Cloverleaf Trot and Digger

I played with Garbo first on the ground to try out a few strategies I had learned from the conference. I used less to ask and used a really long phase one and a really slow phase 2,3,4, (which Linda said can really work for a LBI)... so I pointed to ask for a circle, he looked at me, I upped my energy, and then waited.... it only took a couple of tries and he left, then trotted.... I also concentrated on asked for change of direction with my finger before using the stick - and that worked too!! I actually got him to trot in a circle on the end of the 22ft line for about 5 laps before I asked in in.

The digger was right next to the wash bay digging a hole today - so about 8m from Garbo when I bought him in. He got a little teeny bit right brain but not nearly as bad as what he would have been 18 months ago. It only really took a bit of you you from zone one then three, and some sideways to get him standing still. I groomed him with the line over my arm just in case rather than tying him up. After some grooming he was a lot calmer and I saddled him up.

I took him into the middle paddock (I had already set up a clover leaf patter with the cones) and asked permission to get on. Once on he stood still till I asked him to go, and we stated the pattern at walk. Soon after that a big truck arrived so I got off just in case it had really noisy airbrakes or something (the day that I was at Wendis when a gravel track arrived flashed into my mind at the time - it tipped the gravel out - just after I thought - hmmm wonder if I should get off - this was pre-parelli - and Garbo bolted out of the arena and I fell off.)

Got back on and walked the cloverleaf then George came out just as we started trying to trot it. I was a nightmare for the first round, but the 2nd and third time he settled into a nice trot and actually relaxed his neck - you can see the difference below. It was a great ride and he had a big relax at X this time.

I really concentrated on not using the reins till phase three to turn, turning my eyes and body first. In the end he was starting to get it in all but the turns away from the gate. We are going to try again tomorrow. We also went over that jump you can see in the background.