That look on his face...

Max has a very expressive face, and I have come to know that there are two particular expressions, worried confusion vs stubborn "I'm not doing it" that have a very subtle difference, so I am learning to watch very carefully to discern between the two.

If Max is having a moment of "Nyah, nyah, nyah, not gonna do it your way" then I can be firm and forceful and get after him with a stomp and a huff.

If, however, the look is "I'm not sure what you're asking and I don't want to get it wrong" then the stomp and huff is the last thing I should do.

Max is generally eager to please and he tries his heart out for me. He loves the enthusiastic "Yes! Max, that's brilliant! How clever are you?" He gets puffed up and excited, and eagerly waits for the next instruction so he can do it again.

But when we are trying something new, even a variation on a theme, he becomes unsure and will stand still, not offering anything because, I think, he doesn't want to get it wrong.

I can't explain to him that there is no "wrong" so I have to be very careful to read him well and interpret the difference between "No I don't want to" against, "I'm not sure" and let my own actions, voice and body language reassure and encourage him.

Today we were in the dusty indoor school, going through our paces. His "Spanish Stamp" is coming along so well. We can easily do it at liberty with a big mix of different instructions.

One, two three steps, and my hand up for "whoa". A tickle at his elbow and I get an extravagent leg lift and stomp. A finger between his fronts and he tucks into a handsome bow, point at his quarters and he moves them over, hand flat on his shoulder and he moves his shoulder away, stand at his head, eye contact, point and say "back", and he steps back quickly and now, almost in a straight line. No confusion, not hesitation, he's up for all of that.

Today, we were trying to move on, using a long line, a long whip (slow re-introduction of the long whip) and going out on a big circle around me to see if we could still get the occasional "STAMP".

I started at his side with the whip. I wrapped up the tailing end and poked him in his Spanish Stamp place with the whip end, rather than my finger.

The look of confusion.

So I tried again with my hand. Up went his leg.

Then the whip end. Look of confusion.

Then the whip end with my foot also raised up and stamping. "Max, Spanish!" I saw him watching my leg then blinking - Max was thinking.

I could see he was trying to take it in, but he wasn't sure. I waited. I asked again, tapping with the whip end.

He stood, but his shoulder muscle twitched and his weight shifted. I watched, waited, and asked again.

A tiny foot raise. No extravagent movement, but a hesitant one, "I'm not sure...Is it this?"

Tiny foot raise got big praise and a pony nut. "That's it, Max! Brilliant boy."

We tried again, and he reponded with a bit more confidence.

"Yay! That's it Max! It's different, but it's the same. You're getting it!"

We continued, and as his confidence grew, I moved further away for the ask, until I was at some distance. Again, his big "stamps" became tiny, hesitant little lifts, but the more praise he got, the more his confidence grew.

Then I sent him out on a big circle at trot for a bit, brought him back to walk and asked again.

Nothing but a furrowed brow.

I moved closer and pointed, with my leg also raised. A shoulder twitch.

Closer again, asked again and up came the tiniest twitch of a raised foot.

Big praise, I moved away and asked again and proper leg up and out, greeted by enthusiasm and a big handful of pony nuts. He can sleep on that and we will try again tomorrow.

It is slow progress, but it is progress and it's all about watching my quite clever pony work it out and learn. It is fascinating and gratifying to watch him learn, and is is humbling to see him trying so hard to give me what I ask for.

We had a slight breakthrough moment today too, when after all that, I unclipped his line and he walked back down the school at my shoulder, his head went down and he managed a raise of left foreleg, then right, in his version of proper moving forward "Stamp" with alternate legs.

I hadn't asked for it, but to my mind, it was Max catching on and putting it all together, so although he didn't get a click/treat, he did get a mighty big fuss, and Max likes that, too.

We went the long way back to the yard, along the lane, and I asked for Stamp while we went, and he gave it to me, just one leg at a time.

He is such a generous, willing, eager creature! His delight in delighting me is a treasure beyond words. And my delight in Max knows no bounds.