Today I decided to scrub Kai's legs to try to help his mud fever as it was a very warm day. Poor Kai was standing still most of the time as I applied the medicated shampoo and massage the yellow scabs away. He was not too tender when I started but after I let it sit for ten minutes and then washed it all away Kai got a lot more tender.


I brought him inside and put his cooler on to try to help him dry a little. The rain started coming down so hard that there was a small waterfall on the side of the arena and I was glad that Kai and I made it to the indoor arena in time. I groomed Kai for a while and massaged his back and braided his mane so that it wouldn't get dreadlocks because of the wind. I then left him tied in the corner for a while so that he will begin to learn how to relax when tied.


When I came back I decided I could play with teaching Kai to trot super slowly. The way I did this was by walking on the rail with a good rhythm and when Kai was relaxed and in sync I brought up the energy very slightly. If I catch him by surprise and don't give him enough warning he hollows his back and makes a tense transition. I gradually walked faster and faster until Kai did a few steps of very slow trot to catch up. I praised him and gave him a break and then continued to ask for more steps. Soon Kai could trot beside me down the entire long side of the arena. I asked him to do some canter circles and some trot circles making sure he stayed bent to the inside.

PIAFFE

I began by walking at stick to me and slowing and shortening the steps and then walking normal again. Soon Kai began to match my tempo and would slow down with me. We also did the same thing at the trot. Then Kaila suggested that I put him in a corner and ask him for a step forward and back until he got the idea of moving in one place. I modified it by standing in front of his driveline having him between me and the wall and putting energy behind him so he would think about moving his feet. We played with that for quite a while and worked through him resisting  and swishing his tail and kicking. Kai was freely moving his hind legs but he would plant his front ones.

I kept working on it until he got unstuck and offered a little step and we quit.

Kai was having a bad day today. He was doing what I asked but he was also not interested in having a conversation. I groomed him and tacked him up in the saddle so I could take pictures to share to a treeless saddle group to ask for advice. I sent him on the circle at a walk so he could feel the saddle and to work on transitions. Kai decided to trot so I asked him to slow to a walk again. Kai tried to trot a few more times and then he walked for two laps without breaking gait. I asked him to change directions and he walked on more circle.

I asked him lightly to make a trot transition and Kai started to crow hop. I tagged his bum and he stopped but he trotted in a very tense way. I thought we could work on flying lead change preparation so I quickly reviewed his FQ yield and then we worked on changes of direction. I brought him in until I had two eyes and then when I sent him the other way I made sure  his shoulders really moved away lightly. We did this at a walk and a trot and then we did some cantering circles. He was trying to get away instead of cantering on the circle so I kept asking him until he could relax cantering both directions. Then I asked him to canter and then I quickly brought him in making sure he maintained the canter for as long as he could. We did this in both directions to make a pattern for the lead changes preparation. Kai was all hot and sweaty by then so we did some walking stick to me to cool off.

But something felt wrong to me. He was off to me in general, he wasn't his bright, cheeky and happy self today.

I couldn't figure out why he was feeling like this. I asked myself if I was feeling off. No, I was feeling pretty happy, so he wasn’t mirroring me. I guess it was one of those days for Kai.

I tied him in the corner with his cooler on and we played with the bit because I know that he really likes to play with it. I let him wear it for a few minutes until he stopped fussing with it and then I took it out an gave him a piece of apple. I took his favourite soft rubber curry comb and rubbed his neck and forehead with it while Kai leaned into me with enjoyment. I also brushed out his mane and braided his forelock. When he was done cooling off I asked him to lie down before putting him back in the paddock. Kai lied down and then he started to rub his neck in the shavings to mess up his brushed mane. I gave him the last of the apple before ending the session.

Today was a beautiful day so my siblings came to the barn with me.
After grooming and tacking up, Kai and I did the pre ride checks and I rode him a little, working on bending so my sister could ride. Kai was doing wonderful lateral flexion and he was doing everything I asked him to do. I dismounted and helped my sister get on. I led her around the arena and reminded her to keep her legs relaxed and to not lean forward. I suggested that she sings a song so that she doesn't hold her breath. We kept on walking around while my sister sang and held her arms out to learn balance. Kai didn't look too impressed but he was behaving himself very well.

Later I took her for a little trot reminding her to sing so she stays relaxed. We also did some changes of direction at the walk without holding on. We were finishing up by waking on the rail and Kai nipped me, to my surprise. I flicked my finger on his muzzle but didn't correct him more because my sister was riding and I didn't want him to jump or become unsteady.

When she was done riding Kai yawned and yawned. I think he feels that she is unsure and it makes him feel a little unsettled.

Today I decided I would try to teach Kai to lie down when I asked him.
First, I asked him to put his head down as low as possible and then give him a treat while he was down. I did this six times to build a pattern and then I put my hands behind my back and turned a little away from him and watched him out of the corner of my eye. Kai then put his head down on his own and asked a question. I love moments when  horse thinks things through and is actively participating. I praised Kai and gave him a cookie while his head was down. We repeated this process, only this time while walking. When  Kai was consistently walking around with his head down I waited until he looked down with his eyes or started slowing down and focusing on the ground. I captured it with the word "yes!" and gave him a cookie. Kai then walked around for about 15 minutes with his head down before lying down. I praised him lots and gave him all the cookies. When he got up I put him back in the paddock.

Today when Kai came to catch me I decided to do a little test, so instead of haltering him I asked him to follow at liberty to the gate. We were very close to the gate when Kai took off back to the hay. He turned and watched me run back to the hay net.

He caught me again and this time, he followed me to the gate and let me halter him without leaving. How interesting. I wonder how it will go the next time we play this game.

In the indoor arena we played with seeking the jump at liberty. Kai tried to go around the barrel and go in the 6' gap between the wall and the barrel instead of jumping once. I blocked him with my stick and backed him up and then guided him over the jump with the halter and then asked him again at liberty right away. When he did I gave him a cookie and groomed and tacked him up.

I sent him over the jump while wearing the bareback pad to make sure he was all good before mounting. Then we did lateral flexion. Kai was noticeably softer to the right than he has ever been. I think Kai had finally softened mentally to me and that is why he is flexing easier now. I had always waited as long as it took for him to soften but he always took a little while to warm up when flexing laterally. He is finally finding the softness right away.

Kai leaned forward in anticipation for me to ask him to walk on. So I waited for him to relax and then backed him up instead. I backed him to the middle of the arena and then started working on yields. I asked him to yield his HQ and Kai walked forward instead of thinking about what I was asking him. I bumped him on the nose and he yielded.

We did both sides making sure he did not go forward when I stopped asking him. Then we did FQ yields. I would ask him for a quarter of a circle and then back him up and we kept doing this until he stopped assuming that we would go forward right after finishing the yield.

Then I asked him to yield his FQ faster for a few steps for fun. I did some "hurry up and wait" and then went on the rail to quickly work on walk to trot transitions. When he did some nice ones we quit so it wouldn't become a drill.

Next we did some bending circles focusing on soft changes of direction at the trot. I can get Kai soft on the circle but when we change directions he tends to get super bracy.

Kai was not trying to be soft so I gave him some bumps in the beginning but he very quickly softened. I also worked on pushing his ribs out and getting him responsive to my leg as well.

We quit pretty quickly as he gave me everything I asked him almost right away for the entire ride. After untacking him I allowed him to roll and I gave him lots of treats when he was on his side.

Today I decided we could take catching game a step further and see if Kai could come at a trot. I stoped about 30' away and asked him to draw in. Kai slowly turned his head away from the hay to look at me while methodically chewing. I waited, smiling at him until he looked away. Then I crept up behind him and tagged his bum (making sure I was well out of the kick zone). Kai leapt sideways bumping into Shane and both of them started trotting around, Shane looked pretty alarmed while Kai had a funny smug look on his face.

He was obviously trying to get to the opposite side of the hay bale so that I couldn't reach him. I ran around the hay and the other horses who were still eating to block him from reaching the hay. He sassily tossed his mane and ran the other way. Then he slowed to a walk and started to carefully consider how he could outsmart me.

He tried stopping and walking away before darting back and a couple of other things. Soon he came and caught me but he still had a cheeky look on his face. I rubbed him and checked his legs so he knew I was not in any hurry. Then we even started to walk away from the gate. Kai was intrigued. Then he made a split decision to take off as fast as he could go. Unfortunately for him it wasn't fast enough and I tagged him as hard as I could on his bum.

Kai galloped two or three strides and then, as he made a sharp turn (towards the hay lol) he slipped on the ice under the snow and fell flat on his butt. A split second after he fell I fell down as well. Kai jumped up and trotted to the hay while I dusted the snow off my hands and knees and ran to keep him from getting a release. Then Kai connected and trotted over to catch me. I haltered him and gave him a cookie. I love to play catching game! It is very fun when the horse is not fearful and both of us are playing.

Kai licked and chewed and we went to the inside arena. I set up a single barrel away from the wall so we could practice seeking the jump. We have not done this in a long time and I was excited to see what Kai would do. He tried to go around once so I backed him up and sent him again. Kai jumped but a little sideways. I told him he was a good boy for trying but did not bring him in. Instead I sent him again and Kai jumped perfectly! He was light, willing, had a smile in the rope, and he didn't hit the barrel with his hind legs. I gave him a rest and a cookie before asking him to jump the other way. When he did I made a huge fuss over him and gave him more cookies.

Next, I asked him to approach the jump at a trot in each direction and then at a canter. I brought him in after every jump so that when we do this at liberty the first thing he thinks about will be to connect and come back to me. Kai sometimes disconnects after jumping at liberty so I think this is a good default for him to have.

Next we worked on a relaxed canter for a short while. I followed him on the circle because I just began to teach him to slow down. He is beginning to relax and fall into a rhythm but I sometimes need to remind him.

We had to leave the indoor because there was going to be a lesson. So I groomed Kai outside and tacked him up. I put my western pad under the bareback pad because I think that Kai likes the extra support for longer rides. I did not use the saddle today because I am much more comfortable and used to riding bareback and I wanted to focus the ride on teaching Kai rather than getting used to the saddle.

When we got to the arena we found that the footing was only good for walking so we got his lateral flexion extra extra good because we could practice that while standing.

He was always stiff on one side when I asked him for flexion. Almost every single time I ride I need to ask him repeatedly on one side to get it as soft as the other. One neat thing that I discovered is that teaching him vertical flexion helped him with his stiff side so much! It sort of gave him a way to flex in between the left flex and the right flex. For example he used to flex really soft to the left and then when I asked him to straighten his head he would become stiff to the right, and if I worked on the right side to get that soft he would stiffen on the left.

It would usually take a few corrections before he was soft both ways so we could continue. Today, however he was super soft right away. I only gave him a few bumps. It felt great to feel how soft an light and giving he could be both ways.

We then walked all around the arena to warm up and get moving and also to check the footing to see if it was any better at the other end of the arena. Turns out it was a little worse.  So we headed back the other way working on vertical flexion. Kai wanted to impersonate a giraffe and stare at the other horses when they started goofing around but he quickly connected and found the sweet spot, keeping his head at withers level. I could feel his back relax under me.

Kai had the same problem with circles, he would always be soft left and not right. He was also more bracy the faster we went. It took a little while but he soon softened both ways and it felt wonderful, Kai was beginning to find relaxation and harmony on the bend. Then we worked on a soft change of bend which he understood for the first time. By then the lesson in the indoor arena was over so I dismounted and Kai and I trotted to the indoor.

I then mounted again and we played follow the rail working on soft vertical flexion and finding the sweet spot in relaxation and a soft back. Kai is discovering that carrying me is much more comfortable when he relaxes and settles into a rhythm. We also played a bit with downward transitions.

When Kai was feeling very good I decided that I could do some rider exercises while he trotted. I set the reins down and started to rotate my arms in backward circles then forward circles and then also just the inside arm and then just the outside. I also put both hands on my helmet and folded them and did all the things I used to do on the lunge line with my old instructor. I steered Kai in a giant figure eight to practice changing directions for me and to practice steering with legs for Kai.

It feels good for me as a rider to do these movements. I feel immediately more balanced. It helps me find the right movement with my core and helps me so much. I used to only trust Kai to do this at the walk and it was a breakthrough to do this at the trot. I can't wait until he is good enough that I can trust him for this at the canter.

I then pulled up the crash test dummy I made for Kaila on Kai's back. I draped "Caramba" over Kai's withers and asked him to walk forward and even trot a little. As I was putting Caramba down his leg caught on Kai's rein so Kai was giving to the pressure and very quickly backing up until I unhooked the dummy. I told Kai he was good and we carried on with our ride.

Then Kai did the most amazing thing! He did the smoothest transition into a trot ever! And when I asked him to slow down to a walk he did a perfect and relaxed transition.

Kai had some trouble going from trot to walk because he always stopped dead. This was because he used to ignore my cues to stop so I corrected him pretty hard. Now, the moment he feels / thinks I need him to stop he stops right away. This made it hard for him to transition into a walk without stopping. I was very happy with him so I dropped the reins and we walked a few laps to cool off before dismounting.

I put his cooler on and tied him in the corner because there was another lesson in the indoor. As Kai was in the corner I thought I could teach him hind leg lifts to help him strengthen his HQ. I took a little while with the tickler on the end of the stick and taught Kai to lift his foot when I touched it. Then I quickly progressed to keeping asking him until he stopped stomping his foot down and was setting it down gently. I soon required him to hold it up for a few seconds before setting it down. Kai understood on his right hind leg but not his left. I quit asking when he held it up a bit longer.

Before putting him back in the paddock I allowed him to roll because I knew he wanted to. As he was rolling I started feeding him bits of apple just before he got up. I lured him back on his side with the apple and slowly fed him all of it while he was on his side. Kai was thoughtfully chewing the apple while assessing the situation. When the apple was done I moved my energy up to tell him he could get up now. After that he was completely done so I put him back in the paddock.

Today we entered the arena and I  picked up the flag to play with. We have played with the flag before but I thought we should still do friendly game. Kai began to throw his head and when he saw that I didn't stop waving the flag he started to pull back hard. I made sure I did not loose leverage on his nose and persisted with the flag waving. Then Kai did something I did not expect him to do, he reared. He wasn't panicked so I corrected him by yanking his nose back down and sent him to do many quick changes of direction, all at the same time as waving the flag. Kai licked his lips and settled down and asked a question. I stopped waving the flag and rubbed his withers with it. I did lots more friendly game until he was relaxed with the flag in all zones, underneath his belly an everywhere else I could think of.

I am not particularly sure why he behaved this way, as I was relaxed and happy and we were alone in the arena so there were not many distractions. Also he is very familiar with the flag and we played with it many times before. Anyway, he was calm when we finished and that is what matters.

Next we practiced forward down from Straightness Training at the halt. (We were also not alone in the arena anymore) Kai got the head down when going forward very quickly but it was pretty hard for him when standing still.  At first he braced and did not want to lower his head and when he did he was very fidgety. He was being unusually mouthy as well. I think he was feeling a bit unsettled  so he tried to walk forward many times. I waited for him to find comfort and relaxation with his head down. He started to yawn and yawn and when he was done he could stay relaxed for longer without getting distracted.

I quit asking him when he was pretty soft and quiet. Next we practiced taking the bit in and out a few times and then I left it on. Kai gaped his mouth wide open and moved his tongue back and forth. I sent him out on the circle to work on relaxed transitions to take his mind off the bit. We did a million transitions focusing on walk to canter transitions most.

Kai usually takes trot steps before making the transition to canter.  He kept trotting faster before cantering so we kept trying. Soon I realized that I needed to change the way I was asking him. I needed to make a clear difference between the cue to trot or walk faster and making a transition.

The cue for canter is to bring my energy up and to put my weight on my "hindquarters" to signal Kai that he needs to put his weight on his HQ so he can make a clean transition. The cue for going faster within the gait is to just bring my energy up. I tried the canter transition again and even though he still took some trot steps he made a beautiful transition to canter, and looked like he was prepared for it instead of scrambling to make the transition. On top of that he kept the smile in the line and seemed more relaxed.

Next, I asked him to stop and come sideways toward me. I was delighted with the fact that Kai understood what I wanted without hesitation and he came sideways eagerly and stopped at  respectful distance. We also did sideways from zone 1 without a pole. Kai was super light and he moved off with me just shifting my weight. We played with more transitions and sideways and before we knew it Kai forgot about fussing with the bit so I brought him in and took the bridle off.

Next we did some bowing while he cooled down. He is staying down a lot longer and is thinking through it instead of bouncing right back up after his knee touched the ground. I groomed him and ended the session.

Today on the way to the barn I was wondering whether Kai would be challenging my leadership because I have not seen him for a week.

When I got to the gate Kai was looking at me with both eyes from behind the round hay bale. I called him and he took a few steps forward, stopping right on the edge of the ice.

I went into the paddock and disengaged his HQ and he came right over. I held out the bit and he reached and took it without my help. I took it out and gave him a cookie.
 
When I took him to the arena Kai began to prance around and was wanting to roll. I asked him to take the bit again and then let him loose so that he could roll and prance for a little while. He bucked and ran and lay down to roll and then bucked and ran some more.

The paddock was all icy and it was too slippery for him to play so he was extra excited. I caught him and tied him in the corner for a little while so that I could help scoop the horses’ grain.

I came back and gave him his breakfast before playing some stick to me transitions. Kai does really good walk and trot transitions but he lags behind me during the canter transitions. I persisted until I got a good one each direction and then moved on to practicing walking and trotting with his head down.

Then Kaila offered to trim his feet. Kai pulled his foot away from Kaila several times and I corrected him with phase four right away. I drove him in a very tight and fast circle with lots of changes of directions and then got him back to trimming right away. He figured out that he needed to stand nicely and Kaila could finish the trim. I put the cooler on him and gave him permission to roll when he was done. We ended the session with some more bridling practice, asking him to hold the bit longer each time.