in her typical fashion didn’t believe there would be emotional repercussions in her life because of Arch’s return.
“He takes things so personally,” Susan said compassionately.
“And now Arch is here, a partner to Rollie Barnes. That grates on Toby’s high-strung nature,” Harry said.
Hy nodded gravely. “This is so. You have a big heart, Susan. First, Toby lost his temper when I suggested that his esteemed Professor Forland might as well give terrorists a blueprint if he’s not already in their employ. Then when I said Professor Forland could also work for Homeland Security or some other agency, he erupted. He shook his finger at me and declared Professor Forland would never stoop to cooperating with our right-wing government.”
“Is that what he called our government?” Susan’s cheeks reddened.
“Alas, madam, he did.”
“Toby prides himself on being an anarchist.” Harry felt the warmth from her cup on her hands. “But you know, irritating as he can be about stuff like that, it’s good we hear it. Otherwise, we’re just a bunch of sheep.”
“Still, can’t a man be amusing?” Hy held up his hands in bafflement.
6
R ollie Barnes touched a stock; it surged upward. His gorgeous wife, twenty-two years younger than Rollie, prudently hid her intelligence from him, for he was not a man comfortable with formidable females. For all his brains, Rollie was rather a weak fellow emotionally. This in turn made him aggressive, a quality not appreciated in its raw form in the South.
Born on the wrong side of the tracks in Stamford, Connecticut, Rollie slogged through the local community college. Yet once he found his gift, to his credit he made the most of it.
“Periosteal elevation.” Rollie pronounced this with finality.
Fair, who had delivered the foal, tried not to smile. “An invasive procedure, Mr. Barnes. This little fellow doesn’t need a P and E.” He used the shorthand version for the procedure, one known to horsemen.
Mim would have known instantly what Fair was discussing—surgery required on the knee of the foreleg.
“I want this foal to have straight legs.” Rollie folded his arms across his chest as he stood, legs apart, under a completely unnecessary chandelier in the stable.
“Honey, he likes me.” Chauntal put her blonde head down to the colt, who nuzzled her as his mother turned to look.
Fair smiled. He liked Chauntal. He didn’t envy her. It’s easier to make money than to marry it.
“Mr. Barnes, this colt has carpal valgus: knock-knees. I think he’ll straighten out in time. Right now I wouldn’t do anything restrictive. I wouldn’t even put a splint on him, because it’s not that bad.” He didn’t say a P and E would be the wrong thing to do, because, being a sensitive man, Fair didn’t want Rollie to take offense.
“Well, it looks bad to me.” Rollie’s lower lip jutted out.
“I’m sure it does, but it’s a mild case. Truth is, you don’t want a horse with straight, straight legs. A truly straight leg actually promotes knee problems.”
“But I read that this stripping is used on knock-kneed foals.”
“I guess some vets do it, but I’d really only do a P and E for an ankle problem or badly bowed legs. It really will take care of itself. This little fellow will be just fine.”
Chauntal couldn’t keep her hands off the lovely bay colt. “Dr. Haristeen, what is periosteal stripping?”
“It’s pretty interesting, ma’am. You make a small, inverted T-shaped cut through the periosteum, right above the growth plate. You lift the edges of the periosteum, and in most young foals the leg will grow straight after four to six weeks. What the surgery really does is allow the slower-growing side of the leg to catch up. The cut releases the tension on the membrane that covers the growth plate—that’s what’s called the periosteum. Guess I should have said that in the first place.” He smiled reassuringly.
“Well, I’m going to ask Dan
“He takes things so personally,” Susan said compassionately.
“And now Arch is here, a partner to Rollie Barnes. That grates on Toby’s high-strung nature,” Harry said.
Hy nodded gravely. “This is so. You have a big heart, Susan. First, Toby lost his temper when I suggested that his esteemed Professor Forland might as well give terrorists a blueprint if he’s not already in their employ. Then when I said Professor Forland could also work for Homeland Security or some other agency, he erupted. He shook his finger at me and declared Professor Forland would never stoop to cooperating with our right-wing government.”
“Is that what he called our government?” Susan’s cheeks reddened.
“Alas, madam, he did.”
“Toby prides himself on being an anarchist.” Harry felt the warmth from her cup on her hands. “But you know, irritating as he can be about stuff like that, it’s good we hear it. Otherwise, we’re just a bunch of sheep.”
“Still, can’t a man be amusing?” Hy held up his hands in bafflement.
6
R ollie Barnes touched a stock; it surged upward. His gorgeous wife, twenty-two years younger than Rollie, prudently hid her intelligence from him, for he was not a man comfortable with formidable females. For all his brains, Rollie was rather a weak fellow emotionally. This in turn made him aggressive, a quality not appreciated in its raw form in the South.
Born on the wrong side of the tracks in Stamford, Connecticut, Rollie slogged through the local community college. Yet once he found his gift, to his credit he made the most of it.
“Periosteal elevation.” Rollie pronounced this with finality.
Fair, who had delivered the foal, tried not to smile. “An invasive procedure, Mr. Barnes. This little fellow doesn’t need a P and E.” He used the shorthand version for the procedure, one known to horsemen.
Mim would have known instantly what Fair was discussing—surgery required on the knee of the foreleg.
“I want this foal to have straight legs.” Rollie folded his arms across his chest as he stood, legs apart, under a completely unnecessary chandelier in the stable.
“Honey, he likes me.” Chauntal put her blonde head down to the colt, who nuzzled her as his mother turned to look.
Fair smiled. He liked Chauntal. He didn’t envy her. It’s easier to make money than to marry it.
“Mr. Barnes, this colt has carpal valgus: knock-knees. I think he’ll straighten out in time. Right now I wouldn’t do anything restrictive. I wouldn’t even put a splint on him, because it’s not that bad.” He didn’t say a P and E would be the wrong thing to do, because, being a sensitive man, Fair didn’t want Rollie to take offense.
“Well, it looks bad to me.” Rollie’s lower lip jutted out.
“I’m sure it does, but it’s a mild case. Truth is, you don’t want a horse with straight, straight legs. A truly straight leg actually promotes knee problems.”
“But I read that this stripping is used on knock-kneed foals.”
“I guess some vets do it, but I’d really only do a P and E for an ankle problem or badly bowed legs. It really will take care of itself. This little fellow will be just fine.”
Chauntal couldn’t keep her hands off the lovely bay colt. “Dr. Haristeen, what is periosteal stripping?”
“It’s pretty interesting, ma’am. You make a small, inverted T-shaped cut through the periosteum, right above the growth plate. You lift the edges of the periosteum, and in most young foals the leg will grow straight after four to six weeks. What the surgery really does is allow the slower-growing side of the leg to catch up. The cut releases the tension on the membrane that covers the growth plate—that’s what’s called the periosteum. Guess I should have said that in the first place.” He smiled reassuringly.
“Well, I’m going to ask Dan
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