Rd Pen- I let her trot in each direction 5x to warm her up. Then we got started. My goal was to consistently get her to turn in for 10 consecutive times. It wasn't too bad. It took about 10 minutes. Then I let her rest. then we went again for 10 more times and let her rest. I was looking for her to seek me out and follow me for her rest. The third time through she when I let her rest she really began to break free from guarding herself to actually stepping forward and following me. So we stopped with that. It was about 30 minutes or so and I let her get her air for 5 minutes or more. I noticed a marked improvement over yesterday in that her moving up into a trot or canter was much better. She kept the canter longer as well. I also noticed that she made improvement on her right side turning toward me. Whereas, yesterday she would take several steps before she turned in, she only took about 4 steps. Her moving her shoulders and going in the other direction also became snappier.
When I let her rest she began to follow me even more.
We moved on to the desensitizing which she took real well.
Her Yield hindquarters got even better. I started with just one correct step and it wasn't but after three or four tries that we were able to do a 360 correctly. Both sides were pretty equal, but her right side was a little stickier this time. But she broke free of that.
The backing exercises: tapping the air-she started a bit sluggish, but got good improvement. The wiggle/wave and marching she was really good in. The steady pressure even got so that I could just put my finger on the knot to back and she moved.
Yield forequarters was a different story. She really had sticky feet here. She made me have to really tap her on the cheek before she moved her feet. I worked on just getting one good step consistently from both sides and then stopped. That took quite a while. I worked on this more as needed in the other movements.
Lunge for respect had some challenges. She didn't want to move with just pointing so had to use some whacks in appropriate places to get her to move her shoulders and forward and around.I don't think she knew what I was asking at first. But she finally got the hang of it. Her giving me two eyes made a good improvement over the course of the exercise. She began to move off with some pep in her step by the time we were done.
Flexing was real good. She only had trouble with the poke and flex. She didn't know what that poking in her side was, but after several tries she got it. She seemed real soft to me in all the flexing.
Sending was ok. I think I started a little too close to the fence so backed off a couple steps and then moved up. She needs much more work here with moving the shoulders and getting her butt out of the way.
Circle driving once she would go forward went good. I especially was pleased with the left side. She was bent in and looking at me as she was waiting for instructions most of the time around. The right side she was more stiff. But she was still bent and a float in the line. Her keeping in gait improved as well.
I noticed that she can be pushy, in almost unnoticeable ways, but I caught her on them and wouldn't let her get away with it. When she first begins she is a little lazy, but once she realizes she has to move she doesn't hesitate and doesn't throw a fit. I will watch for those subtle details though.
She still is guarded around me but I think that will greatly improve.
I did lunging for respect 2 on the way back to the barn. She was probably not a C grade on the moving her butt and giving me two eyes as good as I want, but she moved off good when I sent her. We backed from the fence to the barn up hill in the sand. She didn't much like that, but with more practice she will get better.
I have been doing the leading behind and the desensitizing-helicopter, slapping etc. throughout the session.
I also introduced the plastic flag on a stick to her. She was a bit flustered at first but soon settled down.
I think it was a good session with some marked improvement.
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