Now THAT was interesting.

I loaded Jazz and Zippy this morning and drove them for half an hour to a friend's yard. Zippy loaded extremely well for a baby being put on the back of a lorry. Those who've tried it will know that going on last means that the horse has to step up and turn the back end at the same time, and that it can be difficult to get an experienced horse to do it. He was no problem.

When we got there, he had to come off first of course. I was glad all the restraints were on Jazz because he was mighty upset about it. I put Zippy in one stable and Jazz in another only feet away across the yard and in full sight of Zippy. Jazz proceeded to break the door open and eventually had to be tied up outside the stable Zippy was in, where he fell asleep happily while my friend rode her horse.

Then I rode Jazz. Zip was calling from the stable, but was blocked from view by the lorry even though he was only feet away. About six or eight times, Jazz attempted to take me off the arena (it's unfenced) and back to Zippy. He succeeded twice, but also agreed to go back onto the arena without me dismounting. He was extremely uppity to start with, but he did settle and do some nice work. So much so that I swapped him to a pelham and my friend rode him and he was good for her too. I think she liked him.

Then I tied Jazz to the lorry on the arena side, so that Zip would be able to see him. I led Zip around the arena in hand. Then I got on ........ and it felt like Vesuvius was going to blow!!! I thought there was an eeeenormous explosion coming. I was stopping him bucking by keeping his head up, but he sure felt wild. I managed to get him to stand still long enough to leap off, with my heart beating wildly.

I calmed myself down - and got back on. This time he was much less explosive. I walked him in tiny circles until his back relaxed, and then did some lovely walk and trot around the whole arena. I couldn't have asked for better behaviour from a 3 year old in his first new place, could I??

We couldn't go and have lunch in the house with Jazz in a stable and I didn't want to leave him strapped into the lorry, just in case, so we put both of them into the one stable, where they were as happy as larks sharing a haynet and a water bucket. I wouldn't do this with any horse I wasn't sure off, but if I leave the boxes open at home, they will normally both put themselves into one of them, so I knew it was safer than trying to leave Jazz on his own.

They loaded well to come home, and we are all back here mulling over our adventure.

The surprise was how upset Jazz was with the whole exercise. When he goes to a show on his own, he is absolutely quiet and well behaved now. He warms up with other horses, some of whom plunge and buck, and he is calm as calm. But today he was as aerated as he was in the very early days of going places. Obviously this was set off by having Zippy there, but I think what it shows is that although we have managed to accustom him to going places to compete, he is still far from generalising that confidence into all new situations. Especially if his special buddy is with him and he wants to stay with him so that they can protect each other. Today you would have put him as no older than Zip, mentally. You would have thought he'd have been more confident with him there, not less, wouldn't you?

C