Guns a-blazin'

All the lovelies were wound up when I arrived back at the yard this afternoon. There had been shooting going on around them for most of the morning, and they'd had just about enough!

There are meant to be two yard birds working the afternoon shift, but one hadn't turned up yet, so I helped get a few of the horses out to their fields, so they could feel less confined with commotion going on around them. They soon settled once they were out in the great outdoors with grass to munch.

This left me wondering what to do with Max. He was keen to get out too, but I haven't done anything meaningful with him all week. I am suffering from kitten exhaustion. Two new kitties in residence, eight weeks old tomorrow, and there have been some big adjustments to be made. They're settling in fine, but are very active and a quiet night's sleep is a thing of the past.

I had hoped to hack Max out today, but with the gun fire it seemed a poor idea. Long-lining crossed my mind as well, but again, judging by his state of high alert, I knew he'd be disinclined to pay much attention.

In the end, I decided to take him in the school, observe, and decide where to go from there. Even if it meant half an hour or so of just hanging out together, I was up for it. I enjoy just being with him, too.

As it turned out, it was a bit of a spook busting session. There were birds flapping about in the rafters, guns going off all around us, and Max kept taking himself off for trots, then high tailing it back to me.

I wandered away from him, acting unconcerned by the commotion, whistling, singing, and when another loud report from a gun was heard, I'd click Max for standing still, wander over to him with a pony nut, and then leave him to it again.

He started to move around me, head down, mouthing and chewing, and if anything particularly frightening happened, he'd trot to where I was, head held high, and then wrap himself around me, body behind me, neck wrapped round in front.

It would be lovely to think he was protecting me, wouldn't it? I think the truth is that he was offering me up as a sacrifice though. Best position to nudge me forward and say, "Take her! She's the one you want! Tell them, lady! Offer yourself to them!"