Ponies Against Firearms

Max is taking a stand against guns, can he hear an "Amen", brothers and sisters?

Today we are blessed with a beautiful Spring day and Max and I went for a hack. The plan was to walk up the lane and then I'd mount up and off we'd go. I don't like to mount from the ground; it's hard on Max's back, and it's not great for his saddle either, so I select some higher ground that I can use as a natural mounting block.

Incidentally, why is it "his" saddle and not mine? Maybe it should be "ours".

Plan didn't quite work out though. At our first convenient mounting up place, we were confounded by traffic, so we kept walking on to the next one.

At the next one, we were ambushed by cavorting Labradors. Oh well, walk on to the next one.

No good. As we walked along, shots rang out and Max's head shot up as he went all a-quiver.

He didn't used to be bothered by gunfire. Growing up in the field where he did, he was often witness to pheasant shoots and became unconcerned by the noise and commotion of them. But there was that day last fall when we stumbled across clay pigeon shooting just yards away from us, and that has changed Max's view of sudden loud noises.

He was quite easily calmed. We stood still and I talked to him, scanning the area for the source of the gunfire. It soon became apparent, as several bunnies scampered across the path ahead, that it must be wabbit season. It was like a scene from "Watership Down", rabbits running for shelter.

Max was not scared of the rabbits, but their flight unsettled him, and I paused to consider whether it was the gunfire, the rapid rabbits, or even a sense of their fear that was affecting him. All three, I expect. Surely he may have sensed the terror in the air?

I had just been telling Max that we were about to reach a choice of paths ahead, left or right. Both led home, I explained, and I'd let him decide which way we'd go.

As we spied the hunters, and continued to hear the shots to our left, I commented to Max "Turning right, ahead, I think."

"Turning back, you mean," Max replied with force.

"No, ahead and right. You're safe."

"Safer if we go back, mum. I'm only thinking of you."

"Don't be silly. Ahead. Come on," I coaxed.

And ahead we went, but no point in mounting a jittery Max just yet. So we walked on, turned right, and fell into a very pretty walk/trot down the hill, turned again, and finally found a place for me to hop aboard.

Max was lively, but well behaved, and we had a pleasant, peaceful time together until almost home when the shots rang out again, and some border collies in the field to the right of us set about rounding up some chickens. They were lovely to watch, all slinky and quick, and very responsive to the clicks and whistles of the woman supervising them.

I remained placid, so Max did, too, as I scratched his withers. We stood and watched them for quite some time, Max's intelligent eyes following each move eagerly, and occasionally turning to bump the toe of my boot with his nose.

"Look at them! Do you see? How extraordinary!"

"You could do that, Max. You've got the moves."

"Course I can, but chickens? Please!"

We got back to the yard at a trot, stopping briefly to talk to our friend, K, riding her bicycle back from her gardening job with her rescued duckling in her bike basket. Max loves K, but wasn't quite so sure about the duckling so I had to make excuses as he trotted on past.

Got him sorted and released him to his paddock. The other two ponies were already there, but up around a corner, unseen. Max had a drink and got his head down, and I left him to it. From the yard, I heard a nicker, and turned to see Max, head over the gate.

"Where you going, mum? I'm on my own now. Come and hang out with me!"

As I watched, I saw that his call to me had alerted the other two ponies, and they sauntered over to join him.

"Behind you, Max. Your friends are coming."

He turned and looked over his shoulder. The other two walked up either side and dropped their heads to graze next to him.

"All right, sweetpea?" I called.

"Shoo! You're embarrassing me in front of my mates!"

No answer for that but a smile for three contented ponies enjoying their place in the world.