There IS an up side to thunder and lightning!

We are doomed to thunderstorms for the next ten DAYS here. So I've decided to live with that fact and use it to Quattro's and my advantage by leaving him up for a few days (to rest his paddock and try to get the grass coming up) and working him in the indoor.

I've discovered, over the last couple of weeks, a couple of things about how Quattro prefers to be trained. As mentioned previously, he does a lot better if you give him a chance to blow off some steam and get the 3 y/o out before you tack up and settle down to work, so I've been turning him out in the indoor to goof around and be stoopid while I clean his stall. That seems to work especially well, b/c as "scary" as our indoor is, there's only SO much a rowdy colt can pretend to be scared of, and after that, well, it's kinda boring in there 'cause there's nothing to eat!

So this puts him in a frame of mind where he's delighted to see me coming with all his tack. I like that. Putting modesty aside for a minute, if there is ONE thing that a life misspent with smart OTTBs has taught me, it's how to keep a smart horse sweet and happy in his work. Keep your instructions clear; vary the routine as much as they can handle and still stay in their comfort zone; praise much; when they REALLY get it right, praise much and give 'em a cookie; and Take. Your. Time.

Which leads me to the other thing I've discovered about how Quattro likes to work: he actually does better when NOT worked every day. Compared to a TB, Quattro's brain is (NO offense intended here) a rather fragile thing. As mentioned in prior posts, he tries so hard to please that he gets overwrought VERY easily. But it's also because he's simply inexperienced and hot and a worrier by nature (to the point that we have a new catch phrase around the barn whenever anything unexpected happens, no matter how comically minor: "SPOOK, Quattro!" You kinda have to be here: it's only funny when occasioned by a burst of rain on the roof or a barn cat walking into the barn or somebody dropping a pitchfork.)

All these things taken into account, I've found Quattro just plain does better if you work him, then give him a couple days off to THINK about it. He's been really, really great the last few works. The lazy life of an AOT horse clearly seems to be the way to progress him forward in a calm, relaxed way.

We've been working, and will work for the next ten days, on steering and brakes in the long lines and on the "short lines" I use when ground driving. He's getting much better at all of the above. This time two weeks ago, I would NOT have trusted him outside the round pen with long lines on. He's now working well indoors in both! I decided not to "bit up" to get the brakes; I decided to simply quietly persevere and keep asking with half-halt and voice; ask again; ask again; ask again; and give a cookie when he finally gets it. He's REALLY doing well with his "whoa" now, and his steering too, and I rather think that by the time the t-storms leave the area, he'll be ready for his next big step: taking the ground driving OUTSIDE.

If he works ahead of schedule (and he might) then another plan for working him in the indoor MAY be to start him in shaft training. It's a thought I'm keeping in reserve.

The adventure continues!