theyâd train the horses not to shy at unusual things that might send the average horse into a frenzy. This was beginning to sound really fun.
âAnd what will we do?â Sam asked, but more than helping out, she wished she could ride Ace in the workshop. This time last year, she wouldnât have thought anything could make her cow pony act skittish, but a single trip to the outskirts of the city had shown her she was wrong.
âWell, the first class was supposed to take place at the fairgrounds tomorrow and someone forgot to write it down, or double-booked it, or something like that, and thereâs already a computer convention scheduled there, with lots of little booths and demonstrations in the arena, which is where the desensitization would have taken place. Not only that, the Police Explorers, a youth group that was supposed to create all the loud distractionsââ
âOh, now I get the part about the clown on the unicycle!â Sam interrupted, nodding. That was just the sort of thing a police horse would have to tolerate during parade duty.
It was beginning to make sense to her now.
âSo, the fire truck will run its lights and sirens so that if the horses are around emergency vehiclesâ¦â Sam mused aloud, and her mind went spinning on.
The big tarp would accustom them to walking over strange footing. The baby stroller would teach them to be careful by strange rolling objects. And if a horse would stand still for having an umbrella opened in its face, or a pistol fired nearby, heâd be tolerant of almost anything.
âDo you know how much Iâd love to take Ace through training like that?â Sam sighed.
Such things sure didnât come naturally, no matter how good the horse was. Sam knew that from experience. When sheâd ridden Ace into town for the rodeo, heâd spooked at a water truck, noisy children, andother things that police horses could encounter daily.
âDo it,â Jake urged. âYou know heâll want more volunteers for the posse.â
Mrs. Allen cleared her throat and looked a bit strained.
âThe thing is, when the sheriff mentioned the amount heâd budgeted for the fairgrounds and offered it to me, I said yes, of course we could stage the desensitization class here, but Iâll need some young people to help out.â
Sam didnât know how to feel. Even if she didnât get to use Ace, this was an exciting opportunity. She could learn a lot, help Mrs. Allen, and keep an eye on the injured mare. Her teeth sawed at her bottom lip as she imagined how nerve-wracking the strange sounds and scents would be for the mustang.
But sheâd be right there, and everyone else would be too busy to discover the hidden horse. And if, by some bizarre chance, someone did go into the barn and see her, wouldnât they think the palomino was just one of Mrs. Allenâs rescued mustangs? With luck, even Mrs. Allen would forget about the mare.
Sam sighed and smiled. Everything would work out for Mrs. Allen and the mare, and Ace was just fine the way he was.
âHow many kids did he say youâd need to help harass the horses?â Jake asked.
Sam hoped it wouldnât matter that sheâd missed about half of what Mrs. Allen had just said. She alsohoped Gram would let her put off cleaning the oven, and Brynna would agree to let her organize her bedroom closet some other day, because sheâd be helping to train horses for the sheriffâs posse, and helping Mrs. Allen make enough money to keep the wild horse sanctuary afloat. How could they possibly say no?
âHe didnât say,â Mrs. Allen told him. âJust some.â
âHow many volunteer riders are coming?â Jake persisted.
Mrs. Allen sucked in a breath through pursed lips. âIâm not sure. He mentioned his own horse, Jinx. Your Jinx, Sam,â Mrs. Allen added. âHard to believe Clara at the diner got him for one dollar
âAnd what will we do?â Sam asked, but more than helping out, she wished she could ride Ace in the workshop. This time last year, she wouldnât have thought anything could make her cow pony act skittish, but a single trip to the outskirts of the city had shown her she was wrong.
âWell, the first class was supposed to take place at the fairgrounds tomorrow and someone forgot to write it down, or double-booked it, or something like that, and thereâs already a computer convention scheduled there, with lots of little booths and demonstrations in the arena, which is where the desensitization would have taken place. Not only that, the Police Explorers, a youth group that was supposed to create all the loud distractionsââ
âOh, now I get the part about the clown on the unicycle!â Sam interrupted, nodding. That was just the sort of thing a police horse would have to tolerate during parade duty.
It was beginning to make sense to her now.
âSo, the fire truck will run its lights and sirens so that if the horses are around emergency vehiclesâ¦â Sam mused aloud, and her mind went spinning on.
The big tarp would accustom them to walking over strange footing. The baby stroller would teach them to be careful by strange rolling objects. And if a horse would stand still for having an umbrella opened in its face, or a pistol fired nearby, heâd be tolerant of almost anything.
âDo you know how much Iâd love to take Ace through training like that?â Sam sighed.
Such things sure didnât come naturally, no matter how good the horse was. Sam knew that from experience. When sheâd ridden Ace into town for the rodeo, heâd spooked at a water truck, noisy children, andother things that police horses could encounter daily.
âDo it,â Jake urged. âYou know heâll want more volunteers for the posse.â
Mrs. Allen cleared her throat and looked a bit strained.
âThe thing is, when the sheriff mentioned the amount heâd budgeted for the fairgrounds and offered it to me, I said yes, of course we could stage the desensitization class here, but Iâll need some young people to help out.â
Sam didnât know how to feel. Even if she didnât get to use Ace, this was an exciting opportunity. She could learn a lot, help Mrs. Allen, and keep an eye on the injured mare. Her teeth sawed at her bottom lip as she imagined how nerve-wracking the strange sounds and scents would be for the mustang.
But sheâd be right there, and everyone else would be too busy to discover the hidden horse. And if, by some bizarre chance, someone did go into the barn and see her, wouldnât they think the palomino was just one of Mrs. Allenâs rescued mustangs? With luck, even Mrs. Allen would forget about the mare.
Sam sighed and smiled. Everything would work out for Mrs. Allen and the mare, and Ace was just fine the way he was.
âHow many kids did he say youâd need to help harass the horses?â Jake asked.
Sam hoped it wouldnât matter that sheâd missed about half of what Mrs. Allen had just said. She alsohoped Gram would let her put off cleaning the oven, and Brynna would agree to let her organize her bedroom closet some other day, because sheâd be helping to train horses for the sheriffâs posse, and helping Mrs. Allen make enough money to keep the wild horse sanctuary afloat. How could they possibly say no?
âHe didnât say,â Mrs. Allen told him. âJust some.â
âHow many volunteer riders are coming?â Jake persisted.
Mrs. Allen sucked in a breath through pursed lips. âIâm not sure. He mentioned his own horse, Jinx. Your Jinx, Sam,â Mrs. Allen added. âHard to believe Clara at the diner got him for one dollar
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