Today I knew it was time to get my act together to follow up on the catch me game variation to use to help Try take more responsibility. So I chose the task of figure 8 at liberty as one that requires Try to be active but mildly so and one that she knows but does not do well.
We then alternated my asking Try for the figure 8 and my sending her out to the rail to circle when she would not do the figure 8--she tried to avoid the task with leaving, offering cool stuff I didn't ask her to do etc and I did not back down.
Once on the rail I gave her a lap or two so she could settle in to the rhythm then used the change of direction approach and set it up so I didn't have to move more than 6-10 feet to keep her changing direction until she changed toward me, stopped, drew to me.
Actually, Try is learning this game and looked for the opportunity to turn toward me--I back a bit to release the pressure and she gave me some of the best draw I have ever seen.
The interesting thing is how long it took to get the figure 8. Also each time I needed to send her away I remembered the Jim Carrey sense of fun and laughed and played and enjoyed it.
Eventually we got a figure 8 with a trot on the allow both directions but I really helped her a lot. Especially going to the right helping to block the front end so she would come to me instead of doing something else. She was more RBI/RBE than LBI for a lot of this--I need to rethink and visualize that for next time.
THen we went to the big pasture for our mile of no stop no stirrups posting trot. When finished she did the old emotional I want to rush thru the gate deal so we did a lot of backing. I wasn't very successful with this as I was tired but took a pretty good try. I need a session soon where I allow enough energy myself for us to work through this.
Next a shower bath and I saw some bad attitude LBI stuff coming up so we went back to the paddock for two more figure 8s at a trot--no catch me needed and we finished with a very pleasant attentive Try.
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