wouldn't spend New Year's Eve alone.” Sal stared at her hands as if she couldn't figure out where the fingers came from, like they belonged to someone else.

Something inside me thawed, and I wondered if this is what peace feels like.

“Nobody's ever done anything like that for me, Winnie. Just kept being there for me. You know?” Sal elbowed me. “I haven't been the most reliable horse-training partner in the world.”

I grinned up at her. Her eyes glistened like the iced trees. “Sal, are you crying?”

She swiped her eyes with her pink sleeve. “Me? No way! And don't think this means we're buddies or anything.”

“Us? No way!” I said, but I didn't mean it.

“Still,” Sal said, “it's pretty tight that you gave up that party for me.”

Amigo walked up to Sal and stretched out his neck to be scratched. Sal obliged him.

“Far out!”

Catman Coolidge strolled out of the barn, followed by Barker and a host of cats.

“Catman? Barker?” I cried. “I can't believe you're
here!”

“We already cheered in the new year at my house,” Barker said. “We pretended nine o'clock was midnight. That way Johnny, Mark, Luke, and William got to stay up. Matthew's still up. But Catman and I thought we'd hike over and wish you Happy New Year.”

“I'm glad you did.” And I couldn't have thought of two people I'd rather start out the new year with.

“Pull up a bale,” Sal said.

Catman and Barker dragged out another bale of hay and took their seats.

We stared silently at the stars for a minute. All kinds of things were swirling in my head. Good thoughts, though—about patience and peace, about imprinting and how maybe that's the way Jesus was working with me, staying with me even when I struggle. And how maybe that's how I'm supposed to work with other people.

The sky was beautiful, even with clouds hiding half the stars. “The only thing we need is that North Star of yours, Catman,” I complained. “Wish it were still up there.”

“It's groovy, man,” Catman assured me. “The star is always there, whether you see it or not.”

Of course!
That star had been there all the time, even when I couldn't see it. I thought about what Ralph had said, about Jesus always being there, about the friend you see and the Friend you don't. God had been there all the time too, even when I hadn't seen him.

Then the whole crew thundered through the barn and came into the paddock. Lizzy and Geri led the way, carrying platters covered with foil.

“We've got food!” Lizzy shouted.

“Do we ever!” Geri said. “Toasted cheese-and-peanut-butter sandwiches and french fries, complete with a jar of mayonnaise for fry dipping!”

Mason stumbled out into the paddock. He slipped on an icy patch but caught himself and kept barreling straight for the foal. Then he stopped and walked slowly up to her.

I glanced back at Madeline. She looked like she was biting her lip clear through so she wouldn't freak out over Mason and the foal. But she didn't yell or call him back.

The filly let Mason put his little arms around her neck.

“Hi, buddy,” Mason muttered.
“My
buddy.”

“That's a great name for her, Mason!” I called. So what if
Buddy
was more of a boy's name. The foal
was
Mason's buddy. It was perfect.

Nickers whinnied loud and long. As we all looked over at her, she buckled her knees and dropped into the snow. Then my horse rolled to her side. Up to her knees. Back to her side. Then she rolled over on her back and wiggled, side to side, making deep shapes in the purple-patterned snow.

Amigo plopped into the snow and mimicked Nickers. Then Buddy did the same thing.

“Great idea, Nickers!” I shouted, running out beside her. “Snow angels!”

I let myself free-fall backward, arms outstretched, landing in the snow with a crunch, but sinking below the crusty surface to the soft snow beneath.

All around me I heard the
crunch
,
plop
,
thud
as Catman and Barker and Sal dropped like stones into the snow next to me. Then Lizzy and Geri and Mason. And even Dad and Madeline.

“Happy New Year!” Sal hollered.

And we all shouted the same thing.

We swung our arms and legs, making snow angels, sinking deeper into the silence of the snow. Trees held their breath. The only sounds were Nickers' contented grunts, the foal's whinny, and the
swish, swish
of snow angels.

I gazed up at a star I couldn't see but knew was there. And I thanked God for a new year, knowing that no matter what it might bring, God would be there with it, in every moment, sure as the North Star.

Horses communicate with one another . . . and with us, if we learn to read their cues. Here are some of the main ways a horse talks:

Whinny—
A loud, long horse call that can be heard from a half mile away. Horses often whinny back and forth.

Possible translations:
Is that you over there? Hello! I'm over here! See me? I heard you! What's going on?

Neigh—
To most horse people, a neigh is the same as a whinny. Some people call any vocalization from a horse a neigh.

Nicker—
The friendliest horse greeting in the world. A nicker is a low sound made in the throat, sometimes rumbling. Horses use it as a warm greeting for another horse or a trusted person. A horse owner might hear a nicker at feeding time.

Possible translations:
Welcome back! Good to see you. I missed you. Hey there! Come on over. Got anything good to eat?

Snort—
This sounds like your snort, only much louder and more fluttering. It's a hard exhale, with the air being forced out through the nostrils.

Possible translations:
Look out! Something's wrong out there! Yikes! What's that?

Blow—
Usually one huge exhale, like a snort, but in a large burst of wind.

Possible translations:
What's going on? Things aren't so bad. Such is life.

Squeal—
This high-pitched cry that sounds a bit like a scream can be heard a hundred yards away.

Possible translations:
Don't you dare! Stop it! I'm warning you! I've had it—I mean it! That hurts!

Grunts, groans, sighs, sniffs—
Horses make a variety of sounds. Some grunts and groans mean nothing more than boredom. Others are natural outgrowths of exercise.

Horses also communicate without making a sound. You'll need to observe each horse and tune in to the individual translations, but here are some possible versions of nonverbal horse talk:

EARS

Flat back ears—
When a horse pins back its ears, pay attention and beware! If the ears go back slightly, the horse may just be irritated. The closer the ears are pressed back to the skull, the angrier the horse.

Possible translations:
I don't like that buzzing fly. You're making me mad! I'm warning you! You try that, and I'll make you wish you hadn't!

Pricked forward, stiff ears—
Ears stiffly forward usually mean a horse is on the alert. Something ahead has captured its attention.

Possible translations:
What's that? Did you hear that? I want to know what that is! Forward ears may also say, I'm cool and proud of it!

Relaxed, loosely forward ears—
When a horse is content, listening to sounds all around, ears relax, tilting loosely forward.

Possible translations:
It's a fine day, not too bad at all. Nothin' new out here.

Uneven ears—
When a horse swivels one ear up and one ear back, it's just paying attention to the surroundings.

Possible translations:
Sigh. So, anything interesting going on yet?

Stiff, twitching ears—
If a horse twitches stiff ears, flicking them fast (in combination with overall body tension), be on guard! This horse may be terrified and ready to bolt.

Possible translations:
Yikes! I'm outta here! Run for the hills!

Airplane ears—
Ears lopped to the sides usually means the horse is bored or tired.

Possible translations:
Nothing ever happens around here. So, what's next already? Bor-ing.

Droopy ears—
When a horse's ears sag and droop to the sides, it may just be sleepy, or it might be in pain.

Possible translations:
Yawn . . . I am so sleepy. I could sure use some shut-eye. I don't feel so good. It really hurts.

TAIL

Tail switches hard and fast—
An intensely angry horse will switch its tail hard enough to hurt anyone foolhardy enough to stand within striking distance. The tail flies side to side and maybe up and down as well.

Possible translations:
I've had it, I tell you! Enough is enough! Stand back and get out of my way!

Tail held high—
A horse who holds its tail high may be proud to be a horse!

Possible translations:
Get a load of me! Hey! Look how gorgeous I am! I'm so amazing that I just may hightail it out of here!

Clamped-down tail—
Fear can make a horse clamp its tail to its rump.

Possible translations:
I don't like this; it's scary. What are they going to do to me? Can't somebody help me?

Pointed tail swat—
One sharp, well-aimed swat of the tail could mean something hurts there.

Possible translations:
Ouch! That hurts! Got that pesky fly.

OTHER SIGNALS

Pay attention to other body language. Stamping a hoof may mean impatience or eagerness to get going. A rear hoof raised slightly off the ground might be a sign of irritation. The same hoof raised, but relaxed, may signal sleepiness. When a horse is angry, the muscles tense, back stiffens, and the eyes flash, showing extra white of the eyeballs. One anxious horse may balk, standing stone still and stiff legged. Another horse just as anxious may dance sideways or paw the ground. A horse in pain might swing its head backward toward the pain, toss its head, shiver, or try to rub or nibble the sore spot. Sick horses tend to lower their heads and look dull, listless, and unresponsive.