Charlie rides (with John) again!

Today was our first lesson with John since the fall at the end of August.  Charlie was awesome there, but there was hysteria all around when we left.  I put Calo in the grass and Angel in the small turn out, and that was not acceptable to either of them.  John said that they'll get used to it, but that I can help by separating Charlie and Calo every once in a while just so they know they go back together.  He said it is worst the first time, but that is why people usually end up with three horses.
He said that Charlie looks consistent whether on a straight line or on a circle, so to  keep working this week and he can probably go back to full work next week.  What I can work on this week is a few circles - no more than 3, and then back to straight line work.  I can also change his gaits inside the gait (bigger trot, smaller trot), and I should work on using my outside leg (left leg) when we are going to the right to do haunches in for about twenty seconds to start trying to strengthen that weak inside right leg.
John also thought that Charlie might have done the initial injury to his leg earlier in the season, then something about the fall (or the twisting and running afterwards) finally snapped it the rest of the way.
He said that because the skin got stretched out, that's why the leg looks just a bit bigger than the other one.  He said, if we need to, we can sweat it down, but it might go down on its own once Charlie is back to work.
His plan is to do some intensive work with Charlie in draw reins to accelerate the process; he doesn't think it should limit our ability to go to Rebecca or compete this year (getting his back muscles built back up).
His other suggestion was the same as last time - don't let Charlie get away with ignoring the aid (like he started to do the last two days).  He gets the aid, and if he ignores it, a big smack with the stick, then the aid again.  We're going to try to break that bad habit.
Peaches may be interested in using Charlie for her C3 rating.  I hope she does; it would be perfect timing for trying to go up to prelim at the end of the season.