Today I am grateful Cesar wanted to work yesterday and we were able to progress in fine tuning his training. I am grateful I got to go to bed early so I can start the week more rested. I am grateful my ankle still hurts less. I am grateful for my business, my team, and my clients and their pets. I am grateful for my loving family, near and far and their unwavering support. I am grateful I woke up today, so I can have one more day to bring more people into the realization of the power of positive reinforcement, or R+, animal training.

Cesar is such an interesting little horse. He has always had anger issues since we first got him as a yearling as part of the Meeker Mustang Makeover. I think it was of course related to how traumatic his experience was, being caught out of the wild and separated from his mother. Then we had less than 60 days to train him to be able to complete a certain set of behaviors, including halter training, standing tied, getting all four hooves picked, and leading through an obstacle course. During that time he was boarded at a public facility, where I was shunned and laughed at behind my back for promoting R+, and where I personally witnessed him getting hit in the face by other people at the stable when they did not think we were around, to teach him some ‘manners’ because we were handling him stupidly they thought, and figured they were doing everyone a favor by making him show some ‘respect’.

This of course caused him to cement his deep feelings about not being able to trust people, no matter how much R+ we used. Despite all that, he is a very sweet, reliable boy who just wants a lot of love, but also gets quickly very insecure and overly excited and then has difficulty regulating his emotions. Despite all that, we have successfully ridden him often not only out on trail rides, but also to the Horse Expo, where we rode him and Emblaze bitless, and without stress, despite being surrounded by super stressed out horses all around us at the event. He is very reliable, and tries hard.

What I did not do was spend a lot of time working with him on the basics of actual, proper riding. We got him ready for trail rides and he did well so we simply went with that. But now we are going back and starting over, and getting him a proper education in riding. This requires lunging to help him learn how to carry himself and use his body properly, and takes him practicing to build up his strength in order to carry himself through the gaits, with smooth transitions, and also balance and carry a rider while doing it.

So yesterday, he clearly wanted to interact with us, so we brought him in, groomed him ‘naked’, which meant we had the green light to ask for more. So we saddled him without being tied up. Another green light. So we lunged him both directions at the walk and trot, which he did willingly, green light. Next I hooked up some side reins and lunged him both directions again. Green light as he was willing and trying hard, and needed little encouragement, he was really applying himself. So then it was time to remove the side reins and climb aboard and repeat the exercise. He had a little difficulty with one side of the circle that has the ever so slight uphill. But with #1) recognizing his struggle and acknowledging it and #2) encouraging him more through this section of the circle each time, he was able to respond with confidence and learned how to use his body better, to make the exercise easier, while building physical strength as well. He did so well! I am so proud of him!

I hope you too, had a wonderful weekend and were able to achieve some level of progress, somewhere in our life.

Did you have a belly laugh? Did you dance in your bare feet?

Did you look in the mirror and tell that person in the mirror, they are doing great?

​Have you given gratitude yet today for your life? Have you hugged someone meaningfully recently? I know there is the potential for today to feel ‘off’ after the time change yesterday, but that feeling is a great time to check in, and just give gratitude that you are even here to experience another time change in your life. Not everyone is so lucky. We are lucky to have woken up today, and it is up to us to make the most of this beautiful day, time change or no. The birds outside don’t know anything about a time change. Life goes on just the same, unbothered, as should we. Have a wonderful day today you Animal Loving Angel, thank you for being here, and I hope you have the most marvelous week!

​Check out my YouTube channel for a daily "Good Morning!" from the rescues and lots of free tips and training resources. https://www.youtube.com/@the1drq