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Yesterday I wrote how nice it would be if Balthazar was the first to meet me at the gate. Today when he saw me at the gate, he trotted over nickering. That is a first. He's walked over with speed but never trotted. I am so happy. The session was great too. I had my energy up as before and he responded in kind. He did better with wwylm with him on my left. His head down was much better. Less hesitation, so much so that I waited until his nose was almost touching the ground before I clicked. May as well refine it now that he's getting it so well.

I think we've had some kind of breakthrough. Today he seemed more willing to play. When we had a break I didn't walk away rather I moved beside him and scratched his back. He did get a little too excited a couple of times and was a little too close with wwylm but I think we'll be okay. I also tried a little of walking into his space at his head with my hands at shoulder height to ask him to move sideways as the start of turn on the forehand and he did. Jackpotted for that. I know it's not shaping, that it wasn't training him as though he was a dolphin but he didn't seem to mind and he got a big reward. We may be able to move into playing, perhaps where I can even start to free lunge - sending him away and calling him back. I would love him to expend some of his excess energy in galloping and bucking and whatever when he's away from me free lunging.

We did some mirroring too. Very good. Three steps back with alacrity. Very little hesitation today - like he is really, finally, getting it.

Asked him to back with cue, something he already knew. He did it very well. Want to refine that so that I walk forward with the treat rather than him coming back to get it. Want him to stay where he is after backing until asked to come forward again. A kind of yo-yo affect. C/t for backing, c/t for staying, c/t for coming forward or perhaps c/t for backing and c/t for coming forward when asked although I think it would work better if he learned to stay before I c/t for coming back or he'll always be coming back. Should be easy to train as he does take note of my posture and I can make myself Big to keep him in position.

He did want to mug a couple of times but they are half-hearted. He doesn't touch me and as he doesn't get a treat until he's stopped I think it will slowly fade completely away. The mugging is already nothing like it was.

I suspect and hope that we can start to make real progress as he understands that this work is more like playing, that only good things come from it and it's fun to do. As he understands this we may have offered behaviours or things I can capture with c/t that will start him thinking. He's a bit reactive (especially with the stallion behaviour) so with him understanding that there will only be positive things or no thing but never a bad thing, he might be more open to learning and playing.