In the court of the Wayward Prince

That's where I live right now, the Prince's Fool, my jester's hat firmly in place.

Don't know what's gotten into the boy, but we hit a bit of a block, and have been bickering and frustrated with each other. Change of seasons? Maybe. Howling winds? Most probably a factor.

Couldn't get Max into the school until 11.00 and then waited for the 11.00 lesson to finish which cut my time with Max short.

Then Max was an absolute pratt on the right rein and kept cutting out on me and taking himself round a jump to evade my instructions.

We tried a few times, he kept cutting out, then he eventually exploded and I dropped the lines while he hooned about full tilt.

Watched for a bit, keen to see he wasn't getting tangled up in his lines, but whenever I approached he'd take off again.

"Right, you bugger," I thought. "You want to run like a loon? Then run you shall!"

So I kept him going. When he stopped for a breather, I waved him on with my hands and my lunge whip (nowhere near him, of course.

"Go on then, run, if that's what you want to do! GO!"

"I will! You are not the boss of me. I am horse. I am the elements. I cannot be contained!"

"Whatever. Run! Go on!"

He'd give a buck in my general direction and then take off at speed, skid to a stop and run some more.

Pretty awesome to watch, truth be told. My heart was in my mouth because he was doing the wild thing, and I was all about his safety as he kicked out against the school wall and turned so tight in a cloud of dust, but when I could shuffle those thoughts aside... Amazing Max, all crazy, hairy mane and flying hooves really going for it. Utterly breathtaking. Beautiful.

"Go on, sir! Do it again, you like running so much! Run!"

And off he'd go, looking quite rebellious and peeved.

"You can't catch me!, Nyah!"

"Don't want to catch you, hooligan. Run like the hounds of Lucifer are at your heels. Go on! Show me what you got! Bring it!"

This we did for a good long time until Max finally stopped and faced me, puffed.

His sides heaved and his nostrils flared red. He stood still and watched me.

"Done now, are we?" I asked.

"A bit tired, mum. Kiss?"

He offered his nose. Retrieved him with no words and no eye contact, but a little pat on his shoulder to say we were OK.

"Right sir, as I was saying before you interrupted..."

Tried again. Better. Fine on left rein, a turn at trot to right again, two good circuits and I quit while we were ahead.

Sigh.

"Good boy, Max!"

"Still?"

"Always."

Today we tried again, on the lunge rather than the lines, and he was right back at it.

Off he went, evading on the right rein, and dragged me away to the far end of the school. Not so much of a drag as me following with slight pressure to try and bring him back to stand. Didn't want to jab his mouth, but did want to try and figure out what his behaviour was about.

I said nothing, I collected him, I sorted him out and clucked him on.

"It's OK Max, you can't do anything wrong. We're just going to figure this out together, OK? What's troubling you? Tell me."

Off he went, no problem, but now we were working in the far end of the school rather than the near end of the school by the door.

He went like a dream. A sluggish dream, I'll grant you, but no evasion, no dragging me off, no trying to put a jump between me and him.

Could it really be that simple?

I was thinking bit problem, teeth problem, some other kind of big problem... Just doesn't like the end of the school with the door? Could that be it?

Lunged for ten minutes each rein, and then rode for another 20 minutes at trot, taking him all over the school, changing diagonal, trying a few canters (failing) (whatever!) and bringing him to a walk, stand, rein back... "click" dismount and we were done.

Liquorice as his reward, girth loosened, stirrups run up. The End.

Need to think about this one.

The weather has not been our friend for a good couple of weeks now. He may be bored with the indoor school - I know I am - but he seems to have something to say about being lined or lunged in the top half of the school, which doesn't bother him in the bottom half of the school or ridden.

That will take a bit of pondering to figure out.