I'm so hungry I could eat a human!

Max is grumpy. He tells me that he just isn't getting enough to eat and it's causing a Big Bad Mood.

Saying that, he's definitely looking trimmer, we all think so. Fat pads have pretty much disappeared, and though his neck still has a few ridges in the crest, it's feeling much softer which is all good stuff. So in the pony paddock he stays for the foreseeable future. He's happy with his two pony mates, and they're all certainly thriving.

We tried a bit of long lining and free style today in the indoor school. Max was yawning for England as we went round, and I had to chivvy him along with lots of energy, stomping, and chasing, but he did some good work. By the end, he was a little warm, and I was dripping. Ah well, a bit of exercise doesn't hurt me, either.

I've had a query about "willy watch" from a curious and concerned friend. I haven't mentioned it because there isn't much to mention. We could still be dealing with a bit of internal scar tissue, but basically he still no droppy, whether I looky or not.

But now, "no droppy" is a much better state of affairs than it was. He does drop, just enough to make things a whole lot better, and the important thing is that he no longer has that ledge inside to cause problems with pooling, so we have to see his op as a success, even if he never goes any further than he can go now.

The cleaning issue isn't a chore for either of us as it once was. I can go days without attending to it, and when I do, it's really short work and Max hardly has time to get riled about it.

The alarming thing for Max is the amount of interest that is generated when he has a wee, and not just by me. Was talking to a friend on the yard yesterday who admitted that she'd been there the day before and heard Max having a wee, and she rushed over to his box to have a look.

"Please! Give a boy some privacy!"

She was caught by the YO, who said "You're a bit sad, aren't you?" (then admitted that she does the same). Poor Max. Always an audience for his private business.

His latest trick is untying himself when he's tied up outside. I was confronted about this today and had to swear that I hadn't taught him. He just gets fidgety if tied up too long with no attention, covertly plays with his rope (pretends he's not doing it if I'm there to query him), and eventually sets himself free.

The barn roof was being painted yesterday, and as it was right over Max's stable, with ladder in front of his box, so I moved him to a safer spot, along with a few other neds who were affected. They were all pretty well behaved considering the noise, the spray, the smell and the strangers clamouring up ladders.

It wasn't finished by the time I left, and I heard that once I'd cleared off, Max managed to untie himself twice and take himself off for a wander about the yard. He doesn't cause trouble, he just ambles around, talking to other horses before settling by the hay and having a nosh.

Truth is, if I had my own place, I'd just let him do that anyway. A open door barn he could choose to use if he wanted, and freedom of the yard. Course, he'd need like minded companions to keep him company. I'm sure I could find some volunteers!

Maybe one day...