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?