Today was not so great. Cal never got confident. I had my dad taping my session, in hopes that my awful catching game that happened yesterday could be caught on video...but Cal actually walked over to me after I drove zone 5. Still, I spent twenty minutes of the video doing nothing it seems, so I then hurried to the arena to get some of my nasty session on tape. Gah. I feel so awful.
1. When haltering, Cal almost always starts by looking away or lifting his head when I go to halter. Should I have hesitated more after lowering his head? Been softer about my approach? Retreated?
2. It's hard to tell on the video, but after haltering, does he look alright? Often he will stand there and if I ask him to move he will be really dull, and move off very slowly, unresponsively, and stiffly. If I wait for him to lick and chew or acknowledge me in some way, he will be far more willing to move off with me. Did he go introverted? Is he confident or unconfident? Should I be doing something besides waiting?
3. When we were walking along and I stopped, Cal threw his head up. Did I stop too abruptly? When I asked him to back up and then play friendly game he got a lot softer. But did I do something to cause his initial reaction?
4. Then we get to see the entering of the terror that is the arena. Maybe I should have retreated. But honestly, if I played approach and retreat everytime he acted like this, I would never get away from the rest of the herd. *sigh*
5. And some figure-8, my attempt to bring him back to Earth. I think I am too hard. I need to use less stick and be more fluid and soft with my directing.
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