Fast food

Another hard day at the yard, slogging through the mucking out in the heat, but hurrah! the last Saturday of the month, which means I only do the morning shift on the yard, and have the afternoon off.

I left just before noon, telling Max I'd be back in an hour or so, after a shower and lunch, and we'd spend some time together then. We shared my energising banana. Max loves him some banana! I had brought him a cherry tomato to try again, too, but he was not impressed. Squished all the goodness out of it, nodded in surprise, and then spit out the skin.

I got back after a fortifying sandwich, and took Max out of his box for a proper grooming and love up session, going for all his itchy spots. Rubbed the tips of his ears, which sent him all dopey and sleepy, and then had a chat with him about how we'd spend our time.

Decided to try longlining him in the paddock, and got him out there under the blazing sun, full of determination. Longlining in the school just wasn't on; it's just too hot and dusty for that to be any fun.

It didn't go well. Max started off gamely enough, but he was far too tempted by the grass, and tried to get his head down at every moment.

I had him on the Dually with long lines, and his extra head collar line to encourage him along.

He wasn't having it! Got him into trot, and he was just head down, snatching as he went.

"Head up, Max!" I encouraged.

"Make me."

I flailed the rope about gamely, snaking it behind him, whooping it along the ground in a skipping rope motion to no avail. He kept and eye on me all right, but a calculated eye. "How long will it take her to get to me, and how much can I cram in my gob before she does?"

Yes, frustrating because I knew I could get no good work out of him, but helpless to correct him with feeble lines and me laughing.

I then attempted taking one line off and trying to direct him that way, but it was no good. Gathered him up and said "Right, sir. A walk out, I think."

Left the pad and roller on, stopped briefly at the yard to drop off the longlines, and then out went into the world, in hand. I saw it as exercise, Max saw it as a moving feast.

We got there in the end though. A nice long walk, a big ol' trot for home, and we managed to work up a bit of a sweat, the two of us. Had a rider returning from a hack behind us, and when we got back to the yard she said "I' can't believe you ran all that way in this weather. I could barely sit in the saddle with this heat!"

Now we get back to the amazing things one can achieve with clicker training. Historically, Max has not coped well with fly spray. I've been cautious and careful, spraying fly spray onto a brush and then brushing him with it. Over the past week though, I've been spraying and clicking, gently, slowly, and we have reached the point where he will stand still, whether tied up outside, or in his box, and allow me to do that, then offer me his other side to do, too. He has a problem with his neck and chest being done, still, but we're getting round that.

So today, when he was all sweaty, I tried it with the hose. Hosed him down, clicking loads and then pausing to offer a reward, and we're getting somewhere with that now. Enough for me to think that tomorrow is proper bath day.

I am hoping, with Ent accompanying us, to take Max out for a ridden hack in his Dually, with Ent on stand-by with a lead rope. We'll see how we go, and if things get silly, Ent can clip the lead rope in and we'll carry on. I may look like a child on a pony ride, but I'm not bothered about that. It's all about building up Max's confidence and response to the pressure and release, and at least on a hack, I don't have to be quite so concerned about my wonky back misdirecting him. I can always hop off, too, if it really isn't going well.

So that, and bath day tomorrow. Bumper day for Mr Max. He won't like it, but he'll feel loads better after it's done.