Today was a "Charlot" day. I caught him easily and led him to the indoor school. We finished trimming and filing his feet. Every time Charlot refused to cooperate, we moved with him so that he could not evade us. He found it easier too if he was besides wall and we sang the Marseillaise loudly while he protested! Eventually, realising that his fighting was futile and our singing loud, Charlot gave in, though we had to resort to using a twitch on his nose to trim and file his back feet. I rewarded him with a piece of carrot after the feet battle. In his mind, it is a battle. He still has his "issues".
So, as the moment was there, we did a spot of lungeing and we put some coloured trotting poles down too in the colours of the French flag! To start with, Charlot had the predictable hissy fit at them refusing to go near but with the help of a bravery carrot, he was soon walking over them, standing in the middle and being fed! We needed someone behind him at the beginning to get him to move forwards. This is what we mostly have to resort to when he slams on his brakes when being led.
Once settled about the poles and their colour, he happily trotted over them again and again, easily picking up his feet and striding cleanly over them. He has a lovely even trot with a nice timing to it.
He, of course, objected to going around the other way because then it was different, but we soon put him right and he quickly got the plot.
Another piece of carrot and Charlot was let go as we had a lesson about to commence.
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