April 15 and April 17: both horses report:
Duchess: round pen lunging. On Sunday (the 15th) pen was a bit wet so I kept it slow as she was making a smaller circle (to avoid the muggy outsides). I worked a lot on asking her to whoa and stay on the perimeter. She got better but not confirmed yet.  Good on her upwards transitions (to a verbal). Only walking, halt and trot so far. She is still a bit needing strengthening. Also brought her in and groomed her some.  One time she did a perfect halt on the perimeter and I got excited and praised her and she got worried because I was overly enthusiastic.  However, overall...she likes the formalness I t think of working.  On Tues., the 17th, she purposely met me in her pasture and let me collect her.  Very good work in the round pen.  I also am reinforcing that she whoa in her tracks when I lead her on a straight line, too.  Overall, she was much more keen and cued in on Tues. Better about staying out there in the halt...but I will have to keep after t his because I do not want her coming in at me when I ask her to halt. I have to be very quiet when I talk to her...deliberate with my movements.  She is sensitive.

Mikey: Sunday: groomed him fully. Oiled the tops of his hooves. Took. him into the covered arena. He did not want to enter at first (used smaller side gate). Easy to use the target to ask him to come forward in increments and easy to get him to get past his first resistances.  Once in there, he was a bit "high" (I suspect from being used to being jumped a lot in there)...it was a work setting for him.  Easy to get him to target.  I also worked on the tapping him on the OPPOSITE haunch but he still not getting this so it led to him getting confused. Decided to let that be.  Worked on asking him to just stand. click/treat. He was easy to move his shoulders sideways to one tiny touch (click/treat).  backing was good.

Tuesday, the 17th: worked with him in his home paddock: now teaching him to raise his front legs to a touch of the whip. Also worked on asking him to back to a verbal.  Reinforced the request to stand (click and treat...use the word "whoa" of course); he was easy to get to come to me via kissing, motioning towards my solar plexus with my hands.  I worked him this time with no halter just to see how it went.  All good.  He is a very focused student.