Tame a Wild Wind by Cynthia Woolf Page A

and clean it out around the frog with the hoof pick.”   She was working on Samson and showed RJ what she meant.  
    “After you’ve done that take this large metal file and file the rough parts of the hoof.   We only do this to the colts and fillies that have no shoes yet.   John Bergstrum, the blacksmith, does it to the grown horses when he gives them new shoes.   We get the horses new shoes every year, sooner if they throw them.”
    “That’s interesting.   I didn’t know about the shoes.”
    “Yes, horses wear metal shoes to protect their hooves just like we do our feet.”
    “No not that.   I know they wear shoes.   I meant I didn’t know about the filing or the once a year.   I’ve never watched Mr. Bergstrum shoe a horse.”
    “Maybe we’ll make that a special trip for the next time we have to take one of the horses in or if we get him to come out here, you can watch him work.   Now you go curry Delilah.”
    “Mom, don’t we have men who do this?   Why do I have to do it?”
    “Yes, we do have men who usually do this work,” she said as she continued to pick at Samson’s hoof.   “But we need to know how to do it, too.   We, as the owners of these great animals, must know how to take care of them.   What if, someday, we couldn’t afford to hire men to do it?   What would happen to the animals then?”
    “They could get sick, huh?” RJ said quietly.
    “Yes, this isn’t just grooming.   If Samson gets a rock in his hoof, it hurts and he can’t walk without pain much less run.   I think you’re beginning to understand.”
    RJ nodded then went to curry Delilah.
    Cassie smiled.   A new lesson had been taught and understood.   She was so proud of her son.
    *****
    Cassie went to check on Sheba and found her on the ground writhing in pain.   She was foaling and from the sounds of it something was not right.
    “Davy!” she yelled for the stable hand.
    “Yeah, Miss Cassie.” he answered.
    “Go get Doc Johnson as fast as you can.   Sheba’s starting to foal.   Tell him to bring his bag.   It looks like it might get ugly fast.”
    RJ had heard his mother’s call.   “What’s wrong, Mama?   Why is Sheba on the ground?”
    “She’s having her foal, Sweetheart.   Will you go get Sam for me?”
    “Sure.”   He took off running.
    Cassie dropped to her knees next to Sheba.   “It’s all right girl,” she cooed.   “We’ll get that baby out of you and it will be all right.   Let’s get this tail wrapped up, shall we?”   She continued to talk softly to the mare while she worked to wrap her tail in cloths she’d put in the stall specifically for that purpose.
    “Now let’s have a look and see what’s happening, okay, girl.   Here we go.”   Cassie lifted Sheba’s tail and gazed at the sack protruding from her.   Her water broke when she lay down and now she was moaning and pushing.   Cassie saw her muscles move with each contraction.
    She examined the thin sack and saw two feet, one slightly in front of the other.   They were the rear feet, the hooves pointing at Sheba’s tail.   The foal would probably have to be pulled.
    Sheba moaned and shrieked.
    “What’s the matter with her?” asked Sam running in with RJ on his heels.
    “The foal is breach.   I’m going to have to help her but I may not be strong enough.   I haven’t had to pull a breach foal before.”
    “I’ll help if you need me.”
    “Mama, can I stay?” asked RJ.
    “Yes, but you get on the other side of the stall and look in through the rails, you hear me?   I don’t need to worry about you, too, right now.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”   RJ went silently to the next stall and sat so he could see over the bottom rail into the birthing stall where Sheba lay.
    Cassie rolled her sleeves up as far as they would go.   She got on her knees, grasped the foals hooves and gently pulled them down towards Sheba’s feet.   They slid for a short way and then stopped.   Cassie repeated the