Liberty - 1st try

Today *big grin*

Did our first games at Liberty today - we had done sideways and driving from Zone 3 in the jumping arena at Royal Oak - to get to know the paddock then I did some PPL (building up to 21 mins at trot for L1 assessment!!)... I don't think Garbo has ever trotted for 21 minutes in a row - let alone me!

Anyway- PPL - there were two hills of piled up sand in the paddock and he kept going up onto the top and looking around like he was thinking - "I'm the King of The Castle" - it was so funny.... coming down was interesting!

So - we then went into the round pen and I took the rope off... did some driving game, then tried Yo yo - he kind went sideways, but the come back was FAB! (ears forward looking very pleased) so then I asked for a circle and he circled and then I asked him over a jump - he went over and turned and faced - I asked him back the other way and he hesitated - once he started chewing the pole on the jump *rolleyes* ..... I asked again and he lifted up one foot (I nearly cried - this was from 20ft away and no rope).... I backed him up and asked him again and he circled over the jump - then he just kept jumping over the jump and turning and facing the jump again!

He looked very pleased with himself. I was extremely pleased!

I asked him into the middle and he came trotting over, didn't crowd me....

I think he was relieved to have the rope off! Yay.... fantastic progress today.