Magic Day as it turned out...

When I arrived with the plan to ride Keystone, I began with a few minutes with Try adding to our liberty and no stick/string list:

1. Sticking together: walk/trot/halt/back
2. Yoyo--responding to intention to cue send, stop, wait and bring back
3. Sideways towards: I had to line up focused on zone 3 for it to happen
4. Today: touch it, 20 feet from the pedestal, it took awhile for Try to figure it out, gave treat and then waited and she put one hind foot up and then on line walked across it.
5. Cavaletti pole straddle thru center line
6. Sideways away and towards and know the difference
7. S bends!

We may take more time or be less particular but we got it! Try was happy and pleased with herself.

Keystone: Grooming: what a mess--sores on each leg from lying down, 2 new rainrot places and tumor discharge way more than before the past week or so. Not good. He is still enthusiastic about treats.

We went to the ring and I was not thrilled about riding so we started with some circling on line which he does easily and well and his trot was fine. In fact, it got quite nice.

So went to mounting block (continuing friendly game there) and he was able to stand quietly there to be rubbed etc and then mount and did not walk off. We then walked for a long time followed by easy trot for a few laps then a more normal trot for a few more. Then he decided to stretch thru topline (and my abs) and engage HQ (possibly more comfortable for him) and we did a few lovely laps each way at the trot--all on a very loose rein. (About 40 minutes.) Finished with more grooming and leisurely stroll back to his pasture.