Mango Max!

Yes, he likes the mangoes! One of the other owners today observed that Max is a pony of expensive and exotic tastes if he hankers after mango, but it was a much reduced organic mango and it was for sharesies with me, so I don't begrudge him 50p. Not at all sweet, and I thought the texture might not be appealing, but he thought it was very nice indeed.

Full day at the yard today, so no work for Max. Took him out on a long walk yesterday, with my friend, K, accompanying. We had a good ol' natter as we trudged up and down hills, and Max gave us each a few nudges to express his annoyance at not being the centre of attention.

Beautiful day and as I walked I considered that I'm getting to know my boy pretty well. Very stop start as we headed out, and a bit of a stubborn streak too, which I accepted because I know he's always thus for the first ten minutes or so. Up one hill at a trudge.

I said to K "He'll have a couple of snorts as we get near the top of this hill, and then he'll get all springy and forward going."

He did exactly that, and started to power on through, with his springy walk and holding himself just beautifully. He really is as beautiful and stirring as a well crafted poem when he gets his stuff together and starts enjoying the outing!

I am hard pressed for time again tomorrow as I have to go up to London in the evening to support another friend having a book launch. K has taken a bit of the load off by offering to take Max out in the morning, for a walk with all his gear on, and if he's moving well and is amenable, she'll ride him for a bit too. That's all he needs, and I'm grateful for her help. I will forego my early morning visit to remove his rug and check that all is well with his world, because I know K will be there to do that for me. I will return to him in the afternoon for his ablutions, and perhaps a little play in the school, before releasing him to his field.

I'd like to be spending a bit more time with him to work on clicker training to really get him focused for loading and travelling away from home on Sunday, for his op on Monday. But we have Friday and Saturday to do that, and maybe it's good that we're both busy and I don't have time to dwell on what he's about to go through.

Fingers crossed that the results of this little blip on the horizon will pay off big time for Max. The fact that it may save me having to worry about his undercarriage is a low priority concern. I don't want it to work to take that task away from me, I want it to work to make Max's world a happier, healthier place.