When training horses, just when you think you have made some serious progress, they surprise you with a day of "crazy." Maddy was a little wired today. I had to toss my plan for the day right out the window and start back at square one. She is an interesting combination of brave and curious to scared out of her wits prey animal. When she is this hyped, I start playing the seven games and I do alot of work getting her to lower her head. That has a huge calming effect on her and gets her left brain working. That is when we play the circling game, which she HATES. Some days I point and she heads out without a fuss, but for the most part I point and she goes straight up. She gets pretty dramatic when I present her with something she doesn't like. This is one of the roadblocks I am facing. I keep working with her on it until she goes calmly around. Sometimes I leave the barn thinking..."shes got it" and a week later, she is rearing up again. Patience--I know. She has come along way. She had zero groundwork done when I got her and I already have her yielding to pressure, backing, going sideways, playing the "squeeze" game, even latereral flexion....but the Circling Game in her book is the "Vertical Game."
