We started off moseying in the pasture after I set everything up and then we did some figure 8s. Well, Tug is LBI so I thought that I'd really have to take it slow. Wrong. He was walking at a pretty good pace and then he slowed down after he became a little bored of it. The only problem there was that he wouldn't go around the barrel. So as soon as he got past it going in front of the barrel, I just turned him and let him go the other way. He continued to do it. Then I thought that maybe I should picture him going around it; focus. That worked !! Then we did some circling. He was doing really great at the trot... I don't think I asked for it though. We did a few changes of direction and it kinda led to traveling circles. All of this was on the 12 ft line. He wasn't exactly pulling, but there were sometimes that he put slack in it. He kep stopping on my left side during the traveling circles so I put my stick up and send him on his way without turning to him. After 4 or 5 times, he made a complete lap so I brought him in. I wanted to go sit on a barrel, but he kept putting his head down to eat so everytime he started to, I'd run forwards and swing the string behind me. The second time I did that, he kinda jumped forward in a LBE way. After he ate for a minute ( probably not even that long... I really need to slow down) I got him going sideways for about 30 feet and changed to the 22 ft. Drove him from zone 3/4 through some poles after going sideways over them from zone 1 and then went to the weave pattern. Again, Tug wouldn't go around the obstacles. He kept going to them. Now I realize it had to have been my focus and I feel horrible for increasing my phases to drive him away from me. He either tried to climb over the barrel with his front feet, step on the cones, or come to me sideways. I just increased my phases and he still didn't go around. I finally settled for the smallest improvement and moved on. The next thing was spur of the moment becuase I wanted to see if I could get him to jump barrels. He did not agree with tha at all! He did jump them, but he was pulling the whole time. UGH! I feel so bad. I couldn't believe it was only 30 minutes. At least... I hope it wasn't longer than that.

Just so this doesn't sound all bad, I'd like to add that he was giving me some really great looks too. Once, I was getting him to come to me at a trot and he looked so powerful! He arched his neck a little, pointed his ears right at me and lined up perfectly in front of me while trotting. The next time, I didn't even have to trot backwards, I just walked and he trotted to me! Just about everytime he came in, he put his head straight down and started eating and I really didn't know what to do with that. However, backing up got really good because of that, but I also noticed that he'd kinda over-react sometimes when he realized that I had been wiggling my finger as a phase 1 for a few seconds already.

When I went to get the horses up from the pasture, Tug was at the end so I took the halter, 12ft line, and my stick hoping to play with him on the way back. I was afraid he'd run to the barn before I got to him, but he just stood there grazing. We did the touch it pattern the whole way up the pasture using grazing breaks as rewards. He did really well with it. The last thing I got him to touch was a stick on the ground. This was the first time I've actually asked for something that wasn't obvious, and at first he just plopped his foot around. Then once he saw the stick, he put a lot of effort into getting his foot on it! As we went through the gate, I asked him to go ahead of me and he ended up on the other side while I tried to shut the gate without stepping in the mud. He just looked at me, asking questions. When we got to the barn and I took the halter off, he started yawning a lot again. Maybe it was because he assumed there would be another long session again like before.