Furry Mama even persuaded him to come out for a walk with her and Minty Mutt. Oh boy oh boy is it cold today though! Well, cold for little old England anyway. It's been so ridiculously mild that it comes as a bit of a shock. Anyone would think that it was winter. Oh yes, so it is.
Well it might be cold, but it's dry and bright. So Grotty Groom was determined to do something with her Boys today. They were in for the day as it's a Sunday, so while Calum groomed and tacked up Joey, Grotty took Wesley in to the manege. Hmmmm! Rewind Clever Bird. "They were in for the day". Yes, but they had already had a long session on the horse walker, so they should be vaguely tired. That would be why you led Wesley Number 6 into the school would it Grotty? (Number 6 being the Advanced - sharp - taking your life into your hands - highly spooky Wesley). Yes, but Grotty was determined not to give in to Freda Fretter and come up with an excuse not to work Wesley. So into the manege she went. Admittedly, it wasn't just cold. It was also quite windy. In fact the wind was causing the jumps that were set up, to emit a loud whistling sound. Even Baggy had to double-check what the noise was. Little 15' 3" Wesley rapidly grew to 17'. Every muscle in his body was tense. Ears pricked. High alert. Full flight mode.
Grotty chatted away to him. Calmly. Well calmy-ish. It's quite difficult to stay calm when it is clear that the Boy is likely to take off at any second. She walked him round the school. As close to the jumps as she dared. Explaining about the noise. Obviously, not very well. He decided to trot. Okay fine. Then to canter. Alright. No problem. He stayed on a large lunge circle. Not pulling Grotty at all. Grotty walked in lines, so that Wesley was on a huge oval, rather than a tight circle. He cantered and cantered and cantered. Clever Bird began to appreciate just how fit he is. Grotty asked him to trot. He did. For a few strides. Then he cantered again. This time, "over-blowing" on every stride. A sure sign that he is very fit! Perhaps a little fitter than is ideal for Baggy to be getting back on him. But he seemed to be enjoying himself. A little too much perhaps. Definitely spooked. But at least not trying to run away. But Baggy felt quite vulnerable next to him.
Then Calum brought Joey out of the stable. Clever Bird suggested that he should take him into the other manege as the one Grotty was in was so spooky today. She omitted to take into consideration how Wesley would feel about this. Calum headed off as instructed. Wesley panicked. Baggy panicked. Grotty just about held onto him having opened the gate. Baggy had to trot to keep up with Wesley who towed her after Joey. Oh dear. Once in the other manege, even with Calum and Joey, he wasn't much calmer. Grotty walked him around for a while, but it became very clear very quickly, that she was likely to lose him. Right, best put him back in the stable. Clever Bird got Calum and Joey to come too. Well it should have been a plan. BUT. "They were in for the day". No grass eaten. Lots of grass outside the manege. Even more in the hay field a few hundred yards behind the manege. Well that is obviously what Wesley was thinking as he finally saw his chance to take off. And take off he did. The little monkey. The very, very powerful, really not so little monkey! His first opportunity to show his Mum that he really does not like being left by her. Suddenly, all Grotty could see was his very powerful bottom cantering away from her. All Freda Fretter could think was: there's a young girl (the yard owner's daughter) riding in the other manege; Calum is on Joey just behind her; that is a massive hay field if Wesley gets to it; he has a long lunge-line attached to his bridle; major (series of) accident/s waiting to happen! DO NOT LET GO! She also heard the yard owner shout the same thing. Some how Baggy found the strength to get Grotty to hang on. Thank goodness for the bit in Wesley's mouth. He realised Baggy was using all her weight and strength and pulled up. Then spun to face her rendering the bit completely ineffective. Freda panicked. "Don't you dare!" As she realised he was about to canter backwards away from her. Yes, he got told off. A sharp jerk on his bit. Not something she would normally do. Not something that she was proud of. But it stopped Wesley in his tracks and prevented one or more accidents. And him from hurting himself. Sometimes!
Wesley knew that he had pushed it too far. He walked back to his stable relatively calmly. Then he realised that Joey had gone back out to the manege. He lost the plot. Spinning. Whinnying. Kicking the door. Drama Queen. But Grotty was on a mission. Riding boots on. Hat on. Out to the manege. Calum hopped off Joey. Grotty hopped on. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Grotty was back on a horse for the first time since last September. For her first time since Baggy's Lawrence-the-durmoid-cyst surgery. For the first time since her cubital tunnel surgery. Admittedly pretty nervously, with Calum walking beside her. But she was on top! Joey is such a good horse. He's not been ridden since last October, but he might as well have been ridden yesterday, he is so calm. There is a reason why Grotty got on him, not on her Boy. There's also a reason why she doesn't ride Joey very often. He is such a good lad and so comfortable to ride. He always looks after his rider. Wesley on the other hand! Well Wesley is just Wesley. Just as well that Grotty absolutely adores the Boy. But stage one of the plan to get Grotty back on her Boy is complete. She may only have walked and done a tiny bit of trot, but Baggy's stomach was okay. Wesley on the other hand looked as though he had taken a shower, he was so sweated up when they got back to the stable. Highly strung? Yep, just like his Mum.........
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