Cool hooves, cool pony

All is well with Max's feet. This morning, anyway. All four, equally cool, but still we must keep the exercise up.

Today, Max and I ranged around the countryside for about two hours. We spent the first hour with me leading him in hand, and the second hour riding him. The ground is really hard at the moment, so it was just walking. I really hadn't intended to be out quite that long, but after the jitters he's been having, it was good to have him relaxed and forward going, so forward we kept going.

We even chased a fox! So is that natural equine behaviour, or just Max?

I remember, when he lived in the field by my house, watching out the kitchen window as Max and his Fjord mum rounded up and chased a fox out of their field, and then did a victory lap together, bucking and cavorting to celebrate their triumph.

Today, we spotted a fox on the path ahead of us. I think Max and I both saw it at the same time, and Max stopped briefly, then without prompting from me, started jogging towards the fox with his head slightly lowered. Not in a menacing way particularly (Max really can't do menacing though he does try), just up for another chase, I think.

Fox scampered away into the undergrowth, and Max and I carried on our way.

It's been a beautiful afternoon and Max was a star. I'm off to do a victory lap of that field I can see from my kitchen window in his honour.