More Lego work!

The trouble with documenting our progress is my flaky memory so I hope I don't miss out anything significant.

I decided the next bit of Charlie Lego to work on is canter transitions last time we did a bit of canter work he threw canter into the mix at every opportunity and got upset when we told him it wasn't what we wanted.

So we had a nice quiet slot on Sunday to lunge and practice canter transitions doing lots of walk to canter and lots of no we are not cantering.

Monday we rode without lunging first and practised not cantering then cantering then walking then trotting then more canter strike offs. I am so pleased with his attitude he really wants to try.
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Tuesdays are lesson days but they are also one of the days that my hacking buddy Chris is available so yet again I had a sleepless night and an early morning hack with Chris and her lovely Gelding Robin. Charlie is definitely improving.

I feel that his anxiety is reduced and I can cope with his odd blip. We had a mini rear at the end of the cows field and a little bounce when he spied a man on a roof but no trying to run home. The mini rear is fixed by immediately circling and then telling him what a good boy he is. I think in the past I have been guilty of just asking him to go forward again which isn't as productive.
I should add that it was bin day in Coaley so we did a load of black bin bags and some green wheelie bins too.

As a last note I should say strewth it was COLD!
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Lesson time came in the afternoon and Tori was pleased at the way Charlie was working on the lunge during my warm up 'working through' and using his back.

Being Tori this meant our ridden work was upped a gear. You would not believe how tiring it is to do a whole lesson on transitions within the pace at walk and dear god how much leg you need!

Then we attempted it in walk and trot. I suddenly realise I need a brain the size of a planet and several years to get where we want to be but go there I shall!

So yet again watch this space Whips horse to Dressage Cob see you there!

Some ooh arrives

Well Charlie had a proper day off on Wednesday as he had done more work than usual on Tuesdays hack. He had a long field day and a pamper.

I was interested to see what he would be like in our lesson Thursday evening as we had done the most cantering for over 6 months on the hack.

We were just finishing off lunging when Tori arrived and it was decided that the Vienna reins were too long. Funny I thought this ages ago and kept meaning to ask.

Charlie had some in hand training from Tori and I suddenly saw proper leg yield on both reins whoo hoo. Apparently I now have to teach Charlie to pick up his leg when tapped with a whip (tapped not hit folks) I wouldn't hold your breath but you never know.

We also need to get him to step under and work that arse by tapping his bum and then his inside hind when trotting.

Ridden work was ace following this and we remove the cavesson and rode without a noseband interesting I had a very soft horse.

Must remember the exercise half 20 metre circle across school then small circle, leg yield straight leg yield again and eventually trot awesome results.

Today (Friday) horses had to stay in as it was so wet. Luckily for me Charlie is happy to stay in his hotel room when all the other horses are in too.

I grabbed a spare 10 minutes in the school this morning to letCharlie have a roll.
I didn't want to chase him with the lunge whip in case it sent him loopy for lungeing. After a process of pushing him away and using my voice I had him free lungeing with me. I jogged around at his shoulder and he jogged with me.
When I stopped I waved my arm in the other direction and he changed rein and then we repeated the exercise. He did look stunning.

In my afternoon schooling session I played with yesterday's lesson and he was gorgeous. He is definitely more laterally bendy if there is such a phrase.

The Next big Hack happens

Spent the weekend generally working the lad in the school as the rule is now only hack with Robin so we lunged in the Pessoa Friday, schooled Saturday working on getting Charlie to trot not canter.

Sunday was a day off but all horses were in so I walked him Inhand for a grass fest morning and afternoon and then loose schooled for 10 minutes just to get some exercise. I must admit that loose schooling he looks a million dollars.

Monday worked on transitions and raised poles and then it was time for Tuesday and the next big hack.

Out with Robin again and Charlie was forward to the point of electric. We did the Crawley hill ride. Unfortunately as we got to the top of the cows field he panicked reared up and tried to run away. We recovered quickly however my heart was pounding and my body was panicking.

Next big field crossed and we arrive at the hacking gate into the woods. Again suddenly he went vertical and was very panicky so Chris did the tricky gate and surprisingly Charlie was more than happy to lead. My nerves were jangled like huge marbles being jiggled in a jar of slug soup.

I was using every ounce of my body trying to keep my nervous tension out of my hands and arse.

Charlie led along the wooded tracks and whoopee Dooh we had a proper canter. Very fast and quite flat and I stood up in my stirrups in case his bum intervened in a bucking fashion. It didnt.

We had a couple more canters Charlie leading thank you Chris. When we turned a corner Charlie did the stop dead handbrake turn. luckily we were trotting but whoo hoo no rear. Chris and robin led and mr Charlie silly pants was happy to follow Robin.

The rest of the ride except for my jangled nerves was uneventful if you don't include trotting too fast because there was a rock in the verge.
Rocks as we all know our nasty things to be avoided at all times.

So it's a slow old process and how we undo the learned behaviour for him and the jangled nerves for me I don't know.

Now wondering if I need to register him as Charlie Silly Pants when we eventually go out and about again.

Hacking the Wonderhorse!

Charlie the Wonderhorse and I have finally done it. This morning we did the Hack from Hell in a nice chilled relaxed manner with our hacking buddy Robin and his owner Chris Massey.

Light contact,loose back pricked ears.

This ride goes across the field of monsters some know as the cows field it's hard to know if it is worse when the cows are there or when they are not and Charlie assumes they are hiding. It's a big field and is on the side of a hill.

Next we go through two gates and down Peak Lane. Peak lane is very steep I believe it is 1 in good grief or 1 in 4.

We then do a loop round the village of Coaley and return back up Peak lane and across the field of monsters.

This is the ride we did when I found he had a problem and later
Kissing Spines was diagnosed. He basically napped and reared so badly every time we had to stop for a car I considered throwing myself in the nearest hedge. And then mid feb I tried post op and had the wrong company (for him) and he was nearly as bad and I ended

I now understand the impact of pain memory which I had been warned about but light is shining in my tunnel and he was back to the lovely horse I originally had almost a years go now. It was March 29th last year.

Fast forward to the afternoon and I had my weekly lesson with Tori.
Oh whoops in detention for hacking on a school day.
Our lesson was excellent as ever working on getting Charlie properly into the contact and using that fat little arse to step under. This was working so well on the left rein but then we changed to the right rein.

Charlie decided we needed entertaining. The exercise was walk halt walk then walk trot walk between markers. Charlie was determined to demonstrate his prowess at his new found ability to canter as practised earlier in the week so every time I asked for trot he tried to canter. Having been told that wasn't wanted he then tried trotting in front and cantering behind and tossing his head to indicate his displeasure. So the remainder of the lesson was spent trying to show Charlie the pogo stick how to trot!

It may well be that I never ever teach this big pony flying changes!

A bit of History and less Knickers needed.

History

Well we do appear to have turned a corner in our relationship me and Charlie. it is coming up to a year since I bought him my god how times flies when you are yo-yo ing between fun and terror.

The boy came to me through a dealer friend and I just generally knew his history but no detail. The past weeks of challenges strewn in my path like roses eaten by caterpillars and blighted by mildew has made me wonder if there are any clues in his history. if the nappiness and bounces are really as a result of our traumatic few months or deeper seated. I was very much of the opinion that it was the former.

By chance I spotted a post on Facebook by the hunt he came from so I started asking and lo and behold I got a contact. It has really strengthened my opinon of Charlie and put to bed the "He needs a man on him" statement I received from a friend who should have known better.

This is what his previous keeper said

·         Ok here goes...............
This is what I know about Charlie

My mother in law bought him from a dealer in Coventry as I think a 5 6 yrs old of course the dealer said he had done everything I personally think he was just broken as he was extremely green

He was hacked with others and lightly hunted by my mother in law and also did some fun rides with a younger girl, unfortunately my mother in law injured her hip( not on Charlie) and was unable to ride him so he came to me as we were short of a horse for our whip

He arrived I think in early April , we had a fun ride here at the kennels so the first time I rode him was then, he was impeccably well behaved just green ,very wobbly and I had to kick a lot! I even jumped a few small rails on him, that was when I realised he was not just a plain cob, he was very athletic and made a lovely shape

I rode him around for a few months showing him the sights etc then we introduced the hounds, he was very excepting of all I threw at him and would occasionally show slight resistance by a half hearted rear but nothing that worried me, after all he was only a baby

He came along in leaps and bounds learnt how to be led and how to lead other horses
He did hound exercise and then started hunting, he loved his job and work, he would be cheeky and have a buck as you cantered along but only as a way of 'yippee'!

He was never sick or sorry and boy can he jump!!!

He worked very hard with us and never missed a day he would go off on point, stand on main roads with lorries whizzing past etc you really couldn't fault him

We got to the end of the season and 1 spoke with my mother in law about selling him as he was too good! So that's how he got into Daves hands

This is my experiences with Charlie, he is a very intelligent horse with a cheeky character ,if you gave him an inch he would try and take a mile! 

So there we have it he was initially ridden by Ladies so there!

Taking this on board was one of the reasons I kidnapped the lovely Robin to be our Equine babysitter as it was pretty close to ride and lead.

Cantering

Yesterday my schooling wasnt going brilliantly I had a mental block doing counter shoulder in but we threw that onto the pending pile and just worked on enjoying some nice trot and then.....we had our first ridden canter. I have been practicing canter on the lunge and was getting some nice transitions. Before his Op Charlies canter in the school was very erratic and extremely awkward and unbalanced on one rein. Cant remember which rein now but was not good.

So there I was trotting around and thought I feel like asking for canter so I just sat thought and whoopee there it was. Change the rein and it happened again. No getting unbalanced and all over the place although I must admit I used the neck strap to ensure I didnt get in his way and restrict.

Arctic Hacking with Less knickers needed

Well today was a little bit on the chilly side. No I lie it was blooming freezing. Up at the yard there was an icy blast and it was snowing lightly so good to her word Chris turned up and she and Robin took us out again. The same short hack as we did Sunday but with no creative input from Charlie. Readers who dont know our geography will be unaware that the hill we ride down is a major rat run and vehicles speed along it at very silly miles an hour.

Charlie was so relaxed his back was loose we only had a light contact on the rein and he was unphased by every big lorry that threw itself at us. To my shame at one point I felt his bottom tense and thought uh oh but then when I looked behind me my bottom would have been tense it it had a car that far up its arse.

So I think we can safely say that the boy is absolutely fine but needs gentle confidence building hacks with breakdown trucks skip lorries and other general noisy delivery vehicles hammering past him and screeching to a halt on a blind bend as we frantically wave our arms saying stop you complete arse!

Hacking in Lego stages begins

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Wednesday
Worked Charlie in the school lungeing and riding. Took him out onto yard and added a lead rope to my saddle popped on board and rode down the track. 2 minutes later the napping started. As planned I sat there and requested forward movement he pawed the ground in temper then turned round so I turned round waited and then asked for forward movement. Two steps then he napped again. I repeated this 3 or 4 times until I got 3 steps forward then I dismounted and led him down past the barn. Mounted from a block then walked him back up to the yard.

Result didn't go as far as I wanted,wasn't frightened and had no rears.

Thursday
Did some of Charlie's Physio polework in the school then took him out and mounted up to repeat our mini hack. Again he left the yard quite happily and within 2 minutes he napped. This time when I attempted to turn him back he was ready for it and bucked then did a rear and basically was a little sod.

I had my dressage whip with me and have my right boot 3 sharp loud wacks and lo and behold he went forward. We hacked all the way to the bottom gate dismounted had a look at the traffic too much too fast so turned around mounted up and walked back up to the farm.

Friday I gave Charlie a day off. Well when I say he had a day off it was for me really.

Saturday a good friend at the yard took me and Charlie for a short hack down the track after we had done a little schoolwork on the lunge and he was a very good boy. We did a small circular route down the track out the bottom gate and back up the road.

Sunday we had another hacking babysit not quite so successful but achieved. We went out with the same horse and rider along the same track but turned left at the gate to go along another hack rather than returning to the farm. Cue major toy throwing and some pretty diabolical bounces then after it was pointed out to him that it was not his choice he grumpily followed Robin down to the pub and round the triangle. Phew!

Note to self wear more knickers.

Lemon and sweating like a carrot.

Just checked my blog and realised that I hadn't posted for a whole week. So where are Charlie and I in our master plan. I have had to read back on the euphoria of hacking as far as the barn.

Well as ever life with Charlie is never straightforward. The track to the barn and down the field is becoming an extension of the school. We have had one diabolical ride down the track swiftly followed by a stress free hack all the way down the track and back up the road.

Last time however we were misfortunate enough to meet two ladies who shouldn't have been there hacking towards us and our little pootle went very 'naughty'.

So being analytical he will hack confidently when he is feeling secure and when he isn't it all goes pear shaped probably as he doesn't get the sort of reassurance from me that he requires.

This tells me several things:

NEVER GO ON A 4 HOUR HACK its a long walk home.

My hacking needs to be an extension of my schooling

I have to learn not to be a nervous lemon when he is naughty.

If only my anxiety smelt of carrots.

We had another lovely lesson on Tuesday moving our schoolwork up a notch doing counter shoulder in and leg yield into trot etc all trying to get the boy supple between leg and hand and active from behind.

The result of this is twofold my legs were aching like crazy when I got off and a little lie down was not on the cards until I had made a bed filled Haynets topped up water and brushed and tucked up the boy for the night.

The increased work showed a very mild flavour of Charlie being stuck and worried when he didn't understand which wasn't helped as I was pretty confussled too.

However it does make it abundantly clear that whatever goes wrong in the school is multiplied 100 fold on a hack so hacking down the track has to become schooling not hacking.

So where to now watch this space!!