Page 37 of Dragon Her Heels

I laughed whenever someone claimed racehorses were horrifically abused. Buttercups had come to me the definition of spoiled rotten, and I worked to maintain her status as a queen equine.

Alligator Bait had learned, within two weeks of arrival, she was also a queen and deserved to be pampered, especially when she ran around in circles.

On the way to the barn, I detoured to release my frizzle from captivity, as I wouldn’t take the pullet anywhere unsafe for her. She made a fuss and followed, more like some loyal puppy than a bird. After making certain my little pet wouldn’t be hurt, I stripped Alligator Bait of her tack, swapped her bridle for a halter, and set her up on the bath stall’s cross ties, whistling a merry tune as I worked. A pop announced the arrival of some entity via teleportation, and rather than fuss over my guest, I prepped the hose and the shampoo nozzle.

“That is one happy horse,” Michael informed me. Leaning forward as though to get a view of my frizzle, he added, “What a strange yet endearing little chicken.”

I smiled at that. “Alligator Bait loves to run. I learned that fairly early. She’s one of those horses who lives to run and dies inside when she’s barred from racing. She’s why I installed a track here. Otherwise, I would have just ridden her in the pasture. But the pasture was never good enough, not for her.” I tested the water to make certain the temperature wouldn’t bother the filly before getting to work lathering up her coat. “For the record, she does not need bath time after every run, but she likes bath time, and she did a great job for me, so she gets what she wants. As for the frizzle, she tolerated being released with the other birds for a while today, which is good, as it means I can do my chores without worrying about her. I’m expecting to spend a lot of time walking her to and from the communal coop.”

“My brother tells me you have discovered the node.”

I appreciated the way the archangel asked many questions without asking any at all. The slight concern in his tone caught my attention, and I considered how best to answer him while working on cleaning Alligator Bait, one hand controlling the hose while the other rubbed the lather deep into her coat. When I finished with her, she’d shine—and then she’d find the muddiest puddle possible so I would brush her down or wash her again.

I loved everything about my horses.

“It seems a shame to just let it die out, but I don’t know what I can do for it. I’ll try after I finish bathing Alligator Bait and releasing her back into the pasture. And while I haven’t met the dragon yet, and I expect his castle is going to cause nothing but trouble for me, I dislike messes like that around my place.”

The archangel’s laughter chimed with the same tinkling quality of bells in crisp winter air. “You are not wrong. That dragon will be nipping at your heels, but if he is wise, he will make you like it. I have not peered into those futures, as I enjoy being surprised by these sorts of things. It is a trait I share with my brother at times, although I do not confess it often.”

“I’d get bored if I knew how every possibility would play out.” I shrugged, closed the valve for the shampoo, and went to work rinsing the suds out of my filly’s coat. “I don’t normally just release all the beasts to run the track like that, by the way.”

“I could tell from your horses. The one here is accustomed to the track, but the others were enjoying the liberty you offered them, to race as they wanted or not. If you are cultivating an environment of cooperation with them, you are succeeding. I fear my brother will have a difficult time luring his mare back to his many hells. She appreciates your care, especially with her new little one. You will find she will break him of the many bad habits he has due to a poor upbringing without a stallion. Stallions tend to be the ones who discipline within a herd, but Zenzi understands she needs to be a nurturer and trainer. Of course, she is from hell, and she has a better idea of what it is for colts to be gelded, so she will work to turn him into a good stallion prospect. I can tell you I have peeked at some of those possibilities. Should he be brought up to be a stallion, he will throw you many an excellent foal, in color and in temperament. The possibilities are present.”

“That’s better than what I was expecting. I don’t suppose you can help me figure out a good breezing schedule for Alligator Bait? Her endurance is going to need to be better than it is if we’re going to even try for the Triple Crown.”

“I appreciate your understanding of her current limitations. How did you come to that conclusion?”

“She flagged before the end of the third circuit. If she wants to take the Belmont Stakes, she needs to make it through the third circuit.”

The archangel made a thoughtful sound. “Time is with you. I can offer some guidance. Do not breeze her for at least four days before every scheduled race. That is when her desire to run peaks. She will fight you on her exercise the day before, but you will learn a great deal dealing with a filly who wants to run but also needs to cooperate with your instructions. If you establish a set routine before races, she will be less hard on you the day before the races—and she might even be, dare I say it, lazy until she gets into the gate.”

A lazy thoroughbred was a rested thoroughbred, and a rested thoroughbred stood the best chance of performing when needed. “A thoroughbred can be lazy?” I blurted.

The archangel chuckled. “This one can be, yes. I am sure you can figure out a routine that will teach her when she is running a race. For example, if you bathe her the day before the race, she will learn that is part of the race routine. Continue bathing her after breezes and races, but only bathe her the day before a race otherwise after light exercise. If I cannot come check on her the days you breeze her, one of my brothers will handle the task.”

“How much do I owe you?”

“You owe us nothing.” The archangel gestured in the direction of the lake. “Should you somehow manage to revive that node, you will do us all a great service, and making certain your horse is healthy will do little to rebalance the scales. We will make certain you remain legal for the competitions, but I will not lie to you; you will hold a significant advantage over the other racers because of your diligence.”

“They could hire angels to confirm the health of their horses during training, before races, and after races, but they won’t,” I guessed.

“Correct. The fee would lessen the purses they win, and it is about money for many of them. You are not racing only for the money, although you will enjoy using the winnings to pamper your horses, set up pastures to your liking, and maintain your track. When you race, the horse world will stop and watch, because you will only race the best, and you will put on a show for them, win or lose.”

“I don’t want to know if I win or lose,” I informed him. “That’s part of the fun.”

“Yes, it is. Once you finish her bath, do set her loose with her friends. She will want peace for the next day or two, and at most, you should trot her around the track rather than run her. She put her heart into it today, and she will need time to recover.”

“Right. Walk or trot the day after a breeze, canter or gallop for the next two days, and should she seem eager to breeze, consider a breeze the day after an endurance canter.”

“That is an excellent methodology. Get a speedometer for when you ride and a pair of specialty glasses so you can monitor distance, speed, and time. That will help with your training. I will make arrangements for a trainer to come assist you, on my dime, to help balance things for the work you will do on the node tonight, for better or worse.”

“Are there too many possibilities for the node?” I eyed the archangel with interest before checking I’d gotten the suds out of Alligator Bait’s coat. Once I confirmed she was properly cleaned, I grabbed the squeegee and went to work purging the water out of her coat.

The squeegee was her favorite part, and my mare flapped her lips in equine pleasure.

“There are, and your decision to interfere with its fate has opened many more possibilities. In truth, I prefer uncertain futures over set destinies. Those set destinies are often painful things best avoided if possible.”

“But they’re not.”