Spent 30 or 40 minutes working on line.  Tried to make our first 3 games snappier which worked but also put me in a more aggressive mindset to work on the falling leaf game when I should have been slower and more observant. Not to say I lost my temper or anything like that but as it's a new skill for both of us to learn I would've been better off to slow it way down.  Heard his sheath squeaking which is a sure sign that he was tense.  Bad BAD Holly!   We also worked on full pass with his nose to the fence.  At first he didn't understand at all but then you could almost see the light bulb go off.  It was rough and a bit uncoordinated but he was trying and he knew what he was trying for so that's great.  Also did the driving at a distance which worked well.  He completely understands figure 8 around the barrels (in this case 20L drums).  Before he had to slow to a walk in the junction of the two circles but yesterday he was trotting through.  He deliberately stretched to get around the drum rather than cutting in like he used to.  Saddled him up (no pinned ears!) and rode circles around the drums, did some half pass attempts along the fence and transitions from walk to trot to halt to back to trot.  He was throwing his head when asked to back even though I didn't have a constant contact but tried to ask with legs and seat only, using the reins only when there was no response.   Because I felt he didn't have a reason to toss his head I finally was firm - he met my hands and I insisted that he back and back with alacrity.  We repeated this several times and he improved alot.   He was also neck reining well.  A new skill!   Tried to make our circles round and equidistant from the drums and also practiced riding a straight line along the fence without weaving.  It's a process.

To sum up although we did well I feel I was too hard on him - it became more like work and much less like play.  It's a continuing challenge for me to let go and not be so anal about everything.  He's not going to be perfect, he's not going to answer every question immediately and he's not going offer anything if I'm riding his case all the time.  The mountain before us is not his education but mine.  Did take him out for pick afterwards which hopefully mitigated some of my mistakes.