d14/r2

Things are going pretty good with the horses. Robbie had a little hiccup after saddling this morning, a little buck, but I believe it wasn't so much the saddle as it was me poking him with the end of the whip in the shoulder in order to remind him to keep his shoulder up. It was really nothing though. He didn't offer to do it again. Then we played outside. Boy was it fun. I had him following the tarp draped across the lead and he lunged with it there. Then I had him jumping the barrels with it over the lead. Then I upped it even more by having it draped across his back while jumping the barrels. We worked on sidepassing down the rail too.
Darkstar did just as well. I saddled him and got him outside to work around the tarp, log and barrels. I have him starting to jump the barrels now too. Did the same with the tarp and he was handling it tolerably. He was kind of jumping out of his skin today, I think because of the wind. But he handled it all like a trooper. Then I put both driving reins on him and after flexing we took off, or I should say he did with the lines dragging behind him. I had let one get under his hind foot and tried to get if free but he just walked off to the corner and finally I was able to get him undone and we started again. This time it went real well. I am after getting him softened laterally to the inside and stopping with the outside rein. We switched sides with no problem and worked on that one til we got some consistent resemblance of softness. Then we just kinda zigzagged back to the corner and undid everything. Now here is the thing. He followed me all over the arena with the lead draped over saddle. He is getting so much better.