I didn't have a whole lot of time last night due to work, but I was determined to get his mind going. I just set up two cones and figured we could focus on figure 8's. We haven't done anything with them in a while so I thought it would be good to check that he still remembers the pattern.
We started online and just through in some changes of direction around the cones. He was very responsive and asked a LOT of questions. Definitely made me happy! He didn't give me a whole lot of great faces, but I figured I should be grateful he was interested enough to ask questions. I tend to get frustrated and upset when he comes into me with his ears back (not dominant, just not forward), but I am learning to not let it bother me. When I let it bother me, it puts me in a bad mood then he mirrors that, so getting upset by his faces is NOT going to make them get any better.
I took the lead rope off and played online for a little bit. We played with some liberty circles and stick to me. He got 'stuck' backing up; he kept avoiding it by going sideways. I made the wrong thing difficult and the right thing easy and before I knew it he backed up more than 22 feet away :).
I tried liberty figure eights at the walk for the first time since who knows when. It has at least been since Sonny as at the boarding barn, so sometime before July 1. They were perfect. He did these beautiful figure 8's with minimal effort on my part. All I did was back up and re send and he knew exactly where he was going, came right back around the cone to face me, and didn't protest being sent off again. I was so impressed! Completely blown away.
I got on and did a few figure 8's freestyle. Those still need some work; I let him rely too much on my leg still. I ended on a good note and called it a great day :).
woo hoo!
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