Shock weather!

No rain! Shock horror! No rain!!! Even some - wait for it - SUN :-0

I took Jazz out for a hack. I have been wanting to do this for days because there are three men doing about 100 yards of drystone wall by the side of the road, and the scene is one of total devastation. The whole bank ripped up, stone in piles, old fencing thrown aside, a bombsite, and I wanted to see his reaction. He walked calmly passed the lot, havinga look out of what seemed to be mostly curiosity.

He was so bouncy and well that I trotted him up to the place where the woman had been "appearing" from behind the wall last time we were out. That got him going. For 7 minutes he refused to go past the end of a barn, in case there was something behind it. Then he went past and seemed surprised to find nothing there. Then another 5 minutes while he refused to go past the house itself because "those women" would be there. But he went, and then was again surprised that nothing was there.

So although that's not "good" behaviour, he is giving in a lot quicker than he was, and he is also responding better to me flicking him with my whip, or kicking him when I feel he is ready for a little encouragement. Previously he used to spin and run for home, and he isn't trying to do that nearly as much any more. I think it has to be counted as a big improvement.

I took Zippy-whippet out to go and see the same wall. He was more goggle eyed than Jazz, in fact he is getting more and more spooky as he gets older. The huge difference is that although he is getting very "looky" he is very easy to push past whatever it is that he is looking at. Chalk and cheese.

He finished what was quite a short ride very tired. He has no more stamina than a three year old, it seems. It's a good job we aren't overworking him, with having George here to keep us busy, because he really should wait another year yet before doing anything too strenuous.

C