Warp speed Mr Crusher

(with apologies for shameless Star Trek reference.... I'm not a trekkie, honest!)

Yesterday Max and I went solo (with Echo). He was very good boy, we went the long way and trotted up all the hills. He feels fab in the renegades.... definately no different on the road, but on uneven ground he's much happier... oddly no different on stones so I'm assuming its the medial/lateral deviations of uneven ground? who knows.

Anyway, on the way back, we passed the stubble fields :whistlesinnocently: and thought we best have a canter, would be rude not to....

Max however, had other ideas and did the baby-horse-omg-there-must-be-a-monster-chasing-me-I'm-going-so-fast routine... which on Magic 4 yrs ago was funny (as he had tail over back and snorted whilst pegging it as fast as his short fat hairy legs would take him... with me knowing he has great selfpreservation!). On Max however, not so. Given his tendancy for selfharm and his ability to crash into large, visible objects.

So we go the length of the biiiig field, getting faster and faster and more of a double handful.... and as we approach the end I think, no worries, he'll pull up at the hedge... ooooohhhh shhhhhh*******TTTT... turn... turn..... please turn..... feeeeennnnceee... heeeeeedge... maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaxxxxxxxxxxxxxx stoooooooooooooooooooooooooooop....

Ahem. Wobbley knees and some serious flip top heading and both reins in one hand later, we literally crash to a halt with his chest in the barbwire fence and hedge..... phewww.

I take it all back about him being catatonic!! We wait five mins for the small, fast lurcher to catch us up :whistlesinnocently: then trudle home in a rather bouncy "that was fun but I was weeeellly scareded mum" fashion.

I take it back about not minding being out of control. I don't mind being out of control when sitting on an equine with a strong sense of self preservation... and Max does not count in that group!

So I think he maybe likes his renegades? And boy, did they get a testing!! Next time I go galloping he has nekkid feet!

Then Magic and I took Aero and Simon for further earbashings. We trotted the whole way up the gallopies field and by george I think he's got it! Hurrah. We all going for a lesson on Sunday, me and Magic, P and Dan and Si on school horse.... watch this space!!!

Today, Max and I took P and Dan round the long bridleway. Max led all the way, through the village, over the terrifying "slow" signs on the road and was basically the perfect hack. Narrow tracks and overhanging trees no sweat as he was soooo polite. I did get off for the nasty narrow swinging gate, and he stood perfectly at the bottom of the bank for me to get on! Next gate he did perfectly. He's growing up so fast now, from my gawky ignorant and obnoxious "shan't" baby :-)

We even cantered the same field as yesterday.... following Dan apparently is not scary and so he hardly raised a canter (tired from long ride and yesterday's excersions?!). P now thinks I am a liar and he never did cart me :-)))

For a horse condemned with navicular bone cysts, who went mad galloping yesterday, he was blooming marvellous... might have to raise some funds for more xrays next year!!!

Meanwhile Magic and I went for more trot practice, and its going very well.... too well probably... shall find out tomorrow that I've overcooked it no doubt!

Its all in the left thigh in case I haven't mentioned it before :-))