Speaking of havoc

 So here we have two innocent horses enjoying the sun?
Or?
No: here we have two horses who, for the first time today, have become true friends. For the first time, that is, since Max died. That's 18 months. How do we know that?
Well; the mark of true friendship between horses is that they nuzzle and chew each other's withers and backs. Especially in sunny hot weather when the flies

 are biting.
It's hot now and they need each other because one place they cannot reach themselves is the tops of their own backs and necks. For that they need a friend. There's only the two of them. So needs must. Rocco's eaten humblepie (he'd never admit to needing Ritz) and Ritz is smiling to himself because he's wise and he knew Rocco would give in, in the end.... So, Rocco is now on Ritz's side - sort of . Thus in this next photo Ritz is boldly putting his  neck over the electric fence (knowing it's not on) and Rocco is sniffing it gingerly to check if Ritz is right. Rocco muct have been seriously stung by electric before he came here cos he's always been very very wary of it...

Then here we have Ritz turning his back on the electric wire as if to say that he doesn't give a damn.
And he doesn't.
Later on this afternoon when we were all occupied with unloding two tonne of pig feed Ritz decided he'd had enough of the sun and flies. He barged straight through the electric fence 'gate'.
First thing we knew he was trotting into the orchard.... closely pursued by Rocco.
Linda and I went to fetch them; they were in high spirits, spooking at us and cantering round, ducking and diving around the trees and flower beds to evade us. Rocco was particularly animated. Well, he'd been vey brave - going against his instincts and following Ritz put him in unknown territory so he was a little bit scared and therefore nervous and therefore flighty. He got into quite a sweat. They were in a mood to gallop round the garden all afternoon. I decided discretion was the better part of valour and fetched a bucket of horse nuts. Rocco was so relieved to have a good reason to come to me - Ritz was just happy to have some food!
He got his wish though: we put them in their stables away from the nasty biting flies: we may love the sun but for them it is hell - the flies are unrelenting and attack in those places where the horse can least easily brush them off. As usual, Mr Ritz spread a little bit of havoc and got his own way.....