4/24/18
Worked with both Mikey and Duchess.  Brought Mikey up to the r round pen and took off his lead rope. Then showed Brittany how active and precise he was about targeting.  I would hold the tennis ball (on the end of the old whip) anywhere and he'd seek it out. Click and treat. Yay.  Then asked him to come to me--kissed a bit, leaned over, made the scooping motions with my hands and forearms (towards my solar plexus) and he readily walked towards me. Click and treat.  I also asked him to back up using my voice and wagging my index fingers towards him. He did not get it so I lightly touched the point of his shoulder and repeated back. NO problem (later after I put. him away in. his home paddock, he easily backed away from the fence line to me just wagging my finger and saying "back."). He was a bit distracted because a car drove by and Brittany was watching...but it went okay.  I also used my shorter dressage whip to lightly tap him on the broadside of. his shoulder and rewarded him for ANY sideways with either of his forefeet (away from the direction of pressure, of course).  Click and treat.  However, when he just took a step back...no reward.  He is a bit reactive to the whip so I would lightly rest it on the side of his neck, say "whoa" and by now I had the lead line attached because sometimes he would take several steps back when all I wanted to do was lightly tap his shoulder over.  The moment he got the correct idea, click and treat. I also dropped the whip and then used the tip of one finger to very lightly press/poke into his shoulder and he easily stepped sideways, click and treat.  I then picked up the whip and showed Brittany where we were at with me tapping a certain foreleg and saying up and he got a reward for that too.  And I re-tested his ability to just stand there w/ me saying "whoa" and walking in an arc in front of him...click and treat. He used to try to follow me everywhere. Eventually I will build upon all this--these tiny things that I can marry up into longer sequences.  Right now we are just learning "a language" together.  Interesting to note: as I led him to and fro from his home paddock, he never once offered to eat grass. It is as if he is too mentally into things to even notice the grass! On Fri. I need to bring my extra tennis balls and work more on the sequential stuff and make him touch them in order. He's a bit proud of himself. Later, as I drove out for the evening, I stopped at his pen, asked him to come to me and then waggled my finger at him, said back, and he was a doll out it. I made a click sound with my mouth and of course he got a treat. Waved goodbye and told him we'd be at it again on Fri. He is almost done shedding out.

Duchess!  Adelle said that on Mon. I think she used her for a very light lesson with Anne.  The mare did not fret on the cross ties like she used to. Adelle found that of interest. I lunged her out in her field and I was amazed to see that she did not limp in the hind end!  True, she is still a bit short strided (the hind end) BUT she is much more even over all. All I did was walk, trot, whoa. Brittany was watching the last half of our work session and was impressed by the mare. She is getting the idea of whoa to the voice but I have to reinforce it for now with some movement of the lunge line.  Want her to eventually just whoa in her tracks, on the original line of travel as I don't like horses turning in on me as they come to a stop.  I like them staying on the 20m circle.  I waggle it upwards to enforce my asking her to come to a halt.  She is spot on with her transitions.  Very much on the money. All I have to do is say the word "trot" or "walk" and maybe add a cluck or say "EEEE---ZEEE" to reinforce a downwards and she's there with me.  Never pulls on the lunge line. Light, easy to handle.  A dream.  I told Adelle I'm going to work on teaching her to stretch as a way to help her build up her top line.  It's only been a little bit that I've been doing this with her but can see progress already. Will now start more spiral in and out and eventually add walking voltes...then will use the round pen to introduce her to long lining.