Role reversal

Max still wasn't on top of his game today, so we took things pretty easy. He can stretch his neck forward for kisses, but saying "yes" and "no" is done without his usual vigour.

We went into the indoor school to just hang out for a bit. Max had a huge roll, and then I scratched all his best places as he manouevered himself around to make sure I didn't miss any.

He took himself off for a walk around the track while I pulled bits of school floor out of his tail - the thought did cross my mind that if anyone had wandered in at that point, they'd have wondered what on earth we were up to!

We did a little bit of clicker training, played a little football, and did a lot of just wandering about, Max snuffling the ground and me ruffling his mane and chatting quietly to him. We both enjoyed it.

I took him back to the yard, but not into his box, as it had been mucked out in our absence. Max was perturbed by this and indicated that he wanted to go in. I think he probably would have preferred his stable to the field tonight, but that's not the routine. I considered, though, that he was also after a drink of water after his dusty roll, so I went in a fetched him one of his freshly filled buckets. I brought that out and he immediately had a deep greedy drink, lifted his head, water dripping from his whiskers, then slowly and deliberately pushed his stable door closed, with me still inside.

Cheeky monkey!

I tried to open the door to come out, which is when Max chose to lean into it and bar my way. The boy has me on weight every time.

"Max! Let me out!"

His response was to stretch his head over the stable door and sweetly ask for a kiss.

"Huh!" I snorted. "Are you going to give me a treat if I do?"

No reply, just slightly twitching lips, as if he was having a little chuckle at my expense.

He did eventually relent and set me free, and then off to the field we went. It's still bitterly cold with no hope of respite until after the weekend.