The chickens came out to greet her, their hopeful clucks reminding her that they needed feeding, too. The moment she pulled open the heavy barn door, Star nickered and bobbed her head. “I’m coming, girl,” she said. “Give me a minute to take care of the chickens and fix your grain.” She scattered some hen scratch in front of the barn and watched the chickens pick the small bits of feed from the grass. Later, she’d gather the eggs they’d laid. Star whinnied, urging her to hurry with her breakfast. Jordan mixed the vitamins in with the biotin supplement that was supposed to help Star’s feet and added a dash of corn oil to make her coat shiny. “When you get better and you’re exercised regularly, I’ll up your ration,” she told the big black mare. “But until then, you’re on a restricted diet.” She opened the stall door and stepped inside. Star Gazer stretched her lips toward the grain can, and Jordan had to dodge her attempts at sneaking a bite out of the can before it was poured into her feed bucket.
