July 3- Lunging

Great day today!
 Sherlock has been playing with the cone, but it was not destroyed or on the roof. I may teach him some tricks that involve holding things- he really likes that.

Anyway, I got there a bit late so I groomed quick, just a brushing and fly spray and off to the round pen. I just decided to ignore any history with the gate. I just walked in and put my stuff down as if he was going to follow me in like he'd done it a million times, and that's exactly what he did.

First I introduced the dressage whip, rubbed him all over with the handle, so itchy with the mosquitoes starting up now. Asked him to move over and to walk forward by gentle pressure. Switched to the lunge line and did the same small circles with whip pressure for gaining distance when he fell inside. "Reverse" is really easy for him now, he just stops and turns in to get me in his other eye.

He got a little trot going turning left- blind side- but immediately needed to check where I was. We tried it on the other side, but no trot. I tapped my leg with the whip and he cantered off a bit startled, did a circle at the canter while I praised him, and stopped to check on me. Lots of pets and showed him the motion with the whip, and then we tried it again, less startled and more willing to go forward.

Switched back to the blind side and asked him to trot with more whip noise- trotted a few strides and checked in. Again good scratches and dusting off flies with the whip handle. Bigger whip noise and he cantered off a bit frantically but soon came down to a circle or two of trot and I asked for whoa and got a very nice halt. Lots of attention and let him breathe a bit. I did just a few more circles each way at the trot and finished up.

Sherlock was still bit excited and didn't want to stop to talk to people, but he was praised for his action and great voice commands, and they didn't believe he can't see out of one eye. I put my lunge line and whip in the car- it opens up! Then we walked to the back to see the longhorns and came back up to talk to Byron the black horse's people. The two little kids were in the cab of the truck and Sherlock couldn't see where the voices were coming from, but he gradually came up and then let them pet his face from the truck window very sweetly. Such a nice horse, he really wants to hang out with people all day and not go back in his corral. He has a new neighbor- one of the yearlings took over Tink's corral.

"Wake up, little brother!"