Raja, Story of a Racehorse by Anne Hambleton

Author:Anne Hambleton
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780615540290
Publisher: Old Bow Publishing

8

Ten-Foot Cop

October, Manhattan, New York

“So this is our newest mount, eh?” Troop Captain Dennis Rourke patted my neck as I took in the tidy, high-ceilinged, light-filled stable, looked down the two aisles of 20 or so horses, and tried to identify the strange new smells: saddle soap and brass polish mingling with diesel from the boats splashing on the river next to the stables and trucks rumbling along the road on the other side.

“He’s a looker, isn’t he? What a beauty. He’s going to bring this troop up a notch or two. Welcome to the Big Apple and the New York Police Department, Sasha.”

Fresh, clean shavings and full hay net waited for me in a large corner stall. After drinking deeply from the slightly metallic-tasting water bucket, I rolled.

Ah! fresh shavings, my favorite.

As I stood up and gave my body a good shaking, a dark brown, dished face with wide eyes and a shaggy forelock popped up and stared at me through the stall dividers.

“Hullo there, pleased ta meet’cha, I’m UVM Oliver. I’m a Morgan and a Veh’montah. I’ve bin with the patrol for seven years. Welcome to Manhattan, the strangest island, strangest people you’ll evah see. By jeezum, when I fust came to the city, I couldn’t believe all of the cahrs, and people and noyse. Couldn’t sleep fuh weeks. No green grass, ya know. All I knew was mountains and cows. It’s a shock, I tell ya — horns, engines, sirens, all day and all night.” He took a sip from his water bucket. “Ayuh, not too many of you high-strung Thoroughbred fellas on the force, but the ones that make it are good ones.”

He paused to catch his breath, then continued, “Here’s what ya need to know: every horse here is a professional, even the ones that don’t look like much. In fact, they’re the best ones. Whether you’re a Thoroughbred, a Morgan, a Quarter Horse, or a cross, your job is protectin’ people. They say one mounted officer is worth ten on the ground. ‘Ten-foot cops,’ they call us.”

He stopped to lick the block of salt on the wall of his stall. “Ayuh, since Officer Yuri is your partner, you’ll get Times Square and Central Pahrk. I had Central Pahrk for yeah’s with my partner, Officer Mike. Loved it.”

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