Page 23 of Dragon Her Heels

“I’m not willing to test their fortitude against a falling leaf,” I replied in my most dignified tone. “Maybe you should check the livestock pens to see if there are any goats.”

“I could, but then we’d have to figure out how to get the goats home.”

“Suit yourself. Wish me luck. I’m going in.”

* * *

The red halter proved to be unsuitable for any of my horses, and I contemplated throwing a temper tantrum in the feed store over the situation. Muttering curses under my breath, I returned it to the hook, eyeballing the selection that might fit my tank of a Clydesdale. Of the six that would do the job, only one had any color at all, and I suspected the neon orange might be visible from space.

In good news for me, David didn’t seem all that particular about the color of his halters, so he might forgive me for the abuse of his supreme equine self.

The gentleman I’d been eyeing stopped what he was doing to stare at the neon monstrosity in my hand. “Are you buying that for a horse?”

I wouldn’t blame him for his reaction. If I attempted to put the halter on my thoroughbreds, it’d slide right off with no resistance. “Surprisingly, yes.” I pointed at the halter I’d wanted. “Unfortunately, that one is too small.”

If I were fishing, my bait would have gotten me a solid bite, as he came closer to have a look at the red halter. He picked it up and examined it, checking the tag.

To my eternal dismay, his eyes lit up. “This one should fit. I’ve been standing here for thirty minutes trying to decide on what halter and tack to get, and I’m just coming to the conclusion I have no idea what I’m actually doing.”

While fortune did not favor me often, I would embrace the opportunity to meet the man, who had a silky voice of moderate pitch. I questioned if he’d be able to growl in the right circumstances, although I appreciated he lacked the deep, rumbling tones some women favored.

“What breed of horse?”

“I have no idea. I was just given sizes and told to make myself useful. I’m shopping for a friend. I like horses, but all I’ve done is ride and groom them. The tack was always somebody else’s problem.”

I could think of a few circumstances where someone would know how to groom a horse and ride a horse without being able to tack them: he rode a friend’s horse, and the friend handled the saddle and bridle.

“Well, if you have the sizes, we can see if they have what you need.” I pointed at the limited supply of saddles. “You don’t want to buy those here unless you’re a raw beginner; you’ll want to go to a dedicated shop for the saddle to make certain it’s the right kind for the horse. The bridle and halter you can get here.” I pointed at the brand of bridles I preferred for my beasts. “I like those, and they make them for most styles of riding. The leather is good quality, the default bit is good quality and gentle enough, and it’s durable. While my Clydesdale ruins halters looking at them, we’re still on his first bridle.”

After draping the halter over his arm, he went to check out the bridles, and after reading labels and checking a note card, he selected one. “What do you think about the saddle issue?”

“Is that the horse’s measurements?” I asked, pointing at the card.

He nodded and handed it over.

According to the owner, the horse was actually a demon of moderate size with measurements similar, albeit a bit larger, to Alligator Bait. The bit larger part made the red halter suitable for the animal. I checked the saddles the feed store had and discovered he had a decent selection to work with. Closer examination of the card indicated the horse was used for barrel racing.

I pointed at the saddle he wanted. “This one should fit and do the job. It’s cheap, but if you just need a saddle, this should get you started until you can get a good one.”

He stared at the saddle and its price tag, which would set him back two hundred, which was a bargain for a saddle. “Is this expensive or cheap?”

“It’s cheap,” I informed him. “David’s saddle cost me six thousand dollars. He’s huge, so I had to buy him a custom saddle. Don’t ask how much his harness and carriage cost, but I haven’t started working him with the carriage yet. He loves going on rides despite being a challenge to work with.”

According to his expression, I’d broken his heart. “Is it bad that I don’t want to buy something cheap?”

“Buy the cheap saddle to start with, and once you’re more skilled, upgrade it. It should be a serviceable saddle, especially if you’re a beginner at barrel racing.”

“I am,” he replied. “I don’t want to trash my friend’s tack.”

Uh oh. I dealt with a considerate man. His face and physique were already causing me problems.

I did not need a nice tall, dark, and handsome sharing space with me.

“This saddle should work for learning how to barrel race on your friend’s horse.” I pointed at the saddle blankets and pads. “They have some nice ones here, and if your friend is anything like me, there is no such thing as too many of those. You can spoil your friend’s horse and your friend with saddle pads and blankets.” To put my money where my mouth was, I selected a red pad the match of my truck. “Do you live in the area?”

“I moved away for a while, but I’ll be moving back into the area soon enough.”

Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. “If your friend’s horse isn’t available and you need some love from some horses, come pay me a visit. I live near Lake Hancock. Just go to the house at the end of Fox Hunt Drive and see if I’m home.” As I’d already made enough of a fool of myself, I shot him a salute. “Good luck with your friend’s horse. There’s nothing quite like riding a racer.”