Is a squeaky sheath something to be concerned about?  Have always interpreted it as a horse who is tense and a tense horse as an unhappy horse.
      Worked on the circling game yesterday after being motivated by the video in Resources.  Slapped the ground 3 times in rhythm and there it was, squeak squeak squeak.  But I did have a motivated horse. Previously  Balthazar has kind of schlepped around the circles, rather like a teeenager with his shoes untied and his hat on backwards.  Yesterday I had his attention.  And, despite the squeak, it was good.   He circled on the 22' lead.  He stayed out on the circle rather than doing ellipses.  We even moved over on the circle so he could jump the logs which make the boundary of the dressage arena. 
     When we went through the 7 games in the beginning he was ho hum about the driving and porcupine, again on the off side.  We tried again after the circling and he was much improved.  Backing with my fingers on his nose or chest is still poor.  He seems to start to get it.  He rocks back or takes a step back and I remove my hand but then we're back to stage 4 to get a response.  Then, in another situation he'll back with the weight of a feather.  I'm doing something wrong but don't know what yet.  I'm not concerned.  It will come right in the end.
     Balthazar had done so well that after 15 or 20 minutes we quit and I took him for pick.  I don't see the advantage in drilling.  Work a little bit each day, work for some improvement in all the games, then make it nice for him.,  For me too.  Quite enjoy just being near him.
    I am following through on things I let slide before.  If he's eating and pins his ears I make him leave the food.  He can't return until I invite him.  I don't make a big deal, just exert enough pressure to move his feet but I do quietly insist. 
     In the saddling area if I touch his chest or shoulders while grooming he pins his ears.  I can touch him when we are somewhere else and he's not bothered so it has more to do with tacking up then being ticklish or tender.  I am more mindful when grooming and it is a more pleasant experience for both of us.  Not sure how to deal with the ear pinning or biting at the chest except to keep my hand in place until he desists.  Suspect it will become a non issue over time.
     Have ordered a crossover bitless bridle.  Did ride him in a halter with reins attached but it's not ideal.  Have to make it snug so that it doesn't slide and I don't think it's very comfortable.  Am hopeful the bridle will arrive today and we can have a play.  Have also ordered size 4 easy boots so we are prepared for all the sizes of his hooves from trim to trim.

Holes, great yawning caverns of ignorance.  That's what I discovered about our attempts to do the 7 games with Balthazar.  Watched the videos supplied on "Resources" and realized that  although we may not be clueless, we're dancing on the precipice.  In my ignorance and arrogance (often closely related) I thought we were doing pretty well with the 7 Games.  Wrong!  Went through them, using them as an illustration of where the holes are without trying to correct what was found (as per video).  Afterwards we went back and worked on the weaknesses.  It was really good actually.  I'm an adherent of the shotgun approach; throw everything you've got at something and you're bound to hit it.  That might be good for an overcaffeinated woman with concentraton issues but it does nothing for the equine half of the partnership.  This testing of the 7 games rapid fire works for me who was admittedly thinking it all a bit of a yawn - the preflight check for a horse that flies, albeit like a fractured turkey, but flying nevertheless.   Why go through them if he does them?  Well, after seeing the video I realize that although Balthazar might do them there is no grace, little willingness and certainly no art in his rendering.  Half the time he appears to be asleep although his apparent sleepiness is more a protective mechanism.

So that's the background.  This is the nuts and bolts.   Friendly game - perfect.  Tried for the first time lifting his forelegs with the lead behind the knee.  He stood for a moment fathoming out this new activity then calmly lifted his leg!  Porcupine, great near side, awful off side, immovable at the back up (fingers on chest).  Yo Yo, molasses bound back, quite fine on the return, driving game, same trouble off side, reluctant near side,   Sideways, practically non-existent.  Circling game - Can you wake that horse up, please?

So we started over.  Porcupine with fingers on offside nose, he just turned his head while his feet remained concreted to the ground  I just stayed in position and waited.  Eventually he moved his feet.   Very strange that he is so abysmal on the offside while he's smooth asa butter on the nearside.  Ditto driving game.  Worked alot on sideways as it incorporates the driving game.  Tempted to WAKE HIM UP.  But he's not asleep.  Waking him up will be a process.   Backing with fingers in chest - had to continuously go to '4' before he'd move.  Then he seemed to be getting the idea.  The odd thing is I notice much of the training time he is shut down but if I ask for the same thing in the normal course of moving him about to groom or tack him up or get through gates he is as light as gossamer.  So it's not that he doesn't understand it is a psychological block.

Rode for about 20 minutes. Worked on one step left, one step right, yo yo, halts and departs, some circles. Especially interesting in that I'd ask him to take one step to the left (or right) with the forehand and then ask the hindquarter to follow suit.  We got back up, forward, many sensational turn on the haunches but very little resembling an honest hindquarter step.  At first.  It's a matter of understanding too.  Always had trouble attempting half pass in that his head was always facing away from the direction of travel.  Now I know that eventually we will correct that and correct it without misunderstanding or ill feeling.

So even though it was awkward and clumsy and fraught with errors in communication our little session today was quite extraordinarily good. 

  A broken bridle, miles from home and heavy equipment upgrading our rood. A comedy of errors or a litany of disasters. Suppose it depends upon the outcome and one's point of view. As I am in one piece typing this I choose the comedy of errors.

We began well enough. Decided to ride up the mountain and then circle it halfway up on a track I haven't been on since last winter. Balthazar was forward and keen yet listening well, after all we were riding in our makeshift bitless bridle. All was going well, even passing a dump truck towing a 'dog' without incident until we were miles from home and deep in the eucalypt and brigalow bush. Balthazar, who had been travelling well and without incident suddenly lurched and then seemed to go lame on his offside hind. The easy boot on that hoof had twisted 90 degrees. While I was trying to take it off Balthazar took a step forward. I'd looped the reins over his neck but he'd dropped his head, the reins slid forward and his hoof came down on the left one. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Of course he raised his head, felt the pressure, of course he jerked and of course the bridle broke in two places and the rein in one.

So I was standing there holding bridle pieces and an easy boot. After some experimenting I managed to tie the throatlash to a cheekpiece. No browband, no throatlash so a good shake would've thrown the whole thing off. Tied the reins together and off we went.

He was a delight. Even though we were heading home he didn't pull, didn't jig jog (he wanted to but at a word from me he desisted) and he didn't shake his head. The blasted boot had to be fixed twice more. The third time I just took it off. I'm going to get another pair of easy boots in a smaller size so that I have boots to fit before and after he's trimmed.

Great day today.  The highlight was not the training, on line or under saddle, but his looking to me, touching me with his muzzle, for reassurance when we were out for 'pick' and he wasn't sure about something mildly scary down the road (still have no idea what he saw that he found upsetting).  On line we worked on better circles.  He is inclined to look at me without moving when asked to circle.  Broke it down into discrete very obvious steps today so that there could be no mistake.  Made the increments of asking equally clear.  Didn't take long before he was changing direction and changing pace almost instantly - instantly but without being tense.  Very very happy.

Less happy with our attempts, under saddle, to full pass.  Asking for the hindquarter to move over a step and he replied with 4-quarter.  Again and again.  Dismounted to show him with porcupine (which needed little pressure) that it was indeed the hindquarter but where we are falling apart is that he is used to having his head and neck inclined AWAY from the direction of travel.   Bending his head/neck towards me while I ask with porcupine or driving to move works fine.  Asking under saddle that his head/neck actually be bent toward the direction of travel just confused him - and I'm unsure how to unconfuse him.   Asked for and got (with rather loud amplification of aids) for one step of hindqurater toward the direction of travel and then dismounted as reward.  Will leave it at that for the moment.  I'll have to think about it more.  Watched the video of Pat and Jake? practice and although Jake? did it very well, it doesn't translate for Balthazar and I.  All is not lost, however.  We will get a horse that can answer the aids no matter in what combination they are given.

Slowed things way down today.  Took him out for a game of 'touch it' and he didn't have a clue.  He went to the target readily enough (a blue 20L drum) but then just stood there, seemingly half asleep.  After waiting five minutes or more decided to try something else.  That's when I discovered he didn't have his go button set to go.  It was set to halt instead.  Only because he was unsure of what to do I think.  Better to stop and wait  rather than try something which might 'get him in trouble'.  My fault for ever putting that paradigm in his head.  Anyway.  We worked on the 'go' button ( tapping the drive line in zone 3) until he consistently went forward.  Then we worked on driving the forehand away with a motion of my hand.  Not so hot.  Had to go over and encourage him to move.  He does a turn on the forehand readily enough with the driving game but doesn't make the connection to yield at a distance.  I was happy when he finally moved his head and neck away at an indication from me.  I relaxed, let him off the hook, stopped all movement/asking/communication except to stand relaxed.  We got that head/neck movement away from both sides.  It is something to build on so that's fine.  He is also a bit slow to move the hindquarter away with driving.  I'm practically chewing horse hair before he moves.  I don't want to get too heavy or too quick with him for he goes and hides (so to speak) when I'm too strong.  DIdn't worry about it today.  Will have to give it some thought.  He was reluctant at first, from not understanding not from being recalcitrant, to go before me when I asked him to walk ahead of me.  When he did get it and was walking confidently he went to the next object and touched his nose to it.  Very pleased.  Balthazar was inclined to stop and look/turn towards me when walking on the circle.  Was trying to do a very slow, so there was no confusion, falling leaf pattern at the walk - which we did do.  He was quite good when on my left to change direction and go right but very bad when turning left from the right.  He'd just halt and look at me and it took a bit of ground slapping with the carrot stick to get him moving again.  It's not his fault.  Every trial and tribulation I encounter with Balthazar is of my own creation.  At any rate, I was going to ride but we did ground work for so long we ran out of time so I took him for a pick instead.  I am being (can I make paragraphs here?) more insistent that he have a friendly face when I am around him now.  He always pins his ears when he is eating and I am near and also when I rug him at night.  I used to just let him get away with it but now I am asking him, quite low key but low key insistent, that he move his feet when he pins his ears.  If I ask him to move away from his food he can't return until I invite him.  That makes a huge difference.  He decides it's not worth pinning his ears at the Boss Cocky.

Spent 30 or 40 minutes working on line.  Tried to make our first 3 games snappier which worked but also put me in a more aggressive mindset to work on the falling leaf game when I should have been slower and more observant. Not to say I lost my temper or anything like that but as it's a new skill for both of us to learn I would've been better off to slow it way down.  Heard his sheath squeaking which is a sure sign that he was tense.  Bad BAD Holly!   We also worked on full pass with his nose to the fence.  At first he didn't understand at all but then you could almost see the light bulb go off.  It was rough and a bit uncoordinated but he was trying and he knew what he was trying for so that's great.  Also did the driving at a distance which worked well.  He completely understands figure 8 around the barrels (in this case 20L drums).  Before he had to slow to a walk in the junction of the two circles but yesterday he was trotting through.  He deliberately stretched to get around the drum rather than cutting in like he used to.  Saddled him up (no pinned ears!) and rode circles around the drums, did some half pass attempts along the fence and transitions from walk to trot to halt to back to trot.  He was throwing his head when asked to back even though I didn't have a constant contact but tried to ask with legs and seat only, using the reins only when there was no response.   Because I felt he didn't have a reason to toss his head I finally was firm - he met my hands and I insisted that he back and back with alacrity.  We repeated this several times and he improved alot.   He was also neck reining well.  A new skill!   Tried to make our circles round and equidistant from the drums and also practiced riding a straight line along the fence without weaving.  It's a process.

To sum up although we did well I feel I was too hard on him - it became more like work and much less like play.  It's a continuing challenge for me to let go and not be so anal about everything.  He's not going to be perfect, he's not going to answer every question immediately and he's not going offer anything if I'm riding his case all the time.  The mountain before us is not his education but mine.  Did take him out for pick afterwards which hopefully mitigated some of my mistakes. 

Worked online before riding. Pleased with porcupine, driving, driving at a distance (he's got that really well now! , circling although his departs and changes of directon aren't as snappy as they could be. Tried sideways with his nose toward the fence. Huh? He was clearly confused either because it was new or because of the ineptness of my signals. Still, we got a couple of clumsy steps in both directions so was happy to leave it at that. Believe in the *soaking* method of learning. Saddled up at the arena as an experiment to see whether it would make any difference to his peevish expression. It did not. Still pinned his ears when the saddle pad was hovering above his back. At least he didn't bite at his chest. Which reminds me, I groomed him before we went to the arena and he was very good. Or I was very good; gentle enough not to attract the ear pinning and chest biting that he exhibited before.

Rode him off the property. Mr. Reluctance! Must I leave the others? I'll walk slow and weave from side to side or amble off the road toward the fence, anything to show my profound lack of impulsion. But he was wearing his easy boot booties so I asked him to trot, then canter. That straightened him out, figuratively and specifically. Took the rough cattle track up the mountain. We came to a shelf of stone and he stopped. I thought it was too much for him and was just contemplating getting off to try and find an alternate way when he gathered himself and leapt, from a standing start, up the rock. I was so proud! He really is an extraordinary horse. And! The neck reining that is not stellar in the arena was magnificent on the trail. He didn't spook at a wallaby and trotted really slow when I asked him without stopping. That's quite an accomplishment for him because I think it takes more self carriage to trot slowly (with his thoroughbred physique) than to barrel along with a ground covering stride.

Balthazar is very unfit so our little 40 minute bush ride was enough. Grazed him on lots of green grass on the way home. As it's too cold to hose him brushed him while he ate hay from a net. Was a really nice interlude. There is a bond between us where none existed before. It's not just a result of Parelli, although that is helping, but really started with the Water hole rituals of Carolyn Resnick - the most important element just sharing territory with no expectations. And stopping with the clicker training which was quite obviously sending him around the twist.

Balthazar and I reviewed yesterday's lesson.  *Soaking* works.  He'd read the manual and memorized it.  Couldn't be happier.  So decided to get on and have a play.  One thing we haven't been able to solve is his ear pinning when I lift the saddle pad over, not on, but over his back.  Ditto saddle.  Is it a holdover from racing/showjumping?  Because we haven't actually touched him it can't be because it's hurting him (same thing happens when I rug him - ears pinned and a face like a sour lemon).  Anyway, once it's on he's fine.  We played with one rein turns, using the left rein for both directions and then the right, ditto.  He is hollow left, stiff right which is reflected in the ease (or not) of his circling.  It's a journey.  Ride as though he doesn't wear a bridle but if he doesn't respond use the rein as a last resort.  Also worked on one step left, one step right with the one rein.  Slowing things WAY DOWN so that we are listening intently to one another.  Wanted him to take one step and no more.  Didn't want him walking forward or taking an extra step (like oversteer in a car) but just that one.  It is heartening to know that even though we weren't always successful he was focussed as intensely as I - and it was all so quiet.  The smaller and quieter my cues were the more he tuned in.  Took him out for pick on our quiet road.  Eventually I left him with the rope draped over his neck and walked back toward our propety.  "You coming? I asked.  He watched me, one ear cocked but kept eating.  I walked further, stopped and looked back.  He was beginning to realize he was all alone and had turned around.  I head a car then so went back to him.  Will try again another day to see what he does.  Will he come or stay and eat?