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).