25

Again had a session this morning. Big change on my part for I increased my energy by walking quickly around the circle or on a straight line. Consequently Balthazar mirrored my energy and my movements in a much more timely fashion. No mugging per se although he did curl his head around a couple of times when I asked for a mirrored backup. No problem however. Stallion behaviour non existent. He didn't even have time to drop much. We were walking much too fast. Even had a couple of trots. Now to keep working on the refinement of wwylm so that he remains at my shoulder at this quicker pace. I think it keeps him more interested. There isn't time to evade although I did leave him behind a couple of times before he caught up which may have been taking a breather for him. Still, it was a very good session. I only intended to use half my carrots this morning so there'd be enough for tonight but it was going so well I used them all.

I had to get him out of the paddock with the others using a halter. He's the only one who didn't raise his head and start walking toward me when I was at the gate. I look forward to the day when he is the first to meet me at the gate. It will happen.

When we finished he'd entered the paddock when the others were in the 'Jenny Craig' paddock so I used the halter to catch him again. Took him out and asked him to move out of my space as I turned in to him as we left the gate. Slow to do so but I rewarded when he did. He's very light on the halter leading but doesn't yet know to get out of my way when I move into his space. That too will come with time.

It was a very interesting session using this higher energy. When we eventually come to lunging at liberty I hope that he will play, turn, trot, canter, run away and run back. That would be terrific. At the very least I can see we have improved. Greatly improved and that's wonderful.

24

Had two sessions today, one this morning and another this evening. This morning he was brilliant. I did work on refining the wwylm so that he was only rewarded when his head was beside my shoulder. Worked well. No mugging, no evasions. I did walk away frequently so that he wouldn't have to feel overwhelmed. He was staying with me and I could take a few steps before rewarding him as he stuck so well to the position. Also a few mirroring steps. He was stepping backwards more quickly, not so much hesitation. Even asked for two steps backwards and he was doing it as well. He still hesitates before putting his head down with a verbal cue but that will improve with time. It isn't a long hesitation but it's not immediate yet.

This afternoon wasn't quite as brilliant. Walked into the paddock and he followed immediately. He did attempt to mug three times. I blocked him for two and walked away the third. He never touched me but the intention was there. The wwylm wasn't quite as good as this morning. He does better with me on the left, not quite so sharp on the right. Again it will take time. The mirroring wasn't quite as good either. A little stallion behaviour, more than this morning but still a good session. Just have to remember how far we've come. At least I feel that he feels c/ting with me is a Good Thing. Even though I'm sure he evades because he is overwhelmed the evasions aren't so frequent, mostly because I walk away first but I also suspect that he is getting used to the clicker training and is starting to enjoy it for its own sake.


When we finished this afternoon I called him over. I was returning to the yards and he, knowing we'd finished or having an evasion, was grazing. He came over with a couple of stops to chew on a leg or bite at a fly and I jackpotted him for coming. Very pleased with both of us.

23

Day before yesterday I spent perhaps 3 minutes playing with Balthazar. Short and sweet. Today we probably worked for 10 minutes, perhaps longer. No mugging. No evasions. I walked away first and he followed. Walked out into the paddock and called him after grooming him thoroughly. He came and we started with wwylm, head down and some mirroring. He was very good. The wwylm was better, working well from either side. If he is this good next time I should probably start refining it so that I'm not luring him into position with the carrot but only c/ting when he is in position. I think he's familiar enough now with the concept to get that he has to stay at my shoulder. Once he has that we can start maneuvering so that he is doing shoulder in while wwylm.

He is improving with the head down, offering it even when not asked. He doesn't get a carrot for that. He didn't back as often today, perhaps because we were mostly working forward, walking about the circle I've made in the paddock. When I walked away from him - to give him a break so that he wouldn't evade - I'd cut across the circle so that we would have a change of direction in wwylm. It worked well for he would come up on the opposite side (except once when he came directly behind me but by holding the carrot out on the side I wanted him on, that wasn't a problem.

He did get a little excited but because of the frequent breaks it didn't get out of hand. There was a little burble of too much stallion behaviour but it was so quick and so quickly under control again that it didn't bother me. I think the breaks help him to keep things under control..

Our neighbour reiterated to Richard today that I was welcome to ride his land any time I wanted. It is so tempting to throw the saddle on and go. I miss riding the hills but I musn't rush things. We are nowhere near that stage. I could do it and Balthazar would be okay about it but I would much rather build a relationship where we enjoy our times together and it's fun for him too. I do need to get off my bum and work with him more than once a day. It doesn't take long and it would move things along if he knew that every time he saw me he has a good time. I keep thinking I must train him as though he is a dolphin, free shaping everything so that he never feels confined and it is his choice. Naturally it would be faster if I put him on a lead and lunged him and did all the exercises with him attached to me but I don't think it would ultimately work because it is his mind that I want to attach to not his head with a rope and halter.

19

Excellent, excellent, excellent! Again didn't work for two days because of weather so was interested in seeing how he was after the break (last time was Mug City!). He was already in the paddock so went out to meet him. He saw me so rewarded him coming to me and then continued to the wwylm circle. No evasions, no mugging! Granted, I did walk away a couple of times but he simply changed directions and followed me. He was mirroring much better too, taking a step back almost immediately rather than mulling it over as previously. The stallion behaviour, except for the nickering and dropping, was in abeyance too. Once, when he came up behind me and I thought he was going to mug, rather than doing so he turned his head away. I waited until he swung it back almost straight and c/t'd.

Another big joy from today happened as we walked the wwylm circle. I've been c/ting as he followed me but not attempting to position him at my shoulder (previously at my shoulder, with his stallion behaviour was not a good idea). Today I took a step, perhaps two, then c/t'd him so that he stayed at my shoulder rather than lagging behind then catching up to get the carrot. This worked well for the mirroring as well. Did one or two verbal hean downs and he complied almost immediately. Very proud of him. Big jackpot at the end.

One other thing, because he was at my shoulder it wasn't always possible to stretch his neck out to get the carrot, but even though his neck was arched he didn't go over the top stallion behaviour wise.