I spent the whole day at the barn with Charlie and it so paid off. With the snow drifts high as the fenceline we just couldn't get anywhere for a week. His energy level turned to badness, to the point I had to get a trainer involved.
I found out my only share (mondays and fridays) quit (heard she had a hard rodeo sort of thing trying to lunge him so that might be the real reason) Darn! SHe was a very good rider too and reliable!
Since he put me in the dirt two weeks ago (all healed up now, thanks) I hadn't ridden. Someone advised me this is the real him and sell now. (No freekin way.. this person didn't see me hop on bareback at the old barn with only a halter and leadline) after turnout, I handwalked with lots of trotting with group lessons.
I tacked him up and asked my barn buddy David who has an elder TB Charlie trusts to ride with. And we were fine.. I was doing walk/trot, serpentines, broken lines, 10 meter circles, downward transitions, etc. (he did need a few corrections - thinking of headwhipping which can lead to a tantrum)
I set my head that we were going to have a decent ride and no foolishness would be tolerated. (plus getting the steam out helped soooooo much) LOL
we now have our goals listed out in a spreadsheet and it looks so dumb to spell out these basic things he knows to do already but has been somewhat unpredictable. I expect in the next week or two, I'll get "my" horse back. And will not let his fitness level degrade so badly. This was all my fault but now I see my errors and will fix this for good.
He's turning 12 next month, such a great age. I look at him and think geeze, his health is so good, we have soooo much time left together. No way can I sell him.
Rode him with a beginner's group today doing walk/trot and serpentines, circles, boxes, etc and wore him out. He was so tuckered when I gave him some equine aspirin paste (he will definately be sore from today, as well as myself) he hardly could fight me to avoid it. LOL 
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