Lavender and licorice

It's been a cold but fine weekend and Max has been pampered.

Yesterday he had a bath in lavender wash, which is soothing, smells brilliant and is good for cuts, grazes and swellings. It also doesn't need rinsing out, which is great in cold weather.

Muddy fields make for muddy ponies with muddy legs and muddy bellies - and in Max's case, even muddy faces! I wanted to get some of the grease and dust off him too, so a bath seemed like a good idea. Despite rolling his eyes at my request, the Ent boiled the kettle, twice, so that Max's bath was warm and comfortable. Yes, he's a horse and can deal with it, but why should he when there's a kettle around and a bucket, rather than a cold hosing down?

Saying that, he still didn't love being sponged with suds, nor being scraped of excess moisture, but he quite liked going back into his box to dry off in the sun (his box really catches the sunlight) and also the pear he got for his troubles.

Today I had left a note for him to be left in for me this afternoon, but the note wasn't seen and by the time I got to the yard, Max had been turned out as usual.

Despite the apologies, it was probably just as well as I'm feeling a bit under the weather and I probably should have kept to my bed anyway. I decided to just visit Max in his field and leave it at that, but I was packing some black licorice I'd bought specially for him.

Having read several times that horses LOVE black licorice, I decided Max should give it a try, though I expected him to be contrary and spit it out since Other Horses like it so much.

Didn't happen. Max has a new favourite, and bonus for him, I can't stand the stuff so he doesn't have to share!