Spook rebuke

Clocks have gone back and I've had to re-think my Max time. Lots of overtime at the office, which has meant not having enough time to do much with Max over the lunch hour between my office shift and my yard shift. Over the summer, there was always the possibility of doing a little something at half four (although admittedly I was usually too knackered) but with the nights getting ready to close in, that's not an option.

There's always the indoor school, of course, but with a queue of nine to fivers with the same idea, and my dislike of leading my pony out to his field in the dark, let alone giving him time to cool down properly first so he won't get a chill, that doesn't really work for me.

I considered going to the yard very early and working with him before the office, but that throws up questions of whether he should have his breakfast feed before or after we work. Not fair to have his routine upset with no breakfast waiting for him when he gets in, and not a great idea to ask much of him for at least an hour after he's had his hard feed. Added to that, after his breakfast he likes to have a comfy snooze, so it's not the best time to be asking him to be attentive and working.

So instead, I went to the office very early and packed my yard gear and a bit of lunch in the car, so I could ensure I'd be free to drive straight to the yard and be out with Max in plenty of time to be back and sorted for yard duties.

The best laid schemes of mice and men... Arrived at the yard and got chatting with YO, then got chatting with farrier (anybody who arrives on the yard and sees me there assumes I'm working, even when I'm not) and then hustled to saddle up and get Max out for a hack. We had a good hour and a quarter before we had to be back, and I knew it wasn't the end of the world if we were a little late.

A fine day, and we were off at a plod, but Max was relaxed and we went forward with no commotion. For a good half hour, that's how we went, and then we had "gang aft agley" again.

We had gone past the alpacas, no problem. We trotted up an open lane, past a clearing, and we heard voices. Not in our heads, proper voices. All I could see ahead was a runner coming towards us, and he wasn't talking.

I moved Max to one side to let the runner past, and then spied a man further up, in the hedgerow. I let Max have a look and then urged him on.

Then another man popped up out of nowhere, near the first. Max had a stop and stare, and I returned a wave the two men gave me. The wave made Max want to turn for home, but I turned him back.

They waved again, Max turned again.

I urged Max forward, and as I got closer the second man said "We're waiting to start a chainsaw when you get past."

"Oh... OK..." I said, as Max turned back for home again. And again.

I weighed it up in my head, and decided best course was to get off and lead him past, as he was not loving two figures in the brambles, and I didn't want to hold them up.

We walked past, smiled, pleasantries, explained that Max was a bit inexperienced about hacking alone and we'd soon be out of their way.

I eased him into trot and then blow me down, didn't two other figures suddenly appear out of the brambles to our right!

Max lost his cool.

"Aieeeee! Demons descend upon us from the ditch! Retreat! Run for your life!"

He spun quickly and lurched away, me holding his reins.

"Help! I can't hold him..." and as the words left my lips, Max broke free.

"Look out, dad!" said one of the men, as Max barrelled towards him.

Dad was OK, he was nimble, and so was Max and they gracefully sidestepped each other.

I watched helplessly as Max ran away, giving a little sideways buck as he got clear, which raised my suspicions about how scared he was, because that sideways buck, I know well. That's the Max equivalent of a two finger salute with a "You can't make me do what you say!"

"Is he mad?" asked the Dad as I trudged past.

"No, just a fraidy cat."

I was cursing myself for dismounting because I'd have had better control if I'd stayed on board, but I hadn't wanted to hold them up from their work, and now I had a loose Max heading for an open field which led to a busy road.

"Max!" I commanded. "Stand."

"Max," the man echoed, "Listen to your mum you daft pony!"

I made it to the clearing and saw Max standing in the field not far from me. I forced my body language and my voice to be calm.

He jumped as I appeared.

"Max, really now!" I chided.

Bless him, he trotted to me.

"Bad place this! Shall we go?"

I gathered his reins.

"You've made us look like a right pair of pillocks, young sir."

"Who cares? You're kinda weedy really, aren't you? I'm way stronger than you!"

"Quite. You could definitely beat me at tug of war."

But who cares indeed? I was just happy to have him back in hand and safe, bugger anything else.

I led him back to the path, and called out to the men that I'd take him back the way we came, thanks for being understanding. La,la la...

In hand we went, Max very prancey, until we found a quiet spot for me to launch myself back up into the saddle.

"Home now?"

"You're having a laugh! Forward, not home."

"D'oh!"

We retraced our steps back to the lane, and then crossed over and continued our hack in the opposite direction, and we were fine. Max was frisky and forward, I was calm and stern (but not forceful) and our adventure ended happily with a sponge down and carrot stretches.

Tomorrow, we try again. There will always be Some Thing to overcome and we just need to practice and get more solid in our trust of each other. I can't beat Max on strength either, and he knows it, but today he showed me that in fright and mischief,he'd still rather be with me than without. I'm his lead mare!

I'm sure today if we'd had another sturdy and wise horse with us we'd have got past our obstacle without commotion, and if I hadn't felt under pressure to get Max past the men waiting to start their chainsaw, I could have handled it better for both of us.

C'est la guerre. Take the lesson onn the chin and go forward.