Hugging the Bear

Bear Hugging where to start ? I always have trouble with my arms and my elbows in particular and have heard such as there is an L in elbow etc. now Tori has explained how she would like me to carry my arms and my hands and to me it is a little bit like cuddling a big Teddy Bear.

When I was um err about let's say 3 or maybe 4 my Mum bought me Big Ted. He was called Big Ted because I remember vividly sitting up in bed hugging my Teddy Bear who was as big as me sat on my bed being hugged he looked me straight in the eye. So when Tori explained that I should have my arms slightly away from my side and my wrists slightly curved rather than broken at the wrist I immediately thought of cuddling Big Ted the important point being that the thought and the image in my head was relaxed and soft just like my arms should be.
This is a photo of Big Ted (he is on the Right) with Godfrey the Raffle win who has since gone to Charity and Tiggly as a kitten. So this photo encompasses the whole image of carrying your arms away from your side and in front of you with no tension. Now when I am riding if I feel tense I just think hug the bear.

One Giant Leap

It's silly the little things that can get you excited when you have a horse recuperating from KS.

Charlie has lost his confidence big time hacking out. In fact lost it to the degree that he doesn't. I made a huge mistake at the weekend (yes another ) and asked him to go down the track past the barn........ Just as a few of the horses were being brought in.

He was not a happy bunny at all and neither was I as his reaction was lots of rears and attempts to turn round and go back. Finally he stood and pawed the ground manically.

Having discussed his napping rears at length with Tori and probably the rest of the world once I had got him standing still I dismounted and proceeded to walk him down the track by his shoulder. There were many reasons why I didn't want I do this the main one being it is ankle deep mud and I had just cleaned my leather boots but it is important to work on his confidence and

Interestingly about halfway along the track he suddenly exhaled and relaxed I walked by his shoulder past the dragons and the pit of despair (a broken tractor thingy and a big muck heap with rotting tree-stumps by it) and at the end have him a pat and a hug. I then used a tree-stump by the gate to remount and rode him back to the farm singing 'baa baa black sheep' as we went and trying to dismiss the images of him bolting and bronc ing his way back up the track from my mind. Of course he did nothing of the sort.

Fast forward to today. Now when I work him in the school I am analysing things we work on and considering what moves will be useful to switch off his anxiety when we hack out. The in-hand work is invaluable if I have to dismount as it gives me a toy to play with that he understands so now I have to have the same ideas when on board. That way I can bring in something he recognises and understands to build his confidence I find myself considering wether I can develop a key sound he likes which means hey Hun it's ok.

Anyway to the point One Piddly little hack for normal people one giant leap for me and the Charlie horse. Not only did we ride down the infamous farm track of the weekend we ..... Trotted down it relaxed!
We only went as far as the big barn which in both our opinions was sufficient. We came round the corner to meet our farmer locking down some big bales on his trailer so we stopped had a gossip and a cuddle ( oops me n Charlie not Mr Farmer) fed Charlie a carrot stick I had especially brought in my pocket and then turned around and walked back up the track.

So pleased with us both we will get there yet.

Circles and Chickens

Lovely lesson Tuesday with Tori working the boy into a contact now and we both found it difficult but had some really nice moments. The way he is working I would be very surprised if he has any issues with pain just balance.

Everyone on the yard is very supportive and it has been suggested that we take Charlie off haylage and put him on plain old hay so we shall try that for a few weeks.

Following on from yesterday's lesson we worked with the Vienna reins slightly higher today to get Charlie working more upward in his shoulder. As Tori said yesterday it may take a little time to get used to this new setting haha what a joke he was positively simpering and we had some lovely work on the lunge.

I remembered to raise my hand to assist his head carriage and didnt step in front of his shoulder.

We were very focussed today because there had been an overlap of school booking and I was anticipating the 'are you nearly finished' shout from someone.

So Vienna reins and lunge line were swiftly removed and I popped on board. We had placed two coloured blocks either side of x to make sure we didn't fall in or out when we circled through X.

Well we were magnificent. Walking into the contact on large,circles, figure of eight, leg yield into trot. We did transitions walk trot walk we did trot circles not all by any means perfect but some very nice work indeed and no,not any, not even the slightest head toss.

I stop here to give readers an opportunity to cheer and applaud!

The allusion to hugging a big teddy bear for my arm use and position worked a treat every time I though Charlie felt a bit heavy on a rein I thought 'it may be me, hug a bear' I am after all the queen of locked elbows.

The 'someone' shout never came as unfortunately the bookee had a family crisis but none the less we were ready to leave and I didn't want to spoil our success by overdoing it.

The sun was shining so I thought 'what the heck' and we rode out of the school ( this was useful as it gave me the opportunity to practice mounted door opening and shutting). We trundled across the yard down the track and then turned sharp left to go up the track past the chickens to the house. Now this isn't far at all but...if you have a horse who gets anxious On hacks it is the top of the world.

Well again the boy did good. He met another horse being brought in just as we got to the bottom of the slope and the Farmers pickup was parked right in our way. He didn't bat an eyelid. As we got part way up I felt him hesitate so instead of pushing him on I asked him to halt using my stomach :D and then patted and walked on...it was a piece of cake. The first time we did this several weeks ago he bounced and tried to turn round. I just checked it was 12 jan I blogged it so the blog is working because it keeps me focussed on our progress.

So there we have it for some riding on a circle with a contact and riding up a farm track all on the same day is nothing but for Charlie and me its a champagne moment.

Just Another day

Woke up feeling a little bit more positive today and was ready to, as my mum would say, grab the bull by the horns. I had toyed with the idea of getting Charlie a leather collar and dog lead and telling very one he is a Frocester Labrador.

I popped him in the school this morning and lunged in the Pessoa and Vienna reins for 20 minutes before turning him out, haven't actually pessoad for a while he looked marvellous.

The yard are all very supportive and I have lots of suggestions of things to do at the farm to build up both our confidences. As it is so muddy the first job on our agenda is to get some wider stirrups so that I can play ride and walk in my muck boots as all the tracks are quite muddy.

This afternoon we had a visit from Charlie's chiropractor. She hasn't seen him for about 18 weeks. She was impressed with My controll of his weight as he tends towards portly and how loose and supple he has become in his shoulders.
She had a good look at his spine and found no problems. I had called her out, as I suspected Charlie pelvis was slightly out and it was slightly rotated to the right.

Towards Phase 2 of hacking out then swiftly backwards.

Friday 15th feb

All horses out Today so t was lovely to pop Charlie out in the sunshine. We have had yet more plusses today and a humph.

When I got down to the yard after lunch both Charlie's field buddies were in and so were the three cobs who live in the paddock next door. Before Christmas this would have triggered a very fretful gelding. He still had the women next door (the mares in their turnout frocks) but this had no effect on him before it was the other geldings that mattered. But here was my lovely boy alone in his paddock munching contentedly.

We worked in the school later on and did have a little cheekiness on the lunge but we will brush that under the carpet. He had a moment of thinking he was in charge.
Some nice ridden work not perfect but perfection will come later.

Saturday 16th feb.

So Saturday duh what can I say. Phase 2 of hacking out was a bit of a disaster. Hacked out in the sunshine with 3 friends. Charlie had a little moment going up the cows field but was ok then as we hacked down the lane we had to stop for a car and it started rear after rear after rear and spinning to go home. No I wasn't wound up and tense and I was practicing using my stomach to slow him.
I got off and walked him down the hill. One of our party was not happy and we split into two they went counter clockwise we went clockwise. I walked him halfway then got back on and he was just as bad so I got off and led him the rest of the way. When we got to the very last gate I got on and rode him back to the farm.
It was a blinking long way to walk and he was fine as soon as I was on the ground. In fact it was 4.2 miles I measured it.

So what have we learned.
I admit his back was a bit up under the saddle but unfortunately I can't necessarily lunge then hack out but it was the first time I had ridden without lungeing. Note to self try this in the school next session.

It was too much too soon for him so we need to take a step back.

7 weeks of schooling have left me with a horse who walks to heel so it ain't all bad.

Getting ready for Hacking

Today we went out for a walk in hand. This is phase 1 of the masterplan 'Getting back to Hacking'.

I dressed Charlie in his work clothes brushing boots, lunge cavesson and lunge line. I figured that he understands that boots and cavesson mean work.
I wore my reflective tabard just in case we got, ahem, separated.
I remembered the advice i had been given and asked him to walk forward with me at or just behind his shoulder. This is where our work in the school came in to play as he understand a hand pointing forward as guidance and an indication of direction rather than dragging forward like a large boat being dragged forward on the end of a rope.

We didn't go far just down the farm track past several dragons and a fire breathing chunk of metal. He was like a favourite Labrador no snorting, no silliness we even trotted in hand, at my request. i thought that if I stuck to the familiar it would keep him in the non anxious zone and maybe me too. There were some humongous puddles at one point I thought I was going to disappear up to my neck.

When we got down to the bottom fields I walked up to the open gate by the main road put on his parking brake ( wait wait) and we stood in the gateway watching lorries and vans fly past at least Too fast miles an hour. Included in this were two, yes two, lorries carrying gigantic clanky noisy skips. Charlie was oblivious to the crashing and banging so we shared some minty treats, I had them in my pocket and he ate them. Then we turned around and meandered back up the track.

I was so happy over the moon in fact no one else seemed as excited as me.

It was a day in for the horses today so I made a lot fuss of him gave him a big breakfast and made him a big fluffy bed.

I was so very pleased with him and he was so relaxed I could have brought him home and made him a cup of tea.

Later in the day we had a session in the school booked and I turned up to a quiet but damp yard in brilliant sunshine.
Our morning success had coloured our day and Charlie worked so well he was amazing. I had some lovely work in walk and trot hardly any head tossing. Tori would be so impressed but I know it won't be as good next lesson but oh Charlie you have so improved.

Less is in fact more or less More

With Charlie and I it is definitely a case of Less is More. Still in a euphoric mood with our advances in schooling we were thoroughly looking forward to our lesson with Tori yesterday.

We started off analysing why Charlie does mini rears when I try a little Inhand work on the left rein. I got these on Saturday and was well miffed.
I have been accused of a multitude of misdemeanours and my sins include in no particular order
blocking by being in front of his shoulder
Not getting him walking forward before lifting the bit ring to get his weight off the bargy shoulder
Making him feel trapped by leaving the Vienna reins connected.

In my defence I was just showing she who must be obeyed how just touching the bit ring caused the reaction however today I took this on board and not being of a mind to avoid the issue I took it full on.

Well when I say full on obviously I mean I was stood by his shoulder wearing no V reins. I asked him to walk forward and did a circuit with just my hand on the bit ring not asking for anything. Followed up I asked him to walk forward raised the bit and asked him to move his shoulder. Not fantastic,not brilliant but good enough for me no silliness.

Today we lunged in the v reins and I appear to have broken the canter transition. I was working speaking very quietly so that instead of concentrating on noises off stage Charlie had to concentrate on me more. As a result the snappy aaaand canTER was either missed,ignored or totally ignored. It is there somewhere I will try and dig it out tomorrow.

On to ridden work and try as we might yesterday we couldn't get Charlie not to head toss. He even tried to throw his head down and get my bum off the saddle which unfortunately worked.

Today I girded my loins and after lunging popped on the boy determined to manage the situation.
Whenever he threw his head up I was ready with my Tori rules kept my hands soft (ok as soft as I can manage) used my stomach to resist and let him do his worst. Immediately with an increased use of leg I found I couldn't stop him tossing his head but it was much reduced and I swear I heard some gentle bit chomping and the head tossing reduced but we didn't manage to get to zero.

We did some pretty magical shoulder in leg yieldy move across stuff and I even got to the point of asking him to align his shoulders and quarters as he moved...oh yes we did. All of this in walk I may add we aren't up to it in trot ....yet.

We practiced getting my weight to the outside using my inside leg near the shoulder asking him to bend to inside and work into this corners.

I can happily report the following
No hop into trot transition, no bounces of any sort and LESS how do I get him soft and forward and MORE ooh that was nice lets get it again.

We have a long way to go but we have not, as yet, come off the rails.

Thats 6 weeks of Ridden Work Whoo Hoo!

Where to start its hard to say. It's been busy for Charlie with a lesson and a Physio session this week.

Today I decided to start off tacked up for lunging and riding but use the Thera Band supplied by Grace on Wednesday for the first 5 minutes in walk. This is the elasticated band I referred to previously.

I tied it to the girth strap on both sides and managed to arrange it so that it stayed as a wide band around his bottom rather than rolling up as it had when Grace used it. I popped the lunge line on the cavesson and wandered around the Arena with my faithful giant Labrador Charlie by my side.

He seemed very comfortable with it so I popped him onto a circle and walked him around. Nothing ventured nothing gained he seemed very content so I asked for trot no problem popped him onto the other rein same again.

I connected the Vienna reins and worked him on both reins in trot what a little hero. I hadn't noticed until Grace mentioned it,she hadn't seen him for 3 weeks ,that he doesn't fall in on the lunge like he used to.

I wanted to work on a couple of canter transitions so I removed the rubber band as that seemed a bit too big of an ask.

We have had problems requesting canter as he didn't understand the last few times and I had to resist the temptation to run around shouting like a banshee and waving the lunge whip in the air as apparently 'the horse is your mirror, never get annoyed with your mirror'.

Today he was wonderful a clear concise can....TER was all I needed. A nice transition or two on his left rein then we changed to the right rein which can be tricky as he leaps forward with both front feet. One slightly explosive transition and back to trot but right on the button when I used the can...TER word and second transition on the button and nice.

You would have thought this was enough for one session but we were having fun and he was being super.

A little ridden work was next but before we started that I put down 3 trot poles and just asked him to trot over on both reins. He can do these in his sleep now and was very tidy.

The master plan was invoked we did some ridden work including, tada ,the trotting poles he was such a lovely boy went over them really nicely.

I found some of my seatbone and pelvis and at last on the right rein sat correctly and golly apparently if you sit with your weight in the correct place you have a nice soft balanced horse trotting on a circle and going into his corners. Unfortunately I couldnt maintain it all the time but when it was good it was very good.
 We even pushed our luck and did some leg yield to trot and then, a fanfare of trumpets, a little bit of reverse shoulder in on both reins. I did note with this on one rein he was curling up too much and overbending bit I am sure Tori will fix that.

That seems such a lot to have done in one session but Charlie is turning into a sponge when it comes to learning and is so rewarding to work with.

Such a clever boy and as they say on Miranda 'such fun'. The only problem now is the rest of the girls on the yard run for cover when I come out and tell them how good he is.

And dear reader ( ooh a Charlotte Bronte moment) 95% of the ridden work was without a single head toss and a nice feel on the end of the reins!

On Separation Anxiety

When Charlie started to have his issues some of it was a bit of napping.
He would be toddling along happily and then turn 180 degrees. He never turned and bolted but did turn and then give frantic little bounces.
Now I don't know whether it is chicken or egg with the KS but it is an issue I need to keep in mind. I hope discomfort made him insecure if you know hati mean.
He lives next door to a slightly stressy TB called JB I say slightly stressy as he has come on bucketloads since he moved to the yard but he does tend to box walk etc.
He is Charlie's bestest friend in the world ever and they share a field with a little cob called Munchkin who is the bottom of the pecking order.

My saddler told me before KS was diagnosed that the massive rearing and the spinning with bounces was probably a major nap well it wasn't but everything will have added to any insecurity he might possess.

The one time we rode with JB a couple of weeks ago when JB left the school Charlie did have a mini episode so we are aware it may happen.

Over the last few weeks Harriet and I have changed some of our bringing in timings. Quite often the two big boys came in together or Charlie came in first.
Now Harriet often brings JB in early so he gets used to being in alone for a controlled period and Charlie copes with just the minion for company. ( as well as horses in the other paddocks).Thus making JB realise he won't die when Charlie isn't there and vice versa.

Today I twitched as JB was in the school being very noisy because he had been left for a roll after working and wanted his mummy or Charlie or both.
I had Charlie tacked up for lunging and led him to the school as the frantic JB left.
I was fully prepared for Charlie to have an issue, to want to join JB, to stop concentrating on me. But my fears were unfounded Charlie concentrated on me and JB just wanted his Haynet.

So that is some nice stages covered with no stresses.

My next goal is our first hack in company planned for Sunday and now cancelled because I have been invited out to Sunday lunch by someone my partner and I actually want to see.

New games to play

Yesterday we had a Physio visit for Charle and grace spent the time showing me some polework exercises on the ground for Charlie.

We took it very slowly so we didn't spook him but he was having a very good spook free day. In fact he was so chilled he was asleep. I started off with the feeling I can't see what this will do as it was all in a very slow walk but my word it was interesting.

The T

We built a T of poles on the ground and basically got Charlie walking up and down and in and out and doing some rein back. Then we raised some of the poles and got him walking around them and over them. Nice and slowly as it meant he had to pick his legs up properly. I, wrongly, assumed he would just plough through it all but, lovely little man that he is, he just trundled around doing our bidding.

Charlie watches Grace set it up

My favourite exercise was the last one. Poles down the centre line with one end raised. We initially had Charlie zig zagging over them and then finally Grace took over and we got him literally weaving along them stepping slightly to right or left to go over them.

I videoed some of it but not the last bit which I like most because I could clearly see how Charlie had to pick up a hind leg and step across and under as he went over a raised end and then because he was then changing direction slightly he did the same with the other leg.


We finished off by trying him with an elasticated strap around his quarters. We tied this to the girth part of a roller and got him walking round encouraging a step under. Yet again the boy took all of this in his stride.

Turning Corners

I bought Charlie at the end of March 2012 an ex Ledbury Hunt whipper in horse. I was warned that he would need schooling by the dealer I bought him from but most important to me was character and temperament and that Charlie had in bucket loads. I have known the dealer for many years he is a good friend and i had been very fussy about the horses I tried but so was he as I used to ring him about horses i heard he had in and get told 'No that won't suit you.' It took me 7 months to find him.
He rang me about Charlie while I was awaiting vetting of another horse elsewhere that failed luckily for me. Then I finally rang him back about Charlie and was told he would get him in from the Ledbury for me to look at. He wasn't called Charlie I never knew his real stable name they nicknamed him something else. I arranged to go and try him, next minute another phone call 'You won't like him he is hogged' yes I am hogged mane predjudiced.

Went and spoke to my best friend who called me an idiot and I duly rang back and rearranged the trial ride.

So we spent 6 months of ecstasy with Mr Perfect and then my walls came tumbling down and KS was diagnosed.

Now, here we are taking it steady and I have been riding him since December 28th so that is um err umm gosh just over 5 weeks it seems longer than that.

My confidence is increasing, my understanding of Charlie is increasing and here we were today doing leg yield and shoulder-in and quite literally turning corners. I know we have a long way to go but I really feel that we are making headway.

He doesn't truly understand contact but is learning I am not doing the rehab of a post op dressage horse I have done the rehab of a post op hunter and now we turn him into a dressage horse .........with a mane :)

Charlie the Hogged Hunter after a day with the Berkeley March 2012

Loads of Lightbulb moments

Friday was better, much better in fact a little of the head tossing crept in but now I have found a lightbulb moment thanks to Tori and her teaching and advice. We didn't have any of the napping,mini bounce rears.

I have a problem with my perception of why he does stuff all coloured by the horse I had that was horrid. As I said before, the mini bounce he does is his reaction to anything difficult challenging or misunderstood. He does it in the field if challenged by his bossy field mate. So the solution is apply more leg and maintain a supporting balance with my body and keep the hands soft. So today with use of that lightbulb moment he was lovely

Saturday, yet again, we worked in the school surprise surprise. I lunged Charlie in the Vienna reins and he was a very good boy. More lightbulbs dropped like snowflakes into my brain. We have been working at changes within the pace slow trot, extend the trot slow again and when he gets it correct its lovely.
However he has times when he throws his head and dives into the trot and then falls in badly. I have to use the yellow lunge whip of the devil to push him back out so he doesn't flatten me.
The horse that was horrid would at times, on the lunge, turn and charge me so charlies behaviour had given me some oops moments. It is now blindingly obvious that Charlie gets unbalanced if i ask for too much and if I ask for the trot extension very gently the result is lovely and soft. The falling in we will work on.

I had decided our plan for the ridden session was to mainly concentrate on me and my hands and contact. It worked no head tossing occurred not one bit. All his transitions into trot were smooth in fact I am damn sure that at one point as we rode through a corner I could feel his inside hind getting into action. He was a bit crooked on the left rein and falling in but we allowed this and went for happy bunny nice hands and use of body for pace control.
It was a lovely session.

Sunday is a day of rest so that is exactly what Charlie and I did. We rested he had a day in the field being a horse albeit an extremely muddy one and I had a day on the sofa, well almost. I did my household accounts, varnished a painting and finished of a lovely e book.
Charlie was passionately grateful for his holiday but just wanted his hay and hotel room.

So there we are lightbulbs and dim owners. He tries so hard to understand hopefully we will get there together if I listen and observe more.