Building confidence

Well - it seems a full time job to keep Maraschino confident when playing - but we're getting there slowly.

 I started today by doing travelling circles to get to the round pen, from the yards. I stopped him on the circle at the tyre and he nibbled on the grass growing in there. Then I asked him to go back the other way on the circle - btw - he trots of canters everywhere - never walks. He didn't like the other way so much and so we changed back again and then he went to the tyre on his own....

Obviously he was finding the pressure (yet again) too much - if Garbo was there he'd be like *Yawn Say What?* 

Then we worked a little more on friendly on the move from Zone 3.... he's getting better. Every few things I would stop and wait for him to sigh or breath - he takes a long time.

I even sat down and he breathed in my ear for the longest time.....

Into the round pen we went and this is the question I get at the gap between the barrels (squeeze)....

So we tried yo yo to see if that was easier.... and then backed him up all the way through and forward, and back and forward.... then big rest.....

Soon after this I got him to sidle up to the fence while I sat on it, and just patted him - by now it was nearly dark.... then we trotted all over the paddock - with me next to him, over the pole, changed directions etc - to get him used to going fast and not adding emotion.

I led him back to the wash bay finally and he was fairly relaxed by then - but only when I take the halter off does he do a big big shake and a big breath in.... funny hey.... anyone else's RBI do that???