Had an excellent 15 minutes with Balthazar yesterday afternoon. Having 24 hours to think about what we'd attempted the previous day seemed to help him work it out. There was one exercise where I place my hand on the halter between his cheek and muzzle and gently push his head away from me so that he eventually executes a turn on the hindquarter (an awkward way to do it but I think the exercise is just to instill a feel and a sensitivity to pressure). When Peter was here, Balthazar bobbed his head, swung it to the ground, swung it high, everything but just follow my asking hand. That was where Peter said I should bump his head with my hand (closed as a fist) to get him to move but I think that would've made things worse. He was obviously not comfortable with following the feel so best to just stay with him using an even pressure, as even as I could keep it anyway given that he was swinging his head all over the place. That was Tuesday. Wednesday I asked and he quietly followed my lead and swung his head around until he did a turn on the forehand, or part of one. I didn't push my luck and ask for too much. I rewarded what he offered. He did the same on the other side.

One thing I noticed which is something I need to work on is Balthazar's sensitivity. Yesterday afternoon was cool, not cold, not warm. By the time I'd walked Balthazar to the arena he was hot to touch. A few minutes more and he was starting to sweat on his flank and chest. The 15 minutes of c/t involving some turns, some longeing, a few changes of direction on the longe, a tiny bit of full pass (couldn't believe he remembered it), a couple of turns on the hind and fore quarter and some backing up, was done calmly and with many rewards. So although he appears calm on the outside his anxiety is betrayed by the fact that he is breaking into a sweat. The only thing I can do is continue to work him with the same patient and calm attitude. In time he should trust that nothing bad (me losing my temper and whacking him with the end of the lead rope) will happen. His anxiety is my fault. How can he trust someone so untrustworthy? My modus operandi has been cool calm collected with flashes of temper peppered sporadically throughout. I feel guilty about this but I'm not going to beat myself up for 'when I know better I do better'. And it didn't happen all the time just often enough to make him sweat when he comes to the arena.

Working on patience is paying off. Didn't realize how ingrained the habit of asking him to do something else before he'd finished chewing the reward carrot was until finding myself starting to ask for another behaviour. Now at least I'm catching myself.

Yesterday he stayed out on the circle better and his trot departs were snappier. It pays to work on one thing with lots of reinforcement. It writes a clear message.