Voting with his feet...

...Charlie voted with his feet tonight.  Most nights, I let the other boys (Felix, Ghost, Wacko Jacko and Hector) out into the field and they all zip along, happy as you please, but recently Charlie has been the last to leave, and has stayed hob-nobbing in the barn with Bailey, Angel and Blue till I have gone back to fetch him.  

Last night, he seemed happy enough to go out, then changed his mind and rushed back to the gate - before changing his mind again and mooching off with the boys, looking worried.  He has been coming in every morning absolutely at a flat-out gallop (including down the drive, like the Charge of the Light Brigade, solo version), obviously extremely concerned about the danger of missing breakfast...or possibly that the foul weather would continue outside...

Tonight, Charlie made it very clear that life in the field,  outside the barn and track is not for him - at least not at the moment.  Too wet, too windy, and (judging from his yawns this afternoon) too tiring really - all that wildlife, deer tromping through in the middle of the night and the risk that breakfast is served at sunrise, or even when its still dark and that by being in the field he is missing scheduled mealtimes...(I've told him its not the hunting season any more and that breakfast is now served later...)...

Since the grass is growing like mad, and its quite possible that he knows what is good for him, I have let him choose for himself, and so tonight he has managed to stay in with the in-crowd, on the track, after all :-)   He seemed profoundly relieved...(!)