Obstacles

Today I decided to get a good obstacle out of my boot - the tarpaulin! Garbo watched me as I lay it out - as soon as he heard that it made plastic bag like noises he was very curious indeed.

I groomed him untied (rope over arm) while the builder chopped up bits of rock - it sounded like rocks in a tumble dryer but Garbo just chilled out and didn't even jump once - he was even facing in the opposite direction - the only time he moved was to tell me to scratch higher or further back.

So while I was laying out the tarp in the arena Garbo was checking it out by sniffing and pawing it. Then I asked for a send over it - and he happily walked over it, both ways - no hesitation - all at phase one.

Then we did a yo-yo back and forth over it - the wind even blew the tarp up round his legs and he didn't panic. Then we tried driving game FQ on the tarp (tricky to actually stay on it) then circle game with transitions over the tarp... then we tried trot - everything I tried or asked for he offered immediately with a phase one. Perhaps he thought that I tripped him up yesterday!!

Transitions were great - we didn't try canter today.

Then - I stepped up onto the side of the arena (no hedge side - arena fence only knee height) and asked for sideways - to the left he did pretty damn good - and then we turned and did to the right - wow - it was the best sideways he has ever done - he crossed both feet over at the same time once or twice. I made more of a game out of it since he's Left Brain Introverted, every time he did some good sideways (one or two steps) I would pick dandelions from the side of the arena for him. How cool was that.?!