It's been a while since I've worked with my young Percheron Toby. Yesterday was a glorious 52 degrees and no wind with a clear blue New Mexico sky and that warm sun you can feel because of the high altitude here. I saddled up the big guy and took him to the center of the round pen. Stood on my bucket (I still can't get up there without a mounting block of some kind) and he moved off. I brought him back to the center. Asked him to stand. Got back on the bucket. He moved off.

So I decided that this called for some serious measure. I asked him, calmly and kindly, to yield his hindquarters around and around. Then I stopped and asked him to stand for mounting. He moved off again. Again, I went through the routine of asking him to yield those big hindquarters. No temper. No expectations of how I was going to get this right, right now. I breathed deeply and softly as the Percheron released around me. Approaching the training in an almost meditative state.

And, guess what? He stood for mounting every time I asked the rest of the afternoon. I guess he decided that if he wanted to move those feet and not stand for me, then I'd have him move his feet alright! He got some rest and relief by standing still, doing what I was asking him to do.