Gia - session 668 - trailer loading and lesson at CDP

 Gia and I had a lesson today at CDP.  However, we were quite late to it, because she decided that she did not want to get on the trailer this morning.  It was a bit windy, and it's possible that the wind caught the front door and startled her.  It's a bit of a stretch, but it's the only thing I can come up with.  She did get on the trailer, almost completely, at first, but before I could get the butt bar up, she flew back off.

I proceeded to work with her on loading.  When she consistently refused to go forward, I took her to the round pen and lunged her until she seemed much more submissive.  However, when I attempted to put her on the trailer again, she again planted her feet and would not go. 

I took a different tactic, and every time she refused to go forward, I lunged her right at the back of the trailer for a few rounds, and then attempted again.  The idea being that if she wouldn't get on then she would have to work, and if she did get on she would get to rest.  It took at good half hour of this before she finally relented.  Needless to say, we will be working more on this in the future ...

Once at CDP, Charlie had us work on the flat with some bending and circles and leg yields at the walk and trot, mainly focusing on using my outside aids to turn her so that she stays straighter.  We also did a little canter work, which was very uneventful.  Finally, we popped over a few jumps.  She mostly trotted them, but she did actually jump a couple.  It was a fairly nice, uncomplicated ride.

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