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!