The Mustang Diaries: Kai-Ju Day 33

Last night was Kai's 33rd day in my training program. His owner/mom visited onsite to check on her boy and oversee the training session.

As always, Kai was a star pupil as we went through our groundwork exercises. He did some extra showing off as I practiced picking up his front and back feet by behaving as I picked up his back feet and touched the hooves themselves for the first time. I then saddled him for the second day. He stood well for the saddling and then showed his mom how he was learning to be responsible for his gait and direction while in the roundpen. We focused on free lunging and maintaining a canter through direction transitions. So far, he can successfully hold a canter for nearly one lap around the pen without being reminded not to break down to a trot. Lazy fella...

I also heavily desensitized him to the saddle, flapping the stirrups, pulling on the horn and cantle, and whacking the seat and fenders until Kai ignored these actions and stood still. He seemed sensitive around the girth area as he tried to make my left leg match my right when I brushed my hand against the girth during one of the desensitizing exercises. He spooked unexpectedly and tried to turn his butt to kick me, but the joke was on him because I had control of his head. After the quick reminder to give me two eyes, he was reeled back into the training session. All toddlers have tantrums sometimes...

We ended the training session on a strong note with more roundpen work and free lunging. All in all, his mom was very pleased, and of course, he got his fill of treats!