Barn #7, and soooo many other updates

Wow, I've been crazy busy and only just realized it's been almost a month (a month!) since I last posted. So many things to update! I just started a new job as a veterinary assistant and have also been doing a ton of illustration work on the side. Busy busy!

Early stages of an illustration series on conformation

Here's the lowdown on my life as it relates to Charlie:

The property where Charlie was stabled has sold (booo! double booo because I never got a chance to jump the awesome XC jumps) so we had to move. Again. Charlie should be accustomed to this by now, but it still doesn't make it any easier. I found a barn about 15 minutes away, though, and the woman who runs it is about my age with a lot of interests similar to mine. I'm hopeful we can go on hunter paces and to clinics together in the near future.

Off on a new adventure!

Charlie has been experiencing a kind of relapse with his fall injury from the winter. Remember when the chiropractor came out a little over a month ago? He was doing better and then all of a sudden stiffened up out of nowhere, was dragging his hind end, and was darn near unrideable. Wouldn't move forward, biting my leg, that sort of thing. So I had the chiropractor out again, and she said he was actually much better than the previous visit, but his hamstring was super tight. She thinks he pulled it when he fell and its stiffness contributed to his previous neck and back issues, which were actually much better this time around. She showed me how to massage his back and hamstring, and said it will just take some time to fix whatever he did to himself, but she doesn't think it is anything serious. But it will take some slow and steady work to get him back to normal. *sigh*

Porcupine Charlie

I also got a new saddle!! Thanks to my friend, Emily, I found a used Devoucoux from a friend of hers for a great price and it fits Charlie perfectly. It's *slightly* too small for me, but not enough that it doesn't fit. And it's more saddle than I ever thought I could afford, at a great price, so I couldn't pass it up.

The new Devoucoux. Eeee!

More details about everything to come later! I promise!