Uh oh... the maple candy is gone...

It's been a slow week (weak) for Mighty Max and me. He is bristling with energy and attitude, while I have been laid low with some kind of low grade virus thing.

There has been speculation that I have been in the hands (trotters?) of the dreaded Swine Flu, and it is possible, though I think unlikely. I've certainly been exposed to it through my work, so maybe. Or maybe it's some other irritating virus that sucks energy.

We're finding over here that some people truly get put through the wringer with swine flu, but others, many others, not so much. Not even proper flu, really. Yes, chills, aches, weakness, but not so weak so as to be confined to bed. I always think "flu" is when you can't get out of bed; if you can, then it's not flu.

But the lingering effect, yes, that does seem to be swine flu in the summer in the UK, and the lingering effect is what I'm dealing with now. I start out full of energy, but quickly revert to no energy at all.

I missed three and a half yard shifts last week because I just didn't have the strength. I went more than 24 hours without seeing Max, which is unprecedented if I'm not out of the country on holiday.

I'm pretty much back on form now, and Max and I have slowly gone back into work. He's fit as a fiddle, and I'm aware of the fact that at this very impressionable stage he's reached, it's important that he can't get round me, so I have to be firm and a strong, dominant leader. To be honest, that's a bit of a challenge; I've got zero stamina!

So we've been doing little bits in the indoor school, re-establishing boundaries and taking breaks for play to make sure Max is having fun, and isn't overwhelmed by me being forceful with him. A little bit of good work, big praise, and then play time.

The work is very concentrated, centred on firmly establishing me as leader, and it's all from the ground because I know I can't possibly do it from the saddle right now.

Yesterday, we did some brilliant ground work, and then I let Max loose while we had play time and clicker training. I energetically tried to take him over a loose jump with good and bad consequences. We've done it before, so I know he will follow me and go over a jump. But we haven't done it in a while, so it was a slightly new thing to Max.

He watched me with interest, was very alert to my speed and energy, followed me at a determined trot, watched me jump and then I turned back to look at him when I was done.

As I looked back at him, I realised I shouldn't have gone over the jump myself as I felt the extreme protest from my back.

What did Max do? He paused in front of the jump and considered.

"Come on Max!" I encouraged, massaging my lower back. "Come to me!"

So he quite deliberately lowered his head, picked up the lightweight jumping pole in his teeth, removed it from the pegs that held it, dropped it to the groud, and bustled over the pole on the ground. As he reached me, he offered his nose for a kiss with a twinkle in his eye.

My Max! I know I go on about clicker training, but I've come to realise that Max likes it when I laugh, and sees that as a reward, too. So sometimes, I think he does comedy pony stuff just to make me giggle because he thinks that's just great.

And he's right, it completely disarms me and whatever else has gone not quite right before, it reminds me that we have a connection that is beyond schooling, groundwork, riding, beyond any of that. At the heart of it, I can stand next to my pony, arm flung over his neck helpless with laughter, while he stands there too, chuckling in his own way.

"That was good wasn't it mum? Made you laugh! Better now? Happy?"

"Yes, Max. Happy is good."

Today, we did a bit of the same, although I tried to mix it up a bit so he wouldn't be bored. I found my own energy was lacking, and I got puffed well before Max did, but no matter.

We finished off doing the work and had a little play time, working on lifting all of his feet with clicker training. He did well and we finished off with his jackpot prize, which today, was his last maple sugar treat.

Oh, it was sublime! Pulled it out of my pocket and let him have a sniff.

"Oh! I must have it! Give it to me now!"

Offered, and then the delighted eyes, the nodding head as he savoured the sweet, maple Canadian goodness.

"That's it, Max, your last maple candy."

"Is there more? Please more? How can there be no more?!"

He frisked me to make sure, but sadly, no more was to be found, so he licked my hand to get the last bit of maple goodness, and then followed me like a good boy out of the school and out into his field for a final carrot stretch.

"Nice carrot, Max?"

"OK, but not very maple."