Sammie's mum comes to visit

We went over to visit Max in his field this afternoon before taking ourselves off for lunch at mine. Max frisked Sammie's mum for pony nuts in a friendly way. She said he looks a lot darker in his winter coat. I think his winter coat does come in a bit darker than his summer one, but I don't notice so much because I'm with him every day.

He was Mr Love Bug today, just wanted affection and attention, bless his perfect wee hooves.

Nothing puts a smile on my face like that first look at Max in the morning. He is absolutely my delight, he is the throne of my joy, that horse. That horse I've dreamed of all my life, and suddenly here he is, big as life and twice as lovely. One look at him washes everything out of my head and just makes me smile. Can there really be anything wrong with that?

Do I love him above all other things in this world? No, I love him equally to the other important things in this world. But maybe, just maybe, nothing else can touch the delight I have in him. Maybe nobody else can quite get to the spot, that little hole in my psyche that Max fills. That is our special place, and I can't explain it, I can't justify it, and I certainly won't apologise for it. It just is what it is.

Max has just been for walks in hand this past weekend. Really quite disturbing stifle lock on Saturday morning for the first time in ages. Didn't bother him at all, but as I said, just recently he seemed to be getting a handle on it, so to see him in full lock again was disappointing. The Ent was there so he could finally see what it looks like, and he was quite horrified. It does look pretty dramatic when it happens, though Max and I are getting pretty used to it, by now.

I expect the cold weather has probably just stiffened him up a bit, and he was fine as soon as he started walking out, but no way did I want him to carry me on his back to compound things, especially with the ground being what it is just now.

So it was Ent and I walking him Saturday, between my morning and afternoon shifts at the yard, and Sunday, total BLISS, Max and I out on our own. Loved it! Very forward going Max, full of mischief, but just playful, not naughty. We had such a nice time and didn't bump into another soul!

He had one unfortunate trip on bumpy ground, and whilst recovering himself managed to stamp on my foot. Thank goodness for reinforced toes! Big dent in my Mountain Horse jod boots, and I had to walk back to the yard with it all squashed in like that, until I could find a good spot to take the boot off and push the toe back out again.

Rubbed some witch hazel/arnica gel into Max’s stifles when we got home. He was a little better today, and is sorting out lifting his hooves nicely again. Poor bug. I don't like that he has the problem, but I do like that we seem to be coping with it OK.