Transition day in arena.   Just not sure how well this is working.  Sometimes it seems as though he's relaxing and stretching out but more often it seems as though he's sucking back.  Certainly he is responsive and his back comes up beneath me, he is rounder and more collected, even without contact, but is he more relaxed about it all?  I think not.  Tried to transition up if he was losing energy and slacking off and transition down if he appeared to be getting tense.  Again he ground his teeth when we stopped but it wasn't as much or as prolonged as the time before.  Perhaps he recognises that we've done this before and nothing untoward happened. 

In any case, all these quiet transitions, the circling (large circles) and bending through the corners (I do touch the reins and ask him to bend through the corners otherwise he's moving through like an 18 wheeler with no bend whatsoever), has to be good for his overall suppleness. 

One thing I do notice is that whenever I ask him to back he has to toss his head once before complying.  I'm not pulling on the reins or being harsh in any way yet we still have this quick but emphatic resistance. 

Must admit when he becomes very light and senstive to requests and his back rounds up beneath me it is a lovely feeling - despite his Pretty Pony silhouette.  Was hoping that we'd have the sensitivity and the roundness allied with relaxation.  Maybe next time it will be better.  It's not hurting him or stressing him more by these exercises so we'll carry on.  Took him out for pick afterward.  The water is too cold to hose him so I let him dry in the sun and brush all the sweat marks out.  He's very shiny.

Cool autumn morning yesterday.  Decided to get serious about Balthazar's fitness.  Would like to do this 6 hour ride through the bush in conjunction with a local resort.  Not even sure they still offer this option - horses for guests and day trippers who can bring their own.  Know someone who did this ride.  They loved it.  In order to do this comfortably however, my unfit thoroughbred needs to get some miles under his girth. So we trotted 3 km to the end of the road.  It's not obvious but it is a long slow uphill gradient.   Thought he had a stone in his boot as he was walking somewhat reluctantly so got off to have a look.  My poor boy!  He was puffing and sweating as though he'd run a race.  Even suspect he tied up a wee bit hence the reluctance in going forward.  His hindquarter muscles were possibly a bit hard.

Walked him all the way home, interspersed with spots of grazing in lush grassy areas.  Asked for a trot just before dismounting and he moved out freely so perhaps it was my imagination.  At least he didn't whinny for his buddies while we were out nor did he have to fight the temptation to break into a jog.

This morning I'm going to get him out of the paddock but instead of work I'll take him for pick.  Just to keep him guessing.

A few days ago took Balthazar up around the paddocks.  When we returned and I removed his boots I decided I'd had enough.  Next time the farrier comes I'm getting him shod.  Tried to do the natural thing and I am certain it is better for him rather than having rigid plates of steel nailed to his feet but the boots are a pain in the proverbial.  I've purchased 9 boots in all, sold 4 and still have 5.  And they don't really do the job.  The hind ones slipped around (again).  One of them is starting to tear through the fabric (have already superglued the inside of another boot) and I'm sick of it.  I want to hop on my horse and go for a ride without having to stop and check that the boots haven't slipped 90  or 180 degrees.  Nor do I want to come home and have to clean them with the power nozzle to remove seeds and grasses.  And last but not least, Balthazar doesn't like them much either. 

Today while I was grooming him and tacking up Balthazar started the same old routine of ear pinning (although he isn't nearly as ferocious as before and no longer tries to nip me so we've made alot of progress).  Thought I'd change things up by asking for some sideways and back in between putting the saddle on and tightening the girth.  I had a whole new horse!  I think sometimes he does things because he's always done things not because he's bothered by something. 

As that was so successful decided to mount up in the yard and ride out to the arena (no boots needed!) rather than lead him out and mount there. 

All we worked on today was staying calm and lots and lots and lots of transitions.  For 25 minutes.  He was quite distracted at the beginning because his buddies were 'over there!' and he was 'over here!' and how could he possibly concentrate?  Nevertheless we just kept going.  Balthazar being Balthazar he wasn't naughty he just wasn't *there*.  By the end he was better.  He was listening more and a bit looser in his body.  We cantered and trotted and walked and halted and backed.  Sometimes he was in Pretty Pony mode (and we'd change gait).  Sometimes he was slllloooooowwww (and we'd change gait).  Sometimes he was tense (and we'd change gait). 

When I dismounted he was okay but noticed that he was quietly grinding his teeth on the way back to the yards.  No bit in his mouth but he still had to show how tense he was.  How can I gain his confidence?  Routine shuts him down, lack of routine makes him nervous.   All in all, I was pleased.  It was good to have him respond so quickly and quietly to requests.  He was more supple in his his body on a circle after I'd asked him to actually bend (and then let him alone.  I am MUCH more mindful about asking and then releasing rather than niggling, in other words having one audible request rather than a wall of white noise).  So it's worth doing again. 

I am, however, looking forward to getting him shod and riding out on a whim rather than with a big pre-production production.

Arena again today.  Had planned to trail ride but wind was blowing great bullets across the land, shaking the trees and making even me spooky.    Groundwork good.  Balthazar spooked when Richard came down to the arena but I ignored it and just kept asking that he continue to circle.  Was interesting to watch him give up the spook and carry on.  Then we worked on full passes over the witches hat.  Placed the witches hat beneath him.  He wasn't worried.  He was awkward but he did full pass over it from both directions.
   Mounted up, warmed up at the walk and trot making use of the full arena, also incorporated some 20m circles and a little bit of figure 8s and weaving.  Didn't do much of the latter however because I wanted him thinking forward, thinking big expansive patterns rather than getting worried and sucked back - we had plenty of that later.
     So then we returned to asking for full passes over the witches hat.  He was quite good from right to left but completely refused from left to right.  Again he was reversing when asked to go forward or going against my leg rather than yielding to pressure.  Took him around in big trots and or canters then returned to the witches hat.  Same thing.  This wasn't getting us anywhere except for imprinting upon him that this was a Bad Thing.  If I persisted we would have a fight and I didn't want that.  The third time I dismounted.  He nickered.  Thought, great, we've finished for the day and I've been rewarded for refusing.
    Not!
    Instead I got him to full pass over the witches hat from the gound at least half a dozen times.  We did it until it wasn't a big deal and THEN we quit.
   Took him out for pick.  Again.  Still worried that we won't be buddies just because I ask him to work and to do things he doesn't want to do.  Does he sense my divided self?  I'm sure he does. 

In the arena today.  Ground work first on the 22' line.  Worked on yo yo, which he actually did pretty well although we need more regularity in the steps, and circling.  In the circling he was also better at staying out on the line.  Then asked him to full pass over the 20L drum from either direction.  Again he was reluctant but he did do it. 
     Riding was a different story.  He was fine with all the things he knows so well (was he asleep?) but as soon as I asked him to full pass over the drum he became tense.  Walked through the bridle or moving into rather than away from my leg.  Worse when asked to step forward he went backward.  Hmmmm.  Decided I would make the wrong thing difficult and the right thing easy.  Decided to be quiet with my aids when he was standing alongside the drum and noisy when he was against my aids.  Noisy did not mean harsh or hard, just niggles with my legs, niggles with the reins (in my bitless crossover bridle).  Even so it upset him.  I thought he was getting the idea for when he did stand beside the drum I sat stone quiet on his back.  I'd wait for awhile, 30 seconds?  a minute?  then ask him to take one step over toward the drum (full pass).  Then it was on again, against my hand, against my leg, me niggling until he was in position and all would be quiet.  The third time Balthazar had had enough, before I knew it he'd launched himself stiff-legged into the air just as I've seen him do in the paddock when he's playing.  In a way I don't blame him.  Whatever he did (except for the correct thing) didn't shut up the 'noise'.  He couldn't go backward or forward or sideways (away from the drum), the only direction left was UP. 
     Dismounted and went through it all again from the ground.  Again he was successful on the ground.  Got back on and the same thing happened.  I didn't want him to learn that the way to escape something he didn't want to do was to go up (would the next thing be rearing?  Sure don't want that!) so when he went backward when asked to go forward I got him to go forward in big energetic trots around the arena interspersed with changes of direction and 20m circles.  Would return to the drum and ask again.  Again, if he went against my leg off we'd go, big BIG trots (didn't know he had it in him - are we finally tapping into that forward impulsion he's kept under wraps? I have known for a long time that even while he's apparently going forward quite happily he's sucked back.   Not allowing that energy out and having it available is really the source of the going UP rather than forward or sideways).  Anyway, we did that a few times until finally he realized that standing quietly next to the drum (or witches hat) and listening to my asking leg - and I wouldn't ask much, being happy with one step in the direction asked for) resulted in success.  He full passed over the witches hat.  Dismounted and made a big fuss of him.  Unfortunately he was grinding his teeth, something he hasn't done for a long time.  But do I give up just because it stressed him?  I don't think so.  I never punished him, was never harsh, just asked that he either listen to my leg or go forward.  The stress resulted in that he had to try, had to, in the end, do it.  I didn't give up, just quietly persisted. 
     Took him out for pick afterwards. 

Nightmare ride yesterday.  Decided tor explore Wayne's Mountain.  Ground was dry, beautiful morning, still cool although humid.  Started up the steep part and Balthazar started leaping.  Not a problem except he wasn't fit enough to leap to the very top, the path was very narrow with a steep drop off on one side and a wall of rock strewn vegetation on the other.  In other words, again I got us into a dead end situation.  Couldn't turn around, had to keep going.  Then I heard a funny sound.  Looked down and saw the right hind trail boot flapping the ground.  It had come off his hoof and was only attached by the velcro fastener around the pastern.  Pulled him up, still on the steep scrabble and jumped off.
     Balthazar was really blowing.  Not fit enough for this.  Blowing but animated.  Couldn't get him to stand while I tried to reattach the boot.  Gave up and decided he could go barefoot until we got to level ground. 
     Sometimes I had to walk on the sides of my feet to keep from pitching forward.  It was that steep.  Why do I get us into these situations?  Loose rock rolled underneath both of us.  Kept Balthazar to one side so that if he lost balance he wouldn't come down on top of me. 
     Finally got to the bottom.  The boot was ripped and so full of sad and dirt and seed that it wouldn't attach properly.  Oddly enough the front two boots hadn't budged.  Had only put the pads back in that morning.  Walked him all the way home.  Rode a little way but saw I had to reattach the boot yet again so it was just easier to walk. 
     Happily he's fine.  He galloped over this morning when I let the other two out (he's allowed out all night but the two fatties have to be confined).  He's not sore.  He's going to have the day off anyway.  Might take him out for pick this afternoon. 
     Am determined to explore Wayne's Mountain but instead of riding up I'll lead him.

Only 15 minutes ridden in the arena.  Very hot, very humid.  Too much.  BUT!  We had a productive 15 minutes.  Poor Balthazar is used to our routine - ZZZZZZ to our routine.  So today we changed things.  Quick few games on the ground (already feeling my brain being fried by the sun) and then dropped my bum into the saddle, which sizzled -  black leather, very hot!  Gritting my teeth against the pain we started off.  Rode him straight to the short end of the arena and asked him to step over the log.  You'd think I was asking him to step off a cliff.  But we NEVER go over the log.  We do today.  So we wobbled and wavered and finally stepped over the log.  Then a few weaves at the trot, backing through the gap at A, asked him to full pass over the end of a log - too much.  He was as resistant under saddle as he was on the ground.  Had to be satisfied with him standing next to the log.  Which was really quite a big deal.  He was walking forward away, ignoring my leg or moving into my leg or backing up.  Standing quietly in position as if we were going to full pass over the log was quite an accomplishment.  We did full halts, figure 8's, changes of gait and walks or trots on the outside of the arena.  Noticed he either sucked back when he felt overwhelmed or became very forward.  Not in a scary way, just really pounding along.  At the end asked him to full pass over a witches hat.  He didn't but he did get half a step over it.  Told him how wonderful he was and jumped off.  Balthazar nickered (he talks alot actually).