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Took control today. Did an "Ah!" when he started to mug and he backed off immediately. The session was much more businesslike. He did evade a few times (as did I in walking away) but we also did some decent work in verbal cued head down. He also started, only barely, getting the idea of keeping pace with me as in wwylm but stepping backwards when I do. I bend slightly forward when beside him and take a step back. I c/t'd for a weight shift back. He was slow to catch on - we've tried it a few times previously, but at the end he seemed to be getting the hang of it. He actually took two steps back. He backs brilliantly when I'm in front of him and has unfortunately incorporated that into head down most of the time. Once verbal head down is down pat, I will try to separate it from the stepping back.

The stallion behaviour was less obvious today, perhaps because I assumed an air of authority rather than being this spineless blob. He is at the bottom of the pack and perhaps he would like to have at least one creature below him on the rung. I was starting to be that creature. I didn't touch him today. No elbows raised to block. He did touch me once with hs muzzle but I let it go. At least it wasn't the full on mug of yesterday.

The farrier came today. A few trims ago, so a few months, I asked him to start incorporating a natural trim, mostly for Drifter who had feet that reverted to winged slipper shapes between trims. I have no illusions about being able to ride Balthazar barefoot on gravel. Our ten acres is grass, no rocky places to harden his feet but the farrier did say he is developing a sole. His soles were so thin I could use finger pressure to make them give. This is terrific news.