Mad Max Goes Mental!

Well, it's not all cheeky mischief, comedy and best behaviour with horses, not even Max. Following is a tale when it all goes unexpectedly, surprisingly wrong.

Have never seen Max like it before, and I hope never to see him like it again.

We went out on a cheery hack with The Gardener and The Cob. Cob is a bit nappy (turns and tries to go home) and doesn't take the lead (backs his big bum into Max and me to shove Max to the front) so Max is leader when it's just we two (four) out on an adventure. Max is generally pretty good about this, too, solid young man that he is. He's a sensible boy anyway, and deals with commotion pretty well. All that ground work and clicker training we spent ages doing, doncha know!

Gardener and I had debated going out because of the heat, but actually yesterday there was a fairly cool breeze and cloud cover, so we decided to just have a nice walk about up to the woods. Famous last words.

We had one spook as we were heading up the edge of a field and a deer jumped out in front of us. Max coiled and launched himself into the wheat field full throttle with The Cob following, but it was a storm in a teacup, easily sorted and Max turned back when asked and continued in the lead. On we went, but he had a different feel to him.

This is often the case after a big surprise and spook. Once it has happened, Max goes into a more alert mode, probably the adrenaline rush, and becomes more likely to spook at less provocation.

We hit the patch of woods we were meaning to enter. Saw some movement on the other side of a hedge, Max got freaked and I was trying to work out if it was cyclists or riders that we couldn't quite see.

Max was trembling and I could see the whites of his eyes. The Cob was not willing to take the lead, so I decided to get on the ground to lead us past the scary bit, and then hop back on. We've done it before with no problems, and when Max is genuinely frightened, I have no qualms about settling him by getting down and leading.

Max kept trying to turn away, but I was insistent (more fool me!) and eventually, on we went, into the wood.

It was a little herdette of young coloured ponies, loose in a field, that caused the scare. I let Max have a good look once we were in the woods, so he could see what they were and that they meant no harm. We've gone past countless fields of loose horses on hacks and in hand, so I wasn't worried.

"There Max. You see? Just other horses. No problem."

They started chattering to him and Max lost the plot! Not scared any more, but completely distracted and excited. He became really forceful, little rears, pulling to get away from me, and eventually he did get away when I couldn't hold him any more. He blundered away from me and ran over to sniff the ponies that were all lined up eager to sniff him back.

This would be fine if it weren't for all the rusty barbed wired curled up everywhere. Disentangled him (not hurt) with a lot of effort managed to get him away from them and back to the path and The Cob. Then Max went nuts. It was like trying to hold on to the Tasmanian Devil. He wanted to go back to them, then they started running along the fence line, and I was thrown about like a bit of kindling.

The Gardener asked if I would have more control on board (chance would be a fine thing!) and I said "I'll end up in A&E back on board, I think!"

She managed to keep Cob contained and still, but didn't dare get off herself to try and help. Don't blame her, it would have been two of us helpless on the ground with horses losing their marbles all over the shop. Would have been carnage!

I got Max out to a clearing that was beyond the ponies' fence line and was getting him to walk on, and he went mental again, trying to get back to them.

Had a moment of thinking "How am I going to get him home? Shall I just leave him here to live wild?"

He managed to stomp on my foot and pull my boot off (thank goodness for his bare feet; I still have my toes) and with tremendous effort, some quiet words, some not so quiet words and a bit of luck, we got him going again, away from them finally, and when I felt him relax enough, I got back on. He was good as gold after that.

Was I scared? Um... yeah, I think I was scared, more for Max doing himself an injury than anything else. Didn't think of what might happen to me while it was all going on, just concentrated on getting Max under control and safe.

I'm turning it over in my mind wondering how I could have handled it better, and I'm really not sure how I could have, other than listening to him when he wanted to turn back in the first place.

He went all Arab stallion on me!

"Feel my power, puny biped! Crush, Crush, Crush! Mwah ha ha!"

The only other times I've seen him even slightly like this was when there was clay pigeon shooting when we were out for a walk in hand, and the Ent was trying to contain him, and when the very low flying helicopter flew over us when I had him in hand. Those two occasions were very short lived though, and he settled really quickly once the danger was gone.

This time, he started out really scared, then went to to really excited and curious. No idea why. It has been suggested that perhaps the ponies were saying something to him that I couldn't understand.

"Oi! Your mum is a wimp and she smells bad! Come over here, petal, and show us what you're made of!"

The only thing that could have helped, looking back on it, is if I had gone out with a head collar and long line as back up. That would have given me some leverage, but I don't generally go out with such a back up plan ready, because Max has never needed it.

We had intended to go home via where the Motorcross is set up in a clearing with all the tape that flaps and freaks him out, and I told The Gardener that I didn't want to go that way because if Max lost it again I had no more strength or energy to contain him.

I know when I did let him go, it was saying, "He won't leave us, he won't go too far", and I know that's true. But you can't help but wonder what damage they can do to themselves when they get glazed over like that, especially with rusty barbed wire everywhere.

Do I ache today? Just a bit. Feel like I've been in the boxing ring, actually and my back and shoulders sure didn't need it!

Will avoid that little bit of wood for the next wee while, I think.

As for Max, he spent some time today with his big ol' head resting in my lap, placidly taking apple bites from my hand and breathing in slow and deep. Maxo Relaxo once more.

Just one of those things that happens with horses sometimes. You can't prepare for moments like that, you just have to hope your horse has enough trust in you to listen and comply. Max did, eventually, and for that I am grateful.