So I got on him again today.....

He was moving slow at the walk, and I've been trying to get him to pick up the pace a little bit. If I push him faster he tries to ignore me for a bit and then eventually he'll pick it up for about 2 steps and then slow right down. I make sure I give him a release when he does what I want, but he seems to think that the release is permission to slow down again. Normally I'm don't push walk speed until later, but his walk is PAINFULLY slow. We did quite a bit of trot, and again as soon as I relaxed and gave him a reward/release, he thinks it's permission to slow down. Getting him to canter was SLIGHTLY easier today, but with way more buck than I usually get from him. I was using my racing whip with him, and he listens to it better than nothing or a regular crop, but he still tries to ignore it. Again he was off in lala land instead of focusing on me. I had my little english spurs on today too.

I gave him 2g of injectable bute about a half hour before we started, so if it was a soreness issue it wouldn't have been a factor today. I think I might borrow a bitless bridle for him tomorrow and see what happens. The only thing I would be concerned about his keeping control of his head when he tries to drop it and buck. His teeth feel fine to me, and the lady I bought him from says he just got floated in early May. I might just have the dentist come out and look anyway just to be on the safe side.

I did LOTS of work with him on the lunge line when I got him. All I did was lunge him for the first two week and never got on. I did have trouble getting him to canter on the lunge line and I did have to push him lots to trot initially, but after about a week he was fantastic on the lunge line and still is. That being said I might try and track down somebody to lunge him while I'm on him.

I might just have to get somebody else to get on him and see if they get the same thing. I know nobody at the barn will get on him since they've seen what he does with me, so I'll likely have to hire a pro, which is probably the best way to go anyway.