[Shotgun Andy]

April Swanson had always wanted a horse. Ever since she was eight years old, and her father let her ride that fat little skewbald pony at the fair, she had yearned for an equine companion of her very own. She had waited years and years, her family never able to afford her dream, until finally, in high school, she had become resigned to the fact that she might never own a horse.

She continued with her life, going to college and graduating with a pre-veterinary degree. She continued her education with another four years of graduate school until she became a veterinarian. Because she resided in a large city, her clients were mostly the owners of small pets. She had long ago given up her dream to own a horse. She rarely even thought about it, actually.

One bitterly cold day, as she was perusing the periodicals rack at the local grocery store she was accidentally bumped in the hip by the grocery cart of a man looking at animal magazines.

"Oh, pardon me!" the man exclaimed, his embarrassment evident on his face. "I was searching for the latest edition of Equine World and I didn't see you."

"Quite all right," April commented. "No harm done."

She was about to move away when the man idly remarked, "I heard this month's issue has information on dealing with laminitis. I hope the info can help with my horse. I don't want to have to put her down."

This snapped April to attention and she whirled to face the man, who was looking intently at the magazines. "When did your horse founder?" she asked.

The man looked up, surprised that she had replied to his stray comment. "This morning. I called the vet out but he's stuck in his house because of all this snow we've been getting lately. I have a four-wheel-drive, but there's no way I can get the horse trailer out of my driveway in this weather. The vet advised home treatment since no one can get to Annie to help her."

"I am a veterinarian. I would be willing to come out to your place and help with your horse. I have a large truck that seems to cut through ice like a hot knife through butter," April said with a smile.

"Really? Wow, that would be great!" the man said excitedly. He dug into his pocket and produced a card, which he handed to April.

April took it and proclaimed in awe, "You breed Quarter Horses?" When the man nodded, she continued by saying she would go home and get her medical equipment and then meet him at the farm since she knew its location.

When she arrived at the farm she was amazed at how well-kept the place was and how healthy the horses were, but when the man, whose name was Mark Ganis, showed her to the distressed mare, she knew immediately what had caused the horse to founder.

The feed-room door was standing wide open, one of the grain barrels overturned and half empty. "Got into the grain, did she?" April asked Ganis.

The beautiful blood-bay mare stood cross-tied in the aisle attempting to shift all her weight onto her back legs.

Ganis nodded. "The groom forgot to lock the feed-room door before turning the horses out. Annie here got loose and had eaten a bushel before we could stop her."

"Well, let's see what we can do for Annie," April said. "First thing you need to do is remove her from this warm barn and go stand her in the snow. We have to cool her hooves. It might also be a good idea for me to administer some mineral oil via stomach tube to prevent colic."

Over the next couple of weeks, April continued to treat the mare, which was in foal to a famous Quarter Horse racing champion and full sister to a national cutting champion. She helped deliver Annie's Rifle's foal, a chestnut colt that Ganis named ShotGun Andy. Ultimately, April replaced Mr. Ganis' regular vet, and after several years of business together, the two became romantically involved, eventually marrying. April became a regular figure in the horse-show arena, riding many of her husband's horses to victory. On their first wedding anniversary, Mark presented April with her first horse - Shotgun Andy.

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws