Carole Seddon accompanies Jude to Long Bamber Stables so her friend can apply her healing touch to a lame horse, only to stumble upon the body of a man beyond medical help—alternative or otherwise. The victim, former equestrian champion Walter Fleet, worked in the stables—spending more time grooming himself to impress the ladies than he did grooming the horses.
 
The police attribute the stabbing death to the mysterious “Horse Ripper,” who’s been mutilating mares across West Sussex—and who Walter obviously caught in the act. But considering Walter’s track record out of the saddle, Jude and Carole find that there are plenty of suspects—including Walter’s put-upon wife and more than a few jealous husbands—who wanted Walter put out to pasture...