Chapter 45 Summary

Dr. Farnon greets Herriot at breakfast with a news article stating that large animal producers generally don't love their animals like small producers do. This segues into a call that Dr. Farnon asks Herriot to take to float two horses' teeth. The farmer is John Skipton, one of the most successful farmers in the region.

Herriot arrives, and Skipton greets him. The old man grabs a pitchfork and hefts a small bale on his shoulder, telling Herriot to follow him. Herriot grabs his floating tools, which are quite heavy, and struggles after the older man. They finally reach a nice spot, where Herriot sees two horses resting in the creek. As they approach, Herriot realizes that the horses are very old. The mare is a chestnut, and the gelding is a bay, but they are so old they look like roans, or horses...