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!".

Dont take a Holiday

Big Mistake the boy had been going so well apart from a bit of a brake failure when I hacked out before my hols and then I come back to a recalcitrant teenager who can so not bend to the right.
This, then, is a very quick update.

My trainer took back her bit Damn her and so I have to buy my own!

So arrived home Saturday lunchtime rescued my cat from prison ate lunch and popped over to Charlie. While I was there I thought I may as well pop on. Yuck no bend at al and god he felt so wide.
Anyhow fast forward and I actually rode him in the field yesterday and had one minor hiccup when he though he had finished. Not only that we cantered whoop whoop. Walk to canter both reins nice strike off shame about the jockey.