Stealth pony

Max has revealed the purpose of his untying of knots. He has lulled the yard workers into a false sense of security thinking that he is only going for the hay. He is already ahead of them because, being shoeless, it's often not obvious when he's on the move. While others horses clip clop, Max tends to pad.

Once spotted padding, he is invariably heading for the central hay stash, where he can easily be caught, returned to his station, tied up and there he'll stay for, oooh, minutes.

The truth is, he was just doing a recce. He is too big to get into the feed room itself, which is right outside his stable door, but being a clever pony, he has worked it out! How many days has he watched the red 4X4 come up into the yard, park in front of his box, and unload its bounty of pony nuts and chaff into the feed room bins and then... then were do those other bags go?

Well, as Max discovered with his highly developed sense of sneakiness, they go in the hay barn, stacked on shelves out of the way.

Which is where he was found yesterday afternoon after making his quiet escape. Past the central hay stash, past the feed room, into the hay barn, turn right, over to the shelves, bit a hole in the bag of pony nuts and JACKPOT!

He was caught before he'd eaten much, had really only just managed to get the bag open before he was thwarted.

This setback will only make him more determined, I fear, and much more sly.