Highboy Update

I started Highboy on BL Solution (devils claw, B-12, yucca) for an anti-inflammatory, and he was moving a bit better after his warmup today in the round pen.  Only about 15 min. of slow voice commands work at walk/trot/whoa/reverse, but slightly more swing through his pelvis and lower back by the end.  Harder time going R, but since most track training was probably "go fast bear left" hard to say if it's learned or physical (or physical because that was how he learned).

I also started him on gastroguard, an ulcer treatment.  His first day of clicker training (done at liberty so I can observe how he really is processing things) he did about 15 min. with the small carrot pieces as treats, then he got grumpy and walked away and laid down and rolled.  He didn't want to eat any more treats.  The second day he went about 10 min. before walking away, lying down and rolling and ignoring the treats.  He also will take a treat if it's offered to him cold turkey, but if he's had time to think about the food he doesn't want it.  I wondered if his stomach starts to produce acid, making him uncomfortable, and then he doesn't want to eat.   Also, it was taking him up to 8 hours to eat all his mash, but after starting the gastroguard he's eating the mash in 2 hours and he has hay in front of him all the time which he munches throughout the day and night.  So I've done 2 doses, one each day, of gastroguard and we just played a little in the round pen today with no treats, just trying to learn about going to the right and to the left, and starting voice commands.  His ground manners are quite nice now both haltered and at liberty.  I enjoy working with all breeds of horses and types of equine minds, but this is why the OTTB is my favorite type of horse.  They have such "try", and generally even when they don't feel well they want to do the right thing.