One of the other highpoints of the day came a few minutes later. The producers wanted to see the kinds of training conversations you can have via the clicker. I started to ask Peregrine if he would show them some spanish walk. It's something he tends to offer a lot. If you bring him into the ring and ignore him, that's usually one of the first behaviors he'll try.
Spanish walk is a very pretty movement and a very useful training tool for imporving the balance.
The horse walks normally behind, but in front they lift their legs up and straight out, like a military goose step. At liberty Peregrine understands the front end gesture well, but we still have to work on engaging the hind legs. I cued Peregrine for Spanish walk, and he gave me a nice line of it. Then he hesitated. It took me totally by surprise.