I really wanted to try the figure 8 pattern again since I had a look at how I've been making it difficult for Tug. I used the 12 ft. rope and we started out walking around and touching things while driving from zone 3. I used reverse psychology while driving too and he trotted easier after that. He still backs his ears though. Then we went to the barrels. I started by facing away from them and sending Tug around me hoping to change directions when he got to the left barrel. He did go around though and I had to unstick him a few times by sending him in the opposite direction. The first time he started around, I turned with him and he started kicking the barrel. He moved it farther away than I wanted, but I let him and he finally got going. Going around the left barrel, he hesitated and wanted to keep going around me but I widened the gap and he went through. Surprisingly, he didn't stop after that. I need to start the pattern when I'm in his left eye, and it might get even better! He was very calm through the whole thing!

I took him in the barn, turned the radio on and played with his feet. He's getting a lot better about letting me have his feet when I squeeze his chestnut, so I decided to clean them out. We haven't mastered all 4 from 1 side, he did good. He was a little resistant on the back feet, but I couldn't get his front foot to stay in front of him. I brushed him after that while Mom cleaned the stalls. We're supposed to get a bunch of snow tomorrow. :) My yellow lab, Lilah, has her head over the keyboard while I'm typing this. I guess she wants to know why I spend so much time here.

I wanted to show my mom what we could do at Liberty, but I really shouldn't have. He started off cantering around the roundpen which he's never really offered. When he slowed to a trot, I tried to get a change of direction, but he kept turning away from me. When I went Online, he still wanted to trot. Things were better, so I tried Liberty again. Things weren't as bad, and I got one change of direction, but that was it. Maybe he just wanted to run since yesterday he acted like he wanted me to chase him. He got very unconfident, so I went back Online and played the squeeze game until he calmed down a little. We did some sideways over two standing cones and then I let him get on the pedestal. He really calmed down then. He started licking his lips, lowering his head, and he even tried to back off of it while I asked for backwards by the tail. I took the rope off again and started walking around. He stuck with me perfectly! I didn't try the circle again, but I did get a squeeze or two and sideways over the cones.

I kinda expect him to walk away from the halter tomorrow, but hopefully not. ;) Even though things didn't go perfectly, I'm happy with the way I handled them.