30th April - What's behind Zano's strange behaviour?

Well, it continues to be fun and games with Zano!

I’m on a steep learning curve with him as we both get to know each other. His close encounter with the cows seems to have put him off for life and he’s starting to get lively. It’s been really wet and rainy here – with mud everywhere (mostly over all Zano!) and suddenly, with a bit of sun, the grass has started to grow. I think Zano’s been on a bit of a sugar rush! He’s suddenly become a lot more of a handful to lead or to lunge or walk out, especially now he’s started to put on some weight – I think he’s feeling the joys of spring!

Zano enjoying the Spring grass

That certainly seemed the case when the wonderful saddler, Kay, came to visit with her van full of saddles. She spent a couple of hours taking Zano’s profile and looking at his old saddle. He pretty much fell asleep (as always!) while she was checking him over, but he soon woke up when it came to fitting a saddle on him. That should have had the warning lights flashing in my head, even more so when he refused to stand still to be mounted. Kay gave me a leg-up, but I didn’t manage to stay in the new saddle for long – it was a bit like one of those Wild West rodeo rides! I think it’s fair to say I hadn’t been expecting that!!

Anyway, after being ejected from the saddle at top speed, I dusted myself down. Zano seemed pretty agitated and I’d had a bit of a bump on the head, so we decided it wouldn’t be wise to carry on. Kay had a good idea of what I needed and she had enough information to order the right saddle in. Before her return, though, I’d have to figure out what was going on in Zano’s very handsome head and see if it really was just the spring grass, or if there was something else behind his tricky behaviour...