Wednesday 11th December.

So today Charlie and I had our first hack in nearly two weeks. We went out with Chris and her lovely gelding Robin. I had carefully planned it by staying awake all night worrying.

As we are on the loading phase of Equifeasts Cool Calm and Collected I followed their advice and fed Poshcob an hour before we went out with his powder including added Magnesium. When I say fed I am taking a mug of Fast Fibre and a teeny handful of Topchop.

We went a route I am not comfortable with as I can't keep saying ooh no I can't go there. It involved sheep cows calves and other spooky stuff.

I was so pleased when he didn't behave because his not behaving was lovely.

Firstly following on from my trainers advice I used tons more leg than I would have previously and thanks to all the Physio I am having when I applied my leg it went on.

The spooking went like this previous behaviour in brackets :

Cows field small calf runs at him wanting to play. Spook a bit of a flid applied generous leg closed hands Poshcob came back instantly ( spin 180 degrees go vertical and refuse any forward aid)

Spooky thing in hedge stepped away leg applied went forward (spin go up)

Through sheep field shock horror sheep moved loaded shoulder got ready to go leg applied went forward (spin rear)

Shutting last but one gate hacking buddy caught bridle on post which made a horrendous cracking sound Poshcob just bunched his bottom in case he needed to run (spin rear run).

Got home delighted with legs, lessons are paying off so too the Physio for me and it seems the CCC for Poshcob.

Then typically after we arrived back I fussed him and popped him in his Red turnout rug and popped him out with his friends.

Walking up the track I looked over my shoulder to see a Red Exocet missile hurtle across the field bucking at every stride and then slip and fall over. It would appear he got too close to the electric fence yet again!

So Physio booked for Friday just to be safe.

Equifeast Cool Calm Collected

During the spaghetti of complicated stuff that is Charlie KS and me it has become apparent that his behavioural traits are caused by KS, Pain Memory, Rider Anxiety and Grazing that is too good for him all jumbled into one pot of confusion.

So following on from Physio for Horse and Physio for Rider I am now going to try him on Equifeast Cool Calm and Collected. I need to feed it with something pretty flat so initially he is just going to get enough Topspec Topchop lite to carry the powder. As he gets No feed currenty I am going to add the magnesium as advised.

The first dose took more Topchop than I had hoped and needed hand feeding but following morning he had licked the rest of his bowl clean.

Behaviour very sticky coming in from field kept stopping and refusing to move.

Cheeky in lesson naughty when I hacked down the track napped reared.

Saturday 23 November this mornings had a half mug of A&P Fastfibre and a small handful of topchop.

Physio, Fear and Education

The best thing I have done recently is to start seeing a physio to work on my back and core strength and my riding position. I see Becki Drewett of Personal Best Studio and now have a list of stretches and flexes to do to improve my riding.
 

Charlie's ridden education goes from strength to strength and Alastair my instructor now works him weekly. We have a 1 hour session where Alastair rides him for about 35 minutes and then I get on board and we work on my position and how I am riding him. A sort of 10 minute wow he feels great and then adjusting my ridden position while he enters the cool down stage.

This week both Alastair and I could really see and feel an improvement in us both.

 

I continue to lunge Charlie in the Pessoa once or twice a week and am really starting to see some big improvements. He used to be a little one sided in his work and this is definitely balancing up. I have been slowly introducing canter transitions -and this week we had 3 out of 4 good ones on both reins and he seems to be really understanding what he needs to do.

In a bad transition he either flings his head around or does a sort of leap into the air attempting to canter without using his back end. 

Hacking is another story. I had been doing my master plan of hike and hack quite successfully until....

We had the dentist out and Pete discovered Charlie had a periodontal pocket in his lower left jaw right near the back. He had this cleaned out flushed and filled and was put on bute for 5 days this was on the 21st October. Unfortunately the vet said ok to ride ..... He was wrong.

We hacked out leading then riding and he reared and napped even before we left the yard. This was repeated in Coaley so we walked most of the way and then rode back up peak lane.

So was it his mouth or the fact I was forced to feed him with the Bute.

He is now on nothing but his herbs.

He has been on Marigold, Camomile and Valerian since 8th October so that is 3.5 weeks.

And finally I have booked myself on a Fear Makeover workshop on 9th November.

And here a photo of Alastair riding Charlie.

Educating Anna

I have been back from a fantabulous 5 day break for a week now and the hard work has begun.

Let's call it Educating Anna.

So much to do :

Get my riding position sorted and get me straight

Build my confidence

Build Charlie's confidence

First off me. I booked Physio before clearing off to France and I have now had 2 sessions and as a result have 5 stretching exercises and two mounted exercises. I have also invested in one of these

And I have installed a static device for mounted exercises on Charlie rest days

My confidence building goes hand in hand with Charlie's and to that end I need to hack him out more in a 'safe' environment.

So yesterday I arranged to borrow the handsome cob that is Shadow for my instructor to ride and Charlie and I both boosted by Rescue remedy trailed along behind following Shadows tail. We stayed at a walk and this proved to be very successful. I returned 90 minutes later with a. Sore arse and very relaxed boy.

Next I am trying him on herbs to reduce his anxiety and we received our starter pack yesterday. More on this later.

Getting me straight

My chiropractor tells me my pelvis is dropped to the left and rotated :(

It keeps happening and we think Charlie is putting me wrong so time to take some action on me.

The  Pilates exercise ball has arrived plus DVD unfortunately I have been given conflicting opinions as to wether I need 55 or 65 cm ball but I have it now so there. I am actively seeking an appointment with a physio who works with riders on their position but about to jet off to France.

Charlie came in today for the first time in a week and we did his stretches with....a little handful of hay. I was so impressed at how much more supple he has become as doing his baited stretch to the side he almost touched his hind leg whoop whoop!

Its all change for Charlie!

Interesting session with Charlie yesterday and a 180 change in direction for me. Charlies Physio came and watched his schooling session. Not the best day as Charlie decided to spook at every single chink of light.

Apart from that he got an resounding thumbs up for how he was moving and afterwards when she did his leggy movy stuff  where she lifts the hind leg up out sideways and forwards he could almost touch his front foot amazing.

Where does the 180 degree turn come in me <----- Yup this one sat here. I have been feeling crooked and they put me on board and forced me to ride so they could see how crooked I am. I didnt want to get on because I feel twisted not only did they make me get on they forced me to stay on while they discussed me an Charlie and we couldnt listen. I have a Chiro session booked for Thursday for me before I go away for a few days. I have ordered a Pilates Ball and DVD and I am actively seeking an appointment with a Physio that assesses rider position.

I state here now publicly that if I have to do stretching exercises CARROTS aint my treat of choice.

So thats the change for the next 6 months it will be less about getting Charlie right and more about getting me right.

Snakes and Ladders!

Monday my delicious trainer Alastair (OMG did I really call him that ) rode Charlie in the bottom field. We had discussed my issues napping and insecurity as well as Charlie's :) and popped a nathe 3 ring snaffle and running martingale on.

The plan was to work on the horrid canter. Charlie was lovely and worked very well for Alastair much better than last week and he had some very nice moments. He is obviously weaker in canter with his right rein but neither was a disaster. Alastair followed up with some popping over jumps and now I see why I couldn't get jumping right. Over protective of his back he jumps like an ironing board. Still time being a great healer and all that I remember a time when he couldn't trot without tossing his head manicly.

I am beginning to feel that having a Ex KS Horse is a bit like a game of Snakes and Ladders and if I play it long enough I will win.

Today Thursday we had an early morning farrier and I planned to ride out in 'the field' post shoeing. Unfortunately I had a sudden and unexpected meltdown as all my gremlins turned up in my head at the wrong time and to say I was stressed put it mildly fizzy hands feet and tinnitus so I did the sensible thing popped the boy in his hotel room and went home.

Sunshine, painting in my studio and a cuddle from the cat put things back into perspective as did a double dose of Rescue Remedy.

The Rescue Cat

The view from my Studio.

I returned to the yard with a plan. 

Get all tacked up Body Protector,reflective top etc so if I died they would find me.

Once tacked see how I felt, worst case scenario I could take him round the field in hand.

I was desperate not to have anyone say be careful before I escaped ,I lie the phrase is 'you go careful now', so Charlie didnt even have the bedding brushed out of his tail.

We did it! We rode down the track into the field and he worked beautifully. I didn't push for too much and was delighted with that offered including the constant relaxed 'wuffle' emitted from his nostrils.

Last time we schooled out here I felt pleased to have stayed on top as he napped strongly and went up a few times. He was relaxed, I was tense but managing the wooden buttocks and determined to keep my shoulders and arms relaxed.

The brilliant thing is he accepted my tension and worked nicely. No canter that would be pushing it but long and low trots changing the rein and bend with no whoopsies.

All this may seem dramatic to some but I have lost my nerve big time in the past with the horse from hell, think inability to put foot in stirrup, and I am at that wonderful age where the hormones have a habit of biting you on the arse when you think all is well.

So to finish a photo of Charlie Fatboy Poshcob doing what he does best.

The Need for a Helping Hand or Leg

I look back and realise I last updated this blog on 20th August which is 2 and a half weeks ago but feels longer somehow. So where are we now?

I have had to face the fact that I can't do everything on my own and Charlie needs more help.

Firstly we are on a diet the thoughts are that the grazing is too rich with a lot of clover. In an effort to ease the stretching exercises I have been offering too many treats including a Molassed lick.

He needs to lose weight and seems also to react very silly to sugar levels.

So in by day small Haynet and out at night no feed no treats. Amazingly is my big boy upset with the removal of sweeties and feed from his diet? Nope he is just as loveable and is delighted to come in to his Haynet everyday.

Hacking by me has been temporarily abandoned as we had another bad hack last weekend and I don't think it helps now when anxious Annie is astride.

So my delicious trainer Alastair is schooling him and teaching me once a week and then hacking out or riding in the field once a week. In between I am riding in the school or taking him down to the field and trying to de-spook him.

We have identified that he is not cantering properly he throws his head up and doesn't work properly from behind so that is our next challenge.

I am pleased to report, however, that when I lunged him in the Pessoa today his canter strike off was much improved. I haven't tried this for some time and he had been doing a semi rear and leaping forward into canter when i did it a couple of months ago.

Interestingly reading back that is how his trot  transition used to be so there is improvement here.

And my next challenge.....to ride him as we'll as Alastair.

Charlie gets interesting

Ok since we have been having the Bach flower remedies cocktail these are the little things I have noticed.

Charlie has not attempted to dive into the hedgerow and eat Field horsetail when I am turning him out ( he s in part of the day as flies are bad and he is fat.

He sometimes gets impatient when tied up on the yard which is interesting as he hasn't shown this behaviour since early 2012 when I first bought him.

Today I rode him in the bottom field. He was quite naughty. I was doing loads of walk work and changes of rein and suddenly he loaded his shoulder napped towards the track and did a small rear. This was a surprise and I nearly vacated the saddle. I immediately swapped my whip onto the naughty shoulder sat still asked him to leg yield and proceeded in the planned direction. I continued my work and next time we were at the track end of the field he did the same. I growled and said a sharp NO and a deep growl but again put my whip on the loaded side. I didn't need to smack him just look up and ride  forward.

I must admit the temptation was to just do a circuit and get off quick but then I decided we were staying down there until we were both happy.

Suddenly I was gobsmacked after a few of these attempts to nap back to the track no matter what rein he relaxed I was trying to stay soft and positive but suddenly found myself on a relaxed horse with his head dropped so I didn't need to make myself relax. 

I proceeded to ride round looking up and steering him by looking at a tree, a fence, a telegraph pole and talking to him telling him where we were aiming.

 I did a large circle in walk and trot on both reins thanked him nicely and headed back up the track.

On our way back I went towards the blue tarp and poles obstacle which was pretending to be a ditch and he happily walked across it.

Now the interesting thing  is that he exhibited a tendency to have an iffy shoulder last year before it all went wrong. I am now wondering if this was a little bit of challenging behaviour I hadn't noticed because my world was suddenly turned upside down by KS.

Balancing Charlie

I decided to try something a little different in the quest for fixing Charlie. Yesterday we had a visit from Nikki Ashworth of Balancingblends who dowsed Charlie and came up with a list of Bach Flower Remedies to help him.

Our initial blend is :

Agrimony

Mimulus

Gorse

Cherry Plum

Larch

Star of Bethlehem

It was an interesting experience as for some unknown reason I got very emotional and it would appear I will be next.

I don't know if it will help him but as it can't harm we are trying.

Interestingly he has not attempted to dive head first into the Field Horsetail on the track since we started the drops. Who knows?

A quote from the Internet :-

"it is important to be clear at this stage Bach flower remedies do not profess to be always a cure all. In some cases, for the horse it really will cure the problem, others will benefit from the Bach flowers whilst in a remedial / retraining program, they become a valuable part of making the horse more receptive, trusting, confident etc. But they cannot make a saddle fit properly, negate the need for the chiropractor or cure unbalanced feet. They will however, help with a fear of being ridden due to a past problem with the saddle or give confidence to a horse that his back will not hurt anymore once he has had the physical problem resolved!"

Show report Saturday 10th August

Good god I can't believe it we actually attended our first show. Slimbridge Family Horse Show was lovely. We decided to keep things low key and just did two inhand classes. novelty classes Best condition and Handsomest Gelding.

Charle was lovely very well behaved and very calm apart from being somewhat vocal.

We were placed 4th in both classes.

Still an uphill struggle

Not posted for a while we still have hacking issues. He is as good as gold then spots something challenging. The whip round 180 degrees is now being supported by verticalness again. Hopping off and leading in hand works every time then the search follows for mounting potential but hoorah I am more flexible.

We have had a physio session and identified issues in Left hind and near fore muscles and now I have a list of Pilates stretches to perform daily. Only problem is its making my back hurt but he loves them.

We are having weekly lessons with Alistair Bull a local guy who rides charlie very nicely but has had to be quite firm n a nice sort of way.. He is schooling Charlie for me then popping me on board and trying to fix me. Each week gets easier and I am now beginning to see results in my short schooling sessions in between. Alistair is also a great believer in walk work getting Charlie actively moving leg yielding etc starting off on a very long light contact and building it all up before we even think of trotting.

It's amazing all those years I used to be taught in trot and canter with just a bit of walk in between I didnt know what I was missing and now two trainers from different backgrounds and different teaching styles won't let me 'run' before I can walk.

The cows had Moo-ved

We spent the week getting our confidence back and finally on Thursday I did the Coaley village hack again. Charlie wasnt impressed the cows had moved to stand under the wrong tree. He tried to turn around twice. So yet again another hot day with thousands of flies finds me leading my big pony up the field and mounting at the gate.

Friday was lesson day and apparently we are improving but my pelvis is twisted and last weekends tumble didnt make it any better.

Saturday was made his day off and Sunday we did a mini hack. It began traumatically as we were just about to leave and an equine  friend was brought in. Not a happy horse leaving his mate but give him his due he accepted a tap on the leg and went off the yard albeit in a snorty tense boiling over sort of way.

Later on  in the day when I returned to the yard we had some fun. I did some loose schooling in the school and he actually trotted along beside me over his raised trotting poles. What a lovely pony.

Disaster Strikes

Well since Charlie debut we have had some ups and downs but then life is never as easy as you hope.

He is still not happy having his back feet shod. He likes to lean on the farrier. Unfortunately on Monday his shoeing was swiftly followed by him getting his head collar caught on the poop scoop handle (my fault carefully handy for sweeping up after farrier and for Charlie to hook himself on.

The hacking was going well a fun hack through the woods with a fellow livery doing controlled canters on the way home. A solo hack round the village ridden through the cows field. Still issues with silly unexpected spooks which involve either a vertical complaint or a 180 degree spin and request to return o base.

Then came Sunday. Hacking though the woods we came around a corner as a Mountain Biker flew round the corner. Charlie spun 180 decked me ran over me and legged it my companions horse charged after him.

We caught him and I crawled back on board but ye gods it hurt. We completed our hack even though I had an urge to throw up every time I ducked under a tree.

The Poshcob jumps!

Still in shock Saturday Charlie the Poshcob did the yard show. 

We did our first ever dressage test intro A not brilliant but there were moments. It was on grass and we stayed in the arena :)

Warming up was exciting lots of his friends milling around so i kept taking him away riding circles in walk and trot bringing him back. He had  a few eeks (never had a horse that squeaked before like a giant mouse) and a little whoops but pretty ok.

Following that we decided to show jump over the ickle show jump course. As we haven't jumped together yet I decided to walk between fences and then gently trot over the show jumps they were pretty colourful lots of fillers at the sides. 

However this scheme was not on Charlie's agenda. A long course 10 fences with twists and turns in an open field. Charlie's plan was go as fast as possible and when I came back to walk for one particular turn and then allowed him forward over the fence he actually squeaked at me.

Thank god he has a mane now I had at least a handfull over every fence or maybe two handfuls.

The jump off was the first 5 fences again but as I felt we had no control in just a simple snaffle and he was getting a bit too excited  i decided we would bow out at this point and finish on a positive note.

So loads more schooling to do and more brakes needed for jumping but I was correct I really do have a Poshcob.

Not too bad as its the first time we have ever jumped a course and its also the first time all four feet have left the ground ,intentionally, since his op.

We Hacked alone again

Today I hacked Charlie out on his own again. Nothing much for some but 6 months ago he wouldn't even go 50 yards. 

Pre op this ride caused him to panic every time we stopped for a car. Post op riding I had to get off and lead him the whole hack and that was with company patience time more patience and more time and we have a happy horse.

He did this ride last week too but with a few hiccups. Today the first big field which is uphill and forever known as 'the cows field' actually had cows in it young inquisitive ones which had not been there last week.So erring on the side of caution I dismounted and led Charlie along the hedge line so he had hedge right then me left then the young nosy cows. I gently waggled my whip at them in order to make them keep their distance but not run and panic him. 

A bunch followed us part way so I waggled my whip behind me in a Harry Potterish move.

The new gel pad is awesome I clambered back on board at the top gate no saddle slippage whatsoever.

Poshcob is on his way

Another good day, they are coming thick and fast. 

I have been suffering saddle slippage and my best friend (I believe if I were younger she would be my bestie) lent me her Acavallo anti slip pad. 

Today was Physio day and now that Charlie has had the all clear from last weeks X-rays we know we are dealing with just his retraining.

We lunged him in the school in just the cavesson and he looked great. His canter transitions were soooooo much better.

Grace was pleased with Diane's Gel pad and before we tacked up to ride she had a good look at Charlie's back. Here she noticed that Charles right shoulder had more muscle than his left which ties in with his use of his right leg as a prop for the weaker hind.

Then like a lamb to the slaughter we went down to the big field. Grace wanted to see walk trot and canter on big circles in the field. This we did and I had forgotten how much better his canter transitions had become. Maybe all the lungeing walk to canter in V reins had succeeded better than i realised its so difficult to tell when you are so close to the action.

We haven't got the softness and working from behind and through that we want but OMG the canter transition and actual canter was Whoo Hoo. Sooo much improved and something we can work with. I had forgotten how awful it had been. It is definitely the basis of our progress forward. It makes me realise that my early canter work last year in the field indicated an issue I was oblivious to. I thought it was just new horse syndrome.

His canter left was better than canter right as some sort of snort grunt and explosion occurred canter right and to be honest short of clucking and squawking like a chicken I think I nearly hid my anxiety that he might load his shoulder and piss off from Grace. I am not too worried because this is his weak side and something we need to work on plus last time we did this the saddle had slipped and unbalanced him so he was probably expressing his anxiety.

We finished our day by stripping off his tack and working through his muscles and stretches. I am pleased to note than since the EDT visit there is far less tension in his neck and everything else appears to be in the right place and functioning well.

So there is hope for me and my Poshcob yet as long as it isnt just his bute trial talking but to be frank I don't think it is we were part way here anyway.

A Fanfare of Trumpets

 Today.....we did a proper hack on our own. Charlie was lovely. A few bits of anxiety but nothing major and we hacked good and proper. Flies,Rescue Remedy and Farts. How good is that we did the hams ride takes about an hour.

Not guilty, Lost, Found and Misunderstood.

I finished my last update by saying the weight tape lied on reflection it didn't! The Weight tape is.....INNOCENT. I rechecked it and then remembered that when I last used it there was no reading so I fiddled until I got one.

So today I realise that if you measure where it isn't numbered and compare where it is and then work out the gap it's about right. He weighs 638kg.

Yesterday we arranged an intensive physio session for Fat Boy and that's on Tuesday but I haven't told him yet because he just lurves Grace. 

Charlie also had a major exercise session in the school we did lunging on the flat, walk to canter transitions and raised poles plus I rode him. We do need to reduce the lard on the lad and I would rather work him than lock him up or muzzle him.

And on to today .... We decided the next step in both our progress was to work in the big field. The big field has been the source of several hiccups, some verticality plus my over active imagination expects to die but It's the only place where I can teach my hunter that canter comes in circles as well as straight lines.

He did loads of walking but would not settle into the contact which is understandable as I was probably a little tense (ok very) but we will never learn to relax unless we get on and do it.

I wore my BP and my reflective top and tucked my phone in the special pocket. That way if I died they would find me easily and phone my partner. So I digress, loads of walk chucked in some leg yield very stiffly did loads of trot transitions and didn't die.

Did a huge rectangle and was aware of lots of shouting from the field next door charlie looked over ears alert and i reminded myself that we shouldnt both shy so trotted looking in the opposite direction.

Suddenly as we trotted down the field a spin mini rear and nap. "OMG heck I am stuffed now I cannot finish on that note I have to establish who is in charge and making the decisions" (remember this its significant) so I had to stay in the field. 

I walked and walked and kept changing the rein and circling (well ovalling and wobbly amoeba shapes) had a chat to myself and decided if I was going to die it may as well be now.

Well dear reader... I cantered (oops a bit of a Bronte moment there)  the first couple werent too bad at all. Changed the rein and it was pretty awful. Next minute a voice shouted your crooked! Bugger my saddle had slipped to the left on Fat Boy. We sorted it out and tried again and had a bit of a tense but lovely large canter circle. I finished off walking around and then hopped off and walked him back up the track after treating him to a tuft of grass.

Untacked tied him up and went to phone the man which was when I realised I had lost my phone.

It's a new phone with my bargain £4 cover on it. I must have lost it when I cantered. Blinking heck the Magpie I saw on the way to the yard meant I was going to lose my phone not die.

So I tucked him up with his tea and trudged back down to the very big field. I zig zagged up and down the field section by section recovering where we had cantered. Nothing then I moved across to where we hadn't cantered and there it was exactly where we had the spin mini rear in trot. He must have spooked when the phone fell out and slipped down his shoulder. Poor Charlie yet again I have misunderstood him. Not only that but the £4 cover is damaged he must have stepped on it. But the phone is fine whoo Hoo!

So we have proper cantered in the big field, I have to find out what makes the saddle slip and I have to learn to read Charlie better.

Phew!

Charlie and I have had a rollercoaster couple of weeks the dragon slaying continues and is going mighty well including an introduction to a chainsaw.

Schooling not so good Charlie was being difficult working in a contact and would or could not work through from behind he hollowed and resisted as soon as asked. I will be honest I was pretty devestated when it was suggested to me that he may not be quite right elsewhere. Cue lots of tears and a visit to Ollie at Bushy Equine with a recalcitrant partner in tow (ok towing because I cant tow and cry).

What a relief! Charlie had the standard work up walk and trot on hard ground and walk trot and canter in the sand school.

The vets assistant, a Hartpury Student on a years placement, did the lungeing and I found myself standing at the side asking Charlie for walk as he ignored his handler. Then the young man asked for Canter by Cracking the whip. Thank God Charlie knows you lunge in a circle as I fully expected to see him fly of the launch pad. The aid is CAN...TER not a chorus of 'The Deadwood Stage is a Coming up over the Hill' it was electric but he looked terrific.

So the results, loads of stretches prodding and poking and we had Back re Xrayed and Neck xrayed even Ollie said his xrays were lovely and clean as a whistle. Then for good measure we had Hock Xrays too and what a lovely pair of hocks he has.

Ollie said we have done a lovely job and his all round muscle tone and back are perfect the only telltale sign of his op is a clutch of white hairs. He feels we have done 95% of the repair work and it is highly likely we are still dealing with learned responses and pain memory.

We are now on a 2 week Bute trial. He says sometimes it has no impact at all but sometimes it relieves a bit of tightness the horse perceives as a problem and sometimes just bute for 2 weeks with normal work is enough for them to unlearn the discomfort reaction.

I also asked them to weigh the portly person 638kg my weight tape lies (585).

It just keeps Getting better.

Another week has gone by and I haven't lost him. 

What have I been doing for the week?

We have continued our dragon slaying introducing him to the white poles he met previously this time laid down as an s in the pony paddock. 

We have repeated the mini hacking loop, we have met the other liveries painting show jumps all stacked in his normal tying up area. Loads of plusses here the smell of paint and turps, the whole area looking like a jump painting factory instead of concrete hard standing.

Today I decided the mini hacking loop should be extended so instead of leaving the yard and turning right up the hill we turned left! Now this doesn't seem like much but in Charlie's worst anxious times leaving the yard going left instead of right would have been extremely upsetting if not impossible.

This involves a longish steep hill to go down used extensively as a rat run and by HGVs it was very busy and he tootled down the hill ears pricked happily hacking away from 'home'.

At the bottom of the hill we turned left back onto farm tracks and took the long lane round the farm and back up to the yard.

We met a chunk of baler wrapping that he hesitated and snorted at. This would normally cause a prompt turn, a mini rear and refusal to take the selected route even though it was towards home. Today a pat, an it's ok and my little man happily tootled on up the track with a perky pair of ears realising he was heading back and supper would be served. Only a brief 15 minute hack if that but a hack none the less and on his own. He has never left the yard and turned left ever.

This brings me to this beautiful Arabian proverb

'The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears'

Dragonslaying and finding Charlie

It is always good to share the ups and downs of life with a rehab horse. People have said to Tori what does Anna do in between lessons that make her go from euphoria to despair. Well that is easy to answer. I have concentrated too much on seeking perfection before our next lesson and this week I have attempted to fix it.

So ......Dragonslaying

Marquee Dragons

Charlie and I have spent the last few days fighting dragons. I feel I have concentrated a bit too much on my riding and not enough on his perception of Dragon in the Hedge.

I was absolutely delighted to find a Marquee built on the upper lawn of the farm and took Charlie in hand to introduce him to it. There followed much snorting (him) and hugging (me) and the guys thought I might be a little bit bonkers.

On Sunday I decided to ride past it. This involved riding up the track past the scary chickens and onto the driveway along the drive onto the road back down the hill and into the main yard gate a handy little anticlockwise mini loop. We did this twice it did involve some front elevation of the rearing kind but small and that didn't matter as we eventually walked along the drive in a banana like fashion. I didn't go for a third session as that felt more like punishment than education.

Dressage board Dragons

Yesterday we lunged in the Pessoa and did some canter transition work. It was interesting to see how Charlie applied himself to the transitions and how they improved. We ended our work with a 5 minute join up session which was fun.

Getting to the arena had involved walking past a wheelbarrow of freshly painted dressage boards (ok broken poles painted white) which threatened Charlie so we completed our session by meeting the white dragons. This involved a lot of snorting and a pocket full of carrots. By the time I had finished I could pick up a pole and wave it and finally he was happily eating carrots off the poles in the wheelbarrow while I wobbled it a bit.

Fire breathers

We finished our day by having to walk very close to a large crackling snapping bonfire to get to our field. I wore my hard hat just in case and placed myself between Charlie and the Dragon. Wow not only did he go past it he stood and looked at it as I patted him.

And today.......I found Charlie!

We rode in the school, me not riding as well as I should and Charlie having little discussions with the my contact and the bit. Only at one point did he throw his quarters in to evade and blow me down if he didn't ride forward and back to where I wanted him.

We even did a few canter transitions with a dangerously forward seat thank goodness for no bucking with this boy and they were ok.

Nothing ventured nothing gained I decided on repeating the marquee visiting but in reverse and of course now there is no marquee as it was dismantled yesterday.

I rode across the concrete yard on a very perky happy forward going boy no traffic so turned right onto the road and walked briskly up the hill. Stopped in the road to turn right back into house driveway anticipating reluctance but no he very happily marched on and then did his impression of a giant banana going past where the marquee wasn't all goggle eyed. Back down to the chickens and there we decided to stop and meet the chickens properly.

So no real evasions in the school none of the toy throwing of confusion. It really feels like I have the perky happy willing to learn Supercob back so now it's all up to me.

Its all here somewhere

Firstly I need to say that the trouble with owning a fixed horse is that every time something happens you think 'Oh God no he still isn't fixed' especially if like me you have an over analytical mind.

The second issue is that, if like me you have after 30 years found the trainer who wants you to ride the way your brain has always thought you should, there is a lot of re-education on both sides the ex-hunter and the jockey.

Following a week of despair we have had yet another positive lesson and the point of this post is really to remind me not to break it before our next lesson.

Yesterday we finally started to unwrap the dressage cob that is Charlie. He has a lot on his hooves with having to retrain my hands and I have a lot on my hands having to retrain a slightly cheeky hunter who during his recuperation has been training me. That said in our lesson yesterday there were moments of magic.

The usual plan following a particularly good lesson is to go back in the school over the next few days and repeat the exercise. Not so this week today we did in-hand work just simple stuff we even took our copy of Philippe Karl and a pair of reading glasses into the school. Yet again no pictures it is very difficult when you work on your own and your horse always come to you.
Instead I am going to share some of Today's photos. Charlie lives in a small herd with two other Geldings. the yard car park is at the top of the hill so here is the sight that greeted me Charlie asleep and his little friend Munchkin Grazing nearby.

The Reclining Charlie

Knows it me so gets up

Ambling with not a care in the world

I thought I was being caught

Gimme the headcollar

what do you mean stay away I loves you

The Book

Finished Work

3 legged snack



Can I come out now?

Rebuilding the Battleship

So it's a week since we had our teeth fixed and another layer of the Onion that is Charlie has been peeled back. We haven't enjoyed our week as I didn't feel that we had the earth crunching breakthrough I had anticipated. 

The first time I rode him after the  EDT he was..... horrible and not very happy. The vet had said ride the next day WRONG not with Charlie so we took a step back and had a few sessions lunging with Vienna reins before riding .... This definitely helped him and the work improved but not as much as I had hoped for.

What has improved is his demeanour and on the lunge his trot looked better.

Lightbulb 1

Cue a lesson with Tori Rendle and discussing Charlie with her I have had yet another lightbulb moment.

I couldn't understand why when I first had Charlie he wasn't very well schooled as in NOT at ALL schooled but was not so fussy in his mouth and now his back is fixed he is really sensitive. 

Discussing this brings a lightbulb moment he was never good with the contact and now it becomes apparent that his teeth were causing him to hold his head and work with the bit in a fixed way add to that his KS and whichever happened first he was rideable but not school able as he had learnt to work with what he had protecting himself by locking everything including his lower jaw.

So now we return to Rebuilding the Battleship to turn this gorgeously proportioned tank into a sophisticated light smooth moving Poshcob.

Today we started by working on our contact asking Charlie to soften and carry his head in a nice low position by simply raising the inside hand and gently squeezing on the bit then giving my arms forward with leg applied.

This was going to take some time, apparently, nah he had it Sussed and it was what he was praying for. Unfortunately the Captain of the ship is struggling a little with her role in this and ensuring she raises and doesn't pull back. Charlie ,however, has this in hand and a quick snatch of his head or opening his mouth indicates the error of my ways.

So yet again tons of homework for me and a life of Riley with his mates in the field for Charlie.

Lightbulb 2

And now for the second lightbulb moment. Some of my anxiety and lack of confidence has been fuelled by listening to the WRONG people. In fact someone actually suggested that Charlie might have been unhappy and rearing because he was really, really nappy and just wanted to stay with his friends instead of hacking out!

Well I realise that is rubbish but when your confidence is weak you do listen....and PANIC!

So where is this second lightbulb moment coming from. Well Charlie has often shown a reluctance for a certain direction as he has anticipated going in another. At his best just a loaded shoulder at his worst vertical.

Because of this if I am out and he loads his shoulder I anticipate trouble.

Today after my lesson we had a pootle down the track and back. On the way back this took us past the schooling field now shut for hay making and ,although Charlie was heading back to his paddock and his stable,  he veered off to the left anticipating being taken into the field for some flat work. So not being naughty, not being nappy just misunderstanding the plan.

Charlie gets The Dental full Monte - Thursday 23rd May

Today was dentist day and we had booked Pete Ravenhill of Bushy Equine.

Our appointment was 2.30. Just before I left home I got the delayed phone call moving it to between 3 and 3.30. Charlie came in and was given a teaspoon of hay (he is getting fat).

At 3.45 the phone rang and it was moved to 4.30. By now I had poo picked the field and tidied out the back of the car. 

Cue bucket of water and j cloth I proceeded to clean the steering wheel and wash down all the cockpit area. The garage had jet washed the exterior while it was kidnapped over the last 5 days.

Finally at 5.05 I received a text to say he was 5 minutes away and sure enough he promptly arrived 15 minutes later.

Very impressed with his attention to Charlie. He gave him mild sedation as he was pretty snotty and got to work.

The results :

    sharp edges on outside edge of upper jaw much worse at back.

    Sharp edges on inside edges of lower jaw much worse at back

    No ulceration or damage to inside of mouth

    A step in the molar level in the centre of his jaw line.

These issues would cause:

      his cheeks to be pinched when contact is taken up

      His tongue to be hurt by bit pressure

      An inability to move his jaw correctly when lowering and raising his head       which would have the knock on effect of causing pain in the poll and neck.

He did suggest that dentistry without mild sedation would make it very difficult to adequately float his molars right at the back.

    

I hope it's his Teeth

I haven't updated for two weeks as there I not a lot to say really. Charlie's is feeling the spring grass and has been very silly with a bit in his mouth.

We had a physio visit 2 weeks ago and she says all is fine. The following day we rode in the school and charlie felt awful mouth open and not really listening. I spoke to Grace and nothing she had done had caused this and following on with a lesson with Tori it has become more apparent that 'he is not happy in his mouth'.

So we are doing groundwork no bit and waiting for the EDT. If he doesn't say ooh this tooth is sharp I will be really worried so Mr Charlie has been doing pole work,  loose schooling,lunging over raised poles and canter work.

Spring has Sprung

"Eek" said Charlie as he was led out of his field. "Dragons in the hedge! Dragons in the hedge!"

He snorted twice swung round and shouted "Run!" to his owner and then cantered down the track ripping the lead rope from her grasp.

 

She walked after him calling softly and half way down the track he stopped snorting and looked over his shoulder.

"I can't believe you aren't running. RUN for Gods sake". He spun and demonstrated 'Run' snorting with his tail held high as he galloped past the Giant Green bale which had caused sheer terror in his heart only a few days before.

He pranced around the bottom field. The cobs in the field next door looked shocked and they started running too. "Why are we running?" Asked Joe of the other two cobs. "God only knows!" said Shadow. "Something is fwightening Charlie"said Nemo.

They ran to the fence line. "Ask him what is fwightening him" said little Nemo.

Joe, in charge as usual, stepped forward.

"Charlie mate! What are we running from?".

"I can't remember." Said Charlie. "Have you guys seen how much grass is in this field?" He munched away and looked up suddenly at a noise.  "Ooh Hello mum.  Have you seen all this Grass!".

She picked up his lead rope. "You naughty boy!" she said as she led him away.  As they left the cobs leaned over the fence tucking in to the lovely grass. "Hang on" he said "HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GRASS?" "Yes Charlie" she said. "And you have seen Too much grass and are losing your day off!".