April 18, 2022

Decided to focus on our groundwork today. We are starting to be more precise with aids from the whip. Meg introduced the outside rein cue using a whip with a lash so the draw over the shoulder was more clear to him. We did a lot of halt work, first shifting the weight from shoulder to shoulder by sending energy through my fingertips. The trick is only using enough to shift the weight and not enough to back him up. Also played with stellnig, rotating the jaw under the skull and feeling the bend through the spine.

Instead of randomly throwing out “good boy”s, use one low tone “good” when he’s on his way to getting it right. He thinks good boy means reward so when I say it during movement, he stops. So by using low tone “good” it lets him know he’s on the right track to receiving the click and reward.

The haunches-in is getting there, sometimes we have to break it down w/ Meg behind him and me using the whip to draw the hind end in and she supports the aid from behind with a whip. He’s a bit of an overachiever but slowly we progress.