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.