One rein and passenger riding in the arena yesterday.  The one rein riding was pretty abysmal to start.  Used the right rein.  Turning right was easy, turning left was impossible.  Poor Balthazar became frustrated with the confusing signals and would break into a trot reasoning I suppose that he might be able to run away from that annoying and unintelligible pressure.  We are of course riding in a homemade bitless bridle so even if I tried too hard and the pressure became more than a suggestion no harm was done.  Actually if it didn't work I was pretty quick to give it away.  More doesn't necessarily equal better communication.

But we continued.  Remembered to use my weight, to place the rein high up on his neck so that the communication was in broad strokes and also asked him to bend around my left leg as normal.  I was too focussed on the rein and forgot that there were these other ways to communicate.  By the end of the session we were much better.  Not smooth, not perfect but at least we were turning.

The passenger riding was fun.  Did a lot of walking to start.  Normally Balthazar would high tail  it to the end nearest the horses and hover there but he just kept walking from one end  of the arena to the other.  Walking with good animation too which was nice.  He wasn't trailing along like he was bored or disinterested.  He showed no desire to go outside of the arena unless I specifically asked him.  When we started trotting he thought he'd have a little head toss and head down (preparing to buck perhaps?) but I said 'None of that!' in a firm voice and he quit.  Was a little nervous in case he decided to jump the electrical poles which form the arena, as that would also be an invitation to buck, but he never tried, he just kept turning before he got to them.  It was good practice for me to ride in as balanced a manner as possible and to be alert to any nuance in weight shift so that I could be with him rather than get in his way. 

Today I went out to the paddock and approached him.  Stopped about 15 feet away and he came to me.  This makes me so happy.  It wasn't so long ago that, although he always let me catch him, it was on sufferance and because I had a carrot.  Although he doesn't always walk to meet me or companion walk with me in the morning or act like my best buddy in a consistent way, there is a spark of a connection which was missing before.  So today he came to meet me, I slipped the halter on and took him out to graze on the lush green grass on the side of the road for half an hour.

Another lovely thing is when I release him either at the end of riding or groundwork or at the end of a session of grazing, he doesn't race back to the others.  He hangs around to see what I'm doing and eventually ambles off in a relaxed and casual manner.   I've written this before but it's worth mentioning again.  In all my years of riding I lost track of the unadulterated and simple joy of just being with the horses.  It's taken me all this time to discover it again.

The Horse, the Dead Calf and the Dingo

The Hello Ritual is alive and well. Every morning I go into the peach paddock to open the gate into the dam paddock. If I've rugged anyone I remove the rugs, say hello, have a quick look to make sure nothing untoward has happened overnight then let them out. In the winter the horses are usually standing side on to the sun, waiting like lizards to warm up after a frosty night.

This morning I did my usual, walking forward until someone looks away and then retreating, then taking another step or two forward until I can smell noses with the nearest horse. Today I placed myself roughly in the center of the group and just stood with them like I too was waiting for the first rays of sunlight. After a minute or so Pagan walked over to greet me followed by Balthazar. It sounds so simple but it was really touching.

We went for a ride on DGR. Some trotting, a little canter. Still having trouble with the darn booties. The offside front twists as does the nearside back. Thought the problem was solved with the inclusion of the pads. Unfortunately it isn't. Otherwise they are perfect. He doesn't feel the stones, is surefooted, and the extra padding will surely help with concussion on hard surfaces.

We had to pass a dead calf. This orphan calf was on his own for weeks, very wormy, rough coated and lonely. He joined up with two other calves that frequent the road although their mothr (they're twins) is in one of the paddocks. But he didn't stay with them. Then I saw him near his owner's house. The owner knew about him. We made sure he knew. Thought all would be well. But the day before yesterday there he was dead in the grass on the verge. The owner, thinking one of our fast driving neighbours had hit him, pulled his carcass onto the road. If he'd gone to that much trouble when the calf was alive...

So Balthazar was on his toes when he saw this dark red and white lump laying in the dirt. He could probably smell it too. I just kept grazing him forward until he was relaxed enough and near enough that we just walked past. On the return trip he got a little excited and rushed past. Wasn't hard to pull him up once we were past.

I started this blog yesterday and now it's today and I've just come in from the most delightful morning ritual. I stood with the horses again then left them to stand in the sun (all three of them had ventured forth to rub noses with me so to speak). It was 1 degree this morning and after feeding the birds I was stiff with cold. Balthazar followed me into the sun, actually left the others and came to stand with me. He mouthed my scarf but not like how he used to when we were c/t-ing. It was a friendly gesture. We shared breath. I cuddled him, wrapping my arm around his head and he didn't object. On the contrary I'm sure he knew where that cuddle came from. It was beautiful. I laugh a lot with him now, not forced but bubbling up because he's so funny. When he started to walk towards the gate I companion walked with him.

Yesterday I got him out of the paddock, groomed him and then took him for a pick. The idea is that every time I come to get him doesn't mean work. He was fine with being caught, made faces while I groomed him and thoroughly enjoyed the grazing. We went across the road where that delicious vine horses love grows in profusion. While we were there a dingo started howling. It was close. It was sad. Such a lonely sound. Because it sounded so close we walked up the first rise to see if I could see it. We were standing there, well, I was standing, Balthazar was eating when I saw the dingo come out of the bush, through the fence, scramble down a nearly vertical face of eroded dirt where the road was cut through, all this with a hurt left hind leg which it held off the ground. It didn't even glance toward us but turned south on the pavement and headed down the hill. I assume it was after the water in the creek.

Went for a ride yesterday. Did some of the Parelli games first with the saddle on. He was good. Don't know that we'll ever get past the ear pinning when he's being saddled, when his chest is touched or he's being rugged or unrugged. Even this morning, when I was unclipping the leg straps, without touching him, he pinned his ears. Sometimes I make him move his feet. Other times I think, well, that's just him and don't bother. Suppose I should be consistent in asking him to move his feet. He doesn't have to move far, just a step or two but I do notice after I've asked him his expression is more benign.

At any rate, took him up the back on Curtin's three tiered hill. We only went up the first two as it's steep and Balthazar is unfit. We took frequent breaks and only walked and as it was cool and the air dry I wasn't very concerned that he'd tie up. He might be a little sore this morning. I am.

When we returned, because it was too cool to hose him down I tried to groom out the sweat marks. Gave him some hay. When I wasn't with him he was pacing at the gate and nickering for his paddock mates. When I was with him he was quite happy to eat the hay. The best part of the ride, in a way, was afterwards. It was lovely just spending time with him, squatting in front of him and handing him the choicest bits of hay. Reminded me of when I was a horsemad girl. I didn't overthink things then. I just wanted to be with horses. Somewhere along the way I lost that simple pleasure. I read too much, competed too much, demanded too much, of both myself and the poor horse. Now, in my approaching dotage, I am discovering again the simple pleasures of being with or on a horse.

I didn't worry whether Balthazar was tracking straight yesterday. I didn't care much if he kept strictly to the path or whether he was bent or not bent, stiff or not stiff on his off side. I, we, just enjoyed the view, the wide sky and the rolling brown hills. Even Balthazar looked. What does he think when he gazes into the distance, at hills several kilometres away?

On the way home he head tossed a couple of times and broke into a trot a couple of times but on the whole he was marvelous.

We had some trouble with the back foot booties. They twisted. I put the pads in the front ones and they stayed put but the back ones, especially the near side turned, even up to 90 degrees. Have to trim the pads to get them to fit.

Realized with the padding of the booties plus the padding of the pad inserts I'll be able to trot and canter him on hard ground, something I've been wary of before. The booties grip well and he doesn't seem to lose any surefootedness wearing them.

Have had another session with Rebel at Peter's. My mistakes with him help me with Balthazar. My successes with balthazar perhaps help with Rebel. I'm not sure. Rebel is another OTTB, like Balthazar. He reminds me a bit of Balthazar. He knows the drill, knows how to be polite, to do what is asked, but he's not really THERE. Hard to keep his attention - and when he's had enough or is confused or anxious, he tends to just loom into my space so that no action is possible, my field of vision is filled with chestnut horse. But that's another problem. Another post.

Today I worked with Balthazar. We both did really well with some of the 7 games, particularly the driving game which we did so abysmally at Peter's. I'm not asking for a complete circle, that he tries and does so well for 1/4 or half a circle is plenty at the moment. For some reason, Balthazar just seems a different horse. Perhaps because I'm doing a better job but I suspect it has more to do with distance from Clicker Training. Terrible thing, I know. I still believe in c/t - just not for Balthazar. Still divided a little - philosophically speaking - about the ethics of using pressure to get a horse to do things but am muddling along nevertheless.

So we did the driving and porcupine game, some backing and then I took him out to the front paddock where I had placed two 20 litre drums to use as focal points for figure 8 practice. He did very very well. Once he got the idea he was terrific. Did notice some ear pinning during the change of direction in the middle. Not sure why but reminded me of how he used to pin his ears when we did fast direction changes a few years ago.

Also asked him to circle and step over the dressage arena log barrier. Once he understood what I was asking for he showed some energy and enthusiam. Rather than walking over it he jumped. Quit then and took him for a leisurely pick. Very proud of him. Happy too as the feeling I get from *us* is more relaxed, more natural, perhaps because I'm *doing* rather than overthinking things.