Boom boom boom boom...

Sung in best John Lee Hooker style, please.

Max and I made a double effort today, taking advantage of one last day of fine weather before a week full of rain begins.

I high tailed it to the yard early and we spent about half an hour long lining in Max's bitless bridle, which went extremely well, got a beautiful lifted trot on both reins and TA DA a sustained canter on both reins as well. When I say "sustained" I mean he went round me a couple of times looking mighty fine before I said "Good boy" by accident and he slid to a stop and blinked at me.

"Treat?"

We long lined out of the school and out onto the lane, then back to the yard and right into his box.

It was at that point that I decided to keep him in for the afternoon so we could have a little hack after yard duties. There isn't much grass in his field at the moment, so I'm not yet worried about the dreaded spring flush, but it's good to start preparing early, and the more exercise he gets now, the more likely we will be able to keep his fine form and fend off worries of laminitis striking where it's not wanted. Not that it ever is wanted by anyone, mind you.

Max was up on his toes and we went quite a long way on our own. Our timing, unfortunately, was not good and we were trotting along a bridleway, having just passed the alpacas and had a spin for home over some very dastardly looking plant life when the bird scarer cannon went off.

Boom!

Skidded to halt, grew into a 16 hander instantly, and fairly hummed with alertness.

"It's OK Max..."

BOOM!

A head nod of shock and a snort.

"Well done Max. Hold steady."

BOOM!

Ears pricked, but not a move.

Silence.

"How you doing there, noble steed?"

"Can't speak. Too scared."

"You did really well though."

"Legs don't work. Have to live here now."

"How about walking on?"

"Back home?"

"Forward."

"Towards BOOM?"

"Yes, it's done booming for now."

And he did it! Walked on with just a little squeeze of my calves and a cluck of encouragement, towards the place from whence came the scary noise. He trotted in a slightly unhinged way when a bunny rabbit jumped out from the undergrowth and across his path, and fairly squealed with relief when I turned him left up the hill away from Boomtown and back towards home.

Max had his reward when I moved him onto a grassy verge to make way for a car to pass us, and dropped my stick. Nothing for it but to dismount and pick it up, and it seemed rather pointless to get back up there again when we were almost home, so I loosened his girth, ran up the stirrups and we had a grazing walk home.

Ran into one of our yard friends, had a chat while Max filled his belly with greenery and amazingly, even had a go at the bonnet of friend's car. With teeth!

"Tasty? Ow! No, not tasty..."