Still turning . . .

Today Cohort didn't get any warm-up lunging; I just got on. I'd set up three little ground poles to walk over (gotta work on spacing) which were a non-issue but helped mix things up a bit, then I asked for a trot. He really didn't want to; he wanted to balk – oh, how he wanted to balk! As a result, the trot was sticky and ugly, as was his attitude. He never really slammed on the brakes, but the stickiness increased enough to be all but, so off came the rider and on went the lunge line and around (andaroundandaroundandaround) went Mr. Balky Butt.

When I got back on, Cohort's attitude was still less than cheery, but to his credit he kept moving. We trotted circles and long lines and shoulder-fore and leg yield; big figure eights and small half-eights to change direction. I kept him trotting longer than usual just to see if he would say "enough" or keep going, and he kept going. After cooling him out at the walk I asked for the trot again, just to test him. Two full figure eights – again, not totally willing, but not terrible – and back to the walk on a long rein to finish cooling out. Yay!

There's a glimmer at the end of the tunnel, and I don't think it's a train. :-) Before long, I am hopeful that we will be able to start working on rhythm. Yes, that's the beginning of the training scale. Sometimes you have to dig yourself out of a pit to get to ground level!