Hocks, stifles, bloodwork, and an adjustment

Charlie got his hocks and stifles injected today by Dr. Revenaugh, who also did blood work to rule out any low grade pneumonia.  He said that Charlie's symptoms (weight loss, low energy, picking at his food) were consistent with a low-grade infection, which can happen when they're on the surgery table for a while.  But Charlie, ever the cryptic, did not have anything in the first blood draw, and did not have any congestion in his lungs or trachea before or after exercise.
He was "wobbly" in the right stifle, and has some muscle loss on the stifle (as well as his back) so we injected the stifles as well as the hocks just to be safe.
Dr. R said it can be a bit of a chicken and egg problem (my words) when they've had a long rest; they don't have the muscles to do the work, but need to do the work to get the muscles back.  He said after the 5 days of stall rest and 7 days of light work, to really put Charlie back to work and make him come underneath himself.  He also agreed that if there had been any soft tissue damage in the crash, the original stall rest should have healed it, but he said they can have front end lameness and some arthritis after they spend a lot of time in the stall.

Then Dr. Salewski stopped by and gave Charlie an adjustment.  He said that he was a bit out in the poll, and he had a rib on the right out which would explain his nipping at his right side (which I thought was worms or ulcers).  He said he couldn't feel anything that would indicate that Charlie had any ulcers.  However, his right hip (my term) was really, really out.  He expected that Charlie giving in that hip will make a huge difference, and he also thought it could have come from Charlie's crash.
He said he has only been coming to Washington a barn in Redmond and a group of dogs in Auburn, and then going back to Oregon.  He doesn't like leaving his kids for those long days, but sometimes he combines a trip with socializing, and will try to let me know when he does that.  I told him I'd be happy to coordinate other Olympia people (thinking of Anne and Hillary in particular) or that if the Redmond barn would let me haul in, I'd be happy to meet him up there on his trips.

Dressage - right hand at the withers

Tonight, after a bit of head shaking resistance, Charlie caved and decided it was just easier to bend around my leg at the canter.  We ended up with some very nice transitions, in addition to nice canter and trot work.
This made it a bit easier for me to use my seat to push him bigger (down and forward at the canter; a bigger "bounce" at the trot).
However, while we got nice work out of him, it was one of those lessons where I needed a lot of step-by-step instruction from John, and I'm not sure I can repeat it at home.  He said that I should definitely try - especially the putting my outside hand against his withers so he can't pull me forward out of the saddle, and then ask him with the inside hand to bend.
We did similar work to the prior lessons, with trot and canter bent and counter bent, then on 10 meter circles, and Charlie worked much better - the increased food is making him easier to ride because he's much peppier - but it is still just a bit out of my grasp.  I can feel it working, and today I had a miraculous feeling of his outside - I could feel his haunches coming out (for the first time I think!) and I could feel his shoulders just a bit sooner than normal too, but I couldn't feel them until it had already happened, not before to prevent it.
I also had a whine about how I wasn't really that good compared to other training level riders.  John said everyone has strengths and weaknesses, but to note that when he gives me a new exercise, I learn it, so I am still able to absorb and grow, that I've never seen a lot of the exercises he's giving me, and that I didn't start with a good foundation.  He said my big weakness over fences is that I have the forward and go, and then I hesitate and wonder if I should mess with it, instead of just going forward with it.  He pointed out I rode Calo and that Charlie hasn't been able to unseat me with his antics, and then noted the irony of me complaining because my horse is too reliable.
Charlie sees Dr. R and Dr. S on Monday, and I hope that clears up whatever is left of his kinks so that we can really buckle down, get him fat and sassy, and get ready for the show season.

Craz-ee 8s

Tonight was a lesson with Meg.  John started out while Meg started her warm up by reviewing Charlie's diet.  Since Charlie is loving the oil but still not drinking, John suggested more oats (another 1/2 scoop am and pm and a scoop at lunch if I can), more oil (3/4 cup twice a day), and adding molasses to one of his buckets to see if it will make him drink.  If not, start adding salt to his grain.  John said we can't go to a show and have him not eat.
But, he did agree that Charlie had some extra spring in his step, which I first noticed two days ago but was really obvious yesterday and again today.
He started us both on the flat, and said Charlie needed to be more round and then a bit more bend to the inside.  When I got him both round and bent, then John wanted me to go forward.  I thought Charlie had his own oomph (although it helped John was standing there with a lunge whip), and that also made him feel softer in his jaw to me.
We started with a little vertical, then a 5 stride line, then the same line from the other direction.  We switched direction over the plank wall, and then John went to the craze-ee 8.  It was an oxer in the center of the ring, jumped at an angle, on an angled line (2 strides) to a vertical; then a right hand turn back to the oxer with an angled line to another vertical; then a left hand turn, etc.
I thought angle to angle wouldn't be so bad, but you had to really ride from the outside rein, but forward, but not flat, and get the angle just right to get the whole thing right.  I'm pretty sure I said "EEP" over every fence the first time through.
Then Meg did it, flawlessly, and it really helped my eye see the lines better for the next time.
I would come into the second half (going from right back to left) and half halt, then hesitate, then it was too late, and Charlie would have to spring over it.  John said I have to commit all the way, and to sit up to it.
It was one of those elegant exercises that looks simple but is quite technical (for me) and at the same time, kind of sketchy and then rewarding that we did it.  I did not like angling over the oxer at such an extreme angle, but Charlie didn't mind at all.
I had a nice conversation with Meg afterwards about her former horses and how she has been working with Matty.  He's got some opinions, unlike solid reliable Charlie, who just jumps whatever he's pointed at.  Meg also recommended following Denny Emerson on Facebook and William Steinkraus's book.

Different dressage bit and almost squished John

On Saturday, we had a dressage lesson.  My dad was in town and that evening was Anna's fundraiser, so it was a bit early.
John had a different bit for me to try, and it did help soften Charlie a bit.  He suggested it might be a good bit for shows only.
I'm a day late, but we worked on some 10 meter circles with Charlie bending at the poll (?).  He really didn't want to (especially to the left) so eventually John got out the lunge whip and would cluck (or ask me to) and then give the whip a crack.  Charlie got VERY responsive to John's clucking, but mine was less effective.  It was nice though, because once he was bent and moving forward he felt lovely.  John said we're just a little bit away from really having him going nice.  I am hoping that his hock injections and the chiropractic appointment are really going to help with that.
One of our 10 meter circles though, I couldn't decide whether to go inside John or outside him, and Charlie had to screech to a halt because I just split the baby and headed straight at him.  I've come close before, but this was the worst almost-run-over-the-trainer.
We worked on the circle for a while, then we went large and worked on a counter bend around the short side, then a lengthen on the long side, then counter bend again.  Then we did a bit of leg yield back and forth.
We also did some figure 8's (sort of) at the canter, so that Charlie would counter canter.  Going to the left, he liked to use it as an excuse to break to the trot and then pick up the right lead.  These were a little more challenging than I would have expected.
At the end, John had us doing some circles that were way out of my league without him - where he would direct me almost every step - like right leg forward, left hand up, release right hand, release left hand, right leg again - but it got Charlie pretty nice and round.  I am always amazed when he does those - not just how fast he can see and process, but that he knows just what Charlie needs and which leg needs to do it and how.
It was a good lesson, although I can't repeat it at home, because it helped me feel the next level of movement and coordination we're moving towards, and that Charlie can do it if I am consistent enough with my aids.

My form and tight tick Charlie

Today's jump lesson was focused on my form, but John was very pleasantly surprised when he made an oxer just a bit bigger and all of a sudden, Charlie started jumping over it snapping his knees up to get his feet out of the way.  I've never felt him do that before - and then I had the great experience of getting to feel it a few more times - and it was similar to rounding and making a bascule, with lifted shoulders that kind of popped up.  John thinks it is because we used the elevator bit last week, and Charlie kind of caught on that he could approach a fence a bit forward but not on his front end.  After the first time, John had me halt and make a big fuss over him, and I didn't even know what it was!
The main take away I took from my form was that after the fence, I need to think heels down.  I also had my hands too high at the start, but that seemed to resolve itself.  I have to think about pushing them down and forward while I'm in the air, otherwise, they swing back a bit.  The other thing was to keep him going after a fence, and to look soon at where I'm going.
I had a couple good fences, and a couple corrections that I caught and made, but I'm still not reacting far enough ahead.  John said that a couple strides out I'll see the distance is wrong and do something about it, but if I could see it 4 or 5 strides out, I could do a half halt and fix it back there.  But the few that we rode well felt wonderful.
I also had a laundry list of questions for John, from his new shoeing (he has lines next to the nail holes and I was horrified his foot was going to fall off, but John said it is just a farrier style to set the nail head in), noted his dehydration (John agreed, but said that if his poop isn't crumbling and he's still drinking, not to worry about it, but to move his oat-water-bucket further away from his food), Charlie's diet (John thinks Charlie looks wormy and has no fat, so he suggested 1 cup of corn (or canola) oil a day, switch his whole oats to crimped or rolled, and add rice bran pellets), and whether I should ride prelim at the next Aspen derby (no, because it isn't the height but the technical precision, and we haven't been working on that so it won't do me any good to go there and be surprised by some two stride bendy line to a skinny, plus we need to work on narrows at home).
He said that we should do the elevator bit about once every three rides, agreed with me that Charlie had springier feet but was still stiff in his jaw, and said that if we focus on my form when Meg isn't there, it should help me get better with my distances.
It was a great lesson, but I'm too tired to repeat everything else in detail - these were just the very high points.

An elevator bit and the "stupid" phase

Charlie was very, very stiff in his neck today, so John went and got one of his bridles with an elevator bit on it.  Charlie did not care for it, thank you very much.  He did a lot of head shaking, including shaking his head so vigorously, that he'd have to stop moving his legs so he could better shake his head.  I did a lot of kicking and smacking with John's whip (which he was probably sorry he had me try today) and John did a lot of growling.  We jumped one little vertical from a stand still and had a couple of circles to avoid stops, but after a while, Charlie gave up and just went with the new bit.
And then his head was SO light.  I could turn and I didn't have to crank him around my leg and he landed on the correct lead almost every time, and he wasn't pulling me down and forward.  It was kind of a miracle.
So we only jumped a couple little jumps, but I started getting mad because I could see the distance but not make it.  We did a deer jump over the oxer once, and John said I had to commit, that I couldn't just stare at it and wait for something to happen - I had to decide whether to go long or go in another stride and then follow through.
So I expressed my frustration with being able to see the distances but still not get them, and he said that's because I was in Phase 3 (of 4, thank goodness) the "stupid" phase.  He said phase 1 is ignorance - just happy having a good time.  Phase 2 is knowing a little bit, but still being pretty good.  Then Phase 3 is knowing and not being able to implement, and it is totally frustrating.  He said both for jumping and for particularly sitting the trot, you work at it and work at it and work at it and nothing happens.  Then one day you realize you are sitting the trot, or hitting all your distances the way you want, and that is it, you just got it.  And then Phase 4 you are good.  He said that he has 4-5 Phase 3s on each horse per year, where he just can't get the distance, but the way he usually corrects it is to jump a fence at an angle, which helps him reset his eye.
We also talked about exercises on the ground, like doing a 4, 5, or 6 line in between two fences, or counting down.  He feels that "1-2-3-4" is the best way to count (and that yes, in xc you should go the same speed the whole time.  He knows someone who counts all the strides and then counts between each fence - even if it's 80 strides), because you can't say "1-2-3-4" fast like you can "1-2-1-2" and change the rhythm.  He was taught 1-2-3-jump, but doesn't like it as much because a lot of people launch at 3 to make the jump instead of getting to the right place.
Then we talked about chiropractors and farriers and Pony Club, and John described the difference between an average horse and Charlie, where the average horse will step on a pole and pretend like nothing happened, but Charlie says "oh no, look at what my crazy leg is doing over there - it's out of control" and just goes all wonky with his legs, and always has.

Square - turn on the forehand, leg yield, repeat

During today's dressage lesson with John, he gave me an alternative way to soften Charlie when I don't have draw reins.  But it was a lot of work.
We started at the walk with a turn on the forehand, then a leg yield, and repeat to make a square.  From there, we did it at the trot, and then just a hint of it at the canter.
Charlie started stiff in his jaw before we even got going, which he also was for jumping on Thursday night, but John said he didn't care since Charlie was jumping 3'11" like it was no big deal.
We would do a couple squares struggling through each corner, then go to a big circle.  Doing the forehand/leg yield/forehand/leg yield made Charlie even and balanced in his shoulders, and he must have been using his back legs more underneath him, because it felt like his shoulders lifted.  When he was particularly slow and struggling and I would start to get frustrated, John pointed out that he was really stepping underneath himself with his hind legs.
John was telling me how to ride everything - both hands, seat, and legs doing all kinds of things - so at the end I told him there was no way I could do it by myself at home, and he said yes I could - to just break it down into the steps, and then do a bit more, then do a big circle to take a break, then do it again.
We had a bit of inside leg back and outside leg up at the girth (sometimes with toe pointed out so I could use the spur) - inside leg was back a couple ribs back.  This kept Charlie bent somewhat around the leg and not bulging out so much through his outside shoulder.  John had me doing the same thing at the jump lesson - bending him to the outside as I came around the corner to the fence, so that he wouldn't swing out through the outside shoulder and then get the distance wrong.
When Charlie got stiff in his jaw, which was always the worst going to the left, John had me lift the inside hand.
At one point, he told me to use my inside leg and outside leg at the same time, but to use my inside leg more.  I told him afterwards that's way out of my league, and he said yes, but if he didn't tell me I wouldn't even think to try.  I was just pleased that I could use only one leg at a time when he asked me to.
While it got good results, (John said it looked like Major Beale and then laughed and laughed), he was telling me every single step (right leg now - now - now, now move your inside hand, now do a half halt with your outside rein, etc.) and so I know what he was asking and I could feel the results, but I couldn't feel why it was needed, and it was way more than my brain could have possibly processed that fast on its own.
Because now I can at least ride with my legs and hands doing different things - even if not at different intensities - and I can sit the trot, and I can do a lot more than I could do last year when I really think about it (even if my stupid heels still aren't beautiful), I think there's hope that one day I will also feel all those different things (outside leg forward, aid now, inside hand squeeze, inside hand relax) as fast as John can say them.  That would be pretty cool.
And good old champ Charlie.  He had caked up sweat afterwards, but gave it his all.  We had a few circles where John just had us keep going; he said that Charlie was trying to figure out how to move to flex himself under and really use himself - that he just doesn't know how and has to figure it out.  That's pretty cool that I'm getting to ride him while he learns that.

HUMONGOUS oxer

I had a lesson with Meg tonight and John had us jump the same fence while he gradually raised it until it was 3'11", and then a 3'11" oxer.  It was freaking gigantic.
It was also frustrating, because both directions I couldn't get the distances right consistently.  John showed me where to turn, and then they were smooth as silk, but how could I not think to adjust something like that when I keep getting odd placements over and over?  John showed me how I would ride deep into the corner to try to rev Charlie up because the fence was big, and it would end up a half stride off from the fence.
Charlie jumped them beautifully, even adding a stride a few times and really bending up and over, but my position was horrible.
Although they were huge (intermediate height) I'm cranky because I wanted to be magically good at the big ones so that I could level up, and all the goodness came from Charlie.  I just made his job harder.