Four strides trot, four strides walk, four strides trot, four walk.  On the circle in both directions.  This simple exercise got Balthazar listening, very light and bent to the right on the circle without stress.  Normally he has a great deal of trouble bending to the right.  If you imagine his energy like a hose with water through it, he is blocked in the shoulders, kinked in the neck and offside ribcage and leaking through the ribs and offside barrel.  I tend to try and plug the holes with too much physicality; legs, hands and core and all it does is turn us both into pretzels.  Today I didn't worry about whether he was bent correctly or not.  Only asked that he respond to my aids to  trot or walk (or halt) without delay.  Did try and keep our circles of equal size and round but didn't fuss too much.  Didn't have to because having to use his body to respond he was up underneath himself and therefore able to use both sides of his body more or less equally.
     I could tell it was hard for him to the right as he head tossed even though contact was negligible and I gave him nothing to fight against.  The best thing was the head tossing, as he warmed up and responded better, diminished.  Lots of walk on loose rein breaks or breaks at the halt.  Lots and lots of verbal Good Boy to which he often responds with a nicker, butt and between the ear and neck scritches.  Was so proud of both of us; him because of who he is and how he tries and me because I kept it light and happy and wasn't anal at all (is this Parelli, yoga,  meditation or the stars in the right configuration?).
     I haven't kept up with our work or rides.  Two days ago I took him out for a 6km walk trot on our dirt road.  He was antsy and spooky, not his normal self.  Have come to the conclusion it was because he knew other horses had been on the road.  I have 3 locked in the front paddock as I write, but that's another story.  Have also been playing The Carrot Treasure Hunt.  He improves steadily - not in great leaps and bounds but in small increments.  As do I.  I've learned that much can be gained by just waiting.  Given enough time Balthazar will eventually stop sniffing manure or nibbling the grass and come in search of that carrot.
     Our groundwork also improves.  I am getting a little bit more particular as to how and when he responds to a request.  His sideways today was the best he'd ever done.  It helped that I kept saying, as much for my benefit as his, 'don't make me touch you!' and so he'd step over with that hind leg.  Also got more of a response at a distance than before.  Action at a distance, like particle physics!

Carrot Treasure Hunt

A treasure hunt with carrots.  That's what we did yesterday.  Because I want Balthazar to wake up and pay attention and not go into his little zone because he's being asked to do something thought it would be fun to try a treasure hunt.  Placed carrot pieces around the largest horse yard; on stones, on posts, in a feed bin, stuffed between the tank and a post and on the ground.   Directed him to his feed bin first for his inclination would be to check it anyway.   Had to use big movements up close (he was at liberty) and dash around a bit to direct him to the 'treasures'.  But by the end of it, and I think I only used 7 or 8 treasures, he was starting to look for it.

My goal is to be able to direct him to a place with minimal gestures  from a distance, to be able to draw and direct, to disengage the haunches or push the forehand over while standing still.  Although it was very rough and ready yesterday it was fun  and again, getting him out of the paddock and not riding or doing groundwork is enough to keep him on his toes.  When I went to get him he took a step towards me which was good.  Something we can build on.

Have had a few sessions with Balthazar that I haven't recorded:   a ride to the end of the road, some grazing, one online, one groom plus carrot and then releasing back into the paddock and today, some online work and riding in the arena.  Went in with the idea that I would keep my energy up whilst giving lots of breaks and verbal praise, kind of a balancing point of pressure and release.  I wanted him 'with' me, not zoning out as he tends to do when I'm too soft, but also didn't want to exert so much pressure that he was squeaking (sheath) and unhappy.  For the most part we were successful.  With less fuzziness on my part and clearer direction as to what we were doing Balthazar was able to do as he was directed more readily.  Also, when he tried but tried the wrong thing for the most part I just switched gears and made the wrong thing, the right thing.  Sometimes I insisted that he follow direction but if his doing the wrong thing seemed more an act of not knowing rather than disobedience, why not reward the try?

His sideways on the fence and even in the middle of the arena was much better.  I woke him up by insisting that he move his forehand over when I asked.  He was just moving his head and not going anywhere.  I followed through and made contact with his jaw.  Not hard but he had to know that if he didn't DO something there would be consequences.  After that wake up call he was excellent.    He was even yielding with a little distance between my asking hand and his head or hindquarter.

At the end of the online session asked him to touch objects.  We've been miserable at this so today I put carrot pieces on the twenty litre drums and on one of the logs surrounding the arena.  Took forever.  He was dozing off in the sunshine.  Kept moving him from drum to drum after waiting patiently until his eyes were closing and it became apparent we weren't going to touch it.  Once he had the first carrot he woke up and looked for the second one.  He even showed some initiative in finding the carrot on the log.

Before turning him out I placed a couple of carrots on the fence and tried to direct him to them while he was at liberty.  Took a while but he got them.  That game will be something fun to try the next time we play.  He'll catch on and have loads of fun finding the treats - and if my reasoning is sound, he'll start to really pay attention to my body language.  Quite looking forward to it actually.  A horsey treasure hunt.

Under saddle we worked on one step for turn on the forehand.  He tends to resist then take too many steps.  Wanted him to listen so that we could get one soft step in either direction.  We improved but that's something that needs work.  Also did alot of transitions from walk to trot to halt to back and combinations thereof.  He was very good.  Very forward.  Tried to get him on the bit, or in this case, on the bridle tracking to the right.  Dismounted when I got one.

Pushy.  Not Balthazar, me.  Intended to ride but got so into the groundwork that we ran out of time.  Was trying to introduce the concept of stopping or slowing while circling.  Should have just stuck to that but as I also used the 22' line thought I'd ask for a canter.  Wound up chasing him which only upset him and didn't succeed anyway.  In hindsight I realize he was probably still a little footsore and cantering on our drought hardened earth was not something he wanted to do.  So after stressing him and losing trust I had to back up and try to earn his trust again.  It wasn't that he was trying to get away from me but I could see it in his eyes - why ARE you chasing me with that stick?  Instead of it being a directional aide it was something used to exert a lot of pressure.  Pushy and so wrong.  Again, it isn't Balthazar that needs the training, it's me.  You'd think after 56 years I'd wake up to myself and not get a) impatient b) selectively blind (choosing not to see what happening in blind pursuit of the end goal) and c) stubborn- we WILL do this.  I'm such a disappointment to myself.  The thing is horses are endlessly forgiving and will start afresh with you the next day given half a chance.  That is humbling.  They don't carry grudges and they don't judge.  They see you and react to you exactly as YOU ARE.  There is no escaping one's shortcomings when working with horses.

Here's an account of a pitfall of pushing Balthazar too hard.  He's been quite good about maintaining gait while circling.  Yesterday he started either dropping down a gait or stopping completely when he was behind me.  Talk about not wanting to play!  Entirely my fault.  Had to back him up, start him again several times before he trusted me enough to want to go.

Anyway, back to the session.  He still zones out when we work on back (porcupine - fingers on nose or chest).  It all has to do with the clicker training.  He drops (his pizzle) and then just isn't there mentally which is exactly why I had to give up the c/t.  It worked beautifully with the other horses, with the birds, dogs, etc but not Balthazar.   That makes him unique.  There's much more going on with him than meets the casual eye

At any rate, I have to wake him up by doing something else and then try again.  When he's 'there' he does do it a little better.  We got a step back with a pressure of 2 twice yesterday.   Not ideal but a start.  His sideways was much better.  He's definitely getting the idea.  The circling was good.  Going left he tends to spiral in (he's hollow left, stiff right).  Yesterday I did get him to move out using the driving aide which was brilliant.   We did finish on a good note and I took him out for pick which he enjoys so all is not lost.  The only good thing about being so naughty yesterday is that I'll be on my best behaviour today.

CrossUnder bridle

Tried the new CrossUnder bridle on Balthazar yesterday.  Worked brilliantly.  He had no trouble understanding it.  The only tiny hiccup was The Back.  He didn't get it at first and I probably wasn't as clear with my body/leg aids, relying more or less exclusively on the bridle.  He just stood there.  Hmmm.  Released with my hands, reorganized my thoughts and my body and asked for and got a smooth back.  So it wasn't the bridle.

Was running out of time and he was a tiny bit footsore on his nearside front (he'd been trimmed on Monday and I didn't bother with his boots) so only went through a few things before calling it quits. 

We did do some groundwork before I tried the bridle.  He was much much better with his full pass.  No, he's not sidling away like a crab at the beach.  He's hesitant and clunky but he's starting to understand and he really tried.  That was enough.  Ditto his driving.  Much improved.  Unfortunately his back up with my fingers on his chest or nose was still slow and hesitant.  There's a mystery in this because back in the yards I asked him to back  so that I could close the gate behind us and he backed with a whisper of a touch.  

Took him out for pick.  I really enjoy these times.  It's quiet and companionable, like old friends doing their own thing while at ease in each others company.  If I want to move on there is no dragging on the halter.  I click my tongue and start to walk off.  He may snatch that last mouthful but he comes too.   While he's eating I look around, often at him.  Now that he's starting to lose his wnter coat he's looking pretty nice.  His neck has a golden irridescence and there are hints of dapples on his barrel.  But I also look at the trees and birds and wallabies.  Watched 6 quail gird their loins to cross the bitumen.  They sent a scout ahead.  When he was still he was almost invisible, pressing himself flat against the ground.  When he deemed it was safe, he made the dash quickly followed by the other five.
This hidden world we are too busy and noisy and preoccupied to see.  Just standing around while your horse grazes - wallabies don't perceive you as a threat and cross the road to dine in the dressage arena, butterflies whack you on the brow as they fly past (not sure if it was a greeting, a mishap or a warning), willie wagtails threaten each other from a safe distance.  And then Balthazar raises his head and touches my arm with his muzzle before returning to eat, kind of like a friend who pats your arm over coffee.   Life doesn't get much better.