I'm a constant fumbler! If I have some extra something in my hands, it won't know where to go so I'll always juggle it. And thats just not good with a 1000lbs animal on the other end! The only thing I have to be concerned with is where I step. I just step over the line and if I don't know where it's at, a quick glance down will do it for me.

She did hop a little when I asked for a canter, but I think thats only because I haven't actually pushed her into a canter on the lunge yet. It was kind of an "FU, lady!". It didn't look like it had anything to do with rejecting the thing on her back. But when I pushed her forward out of it she settled down into the gait pretty well.