Tonight was a repeat of last nights session and went very similar to last night with a few exceptions. I didn't have to play the catching game tonight, I went and sat on the log and Renegade came right over to me. I greeted him and haltered him while I was still sitting!! Progressed through the games/exercises in the same order as last night and FTR was great, needed only a couple of corrections this time and we went nearly all the way around the pasture in both directions. We went into the corners, practiced turning through the corner, and at one point Renegade offered a trot and stayed on the rail!! Stops were nice and straight with the exception of one and I may have caused that as I had the lead rope a bit short and it caused his nose to tip which swung his hips out.
Splitting in half over the log took about 45 sec...I think it's time to up the ante a bit with this and ask from greater distances!
Touch the trees was great tonight and touch the utility pole went better, Renegade was still a bit unsure about what to do but he eventually touched it twice with his nose and it took less time than yesterday.
Circle w/COD at the walk and trot went well although he still wants to come in a little too close to me. With Renegade it's important for me to NOT move my feet so I made a commotion and made it unconfortable for him to come in that close. After a couple of repeats of this, he began to stay outside of the commotion zone lol!! I confess, I got a bit greedy and asked him up into a canter and he obliged me but on the second lap (going to the right), when he got behind me, I felt him tip his nose to the outside of the circle and before I could turn around to do something about it, he was far enough out of position that I just let loose of the rope rather than hold on and let him brace and jerk the rope from my hands. He didn't go far and when I asked/drew him back to me, he came readily and was nickering as if laughing at his little trick!! Definitely need to get the walk and trot COD MUCH better before asking for the canter again!!
Putting his feet on the frisbee went really well tonight. At first Renegade wasn't putting much effort into finding the frisbee let alone put his foot on it so I asked him to keep moving. It didn't take long for him to begin searching out the frisbee and putting his foot right on it then look at me. I think he knew what I was asking for all along but was playing with me!! Once he got it the first time, I was sending him back and forth between two frisbees and he was finding it each time and it was too funny how he always put his RF foot on the pink frisbee and his LF foot on the green one. I think he's one clever pony!!
When we finished our play, I sat down on the log and invited Renegade in to me. He came right over and I asked him to lower his head so I could unhalter him. He gently lowered his head so I could undo the knot and remove the halter. NICE that he stayed with me once the halter was off and he followed me all the way back to the night pasture, through the gate, and stood and waited for me. He could have easily blew me off and stayed out with the two other horses grazing. TONIGHT I WAS MORE INTERESTING THAN GRASS!!
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