Braveheart

Was out on Max for about two hours today, following the Ent on a bike. We went to the next village Common, which was another new adventure for young Max. Along a few familiar paths at first, and then one right turn that took us away from the realm of all knowledge.

He was fairly good. Tried to turn for home a couple of times, got a little worked up when we met yard mate trotting along with his carriage, and when we finally got to the Common, he bellowed out one lone neigh. He was very keyed up by then, and it was like riding a coiled spring. Really on his toes, really tall underneath me, all front end and no back, like he'd shortened or something (and no, he wasn't poking his nose out, but he had his head right up - not evading the bit, either).

As we turned for home, I did think I was going to lose him. I wasn't worried about him peeling off, I was worried about spooking though, and he seemed pretty ripe for a sideways, backwards, circular leap/flip-out.

As soon as we got back to the path he knew, he started to relax, I could feel the tension easing out of him, and didn't have to hold him to me so much. Really nice to let him go - not that I was applying loads of pressure, I wasn't, but I certainly had him gathered with my hands. Felt like I was riding the whirlwind, even though we had only been trotting.

He trotted most of the way home then mainly in the lead, but not too far, and then had a big hose down because he was pretty wet, and all lathered up between his hinds. I think he could have gone further, he was not flagging in stamina at all, but he did seem pretty happy to be home.

His box is such a sun catcher, and it was so warm (for November!!) that I left his fleece off after the hosing to let him air dry. Was afraid he'd get all clammy, otherwise.

Am a little wary about fireworks tonight. We've found a few rockets in the bottom half of Max's field, which must have been let off from local gardens. I'm sure he's been through fireworks before though, and he's a fairly stout-hearted chap, really.

I guess I'll try to take him that way a few more times, with Ent, in hand, and with other horses, until it doesn't seem unfamiliar any more. Then we can ride it, or at least part of it, on our own. He'd had trouble with the path leading to the common before, because it's quite gravelly, but whether his feet are tougher, or the fallen leaves helped to soften it, he wasn't troubled this time.