friday foto finish: just charlie videos

Happy Friday, y’all!! It’s been a long week, and I’ve been out of town for most of it. Nothing new and exciting going on, so let’s close things out with a fun collection of some of my favorite Charlie videos, in no particular order <3 <3

a brief horror vignette

killer charles finally free after the heel grab from hell

killjoy charles, not participating kthxbai

Most Saintly of Charles

just charlie himself, playing with anything and everything

no blanket was safe within his reach

still steady despite a conditioning ride gone awry!

super sweet with stall invader michael <3

was occasionally one among ridiculous creatures

charlie + iggy peaceful in a stream

one last peaceful ride out <3 <3

TGIF, y’all. Any favorites?

the world according to

In honor of what would have been Charlie’s Sweet 16 tomorrow, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much he taught me. 

lessons from charlie: face hugs are best hugs <3

After the better part of a decade with the world’s best brontosaurus (not to mention drawing paychecks from various barn mgmt jobs for 15 years before that…), I was pretty sure I Had Horses Figured Out. 

charlie reinforced that curry = life
also, wow the shedding volume remains intense

And, well….. maybe that’s just the plight of your typical one-horse adult amateur. What I thought were deep truths in horse keeping and training were maybe just…. Deep Truths About Charlie. 

I’ve written chapter and verse of the Book of Charles on ye olde blogge, but now here we are in a new place, new time, and with a different leading lady who — shocker — is a very different type.

doozy thinks the tractor is fine. the bunnies that live in the shrubs tho? less fine
charlie liked tractors too <3

But ya know. When I step back and think more about the big picture, the journey, the purpose of it all… There are some pretty important truths from dear Sir Charles that continue to guide me in my decision making and approach to Doozy. 

He remains my beacon of wisdom <3

patient biscuit!!

You might remember the trials and tribulations from Doozy’s early days… her failed 30 day performance review and a probationary period that wasn’t immediately convincing about her longterm prospects as my riding horse. 

And that was after just 30 (thirty) days! You would be forgiven for wondering (passively or otherwise) why I haven’t injected any of that same prior pessimism again now, after a whole 3 months (!!) of similarly uncertain turbulence.

charlie loved planting his nose on a friendly butt to zone out for peaceful hacks. doozy is still learning to be polite about following, but she’s getting better <3

Again, tho, if there’s one thing Charlie taught me, it’s patience. Gray areas from Doozy’s probationary period — would she be sound? would she even like eventing?? — came into sharp focus last year. Doozy loves eventing* and was remarkably sound before this winter.** 

(*obligatory “excluding dressage,” lol except I’m honestly excited about our work there too!!)

(**ymmv but around here basically EVERYBODY agrees that this winter was particularly atrocious)

trees are blossoming!!!! the season of renewal is upon is

Charlie’s first few years with me were characterized almost entirely by this weird anxious urgency in my approach. I could see so clearly how capable he was, wanted so badly to be where I had gotten with Isabel, and experienced every setback (and oh lawd, did we have setbacks!) like an existential shock.

And looking back on all that… Well. While I believe with all my heart that I loved the shit out of that horse and never lost sight of how lucky I was to call him mine… It’s also clear to me that I robbed my own self of joy, satisfaction, and downright pure unadulterated glee in being so preoccupied with where I wanted to go, that I couldn’t appreciate where we were in some pretty special moments. 

my sweet wild child. everything is so different, but thanks to lessons from charlie, i’m feeling excited and peaceful about the future <3

Charlie’s final lesson to me, of course, was that we don’t in fact have all the time in the world. His riding career ended long before I quite realized it. And while I’m grateful that he got a properly pampered retirement, that too was far shorter than I ever expected.

But it’s not the moments of glory, the blue ribbons or the big jumps that keep his memory alive to me. It’s those same moments of joy, satisfaction, and deep appreciation — often from the quietest days together, or from those rides where everything felt present and connected and flowing… Those are the memories that stay with me. 

And those are the same memories that guide me in persevering through bumpy times with this sweet red mare who is proving to actually be an incredibly cool horse, one who will undoubtedly teach me a whole new education. The World According To Mondeuse. Should we all be so lucky, of course!

charlie's grooming essentials

I cleared my stuff off of Charlie's stall wall and from the tack room pretty quickly, since it was almost the end of the month and I know his barn has a wait list. 

They haven't actually filled his stall yet (<3) but obviously it's a business and boarding margins are tough. And I sure as hell wasn't going to put my barn manager in a position where she felt like she had to urge me along in what might be a delicate sad task, ya know? 

sweet beautiful charles <3

It took a little longer to gather up his grooming supplies tho... Mostly bc it was in more 'shared space' and therefore not likely to be in anybody's way. Plus. Ya know. Stuff like this tends to get a little bit "mousier" if ya know what I mean, and I didn't want to put it into my car until I could go directly to Doozy's barn to store it. 

'twas a LOT of real estate for a horse who knew how to get down 'n dirty!

Finally, tho, I picked it all up last weekend, and the last of Charlie's balancer -- which Doozy will polish off for him. (He bequeathed his equioxx to a barn buddy <3).

my shelf-o-supplies

A lot of you shared advice last summer about how to go about splitting supplies between two barns -- especially as it relates to items that should be duplicated, vs what should just stay in one place to be gathered as needed. 

the basket is nice for keeping everything together, but the zipper bag is essential for pest control

So. Eh. Let's go through my supplies and see where things landed, yes? I'll say right off the bat -- it takes me a LONG TIME to move into a space, and I still didn't really feel fully unpacked at Charlie's barn. Some of these items are mostly a reflection of our most immediate needs, vs what you'd expect after years in one place. 

the ickiest stuff stayed outside the bag

Case in point: Charlie had a few different hoof complaints in recent months. One very large abscess in a hind foot, and a smaller (but extremely dramatic one) up front. We ended up treating the hind toe with the iodine spray for quite a while after since the defect was huge and icky -- this spray helped to keep it clean and eventually harden up. 

The Kopertox was what eventually finished off Charlie's thrush from when he first moved. It's strong stuff tho -- toxic smell, I only handled with gloves and applied with the brush you see above. We used Tomorrow paste (which you'll see in later pictures) to get down into the deep sulcrus -- and that took care of the most acute stage of the thrush infection. 

pictured: our daily essentials

For day to day grooming, tho, my practice really hasn't changed in years. I like the cheapie old school curry combs to do all the big work, and then a natural fiber body brush (medium stiffness) to finish the job -- with some spritzes of a nice grooming spray for some shine. Tail Tamers paddle brushes worked best on Charlie's thick hair, and imho any old hoofpick will do.

smells sweet, keeps the dust down, and prevents accidental static zaps on that giant smooshy schnoz <3

The spray is maybe a newer addition to the toolkit, and was among the recommendations from y'all when I shared Charlie's extreme sadness whenever he got zapped with static. I liked this particular brand bc it smelled nice, had safe kid-friendly ingredients, and was inexpensive. Who doesn't love that? 

what you don't see: hours and hours of playful interactivity while grooming

Naturally, all of Charlie's brushes bear the telltale marks of what it was like to groom an interactive and mouthy horse haha. I know there are a lot of different opinions (and for a lot of very GOOD reasons) on these types of behaviors.... But let's be real. Charlie was my pet and I enabled the shit out of him lol.

looked a bit like this <3

Plus he was just fun to play with LOL -- can't you totally see how something like this could have evolved into painting pictures with the right training?? 

stuff that gets used often enough to be worth duplicating at each farm

I digress. Back to the supplies. Starting left to right: 

I finally brought dedicated saddle soap and a rag to the barn since Charlie was getting ridden more frequently and his tack had been neglected. I love this Belvoir stuff! Zip ties are always nice to have on hand. Alushield and Swat are sufficient for most minor wounds and abrasions imo. MTG is my favorite for skin funk, esp down the legs. 

I like the Cowboy Magic detangler for those long slow dedicated tail brushing sessions. HoofMaker Hand & Nail lotion is also necessary for reducing static zappage in the dry months. Gauze pads just have to get stored somewhere the mice can't get to. These curved tip flushing syringes are my favorite too. Hydrocortisone cream for those nasty bug bites that take forever to heal. And scissors, obvi. 

fun (in a loving sad sorta way) side story: the woman who handled removing charlie was literally the nicest person in the world. my barn manager coordinated everything (for which i'm eternally grateful), but i called her up after it was done to pay the bill etc and we ended up chatting for like 15min. we talked about charlie and his life and all the lovely things, and she mentioned that she saw i'd gotten his tail, and "some of his mane too." guys. no... i didn't take any of his mane, i'd just, ya know, done what i do to it a few days prior. omg. we had a nice little laugh about that too tho <3 <3

And we alllll know what I like to do with those scissors LOL....

again, not a complete medical cabinet, but stuff that's good to just have on hand

Anyway. With all the abscess shenanigans, I'd had to bring a fair amount of wrapping supplies to Charlie's barn. Duct tape, vet wrap, Elastikon (get the brand name stuff guys, just take my word for it). Plus Animalintex poultice pads and sponge gauze (for heel bulb pillows to prevent chafing).

Other odds and sods in the box include the aforementioned Tomorrow paste (it's technically mastitis treatment for cows, but is great for thrush and the long slender applicator tip gets it exactly where it needs to go), brown cling gauze, gloves, a pill crusher, and some other stuff that just lived in that box. Wooden sticks for mixing meds etc. 

last little bits of supplies

Rounding out the collection -- a giant fresh tub of Epsom salts**, more iodine scrub, and a bottle of shampoo. Plus Charlie's fly boots, bell boots, and the size 4 cloud boot that got him comfortable and back into a normal routine after the latest abscess. 

(**Pro Tip: don't buy horse-branded tubs like this, just get a bag from your local CVS or similar pharmacy, it's wayyyyy less expensive and exactly the same stuff!)

the wildest wallower <3

Not included in the above is my more 'complete' medical cabinet, which still lives inside my trailer, more or less. Obvi the barn had drugs available in case of urgent need, but for the most part if I needed bute or something I'd just bring it over in baggies. 

he loved to get dirty + he loved to be groomed, a perfect combination <3

Even so, it still feels pretty utilitarian. Especially considering just how much horse stuff I actually have, it's wild to me that we got by day to day with so few essentials. 

Presumably the collection would have continued to grow, tho --- like stable bandages / standing wraps are an item I would expect to eventually see wherever Charlie lived. And SMZs LOL.... Somehow homeboy spent his entire tenure at #ClubMed without a single stint on antibiotics, can you believe it?? 

I dunno tho. Anything missing from the above that you couldn't imagine going without in your day to day horsing? 

afterthoughts

It's been a week now since we lost Charlie. And it's been pretty hard for me, not gonna lie. Charlie has been on my mind constantly for more than 8 years at this point, it's fair to say I'm pretty obsessed. And that isn't exactly a switch I can just flip off, ya know?

my beautiful boy <3

I've been thinking a lot about our journey together, and all the various lessons he taught me over the years (whether I was ready for them or not). Charlie is the first horse in my life whose relationship with me superseded my identity as a rider. Mostly bc... Well. He's my first horse. 

so grateful for this sweet mare, who unapologetically demands my full and undivided attention

Before him, I eventually 'moved on' from all the important horses in my life. Because they were lesson horses that I outgrew, or project horses that officially integrated into the program, or - in Isabel's case - bc the lease ended when her abilities / preferences as a riding horse diverged from my priorities as a rider.

 

a gentle hack-about was exactly what i needed after a sleepless sad night

But there was never going to be any 'moving on' from Charlie. He is mine forever. And it's been a wonderful experience settling into that new type of relationship with him. Coming to terms with his retirement was obviously hard and took me a long time to accept -- there's no denying that. But bringing Doozy home last year created space for something new and special with Charlie. 

charlie's tack (and a nameplate) moved over to doozy's barn so i could clean it up for sale. let me know if you're interested in the saddle specifications

And these last few months since he moved to the new farm were particularly precious. As some of you predicted, having the horses in two different places meant that my time with Charlie was better spent -- he had my undivided attention. It helped that he loved the farm so much, and that everybody there was equally in love with him. 

i left a little memento in the feedroom at charlie's barn tho

Really, there isn't much I regret from my time with Charlie. We did so much together, so many adventures, so many memories. There's nothing out there that we didn't do, or that I wish we'd tried -- except for maybe finally teaching him to paint pictures haha. 

Even up to our very last day together -- my last photo of him is a 'between the ears' shot from a lovely and relaxing ride outside with a barn mate and her horse. 

his stall shared a wall with the feedroom and he was very serious about supervising meal prep <3 

And while it's still really hard for me to think about his last living moments, I'm honestly grateful that he went the way he did. There is no easy way to lose a horse, but there are certainly many harder ways than what we had to go through. 

such a sweet face <3

So I find myself a bit torn -- grateful that we had such a wonderful life together and that he was spared from a painful decline... But also pretty desperately sad about it all, I miss him so much. Charlie took up a huge space in my life, it's going to take some getting used to not having him. 

kitties have been extra snuggly with the recent cold snap <3

Having two horses was always a big stretch for me, but I'm so grateful to have Doozy to fall back on right now, to keep me in motion and doing the things I love doing. She is infinitely sweet and snuggly, and makes no qualms about engaging my full attention. 

alright Ms Thing. none of this is exactly what i'd planned, but here we are. 

So we carry on. I imagine I'll still write about Charlie tho; I have some ideas about pulling together favorite memories and photos. Hopefully you'll indulge me in that haha. 

rest in peace, friend <3

Truly tho -- I am deeply grateful for every single comment from you all -- I read and reread them all again and again. It means so much to me that Charlie was such a widely loved character in hearts and minds beyond my own. He will certainly be missed <3

the bigger browner one

My sweet chestnut mare, daughter of Big Brown, is flourishing as leading lady, despite originally expecting to spend her first year or two growing into the job as an understudy. 

he's not missing many meals, guys LOL

Because, ya know. The bigger browner one, Charles himself, had other plans -- and stubbornly refused to stay sound or reprise his role as the main star. 

this goofy gelding

C'est la vie, right? We can accommodate. So he stepped back, and instead has been living his best life over at Club Med since June.  

he's so needy <3

He stays busy with wrapping barn staff around his little finger hoof, bossing around his docile lamblike paddock mate, indulging in his near-daily grooming and spa sessions, and gorging on the plentiful grass and free choice hay that abounds at this meticulously managed facility... 

"cookie????" -- charles, ever the optimist

He basks in repose as we feed him grapes and fan him with palm fronds... Ya know. Normal retired horse things.

does this count as liberty work?? LOL

Somewhat unbelievably, tho, it isn't enough for Charlie. Lately he's been... Well. He's been an absolute pest. 

lol, the picture of raw svelte panther athleticism haha...hahahaha

I wrote a few times about how he seemed a bit unsettled lately. So he got a month of sucralfate treatment to see if maybe ulcers were to blame. And at the same time, I decided to increase his handling by adding ground work into his routine to reaffirm manners and obedience. He is, after all, a 1,400lb thoroughbred. Too big to be bored, apparently.

we had a really pretty sunset the other night

He also lost naked-face privileges in turnout, and instead wears his halter full time. Not bc he was hard to catch -- but the opposite, actually. 

Getting his halter put on was the MOST FUN GAME OMG, and he developed this whole ritualized song and dance that includes "helping" his handler by chomping onto the halter himself (and, according to him, it's not his fault if your hand happened to get in the way!).

what can i say except that i like sweet horses <3

Like, Charlie is NOT a mean horse, but he will absolutely put his teeth on you. He's a space invader, a boundary pusher, a close talker. With a strong oral fixation that I'd love to channel into something more fun like teaching him to paint pictures or something... 

"reading the news"

Charlie is so sweet and lovable, it kinda catches people off guard when he needs discipline. But he definitely needs something, and... honestly? I think it's a job. 

surveying his kingdom

Not like, a BIG job, or a hard job. Or the type of job that could theoretically help pay some of his bills (like a lease, for example). Bc, ya know, he still isn't exactly super sound. And I don't really like sharing my toys anyway LOL!

believe it or not these are pictures from three different rides lol

But... mayyybe the type of job that involves me toodling around with him a few times a week. Especially bc (**knocking on wood**), his feet don't seem to be bothering him at the moment. In fact -- I'm starting to suspect that he might actually be feeling quite good, and that this might be the true root source of his boisterous behavior. 

took advantage of the warm weather for a late season scrub-a-dub

So yet again, for the eight thousandth time in my years with Charlie, we are embarking on a new rehabilitation plan. No goals or expectations, just a desire to engage with him, and give him more activity to channel his energies and attentions in more productive ways. 

his life does not suck, that's for sure

Plus, ya know. Maybe I'll finally get to take advantage of using saddle time with my well-behaved schoolmaster to focus on my own positional habits. A girl can dream, right?

workin Charlie out

Fall is my favorite season for riding -- esp for hacking out! And I have approximately 8,000 random pictures taking up precious storage space on my phone so... brace yo'self for a whole bunch of scenic vistas awash in golden dusk!

picturesque <3

Tho, to be honest, there are only so many different ways to talk about walking a horse around a hayfield LOL. 

cruisin the "low" side of the hills -- there's a pic on the "high" side from a later ride below

We walked, it was pleasant, Doozy is the best. Yada yada yada. 

still haven't made it around the entire hay field

You get the picture. Literally, lots of pictures haha.....

hacking home during golden hour!

So instead, I'd rather write about a recent evening with our friend Charles. Tho ya know. I guess there are only so many ways to write about doing ground work with a retired neurotic thoroughbred too. 

a new day -- frosty morning waiting for the farrier!

So. Eh. Pick your post poison: a wordless Wednesday post of pretty pictures... Or a slightly wordier post about trying to help Charlie chill the F out. 

"that friggin cat is right behind me, isn't it" -- skeptical dooz

Anyway. The poor dude was probably pretty neglected after my weekend of running around before, during, and immediately after the Maryland 5*. I'd been to his farm plenty (it was the best most central location for staging supplies etc from various members of the party), but with limited attention for him. 

pictured: friggin cat lol

So I made it my business to stop by for some purposeful grooming the other night. And... Ugh. I'm glad I did, bc the horse was a certified pill.

we do love our barn kitties tho!

It was already dark when I arrived, and they're still on nighttime turnout. Not sure if this makes a difference for him -- maybe there are a lot of active animals in the surrounding woods this time of year? Maybe having limited sight out of the barn is triggering?

barn cat snoopervising while we wait for the vet for fall shots

I dunno. Regardless, I'd planned to just groom and love on him for a little bit.... But after observing him dancing around like a fool, bumping into the walls, whinnying piteously, and pooping prodigiously... 

artful grazing?

Well. I concluded that maybe this was the exact circumstance in which reinforcing our ground work practice would be beneficial. 

and another sunset hack!! this is the "high" side of the hills

And omg, it totally was!

missed the most spectacular light unfortunately, but the tree color is still pretty!

We've had quite a few practice sessions already since I last wrote about it. The horse remembers all the exercises but I haven't shied away from correcting any pushiness in him. And in particular, I've really focused on reinforcing boundaries about my space vs his space. Not perfectly, obvi, but in a way that he understands and is clear about. 

fall is 100% my favorite season for hacking

So it worked out that on this particular night, when he was really quite stressed and tense and basically beside himself (for reasons that are way beyond my understanding), he was still able to answer each little question I asked of him. 

anyway. sucralfate. do yo' thing!

And my only goal was to see if I could get him to relax a little bit. So I basically just praised the shit out of him for being so clever in getting everything so correct. And was very slow and deliberate and soft in my own positioning. This night was not a night of "boundaries" - but rather a session to reinforce, "yes, friend, you know this and are good at this and are the best boy."

the legend himself. looking... needy. sigh, charlie <3

And whadya know, after a little TOH / TOF practice, a little leading forward and backing up, a little sending and bringing back... all with lots of pets and praise... he lowered his head, softened his eyes, and yawned and licked and chewed and just.... chilled. 

Good boy, Charlie. That's all we want. Idk what his problem is, exactly, but we're a few days into the sucralfate treatment now so maybe that'll make a difference. Maybe swapping turnout from nights to days might help too? Idk. I'll keep ya posted tho!

And in the meantime, it's nice to know that this silly little ground work we're doing can at least help channel him when he's particularly pitiful!